A/HRC/37/43 neighbourhoods frequently leads to clashes, which in turn serve as a justification for police raids and arrests. 46. During the unrest in Jerusalem in July 2017, following the killing of two Israeli policemen near the Al-Aqsa mosque compound and the subsequent measures taken by Israeli police at the entrances to the holy site, OHCHR and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs documented a spike in excessive use of force, during which 13 Palestinians were injured by live ammunition and two were killed in clashes in East Jerusalem. 47. The heavy security measures taken by Israeli authorities in these crowded neighbourhoods often have an impact on bystanders; children are especially vulnerable. For instance, according to monitoring by OHCHR, on 9 July 2017, 13-year-old Nour Ayman Hamdan was standing on the balcony of his house in Isawiya as Israeli Security Forces entered his neighbourhood, called to intervene in a dispute between Palestinians. He was struck with a sponge-tipped bullet in his left eye, causing permanent loss of sight. 48. In East Jerusalem settlements, the Ministry of Defence of Israel contracts private security companies to protect settlers. According to the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the security guards are de facto private police forces at the exclusive service of Jewish residents, unlike the regular police which, in principle, must serve all inhabitants without discrimination and is subject to public accountability.38 49. OHCHR monitored two cases that demonstrated how the settler takeover of houses in the East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Batan al Hawa in Silwan has increased tensions and violence. On 17 December 2016, Mousa Ali Qarra’een was attempting to de-escalate an argument between Palestinian youths and Israeli security guards outside a settler’s house in Batan al Hawa when a private guard drew his weapon and opened fire, shooting Qarra’een in the leg. When he arrived at the hospital, Israeli Security Forces delayed his treatment for 40 minutes to interrogate him. While Qarra’een was charged with assault, OHCHR is not aware of any investigation or charges raised against the guard. 50. On 9 September, 61-year-old Fayez al Rajabi, who lives 15 m from houses occupied by settlers in Batn al Hava, was looking for his son and granddaughter when he heard that tear gas grenades were being shot during scuffles. When he reached the street, Israeli Security Forces threw three sound grenades at him from a distance of 10 m, the explosions hitting his legs and face. His hearing was affected and he was hospitalized for 10 days with internal brain bleeding. 51. Residents of Batan al Hawa in Silwan reported to OHCHR that the neighbourhood was quieter before the first of the two houses was taken over by settlers in 2014. Since then, there has been a heavy presence of Israeli Security Forces and frequent clashes, at times on a daily basis. Al Rajabi and his wife Ayda are worried about the impact on their family, especially their three sons, aged between 15 and 22 years. One of their sons has been imprisoned for stone-throwing and another arrested for allegedly insulting police officers. Batan al Hawa is considered one of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem, with 62 households at risk of eviction and 309 persons risking displacement because of ownership claims. 52. Human rights organizations have continued to raise concern at the arrest of Palestinian children in East Jerusalem (A/70/351, para. 48).39 According to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, 1,092 Palestinians, including 409 children, were arrested in East Jerusalem during the period under review. Palestinian children are mainly arrested in areas with a high settler presence, especially in the Old City, Silwan and Ras al Amud. 38 39 See www.acri.org.il/en/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/E-Jlem-Petition-Security-guards-ENG.pdf. B’Tselem and HaMoked, Unprotected: Detention of Palestinian Teenagers in East Jerusalem, October 2017. 11