Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

• A Palestinian child from Rafah died from the explosion of an unidentified object left by IOF.

• 23 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, and a French human rights defender were wounded by IOF gunfire.

• 11 of these civilians were wounded during peaceful demonstrations organized in protest at the construction of the Annexation Wall.

• IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

• IOF arrested 58 Palestinian civilians, including four children, in the West Bank.

• IOF raided 2 mosques in Beit Reema and Silwad villages near Ramallah.

• IOF raided and closed a number of charities, cultural centers and commercial buildings in Nablus.  

• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

• IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.

• IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.

• The Israeli Defense Minister approved the construction of a Jewish school in the center of Hebron.

• IOF demolished two Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem.

• A Palestinian civilian was wounded by Israeli settlers.

• Israeli settlers attacked a French diplomatic delegation.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (26 June – 2 July 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF wounded 23 Palestinian civilians and a French human rights defender in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian child died from the explosion of an unidentified object left by IOF in Rafah.

On 3 July, 13 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, were wounded when IOF fired at a number of Palestinian children and young men who threw stones at IOF military vehicles that had moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas.

During the reporting period, 11 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and French human rights defender were wounded when IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein and Ne’lin villages, west of Ramallah, and al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem.    

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 58 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. Since the beginning of the year, 1,482 Palestinian civilians have been arrested by IOF in the West Bank. IOF also raided 2 mosques in Beit Reema and Silwad villages near Ramallah. On 7 and 8 July, 2008, IOF closed a number of charities and associations in Nablus for 2-3 years, claiming they belong to Hamas.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The IOF siege of Gaza, which has tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and has violated the human, economic and social rights of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinian civilian population, particularly their rights to appropriate living conditions, health and education. The siege has also paralyzed the Gazan economy. In addition, the siege has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other necessities such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various economic sectors. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and many factories have been forced to close. Severe restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the entire Palestinian civilian population. Regarding civilian movements, IOF permit very few Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in order to travel to the West Bank or Israel. Rafah International Crossing Point in the southern Gaza Strip is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world via a country other than Israel. IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it, and have also obstructed European observers working at the Crossing Point from reaching it. Although the Egypt-brokered truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel entered into force on June 19, no major changes have been observed regarding the movement of persons and goods through the six Gaza Strip border crossings.

West Bank

Contrary to Israeli claims of easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Jerusalem. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently assault Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested eight Palestinian civilians, including three children.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT have, in violation of international humanitarian law, continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, approved the construction of a boarding school for “Beit Rumano” Jewish School in Hebron. According to Israeli sources, the construction of the school had been suspended for a number of years pending the Israeli Defense Minister’s approval. At least 250 Israeli settlers study at the Beit Rumano school, and the building was occupied by Israeli settlers in 1981. In East Jerusalem and its suburbs, IOF demolished two  Palestinian houses, rendering 21 individuals, including 11 children, homeless. Also during the reporting period, Israeli settlers living in the OPT launched five attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron and Jenin. These attacks included the interception of a French diplomatic delegation which was conducting an official visit Hebron. On 6 July, a Palestinian civilian was seriously wounded by a gunshot when the driver of a car that has an Israeli registration plate fired at the taxi in which he was traveling near Jenin.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (3 – 9 July 2008)

1.      Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 3 July

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mahmoud Hassan al-Wardian, 28, and arrested him.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ziad Rahhal, 35, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Shawawra village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of ‘Ali Mohammed Hamdan, 45, and arrested him.

·      Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They raided Abu ‘Obaida Mosque and its library and Koran crammer in the center of the village. They confiscated 5 computer sets, all documents and some books. IOF troops also raided Silwad Sports Club and confiscated a computer set.

·      At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Madama village, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 24 Palestinians, including 2 children:

1.      Farraj Fa’eq Dawabsha, 16;

2.      Zuhdi Fa’eq Dawabsha, 20;

3.      Muhannad Ra’eq Dwabsha, 19;

4.      Aysar Zuhair Dawabsha, 25;

5.      Ahmed Zuhair Dawabsha, 26;

6.      Muntasser Zuhair Dawabsha, 20;

7.      Qassem Mohammed Dawabsha, 45;

8.      Mo’tassem Qassem Dawabsha, 24;

9.      Mohammed Qassem Dawabsha, 22;

10.  Ahmed Saleh Dawabsha, 21;

11.  Mohammed ‘Abdullah Dawabsha, 18;

12.  Sidqi ‘Abdul Raziq Dawabsha, 24;

13.  Sameh Ahmed Dawabsha, 20;

14.  Saleh Ahmed Dawabsha, 22;

15.  Shadi Khalil Dawabsha, 30;

16.  Thameen Khalil Dawabsha, 19;

17.  Rassem Mohammed Dawabsha, 35, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces;

18.  Ibrahim Khalil Dawabsha, 20;

19.  Isma’il Khalil Dawabsha, 24;

20.  Fadi ‘Abdul Sattar Salawda, 25;

21.  Hassan ‘Abdul Sattar Salawda, 18;

22.  Ameen ‘Abdul Fattah Salawda, 18;

23.  Thameen ‘Abdul Fattah Salawda, 17;

24.  Bahaa’ Ahmed Salawda, 18.     

·      At approximately 02:35, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses. No arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Sarra village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Diaa’ Musleh Abu Turabi, 20.

·      Also at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses. No arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Beit Reema village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched Abu Baker Mosque and confiscated some computer sets, documents and books.

·      At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Tubas town. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested ‘Abdullah Rafeeq Abu Salah, 24.

·      At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas. They patrolled the streets and opened fire provocatively. A number of Palestinian children and young men gathered and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. Immediately, IOF troops fired at them. As a result, 13 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, were wounded:

1.      Eihab Ibrahim Abu Madhi, 15, wounded by a gunshot to the right foot;

2.      Rakan Ziad ‘Awadh, 16, wounded by a gunshot to the right thigh;

3.      Mohammed Jalal Abu ‘Ali, 21, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the forehead;

4.      Aysar Ibrahim Subeh, 17, wounded by 2 rubber-coated metal bullets to the legs;

5.      Ahmed Yousef al-Shaf’ei, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head;

6.      Ayman Sameer Barriya, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head;

7.      Mohammed Fayez al-Ghazzawi, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the abdomen;

8.      Ma’ath ‘Abdul Salam al-‘Aaidi, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right knee;

9.      Hassan Mousa ‘Olayan, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg;

10.  Ahmed Fat’hi al-Zebdawi, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the abdomen;

11.  ‘Emad Mohammed Sarhan, 24, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the buttock;

12.  Samer ‘Abdul Qader Qassem, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the foot; and

13.  Ibrahim Waleed Abu Tayeh, 19, hit by a tear gas canister to the chest.

Friday, 4 July  

·      At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They patrolled the streets and opened fire. Neither casualties nor arrests were reported.

Saturday, 5 July  

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Mahmoud Nasri Nawawra, 18;

2.      ‘Alaa’ ‘Ali Ezraiq, 18; and

3.      Jamal Mohammed Abu Jaghleef, 20.

·      At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      Ibrahim Fawzi Hashash, 24;

2.      Mohammed ‘Ali Khalbous, 17;

3.      ‘Abdul Halim ‘Abdul Salam al-Qan’eir, 18.

·      Also at approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Zawata village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Mo’tassem Sameer Saqf al-Hait, 20;

2.      Sultan Sameer Saqf al-Hait, 18;

3.      Salem Jawad Zaqzouq, 21;

4.      Saddam Jawad Zaqzouq, 19;

5.      Mohammed Waleed Yamin, 22.

Sunday, 6 July   

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghossoun village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Wa’el Mahmoud Rabai’a, 20, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses. No arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses. No arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Beit Ameen village, east of Qalqilya. They opened fire indiscriminately at Palestinian civilians and their property. They then raided, searched and damaged a house belonging to ‘Emad al-Din Mahmoud Nemer.

·      Also at approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Sneeria village, east of Qalqilya. They raided a house belonging to Zaki ‘Abdullah ‘Omar and violently assaulted him. They also damaged the house.

·      At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire. Before their withdrawal from the village, IOF troops arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      Nour al-Din Mahmoud Abu Karkour, 18;

2.      Mahmoud Mohammed Jaradat, 18;

3.      Mobdi Mahmoud Maqalda, 18;

4.      Tha’er Na’im Fraijat, 19;

5.      Rami Na’im Fraijat, 18;

6.      Sabeel Na’im Fraijat, 17.

Monday, 7 July  

·      At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire. Neither casualties nor arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Murad Riad Mughrabi, 19, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Qajdi ‘Emad ‘Arar, 18, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 01:35, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They patrolled the streets and opened fire. They then raided and searched a number of houses. They raided and searched offices of the Charitable Solidarity Association and the Islamic School for Girls, the Charitable Solidarity Club, Solidarity Mosque and Solidarity Medical Center in Rafidya neighborhood. They confiscated medical equipment and computers and ordered the closure of the association and all of its sub-offices for 3 years. Before their withdrawal later, IOF troops arrested Mohammed Shaher Hashahs, 18, and Ra’ed As’ad al-Ka’bi, 21.

Tuesday, 8 July  

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided offices of a number of associations affiliated to Hamas and closed 7 ones for 2 years. IOF claimed that those associations “fund terrorist activities.” The associations affected by the decision of closure are: Nablus shopping mall, which includes offices of the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Social Affairs; Nafha Association for Prisoners’ Affairs; the Union of Islamic Associations; Medical Scientific Association; Yzour Charity; al-Basma Association; and the Graduates Cultural Forum. IOF closed the Nablus shopping mall after confiscating its contents and warned that anyone who entered it would be imprisoned for 5 years. IOF issued a statement transferring the ownership of the mall to the Israeli authorities from August 15. Additionally, IOF raided a mosque in ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of the city, and the Solidarity Medical Center in the city. PCHR notes that the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, signed a statement outlawing 36 charitable funds over the world, claiming that they are part of the Alms Coalition which funds Hamas. The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that Israeli security services would escalate “war on the civil infrastructure of Hamas in the West Bank,” and that IOF would close and confiscate many charities and associations, allegedly for being affiliated to Hamas.

·      At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Ahmed Hassan Taqtqa, 24;

2.      Majdi ‘Abdul Hakim Taqatqa, 20;

3.      Ahmed As’ad Thawabta, 23.

·      Also at approximately 01:15, IOF moved into al-Bireh town. They raided and searched the building of the Municipality of al-Bireh and confiscated computer sets and documents.

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Halhoul town, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Sami Hassan al-Zama’ra, 32;

2.      Muhannad ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-Zama’ra, 21;

3.      Bahaa’ Ahmed al-Zama’ra, 21.

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Beit Kahel village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Sayaf Ibrahim al-‘Asafra, 23, and arrested him.

Child Dies from Explosion of Unidentified Object Left by IOF in the Southern Gaza Strip

At approximately 09:30 on Saturday, 5 July, medical sources at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis declared that 16-year-old Tariq ‘Aabed ‘Otaiwa ‘Edwan, from al-Shuka village in Rafah, died from a wound he had sustained on 29 June 2008. On that date, the child found an object left by IOF, (who committed regular incursions into the area) and started to play with it. The object exploded and the child was seriously injured. He was evacuated to the Gaza European Hospital, where he received medical treatment, but died at the hospital.  

2.      Continued Siege on the OPT

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

As previously noted, IOF have continued to impose a siege on the 1.5 million civilians of the Gaza Strip as part of its overall policy of collective punishment of the civilian population. As a result, the territory is unable to secure its basic needs of food, medicine, and other supplies, and the poverty rate has been pushed above 80%.

The continued Israeli ban on fuel supplies required to normalize civilian life in the Gaza Strip has led to the paralysis of the educational sector. In addition, the health sector is on the verge of collapse due to the stoppage of many ambulances due to chronic fuel shortages. Healthcare facilities have registered a 25% drop in clients due to the transport crisis, and hundreds of healthcare professionals have been unable to reach their work places. Furthermore, the transportation sector has almost ceased functioning throughout the Gaza Strip, resulting in massively reduced essential services, including the delivery of drinking water delivery, sewage water disposal, and garbage collection.

During the reporting period, the Egypt-brokered truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel continued, under which the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip would apparently be gradually eased.

However, no tangible change has been noticed with regard to the movement of persons and goods, excluding the increase in the number of containers of foods and humanitarian aid allowed into the Gaza Strip. Over the past five months, IOF have been allowing a very limited number of seriously ill patients and staff of international organizations to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) checkpoint. However, IOF have also prevented the families of at least 900 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails from visiting them since 6 June 2007.

Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, was designed for the commercial entry of fuel. During the reporting period, IOF allowed the entry of the following amounts of fuel:

During the reporting period, IOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing for several hours on Sunday, 6 July , and allowed the entry of 2,600 tons of seeds and fodder.

Sofa Crossing, northeast of Rafah, was open during the following times:

Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, was opened on a limited basis by the Egyptian authorities in order to facilitate the movement of some patients. The opening times are illustrated below:

In the meantime, IOF have continued to close Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing for more than 3 months.

The closure of the Gaza Strip border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Approximately 35,000 people in and around Gaza’s coastal communities rely on the fishing industry, including 3,500 fishermen, 2,500 support staff and their families. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor and harass the fishermen. The Oslo Accords permit Palestinian fishermen to fish up to 20 nautical miles from the Gaza seashore.

The West Bank

IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

·      Jerusalem:

On Friday morning, 4 July, IOF troops positioned at the Container checkpoint, east of Jerusalem, arrested Saleh Mohammed al-Jahalin, 39.

On Monday morning, 7 July, IOF arrested Mohammed Sa’id Badran, 21, and Ahmed ‘Aadel Badran, 22, both from Deir al-Ghossoun village north of Tulkarm, when they attempted to enter Jerusalem to reach their work places.  

·      Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 3 July, IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints around Nablus continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday morning, 5 July 2008, IOF troops positioned at Za’atara checkpoint, south of Nablus, and Beit Eiba checkpoint, west of the city, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians. On Sunday morning, 6 July, IOF troops positioned at Za’atara checkpoint, south of Nablus, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians. On Monday morning, 7 July, IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints around the city imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  

·      Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 3 July 2008, IOF closed Wad al-Teen checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, until 10:00. On Friday, 4 July, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Attil village, north of Tulkarm, and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the village. On Saturday, 5 July, IOF erected a checkpoint on Deir al-Ghossoun – Bala’a raod. They stopped and searched dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Sunday, 6 July, IOF closed Eannab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, for several hours. On Monday, 7 July, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance of Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. They imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the village. On Tuesday, 8 July, IOF erected a checkpoint at Far’oun intersection, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles.   

·      Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday evening, 5 July, IOF imposed a military closure on Hebron and neighboring village and refugee camps. In this context, they closed all entrances to the town and closed roads linking the town with neighboring villages and refugee camps. This closure continued until the following day noon. Following lifting the closure, IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints around the town imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Monday, 7 July, IOF closed all entrances of Hebron and the roads leading to the town. They also erected additional checkpoints around the town and stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

On Tuesday morning, 8 July, IOF troops positioned at a checkpoint erected at the northern entrance of Hebron arrested Mohammed ‘Ali Zama’ra, 27, from Halhoul town north of Hebron.

·      Jericho: At approximately 08:30 on Sunday, 6 July, IOF troops positioned at the checkpoint on the southern entrance of Jericho arrested Ahmed Mohammed ‘Awadallah, 20, from Bethlehem, when he was on his way to his work in Jericho. 

·      Jenin: On Tuesday evening, 8 July, IOF troops arrested 3 Palestinian children from ‘Arbouna village, northeast of Jenin, claiming that they got close to the Annexation Wall: Salem Mahmoud Abu Hassan, 16; Mahdi Maher Bani Hassan, 16; and ‘Odai Talal Bani Hassan, 12.

3.     Construction of the Annexation Wall

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, IOF used force against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the construction of the Wall in Bal’ein and Ni’lin villages, west of Ramallah; al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem; and Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.

·      On Thursday morning, 3 July, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Ni’lin village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the area where IOF were razing land to construct a section of the Wall in the village. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 9 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:

1.      Mohammed ‘Ali Dabbous, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the chest;

2.      Mohammed ‘Essam al-Khawaja, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right hand;

3.      Rezeq Khalil Dabbous, 38, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the chest;

4.      Ahmed Daoud al-Khawaja, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the knee;

5.      Mohammed Ahmed al-Ghazzawi, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg;

6.      Munther Rida Sorour, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg;

7.      Ahmed Khalil ‘Ersan, 27, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the face;

8.      Mohammed ‘Atallah ‘Ameera, 30, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the hand; and

9.      Ayoub Sorour, 28, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the chest. 

On Saturday morning, IOF closed all entrance to Ni’lin village, declared it a closed military zone and imposed a curfew. IOF troops denied access of Palestinian civilians to medical care, and obstructed bring the body of a resident of the village who died at Ramallah hospital into the village for burial.

·      Following the Friday Prayer on 4 July, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest at the construction of the Wall. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall, but IOF closed all gates designed for crossing the Wall. The demonstrators then set fire to tires in protest at the closure of gates. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, an international human rights defender  and an old man and were wounded:

1.      Sonia Slue, 25, a French citizen, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the thigh;

2.      Mohammed ‘Ali Abu Sa’di, 65, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the back.

Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.

·      Also following the Friday Prayer on 4 July June, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. The demonstrators moved towards Palestinian land which had been confiscated by IOF. IOF troops placed barbwire near the land to prevent the demonstrators from moving forward. They also fired sound bombs and tear gas canisters and violently beat a number of demonstrators. A number of demonstrators sustained bruises and others suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF troops also detained 2 Palestinian civilians for several hours.

4.      Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians and Property

IOF have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

·      On 3 July, the Israeli Defense Minister, Ehud Barak, approved the construction of a boarding school for “Beit Rumano” Jewish School in Hebron. According to Israeli sources, the construction of the school has been suspended for years pending the Israeli Defense Minister’s approval. At least 250 Israeli settlers study at the school, and the building itself was occupied by Israeli settlers in 1981 following an attack against settlers near “Beit Hadasa”s settlement outpost. The office of the Israeli Defense Minister Claimed that he approved the expansion of an existing building not the construction of a new one, and that all licenses for the construction are “legal.”

·      At approximately 07:00 on Thursday, 3 July, IOF troops, accompanied by officials from the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem, moved into al-‘Eissawiya village, east of Jerusalem. They demolished a 120-square-meter house belonging to Mohammed ‘Ali Nasser, 67, rendering 14 individuals, including 6 disabled children, homeless.

·      At the same time, IOF moved into Beit Hanina village, north of Jerusalem. They demolished a 110-square-meter house belonging to Kmail al-Sa’ou, rendering 7 individuals, including 5 children, homeless.

·      On Saturday morning, 5 July, a number of Israeli settlers living in a settlement outpost to the south of al-Sammou’ village, southwest of Hebron, attacked a number of Palestinian farmers. They also abused and tortured a Palestinian civilian.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:30 on 5 July, four Palestinian farmers went to tend to their agricultural lands in Shu’ab al-Baqqar area to the south of al-Sammou’ village. At approximately 09:30, an Israeli settler living in the nearby “Eitzail” settlement outpost, sneaked into the lands and set fires to sections of the land. The farmers attempted to extinguish the fires, but Israeli settlers attacked them with sticks and stones and forced three of the farmers to leave the area. Four Israeli settlers caught the fourth farmer, 30-year-old Midhat Radwan Abu Karsh. They brutally beat him and forcibly pulled him to a place near the Eitzail settlement outpost. According to Abu Karsh, who suffers from a disability in the left leg, the settlers tied him to an electricity tower and violently beat him from more than 40 minutes. Although IOF troops arrived at the area, they did not intervene to stop the attack. When they saw a number of Israeli police officers and some peace activists coming to the area, IOF troops ordered the settler to untie Abu Karsh and stop beating him. They poured water on his face and body in an attempt to hide any signs of injuries. The settlers then left the area, but IOF troops an ambulance from evacuating Abu Karsh to the local hospital for almost an hour. They also interrogated him for 20 minutes. They then took him to an Israeli ambulance, which handed Abu Karsh to a Palestinian ambulance 2 hours later. Abu Krash sustained acute bruises and cuts all over his body.  

·      On Sunday morning, 6 July, a number of Israeli settlers from “Asfar” settlement, southeast of Bethlehem, violently beat Helmi ‘Abdul Hamid Shalalda, 80, and his son ‘Abdullah, 28, from Sa’ir village near Hebron, when they were grazing animals near Taqqou’ village. They sustained bruises and cuts throughout the body.

·      At approximately 12:30 also on Sunday, Israeli settlers living in settlement outposts in the center of Hebron intercepted and provoked a French diplomatic delegation during a visit to Hebron, and IOF troops held the delegation and detained a guard for more than an hour. According to information obtained by PCHR, a French diplomatic delegation, comprised of 5 MP’s and the Deputy Consul General in Jerusalem, accompanied by 2 French bodyguards and a Palestinian guide, were having a field tour in the old city of Hebron. While the delegation was in al-Sahla Street, an Israeli settler, David Wyder, who is a spokesman of Israeli settlers in Hebron, intercepted members of the delegation and demanded to be their guide instead of the Palestinian. Wyder claimed the delegation were on an Israeli land. When members of the delegation refused, Wyder intercepted them and then started to photograph them. The bodyguards intervened to prevent the settler from photographing the delegates and to convince him to move away. He sat on the ground and cried claiming that the bodyguards had attacked him. IOF troops were present in the area all the time and witnessed the events. A female Israeli settler then attempted to attack members of the delegation, but the bodyguards prevented her from doing so. IOF troops detained members of the delegation and arrested one of the bodyguards. He was interrogated at an Israeli police station as David Wyder had claimed the bodyguard had attacked him. The bodyguard was later released. Meanwhile, IOF troops held the other members of the delegation in the street for more than an hour.

·      At approximately 02:35 on the same day, the driver of a civilian car that has an Israeli registration plate, in which 3 masked persons were traveling, fired at a Palestinian taxi, in which 7 passengers, including 2 children, were traveling near ‘Arraba intersection, west of Jenin. As a result, one of the passengers, 29-year-old Haitham Jad Sabri Jad, was wounded by a gunshot to the face. The taxi continued to travel towards an IOF military checkpoint at the entrance of Barta’a village. There, the taxi driver informed an IOF officer of what happened. Jad was evacuated in an Israeli ambulance to an Israeli hospital. PCHR notes that Israeli settlers often travel on the road on which the attack took place.

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Recommendations to the International Community

1.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

2.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

3.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

4.      PCHR calls for the immediately implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.

5.      PCHR recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to bring these people to justice.

6.      PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel.  PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.

7.      PCHR calls on the international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented last year, for what it is - not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. 

8.      In recognition of ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

9.      PCHR appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel's respect for human rights in the OPT and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

10.  PCHR calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international organizations to the OPT.

11.  PCHR reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question.  Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region.  Any peace agreement or process must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.

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Public Document

For further information please visit our website (http://www.pchrgaza.org) or contact PCHR’s office in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email (pchr@pchrgaza.org) or telephone (+972 (0)8 2824776 – 2825893).