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

· 15 Palestinians, 7 of them are civilians (including a child and a woman), were killed by IOF.

· 13 of the victims were killed by IOF in the northern Gaza Strip.

· 3 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Jabalya town.

· 49 Palestinians, including 19 children, a woman and an old man, were wounded by IOF.

· IOF bombarded a money exchange shop in Gaza City.

· IOF conducted 28 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

· IOF arrested 65 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, in the West Bank.

· IOF destroyed 27 houses in and razed 80 donums[1] of agricultural land in the northern Gaza Strip.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including two children, at checkpoints in the West Bank

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; they used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Wall.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; IOF destroyed 5 houses and 7 civilian establishment in Jenin and Hebron, and Israeli settlers attacked a child and injured her.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (23 – 29 November 2006):

Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 14 Palestinians, 7 of whom are civilians, including a woman and a child. An eighth civilians died from a previous wound. In addition, IOF wounded 49 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 19 children, a woman and an old man.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 7 Palestinians, including 4 civilians (one of them is a child), during military operations in the northern Gaza Strip. On 23 November 2006, IOF extra-judicially executed 3 Palestinian resistance activists in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. On the same day, a Palestinian civilians died from a previous wound he had sustained in the northern Gaza Strip. On 25 November 2006, IOF fired an artillery shell at a number of Palestinian resistance activists. As a result, a resistance activist and a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces, who was in a security site in the area, were killed. In addition, 37 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 13 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire. Moreover, IOF also launched an air strike on a money exchange shop in Gaza City, destroying it and severely damaging nearby houses.

In the West Bank, on 27 November 2006, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and a woman who attempted to offer him first medical aid in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. IOF left the two victims bleeding to death. In addition, 12 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire in various areas in the West Bank.

Incursions: During the reported period, IOF conducted at least 28 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they raided houses and arrested 65 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. IOF employed undercover units in several incursions.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF redeployed outside the northern Gaza Strip following a series of incursions into the area. During these incursions, IOF killed 7 Palestinians, destroyed 17 houses and 10 civilian establishments and razed 80 donums of agricultural land. IOF also moved into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, and leveled areas of land they had already razed.

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 imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.

IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point since 25 June 2006, even though they do not directly control it. During the reported period, the crossing point was reopened on Tuesday, 28 November 2006, from 10:00 to 15:00, and 776 Palestinians traveled from the Gaza Strip and 569 others traveled back to it. The crossing point was supposed to be operated also on Wednesday, 29 November 2006, but IOF informed the European observers that the crossing point would not allow its operation. On 15 November 2006, the Palestinian – Israeli agreement on border crossing, which was concluded under US and European supervision, expired. Under this agreement, IOF have maintained indirect control over of the crossing point. IOF have imposed severe restrictions at commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. As a consequence, the economic situation inside the Gaza Strip has further deteriorated and many goods have been lacked in markets. During the reported period, IOF partially reopened Sofa and Kerem Shalom (Karem Abu Salem) crossings near Rafah. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had been prevented from traveling through this crossing.  IOF have allowed international workers to pass through the crossing.  With this closure, only few Palestinian patients have been able to travel to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank.  In addition, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian fishermen from fishing for 5 months.

West Bank

IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of 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 have continued to separate between the north and south of the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including two children.

Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. During the reported period, 4 female Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian child in Hebron and injured her. In the context of settlement activities, IOF demolished 5 houses and 7 civilian establishments in Jenin and Hebron, claiming that were built without licenses.

The outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006:

o 468 Palestinians, 294 of whom are civilians, including 88 children and 29 women, have been killed by IOF.

o At least 1592 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 329 children, 109 women. In the Gaza Strip alone, 1259 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 343 children, 104 women, 4 paramedics and 7 journalist, have been wounded by the IOF gunfire.

o At least 328 air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been fired at Palestinian civilian and military targets in the Gaza Strip.

o Buildings of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National economy, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed. 

o The electricity generation plant, providing 45% of the electricity of the Gaza Strip, was destroyed, and electricity networks and transmitters have been repeatedly attacked.

o 6 bridges linking Gaza City with the central Gaza Strip and a number of roads have been destroyed. 

o Hundreds of donums of agricultural land and dozens of houses have been destroyed. 

o Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including 10 ministers and 31 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretary, have been arrested. Minster of Prisoners’ Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Labor, Minister of Public Works and Second Deputy Speaker of the PLC were released.

o The Palestinian governmental compound in Nablus has been destroyed.

o Many families in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia have been forced to leave their houses.

o IOF intelligence has warned some Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by phone to evacuate their houses, which would be attacked.

o 73 houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions have been destroyed by IOF warplanes.

o IOF have imposed a strict siege on the OPT, and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (23 - 29 November 2006)

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