Israeli soldiers fire at demonstrators
protesting the construction of the annexation wall in Bil’ein village, west of
Ramallah

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

 

 

IOF killed
two Palestinians, including a mentally disabled child in the Gaza Strip.

4
Palestinians, including a child, were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

A
Palestinian child was injured by the explosion of a suspicious object in the
West Bank.

 

Israeli
warplanes bombarded a number of targets in the Gaza Strip.

 

IOF
continued to attack Palestinian fishermen and fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.

A
Palestinian fisherman was wounded in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

IOF
continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

Dozens
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

IOF
conducted 27 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  

IOF
arrested 10 Palestinian civilians.

 

Israel
has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza
Strip from the outside world.

IOF
arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and her baby, at military
checkpoints in the West Bank.

 

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

Israeli
settler guards fired at Palestinian farmers north of Hebron.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (11 – 17 August 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, two
Palestinians, including a disabled child, were killed and 5 others, including a
child, were wounded in the Gaza Strip. A
child was also wounded in the West Bank.

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 16 August
2011, an Israeli drone fired at least one missile at a number of activists of
the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), who were preparing
a home-made rocket for launch in the east of Gaza City. As a result of the missile attack, 3
activists were seriously wounded. One of
them died of his wound a few hours later.  

 

On the same day, IOF killed a
Palestinian child from al-Nussairat refugee camp, who was 400 meters from the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah in the central
Gaza Strip. The victim’s family told a
PCHR field worker that their child had a mental disability. The victim was in an area that had not been
explicitly declared as prohibited.

 

On 15 August 2011, a Palestinian
fisherman was wounded when IOF fired at a number of fishermen in the northern
Gaza Strip. 

 

On the same day, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded by IOF to the east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan
Yunis. 

 

On 16 August 2011, a Palestinian
child was wounded when Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel at the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah. 

 

During the reporting period, Israeli
warplanes bombarded a number of targets in the Gaza Strip. They bombarded a number of training sites of
Palestinian resistance groups and a border tunnel. 

 

In the West Bank, on 12 August 2011, a Palestinian child was
injured by the explosion of a suspicious object left by IOF in the northern
West Bank. The child was grazing sheep
in al-Maleh area in the northern Jordan Valley, east of Tubas. He found a suspicious object, and as he
mishandled it, it exploded and cut his hand fingers. It should be noted that the area is often
used by IOF for military training. 

 

During the reporting period, IOF
used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest
to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in
the West Bank. As a result, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.  

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 27 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 10 Palestinian
civilians.  

 

Restrictions
on Movement:

 

Israel
had 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

 

Israel has continuously closed all
border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal
Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since
June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic
situation in the Gaza Strip. 

 

IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza
Strip and practically made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial
crossing of the Gaza Strip although it is not proper for commercial purposes in
terms of its distance and operational capacity.

 

IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed
at tightening the strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip,
including imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

 

The total closure of al-Mentar
“Karni” crossing on 02 March 2011 has created a bitter situation that
has seriously affected the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all the economic and commercial establishments
in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in
the Gaza Strip in terms of its operational capacity to absorb the flow of
imports and exports. The decision of
al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions to totally
close Soafa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and
Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which was dedicated for the delivery of
fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

 

These statistics which were made available to
PCHR by the Border and Crossings Department indicate a continued drop in the
number of truckloads of Gaza imports and exports.

 

IOF have continued to impose total ban on the
delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Stri, except for very limited items and
quantities. The limited quantities of
raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.

 

The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last
November has continued to affect the Gaza Strip. This crisis was created when the Israeli
occupation authorities totally closed, on 04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing,
which used to be dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas supplies to
Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing
which is not technically equipped to receive Gaza’s needs of fuel.  Karm
Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum absorptive capacity, can receive only 200
tons of cooking gas per day.

 

Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have
continued to depend on alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief
agencies, rates of families who are living below poverty line have continued to
be on the rise and approximately 40% of Gaza’s manpower has continued to suffer
from permanent unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza’s
economic establishments.

 

IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the
exportation of Gaza’s products, especially industrial products, leading to
undermining any real chances to rerun economic establishments. The situation has been aggravated especially
after making Karm Abu Salem crossing as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the
repeated closure of this crossing which negatively affected the quantity of Gazan
products which were allowed to be exported during last April.

 

IOF have continued to prolong the
implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although
more than 11 months have passed since they announced this decision after three
years of ban imposed on the delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices of cars in Gaza have
been on the rise and local markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.

 

For approximately four consecutive years, IOF
have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During
the reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of
construction materials for a number of international organizations.

 

Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian
civilians from the Gaza Strip. IOF only
allow the movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long
hours of waiting in the majority of cases. IOF have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number
of Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive
medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and
Jerusalem. IOF denied new categories of
Gazan patient permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

 

Israel has imposed additional access restrictions on international
diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza
Strip.

 

For approximately 49 months, IOF have continued to deny
approximately 700 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in Israeli jails
their visitation rights without providing any justification to this measure,
which violates the rules of the international humanitarian law.

West
Bank

 

IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank,
including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

 

IOF have established checkpoints in and around
Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are
frequently prevented from praying in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

There are approximately 585 permanent
roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank.

 

When complete, the illegal annexation wall will
stretch for 724
kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the
entire population. 350
kilometers of the wall have already been constructed.
Approximately 99% of the wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself,
confiscating more Palestinian land.

 

At least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18
Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF.

 

There are approximately 500 kilometers of
restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of
the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to
Palestinians without permits issued by IOF. Such permits are extremely
difficult to obtain.

 

IOF continue to harass and assault
demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the
annexation wall.

 

Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed
by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly
stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

 

Settlement
Activities:  

 

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

 

On 17 August 2011, a guard of “Beit
‘Ain” settlement, north of Hebron, fired from a distance of 300 meters at a
number of Palestinian farmers in ‘Ein al-Baida area in the north of Bein Ummar
town. Palestinian farmers were forced to
leave the area. 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (11 – 17 August 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 11 August 2011

 

At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Nouba
village, northwest of Hebron. They
raided and searched a house belonging to Yousef ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-‘Awada, 41, and
arrested him.

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Beit
‘Aur al-Tahta village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into
al-Mughayar village, northeast of Ramallah. They searched agricultural areas located between the village and “Elli”
settlement. They arrested two
Palestinian after two Molotov cocktail bottles were thrown towards an Israeli
settler’s car on Allon road near the village. 

 

At approximately 21:20, IOF moved into Fassayel
village, north of Jericho. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Friday,
12 August 2011

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Tammoun
village, southeast of Tubas. They raided
and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1- Ahmed Khaled Bani ‘Ouda, 22; and

2- ‘Abdullah Jihad Bani ‘Ouda, 22.

 

In the morning, a Palestinian child was injured
by the explosion of a suspicious object left by IOF in the northern West
Bank. According to investigations
conducted by PCHR, at approximately 10:00, Ahmed ‘Aned Sarai’a, 17, was grazing
sheep in al-Maleh area in the northern Jordan Valley, east of Tubas. He found a suspicious object, and as he
mishandled it, it exploded and cut his hand fingers. It should be noted that the area is often
used by IOF for military training. 

 

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Kufor
Malek village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Ras
Karkar village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Saturday, 13 August 2011

 

At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Shaqba
village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Beit
‘Aur al-Fouqa village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into BEIT
Liqya village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 14 August 2011

 

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Balata
village, east of Nablus. They raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1- Saber Khalil Dwaikat, 25;

2- Jaber Fayez Ji’an, 26; and

3- Tha’er Na’im Dwaikat, 25. 

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’
village, southeast of Bethlehem. They
raided and searched two houses belonging to the Jabarin family and arrested two
members of the family: Ahmed Kayed Jabarin, 32; and Murad Sami Jabarin, 23.

 

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Kufor
Ne’ma village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 09:40, IOF moved into al-‘Ouja
village, northeast of Jericho. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported. 

 

Monday, 15 August 2011

 

At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Magharat
al-Dab’a village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 10:30, Israeli soldiers
stationed on observation towers at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel
to the northwest of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia opened fire at a
number of Palestinian fishermen who were fishing at the beach. As a result, a fisherman, Yassin ‘Ali Zayed,
41, from al-Salatin area in Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the right
leg. Zayed was nearly 300 meters away
from the border.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Beit
‘Aur al-Tahta village, southwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into
al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 18:00, Israeli soldiers
stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at two
Palestinian civilians who were on an agricultural plot in the east of Khuza’a
village, east of Khan Yunis., nearly 300 meters away from the border. One of these civilians, Hammouda Sami
al-Najjar, 25, was wounded by a bullet to the left thigh.

 

At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Beit
Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday, 16 August 2011

 

At approximately 00:45, an Israeli drone fired
at least one missile at a number of activists of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), who were preparing a home-made rocket for
launch near al-Istijaba Mosque in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza
City. As a result of the missile attack,
3 activists were seriously wounded. One
of them, Mousa Younis Mousa Eshtaiwi, 30, died of his wound at approximately
07:00. He was hit by shrapnel to the
head, the right thigh and the left leg.

 

At approximately 01:45, Israeli warplanes fired
4 missiles at a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of
Hamas) in Bani Suhaila village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan
Yunis. The site was damaged, but no
casualties were reported.

 

At approximately 01:50, Israeli warplanes fired
3 missiles at a training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades in al-Tuffah
neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The site was damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

At approximately 02:30, an Israeli helicopter
gunship fired a missile at a training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades
in al-Hashash neighborhood in the northwest of the southern Gaza Strip town of
Rafah. Ten minutes later, the site was
bombarded again. No casualties were
reported.

 

At approximately 03:05, an Israeli warplane
fired a missile at Saladin Gate on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. The missile targeted a tunnel in the
area. As a result, ‘Abdul Rahman Qishta,
7, wounded by shrapnel to the head, when he was near his family’s house in the
area.  

 

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Kufor
‘Abboush village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Zeita
village, north of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into Kufor
Zeibad village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Kufor
‘Ein village, northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into al-‘Ouja
village, northeast of Jericho. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into Rantis
village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

In the evening, IOF killed a Palestinian child
from al-Nussairat refugee camp, who was 400 meters from the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. The victim’s family told a PCHR field worker
that their child had a mental disability. The victim was in an area that had not been explicitly declared as prohibited.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR,
at approximately 18:00, Israeli soldiers stationed at the border northeast of
Deir al-Balah opened fire at a Palestinian, who was nearly 400 meters from the
border. As a result, he was wounded by
10 bullets in his head and chest. He was
left wounded without being offered any first aid. After coordination was made with IOF, at
approximately 19:20, medical crews were able to retrieve the body, which was
then transferred to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah. After four hours later, the child was
identified as Sa’d Abdul Rahim Mahmoud al-Majdalwai, 17, from al-Nussairat
refugee camp. He was hit by 10 live
bullets mostly to the head. In his
testimony to PCHR, the victim’s father said that his son had been suffering
from a mental disability and speech impairment.

 

At approximately 20:40, Israeli gunboats opened
fire at Palestinian fishing boats opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern
Gaza Strip. Palestinian fishermen were
forced to sail back to the beach and no casualties were reported.

 

At approximately 21:30, IOF moved into Kharbtha
Bani Hareth village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Kfiret
village, southwest of Jenin. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

2. Use of
Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations Protesting Settlement
Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

During
the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized
by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
in protest to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the
West Bank. As a result, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation and
others sustained bruises. 

   

Following the Friday Prayer on 12 August 2011, dozens
of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in
protest to the construction of the annexation wall. They moved towards areas of Palestinian land,
which the Israeli High Court ordered to be returned to their Palestinian
owners. The placed chairs to make it a
park for Palestinians. The demonstrators
also used megaphones to call on Israeli settlers living in “Mitityaho Mizrach”
settlement to leave it. Israeli
soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs
and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation
and fire broke out in some olive fields.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 12 August
2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and human rights
defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of
Ramallah, in protest against the construction of the annexation wall. They clashed with Israeli troops positioned
near the annexation wall. Israeli soldiers
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. As a result, a number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 12 August 2011,
dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights
defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest
of Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya area
between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach
areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near “Halmish” settlement,
Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters at them. As a result, a number
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  IOF also arrested 3 international human rights
defenders.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 12 August
2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Kufor
Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest to Israeli settlement
activities the continued closure of the entrance of the village by IOF. Israeli soldiers prevented the demonstrators
from getting close to the entrance and fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs
at them. As a result, a number of
Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.  Because of the tear gas canisters and sound
bombs, 58 olive trees belonging to the heirs of Hassan Shihada Eshtaiwi near
the entrance of the village were burnt. 

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 12 August
2011, Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized
a peaceful demonstration in al-Ma’sara area, south of Bethlehem, in protest to
Israeli settlement activities. The
demonstrators moved towards the western entrance of the village. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired sound
bombs and violently beat the demonstrators. As a result, 3 Palestinian children sustained bruises: Ussama Eyad Braijiya, 9; Hareth Hassan
Braijiya, 10; and ‘Abada ‘Ali Braijiya, 11.

At approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 13 August
2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and some international human rights
defenders organize a peaceful demonstration in Khillat al-Kutla area in the
south of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. They moved towards Palestinian land closed by IOF near “Karmi Tsur”
settlement. When the demonstrators got
close to the area, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs
and violently beat a number of them. As
a result, two Palestinian civilians sustained bruises and one of them was
arrested by Israeli soldiers: Mousa ‘Abdul Hamid Abu Maria, 33; and Saqer
‘Abdul Karim Abu Maria, 45, who was arrested. 

 

3. Continued
Closure of the OPT

 

Israel has continued to impose a tightened closure of 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

 

Israel has continuously closed all
border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal
Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since
June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic
situation in the Gaza Strip. The illegal closure has caused not only a
humanitarian crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the
population of the Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the
blockade are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of
the crisis, which can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of
the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip
and the ban on exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply
shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become
internationally accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no
longer suffer from the same shortage of goods, but they will remain
economically dependent and unable to care for themselves, and socially,
culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

10 –
16 August 2011

 

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

10 –
16 August 2011

 

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

On Wednesday, 10 August 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 3,290 tons
of construction aggregate for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 936 tons of wheat and 518 tons of straws.

 

On Thursday, 11 August 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 3,010 tons of
construction aggregate for UNRWA. They
also allowed the entry of 975 tons of wheat.  

 

On Sunday, 14 August 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 3,920 tons of
construction aggregate for UNRWA.  They
also allowed the entry of 741 tons of fodders.

 

On Monday, 15 August 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 320 tons of
cement, 105 tons of construction steel and 3,850 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry
of 741 tons of fodders. 

 

On Tuesday, 09 August 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 320 tons of
cement, 96 tons of construction steel and 3,780 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry
of 975 tons of fodders. 

 

Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: Israel
has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for the movement of
Palestinian civilians. IOF have allowed only diplomats, a number of
international journalists, employees of international agencies and a limited
number of patients who suffer from serious diseases to pass through the
crossing. They have continued to prevent Palestinian civilians from visiting
their relatives who are detained in Israeli jails. The small number of patients
permitted to pass through the crossing is only able to do so under severe
restrictions that include prolonged checking. 

 

Movement
at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

10 –
16 August 2011

 

 

The West Bank

 

Israel has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the
reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians.

 

Jerusalem: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city.
Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have
been denied access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around
and inside the city.  Restrictions of the
movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays, preventing Muslim
Palestinians from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.  On the eve of the second Friday of the Holy
Ramadan, IOF imposed severe restrictions on access to the city. They only allowed male Palestinians aged over
50 and female ones aged over 30 from the West Bank to pray in the al-Aqsa
Mosque on Friday.    

 

Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah.  At approximately 10:00 on Thursday, 11 August
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Beit Siera – Kharabtha al-Misbah road, southwest
of Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 08:30 on Friday, 12 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
near the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 16:00 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa village,
southwest of Ramallah. At approximately
17:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Deir Ghassana village,
northwest of Ramallah. At approximately
09:00 on Saturday, 13 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near ‘Oyoun
al-Haramiya intersection, northeast of Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 19:30 on Sunday, 14 August 2011, IOF re-established their
presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At approximately 20:30 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Liqya village, west of
Ramallah. At approximately 22:00, IOF
established a checkpoint near ‘Oyoun al-Haramiya intersection, northeast of
Ramallah. At approximately 09:30 on
Monday, 15 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Taybeh
intersection, northeast of Ramallah. At
approximately 10:00, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa intersection,
southwest of Ramallah.          

Hebron: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday and Tuesday, 13 and 16 August
2011, IOF established a number of checkpoints at the entrances of a number of
villages and intersections near Hebron. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles and summoned a
number of civilians for interrogation.  On Wednesday morning, 17 August 2011, IOF
placed an observation tower and 3 mobile rooms near al-Rajabi building, which
they seized 3 years ago, in the southeast of Hebron.   

 

Qalqilya: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 16:40 on Sunday, 14 August
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of ‘Azzoun village,
east of Qalqilya. At approximately 17:40
on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Ematin
village, northeast of Qalqilya. At
approximately 19:50, IOF established a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of
Qalqilya. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 12:45 on Monday, 15 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near
Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. At
approximately 15:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. At approximately 19:45, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya. At approximately 20:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
al-Fundoq village, east of Qalqilya.         

 

Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians. At
approximately 03:00 on Friday, 12 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at
Bazaria intersection and another one at Beit Leed intersection on
Tulkarm-Nablus road. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 13 August 2011, IOF established a
checkpoint at Beit Leed intersection on Tulkarm-Nablus road. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
08:00 on Monday, 15 August 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Jabara gate
on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road. At
approximately 10:30 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at Ramin
intersection, northeast of Tulkarm. At
approximately 22:00, IOF established a checkpoint near Beit Leed intersection,
east of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.  

 

Jenin: IOF have continued to impose
severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 00:15 on Thursday, 11 August
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Fahma-Kufor Rae’I village, south of
Jenin. An hour later, they established
another checkpoint at ‘Anza intersection, south of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.  

 

Salfit: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 08:10 on Thursday, 11 August
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Eskaka Bridge, east of Salafit. They stopped, held and questioned a number of
Palestinian civilians. At approximately
09:20 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kufol
Hares village, north of Salfit. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehiclesOn Friday, 12 August 2011, IOF
established 5 checkpoints around Salfit. At approximately 20:45 on Monday, 15 August 2011, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Deir Estia village, northwest of Salfit. 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 12 August 2011, Israeli soldiers
stationed near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the south of Hebron arrested Mo’tassem
Ahmed Zaidat, 23, from Bani Na’im village southeast of Hebron, claiming that he
was carrying a small knife.

 

At approximately 15:00 on the same day, Israeli soldiers stationed
near the Ibrahimi Mosque in the south of Hebron arrested Najeeb and ‘Abdul
Rahim ‘Abdul Hamid Taha, 31 and 17 respectively. 

 

At approximately 12:30 on Saturday, 13 August 2011, Israeli
soldiers stationed at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, stopped Fat’hi
al-Qar’awi, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council from Hamas, when he
was traveling in his car towards Tulkarm, and arrested his son, 25-year-old
Hamza.

 

At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 14 August 2011, Israeli soldiers
stationed at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border
arrested ‘Adnan Mohammed al-Zaru, 33, from Hebron, when he was on his way back
to the West Bank. 

 

On Sunday noon, 14 August 2011, Israeli soldiers stationed at a
checkpoint near Ofar detention center, west of Ramallah, arrested Suha Salah
Abu Munshar, 24, from Hebron, together with her baby. They claimed that she attempted to enter a
mobile phone to her husband, Tariq Anwar Ed’eis, 29, who is held in the
detention center. Two days later, she
appeared before an Israeli military court, which extended its detention for
another two days.

 

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

 

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

 

At
approximately 12:00 on Wednesday, 17 August 2011, a guard of “Beit ‘Ain”
settlement, north of Hebron, fired from a distance of 300 meters at a number of
Palestinian farmers in ‘Ein al-Baida area in the north of Bein Ummar town. Palestinian farmers were forced to leave the
area. 

 

 

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 their 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 immediate
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 that
international civil society organizations, including human rights
organizations, bar associations and NGOs, participate in the process of
exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and urge their
governments to bring the perpetrators 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 in
September 2005, 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 demand Israel 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 process or agreement must be based
on respect for international law, including international human rights and
humanitarian law.

 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

Public Document

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PCHR’s office in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email ([email protected]) or telephone (+972 (0)8
282 4776 – 282 5893).