A
Palestinian child being evacuated to the hospital as he was wounded by an
Israeli air strike on Gaza City

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

 

· IOF
Killed two Palestinian resistance activists, one of whom in an extra-judicial
execution attack, in the Gaza Strip.

– Two
resistance activists were wounded by Israeli bombardment.

 

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

– A
Palestinian boy and two International human rights defenders were injured.

– IOF
arrested 7 civilians, including a child and an Israeli human rights defender.

 

· IOF
continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the
Gaza Strip.

– 5
Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded in the northern Gaza
Strip.

 

· IOF
bombarded tunnels and civilian property in the Gaza Strip.

– 19
Palestinian civilians, including two women and a child, were wounded by an
Israeli air strike against a Palestinian police station in Gaza City.

 

· IOF
conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 5
limited ones into the Gaza Strip.

– IOF
arrested 28 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children.

 

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

– Israeli
troops stationed at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank
arrested two Palestinian civilians.

 

· Israel
has continued to take measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority
in Jerusalem.

– The
Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem approved the expulsion of 60 Palestinian
families from suburbs.

– An
Israeli settlement group seized a Palestinian house in the old town of
Jerusalem.

 

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

– The
construction of 40 settlement housing unit in Jerusalem was approved.

– Areas
of agricultural land were destroyed in the east of Hebron.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (29 July – 04
August 2010):

 

Shooting: During the
reporting period, IOF killed two members of the Palestinian resistance in the
Gaza Strip. They also wounded 29
Palestinians, including 16 police officers, two women, two children and two
resistance activists. They also injured
a Palestinian boy and two international human rights defenders in the West
Bank.

 

During the reporting period, IOF
extra-judicially executed an activist of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas) in the central Gaza Strip. The targeted persons had been subjected to several extra-judicial attempts, the latest of which was
during the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed his wife
and five children. 

 

On 04 August 2010, IOF killed an activist of the Palestinian resistance,
when a drone fired a drone at a number of activists in the southern Gaza Strip
town of Khan Yunis. 

 

On 30 July 2010, 19 Palestinians (16 police officer, two women and a
child) were wounded, when Israeli warplanes bombarded a security site in Gaza
City.

 

During the reporting period, IOF fired at Palestinian workers who were
collecting raw construction materials in the northern Gaza Strip. As a result, 5 workers, including a child,
were wounded. 

 

During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes bombarded tunnels along
the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, and a number of civilian targets in the
Gaza Strip.

 

During the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse
peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, a Palestinian boy and two
international human rights defenders were injured. IOF also violently beat a number of
demonstrators. IOF also arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child,
and an Israeli human rights defender. 

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 31 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 28 Palestinian
civilians, including 8 children.  

 

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 two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, which
has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the
humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5 million people are being denied
their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to
appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

 

· The main concern of the population of
the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and
electricity supplies.

 

· Israel has continued to prevent the
entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than two and a
half years.

 

· Israel has not allowed fuel supplies
into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and energy fuel
for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The Rafah International Crossing Point
has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical
treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel had continued to close Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West
Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

 

· Israel has imposed additional restrictions
on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to
the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international
humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living conditions of the Palestinian
civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and
unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

· At least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli
jails have been deprived of family visitation for more than two and a half
years. 

 

· IOF have continued to attack
Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

 

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 at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

· There are approximately 630 permanent
roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition,
there are some 60 – 80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the
West Bank by IOF every week.

 

· 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,
further confiscating 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 (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· There are around 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 a permit issued by the IOF. These 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.

 

Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem: IOF have
continued to take measures at creating a Jewish majority in Jerusalem. 

 

On 29 July 2010, at least 40 armed
Israeli settlers from “Atirat Kohanim” group stormed a two-storey
apartment building belonging to the Qarrash family, in which 9 families
counting 49 individuals, including 22 children, live, the majority of whom were
outside the building at the time. The
settlers, escorted by the Israeli police, broke locks and broke into the
building. The family filed a petition at
an Israeli court, which ordered the evacuation of settlers. The Israeli police procrastinated in
implementing the court ruling, and the settlers were able to appeal against the
court ruling, and the court froze the ruling. The Jewish group has claimed ownership of the building since 1987. The family have pursued the case before
Israeli courts, Israeli courts recognized the family’s ownership of the
building in 2000 and in 2008. 

 

During the reporting period, the Israeli
Central Court in Jerusalem, rejected a petition filed by a number of
Palestinian civilians, who hold identity cards issued by the Palestinian
National Authority and live in al-Salam and ‘Anata suburbs, north of Jerusalem,
against an Israeli decision to expel them from their homes and lands. The court claimed that the presence of more
than 60 Palestinian families counting about 500 individuals in the area is
illegal since it is a part of Jerusalem, and that they can go to Ramallah as
they do not have permission to be in the area. 

 

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 30 July
2010, dozens of Israeli settlers from “Brakha” settlement, south of
Nablus, attacked the eastern outskirts of Bourin village and set fire to large
areas of agricultural land planted with olives in al-Juhair and ‘Ein
al-Sharqiya areas. As a result, at least
100 olive trees were burnt before Palestinian civil defense crews were able to
extinguish fire. IOF fired tear gas
canisters at Palestinian civilians and civil defense crews. Two civil defense officers suffered from tear
gas inhalation.

 

On 02
August 2010, IOF moved into al-Baq’a area in the east of Hebron. At approximately 07:00, they started to
dismantle irrigation networks on 3 fields belonging to Badran Bader Jaber. IOF also confiscated the dismantled networks
and many saplings of vegetables. During
this operation, Israeli troops violently beat Jaber, his wife, his daughter,
his child, 16-year-old Wadee’, and his brother-in-law, Mohammed Musbah
al-Ja’bari, 37. They arrested the child
and the bother-in-law. They beat and
arrested the latter before the eyes of his 4-year-old child who was crying
begging Israeli soldiers not to beat and arrest his father. Soon after, IOF moved to a nearby field
belonging to ‘Azzam Mohammed Jaber and dismantled the irrigation network and uproot
meters of water pipes used for irrigation, confiscated an agricultural
sprinkling machine and damaged hundreds of saplings belonging to Badran
Jaber. They also dismantled and
confiscated about 5,000
meters of water pipes used for irrigation and some
saplings. This attack against Badran
Jaber’s family had been the fourth in the past 10 months.

 

Also on
02 August 2010, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved the construction
of 40 housing units in “Pisgat Ze’ev Mizrah” settlement neighborhood. According to Israeli media sources, the
Planning and Construction Committee in the municipality approved the
construction of 4 buildings, each of which would include 10 housing units,
which is part of a wider project that includes the construction of 220 housing
units in the area. It is worth noting
that the construction of another 32 housing units in the area had been approved
two weeks earlier.

 

According
to a report issued by the Israeli Peace Now, the past months witnessed the
beginning of construction of 390 settlement buildings in the West Bank, during
the period of temporary freezing of settlement activities. This number includes 223 stable units and 167
mobile ones. Thus, the number of housing
units being built during the period of temporary freezing of settlement
activities has mounted to 603. 

 

 

 

Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (29 July – 04 August 2010)

 

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

 

Friday, 30 July 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into al-Ras and al-Masharqa al-Tahta
neighborhoods in the southeast of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian
civilians:

 

1. Fadi Bajes al-Ja’bari, 26;

2. Mohammed Fattouh al-Ja’bari, 24; and

3. Edris Mohammed al-Ja’bari, 30.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Mahmoud Ibrahim ‘Eissa, 22.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 15:00, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 23:30, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles on an area used for
expired security vehicles on the runway, which is located near the presidential
compound in the west of Gaza City. The attack wounded sixteen policemen
who were on the presidential runway and the compound (Muntada) as well
as two women and a child who were passing by the area. The attack also caused
damages to neighboring homes and buildings, terrifying the residents of the
area. Those wounded were transferred to al-Shifa hospital, where medical
sources described their wounds as light.

 

· Also
at approximately 23:30, Israeli warplanes fired a missile on the tunnels area
at the Palestinian-Egyptian borders, to the east of Rafah International
Crossing Point. No casualties were reported.

 

Saturday, 31 July 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit ‘Awa village, southwest of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested ‘Abdullah Waleed al-Swaiti, 24.

 

· At
approximately 07:30, Israeli troops stationed at the bordered between the Gaza
Strip and Israel opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting raw construction materials from a site on which the evacuated
Israeli settlement of “Elli Sinai” used to stand in the northern Gaza
Strip. One of the workers, Mohammed
Hassan Sa’dallah, 21, from Jabalya refugee camp, was wounded by a bullet to the
left leg.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, Israeli troops stationed at the bordered between the Gaza
Strip and Israel near Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing fired at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting raw construction materials in the
industrial zone. As a result, Mohammed
Khamis Shalabi, 26, was wounded by a bullet to the left leg.

 

· At
approximately 08:30, Israeli troops stationed at the bordered between the Gaza
Strip and Israel near Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing fired at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting raw construction materials in the
industrial zone. As a result, Khaled
Mahdi Isma’il, 17, was wounded by a bullet to the left thigh.

 

Sunday, 01 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Halhoul town, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and summoned a number of Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned Mohammed ‘Ali
Tahboub, 23, and ‘Aadel ‘Arafat al-Agha, 40, for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 02:40, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a farm in the eastern
outskirts of  ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. The missile left a
large crater in the area, but there were no injuries.

 

· At
approximately 02:50, Israeli warplanes fired a missile on a tunnel site at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, opposite Yebna refugee camp south of Rafah. No
casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 06:30, Israeli troops stationed at the bordered between the Gaza
Strip and Israel opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting raw construction materials from a site on which the evacuated
Israeli settlement of “Elli Sinai” used to stand in the northern Gaza
Strip. One of the workers, Nidal Sha’ban
al-Hsoumi, 25, was wounded by a bullet to the left leg.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Brouqin village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 12:30, IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched offices of the Palestinian
Telecommunications Company and arrested its director in the village, Yousef
‘Abdul ‘Aziz ‘Qazzaz, 37.

 

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Ematin village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Bedya village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Yasouf village, northeast of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
and stopped and questioned a number of Palestinian civilians. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

Monday, 02 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Sourif village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Jihad Mahmoud al-Hour, 18.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Sa’ir village, northeast of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses,
but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into ‘Ourif village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested a man and his son:

 

1. Khaled Yousef Shurrab, 44; and

2. Diaa’ Khaled Shurrab, 20.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Haitham
Mohammed Khlaifat, 25.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Jenata village, east of Bethlehem. They raided a house belonging to Nasri Kamel
al-‘Asakra. They forced the family out
and searched a photographed the house. They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-‘Asakra village, east of
Bethlehem. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 04:30, IOF moved into Salfit town. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Marda village, north of Salfit. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF arrested 3 Palestinian children from Bal’ein village,
west of Ramallah, when they were in al-Laimoun area near the annexation wall,
claiming that the areas is a closed military zone. The children are:

 

1. Majdi Mohammed Bernat, 14;

2. Mo’tassem ‘Ali Mansour, 14; and

3. Mahmoud ‘Alaa’ Samara, 13.

 

· At
approximately 16:30, IOF moved into al-Zawia village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and stopped and
questioned a number of Palestinian civilians. They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 21:30, an Israeli undercover unit moved into Jafna village, north
of Ramallah. Two Israeli soldiers
stormed an internet café in the center of the village and arrested Fadi Sidqi
Wish’ha, 24. Soon after, Israeli
military vehicles moved into the village and took Wish’ha to an unknown
destination.

 

 

 

Tuesday, 03 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Kharas village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ghaleb ‘Abdul Fattah ‘Atwan, 47.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 12 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Ali Radwan, 17;

2. Hamdallah Ahmed Saleem, 28;

3. Mohammed Ahmed Saleem, 32;

4. Mustafa Hassan Saleem, 17;

5. Eihab Jamal ‘Abdullah, 19;

6. ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Shaher Saleem, 19;

7. Aws Wassef Radwan, 18;

8. ‘Emad As’ad Radwan, 46, who was released
in the evening;

9. Ahmed Saber Radwan, 16;

10. Mahmoud Nidal Saleem, 13, who was
released in the evening;

11. Mujahed Saber Radwan, 22; and

12. Mohammed Yousef Shbaita, 16.

 

· At
approximately 05:00, IOF moved into Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and photographed a site of the Palestinian
Preventive Security Service. They
withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 11:00, Bilal ‘Obaid, 21, from Jabalya town in the northern Gaza
Strip, was admitted into Balsam Hospital as he was wounded by shrapnel from
bullet to the left shoulder. Israeli
troops stationed at Beit Hanoun (Erez) coring fired at ‘Obaid when he was in
the industrial zone near the crossing, collecting construction aggregate.  

 

Wednesday, 04 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:05, Israeli drones fired two missiles at a number of activists
of the Palestinian resistance from al-Aqsa Protectors in al-Snati area in the
east of ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. As a result, an activist, 22-year-old Shareef ‘Abdul Hadi Isma’il Bdair,
was killed, and another two ones were wounded by shrapnel throughout their
bodies.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghossoun and ‘Attil villages, north
of Tulkarm, and into Bal’a village, east of the town. They patrolled in the streets. They withdrew from these villages two hours
later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho. They raided and searched a number of houses
and summoned 3 Palestinian civilians for interrogation: Ma’ali Nasser Ma’ali,
18; Marwan Sa’ed Rumanin, 19; and Tha’er Mahmoud Jarhoud, 21.

 

· At
approximately 04:00, IOF moved into al-Tireh neighborhood in the west of
Ramallah. They raided a 4-storey
apartment building belonging to the Abu ‘Absa family and searched the second
floor. They then arrested Mohammed Abu
‘Ajaj, 30.

 

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.  As a result, a Palestinian civilians and two international
human rights defenders were injured. A
number of civilians, including two journalists, also suffered from tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises. IOF also arrested a Palestinian child and an Israeli human rights
defender.   

 

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 30 July 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders, including Mr. Paolo Sionfi,
speaker of the parliament of a state in Brazil, British singer Kareen Dennis, US
singer Marcel Cartier, a 45-member Spanish delegation and a 30-member German
delegation, organized a peaceful demonstration in protest against the
construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the annexation wall. Israeli troops stationed in the area fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators. As a result, Mohammed
Shawkat al-Khatib, 18, was hit by a tear gas canister to the left shoulder, and
an international human rights defender, who has not been identified, was hit by
a tear gas canister to the foot. Several of demonstrators also suffered from
tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by Israeli
troops.  

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 July
2010, 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 IOF troops positioned near
the Wall. IOF troops fired rubber-coated
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 30 July 2010, 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, Elli Kid, 23, a British human rights
defender, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right leg. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear
gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. IOF also arrested Waleed Daifallah al-Tamimi, 13, and Ben, 21, an
Israeli human rights defender, but released them an hour later. 

 

· On
Saturday afternoon, 31 July 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in the center of
Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They moved towards Zaher al-Brahish area, where IOF plan to confiscate
areas of Palestinian land to the north of the Israeli settlement of “Karmi
Tsur.” Israeli troops attacked the demonstrators and fired tear gas
canisters and sound bombs at them. As a
result, 5 civilians, including a child, a woman and two photojournalists, were
injured:

 

 

 

 

 

1. ‘Aamer Mahmoud ‘Aabdin, 31, a cameraman of Palmedia,
injured in the left arm and shoulder and sustained bruises throughout the body;

2. ‘Abdul Hafiz Diab al-Hashlamoun, 43, a cameraman of Associated
Press, sustained bruises to the back and the limbs;

3. Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, 43, Secretary
of the Committee against Settlement in Beit Ummar village, suffered from tear
gas inhalation;

4. Mohammed Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, 16,
fainted; and

5. Hiba Mohammed Abu Maria, 20, fainted.

 

3. Extra-Judicial Execution

 

During the reporting period, IOF
extra-judicially executed an activist of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas) in the central Gaza Strip. The targeted persons had been subjected
to several extra-judicial attempts, the latest of which was during the latest
Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip, which killed his wife and five
children. 

 

According to investigations conducted by
PCHR, at approximately 00:30 on Saturday 31 July 2010, Israeli warplanes fired
a missile at a tract of land surrounded by tinplates. In the area at the time
of the attack was ‘Isa Abdul Hadi al-Batran, 40, a member of the Izziddin
al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas). The land is located in
Abu Jebba area in al-Nusseirat refugee camp, to the west of Salah el-Deen
street in the Central Gaza Strip. Mr. al-Batran was killed as a
result of the attack, which also destroyed residential structures and a car in
the area.

 

4. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

Israel has 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 more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza,
which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on
the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5 million people are being denied
their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to
appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

 

· The main concern of the population of
the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and
electricity supplies.

 

· Israel has continued to prevent the
entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than two and a
half years.

 

· Israel has not allowed fuel supplies
into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and energy fuel
for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The Rafah International Crossing Point
has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical
treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel had continued to close Beit Hanoun
(Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and
Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

 

· Israel has imposed additional
restrictions on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian
workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several
international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living conditions of the Palestinian
civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment
have mounted sharply.

 

· At least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli
jails have been deprived of family visitation for more than two and a half
years. 

 

· IOF have continued to attack
Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 01 June 2010, the
Egyptian authorities decided to open Rafah International Crossing Point on the
Egyptian border on both directions without specifying a date for its closure. The Egyptian decisions came following the
Israeli attack on the Gaza-aid flotilla in international water. On the following day morning, the crossing
point was effectively opened and Palestinian civilians were allowed to travel
through it.

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

28 July – 03 August 2010

 

 

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

28 July – 03 August 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
opened the crossing on Thursday, 29 July 2010, and allowed the entry of 2,067
of wheat and 1,326 tons of fodders. They
also opened it on Monday, 27 July 2010, and allowed the entry of 1,638 tons of
wheat and 2,067 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

28 July – 03 August 2010

 

 

The West
Bank

 

Israel has
imposed a tightened siege 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 Friday morning, 30 July 2010, IOF imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in
Jerusalem. Hundreds of Israeli soldiers
and police officers were deployed in the streets and a chopper were flying over
the area to observe the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 19:00 on Monday, 02 August
2010, IOF closed Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilians after an Israeli soldier in the area had been fired at.   

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Sunday morning, 01 August
2010, Israeli troops stationed at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. 

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah. IOF troops positioned at the Jaba’ and
Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed additional
restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period,
IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At
approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 29 July 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Senjel village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately 08:30
on the same day, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint the
northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.  On Monday noon, 02
August 2010, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint the
northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.  

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 22:00 on
Monday, 02 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Nablus road
near al-Tanib factory, east of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 21:00 on Tuesday, 03 August
2010, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road near Kufor Sour intersection. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
01:00 on Wednesday, 04 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on al-Kafriyat
road, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.    

 

· Qalqilya:  IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 07:00 on
Sunday, 01 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Mentar area to the
north of ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. Half an hour later, Israeli troops stationed
at the checkpoint stopped a tractor, which was transporting construction
materials. They requested the driver,
28-year-old Ahmed Mohammed ‘Edwan, to show the tractor’s license, but he told
them that he did not have them. They
then ordered him to driver the tractor behind them. They dismantled the checkpoint and ordered
him to drive behind them towards an Israeli military post near the eastern
entrance of Qalqilya. There, they
confiscated the tractor and ordered the driver to leave the area. At approximately 15:30 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at Jeet intersection, east of Qalqilya. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.   

 

· Jericho:  IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 15:00 on
Friday, 30 July 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on Jericho-Ramallah
road. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 19:30, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Ein
al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  

 

Arrests at Military
Checkpoints

 

· On
Thursday noon, 28 July 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint,
south of Nablus, arrested Mo’ayad ‘Abdullah ‘Abbas, 35, a taxi driver, from
Faqqou’a village east of Jenin.

 

· On
Saturday morning, 31 July 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Jaba’ intersection,
northeast Jerusalem, arrested ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Waleed al-Swaiti, 22, from Beit ‘Awa
village southwest of Hebron. 

 

5. Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem

 

Israel has recently escalated arbitrary
measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in order to force them
to leave the city. PCHR has devoted this
section in the Weekly Report to highlighting violations of human rights
perpetrated by IOF against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem.

 

· At
approximately 01:00 on Thursday, 29 July 2010, at least 40 armed Israeli
settlers from “Atirat Kohanim” group stormed a two-storey apartment
building belonging to the Qarrash family, in which 9 families counting 49
individuals, including 22 children, live, the majority of whom were outside the
building at the time. The settlers,
escorted by the Israeli police, broke locks and broke into the building. The family filed a petition at an Israeli
court, which ordered the evacuation of settlers. The Israeli police procrastinated in implementing
the court ruling, and the settlers were able to appeal against the court
ruling, and the court froze the ruling. The
Jewish group has claimed ownership of the building since 1987. The family have pursued the case before
Israeli courts, Israeli courts recognized the family’s ownership of the
building in 2000 and in 2008. 

 

· During
the reporting period, the Israeli Central Court in Jerusalem, rejected a
petition filed by a number of Palestinian civilians, who hold identity cards
issued by the Palestinian National Authority and live in al-Salam and ‘Anata
suburbs, north of Jerusalem, against an Israeli decision to expel them from
their homes and lands. The court claimed
that the presence of more than 60 Palestinian families counting about 500
individuals in the area is illegal since it is a part of Jerusalem, and that
they can go to Ramallah as they do not have permission to be in the area. 

 

· For
years, the Israeli Ministry of Transportation has been working on the operation
of a network of light electric trains to link Israeli settlements in East
Jerusalem. The railway passes through
Shu’fat and Beit Hanina villages, north of Jerusalem. It will be operated in the next year. In the
context of preparation for the operation of the train network, on Sunday and
Monday, 01 and 02 August 2010, the ministry experimentally operated trains in
Shu’fat village, in spite of protests of Palestinian civilians, as the project
constitutes an assault on their property, environment, economic interests and
geographical contiguity and does not serve them. The railway in Shu’fat village divides it
into two parts. The experimental
operation of trains confused traffic in the area. 

 

6. 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 14:20 on Friday, 30 July 2010, dozens of Israeli settlers from
“Brakha” settlement, south of Nablus, attacked the eastern outskirts
of Bourin village and set fire to large areas of agricultural land planted with
olives in al-Juhair and ‘Ein al-Sharqiya areas. As a result, at least 100 olive trees were burnt before Palestinian
civil defense crews were able to extinguish fire. IOF fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian
civilians and civil defense crews. Two
civil defense officers suffered from tear gas inhalation: Sami ‘Omran, 30; and
Shadi al-Zeben, 29.

 

In his testimony to PCHR,
Rakhaa’ ‘Abdul Ra’ouf ‘Eid, a civil defense officer, stated:

 

“At
approximately 14:20 on Friday, 30 July 2010, while I was on duty, we received a
phone call informing us that fire broke out in olive trees and grass in al-Juhair
area in the east of Bourin village. Immediately, a fire engine was sent to the village. The fire engine was driven by Mohammed ‘Omran
accompanied by officer Sami ‘Omran. The
fire engine arrived at the aforementioned area, and its staff saw about 20
settlers setting fire in the area. They
threw stones towards the fire engine. We
contacted the Palestinian Liaison Department and informed about what was going
on. Approximately 20 minutes later, while
the civil defense officers were extinguishing fire, a number of Israeli
military vehicles arrived at the area and stopped near the settlers. Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and
sound bombs at civil defense officers and at villagers who provided assistance
to extinguish fire. As a result, officer
Sami ‘Omran suffered from tear gas inhalation. In the meantime, were received a phone call in which we were informed
that fire broke out in ‘Ein al-Sharqiya area. Officer Shadi al-Zeben, 29, and I traveled in a vehicle towards the
area. When we arrived at the area,
Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at us. Officer al-Zeben suffered from tear gas
inhalation. He was treated by a medical
crew of Palestine Red Crescent Society and was then taken home. We moved back to our center after having been
able to extinguish fire that burnt at least 100 olive trees; we were able to
save 140 olive trees. When were arrived at our center, we were informed that
fire broke out againt in al-Juhair area because of tear gas canisters and sound
bombs fired by Israeli troops. We moved
towards the area, but Israeli troops prevented us from reaching the blaze. We contacted the Palestinian Liaison
Department, and 10 minutes later, we were allowed to reach the area and we were
able to extinguish fire.”

 

· At
approximately 06:00 on Monday, 02 August 2010, IOF moved into al-Baq’a area in
the east of Hebron. At approximately
07:00, they started to dismantle irrigation networks on 3 fields belonging to
Badran Bader Jaber. IOF also confiscated
the dismantled networks and many saplings of vegetables. During this operation, Israeli troops
violently beat Jaber, his wife, his daughter, his child, 16-year-old Wadee’,
and his brother-in-law, Mohammed Musbah al-Ja’bari, 37. They arrested the child and the bother-in-law. They beat and arrested the latter before the
eyes of his 4-year-old child who was crying begging Israeli soldiers not to
beat and arrest his father. Soon after,
IOF moved to a nearby field belonging to ‘Azzam Mohammed Jaber and dismantled
the irrigation network and uproot meters of water pipes used for irrigation,
confiscated an agricultural sprinkling machine and damaged hundreds of saplings
belonging to Badran Jaber. They also
dismantled and confiscated about 5,000 meters of water pipes used for irrigation
and some saplings. This attack against
Badran Jaber’s family had been the fourth in the past 10 months.

 

· On
Monday, 02 August 2010, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem approved the
construction of 40 housing units in “Pisgat Ze’ev Mizrah” settlement
neighborhood. According to Israeli media
sources, the Planning and Construction Committee in the municipality approved
the construction of 4 buildings, each of which would include 10 housing units,
which is part of a wider project that includes the construction of 220 housing
units in the area. It is worth noting
that the construction of another 32 housing units in the area had been approved
two weeks earlier.

 

· According
to a report issued by the Israeli Peace Now, the past months witnessed the beginning
of construction of 390 settlement buildings in the West Bank, during the period
of temporary freezing of settlement activities. This number includes 223 stable units and 167 mobile ones. Thus, the number of housing units being built
during the period of temporary freezing of settlement activities has mounted to
603.  These units are being built in the
following settlements: 180 units in “Bitar Elite;” 62 units in
“Burkan;” one unit in “Binreh;”60 units in “Sha’ari
Tikva;” 40 units in “Givat Ze’ev;” 24 units in “Matsbe
Yericho;” 22 units in “Ariel;” 21 units in “Ma’le
Adomim;” 20 units in “Kfar Etzion;” 18 units in “Kfar
Adomim;” 12 units in “Eitamar;” 11 units in “Elli;” 9
unit in “Uranit;” 9 units in “Tsufin;” 7 units in
“Bitar Elite;” 6 units in “Alkana;” 6 units in
“Fdu’el;” 5 units in “Eliazer;” and 5 units in
“Yakir.”

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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

For further information please visit our website (www.pchrgaza.org) or contact PCHR’s office
in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email ([email protected])
or telephone (+972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893).