A Palestinian woman stand near the debris of her house that destroyed
by Israeli Occupation forces in Abasan village near Lhan Yunis, 21 May 2010

 

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

 

· Two
Palestinian militants were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israeli
warplanes bombarded a number of civilian and paramilitary sites in the Gaza
Strip.

– 30
Palestinians civilians, including 9 children and 6 women, were injured or
shocked.

– Dozens
of civilian facilities were destroyed or damaged. 

 

· IOF
continued to use force against peaceful protest.

– 7
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF

 

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

– 5
Palestinian worker, including a child, were wounded by IOF.

 

· IOF
conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2
limited incursions into the Gaza Strip.

 

– IOF
arrested 49 civilians, including 11 children, 11 international and Israeli human
rights defenders, in the West Bank.

– 14
of the detainees were arrested during the dispersion of peaceful protests.

– IOF
razed a 2-donum[1]
area of agricultural land and demolished a house and a bird farm in Khan Yunis.

– IOF
ordered the deportation of a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council from
Jerusalem. 

 

· 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 a military checkpoint in the West Bank arrested a
Palestinian civilian.

 

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

– IOF
ordered confiscation of land in Hebron.

– Israeli
settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in Kufor al-Labad village, east of
Tulkarm. 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law has continued in the OPT during the reporting period (20 – 26 May
2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip
and wounded 12 civilians, including 5 children, one of whom is disabled, in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Additionally, 30 civilians, including 9 children, were injured or
shocked when Israeli warplanes bombarded a target in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

On 22 May 2010, in the Gaza Strip, two Palestinian
militants were killed during an exchange of fire with Israeli troops stationed
at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the east of Khan
Yunis. 

 

During the reporting period, 5 Palestinian workers,
including a child, who were collecting bricks and construction aggregate were
wounded by Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel.

 

During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes
bombarded civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. A number of civilian facilities were destroyed or damaged and 30
Palestinian civilians, including 9 children and 6 women, were injured or
shocked. 

 

Israeli gunboats also fired at Palestinian fishing
boats sailing along the beach in the Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 26 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 35 Palestinian civilians, including
11 children.  They also arrested 14
civilians, including 11 international and Israeli human rights defenders, during
peaceful demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Wall and
settlement activities.  

 

During the reporting period, IOF ordered the
expulsion of Sheikh Mohammed Abu Tair, Member of the Palestinian Legislative
Council, from Jerusalem by 19 June 2010. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two incursions into
Palestinian areas, during which they razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land
and demolished a house and a bird farm.

 

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

 

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 the Nahal Oz crossing permanently
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, citing 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
primary concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic
needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continuously prevented the entry of raw construction materials into the
Gaza Strip for over two and a half years.

 

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

 

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

 

· Israel
has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for 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
as levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply mounted.

 

· At
least 800 Palestinians prisoners from Gaza held in Israeli jails have been
deprived of family visitation for more than two years. 

 

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

 

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 the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

· There
are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank. In addition, there are approximately 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 has 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 leads 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.

 

· IOF
continues to harass Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem and throughout the West
Bank, including regularly stopping and search Palestinian civilians in the
street.

 

· During
the reporting period, Israeli troop stationed at military checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

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

 

On 24 May
2010, IOF issued a military order confiscating large areas of Palestinian
agricultural land in Hebron to establish “a secure road for settlers”
linking the “Kiryat Arba” settlement and the Ibrahimi Mosque. The road is expected to be at least 1,300
meters long. The order gave those
adversely affected one week to appeal against it. 

 

· At approximately 09:00 on Friday,
21 May 2010, at least 200 Israeli settlers from the “Avni Hefetz”
settlement, to the east of Kufor al-Labad village, and from the
“Ennab” settlement to the west of the village, east of Tulkarm,
stormed ‘Izbat al-Hafassi area near the village while Palestinian civilians
were farming their lands. The settlers
expelled the Palestinian civilians from their lands and conducted religious
rituals. They also raised Israeli flags
and uprooted a number of olive trees belonging to Sa’id Hussein Jab’eiti. 

 

 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting
Period (20 – 26 May 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
20 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Silwan village to the south of the old city
of Jerusalem. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Karim Is’haq Abu Tayeh, 21, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children:

 

1. Ahmed Khaled Sabbah;

2. Muneer Jamal Sabbah, 20;

3. Ayoub Mohammed Sabbah, 17;

4. Mahmoud Isma’il Sabbah, 17; and

5. Mohammed Khalaf Sabbah, 17.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Kufor Ne’ma village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Nadi Mousa Nasser, 35, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 03:30, IOF moved into al-Sawana neighborhood in East
Jerusalem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children:

 

1. Eyad ‘Omar al-Shalabi, 18;

2. ‘Ali Abu Gharbiya, 17;

3. Tamer Nasser Abu Gharbiya, 15; and

4. Majdi Mahmoud Abu Ghazala, 20.

 

· Also
at approximately 03:30, IOF moved into al-Tour village near East
Jerusalem. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Khalil Marwan Jayousi, 15, and arrested
him. IOF also detained the child’s
mother for 3 hours.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Om Tuba village, south of Jerusalem. They stormed a house belonging to Sheikh
Mohammed Abu Tair, member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, only a few
hours after his release from Israeli jails. They ordered Abu Tairnot to refrain from any kind of celebration
following his release. IOF also summoned
him to a police station at 11:00 on the following day. When he went to the police station, they
informed him that he would be deported from Jerusalem by 19 June 2010. After that date, his presence in Jerusalem
would be illegal, according to the orders.

 

 

 

 

Friday, 21 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Ahmed Salman Ka’abna, 23, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 01:25, Israeli warplanes bombarded a tract of agricultural land
in Khuza’a village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The bombardment left a large crater in the
area, but no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, Israeli warplanes bombarded a tract of agricultural land
in ‘Abassan village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The bombardment left a large crater in the
area, but no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:40, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site belonging the
‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in the center of the
northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. The site was heavily damaged. The
nearby Beit Hanoun sports club was also damaged. 

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Ra’ei village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Majed Khalil Dallah, 58, and arrested him and his four sons: Saleh, 34;
Mohammed, 30; Na’el 26; and Isma’il, 17. At approximately 04:00, IOF called for a Palestinian ambulance to go to
Salem checkpoint, west of Jenin, to transport Mr. Dallah to the hospital as he
suffers from a number of chronic diseases. 

 

· At
approximately 13:20, an exchange of fire erupted between IOF and two
Palestinian militants near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the
east of ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. A few minutes later, IOF declared that the two militants were
killed. At approximately 16:00, IOF
moved nearly 800 meters into ‘Abassan village, where they razed a 2-donum area
of agricultural land planted with olives, palms and vegetable, demolished an
185-square-meter house that was under construction belonging to Harb Mohammed
Qdaih, and destroyed a bird farm belonging to Jaber Qdaih. At approximately 02:00 on Saturday, 22 May
2010, IOF delivered the bodies of the two Palestinian militants to Palestinian
medical crews. According to medical
sources, the two militants were hit by gunshots throughout their bodies. They were identified as:

 

1. Nader ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Karim Abu Daqqa,
17; and

2. Hamdi ‘Aadel ‘Ali Abu Hamad, 16.

 

Saturday, 22 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Silwad village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Bilal ‘Abdul Majid Hammad, 21;

2. Nazmi ‘Abdul Majid Hammad, 18; and

3. Mujahed Mahmoud Hamed, 18.

 

· At
approximately 06:30, Israeli troops stationed at an observation tower on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the northwest of the northern Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoaun, opened fire at Palestinian workers who were
collecting bricks and construction aggregate from the debris of destroyed
buildings in the industrial zone. As a
result, Hassan Khaled Abu Warda, 22, from Jabalya town, was wounded by a bullet
to the right foot; he was approximately 400 meters from the border when wounded.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the to the north and northwest of the northern Gaza Strip
town of Beit Lahia opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were
gathering bricks and construction aggregate in the area. No casualties were reported. 

 

Sunday, 23 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Shawawra village, east of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Mohammed Ibrahim Salem, 18, and summoned him
for interrogation. 

 

· At
approximately 07:20, Israeli gunboats sailing off the beach near the northern
Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. The fishermen were forced to sail back to the
beach, and no casualties were reported. 

 

· At
approximately 07:30, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel, to the east of the Bedouin Village, opened fire at
Palestinian workers who were gathering bricks and construction aggregate from
the site where the Israeli settlements of “Elli Sinai” and
“Nissanit” used to stand before their evacuation in 2005. As a result, Mohammed Mohammed Sa’dallahh, 24,
from Jabalya town, was wounded by a gunshot to the left foot.

 

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets and provoked Palestinian school
children. Soon, the children threw
stones at military vehicles. In
response, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs at the
children, but no casualties were reported. 

 

· At
approximately 20:30, IOF moved into al-Mughayar village, east of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets and withdrew
later. No arrests were reported.

 

Monday, 24 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Fasayel village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets and withdrew
later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jabal Jouhar area in Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Khalil Nabil Zaighat, 40, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Majdi Jameel
al-Aqhash, 25.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of
Hebron. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Tha’er Khaled Mahfouz, 22, and arrested him.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Tarqoumia village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Jihad ‘Abdul Majid Tannina, 30, and arrested him.

 

· In
the morning, Israeli troops stationed at an observation tower on the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the northwest of the northern Gaza Strip
town of Beit Hanoaun, opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting bricks and construction aggregate from the debris of destroyed
buildings in the industrial zone. No
casualties were reported.

 

· At
noon, IOF, accompanied by officials from the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem,
raided a house belonging to Najeeb al-Khatib al-Kilani in the old city of
Jerusalem.  They ordered him to demolish
his house—in which 6 individuals live—in 30 days, claiming that it was built
without a license. Al-Kilani had added a
40-square-meter structure to his small house. 

 

· At
approximately 13:30, IOF moved into the Khillat al-Zaher area in the south of
Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and also checked passing
Palestinian civilians in the streets. A number of Palestinian civilian gathered
and threw stones at IOF. Immediately,
Israeli troops fired at them. As a
result 4 civilians, including 3 children, were wounded:

 

1. Fadi Sa’id Sabarna, 20, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet to the foot;

2. Mohammed Jameel Abu Maria, 15, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the leg;

3. Yousef Ahmed Abu Hashem, 17, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet to the hand; and

4. Hatem Ahmed Sabarna, 17, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet to the abdomen.

 

Tuesday, 25 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, southwest of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of ‘Odai Mohammed al-Shareef, 18, and arrested
him.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tarqoumia village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Mohammed Rajab Fatfta, 24; and

2. Khalil Mohammed Qabaja, 24.

 

· At
approximately 07:00 and 10:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between
the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the east of the Bedouin Village, opened fire at Palestinian
workers who were gathering bricks and construction aggregate from the site
where the Israeli settlements of “Elli Sinai” and
“Nissanit” used to stand before their evacuation in 2005. No casualties were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 10:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel opened fire at Palestinian farmers near the border area to the
northwest of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 11:15, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into Bourat Abu Samra area in
the north of Beit Lahia town. They
searched the area and opened fire.

 

Wednesday, 26 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:20, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at Gaza International
Airport, southeast of Rafah; ten minutes later, they fired another missile at
the airport. A building was destroyed,
but no casualties were reported.  

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nouba village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Bilal Ibrahim Shrouf, 25.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children:

 

1. Ahmed Nasser Abu Maria, 16;

2. Anas Mohammed Jawabra, 16;

3. Ibrahim Mohammed Miqbel, 17; and

4. Ameen Sa’di Bahar, 19.

 

· At
approximately 01:50, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a site of the
‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in the center of Beit
Hanoun town. The site was completely
destroyed, 15 Palestinian civilians were injured by fragments of glass, and 15
others were shocked. Among the injured were
9 children and 6 women. Additionally, 26
houses and 23 shops were heavily damaged and two vehicles and a truck were
destroyed. Three civilians facilities
were also heavily damaged: Al-Quds Clinic of the Union of Health Work
Committees, Beit Hanoun Sports Club, and the Municipality of Beit Hanoun. The electricity network of the area was also
damaged. It is worth noting that Israeli
warplanes bombarded the same site a few days earlier.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Douma village, southeast of Nablus. They
raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Barakat ‘Abdul Mon’em
Dawabsha, 27, and arrested him.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Tubas town. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Sa’ad Ghassan Daraghma, 22, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 05:30, Israeli gunboats stationed off the beach of the northern
Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced to sail
back to the beach and no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 07:30, Israeli troops stationed at an observation tower on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the northwest of the northern Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoun, opened fire at a Palestinian workers who were
collecting bricks and construction aggregate from destroyed buildings in the
industrial zone. As a result, Rafeeq
‘Awadh Sa’dallah, 21, from Jabalya town, was wounded by a gunshot to the left
foot, when he was nearly 700 meters away from the border.

 

· At
approximately 10:55, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the east of Jabalya town opened fire at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting construction “base course” in
the east of the town. Two workers,
including a child, were wounded:

 

1. Salama Tayseer Eslim, 16, from Gaza
City, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot; and

2. Saqer Ahmed Msabbeh, 23, from Gaza
City, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot.

 

 

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. At least 3 Palestinian civilians, including a
disabled child, were injured, and dozens of others suffered from tear gas
inhalation. IOF also arrested 11
international and Israeli solidarity activists and 3 Palestinian
civilians.  

 

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 21 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international
and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in
protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of
Ramallah. The demonstrators moved
towards the Wall and attempted to cross it towards the annexed lands.  Immediately, Israeli troops fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators. As a result, 14-year-old
Tariq ‘Adnan Abu Rahma was hit by a tear gas canister to the foot. Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from
tear gas inhalation. Israeli troops also
arrested 3 Israelis: Israel Portman, 62, a journalist; Tal Sabira, 26; and Hamoutal
Artwa, 32. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 21 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest to 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. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear
gas inhalation and other sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 21 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Nabil Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest to land
confiscation in Wad al-Raya area between Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam
villages. When the demonstrators
attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near
“Halmish” settlement, Israeli troop fired rubber-coated metal
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were
injured:

 

1. Khaled Kamal al-Rimawi, 20, hit by a
tear gas canister to the face; and

2. Khaled ‘Ata al-Tamimi, 28, hit by a
tear gas canister to the left leg.

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 21 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
organized a peaceful demonstration in al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem,
in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall. The demonstrators included Dr. ‘Aziz
al-Dwaik, Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and a number of
deputies, in addition to a number of international and Israeli solidarity
activists. The demonstrators moved
towards the western entrance of the village. Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the
demonstrators and beat a number of them. As a result, Hassan Ahmed Braijiya, 40; and Jawad Zawahra, 25, sustained
bruises. 

 

· On
Sunday morning, 23 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international
and Israeli solidarity activists organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit
Jala town. They moved towards areas of
Palestinian land in the north and northwest area of the town in protest to land
leveling being carried out there by IOF for the purpose of the construction of
a section of the Annexation Wall. Israeli troops attacked the demonstrators and dispersed them. A number of civilians suffered from tear gas
inhalation. Israeli troops also arrested
8 international and Israeli solidarity activists, but released them in the
evening.    

 

3. Continued
Siege on the OPT

 

Israel has continued to impose a tightened siege on
the OPT as well as 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 the Nahal Oz crossing permanently
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, citing 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
primary 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 years.

 

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

 

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

 

· Israel
has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for 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
as levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply mounted.

 

· At
least 800 Palestinians prisoners from Gaza held in Israeli jails have been
deprived of family visitation for more than two years. 

 

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

 

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement at Rafah International Crossing
Point

19 – 24 May 2010

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

20 – 25 May 2010

 

 

* Note:
During the reporting period, Israel allowed the entry of cement and iron into
the Gaza Strip for the first time since the beginning of the ongoing siege
imposed on the Gaza Strip.

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: Israel partially
opened the crossing on Thursday, 20 May 2010, and permitted the entry of 2,262
tons of wheat and 1,521 tons of fodders. IOF opened the crossing again on Monday, 24 May 2010, and permitted the
entry of 1,677 tons of wheat and 1,950 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, workers at international agencies, and limited number 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 are only allowed to do so under
severe restrictions that include prolong checking.

 

Movement at Beit Hanoun (Erez)
Crossing

20 – 25 May 2010 

 

The
West Bank

 

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

 

· Jerusalem: 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
Monday morning, 17 May 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Qalandiya crossing at
the northern entrance of Jerusalem conducted prolonged checks on 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 Qalandya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have
imposed additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks on
Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.           

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Saturday morning, 22 May
2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Tuesday morning, 25 May 2010, Israeli
troops stationed at Hawara and Za’tara checkpoints, south of Nablus, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.    

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 08:00 on Sunday, 23 May 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Hawara
checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Islam Mohammed Shatat, 24, from Bedya
village, northwest of Salfit, as he was on his way to Nablus to attend his
final exams at an-Najah National University.

 

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.

· On
Monday morning, 24 May 2010, IOF issued a military order confiscating large
areas of Palestinian agricultural land in Hebron to establish “a secure
road for settlers” linking “Kiryat Arba” settlement and the
Ibrahimi Mosque. The road is expected to
be at least 1,300 meters long. The order
gave those adversely affected one week to appeal against it. The area of land, which is planted with
olives, plums and grapes, belong to Jameel Suleiman Abu Su’aifan, Kayed Sa’id
Da’na, Mnawer As’ad Jaber, and Mahmoud al-Nouti Jaber. 

 

· At
approximately 09:00 on Friday, 21 May 2010, at least 200 Israeli settlers from the
“Avni Hefetz” settlement, to the east of Kufor al-Labad village, and from
the “Ennab” settlement to the west of the village, east of Tulkarm,
stormed ‘Izbat al-Hafassi area near the village while Palestinian civilians
were farming their lands. The settlers
expelled the Palestinian civilians from their lands and conducted religious
rituals. They also raised Israeli flags
and uprooted a number of olive trees belonging to Sa’id Hussein Jab’eiti. 

…………………………………………………………

Recommendations
to the International Community

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

7. PCHR
calls on the international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan,
which was implemented 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 end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

 

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

 

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

…………………………………………………………

 

Public Document

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