Israeli Forces Continue Systematic Attacks
against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT) and Continue to Impose a Total Siege on the Gaza Strip
· 3 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces and a 4th
is missing following attacks in the Gaza Strip.
· 10 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire,
including 9 in the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations
organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West
Bank.
· Israeli forces conducted 18 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank and two ones into the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces arrested 16 Palestinian civilians, including
two children, in the West Bank.
· Israeli forces confiscated the equipment of a local radio
station in Beit Jala town.
· Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT
and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
· Israeli has continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (20 – 26 August 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli
forces killed 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and wounded 9 others
in the Gaza Strip. Another Palestinian
is also missing. In the West Bank, one
Palestinian civilian was wounded.
On 24 August 2009, Israeli troops positioned to the northwest
of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip (along the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel) fired at two Palestinian civilians, including a child,
who got close to the border. The child was instantly killed by two
bullets to the chest, and the other civilian was seriously wounded.
The two civilians were working in a farm in Beit Lahia town,
approximately 350 meters
away from the border fence. They attempted to get close to the border to find
metal wires to sell them. They were unarmed.
In the early morning of Tuesday, 25
August 2009, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a tunnel near the Salah
al-Din Gate in the south of Rafah town on the Palestinian-Egyptian
border. Two brothers, Mansour ‘Ali al-Batniji, 30, and Na’el ‘Ali
al-Batniji, 20, were killed, and their other brother, Ibrahim, 35, is
missing. Another 6 Palestinians were also wounded.
Additionally, two Palestinian
civilians were wounded when Israeli troops positioned at the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at Palestinian houses and farms in Beit
Hanoun town.
Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli
forces conducted at least 18 military incursions into Palestinian communities
in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested 16 Palestinian civilians, including
two children. Israeli forces raided the offices of Bethlehem 2000 Radio and
confiscated its equipment for no apparent reason. The value of the confiscated
equipment is estimated at US$ 150,000. The radio station was established in 1996 and it is licensed by the
Palestinian National Authority.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted
two limited incursions into Palestinian communities, during which they leveled
areas of Palestinian land they had already razed.
Restrictions on Movement: Israeli forces 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
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli-imposed illegal 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.
· 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
1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of
food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.
· Israeli forces have
continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two years.
· Israeli forces have
not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas, 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.
· Israeli forces have
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.
· Poverty and
unemployment stand at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces have
continued to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage
systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.
· Israeli forces have
imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists
and humanitarian workers seeking to enter 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 sharply mounted.
· At least 900
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation
for more than two years.
· Israeli forces have
continued to attack Palestinian fishers along the Gaza Strip coast.
West Bank
Israeli forces 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.
· Israeli forces 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, and 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 Israeli
forces 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 Israeli forces (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 Israeli forces. These permits are
extremely difficult to obtain.
· Israeli forces continue to harass, and assault demonstrators
who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall.
· Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by Israeli
forces in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly
stopped and searched in the streets by Israeli forces.
Settlement
Activities: Israeli
forces have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of
international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers living have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 20 August 2009, Israeli settlers living in
settlement outposts in the center of Hebron uprooted several carob and pine
trees from the garden located opposite to the Ibrahimi Mosque, allegedly to use
them for entertainment purposes in the “Abraham Avino” settlement
outpost in the center of the old town. Israeli
troops and police witnessed the attack, but did not intervene to stop it. On 23 August 2009, Israeli settlers living in the
“Abraham Avino” settlement outpost in the center of the old town of
Hebron attacked nearby Palestinian houses with stones, empty bottles and
garbage to force them to leave their houses, which are located near the
vegetable market that has been siezed by Israeli forces since 1994. Israeli forces did not intervene to stop the
attack, which terrified Palestinian civilians and damaged their houses.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (20 – 26 August July 2009)
The full report is available PDF format.
