Israeli Occupation
Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 4 Palestinians civilians, including two
children, were killed by IOF in the West Bank, and a child died from a previous
wound in the Gaza Strip.
· 13 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children,
were wounded by IOF.
· IOF conducted 37 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank.
· IOF arrested 117 Palestinian civilians,
including 5 children and a woman.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on
the OPT; IOF arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at
checkpoints in the West Bank
· Israeli settlers have continued to attack
Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; a Palestinian child was
seriously wounded in Hebron, and IOF destroyed 4 houses and 4 civilian
establishments in Qalqilya and Bethlehem.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT
during the reported period (30 November – 6 December 2006):
Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 4
Palestinian civilians, including two children in the West Bank. A child died
also from a previous wound in the Gaza Strip. In addition, IOF wounded 13
Palestinian civilians, including 7 children. IOF have continued to attack
Palestinian civilians and their property in spite of the truce agreed upon
between the Palestinian President and the Israeli side, which IOF insist to be
limited to the Gaza Strip only.
In the West Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians,
including two children. On Thursday, 30 November 2006, IOF shot dead a
Palestinian child and wounded 3 others in Beeta village, southeast of Nablus.
IOF opened fire at some Palestinian children who demonstrated in the village.
On Friday, 1 December 2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian near the
Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. They claimed that he attempted to attack them with a
Molotov Cocktail bottle. On Sunday, 3 December 2006, IOF shot dead a
Palestinian child in ‘Askra refugee camp, northeast of Nablus. IOF fired at a
number of children who threw stones military vehicles. On Monday, 4 December
2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian and wounded two others in Tulklarm.
They claimed that an undercover unit attempted to arrest a number of wanted
Palestinians and fired at them when they attempted to flee, so a bystander was
killed and two wanted persons were wounded. Investigations conducted by PCHR
refute the Israeli claim. In addition, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 5
children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire. A sixth child was wounded when an
Israeli settler opened fire at a Palestinian house to the south of Hebron.
In the Gaza Strip, on Saturday morning, 2 December 2006, a
Palestinian child from Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip died
from a wound he had sustained on 25 November 2006, during the IOF offensive on
the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded by the
IOF gunfire. IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel
fired at a number of Palestinian civilians in some areas in the Gaza Strip for
no apparent reasons.
Incursions: During the reported
period, IOF conducted at least 37 military incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank, during which they raided houses and arrested 117
Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and woman. They also transformed 3
houses into military sites. IOF employed undercover units in several incursions.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued
to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including Occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have
closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against
Palestinian civilians.
IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point since 25
June 2006, even though they do not directly control it. During the
reported period, the crossing point was reopened on Wednesday, 6 December 2006. IOF have partially reopened commercial crossings, especially
al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, but many goods and medical supplies have been
lacked in markets in the Gaza Strip. IOF have also continued to close Erez
crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians
from the Gaza Strip had been prevented from traveling through this
crossing. IOF have allowed international workers to pass through the
crossing. With this closure, only few Palestinian patients have been able
to travel to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank. In addition, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian fishermen from
fishing for 5 months.
West Bank
IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian
communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest
of the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. IOF have continued to separate between the north and south of
the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various
checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a
child.
Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers
in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and
have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property.
On Sunday morning, 3 December 2006, an Israeli settler opened fire at
Palestinian house in the south of Hebron. As a result, a child was seriously
wounded by a live bullet to the head. In the context of settlement activities,
IOF demolished 4 houses and 4 civilian establishments in Qalqilya and
Bethlehem, claiming that were built without licenses.
The outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25
June 2006:
o 473
Palestinians, 299 of whom are civilians, including 91 children and 29 women,
have been killed by IOF.
o At
least 1605 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 336 children, 109 women.
In the Gaza Strip alone, 1259 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 343
children, 104 women, 4 paramedics and 7 journalist, have been wounded by the
IOF gunfire.
o At
least 328 air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been
fired at Palestinian civilian and military targets in the Gaza Strip.
o Buildings
of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the Ministry of National economy, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister
and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed.
o The
electricity generation plant, providing 45% of the electricity of the Gaza
Strip, was destroyed, and electricity networks and transmitters have been
repeatedly attacked.
o 6
bridges linking Gaza City with the central Gaza Strip and a number of roads
have been destroyed.
o Hundreds
of donums of agricultural land and dozens of houses have been destroyed.
o Hundreds
of Palestinian civilians, including 10 ministers and 31 members of the
Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker
and Secretary, have been arrested. Minster of Prisoners’ Affairs, Deputy Prime
Minister, Minister of Labor and Second Deputy Speaker of the PLC were released.
o The
Palestinian governmental compound in Nablus has been destroyed.
o Many
families in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia have been forced to leave their
houses.
o IOF
intelligence has warned some Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by phone
to evacuate their houses, which would be attacked.
o 73
houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions have been destroyed by
IOF warplanes.
o IOF
have imposed a strict siege on the OPT, and have isolated the Gaza Strip from
the outside world.
Israeli Violations Documented during the
Reporting Period (30 November – 6 December 2006)
Download the full report here.
