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

· Two members of the Palestinian resistance were killed by
IOF in the Gaza Strip.

· A Palestinian detainee died in an Israeli prison.

· IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and two into the Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children
and a woman and her daughter.

· IOF transformed two houses into military sites.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and IOF positioned at various
checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a girl.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside
the West Bank; IOF razed areas of land in Um Salamouna village southwest of
Bethlehem to construct a section of the Wall and 15 demonstrators were injured
when IOF used force against peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the
construction of the Wall.

· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank;
Israeli settlers razed areas of land in Yatta village, south of Hebron, to
establish a settler road, and an invitation for bids to construct 44 new
housing unit in “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement near Jerusalem was published in
Israeli newspapers.

Summary

Israeli violations of international
law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (11 –
17 January 2007):

Killing: On 14 January 2007, IOF killed two
members of the Palestinian resistance  in
the northern Gaza Strip. IOF fired at them when they were 20 meters away from the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. In the West Bank, on 16 January 2007, a Palestinian
detainee died in the Negev Prison inside Israel due to medical negligence.

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided
houses and arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a woman
and her daughter. IOF also transformed two houses into military sites. In the
Gaza Strip, on 14 January 2007, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into ‘Abasan
village, east of Khan Yunis, and leveled areas of land. On 15 January 2007, IOF
moved nearly 300 meters
into al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis, and leveled areas of land.

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. The crossing point was not opened. 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 have 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 nearly 7 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. Contrary to Israeli claims, IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF soldiers positioned at various checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a girl.

Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct
the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. On Monday morning, 15 January 2007,
IOF razed large areas of land in Um Salamouna village, southwest of Bethlehem,
to construct a section of the Wall. IOF also used force to disperse peaceful
demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli
solidarity activists in protest to the construction of the Wall in Bal’ein
village, west of Ramallah, and Um Salamouna village, southwest of Bethlehem. As
a result, 14 demonstrators and a journalist were injured.

Settlement
Activities: On
Thursday morning, 11 January 2007, Israeli settlers escorted by IOF started to
raze large areas of agricultural land in Yatta village, south of Hebron, to
establish a settler road near “Sousi” settlement. On 15 January 2007, the
Israeli Ministry of Housing published an invitation for bids to construct 44
new housing units in “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement, east of occupied Jerusalem.
This bid aims at expanding the settlements around Jerusalem and accelerate the
Judaization of the city.

The
outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006:

o 491 Palestinians, 312 of whom are civilians, including 92
children and 30 women, have been killed by IOF. In the Gaza Strip alone, 408
Palestinians, 244 of whom are civilians, including 84 children, 28 women and 4
paramedics, have been killed by IOF.

o At least 1663 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 351
children, 110 women. In the Gaza Strip alone, 1285 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, including 349 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 (11 – 17 January 2007)

The
full report is available PDF format.