September 8, 2010
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02-07 September 2010)
Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (02-07 September  2010)

Palestinian
and international activists demand releasing Abdullah Abu Rahama, Coordinator
of the Public Committee against the Wall and Settlement in Bil’ein village,
west of Ramallah.

 

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

 

· IOF killed two
Palestinian workers in an air strike against a tunnel in the southern Gaza
Strip.

 

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

 Dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises.   

 IOF arrested a
Palestinian boy and 12 human rights defenders.

 

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

 Two Palestinian
workers were wounded in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF conducted 47
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into
the southern Gaza Strip.  

 IOF arrested 23
Palestinian civilians, including a child, in the West Bank.

 IOF transformed
3 Palestinian houses into military sites in Hebron.

 

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

 IOF imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem
and other communities in the West Bank during the Ramadan Month.

 Israeli troops
stationed at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank
arrested at least one Palestinian civilian.

 Israeli troops
harassed and humiliated a Palestinian family in Jerusalem.

 

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

 Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians
and their cars on the main roads.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the
OPT continued during the reporting period (02 – 07 September 2010):

 

Shooting:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinian civilians and wounded 4 others
in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded a 5th
civilian in the West Bank. 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, on 04 September 2010, Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel at
the Egyptian border to the south of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. As a result, two workers were killed and two
others were wounded. 

 

During
the reporting period, two Palestinian workers were wounded when IOF fired at a
number of workers who were collecting raw construction materials in the
northern Gaza Strip.

 

In
the West Bank, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF in Hebron on 02
September 2010.  

 

Additionally,
IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in
protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation
wall.  As a result, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas
inhalation or sustained bruises. IOF
also arrested a Palestinian boy and 12 international human rights
defenders.  

 

Incursions:

 

During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they
arrested 23 Palestinian civilians, including a child. During these incursions, IOF transformed 3
houses in Hebron into military sites.

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited incursion into al-Shouka
village, east of Rafah. They searched
the area for some time.

 

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 three
years. The illegal Israeli-imposed 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. 

· The illegal closure has caused not only a
humanitarian crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the
population of the Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the
blockade are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of
the crisis, which can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of
the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip
and the ban on exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply
shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become
internationally accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no
longer suffer from the same shortage of goods, but they will remain
economically dependent and unable to care for themselves, and socially,
culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza
does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with
Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international
human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with
respect to the easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and the
reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from 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 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 mounted sharply.

 

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 585 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank.

 

· 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.

 

· There are
approximately 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.

 

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. During the reporting period, Israeli settlers
launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property,
especially in the northern West Bank.

 

 

 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (02 – 07 September
2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
02 September 2010

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Abu
Ktaila neighborhood in the northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian
civilians, including 3 brothers:

 

1. Elias ‘Eid al-Haimouni, 25;

2. Mahmoud ‘Eid al-Haimouni, 28;

3. Bashar ‘Eid al-Haimouni, 30; and

4. Eyad Musbah al-Haimouni, 30.

 

· Also at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into
agricultural areas located between ‘Allar and Saida villages, north of
Tulkarm. They searched the area and
withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Kufor
al-Dik village, southwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and established a checkpoint at the
entrance of the village. At
approximately 01:30, they withdrew from the village, and no arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at approximately 00:30, IOF moved into
Brouqin village, southwest of Salfit. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 00:45, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into
al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. They
searched the area along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They fired flash bombs at the area, while
Israeli drones and helicopters were seen hovering over the area. IOF withdrew from the village at
approximately 06:00.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Hadb
area in the southwest of Hebron. They raided
and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Turki, 26; and

2. Hamdan Ahmed Abu Snaina, 45. 

 

IOF
also violently beat 3 civilians: ‘Abdul Majid Mohammed Abu Turki, 48; Zuhair
‘Asfour Abu Snaina, 35; and Ramzi ‘Abdul Majid Abu Turki, 35.

 

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into
Bitounia town, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein
al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Beita
village, southeast of Nablus. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:40, IOF moved into Kufor
Laqef village, east of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:50, IOF moved into Hijja
village, east of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Friday,
03 September 2010

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into
al-‘ASrroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Sameer
‘Abdul Fattah Khairan, 20, and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Nablus
and the neighboring ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ village. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Be’r
al-Mahjar and Farsh al-Hawa neighborhoods in the northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians: Mohammed Hashem al-Haimouni, 29; and his brother ‘Odai, 21.

 

· At approximately 01:20, IOF moved into Jabal
Jouhar neighborhood in the southeast of Hebron. They patrolled in the streets. While Mohammed Fares Rajabi, 20, was walking in an alley, Israeli
soldiers fired at him from a distance of less than 3 meters. He was wounded by a bullet to the right
leg. Soon after, Israeli soldiers
unleashed two dogs towards him. They
then took him into an armored personnel carrier. Later, they handed him to an ambulance of
Palestine Red Crescent Society. 

 

· In the morning, IOF raided a two-storey house
belonging to Ma’ath No’man al-Tamimi near bypass road #60, east of Hebron. They transformed the first floor and the roof
into a military site. 

 

· At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun
village, east of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

· In the evening, IOF raided a two-storey house
belonging to Salem Hmaid al-Salaima in al-Jalajel area near bypass road #60,
east of Hebron. They transformed the
second floor and the roof into a military site. 

 

· At approximately 17:50, IOF moved into Zeita
village, north of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into ‘Ourif
village, southeast of Nablus. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Marda
village, north of Salfit. They stopped
and searched passing Palestinian civilians. They withdrew from the village later, and no arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:15, IOF moved into agricultural
areas located to the north of al-Jaroushiya village, north of Tulkarm. They searched those area and withdrew
later. No arrests were reported.

 

Saturday,
04 September 2010

 

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

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into the
center and north of Hebron. They raided
and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Tariq Anwar Ed’eis, 25;

2. Mohammed ‘Ali Doufash, 26;

3. Anas ‘Abdul Ghani al-Harbawi, 22; and

4. Majdi Mohammed al-‘Assali, 24.

 

· At approximately 08:10, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 16:30, IOF raided a two-storey
house belonging to Ahmed Yousef Ghannam at the main road between Dura and Kharsa
villages, southwest of Hebron. They
transformed the second floor and the roof into a military site.

 

· At approximately 18:30, IOF moved into
al-Nassariya village, northeast of Nablus. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:45, IOF moved into Shwaika
suburb, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled
in the streets. Soon, a number of
Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli troops. Immediately, Israeli troops fired at the
children, but no casualties were reported. 

 

· At approximately 20:10, IOF moved into Kufor
Laqef village, east of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, Israeli warplanes fired
a missile at an agricultural area in the east of ‘Abassan village, east of Khan
Yunis. The missile made a large crater,
but no casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:40, Israeli warplanes fired
a missile at a tunnel in al-Salam neighborhood at the Egyptian border, south of
Rafah. The tunnel was destroyed and two
workers were killed:

 

1. Khaled ‘Abdul Karim al-Khatib, 35, from
al-Boreij refugee camp; and

2. Saleem Mohammed al-Harrab, 19, from al-Boreij
refugee camp.

 

Another
two workers were moderately to seriously injured:

 

1. ‘Alaa’ Zuahir al-Khudari, 22, from Khan Yunis,
sustained burns throughout the body; and

2. Husni ‘Ali Abu ‘Armana, 44, from al-Boreij
refugee camp, sustained burns throughout the body.

 

· At approximately 22:55, Israeli warplanes fired
a missile at a tunnel in Yibna refugee camp at the Egyptian border south of
Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

Sunday,
05 September 2010

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into
‘Ainabous village, south of Nablus. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Southern
‘Assira village, south of Nablus. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:55, IOF moved into Jayous
village, northeast of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 08:30, Israeli troops
stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at Palestinian
workers who were collecting raw construction materials from the debris of the
evacuated Israeli settlement of “Elli Sinai.” As a result, Mousa Eyad ‘Olayan, 20, from
Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left foot.

 

· At approximately 11:15, IOF moved into
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:40, IOF moved into Nabi
Elias 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 Marda
village, north of Salfit. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Kufor
al-Dik village, southwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Monday,
06 September 2010

 

· At approximately 14:30, an Israeli undercover
unit moved into Sourif village, northwest of Hebron, traveling in two civilian
vehicles holding Palestinian plates. Israeli soldiers stormed a house belonging to Husni Ahmed Abu
al-Reesh. Soon after, at least 15
Israeli military vehicles moved into the village and besieged the house. Israeli soldiers searched the house and
arrested 5 members of the Abu al-Reesh family, including the parents:

 

1. Husni Ahmed Abu al-Reesh, 55;

2. Fatima ‘Abdul Qader Abu al-Reesh, 50,

3. Ahmed Husni Abu al-Reesh, 26;

4. Mos’ab Husni Abu al-Reesh, 23; and

5. ‘Abdul Rahman Husni Abu al-Reesh, 19.

 

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

 

· Also at approximately 15:00, IOF moved into
Kufor Laqef village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into ‘Anabta
village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Marda
village, north of Salfit. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday,
07 August 2010

 

· At approximately 00:50, IOF moved into Safa
village, north of Hebron. They patrolled
in the streets and fired tear gas canisters into alleys and houses. As a result, two children and an old man
suffered from tear gas inhalation: Ameer
Hatem Abu Daya, 5; Qais Hatem Abu Daya, 3; and Za’al ‘Ali Abu Daya, 65.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Sourif
village, northwest of Hebron. They
raided and searched a house belonging to the family of ‘Abada Husni Hmaidat,
18, and arrested him.

 

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into
Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit. They raided and searched two houses and
arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Omar ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Rayan, 23; and

2. Ibrahim Ahmed Mar’ei, 24.

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into
al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Haitham
Yousef Abu Ghazi, 17, and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Kufor
Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into the
center and southwest of Hebron. They
took position near 3 mosques. They
stopped, checked and questioned passing Palestinian civilians. IOF withdrew from these area at approximately
05:00 and no arrests were reported. 

 

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, dozens of civilians and human
rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained
bruises. IOF also arrested a Palestinian
boy and 12 international human rights defenders.  

 

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 03 September 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 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. Dozens
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises
as they were beaten by Israeli troops.  

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 03 September 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
Israeli troops positioned near the Wall. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at demonstrators. As a
result, several demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others
sustained bruises.  

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 03 September 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. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear
gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.  Israeli troops also arrested Taher Farah
al-Tamimi, 19, and 9 international human rights defenders. They released al-Tamimi 4 hours later.  

 

3. Continued
Closure of the OPT

 

Israel has continued to impose a tightened closure of 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
three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed 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. 

 

· On Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to
close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently, and to only 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 three 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 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.

 

· Since the
imposition of the closure, 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 three 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 in 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 morning, the crossing point
was effectively opened and restricted categories of Palestinian civilians were
allowed to travel through it.

 

Movement at Rafah International Crossing Point

01 – 06 September 2010

Date

Details

01 September 2010

435 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 309 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

02 September 2010

411 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 396 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

03 September 2010

260 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 238 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

04 September 2010

431 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 299 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

05 September 2010

377 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 300 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

06 September 2010

379 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 352 others
were allowed into the Gaza Strip.

 

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

01 – 06 September 2010

 

Date

01 September

02 September

03 September

04 September

05 September

06 September

Patients

38

26

1

Nil

45

23

Companions

37

24

1

Nil

45

21

Palestinians
from Israel

6

8

6

Nil

7

2

Diplomats

Nil

15

Nil

Nil

Nil

2

International
Journalists

6

5

2

Nil

Nil

Nil

International
Workers

18

40

21

Nil

5

17

Travelers
abroad

4

2

Nil

Nil

1

1

Traders

12

18

Nil

Nil

13

20

Business
People

1

23

Nil

Nil

8

6

Meetings

2

Nil

Nil

Nil

4

2

Ambulances
to Israel

1

5

1

Nil

2

2

Ambulances
from Israel

2

3

Nil

Nil

2

5

 

Note:
PCHR apologizes for not publishing details of movement at al-Mentar (Karni)
crossing and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, as the Palestinian
Ministry of National Economy, which is the source of information about the two
crossings, started the Eid al-Futur holidays during the reporting period.

 

The
West Bank

 

Israel
has imposed a tightened closure 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, 03 September 2010, the last Friday in the Holy
Ramadan Month, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem. Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints around Jerusalem
prevented Palestinian civilians aged below 50 from entering the city for the
Friday Prayer. IOF also reinforced their
presence in the city. They established a
number of roadblocks and checkpoints in various areas.  

 

· Bethlehem: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They have maintained their presence at 41
checkpoints around the town. The town
has been also impacted by the construction of the annexation wall to the north
and west, and large areas of Palestinian land have been isolated by the
wall. During the reporting period,
Israeli troops stationed at the 300 checkpoint (Rachel Toms), north of
Bethlehem, continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to Jerusalem. Palestinian civilians are forced to wait in
queues on two routes outside the checkpoint. They are then checked by Israeli soldiers using electronic checking
machines. Such checking is often
prolonged and humiliating. During the
reporting period, only Palestinians who have permits and those aged over 50
were allowed to travel to Jerusalem.   

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:30 on Saturday, 04
September 2010, IOF closed all entrances of the old town and Tal Rumaida and
al-Rahma neighborhoods in Hebron. The
prevented hundreds of Palestinian civilians from reaching the Ibrahimi Mosque
for Ramadan prayers. At 19:00-20:00, IOF
closed a number of branch roads and outlets of bypass roads #60 and #35 near
Hebron, with cement blocks and sand barriers.

 

· Nablus: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 19:15 on
Thursday, 02 September 2010, IOF established a checkpoint near Deir Sharaf
intersection, west of Nablus. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. They also established a number of other
checkpoints around the city. At
approximately 11:20 on Friday, 03 September 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Sarra village, southwest of Nablus. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. On Saturday, 04
September 2010, IOF established a number of checkpoints around Nablus. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.

 

· 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. On Friday morning, 03 September 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at
‘Oyoun al-Haramiya intersection on Ramallah-Nablus road. At approximately 20:50 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at the entrance of Kufor Malek village, northeast of
Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 21:00 also on Friday, IOF established a checkpoint at ‘Oyoun
al-Haramiya intersection on Ramallah-Nablus road. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.

 

· Qalqilya:  IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to close the agricultural
road located to the east of ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, since 2009. The village is also separated from road #55,
which links between Nablus and Qalqilya, with a barbwire fence. The fence cuts off the village from
agricultural land belonging to it in the north. During the reporting period, IOF continued to erect temporary
checkpoints on the main roads leading to Qalqilya. On Thursday, 02 September 2010, IOF
established 12 temporary checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Friday, 03 September 2010, IOF established
9 temporary checkpoints around the town. On Saturday, 04 September 2010, IOF established 6 checkpoints around the
town.  On Sunday, 05 September 2010, IOF
established 8 checkpoints around the town. Israeli troops stationed at those checkpoints stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday morning, 02 September 2010,
Israeli troops stationed at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. at approximately
09:15 on the same day, IOF established a temporary checkpoint on al-Kafriyat
road, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilians vehicles. At approximately 22:45 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of al-Jaroushiya village, north of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately 00:10
on Monday, 06 September 2010, IOF closed Ennab checkpoint, east of
Tulkarm. Such closure continued for a
few hours. 

 

· Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to close the northern
entrance of Salfit with cement blocks and sand barriers since 2000. They have also continued to close two roads
linking Marda village with agricultural land belonging to it. At approximately 21:00 on Sunday, 05
September 2010, IOF established a checkpoint in Wadi Qana area at
Salfit-Qalqilya road. At approximately
23:35 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint on then road linking
between Brouqin and Qarawat Bani Zaid villages, southwest of Salfit.   

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· At approximately 07:00 on Monday, 06 September
2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested
Tha’er Na’im Khalil, 19, from Yassouf village northeast of Salfit. 

 

Harassment
at Military Checkpoints

 

· On Saturday evening, 04 September 2010, Israeli
troops stationed at Shu’fat checkpoint harassed and humiliated a Palestinian
family.

 

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 18:30 on Saturday, Bilal
Mohammed ‘Ali, 33, was driving his vehicle transporting 12 members of his
family from Shu’fat refugee camp, east of Jerusalem, to a village located near
the city. When he was crossing Shu’fat
refugee camp, he turned to the left path and did not notice a sign placed by
Israeli soldiers ordering cars to pass through the right path. An Israeli soldiers ran towards the window
near the driver and shouted on, and insulted him. The driver told the soldier that he did not
know that traveling on the left path was banned. The soldier asked the driver for his ID card
and ordered him to stop behind the checkpoint. He then ordered all passengers to get out of the vehicle. The soldier told the driver that he was under
arrest. When he turned to tell his
family that he was under arrest, the soldier pulled him and sprayed a pungent
substance onto his face, and the faces of his sister Fidaa’, 37, and his niece
‘Afaf, 14. When Ashraf Subhi Mohye
al-Din, 35, intervened, Israeli soldiers arrested him together with the
driver. The two were taken to
“Ataroth” military post, where there accused of attacking Israeli
soldiers. Several hours later, they were
released. The were told that what
happened was a kind of “misunderstanding.”

 

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.

 

· At approximately 10:40 on Thursday, 02
September 2010, a
number of Israeli settlers gathered at Sarra intersection, southwest of Nablus,
an threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· At approximately 13:00 also on Thursday, many
armed Israeli settlers coming from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of
Ramallah, closed the main road in front of the settlement. They terrified and provoked Palestinian
civilians traveling on the road. IOF
intervened later and moved the settlers away from the road. 

 

· At approximately 20:00 on the same day, Israeli
settlers from “Shilo” settlement, north of Ramallah, threw stones at
a Palestinian civilian vehicle that was traveling on Ramallah-Nablus road. As a result, the front window was broken.

 

· At approximately 16:30 on Friday, 03 September 2010, a number of Israeli
setters gathered at Homesh intersection, northwest of Nablus. They threw stones at Palestinian civilian
vehicles traveling on Nablus-Jenin road.

 

· At approximately 12:45 on Saturday, 04
September 2010, a
number of Israeli setters gathered at Homesh intersection, northwest of
Nablus. They threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles traveling on Nablus-Jenin road.

 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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).