The
Israeli settlement of “Har Homa” on the outskirts of occupied East Jerusalem

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

 

 

– Two activists
of the Palestinian resistance were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

– A resistance
activist was wounded by IOF in the central Gaza Strip.

 

– IOF continued
to fire at Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the
Gaza Strip.

– 4 Palestinian workers, including a child,
were wounded.

 

– IOF continued
to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

– Two Palestinian
civilians were wounded.

 

 

– IOF conducted 36
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4 limited ones
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 10
Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

– IOF expelled a
member of the Palestinian Legislative Council from East Jerusalem.

 

– Israeli
warplanes bombarded civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.

– A bird farm was
destroyed and another one was damaged in Khan Yunis.

 

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

 

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

– IOF demolished a school, two houses and two
awnings in Khirbat Tana area near Nablus.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (02 – 08 December 2010):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
killed two members of the Palestinian resistance and wounded another one in the
Gaza Strip. They also wounded 4
Palestinian workers, including a child, in the Gaza Strip, and two civilians in
the West Bank.

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 02 December
2010, IOF killed two members of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic
Jihad) in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF
fired at least 17 artillery shells at a number of activists of the Palestinian
resistance in the east of Jabalya town.

 

On 04 December 2010, IOF wounded a
third activist of the Palestinian resistance in the central Gaza Strip.

 

During the reporting period, IOF
fired at Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction
materials. As a result, 4 workers, including
a child, were wounded by Israeli gunfire. 

 

On 08 December 2010, Israeli
warplanes bombarded a bird farm in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis,
destroying it and damaging a nearby one. 

 

During the reporting period, 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, two Palestinian
civilians were wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international
human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises.  

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 36 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 10
Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

On Wednesday, 08 December 2010, Israeli occupation authorities
expelled Sheikh Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Tair, 54, Member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) from the Change and Reform Bloc, from East Jerusalem
to Ramallah, a few hours after an Israeli court had ordered his expulsion. PCHR condemns the expulsion of Sheikh Abu
Tair, and believes that the expulsion decision amounts to forcible migration,
which is prohibited under article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. PCHR calls upon the international community
to intervene in order to sop illegal transfer of Palestinian civilians from
occupied Jerusalem, and to take action to stop the escalation of arbitrary
measures taken by IOF against the Palestinian civilians population in the OPT.

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 4 limited incursions into Palestinian communities
in the Gaza Strip, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land, which
they had already razed.  

 

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. 

On 02 December
2010, a number of Israeli settlers from “Halmish” settlement, which
stands on lands of the villages of Nabi Saleh, Beit Reema, Deir Nizam and Deir
Ghassana, northwest of Ramallah, gathered at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village
and attempted to break into the village. 

 

On 05 December
2010, a number of Israeli settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement, east
of Qalqilya, attempted to attack a tract of agricultural land belonging to
Mohamed Fat’hi ‘Omar, from Kufor Qddoum village. 

 

On 08 December
2010, IOF, accompanied by two bulldozers and a number of jeeps of the civil
administration and the higher organization council, moved into Khirbat Tana
area to the east of Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus, and declared it a
closed military zone. They soon demolished
the school of the area, two houses and two awnings.

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (02 – 08 December 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday, 02 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Killat al-Mai area in the east of Yatta
village, south of Hebron. They raided
and searched a house belonging to the family of Jameel ‘Eissa al-Najjar, 21,
and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, 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 03:00, Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the east of Jabalya town fired at least 17 artillery shells
and opened fire at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance who were
in Abu Sfiya and al-Wadi areas and the vicinity of the Martyrs Cemetery. As a result, two activists, who area members
of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), were killed:

 

1. Jalal
   ‘Abdul Karim Mohammed Nasser, 20; and
2. Ibrahim
   Mahmoud Rabi’ al-Najjar, 21, both from Jabalya town.

 

In the afternoon, IOF declared in the media that bodies of two
persons whom they kielled were near the border in Jabalya. Following coordination with IOF through the
ICRC, at approximately 15:00, two ambulances of Palestine Red Crescent Society
moved towards the area, but they were not able to attend the victims as the
coordination was not effective. They
moved towards the area again at approximately 17:30. Medical crews searched for the body until
they found them at approximately 20:30 nearly 100 meters away from the
border. The bodies were distorted by the
shells.

 

· At
approximately 03:45, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into ‘Izbat ‘Abed Rabbu area
in the east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. They leveled areas of Palestinian land, which
they had already razed. They withdrew
from the area a few hours later, and no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 14:00, IOF moved nearly 250 meters into the same area, opening
fire. They withdrew from the area
approximately 45 minutes later, and no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 19:50, IOF moved into Izbat Jal’oud village, southeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time,
and established a checkpoint at the entrance of the village. IOF withdrew from the village at
approximately 20:55, and no arrests were reported.

Friday,
03 December 2010

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tallouza village, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Wa’el
   ‘Abdel ‘Ola Salahat, 55;
2. ‘Abdul
   Salam Wa’el Salahat, 25; and
3. Hisham
   Na’im Salahat, 28.

 

· At
approximately 08:30, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at
approximately 08:30, 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 10:10, Israeli soldiers positioned on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia town
opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of
construction materials from a site on which the evacuated Israeli settlement of
“Elli Sinai” used to stand. As
a result, ‘Alaa’ Nafez Barakat, 21, from al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza
City, was wouned by shrapnel to the feet, when he was nearly 400 meters away
from the border.

 

· At
approximately 10:20, 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
22:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Saturday, 04 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:30, Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the east of Wadi al-Salqa village, east of the central Gaza
Strip town of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at a number of activists of the
Palestinian resistance in the east of the village. As a result, an activist was wounded by a
bullet to the left foot.

 

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

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Burqin village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to
‘Abdul Karim Yousef Hamdan, 64, and interrogated him for 45 minutes. They withdrew from the village later, and no
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp. They patrolled in the streets and detonated
sound bombs. They withdrew from the camp
later, and no arrests were reported.

 

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

 

· At
approximately 09:00, Israeli soldiers positioned on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia town
opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of
construction materials from a site on which the evacuated Israeli settlement of
“Elli Sinai” used to stand. As
a result, two workers, including a child, were wounded when they were nearly
550 meters away from the border:

 

1. Mohammed
   ‘Ata al-Hossoumi, 22, wounded by a bullet to the left leg; and
2. Bilal
   Sha’ban al-Hossoumi, 17, wounded by a bullet to the left leg.

 

· At
approximately 10:30, Israeli soldiers positioned on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia town
opened fire at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of
construction materials from a site on which the evacuated Israeli settlement of
“Elli Sinai” used to stand. As
a result, Marwan Mahmoud Ma’rouf, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to
the right foot, when he was nearly 45 meters away from the border.

 

· At
approximately 18:45, 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 18:55, 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 19:00, 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 22:15, IOF moved into Kufol Hares village, north of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time and
withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Sunday, 05 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into the old town of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ra’ed Naji Burqan, 33.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· Soon after,
they moved into the nearby Fahma village. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· Later, they
moved into the nearby Kufor Ra’ei village. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 14:30, IOF moved into al-Taram village, west of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· They then moved
into the nearby Toura village. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Beit Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 18:30, IOF moved into Kufor Jammal village, south of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 22:30, an Israeli infantry unit moved into the area located to
the east of the annexation wall in the west of Deir al-Ghossoun village, north
of Tulkarm. Israeli soldiers searched
the area and fired flash bombs. They
withdrew from the area later, and no arrests were reported.

 

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

 

Monday, 06 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 07:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east of Khuza’a
village, east of Khan Yunis. They
leveled areas of Palestinian land and opened fire indiscriminately. No casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 11:55, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets. Later, a military jeep stopped on the main
road. An Israeli military officer
stepped down and introduced himself as the new commander of the area. He stopped passing Palestinian civilians and
asked them if they want to cooperate with him. IOF withdrew from the village at approximately 12:40, and no arrests
were reported.

 

· At
approximately 14:00, IOF moved into Ramin village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately
17:00, IOF moved into Beit Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets and provoked
Palestinian civilians. A number of
Palestinian boys gathered an threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired bullets,
tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. A number of civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Tuesday, 07 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into the eastern part of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Bahaa’ ‘Abdul Majid Abu Mayala, 27, and his wife, Hanadi Ya’qoub
Abu Mayala, 23.

 

· At
approximately 06:30, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into the east of al-Boreij
refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian land and opened fire. They withdrew from the area at approximately
13:30.

 

· At
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Rafat village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and stopped
near Awliaa’ Allah al-Salihin Mosque. According to eyewitnesses, persons wearing civilian clothes were seen
stepping down from military vehicles, pointing at the mosque and writing
notes. IOF withdrew from the village at
approximately 12:15, and no arrests were reported. 

 

Wednesday, 08 December 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:05, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a 35-square-meter,
tin-roofed bird farm belonging to ‘Abdul Hakim al-Majaida in Gizan Abu Rashwan
area in the southwest of Khan Yunis. The
farm was destroyed and a nearby farm belonging to Mohammed al-Bayouk was
damaged. Dozens of birds were killed.

 

· At
approximately 01:25, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a tunnel on the
Egyptian border in al-Shouka village near Rafah International Crossing
Point. The tunnel was destroyed, but no
casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into the old town of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Ahmed Hussein al-Natsha, 15, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Hakim
   ‘Abdul Basset Hanani, 25; and
2. Wassim
   Ya’qoub Hanani, 20.

 

· At
approximately 04:00, IOF moved into ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.  

 

IOF Expel PLC Member from Jerusalem

 

On Wednesday, 08 December 2010, Israeli occupation authorities
expelled Sheikh Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Tair, 54, Member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC) from the Change and Reform Bloc, from East Jerusalem
to Ramallah, a few hours after an Israeli court had ordered his expulsion. PCHR condemns the expulsion of Sheikh Abu
Tair, and believes that the expulsion decision amounts to forcible migration,
which is prohibited under article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. PCHR calls upon the international community
to intervene in order to sop illegal transfer of Palestinian civilians from
occupied Jerusalem, and to take action to stop the escalation of arbitrary
measures taken by IOF against the Palestinian civilians population in the OPT.

 

According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 12:00
on Wednesday, 08 December 2010, an Israeli court sentenced PLC Member Abu Tair
to 4 months of imprisonment with a stay of execution, and ordered his transfer
to the Palestinian National Authority controlled areas in the West Bank pending
a decision from the Israeli Ministry of Interior and a final ruling by the
Israeli Supreme Court. A few hours
later, Abu Tair was transported to Bitounia checkpoint, west of Ramallah, and
was ordered to travel to Ramallah.

 

Abu Tair’s lawyer, Ussama al-Sa’di stated that the court
“sentenced Abu Tair for 4 months of imprisonment with a stay of execution
after transferring him to the West Bank.” The lawyer upheld the illegality of Abu Tair’s detention and refused to
concede the right to appeal the order to expel his client.

 

It is worth noting that Israeli occupation authorities summoned
Sheikh Abu Tair, PLC Members Ahmed Mohammed ‘Atwan and Mohammed ‘Omran Toutah,
and former Minister of Jerusalem’s Affairs, Khaled Abu Arafa last June and
informed them of a decision to deprive them of their Jerusalemite identity
cards and offered them temporary residence permits that would expire on 03 July
2010. The other two PLC Members and the
former Minister to the ICRC’s office in Sheikh Jarrah, IOF arrested Abu Tair
and detained him until the time of his expulsion.

 

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 in the
West Bank. As a result, two Palestinian
civilians were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian
civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and
others sustained bruises. 

   

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 03 December 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
soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs
and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation
and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by Israeli soldiers.  

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 03 December 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, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others
sustained bruises.

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 03 December 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in commemoration of
the late Palestinian President Yasser Arafat, and 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. As a result,
two demonstrators were wounded:

 

1. Rami
   Hussein Tamimi, 32, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head;
   and
2. Ta’min
   Mohammed Tamimi, 28, hit by a tear gas canister to the head.

 

A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

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 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.

 

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 –
07 December 2010

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

01 –
07 December 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: During the
reporting period, IOF partially opened the crossing on Wednesday, 01 December
2010, and allowed the entry of 1,320 tons of wheat, 3,780 tons of construction
aggregate for UNRWA, and 10,890 tons of construction aggregate for Mas’oud ‘Ali
Company. They opened it again on Monday,
06 December 2010, and allowed the entry 897 tons of wheat and 543 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, 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 –
07 December 2010

 

 

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 Thursday morning, 02 December 2010, IOF prevented Palestinians aged
below 40 from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque through two gates, in order to allow
Israeli settlers to celebrate the Hanukah in the yards of the mosque. Such measures would remain effective for one
week. On Friday morning, 03 December
2010, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. They reinforced their
presence at military checkpoints at the entrances of the city, and patrolled in
the streets. They stopped young men
wishing to pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque and held their identity cards until the
end of the Friday Prayer.      

· Hebron:  IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Friday morning, 03 December 2010, IOF
closed Jaba’-Sourif road, northwest of Hebron, with sand barriers. On Saturday, 04 December 2010, IOF
established a checkpoint under Halhoul Bridge at the northern entrance of
Hebron, and another one in Jourat Bahlas area. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Sunday evening, 05 December 2010, IOF
established two checkpoints at the northern and the southern entrances of
Hebron. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· 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 Tomb), 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.   

 

· 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 established a number of temporary checkpoints, and
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 23:00 on Thursday, 06
December 2010, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the
northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:00 on Thursday, 02
December 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Qalqilya. At approximately 19:00 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya. At approximately 19:45 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint under ‘Azzoun Bridge, east of
Qalqilya. Israeli soldiers stationed at
these checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 14:15 on Friday, 03 December
2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya. At approximately 17:00 on the
same day, they established a checkpoint on Nablus-Qalqilya road near Kufor
Laqef village. At approximately 18:10 on
Saturday, 04 December 2010, IOF established a checkpoint near Jainsafout
intersection. At approximately 19:00 on
the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azzoun village,
east of Qalqilya. At approximately 07:20
on Wednesday, 08 December 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at Jainsafout
intersection, east of Qalqilya.

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 03 December
2010, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road near Far’oun
intersection, south of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:00 on Monday, 06 December
2010, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Beit Leed village on
Tulkarm-Nablus road, east of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 21:00 on the same day,
Israeli soldiers stationed at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians on both
directions.

 

· Jenin: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians.  At approximately 11:00 on
Sunday, 05 December 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on ‘Arraba-Fahma road,
southwest of Jenin. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· 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 16:00 on Friday, 03 December
2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Eskaka village, north of
Salfit. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 07
December 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Ein al-Dyouk
village, north of Jericho. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

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 13:30 on Thursday, 02 December
2010, a number of Israeli settlers from “Halmish” settlement, which
stands on lands of the villages of Nabi Saleh, Beit Reema, Deir Nizam and Deir
Ghassana, northwest of Ramallah, gathered at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village
and attempted to break into the village. Later, IOF arrived at the area in an attempt to control the settlers and
evacuate them from the area. Soon after,
a number of Palestinian boys gathered in the village and threw stones at IOF
and the settlers. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers fired bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. A number of boys suffered from tear gas
inhalation. IOF withdrew from the area
later after evacuating the settlers.

 

· At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 05 December
2010, a number of Israeli settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement, east
of Qalqilya, attempted to attack a tract of agricultural land belonging to
Mohamed Fat’hi ‘Omar, from Kufor Qddoum village. In his testimony to PCHR, ‘Omar stated:

 

“At
approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 05 December 2010, I was on my land, which
overlooks the main road, cleaning olive trees. I was surprised by 6 settlers followed by a tractor coming to my
land. I realized that they wanted to
damage my land. I immediately called the
ICRC and the Palestinian liaison. Soon,
Israeli soldiers came, but they did not do anything. The settlers then left the area. At approximately 14:00, at least 50 settlers
came and gathered on my land again. I
again called the Palestinian liaison, and IOF arrived and evacuated the
settlers.”

 

· At approximately 06:00 on Wednesday, 08
December 2010, IOF, accompanied by two bulldozers and a number of jeeps of the
civil administration and the higher organization council, moved into Khirbat
Tana area to the east of Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus, and declared it a
closed military zone. They soon
demolished the school of the area, which was reconstructed by the Palestinian
Ministry of Social Affairs and the Municipality of Beit Fourik, after it had
been demolished in the beginning of this year. They also demolished a 70-square-meter house and 25-square-meter one
belonging to Radwan Qassem Khatatba and Mohammed ‘Aadel Manasra
respectively. Additionally, IOF
demolished a 150-square-meter awning belonging to Mahmoud Ahmed Nassasra, and a
100-square-meter one belonging to Na’el Mohammed Hanani. IOF also dismantled a number of tents handed
by the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government to Palestinian civilians whose
homes were demolished by IOF last year.

 

…………………………………………………………

 

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 (pchr@pchrgaza.org) or telephone (+972 (0)8
282 4776 – 282 5893).