An Israeli soldier
fire tear gas canisters at a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village in
the West Bank

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

 

· A Palestinian civilian
was wounded in the Gaza Strip

· A Palestinian child
was wounded in an attack launched jointly by IOF and Israeli settlers.

 

· IOF used force
to disperse peaceful demonstrations commemorating the Palestinian Naksa.[1]

– Twenty six
demonstrators, including 11 children and a woman, were wounded near Qalandya
checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.

 

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

– Two Palestinians,
including a journalist, were wounded.

 

· IOF conducted 38
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 

– IOF arrested 14
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

– The arrested
Palestinians include two PLC members.

 

· IOF continued
settlement activities and Israeli settlers continued their attacks in the West
Bank.

– Israeli
settlers set fire to wheat farms in Qalqilya.

– Israeli
settlers damaged 20 grape trees and set fire to a wheat farm in Beit Ummar
village, north of Hebron.

 

· Israel has
continued to impose a total siege on the Gaza Strip and tightened the siege on
the West Bank.

– IOF held a PCHR
fieldworker for several hours in the north of Hebron.

– IOF held a PCHR
fieldworker at a military checkpoint in the north of the West Bank and
questioned him about PCHR’s annual report.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (02 – 08 June 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF wounded 30 Palestinian civilians, including 12
children and a woman, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Twenty nine of them were wounded in the West
Bank and the thirtieth was wounded in the Gaza Strip, and the majority of them
were wounded in peaceful demonstrations.

 

In
the West Bank, On 02 June 2011, a Palestinian child from Fraata village,
northeast of Qalqilya, was wounded when a group of settlers from “Havat
Gilad” settlement raided Palestinian lands in Fraata village and set fire to
lands planted with wheat and stoned Palestinian farmers. The settlers then called IOF who rushed to
the scene to provide protection to settlers. IOF started firing tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets at
Palestinians. Asaad al-Tawil, 16, was hit
as a result by a tear gas canister to his left eye.  

 

IOF
used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest
to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in
the West Bank. As a result, Khaled
Sabarneh, 42, reporter of the Iranian TV, was wounded by a tear gas canister in
the right leg, and Mousa Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Karim, 45, sustained shrapnel
wounds to the head.

 

On
05 June 2001, Palestinians organized a peaceful demonstration on the occasion
of the 44^th anniversary of the occupation of the rest of the
Palestinian territories by the Israeli occupation, calling for putting an end
to the occupation. IOF used excessive
force to disperse this demonstration. As
a result, 26 Palestinians, including 11 children and a woman, were
wounded. Paramedics who were in the
scene told a PCHR fieldworker that only five of the wounded were transferred to
Palestine Medical Compound in Ramallah for treatment while the others were
treated on the spot and refused to give their names to the paramedics.

 

In
addition, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights
defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation and bruises as they were beaten by
IOF in peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank.

 

In
the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian civilian was wounded on 07 June 2011 when
IOF positioning on observation towers at the border near Beit Hanoun
“Erez” crossing, in the far north of the Gaza Strip, opened intensive
fire at a group of Palestinian and international demonstrators who were nearly
300 meters from the border fence to the north of the Agricultural School of
al-Azhar University, north of Beit Hanoun.

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 14
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

 

The
arrested Palestinians included two members of the Palestinian Legislative
Council (PLC) of the Hamas Change and Reform Bloc who are Abdul Rahman Fehmi
Abdul Rahman Zidan, 51, from Deir al-Ghsoun village in the north of Tulkarm and
Ahmed Ali Ahmed al-Haj Ali, 73, from Ein Beit al-Maa refugee camp, west of
Nablus. Also Hussam Mahmoud Abdul Rahman
Khader, 48, former PLC member of the Fatah parliamentary bloc from Balata
refugee camp, east of Nablus, and Dr. Ghassan Nayef Talab Thougan, 54, an
academic and a leader of Hamas, were among those who were arrested by IOF.

 

Israeli
Settlers’ Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property:

 

Israeli
settlers living in the OPT in violation of the international humanitarian law
have continued to commit systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians and
Palestinian property with protection provided by IOF who ignore conducting
investigations into complaints submitted by Palestinian civilians against
settlers.

 

On 02
June 2011, a group of settlers from “Havat Gilad” settlement raided
Palestinian lands in Fraata village, northeast of Qalqilya, and set fire in
lands planted with wheat and stoned Palestinian farmers. Farmers and some Palestinians from the
village who rushed to help the attacked farmers tried to drive the settlers
away, but the settlers called IOF who rushed to the scene to provide protection
to settlers. IOF started firing tear gas
canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinians and beat them. As a result, a Palestinian child was wounded
and another civilian sustained wounds in his left leg as IOF pushed him to the
ground. Another 3 Palestinians sustained
wounds when they were attacked by Israeli settlers.

 

On 06
June 2011, Israeli settlers from “Karmei Tzur” settlement established
on Palestinian lands in “Khellet al-Kutleh”, south of Beit Ummar
village and north of Halhoul town in Hebron, sprayed incinerating chemicals at
20 grape trees owned by Ali Ayad Issa Awad, 45. The grape trees were damaged as a result.

 

On
07 June 2011, Israeli settlers set fire in a wheat farm to the north of Hebron
also owned by Ali Ayad Issa Awad. The
fire damaged 2 dunums[2]
and a half of the farm which measures 3 dunums.

 

Also
on 07 June 2011, dozens of Israeli settlers chased a number of Palestinian
shepherds from “Um al-Kheir” village, southeast of Yatta in the south
of Hebron, and prevented them from watering and grazing their sheep. IOF also
held Belal Mohammed al-Hathalin from from “Um al-Kheir” village for
allegedly “taking his sheep to a military zone.”

 

Restrictions
on Movement:

 

Israel
has continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and has 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 been steadily tightened since June 2007,
has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the
Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza
Strip and practically made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial
crossing of the Gaza Strip although it is not proper for commercial purposes in
terms of its distance and operational capacity.

· IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed
at tightening the strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip,
including imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

· The total closure of al-Mentar
“Karni” crossing on 02 March 2011 has created a bitter situation that
has seriously affected the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all the economic and commercial establishments
in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It
should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza
Strip in terms of its operational capacity to absorb the flow of imports and
exports. The decision of al-Mentar
crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions to totally close Soafa
crossing, east of the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and Nahal Oz
crossing, east of Gaza City, which was dedicated for the delivery of fuel and
cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

· These statistics which were made available to
PCHR by the Border and Crossings Department indicate a continued drop in the
number of truckloads of Gaza imports and exports.

· IOF have continued to impose total ban on the
delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Stri, except for very limited items and
quantities. The limited quantities of
raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.

· The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last
November has continued to affect the Gaza Strip. This crisis was created when the Israeli
occupation authorities totally closed, on 04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing,
which used to be dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas supplies to
Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing
which is not technically equipped to receive Gaza’s needs of fuel.  Karm
Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum absorptive capacity, can receive only 200
tons of cooking gas per day.

 

· Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have
continued to depend on alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief
agencies, rates of families who are living below poverty line have continued to
be on the rise and approximately 40% of Gaza’s manpower has continued to suffer
from permanent unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza’s
economic establishments.

· IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the
exportation of Gaza’s products, especially industrial products, leading to
undermining any real chances to rerun economic establishments. The situation has been aggravated especially
after making Karm Abu Salem crossing as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the
repeated closure of this crossing which negatively affected the quantity of
Gazan products which were allowed to be exported during last April.

· IOF have continued to prolongue the
implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although
more than 10 months have passed since they announced this decision after three
years of ban imposed on the delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices of cars in Gaza have
been on the rise and local markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.

· For approximately four consecutive years, IOF
have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During
the reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of
construction materials for a number of international organizations.

· Israel has
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians from
the Gaza Strip. IOF only allow the
movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long hours of
waiting in the majority of cases. IOF
have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of
Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive
medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and
Jerusalem. IOF denied new categories of
Gazan patient permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

· Israel has
imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists
and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip.

·  For approximately 46 months, IOF have
continued to deny approximately 710 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in
Israeli jails their visitation rights without providing any justification to
this measure, which violates the rules of the international humanitarian law.

 

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
in the 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, confiscating more 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 permits issued by IOF. Such
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.

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (02– 08 June 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 02 June 2011

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghsoun village,
north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets and stationed in the western neighborhood of the village. Nearly 50 Israeli soldiers stepped down from
their vehicles and snaked into the house of Abdul Rahman Fehmi Abdul Rahman
Zidan, 51, a PLC member of the Hamas Change and Reform Bloc. Zidan’s wife told a
PCHR fieldworker that Israeli soldiers jumped over their house wall. An Israeli soldier talked to Zidan via the
window of the bedroom and told him: “Open the door otherwise we will blow
the house up.” IOF then raided the house and held the Zidan family in the
stair case. They drove Zidan before them
and searched the house. Approximately
one hour later, they arrested Zidan.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Balata refugee camp, east of
Nablus. They surrounded the house of
Hussam Mahmoud Abdul Rahman Khader, 48, former PLC member of the Fatah
parliamentary bloc, in the eastern neighborhood in Balata refugee camp. They raided the house with sniffer dogs. They precisely searched the house and
confiscated 2 computers. They then
arrested Khader.

 

IOF also surrounded the house of Yaser Ibrahim al-Badrasawi, 46, a
clothes merchant, in al-Tiraweyeh neighborhood in Balata refugee camp. They raided and precisely searched the house
with sniffer dogs. Then they arrested al-Badrasawi.

 

Majda Mohammed Hassan al-Badrasawi, 40, is al-Badrasawi’s
wife. She told a PCHR fieldworker the
following:

 

“At approximately 02:15 on Thrusday, 02 June 2011, the Israeli
occupation forces surrounded our house which is located in al-Tiraweyeh
neighborhood in Balata refugee camp. The soldiers used a sharp tool and tried
to open the door that separates our apartment from the apartment of my
brother-in-law, Mohammed, but they failed. They then knocked the door and called: ‘Mohammed and Yaser, open the
door.’ My brother-in-law, Mohammed,
opened the door. They checked his ID
card and the ID cards of his sons. My
husband was not among them so the soldiers asked about him. Mohammed told them that my husband was at
home. They asked him to knock our door
and to ask Yasser to get out. My
brother-in-law knocked our door and Yasser got out with his ID card in his
hand. They checked Yasser’s ID card and
asked: ‘Is there anybody in the house?’ We answered them that there was nobody
in the house. They then asked me, my
husband, my brother-in-law, and our daughters Walaa, 21, Zahraa, 14, Sujoud, 11
and Ibtihal, 8, to get into a room in the house. They let a big brown dog go in the house. They entered behind the dog. They searched the house and then arrested my
husband.”

 

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Nablus. They stationed in al-Maajin neighborhood,
northwest of the city, and surrounded building no. 8 of the housing buildings
belonging to al-Najah National University. They knocked the door of Dr. Ghassan Nayef Talab Thougan, 54, an
academic and a leader of Hamas, on the fifth floor of building no/ 8. Thougan opened the door and IOF arrested him without
entering the house.

 

· At approximately 02:20, IOF moved into Housan village, west of
Bethlehem. They drove their vehicles in
the streets and then raided and searched the house of Ali Abdul Wahhab Shaker
Hamamra, 22. IOF withdrew at
approximately 03:00 after arresting Hamamra. IOF beat Hamamra with gun butts and with their legs while transferring
him to one of their vehicles. They then
drove him to an Israeli police station in “Kfar Etzion” settlement, southwest
of Bethlehem, where he was placed under interrogation for allegedly stoning IOF
vehicles.

 

· At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Kafr al-Labad village, east
of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets for some time. They withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 16:50, IOF moved itno Yasouf village, northeast of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
and held a number of Palestinians and questioned them about their workplaces
and telephone numbers. IOF withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Friday,
03 Friday 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Hfeira village, southwest
of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Hares village, north of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
and raided the house of Belal Tahsin Ali Aqel, 26. They delivered a notice to Aqel requiring him
to appear before the Israeli intelligence. IOF withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Marda village, north of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
and raided the house of Belal Tahsin Ali Aqel, 26. They delivered a notice to Aqel requiring him
to appear before the Israeli intelligence. IOF withdrew later and nether house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 17:30, IOF moved into al-Shwaika suburb, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
and raided the house of Belal Tahsin Ali Aqel, 26. They delivered a notice to Aqel requiring him
to appear before the Israeli intelligence. IOF withdrew later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

 

Saturday, 04 June 2011

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Anabta village, east of Tulkarm.
 They patrolled in the streets for some
time. They withdrew later and neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:45, IOF moved into al-Nabi Elias village, east
of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and fired flash bombs near the village. They withdrew later and neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 05 June 2011

 

· At approximately 10:10, IOF moved into Bedia village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some
time. They withdrew later and neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 10:10, IOF moved into al-Zawya village,
northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in
the streets for some time. They withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into Nazlet Issa village, north
of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets for some time. They withdrew later
and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 12:50, IOF moved into Azzoun vilalge, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some
time. They withdrew later and neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Monday, 06 June 2011

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Azzoun vilalge, east of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
and raided and searched the house of Umar Abdul Hafiz Odwan. Before withdrawing, they arrested Odwan’s
sixteen-year-old son, Saji.

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Nour Shams refugee camp, east
of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets and positioned near al-Mansheyeh neighborhood, east of Nour Shams
refugee camp. They used a bomb to blow
up the door of a house belonging to Nazmi ali Ahmed Eisha, 54, and raided the
house. They used gun butts to severely
beat Eisha’s thirty-year-old son, Ashraf. They searched the house and arrested Eisha’s twenty-one-year-old son,
Mahfouz, who is a member of the Palestinian National Security Service.

 

IOF then moved to the adjacent house which belongs to Imad Mohammed
Ayoub Abu Sareyeh. They searched the
house and arrested Abu Sareyeh.

 

After that, they drove to the north and positioned in al-Mahjar
neighborhood, north of Nour Shams refugee camp. They raided and searched a house belonging to Faisal Mahmoud Abdullah
Khalifeh, 30. They arrested Khalifeh and
withdrew.

 

Nazmi Eisha who is the father of Mahfouz who was arrested by IOF
told the PCHR fieldworker the following:

 

“At approximately 02:45 on 06 June 2011, we were sleeping when
the Israeli occupation army raided our 2-storey house. We woke up when they blew the door up. I then saw nearly 50 soldiers inside the
house. They deployed in the house and
severely beat my son Ashraf, 30, on his back using gun butts. They then handcuffed him and took him to my
bedroom. They collected all my family
members and forced them to stay in the same room. They then questioned my son Hazem, 27, on
whether my son Mahfouz, 21, was bringing weapons to the house or not. They searched the house and then they went up
stairs to the second floor. They
arrested my son who is a member of the Palestinian National Security
Service.”

 

· Also at approximately 08:30, IOF moved into Azzoun village, east of
Qaqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 09:40, IOF moved into Kafr Qdoum village, northeast
of Qaqilya. They patrolled in the
streets for some time. They withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into Anabta village, east of
Tulkarm. They positioned near Umar Bin
al-Khattab Mosque, east of Anabta village, and they raided the site where
workers from Anabta’s Municipality’s Electric Power Department were. Mohammed Adnan Ateyeh Shehab, 25, a power
technician from Anabta’s Municipality reported to a PCHR fieldworker that IOF
raided the site where they were present to maintain an electrical column and
forced them to descend from the tower. Before their withdrawal, they arrested the technical officer Ibrahim
Said Ibrahim Hannoun, 40, and drove him to Innab military checkpoint erected on
the way between Tulkarma and Nablus, east of Tulkarm. They questioned him about their work in the
site and then released him.

 

· At approximately 11:40, IOF moved into Jit village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some
time. They withdrew later and neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 14:30, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghsoun, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Mithlon village, south of
Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for
some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday, 07 June 2011

 

· At approximately 02: 00, IOF moved into Ein Beit al-Maa refugee
camp and al-Maajin, northwest of Nablus. They surrounded the house of Ahmed Ali Ahmed al-Haj Ali, 73, LC member
of the Hamas Change and Reform Bloc, in al-Zahra building in al-Sekka Street. They raided and searched the house and
arrested al-Haj Ali.

 

· Also at approximately 02: 00, IOF blew up the doors of the offices
of the PLC Change and Reform Bloc’s members on the second and fourth floor in
al-Bayan building near the Arab Specialized Hospital in Rafidia, west of Nablus. They searched the offices and confiscated a
computer and administrative files.

 

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Jenin. They patrolled in the streets and positioned
in the old town in the center of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to Adnan Khalil Ibrahim
Makhzoumi, 56, after blowing up the main door. Makhzoumi told a PCHR fieldworker that he was surprised to see IOF
inside his house as he was sleeping with his family who woke up because of the
soldiers’ screaming. He added that a
member of the Israeli force introduced himself as Captain “Ayoub”
from the Israeli intelligence, and explained that they were there to arrest
Makhzoumi’s twenty-nine-year-old son, Hani. IOF arrested Hani and withdrew. It should be noted that Hani was released from the Israeli jails just
sixth months ago after serving 7 years in prison for charges relating to his
affiliation to Hamas.

 

· Also at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Balaa village, northeast
of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets and positioned in the western neighborhood in the village. They raided a house belonging to Fahd Mansour
Abdul Rahim Mansour, 24. Another force
was raiding in the same time a farm belonging to the Mansour family. The farm is nearly 500 meters from the
house. After searching the house and the
farm, IOF arrested Mansour who was in the farm.

 

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Baqa al-Sharqeya town, north
of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets for some time. They withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Nazlet Issa village,
north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets for some time. They withdrew
later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Jafna village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and no
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:10, IOF moved into Broqin village, west of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 11:10, IOF moved into Kafr Addiq town, west
of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:25, IOF positioned on observation towers at the
border near Beit Hanoun “Erez” crossing, north of Beit Hanoun in the
northern Gaza Strip, opened intensive fire at nearly 30 demonstrators,
including 7 international solidarity activists, who were near the
“landfill”, northern the Agricultural School of al-Azhar University
in the north of Beit Hanoun. The
demonstrators were nearly 300 meters from the border fence. Mohammed Usama Uthman Ahmed (al-Kafarneh),
19, an activist of the Local Initiative from al-Fertah area in Beit Hanoun,
sustained shrapnel wounds to the neck, the chest and the right foot. Ahmed was transferred to Beit Hanoun Public
Hospital for treatment and his wounds were described to be between light and
moderate. Saber al-Zaanin, coordinator
for the Local Initiative in Beit Hanoun and supervision over demonstrations
organized near the border against the imposition of a buffer zone by IOF to seize
Palestinian property, reported that at approximately 10:50 on Tuesday, 07 June
2011, the demonstration started near the Agricultural School in Beit Hanoun and
walked to the north to the border. As
the demonstrators became nearly 300 meters from the border fence at
approximately 11:25, the Israeli occupation soldiers sporadically opened fire
into the air to cause fear to demonstrators and they then opened intensive fire
near the demonstrators. Ahmed was
wounded as a result and the demonstrators were in panic. The demonstrators fled the area especially as
the Israeli occupation soldiers started firing directly at them. The Israeli occupation soldiers continue to
fire for approximately 10 minutes and the demonstrators then managed to
transfer Ahmed to Beit Hanoun Governmental Hospital.

 

· At approximately 14:30, IOF moved into al-Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah. They
provocatively patrolled in the streets. A number of Palestinian boys gathered and stoned IOF who immediately responded
by firing bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters. Many civilians suffered from
gas inhalation as a result. IOF withdrew
later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some
time. They withdrew later and no arrests
were reported.

 

Wednesday, 08 June 2011

 

· At approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Deir Ballout town, west of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:20, IOF moved into Yasouf village, east of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Azzoun village, east of
Qaqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and raided and searched a house belonging to Said Ismail
Radwan. Before withdrawing at
approximately 04:30, they arrested Radwan’s sixteen-year-old son, Nassar.

 

 

1. 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, Khaled Sabarnah,
42, a reporter of the Iranian TV, was hit by a tear gas canister in the right
leg; and Mosa Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Karim, 45, was wounded by shrapnel of a
bullet in the head. Besides, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises because of beating them in the
peaceful demonstrations.

   

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 03 June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall. The demonstrators were raising the Palestinian flag, portraits of Marwan
al-Barghouthi, and banners marking the tenth anniversary of the martyrdom of
the popular resistance leader, Faisal al-Husseini. The demonstration was
organized on the eve of the forty fourth anniversary of the Israeli occupation
of the Palestinian Territory in 1967 (Naksa). IOF made a barrier of barbed wire
approximately 100 meters far from the wall. Before demonstrators’ arrival to the barrier, IOF closed the barrier and
fired bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters
at demonstrators. IOF also sprayed
wastewater at the demonstrators and chased them in olive field. As a result, Khaled Sabarnah, 42, a reporter
of the Iranian TV, was hit by a tear gas canister in the right leg. Besides, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation and
sustained bruises.  

 

· Also following the
Friday Prayer on the same day, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the
construction of the annexation wall. They then walked to the wall. IOF
closed the gate erupted in the wall with barb wire. When the demonstrators tried to cross the
wall to the land located behind it, IOF prevented them. The demonstrators responded by stoning IOF who
responded by firing bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at demonstrators. IOF also
chased demonstrators in olive field. Many demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation as a result. 

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 03 June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration, the central Martyrs’ Square in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of
Ramallah, in protest against the wall and settlement activities. The
demonstrators walked in the streets of the village and chanted national
slogans, expressing their refusal to the occupation and its arbitrary
actions. They held Palestinian
flags. Then they walked to the lands
that settlers from “Halmish” settlement try to seize. IOF closed off the southern entrance of the
village to prevent Palestinian and international demonstrators from having
access to the mentioned lands. As the
demonstrators attempted to access the land, IOF prevented them. They also sprayed wastewater at the
demonstrators and chased them, as a result, many demonstrators suffered from
tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises. IOF fired bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters. As a result, dozens of
Palestinian civilians suffered from gas inhalation.

 

· On Saturday noon,
04 June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered in a farmland near
Badras village, west of Ramallah. They
then headed to the Israeli stone crusher installed on the villages of Shukba,
Ne’lin, Qibya, Shabtin and Badras, west of Ramallah. When the demonstrators arrived to the stone
crusher, the Israeli soldiers guarding the area started heavily firing at
them. IOF that arrived to the area also
started firing bullets and rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and
sound bombs at the demonstrators. As a
result, Mosa Ahmed Mohammed Abdul Karim, 45, was wounded by shrapnel of a
bullet in the head. Abdul Karim was
transferred to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to receive the necessary
medical treatment. Medical sources
described his wounds as moderate. Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered from gas inhalation and
received the necessary first aid.

 

 

Peaceful Demonstrations in the Forty Fourth
Anniversary of the Israeli Occupation in 1967 (Naksa) 

 

In the context of the activities organized on 05 June, the forty
fourth anniversary of the Palestinian Naksa, Palestinian civilians
organized many peaceful demonstrations calling for ending the Israeli
occupation. IOF used excessive force to
disperse the demonstrators. As a result,
26 civilians were wounded, including 11 children and a woman. Besides, dozens of other civilians suffered
from gas inhalation and sustained bruises, as they were subjected to beating.

 

· On Sunday, 05
June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human
rights defenders gathered in the forty fourth anniversary of the Palestinian Naksa. They then headed to Qalandya checkpoint,
which separates Ramallah from Jerusalem. IOF closed the checkpoint’s gate and deployed a big number of heavily
armed soldiers at the checkpoint. Clashes had erupted between the demonstrators and Israeli soldiers. The demonstrators set fire to tires and threw
stones and empty bottles at the soldiers, while the soldiers responded by
firing bullets, rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canister and sound bombs
at the demonstrators. As a result, 26
Palestinian civilians were wounded, including 11 children and a woman. Besides, dozens of civilians suffered from
gas inhalation and sustained bruises due to being subjected to beating by
IOF. Medical sources said to PCHR field
worker that only 5 wounded persons were transported to Palestine Medical
Complex in Ramallah to receive medical treatment, while the others, who refused
to mention their names, received the first aid in the clashes’ scene.

(PCHR keeps the names of the wounded civilians, who were
transported to Palestine Medical Complex) 

 

· In the same
context, on Sunday, 05 June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international solidarity activists organized a peaceful demonstration in front
of the Great Mosque, central al-Walaja village, northwest of Beit Jala. The demonstrators walked to the annexation
wall, where IOF had been deployed and set up a human barrier to prevent the
demonstrators from reaching the wall. The Israeli soldiers surrounded the demonstrators and attacked them by
clubs before chasing them in olive fields. IOF also fired sound bombs, tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal
bullets at the demonstrators. As a
result, 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded due to beating and tear gas
inhalation. They received the first aid
by the Palestinian medical staff available in the area.

 

2. 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.

 

· 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.

 

· 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:

 

Rafah International Crossing Point: The
Egyptian authorities surprisingly closed Rafah International Crossing Point on
Saturday, 04 June 2011, under the pretext of implementing maintenance works in
the gate of the crossing, without any coordination with the Palestinian
party. After communications between the
Egyptian authorities and the Palestinian party and after protests made near the
crossing by Palestinians willing to travel via the crossing, the Egyptian
authorities agreed to allow Palestinians leaving the Gaza Strip to move via the
crossing on foot, but the Palestinian side did not agree to this step, as
stated by Lieutenant Colonel Salama Baraka, Director General of the Crossings
Police. On the other hand, approximately
353 Palestinians were allowed to return to Gaza via the crossing on foot.

 

On Sunday, 05 June 2011, Lieutenant Colonel Ayoub Abu Shaar,
Director of Rafah crossing Police, announced that the work at Rafah crossing
was suspended by the Palestinian side, saying that this suspension is in
protest to the unclear mechanism of the work at the crossing during the recent
days, slow procedures and the closure of the crossing on Saturday, 04 June 2011
by the Egyptian side without any coordination with the Palestinian side. Abu Shaar noted that the Egyptian side
informed the Palestinian side that they would resume work at the crossing and
that the mechanism of the work would be like in the recent days.

 

Abu Shaar said: “However, the closure of the crossing
yesterday without any coordination with us and the slow procedures adopted in
the recent days pushed us to suspend the work at the crossing. We need to have
permanent real facilitations and we do not want to return to the old policy and
determine the number of travelers.”

 

On Wednesday, 08 June 2011, Abu Shaar announced that the crossing
would be opened in both directions after reaching an agreement with the
Egyptian side. He did not give any
further detail. The Egyptian authorities
announced that the work at the crossing would be resumed based on a new
mechanism starting from Saturday, 28 May 2011, to allow Palestinians from the
Gaza Strip to move via the crossing from Saturday through Thursday, from 09:00
to 17:00 Cairo local time, and would be closed on Friday, which is the
weekend. Under these procedures the
following categories are exempted from applying for entry visas: all
Palestinian women; male Palestinian aged below 18 and above 40; and children
who accompany their parents, who are already exempted from applying for
visas. Male Palestinians over 18 and
under 40 need to obtain visas in order to be allowed to move via the crossing.

 

According to this mechanism, patients who have medical transfers
and students on condition that they present what proves so are allowed to move
via the crossing. All travelers have to
hold their Palestinian IDs and passports. 

 

Note: declarations made by Lieutenant Colonel
Salama Baraka, Director General of the Crossings Police, and Lieutenant Colonel
Ayoub Abu Shaar, Director of Rafah crossing Police, were published on the
website of the Palestinian Ministry of the Interior.

 

Later, unknown differences erupted between the Palestinian and
Egyptian parties and the crossing was closed for 4 days during the reporting
period as a result. The crossing was opened only in one direction and was
opened in both directions on Wednesday, 08 June 2011.

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

01-07
June 2011

 

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

01-07
June 2011

 

 

Notes:

 

· On Wednesday, 01 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 640 tons of
cement, 2,030 tons of aggregate for the Water Authority. IOF also allowed the delivery of 897 tons of
fodder and 78 tons of wheat.

· On Thursday, 02 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 116 tons of aggregate
for UNRWA and 1,820 tons of aggregate also for UNDP. Besides, they allowed the entry of 1,287 tons
of fodders and 195 tons of wheat into the Gaza Strip.

· On Sunday, 05 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 360 tons of
cement and 92 tons of iron for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,053 tons of wheat into the Gaza Strip.

· On Monday, 06 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 360 tons of
cement, 75 tons of iron for UNRWA, 1,050 tons of aggregate for UNDP. 37 tons of
aggregate to the Water Authority and 40 tons of cement to ANERA. In addition, 1,131 tons of wheat were allowed
into the Gaza Strip.

· On Tuesday, 31 May 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 418 tons of
cement, 30 tons of iron and 1,540 tons of aggregate for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 975 tons of
fodders and 78 tons of wheat into the Gaza Strip.

  

Exports  

· No exports this week.

 

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.

 

IOF completely closed Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing on Tuesday, 07
June 2011, and Wednesday, 08 June 2011, for the movement of all categories of
travelers under the pretext of the Jewish holidays. The crossing was reopened on Thursday, 09 June
2011.

 

It should be noted that the repeated closures of the crossing
during the Jewish holidays aggravates the suffering of the Palestinian
travelers, particularly, the patients who face difficulties to obtain Israeli
permits to pass via the crossing.   

 

Movement
at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

01-07
June 2011

 

 

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. 

 

·  Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:30, IOF established a
checkpoint on Beit Our al-Tahata – Beit Our al-Fouqa road, west of
Ramallah. At approximately 17:00 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, west
of Ramallah. At approximately 19:00 on
the same day, IOF established a checkpoint on Silwad – al-Mazra’a road,
northeast of Ramallah. At approximately
09:30 on Tuesday, 07 June 2011, IOF re-established their presence at Attara
checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At
approximately 17:30, IOF established a checkpoint near “Ofar” settlement,
northeast of Ramallah. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 02 June 2011, IOF established 6 checkpoints
around the town. On Friday, 03 June
2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around the town. On Saturday, 04 June 2011, IOF established 8
checkpoints around the town. IOF
positioned at these checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian
vehicles.

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:30 on Saturday, 04 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road near Jibara Gate,
south of Tulkarm. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 07 June 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
near Bzaria village, north of Tulkarm. At the same time, IOF established a checkpoint near Beit Leed
intersection, east of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions
on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Sunday, 05 June 2011, IOF established more checkpoints around the
town, and imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 15:30 on
Wednesday, 08 June 2011, IOF prevented Palestinian farmers from farming their
lands to the north of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. At approximately 16:00, a PCHR field worker,
Fahmi Shahin, and a field worker of al-Haq received a phone call from a farmer,
who informed them that IOF expelled them from their lands in ‘Ein al-Baida and
Abu al-Rish areas near “Bat Ain” settlement. The two field workers went to the area to check what was going on. At approximately 17:20, IOF arrived at the
area and arrested the two field workers and three other persons. The detainees were released at 20:00. 

 

· Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 17:00 on Sunday, 05 June
2011, an IOF infantry unit established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Nablus
road. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. They also
stopped and questioned a PCHR field worker, Hussam ‘Adnan Hattab, 25. They particularly questioned him about his
work and about PCHR. 

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 11:30 on Thursday, 02 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on the road linking between Jenin and the
northern villages of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Salfit:  IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 16:30 on Saturday, 04 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Hares village, northwest
of Salfit. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 19:30 on the same day, they established a checkpoint between
Hares and Kufol Hares villages, northwest of Salfit.

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:30 on Monday, 06 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fassayel village, north
of Jericho. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

3. 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 19:30 on Thursday, 02 June 2011, Israeli settlers from
  “Havat Gilad” settlement broke into the Palestinians’ lands in
  Fara’ta village, northeast of Qalqilya. They set fire to a land planted with wheat and stoned the
  Palestinians, who were defending their lands. The Palestinian farmers and villagers,
  who hurried up for help, tried to dismiss the settlers and prevent them
  from setting fire to other lands. However, the settlers called the Israeli soldiers, who hurried up
  to the area to provide protection to the settlers. IOF fired tear gas canisters and
  rubber-coated metal bullets at the famers and started beating them. As a result, As’ad Amin Mohammed Mahmoud
  al-Taweel, 16, was hit by a tear gas canister in the left eye; and Jamil
  Mohammed Dawood, 44, from Haris village in the northwest of Salfit, was
  wounded in the left leg, as the Israeli soldiers pushed him to the
  ground. It should be noted that
  Dawood’s leg had already been broken and there were bars of platinum
  inside that leg. Three other
  civilians were wounded due to the settlers attack:

 

1. ‘Awwad Abdul
Khaliq Abdul Rahman al-Taweel, 47, who was hit by a stone in the left eye;

2. ‘Adnan Abdul
Khaliq Abdul Rahman al-Taweel, 41, who was hit by a stone in the right leg; and

3. Shaher Mohammed
Abdul Rahman al-Taweel, 49, who sustained bruises in the back.

 

In his testimony to PCHR field worker, Shaher
Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Taweel said:

 

“At approximately 19:30 on
Thursday, 02 June 2011, some farmers and I were in our land named “Khelet
al-Doghi”, east of the village, which is close to “Havat Gilad”
settlement. The land is planted with
wheat. While he were harvesting, 3
settlers came, looked at us and left. Later, they returned with approximately 25 other settlers, most of whom
were masked, armed, carrying swords and sticks and accompanying horses and
dogs. They spread out in a land that
overlooks ours. Shortly later, 9
settlers approached and started setting fire to the wheat from differed
sides. We tried to extinguish the fire. In the meanwhile, they were stoning us. However, we were able to return them
approximately 70 meters to the back. Later, an Israeli force arrived to the area and started firing tear gas
canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets. As a result, we escaped. Some
Palestinians came from the village and our number increased to 25 persons. We stood there to protect our farm from the
settlers. IOF captured us, but we were
all wounded in spite of the Israeli soldiers’ presence. Besides, Imad al-Taweel and his brother
‘Adnan, were wounded by the settlers while the Israeli soldiers were capturing
them. The clashes lasted until the
settlers left and IOF retreated at 22:00″. 

 

• On
  Monday evening, 06 June 2011, and Tuesday morning, 07 June 2011, settlers
  from “Karmei Tzur” settlement established on Palestinian lands
  in “Khellet al-Kutleh”, south of Beit Ummar village and north of
  Halhoul city in Hebron, launched several attacks against a number of farms
  belonging to Ali Ayad Issa Awad, 45. They sprayed incinerating chemicals
  at a number of grape trees on Monday and set fire in other crops on
  Tuesday. 

 

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 18:00 on
Monday, 06 June, Awad headed to his farms adjacent to “Karmei Tzur”
settlement with a number of his family members. They found out that 20 grape trees were damaged due to spraying them
with incinerating chemicals.

 

At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 07 June 2011, Awad headed to his
farms with his brother Mohammed. They
two brothers saw fire burning in a wheat farm and an Israeli settler was near
his car which was just 2 meters from the burning farm. The two brothers tried to extinguish the fire
and preventing it from reaching adjacent farms. In the meanwhile, the Israeli settler got in his car and drove away.

 

The targeted farms measure 3 dunums. The fire damaged two dunums and a half. It should be noted that the Israeli settlers
have sought, during the last four years, to seize approximately 400 square meters
in the targeted area to annex them to “Karmei Tzur”. These lands are owned by several Palestinian
families who are: Sleibi, Awad, Sabarna and Abu Maria.

 

• On
  Tuesday morning, 07 June 2011, dozens of Israeli settlers chased a number
  of Palestinian shepherds from “Um al-Kheir” village, southeast
  of Yatta in the south of Hebron, and prevented them from watering and
  grazing their sheep. IOF also held Belal Mohammed al-Hathalin, 25, from
  “Um al-Kheir” village for allegedly “taking his sheep to a
  military zone.”

 

According to PCHR’s investigations
and testimonies made by Yaser Eid al-Hathali, 40, more than 20 settlers from
“Carmel” settlement which is adjacent to “Um al-Kheir”
village, protected by IOF, gathered for several hours in the morning in lands
belonging to “Um al-Kheir” village which is located in the east of
“Carmel” settlement. They
prevented Palestinian shepherds from entering these lands and nearby pastures
to graze their sheep and they prevented them from watering their sheep from
water wells belonging to “Um al-Kheir” and located in the lands where
the settlers were present. As a number
of shepherds tried to reach the pastures, the Israeli settlers who were
protected by IOF chased them, surrounded them and their sheep and stoned them. An IOF soldiers kicked a sheep several time
and the sheep died as a result. In the
meanwhile, they held al-Hathalin for several hours and released him in the
afternoon.

 

al-Hathalin stressed that the
Palestinians in his village gain their living from livestock and that the
continued ban on their access to pastures and wells, which are militarily
closed from time to time by IOF who allow settlers to have access to these
pastures and wells, results in severe economic, living and psychological
damages inflicted on the Palestinian civilians in the village. These practices by the settlers are aimed at
strangulating the Palestinians in the village and force them to leave it so
settlers can extend “Carmel” settlement to the east. 

 

 

 

 

 

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).