A worker
builds a new house in the “Beitar Illit” settlement near Bethlehem in
the occupied West Bank

 

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

 

 

· IOF
used excessive force against peaceful Palestinian demonstrations in the West
Bank.

 

· 17
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and 3 journalists, were wounded by
Israeli gunfire.

 

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

 

· IOF
arrested 3 Palestinian fishermen from the Gaza Strip and confiscated their boat.

 

· IOF
conducted 18 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

 

· IOF
arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including two children. 

 

· IOF
stormed a school in ‘Azzoun village near Qalqilya.

 

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

 

· IOF
arrested a Palestinian businessman at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and detained
him for several days.

 

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

 

· The
Israeli government approved the construction of 1,712 housing units in Israeli
settlements in Jerusalem and Bethlehem.

 

· IOF
ordered the demolition of civilian property in the West Bank.

 

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting
period (04 – 10 March 2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, 40 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and 3
journalists, were wounded when IOF used excessive force against peaceful
demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall
and settlement activities in the West Bank. 

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 18 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 14 Palestinian civilians,
including two children. IOF also stormed
a school in ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.

 

Restrictions
on Movement: Israel has 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 more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel
had continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians
wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or
social visits.

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family
visitation for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

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 630 permanent roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60 – 80 ‘flying’ or temporary
checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

 

· 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 (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· There
are around 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 and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international
humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

 

On 06 March 2010, dozens of Israeli settlers from
“Brakha” settlement, escorted by IOF, stormed Iraq Bourin village,
southeast of Nablus. A number of
Palestinian civilians gathered at the entrances of the village and threw stones
at the settlers. Immediately, Israeli
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs at them. As a result, 4 civilians, including a child,
were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets.

 

On the same day, IOF delivered demolition notices to
Palestinian civilians living in Fasayel village, north of Jericho, ordering the
demolition of their houses, barnyards and barracks, claiming that they had been
built without the necessary permits. 

 

Also on the same day, IOF handed notices to 3
Palestinian civilians living in al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho, ordering
the demolition of barnyards and barracks belonging to them. 

 

Also on the same day, the Israeli government approved
the construction of 112 housing units in the settlement of “Beitar
Illit”, west of Bethlehem. 

 

Also on the same day, a young Israeli settler
intercepted two Palestinian children in the center of Hebron. The young settler attempted to run down the
two children with his bicycle. He also
broke a birdcage, which the two children were carrying. The settler’s hand was injured when he
attempted to pull at the birdcage. Immediately, Israeli troops intervened and arrested the two Palestinian
children. They released the children on
bail.

 

On 09 March 2010, the Israeli Ministry of Interior
approved the construction of 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem. The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that the
new housing units would be constructed in the “Ramat Shlomo”
neighborhood, expanding it in the east and the south. 

 

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (04 – 10 March 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
04 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Bitounia, west of Ramallah, and patrolled
in the streets. Soon, a number of
Palestinian boys set fire to tires and threw stones at Israeli military
vehicles. Israeli troops fired
rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the boys. IOF withdrew from the town later and no
casualties or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into ‘Obwin village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Fareed Murshed Khayat, 20, and arrested him.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Housan village, west of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Mos’ab Ahmed Za’oul, 21, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into the town and refugee camp of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses,
but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Taybeh village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses,
but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested ‘Othman ‘Ali Zayed, 25.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Kufor Dan village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Nasser ‘Adnan ‘Aabed, 20. ‘Aabed was released a few hours later, having been interrogated by IOF.

 

· At
approximately 15:20, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the northeast of Beit Hanoun opened fire at Palestinian
houses located approximately 800
meters from the border. The gunfire continued sporadically for 20 minutes. No casualties or damage were reported.

 

Friday, 05 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Ymoun village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Tamer Suleiman Abu Toul, 21.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into ‘Aanin village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Mohammed ‘Awadh Mansour, 26.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, Israeli naval troops opened fire at a small Palestinian
fishing boat 500 – 700
meters from Rafah beach in the southern Gaza Strip. They then surrounded the boat and forced the
fishermen on board to take off their clothes and swim towards the gunboat. Israeli naval troops arrested the fishermen
and confiscated the boat. The fishermen
were released at approximately 16:30 on the same day. They are: Nafez Mohammed al-Aqra’, 39;
Mohammed Nabeel al-Aqra’, 22; and Mohammed Mohammed al-Aqra’, 20.

 

· At
approximately 11:00, Israeli troops stationed on observation towers at Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at a number of
Palestinian civilians who were collecting bricks and iron bars from the debris
of buildings of the former Industrial Zone. The civilians fled and no casualties were reported.

 

Saturday, 06 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Muntasser Diab ‘Awadh, 21, and arrested him.

 

Sunday, 07 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp, west of
Jericho. They raided and searched a
number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Til village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Bassel Yousef Ramadan, 18.

 

Monday, 08 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Sheikh quarter in the center of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses. They arrested Islam
‘Abdul Latif al-Harbawi, 19, and confiscated his mobile phone and computer set.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Anata refugee camp near Jerusalem. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Mousa Ibrahim Salama, 24, and summoned him for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They stormed Yasser ‘Arafat School in the
west of the village, claiming that students had thrown stones at their
vehicles. They attempted to arrest a
student, and debate erupted between the forces and the school headmaster. IOF withdrew from the area two hours later,
following the intervention of the Israeli-Palestinian liaison department. No arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday, 09 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein Sarah and al-Zahed neighborhood in
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Allam Mohammed Dandis, 27; and

2. Bassam Robin al-Adhami, 28.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Housan village, west of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian children:

 

1. Hamza ‘Abdullah Shousha, 16; and

2. Muntasser Mohammed Za’oul, 17.

Wednesday, 10 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 08:30, IOF moved into Rummana village, west of Jenin. They established a checkpoint at the entrance
of the village. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles and arrested Mohammed Kamel Eghbariya,
25.

 

2. Use of Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations

 

Israel has continued to
construct the Annexation Wall and inside West Bank territory.  During the
reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in
protest of the construction of the Wall and of settlement activities.

 

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 05 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah. The demonstrators
moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands behind it.
Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and some sustained bruises.

 

· Also
at noon on Friday, 05 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin
village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the Annexation
Wall. They clashed with Israeli troops
positioned near the Wall. IOF fired rubber-coated
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, 3 demonstrators, including a
child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Rami Mohammed Sorour, 11, wounded in
the head;

2. Ahmed Daoud Khawaja, 24, wounded in the
left leg; and

3. Sa’id ‘Atallah ‘Amira, 21, wounded in
the right leg.

 

Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas
inhalation.

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 05 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest to land confiscation in the Wad al-Raya area between
the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam, northwest of Ramallah. 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, 6 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Eihab Afdal al-Barghouthi, 14, wounded
in the head;

2. Ref’at Wajeeh al-Tamimi, 20, wounded in
the left leg;

3. Jihad Kamel al-Tamimi, 22, wounded in
the left leg;

4. Mohammed ‘Atallah al-Tamimi, 21,
wounded in the right leg;

5. Nidal Hussein al-Tamimi, 23, wounded in
the left leg; and

6. Tamer Farah al-Tamimi, 18, wounded in
the right leg.

 

Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas
inhalation.

 

· At
noon on Friday, 05 March 2010, IOF stormed the compound housing al-Aqsa Mosque
in Jerusalem at the end of the Friday Prayer. They violently beat Palestinian worshippers and fired tear gas canisters
and sound bombs at them. Soon, dozens of
Palestinian young men gathered in the old city and threw stones at Israeli
troops, who continued to fire tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal
bullets. The clashes extended to Ras
al-‘Aamoud neighborhood and continued until the evening. At least 17 Palestinian civilians were
wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets.

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 05 March 2010, hundreds of Palestinian civilians
organized a peaceful demonstration near the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron,
protesting the inclusion of the Mosque on a list of Jewish heritage sites. Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and sound
bombs at the demonstrators and violently beat several of them. As a result, Dr. Sa’ed Abu Hajla, a lecturer
at an-Najah National University in Nablus, was injured by shrapnel from a sound
bomb; Chief Justice Tayseer Bayoudh al-Tamimi suffered from tear gas
inhalation; and 4 journalists sustained bruises: Mohammed Hmaidat; Akram al-Natsha; ‘Abdul
Ghani al-Natsha; and ‘Abdul Hafiz al-Hashlamoun. Israeli troops also destroyed al-Hashlamoun’s
camera. 

 

· At
noon on Saturday, 06 March 2010, IOF used force to disperse a peaceful
demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians at the eastern entrance of
Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a
result, 4 demonstrators were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. ‘Emad Abu Nassar, 36, wounded in the
leg;

2. Younis Mousa ‘Arar, 38, wounded in the
hand;

3. Diaa’ ‘Abbas ‘Aadi, 21, wounded in the
hand; and

4. Yousef Nasri Ekhlil, 51, wounded in the
foot.

 

Additionally, 6 demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation and were treated on the spot.

 

· On
Sunday, 07 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human
rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Jala, protesting
the construction of the Wall to the northwest of the town. The demonstration moved from the Arab
Orthodox Club in Beit Jala towards bypass road #60, where a section of the Wall
is being constructed. The demonstrators
planted trees. Soon, IOF surrounded the demonstrators and used force against
them to prevent them from planting trees. The Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and
tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 5 civilians, including a child and 3 journalists, were wounded
by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Najeh Diab al-Hashlamoun, 47, a cameraman of the
Associated Press, wounded in the right hand;

2. ‘Abdul Hafiz Diab alk-Hashlamoun, 45, a cameraman of the Press
Association, wounded in the back;

3. Hazem Ragheb Bader, 38, a cameraman of France
Press, wounded in the right thigh;

4. Mahmoud ‘Ali ‘Ayad, 16, wounded in the
back; and

5. Mofeed al-Qarbi, 18, wounded in the
left leg.

 

3. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the
OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in
the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Occupied East Jerusalem.

 

 

 

 

 

Gaza Strip

 

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel
had continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians
wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or
social visits.

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family
visitation for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

03 –
09 March 2010

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

03 –
09 March 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: Israel partially
opened the crossing on Wednesday, 03 March 2010, and allowed the entry of 2,280
tons of wheat and 1,102 tons of fodders. It was opened again on Monday, 08 March 2010, allowing the entry of
1,326 tons of wheat and 2,028 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

03 –
09 March 2010

 

 

The
West Bank

 

Israel
has imposed a tightened siege 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. IOF
often violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints
and enter the city.

 

· Ramallah: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian
civilians in Ramallah. IOF troops
positioned at the Jaba’ and Qalandya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have
imposed additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks on
Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 10:30 on Sunday, 07 March 2010, IOF established a
checkpoint near ‘Attara village, north of Ramallah. They imposed restrictions on the movement to
and from the village. They also summoned
a number of Palestinian civilians for interrogation. 

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On the morning of Friday, 05
March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus,
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

 

· Jenin: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 06:00 on
Saturday, 06 March 2010, IOF erected a checkpoint between Qabatya and Misliya
village, southeast of Jenin. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Hebron: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period,
IOF prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their agricultural lands in
‘Ein al-Baida and Wadi al-Reesh areas to the north and northwest of Beit Ummar
village, north of Hebron.  

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

· At
approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 04 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at
Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip arrested Ahmed Saleem
Abu ‘Eida, 38, a
businessman from Jabalya refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. Abu ‘Eida was summoned by the Israeli
intelligence for an interview at the crossing, having been banned from
traveling through the crossing for two years. Abu ‘Eida was released on Tuesday, 09 March 2010.

 

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 11:00 on Saturday, 06 March 2010, dozens of Israeli settlers from
“Brakha” settlement, escorted by IOF, stormed Iraq Bourin village,
southeast of Nablus. A number of
Palestinian civilians gathered at the entrances of the village and threw stones
at the settlers. Immediately, Israeli
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and sound bombs at them. As a result, 4 civilians, including a child,
were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Saher ‘Aahed al-Faqeeh, 35, wounded in
the shoulder;

2. Bashar Wa’el Qadous, 17, wounded in the
jaw;

3. Nader Ibrahim Qae’dan, 35, wounded in
the head; and

4. Firas ‘Aahed al-Faqeeh, 35, wounded in
the thigh.

 

· On
Monday morning, 08 March 2010, IOF handed demolition notices to Palestinian
civilians living in Fasayel village, north of Jericho, ordering the demolition
of their houses, barnyards and barracks, claiming that they had been built
without the necessary permits. These
civilians are: ‘Ali Hussein ‘Ebayat;
‘Aayed ‘Atallah Rashaida; and Ibrahim Mohammed Rashaida. IOF threatened to implement the demolition
order within two weeks.

 

· Also
on Monday, 08 March 2010, IOF handed notices to 3 Palestinian civilians living
in al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho, ordering the demolition of barnyards
and barracks belonging to them. These
civilians are: ‘Adnan Mohammed Dua’is; Shihda Mohammed Du’ais; and Salem ‘Ali
Ka’abna. 

 

· Also
on Monday, 08 March 2010, the Israeli government approved the construction of
112 housing units in the settlement of “Beitar Illit”, west of
Bethlehem. The Israeli Minister of the
Environment claimed: “At the end of last year the government decided to
freeze construction, but this decision provided for exceptions in cases of
safety problems for infrastructure projects started before the freeze.”

 

· Also
on Monday evening, 08 March 2010,
a young Israeli settler, approximately 15 years of age,
intercepted Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Abu ‘Eisha, 11, and Shareef Tayseer Abu ‘Eisha,
12, when they were on their way home in the Tal al-Rumaida neighborhood, which
is near the “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost in the center of Hebron. The young settler attempted to run down the
two children with his bicycle. He also
broke a birdcage, which the two children were carrying. The settler injured his hand while attempting
to pull at the birdcage. Immediately,
Israeli troops intervened and arrested the two Palestinian children. They released them on bail at approximately
20:30 of the same day.

 

· On
Tuesday, 09 March 2010, the Israeli Ministry of Interior approved the
construction of 1,600 housing units in East Jerusalem. The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that the
new housing units would be constructed in the “Ramat Shlomo”
neighborhood, expanding it in the east and the south. 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

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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).