A
Palestinian child wounded by an Israeli air strike on Gaza, 9 September 2012

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

      

 

IOF
launched a number of air strikes and opened fire at areas in the Gaza Strip.

3
members of the Palestinian resistance were killed in the northern Gaza Strip.

Two
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by IOF in two separate
incidents.

7
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and two women, were injured by
Israeli air strikes.

Two
rooms and a container were destroyed and 26 houses were damaged.

 

Two
Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF in the West Bank.

 

IOF used
force to disperse peaceful protest organized by Palestinian civilians in the
West Bank.

Dozens
of protesters suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

IOF
conducted 53 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3
limited ones into the Gaza Strip.   

IOF
arrested 25 Palestinians, including a child, in the West Bank.

IOF
arrested a Palestinian civilian from the Gaza Strip who attempted to enter
Israel.   

 

Israeli
gunboats fired at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.

 

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

IOF
arrested at least 5 Palestinian children at military checkpoints in the West
Bank. 

 

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

IOF razed
dunums[1]
of land and demolished a 1,500-meter-long fence in Jourish village, southeast
of Nablus.

Israeli
settlers burnt 100 olives trees in Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya.

An
Israeli settler ran down a Palestinian child in Taqqou’ village, southeast of
Bethlehem.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (06 – 12 September 2012):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
killed 3 Palestinians and wounded another 11 ones, including 5 children and two
women, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 06 September
2012, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip killed 3 members of
the Palestinian resistance, including two brothers, in the northern Gaza
Strip. 

 

On the same day, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded when IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip
and Israel fired at a number of young men who got close to the border.

 

On 10 September 2012, Israeli
warplanes launched 4 air strikes on targets in the Gaza Strip.  As a result, two rooms and a container were
destroyed, 26 houses were damaged and 7 Palestinian civilians, including 4
children and two women, were lightly injured. 

 

IOF continued to fire at Palestinian
fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.  On 10
and 11 September 2012, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats in the northern Gaza Strip.  No
casualties were reported. 

 

In the West Bank, on 10 September
2012, a Palestinian civilian was wounded and arrested by IOF in the center of Hebron.  IOF claimed that he threw a Molotov cocktail
at them. 

 

On the same day, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded and arrested by IOF in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of
Ramallah, during clashes between IOF and Palestinian boys.

 

During the reporting period, IOF
used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall, settlement activities and other Israeli
practices in the West Bank.  As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation.

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 53 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 
During these incursions, IOF arrested 25 Palestinians, including a child.
 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into Palestinian areas,
during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land. 

 

On
07 September 2012, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel arrested a Palestinian civilian when he attempted to cross the border to
find a job in Israel. 

 

Restrictions
on Movement:

 

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

 

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. 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.

 

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.

 

Settlement
Activities:  

 

Israel has
continued its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international
humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property.

 

On
07 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Emanuel” settlement set
fire to olive trees in Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya.  As a result, at least 100 olive trees were
burnt. 

 

On
08 September 2012, IOF moved into al-Mussafer area in the southeast of Yatta
village, south of Hebron.  They delivered
a notice to Ahmed Isma’il al-‘Odara, 40, ordering demolition of his
150-square-meter, two-storey house. 

 

On
10 September 2012, IOF, accompanied by bulldozers, moved into Jourish villag,
southeast of Nablus.  The bulldozers
destroyed a 30-dunum area of land, demolished a 1,500-meter-long fence and
uprooted dozens of trees that were planted in March 2011 by the Union of Agricultural
Work Committees. 

 

On
11 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Talmoun” settlement
outpost, which stands on the lands of al-Mazra’a al-Qibliya village, northwest
of Ramallah, threw stones at a number of Palestinian houses in the village.  Dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered and
clashed with the settlers, which left the area. 
As a result of the attack, a number of houses were damaged.

 

On
11 September 2012, IOF blocked an entrance that leads to several houses in
Jaber quarter in the old town of Hebron, allegedly in application of a decision
issued by the Israeli High Court.

 

On
12 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers from “Etani’el” settlement,
south of Hebron, stormed Meesh village. 
They wrote racist slogans on the walls of Salman al-Faresi Mosque, such
as “Death for Arabs,” and “You will pay a heavy price.”

 

On
the same day, a female Israeli settler ran down Hayat Mohammed Sobeh, 8, from
Taqqou’a village southeast of Bethlehem, at the main road near an elementary school.  The settler was traveling very fast when she
ran down the child.  The child was
injured and her condition was described as stable. 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (06 – 12 September 2012)

 

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

 

Thursday, 06 September 2012

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved
into Nablus and the nearby Balata refugee camp. 
They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian
civilians:

 

1. As’ad Mahmoud Marahil, 36; and

2. Fawzi Hassan Abu al-‘Adas, 35.

 

Also at approximately 02:00, IOF
moved into Roujib village, southeast of Nablus. 
They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fu’ad Ahmed Rajab,
38.

 

At approximately 03:30, IOF moved
into Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 05:30, IOF moved
into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Wissam ‘Abdul Rahman al-Hassanat,
32; and

2. Jihad ‘Eissa Ma’ali, 22.

 

At approximately 06:00, IOF moved
nearly 300 meters into Khuza’a village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of
Khan Yunis.  They leveled areas of
Palestinian agricultural land amidst indiscriminate shooting.  They moved back to the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel at approximately 12:00. 

 

At approximately 07:50, IOF
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northeast of
Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip fired an artillery shell and live
bullets at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance who were in a
combat mission nearly 200 meters away from the border.  As a result, two members were instantly
killed:  Akram Sami Ahmed al-Za’anin, 21;
and his brother Eihab, 26, from Beit Hanoun. 
A third member, Tariq Suhail Ibrahim al-Kafarna, 22, from Beit Hanoun,
was seriously wounded and he died at the hospital.  According to medical crews of the Palestine
Red Crescent Society, they received information that there were wounded people
in the area, so they immediately went there. 
Once they got as close as to 350 meters from the border, IOF opened fire
at them, so they were forced to move back. 
Later, several women and young men went to the location of the incident
in an attempt to evacuate the bodies and the wounded young man, but IOF fired
at them.  An hour and a half later, they
were able to reach the bodies and the wounded young man.  They took them to ambulances that were nearly
1,000 meters away from the border, which transported them to Beit Hanoun
Hospitals. There, medical efforts to save al-Kafarna’s life failed. 

 

At approximately 10:30, IOF moved
into al-Tirah neighborhood in the southwest of Ramallah.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 12:00, IOF moved
into the Palestinian Authority controlled areas in the center of Hebron.  They patrolled in the streets and established
a number of checkpoints.  An Israeli
intelligence officer questioned passing Palestinian civilians.  IOF withdrew from the area at approximately
16:00 and no arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 14:00, IOF moved
into Kufor Qadoum village, northeast of Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 14:10, IOF
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip to the east of Jabalya opened
fire at a number of young men who got close to the border.  As a result, Mohammed Haidar Abu Khater, 20,
from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, was wounded by a
bullet to the left arm.  According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, around 20 young me participating in the
funeral procession of 3 Palestinians who had been killed by IOF got close to
the border and threw stones at IOF. 

 

At approximately 14:30, IOF moved
into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.  They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 22:00, IOF moved
into Shwaika suburb, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 22:30, IOF moved
into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 22:50, IOF moved
into Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Friday, 07 September 2012

 

At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah.  They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 12:10, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya.  They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 15:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 15:40, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village
again.  They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later.  Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of
Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Fassayel village, north of
Jericho.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 20:30, IOF positioned at the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Gaza Valley village arrested Ahmed Tawfiq
al-Nabahin, 23, when he attempted to cross the border to search for a job in
Israel. 

 

At approximately 23:50, IOF moved into Far’ata village, northeast
of Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Saturday, 08 September 2012

 

At approximately 00:30, IOF moved
into al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved
into Ethna village, west of Hebron.  They
raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ayatollah ‘Azmi Jibara,
30, and arrested him.

 

At approximately 05:30, IOF moved
into al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved
into al-Surra village, southwest of Hebron. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 12:00, IOF moved
into Halhoul town, north of Hebron.  They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 15:00, IOF moved
into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 18:30, IOF moved
into ‘Izbat Shoufa village, southeast of Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 22:00, IOF moved
into al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 22:45, IOF moved
into Kufor Sour village, south of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 22:45, IOF
moved into Um al-Tout village, southeast of Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 22:45, IOF
moved into Jalqamous village, southeast of Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:00, IOF moved
into Abu Ktaila area in Hebron.   They
raided, searched and damaged a house belonging to Fareed al-Haimouni.  They withdrew from the area later and no
arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:45, IOF moved
into Deir al-Ghossoun village, north of Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 09 September 2012

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ethna village, west of
Hebron.  They raided and searched a house
belonging to ‘Adnan al-Tumaizi, but no arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Qabatya village, south of
Jenin.  They raided a house belonging to
the family of Mohammed Yousef Khzaimiya, 20, and summoned him for
interrogation. 

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Burqa village, northeast of
Ramallah.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of
Qalailya.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Kharabtha Bani Hareth
village, west of Ramallah.  They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

Monday, 10 September 2012

 

At approximately 00:20, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a
training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in
al-Tuffah neighborhood in the east of Gaza City.  A shed and a wall of the site were destroyed
and a nearby police station and 3 houses were damaged.  No casualties were reported.

 

At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 00:35, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a tunnel
at the Egyptian border in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.  Shrapnel from the missile hit nearby
houses.  As a result, 6-year-old Mohammed
Ayoub al-Rumailat, was wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh, while he was
sleeping at home.

 

At approximately 00:50, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at an
open area in the northwest of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia.  No casualties were reported. 

 

At approximately 02:00, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a
mobile container on a tract of land in the west of al-Nussairat refugee camp in
the central Gaza Strip.  Two rooms on the
land were destroyed and 10 olive trees and 23 houses were damaged.  Additionally, 7 Palestinian civilians,
including 4 children and two women, were wounded:

 

1. Hammad Mo’nes Abu Khalil, 30;

2. Jasser Hammad Abu Khalil, 6;

3. Haniya ‘Abdul Hadi Kabaja, 60;

4. Suhaib Hammad Abu Khalil, 4;

5. ‘Anad Hammad Abu Khalil, 3;

6. Reema Mohammed Kabaja, 10; and

7. Nour Sa’id Abu Nabhan, 21.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron.  They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Aadi, 19, and arrested him.  At the same time, IOF raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Mohammed Ayman Ekhlil, 18, and arrested him.

 

Also at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Saida village,
northeast of Tulkarm.  They raided and
searched a house belonging to the family of Lu’ai Sati al-Ashqar, 35, and
arrested him.  Al-Ashqar suffers from
paresis because of previous detention.

 

At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, south
of Hebron.  They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of ‘Omar Abu ‘Ajamiya, 23, and arrested him.

 

At approximately 05:00, Kamal al-Batash, 31, from the old town of
Hebron, was wounded by a bullet to the left foot fired by IOF in al-Shallala
Street in the center of Hebron. 
According to an eyewitness, IOF fired at a number of young men in the
area when it was completely quiet.  IOF
claimed that a Molotov cocktail was thrown at them.  IOF also arrested al-Batash. 

 

At approximately 05:30, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of
Tulkarm.  They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of ‘Orwa Sameer Abu Tammam, 20, and arrested him.

 

At approximately 21:00, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit
Lahia seashore in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats.  Palestinian fishermen were forced
to sail back to the beach and no casualties were reported.  

 

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

 

At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghossoun village,
north of Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched two houses.  A number of Palestinian boys gathered and
threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. 
Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear
gas canisters and sound bombs at them. 
As a result, ‘Omar Saleh Tamimi, 25, was wounded by several
rubber-coated metal bullets in the abdomen and the legs.  IOF stopped the ambulance the transported him
to the hospital and beat and arrested him together with Eyas Mohammed Sarhan,
26, who was accompanying him.  IOF
released Sarhan 4 hours later.  IOF also
arrested another two Palestinian civilians: Ziada ‘Abdul Raziq Tamimi, 26; and
Mohammed ‘Atiya Tamimi, 28.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Salfit.  They raided a house belonging to the family
of Milad Hamdallah Dahdoul, 22.  They
handcuffed members of the family and forced them out of the house.  They then searched the house and arrested
Milad.

 

At approximately 06:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east
of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip.  They leveled areas of Palestinian land amidst
indiscriminate shooting.  They moved back
to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel 4 hours later and no casualties
were reported.

 

At approximately 07:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east
of al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.  They leveled areas of Palestinian land amidst
indiscriminate shooting.  They moved back
to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel 5 hours later and no casualties
were reported.

 

At approximately 09:00, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit
Lahia seashore in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at 8 Palestinian fishing
boats.  Palestinian fishermen were forced
to sail back to the beach leaving their fishing nets, and no casualties were
reported. 

 

Also at approximately 09:0, IOF moved into Shwaika suburb, north of
Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Bourqin village, west of
Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later.  Neither house
raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Qabatya village, south of
Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later.  Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 22:30, IOF positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez)
crossing in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at open areas in the northwest
of Beit Hanoun.  No casualties were
reported.

 

Wednesday, 12 September 2012

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Saffa village, west of
Ramallah.  They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Muntasser Yasser Karaja, 22;

2. ‘Abdul Rahman Mahmoud Karaja, 20;

3. Tariq Ziad Karaja, 22; and

4. Yousef Tal’at Karaja, 25.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, south
of Hebron.  They raided and searched a
house belonging to Mohammed Abu Warda and arrested his two sons: Munther, 23;
and Mo’men, 20.

 

At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Mohammed Ibrahim al-Ashqar, 21.

 

At approximately 07:30, IOF moved into Beit Leed village, east of
Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. 
Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

2. Use of
Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations Protesting Settlement
Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

During
the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized
by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
in protest to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the
West Bank.  As a result, dozens of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

Following the Friday Prayer on 07 September 2012, 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 and settlement activities and the trial
of Mohammed Baraka, an Arab member of the Israeli Knesset.  They moved towards areas of the annexation
wall.  They called through megaphones on
Israeli settlers in “Mitityahu” settlement to leave Palestinian land.  Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators.  As a result, a number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 07 September 2012, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in
protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities.  The demonstrators moved
towards areas of the annexation wall.  
Immediately, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators.  As a result, some demonstrators suffered from
tear gas inhalation.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 07 August 2012, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders gathered in
the center of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to start the weekly
peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities.  The protesters walked towards the gate erected by IOF near
the entrance of the village and leading to Palestinian lands that Israeli
settlers from the nearby “Halmish” settlement are trying to seize.
 Israeli soldiers who had been extensively deployed in the area and near
all the entrances of the village since the morning, began to confront the
protesters who wanted to walk towards the affected lands.  Israeli
soldiers fired live and rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters at the protesters.  As a
result, some demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

At approximately 12:00 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a
peaceful demonstration in the center of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, in
protest to the confiscation of land and settlement activities in the town.  The demonstrators moved towards Khillat
al-Kutla area near “Karmi Tsur” settlement to the northeast of the town.  Before reaching the area, Israeli soldier
fired at the demonstrators and beat a number of them.  As a result, Hamza Ahmed Abu Hashem, 13,
sustained fractures to his feet.

 

3. Continued
Closure of the OPT

 

Israel has
continued to impose a tightened closure of the OPT and imposed severe restrictions
on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including occupied East Jerusalem.

 

Gaza
Strip

 

Israel has
continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for nearly 5 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.  

 

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 Sofa 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.

 

IOF
have continued to impose total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza
Strip, 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.

 

For approximately six 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 traders,
international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter
the Gaza Strip. 

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

05 –
11 September 2012

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem
(Kerem Shalom) Crossing

03 –
10 September 2012

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

On Monday, 03 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 208 tons of
cement, 2,800 tons of construction aggregates, 448 tons of flour, 64 tons of
milk and 630 tons of base course for UNRWA; 1,540 tons of construction
aggregates and 11 tons of construction steel for the Palestinian Water Authority;
158 tons of sugar and 32 tons of cooking oil for WFP; 120 tons of cement for
USAID; and 200 tons of cement for UNDP.  They
also allowed the entry of 1,170 tons of fodders and 390 tons of wheat.

 

On Tuesday, 04 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 322 tons of
cement, 3,150 tons of construction aggregates, 39 tons of construction steel,
77 tons of stuccos and 416 tons of flour for UNRWA; 89 tons of construction
steel for the Palestinian Water Authority; 190 tons of sugar, 48 tons of salt
and 18 tons of cooking oil for WFP; and 16 tons of medicines for the
Palestinian Ministry of Health.  They
also allowed the entry of 819 tons of fodders and 819 tons of wheat.

On Wednesday, 05 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 358 tons
of cement, 3,430 tons of construction aggregates, 114 tons of construction
steel, 70 tons of marbles, 58 tons of cooking oil, 60 tons of milk and 4316
tons of flour for UNRWA; 77 tons of cooking oil for WFP; 11 tons of medicines
for Medicin Sans Frontieres; 15 tons of cables and 22 tons of electricity
towers for Gaza Electricity Distribution Company; and 26 tons of construction
steel and 1,050 tons of construction aggregates for UNDP.  They also allowed the entry of 741 tons of
fodders and 507 tons of wheat.

 

On Thursday, 06 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 200 tons
of cement, 3,220 tons of construction aggregates, 31 tons of construction
steel, 36 tons of stationery, 83 tons of milk and 221 tons of flour for UNRWA; 1,820
tons of construction aggregates for the Palestinian Water Authority; and 63
tons of cooking oil for WFP.  They also
allowed the entry of 350 tons of fodders, 312 tons of wheat and 350 tons of
straws. 

 

On Sunday, 09 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 410 tons of
cement, 20 tons of construction steel, 3,430 tons of construction aggregates
and 39 tons of stuccos for UNRWA; 341 tons of cement, 2,030 tons of
construction aggregates and 72 tons of construction steel for the Palestinian
Water Authority; 36 tons of stationery for the Orphan House; 31 tons of
medicines for ANERA; and 186 tons of flour for WFP.  They also allowed the entry of 390 tons of
fodders and 312 tons of wheat.

 

On Monday, 10 September 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 570 tons of
cement, 12 tons of construction steel, 2,450 tons of construction aggregates,
1,050 tons of base course and 23 tons of milk for UNRWA; 2,100 tons of
construction aggregates and 39 tons of construction steel for the Palestinian
Water Authority; 40 tons of electrical supplies for Gaza Electricity
Distribution Company; 15 tons of gas cylinders for the Palestinian Ministry of
Health; and 187 tons of flour for WFP.  They
also allowed the entry of 468 tons of fodders and 273 tons of wheat.  

 

Movement
at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

05 –
11 September 2012

 

 

On Monday, 10 September 2012, IOF allowed 30 members of families of
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails to travel through Beit Hanoun (Erez)
crossing to visit these prisoners.  

 

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.

 

There are approximately hundreds of 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.

 

Many of the main roads that lead to Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF.

 

IOF have continued to restrict access of Palestinian civilians from
the West Bank to East Jerusalem, through a
strict system of permits and a network of checkpoints.

 

IOF have completed controlled access to the Jordan Valley
through 4 permanent checkpoints established at its entrances.  Palestinians living outside the area are not
allowed to enter it without permits.

 

Settlement activities and expansion of settlements impose
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. 

 

IOF have continued to restrict access to gunfire areas and natural
reserves, which constitute about 26% of the total area of the West
Bank.

 

Israeli military checkpoints restrict the movement of goods throughout
the West Bank.

 

Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank,
including being regularly stopped, searched and even arrested in the streets by
IOF.

 

Israel has
imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank.
During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians:

 

Ramallah and al-Bireh: 
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians.  At approximately
09:00 on Friday, 07 September 2012, IOF re-established their presence at
‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. 
At approximately 10:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. 
At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa village, southwest of
Ramallah.  At approximately 09:00 on
Sunday, 09 September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. 
At approximately 20:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah.              

  

Qalqilya:  IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.       

 

Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At
approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 06 September 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of al-Zbaidat village, north of Jericho.  At approximately 21:00, IOF established a
checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho. 
At approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint on al-Mu’wajat road been Jericho and Ramallah.  At approximately 18:00 on Sunday, 02 August
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho.      

                                         

Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At
approximately 11:30on Friday, 07 September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint
at the entrance of Seilat al-Zaher village, south of Jenin.  At approximately 16:00, IOF established a
checkpoint at the western entrance of Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin.  At approximately 14:30 on Tuesday, 11
September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint on al-Jarba-Sanour road, south of
Jenin.  At approximately 23:00, IOF
established a checkpoint at the entrance of Faqqou’a village, northeast of
Jenin.   

 

Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately
19:00 on Thursday, 06 September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit Leed
intersection, east of Tulkarm.  At
approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 09 September 2012, Israeli soldiers positioned
at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians.  At
the same time, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit Leed intersection, east of
Tulkarm. 

 

Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately
01:00 on Thursday, 06 September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Ethna village, west of Hebron. 
At approximately 23:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron. 
At approximately 21:30 on Thursday, 08 September 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at Douma intersection, south of Hebron.  At approximately 22:00, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Taffouh village, northwest of Hebron.  At approximately 23:00, IOF established a
checkpoint at Jourat Bahlas area between Hebron and Halhoul.  At approximately 01:00 on Sunday, 09
September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint near al-Koum village, southwest of
Hebron.  At approximately 06:00, IOF
established a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of Beit ‘Awa village,
southwest of Hebron.  At approximately
22:00 on Monday, 10 September 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of al-Tabaqa village, southwest of Hebron. 

 

Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At
approximately 14:25 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at the southern entrance of Kufol Hares village, north of Salfit.  At approximately 18:50, IOF established a
checkpoint under Eskaka Bridge, east of Salfit.

 

Harassment at Military Checkpoints

 

At approximately 05:00 on Sunday, 09 September 2012, Israeli
soldiers positioned near Khirbat Janba village, south of Hebron, chased a
number of Palestinian workers who were on their way to their workplaces inside
Israel.  They violently beat 3 of these
workers: Firas Abu Fannar, 22; Mohammed Abu Fannar, 23; and Jamal Abu Fannar,
19.

 

At approximately 06:00 on Wednesday, 12 September 2012, Israeli
soldiers positioned near Khirbat Janba village, south of Hebron, chased a car
that was transporting a number of Palestinian workers who were on their way to
their workplaces inside Israel.  The car
overturned and the workers were injured, including Ayman ‘Ata Abu Far, 31, and
Taha Badawi Mohammed, 54.             

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 08
September 2012, IOF positioned in the old town of Hebron arrested Ghazi Nidal
al-‘Owaiwi, 12, and Nidal Shaheen, 13. 

 

At approximately 17:10 also on Saturday, IOF
arrested Mohammed Nidal Salama, 17, and Rakan Ghaleb Mash’al, 17, from ‘Azzoun
village east of Qalqilya, after they had participated in a sit-in in the nearby
‘Izbat al-Tabib village, in protest to an Israeli decision to demolish the
service building in the village. 

 

At approximately 21:00 on Monday, 10 September
2012, IOF positioned in al-Shallala Street in the center of Hebron arrested
Nibras Barakat Bader, 14, and Ahmed Jihad Bader, 15, while they were near their
houses in the area.

 

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 12:00 on Friday, 07 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Emanuel” settlement set fire to olive trees in Ematin village, northeast
of Qalqilya.  As a result, at least 100
olive trees belonging to Fawzi Nasser Ghanem were burnt.  Asccording to Ghanem, officers from the
Israeli military liaison arrived at the area and informed him that he should
refer to a police station in “Ariel” settlement to submit a complaint against
settlers, but he had to wait for coordination through the ICRC in order to be
able to enter the settlement.   

 

At
approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 08 September 2012, IOF moved into al-Mussafer
area in the southeast of Yatta village, south of Hebron.  They delivered a notice to Ahmed Isma’il
al-‘Odara, 40, ordering demolition of his 150-square-meter, two-storey
house. 

 

At
approximately 08:30 on Monday, 10 September 2012, IOF, accompanied by
bulldozers, moved into Jourish villag, southeast of Nablus.  The bulldozers destroyed a 30-dunum area of
land, demolished a 1,500-meter-long fence and uprooted dozens of trees that
were planted in March 2011 by the Union of Agricultural Work Committees.  The land belongs to ‘Ali Farhan Hamad.

 

At
approximately 00:30 on Tuesday, 11 September 2012, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Talmoun” settlement outpost, which stands on the lands of al-Mazra’a
al-Qibliya village, northwest of Ramallah, threw stones at a number of
Palestinian houses in the village. 
Dozens of Palestinian civilians gathered and clashed with the settlers,
which left the area.  As a result of the
attack, a number of houses were damaged.

 

At
approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 11 September 2012, IOF blocked an entrance that
leads to several houses in Jaber quarter in the old town of Hebron, allegedly
in application of a decision issued by the Israeli High Court.

 

At
approximately 02:00 on Wednesday, 12 September 2012, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Etani’el” settlement, south of Hebron, stormed Meesh
village.  They wrote racist slogans on
the walls of Salman al-Faresi Mosque, such as “Death for Arabs,” and “You will
pay a heavy price.”

 

At
approximately 12:30 also on Wednesday, 12 September 2012, a female Israeli
settler ran down Hayat Mohammed Sobeh, 8, from Taqqou’a village southeast of
Bethlehem, at the main road near an elementary school.  The settler was traveling very fast when she
ran down the child.  The child was
injured and her condition was described as stable. 

 

 

…………………………………………………

 

 

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).