Palestinian civilians check the damage
incurred to a brick factory in the east of Gaza City that was bombarded by
Israeli warplanes, 10 July 2011

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

 

 

· A Palestinian
civilian was killed by IOF in the north of the West Bank.

 

· A Palestinian
woman was wounded by IOF the northern Gaza Strip.

 

· Israeli
warplanes attacked a number of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.

– Two industrial workshops
and a warehouse of fodders were destroyed and a number of civilian facilities
and houses were damaged.

– A Palestinian
woman was injured.  

 

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

– A Palestinian
child was wounded.

– Dozens of
demonstrators suffered from tear Gas inhalation.

 

· Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.

 

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

– IOF arrested 12
Palestinian civilians, including a child.

 

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

– IOF arrested 4 Palestinian
civilians 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 demolished a workshop, an animal farm and a garage in al-Jeeb
village near Jerusalem.

– IOF uprooted and confiscated 600 olive trees in Deir Estia village
in the north of the West Bank.

 

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (07 – 13 July 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
killed a Palestinian civilian in al-Far’a refugee camp in the north of the West
Bank, when he attempted to flee. 

 

During the reporting period, IOF
used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest
to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in
the West Bank. As a result, a Palestinian
child was wounded and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human
rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 09 July 2011, a Palestinian woman was wounded
in the Gaza Strip when Israeli soldiers fired at her as she got close to the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. According to her family, she suffers from a psychological disorder. 

 

During the reporting period, Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip in two
separate incidents. In one of these
attacks, a Palestinian fishing boat was damaged. 

 

Israeli warplanes launched a series of air strikes against
Palestinian civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip, as a result of which two
industrial workshops and a warehouse of fodders were destroyed and a number of
civilian facilities and houses were damaged. Additionally, a Palestinian woman was injured by glass fragments. 

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 12
Palestinian civilians, including a child. 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted a limited incursion into the southern Gaza Strip,
during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land. 

 

Restrictions
on Movement:

 

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

 

Gaza
Strip

 

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

 

· 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 prolong the
implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although
more than 11 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 47 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.

 

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 11 July 2011, IOF, accompanied by
a bulldozer, moved into al-Khalaila area in al-Jeeb village, northwest of
Jerusalem. They demolished a grocery
shop, a sheep farm, a fence and a garage, claiming that these structures were
built with licenses. It is worth noting
that these facilities are located between “Givat Ze’ev” and “Giv’on”
settlements. 

 

Also on 11 July 2011, IOF,
accompanied by a bulldozer, moved into Wadi Qana area to the west of Deir Estia
village, northwest of Salafit. They
declared the area a close military zone and denied access of Palestinian
farmers and shepherds to it. They then
uprooted and confiscated 600 olives tress.

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (07 – 13 July 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 07 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Housan village, west of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Ahmed ‘Ali
Hamamra, 15; and

2. Muntasser
Mohammed Za’oul, 20.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Siera village,
northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Banin Na’im village,
east of Hebron. They raided and searched
two houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Shwaika suburb, north of
Tulkarm. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Fadi Na’im Ekbariya, 32, and questioned
him. They then raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Sameer ‘Abdul Qader E’mar, 35, and arrested
him.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Wadi Qabboun area to the
southeast of Halhoul town, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Eyad Youseg ‘Adarba, 37,
and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 06:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east
of ‘Abassan village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. They then moved southwards to Khuza’a
village, and leveled area of Palestinian land there also. During this incursion, IOF opened fire
sporadically. IOF pulled back to the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israeli nearly 5 hours later.

 

· At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Beit ‘Aur al-Tahta village,
west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Kharabtha al-Misbah village,
west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.  

 

Friday,
08 July 2011

 

· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein al-Sultan refugee camp,
northwest of Jericho. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of
Ramallah, and patrolled in the streets. 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. A number of Palestinian
civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

Saturday, 09 July 2011

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Jalazoun refugee camp,
east of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Bittin village, northeast of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 05:30, 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.

 

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

 

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

 

· At approximately 19:30, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation
towards at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the northwest of the
northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia fired at Tamam Salah Abu Mtair, 31, from
al-Shati refugee camp west of Gaza City, when she got close to the border. As a result, she was wounded by a bullet to
the right leg. According to her sister,
she suffers from a psychological disorder. She had been missing since 16:00 on the same day. Medical crews found her only 5 meters away
from the border. 

 

· At approximately 23:50, IOF moved into Jainsafout village, east of
Qalqilya. They raided a house belonging
to Mohammed ‘Abdul Karim Bashir and summoned his two sons for interrogation:
Ahmed, 21; and Khalaf, 20. 

 

· At approximately 23:55, IOF moved into Brouqin village, west of
Salafit. They raided two houses
belonging to the families of Ayham Kamal Sbaitaini, 18, and Huthaifa Hussam
Samara, 22, and summoned the two civilians for interrogation. 

 

Sunday, 10 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Hijja village, east of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
and fired sound bombs, claiming that stones were thrown at their military
vehicles. They then raided a house
belonging to the family of Mohammed ‘Izziddin Masalha, 19, and summoned him for
interrogation.

 

· At approximately 00:05, Israeli warplane fired a missile at a space
area near a brick factory belonging to Yousef ‘Abdullah Hassanain in the east
of al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The factory and two houses belonging to
Mohammed Yousef Hassanain and Ayman Abu ‘Asser were damaged.

 

· At approximately 00:20, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 00:20, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya. They raided a
house belonging to the family of Bakr ‘Adnan ‘Abdul Muhdi, 26, and summoned him
for interrogation.

 

· At approximately 09:10, IOF moved into ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp,
south of Jericho. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into al-‘Eissawiya village,
northeast of Jerusalem, firing tear gas canisters and sound bombs. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Sinjel village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest
of Jenin. They raided a house belonging
to the family of Rami Ibrahim Lahlouh, 27, and summoned him for
interrogation. They then raided a house
belonging to the family of Mohammed Mazen Bousta, 23, and summoned him for
interrogation also. 

 

· At approximately 23:10, IOF moved into Brouqin village, west of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 23:10, IOF moved into Hares village,
northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:50, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.  

 

Monday, 11 July 2011

 

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

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya. They raided a
house belonging to the family of Lu’ai Amjad Eshtaiwi, 22, and summoned him for
interrogation.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Jafna village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into ‘Aaroura village, northwest
of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

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

 

· At approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Deit Estia village, north of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Hares village, north of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Fahma village, southwest of
Jenin. They raided a house belonging to
the family of ‘Ali Qaher Sa’abna, 21, who was not at home. Israeli officers phoned him and summoned for
interrogation. It is worth noting that
Sa’abanas’ brother is the officer of a Palestinian security unit accused of
firing at a number of Israeli settlers near Joseph Tomb in the east of Nablus
on 24 April 2011. 

 

Tuesday, 12 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:25, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:55, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Amjad Nabil
Noufal, 20; and

2. Ahmed Sa’id Abu
al-Sheikh, 25.

 

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Bouqin village, west of
Jenin. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Adnan Khaled
Subeh, 26; and

2. Mahmoud
‘Abdullah Qasrawi, 26.

 

· At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp. They raided and searched a house belonging
Mohammed Saleh Abu al-Nasser, and arrested his two sons: Lutfi, 24; and Najeeb,
19. They also confiscated a computer set
and a mobile phone.

 

· At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into Khirbet Abu Falah village,
northeast of Ramalllah. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 21:30, 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. No casualties
were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:15, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Wednesday, 13 July 2011

 

· At
approximately 01:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a 500-square-meter
car greasing workshop belonging to Ashraf Mohammed Loulu in Yaffa Street in the
eastr of Gaza City. The workshop was
completely destroyed. A nearby 300-square-meter
store belonging to Eyad Rajab, a barrack belonging to the Hamada family and a
smith workshop belonging to the al-Qassas family were also damaged. Additionally, Amani ‘Essam ‘Ouda, 20, was
injured by glass fragments.

 

· At approximately 03:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a
250-square-meter iron lathing workshop belonging to Shareef Mohammed Loulu in
Yaffa Street in the east of Gaza City. The workshop was completely destroyed.

 

· In the morning, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian in al-Far’a
refugee camp, south of Tubas, when attempted to flee once he saw them. According to investigations conducted by PCHR
and the testimonies of eyewitnesses, in the early morning, IOF moved into
al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas. Israeli soldiers were deployed on roads and alleys. At approximately 05:00, Ibrahim ‘Omar
Mohammed Sarhan, got out of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq Mosque in the northwest of the
camp following the Dawn Prayer, going to his work. He was surprised by the presence of Israeli
soldiers, so he fled towards the mosque. Immediately, Israeli soldiers chased and fired at him. He continued to run while bleeding until he
reached a house belonging to a fried, who, together with neighbors, took him to
a house belonging to Subhi Ahmed Shihada. Five minutes later, Israeli soldiers stormed the house and took Sarhan
out, as he was extensively bleeding. A
solider carried him for nearly 500 meters. They took him to an agricultural plot in the west of the camp. At approximately 05:30, a Palestinian
ambulance arrived at the area and evacuated Sarhan to Rafidya Hospital in
Nablus. According to medical sources,
Sarhan died upon arrival at the hospital due to extensive bleeding as he was
wounded by two bullets to both thighs.

 

· At approximately 05:00, 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. No casualties
were reported.

 

· At approximately 08:30, 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. No casualties
were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:10, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a
tunnel on the Egyptian border near al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, an Israeli warplane fired at a
1,000-square-meter warehouse of fodders belonging to Isma’il Helmi al-Najjar in
the east of al-Sha’af neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The missile completely destroyed warehouse
and made a crater. A nearby tire
workshop belonging to the Dughmosh family was damaged. It should be noted that the same warehouse
had been bombarded by Israeli warplanes on Tuesday, 05 July 2011.  

 

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, a Palestinian
child was wounded dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders suffered
from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.       

   

· On Friday morning, 08 July 2011, IOF used force to disperse a
peaceful demonstration organized by dozens of Palestinian civilians and a
number of international human rights defenders in al-Ma’sara village, south of
Bethlehem, in protest to Israeli settlement activities and confiscation of
Palestinian land. According to Mohammed
Hassan Braijiya, Spokesman of the Popular Committee against the Wall and
Settlement in Bethlehem, IOF closed the main entrance of the village and
surrounded the demonstrators in an attempt to prevent them from moving towards
the Wall and closed area. They beat a
number of demonstrators, including Braijiya who sustained bruises.

 

· Following the Friday Prayer on 08 July 2011, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the
construction of the annexation wall. They
clashed with Israeli troops positioned near the annexation wall. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises as they were
beaten by Israeli soldiers. 

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 08 July 2011, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of
Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya area between
the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli
settlers near “Halmish” settlement, Israeli troops fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. As a result, a number of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 08 July 2011, dozens of
Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration near the Israeli
Crusher, which stands on Palestinian land in the villages of Shaqba, Ne’lin,
Qibya, Shabtin and Budros, west of Ramallah. The demonstrators raided the Palestinian flag and moved towards the
crusher. Immediately, Israeli soldiers
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at
them. A number of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation.

 

· On Saturday noon, 09 July 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration at the entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, north of Jerusalem, in
protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities. The demonstration was also
organized to commemorate the 7^th anniversary of the Advisory Opinion
issued by the International Court of Justice concerning the wall, and in
solidarity with international human rights defenders who were banned by IOF
from entering the West Bank. The
demonstrators moved towards Qalandya checkpoint between Ramallah and
Jerusalem. IOF closed the checkpoint and
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear
gas inhalation. 

 

· Also on Saturday noon, 09 July 2011, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a
peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to
commemorate the 7^th anniversary of the Advisory Opinion issued by
the International Court of Justice concerning the wall. 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, Wa’d
Bassem al-Tamimi, 14, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right foot, and a
number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

3. Continued
Closure of the OPT

 

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

 

Gaza
Strip

 

Israel has continuously closed all
border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has
had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza
Strip. The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian crisis but a
crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the Gaza
Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the blockade are vague, purely
cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis, which can only be
addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including
lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports.
PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply shifting Gaza to
another form of illegal blockade, one that may become internationally accepted and
institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the same
shortage of goods, but they will remain economically dependent and unable to
care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically isolated from
the rest of the world.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

06 –
12 July 2011

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

04 –
12 July 2011

 

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

· On Monday, 04 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 315 tons of
cement and 62 tons of construction aggregate for UNDP; 56 tons of cement for
WFP; 74 tons of construction iron for the Palestinian Water Authority; and
2,380 tons of construction aggregate for ANERA.

 

· On Tuesday, 05 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 312 tons of
cement and 1,610 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA, and 520 tons of
cement for the Palestinian Water Authority. They also allowed the entry of 1,482 of fodders.

 

· On Wednesday, 06 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 80 tons of
cement, 286 tons of construction aggregate and 52 tons of construction iron for
UNRWA, and 320 tons of cement and 36 tons of construction iron for UNDP.

 

· On Thursday, 07 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 1,209 tons of
fodders.

 

· On Sunday, 10 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 474 tons of
cement, 188 tons of construction iron and 2,310 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 858 tons of fodders.

 

· On Monday, 11 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 840 tons of
cement, 159 tons of construction iron and 2,450 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry
of 858 tons of fodders. 

 

· On Tuesday, 12 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 280 tons of
cement, 34 tons of construction iron and 2,240 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry
of 1,365 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

06 –
12 July 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 the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah.  At approximately 09:00 on Thursday, 07 July
2011, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 11:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 16:00, they established a
checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge, northeast of Ramallah. At approximately 21:30, IOF established a
checkpoint at ‘Oyoun al-Haramiya intersection, northeast of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian
vehicles. At approximately 08:00 on
Friday, 08 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Nabi
Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. At
approximately 09:00 on the same day, IOF re-established a checkpoint at ‘Attara
checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At
approximately 10:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near Western
al-Ma’sara village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 10:30 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at
Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa intersection, west of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
18:30 on Sunday, 10 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
al-Mughayar village, northeast of Ramallah. At approximately 19:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Turmos’iya village, north of Ramallah. At approximately 19:20, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa village, west of
Ramallah. At approximately 09:30 on
Monday, 11 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge,
northeast of Ramallah. At approximately
14:30, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah. At approximately 21:00 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Liqya village,
west of Ramallah. At approximately 20:50
on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at ‘Oyoun al-Haramiya
intersection, 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, 07 July 2011, IOF established 4
checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Friday, 08
July 011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Sunday, 10 July 2011, IOF established 4
checkpoints around the town.     

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:00 on Monday, 04 July
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Kufor Qoud – Kufor Dan road, west of
Jenin. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 18:00 on Monday, 04 July
2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm – Qalqilya road. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.

 

· Jericho: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 16:00 on
Friday, 08 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Ein
al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· On Thursday noon, 07 July 2011, Israeli soldiers stationed in the
vicinity of the Ibrahimi Mosque in the south of Hebron arrested Mahmoud
Mohammed al-Sa’id, 29, claiming that he attempted to attack a soldier.

 

Harassments at Military Checkpoints

 

· At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 09 July 2011, Israeli soldiers
arrested 3 Palestinian workers who attempted to enter Israel near ‘Azzoun ‘Atma
village, southeast of Qalailya, after chasing them for an hour. Israeli soldiers violently beat the workers
and handcuffed and blindfolded them. They then transported them to a military post near Wadi Qana area,
northwest of Salfit, where the Israeli police questioned them. The three workers are: Tariq Fayez Dwaikat,
30; Haitham Tawfiq Tayeh, 32, both from Iraq al-Tayeh village east of Nablus;
and Mazen Mohammed Naji, 20, from ‘Anabta village east of Tulkarm.

 

· On Monday afternoon, 11 July 2011, Israeli soldiers stationed at
the eastern entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, stopped and beat
Anwar Khaled Sabarna, 37; Younis Yousef ‘Allami, 25; and Sufian Mahmoud Bahar,
22. Israeli soldiers held the three
civilians for nearly 25 minutes, during which time the beat them by hands, feet
and gun butts. The three civilians
sustained bruises. 

 

· At approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 30 June 2011, Israeli soldiers
patrolling in the old town of Hebron arrested Mohammed ‘Aadel Abu ‘Ayash, 15,
claiming that he was carrying a knife.

 

· At approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 03 July 2011, Israeli soldiers
stationed at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, arrested Murad Ahmed Shadid,
21, a university student from ‘Allar village north of Tulkarm. 

 

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 06:30 on Monday, 11 July 2011, IOF, accompanied by
a bulldozer, moved into al-Khalaila area in al-Jeeb village, northwest of
Jerusalem. They demolished a grocery
shop, a sheep farm, a fence and a garage, claiming that these structures were
built with licenses:

 

1. A
100-square-meter carpentry workshop belonging to Mohammed Talal al-Asmar, whose
loss was estimated at 200,000 NIS;

2. A
70-square-meter grocery shop belonging to Sameer Yousef Mabrouk and rented by
Isma’il Abu Rabah, whose loss was estimated at 50,000 NIS; and

3. A
9-square-meter, a 32-meter-long fence and a garage belonging to Hamada Hussein
al-Lala.

 

It is worth noting that these facilities are located
between “Givat Ze’ev” and “Giv’on” settlements. 

 

· At approximately 08:00 on also on Monday, 11 July 2011, IOF,
accompanied by a bulldozer, moved into Wadi Qana area to the west of Deir Estia
village, northwest of Salafit. They
declared the area a close military zone and denied access of Palestinian farmers
and shepherds to it. They then uprooted and
confiscated 600 olives tress:

 

1. 200 trees
belonging to Yousef Mustafa Mansour;

2. 220 trees
belonging to Haitham Hassan Mansour;

3. 110 trees
belonging to Miqbel Mohammed ‘Awadh;

4. 50 trees
belonging to ‘Abdul Hamid ‘Abdul Karim Diab; and

5. 30 trees belonging
to ‘Azzam ‘Abdul Rahman ‘Aaqel. 

 

They also confiscated agricultural tools
belonging to Rezeq ‘Abdullah Abu Nasser. According to the Mayor of Deir Estia, Nazmi al-Salman, IOF seek to
confiscate the area and annex it to Israeli settlement. 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

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).