Palestinian
civilians and international solidarity activists run away from tear gas smoke
fired by Israeli troops during a peaceful demonstration organized in Bal’ein
village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Annexation
Wall

 

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

 

 

· 7
Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire
in the West Bank.

 

· Two
Palestinian militants were killed and 3 others were wounded by IOF in the Gaza
Strip.

 

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

 

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

 

· IOF
conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 3
limited incursions into the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
arrested 35 civilians, including two children, in the West Bank.

 

· 12
of them, including 5 internationals and two photojournalists, were arrested
during the dispersion of peaceful demonstrations.

 

· IOF
partially destroyed a house in the southern Gaza Strip.

 

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

 

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

 

· IOF
demolished two houses in the West Bank.

 

· Israeli
settlers burnt 3 cars belonging to Palestinian civilians in Hawara village,
south of Nablus.

 

· Thousands
of Israeli settlers stormed Kufor Hares village and Joseph’s Tomb in the
northern West Bank.

 

· An
Israeli settler threw a steel object at a car belonging to a Palestinian
political figure.

 

 

 

Summary

 

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

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF killed two members of the Palestinian resistance and
wounded 3 others in the Gaza Strip. IOF further wounded 7 civilians, including
two children, in the West Bank.

 

In the West
Bank, 7 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded during the
reporting period, and 3 journalists sustained bruises when IOF used excessive
force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest of the construction
of the Annexation Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.  

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 13 April 2010, IOF killed two
members of the Palestinian resistance and wounded 3 others in armed clashes
near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of al-Boreij
refugee camp. 

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 23 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 22 Palestinian civilians,
including two children.  Twelve of the
detainees, including 5 international solidarity activists and two journalists,
were arrested by IOF during a peaceful demonstration protesting Israeli
settlement activities and the construction of the Annexation Wall in Beit Ummar
village, north of Hebron.   

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions
into Palestinian areas, during which they leveled areas of land, which they had
previously razed.  During these
incursions, two Palestinian houses were damaged.  

 

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

 

Gaza Strip

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

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

 

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

 

West Bank

 

IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including
occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

 

· IOF
have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting
Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying
at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

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

 

· When
complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around
the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the
Wall have already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been
constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

 

· At
least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West
Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· There
are around 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In
addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East
Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF.
These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

 

· IOF
continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests
against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

 

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

 

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

 

On 08 April 2010, IOF moved into Kufol Hares village,
north of Salfit.  Later, at least 5,000
Israeli settlers moved into the village and raided several Islamic sites.  They also threw rocks at houses, damaging
them. 

 

On 10 April 2010, an Israeli settler threw a small
steel object at the car of Khaled Hassan Sobeh, 50, member of the political
bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, when he was traveling from Nablus to
Ramallah.  The front window of the car
was broken, but no injuries were reported.

 

On 12 April 2010, IOF moved into the east of Nablus
to secure access of Israeli settlers to the area.  Soon, buses transporting dozens of Israeli
settlers arrived. The settlers exited the buses and conducted religious
ceremonies near Joseph’s Tomb. 

 

On 13 April 2010, IOF moved into Hares village,
northwest of Salfit.  They demolished a
130-square-meter, two-storey, house currently under construction and belonging
to Maher Hassan Sultan, claiming that it was being built without a
license.  They also demolished a car wash
facility belonging to Ghannam ‘Abed Daoud. 

 

On 13 April 2010, at least 15 Israeli settlers from
“Karmi Tsur” settlement to the south of Beit Ummar village, north of
Hebron, threatened Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, 42, and his family, when they were
on their own land 70 meters from the aforementioned settlement.  The settlers fired into the air, terrifying
the family.

 

On 14 April 2010, IOF moved into al-Khader village,
southwest of Bethlehem.  They demolished
a 160-square-meter house belonging to ‘Ali Saleem Mousa, in which 8 people
live.  The house is located 150 meters
from the Annexation Wall. 

 

Also on 14 April 2010, Israeli settlers burnt 3 cars
belonging to Palestinian civilians in Hawara village, south of Nablus.  The settlers also spray-painted a Star of
David onto the wall of a mosque in the village.

 

 

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (08 – 14 April 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
08 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Reema village, west of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 6 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Aamer Hani al-Barghouthi, 20;

2. ‘Abed Tal’at al-Reemawi, 21;

3. Tariq ‘Abdullah al-Reemawi, 21;

4. Yousef Hazem al-Reemawi, 20;

5. ‘Abdullah Mohammed al-Reemawi, 20; and

6. Hakeem Hussein al-Barghouthi, 18.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Deir Abu Mash’al village, northwest of
Ramallah.  They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Khaled Mohammed Taha, 17, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into the old city of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
Kamel Jabarin, and summoned 3 of his sons for interrogation: Ra’ed, 35;
Hammouda, 21; and Sami, 20.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved 400 meters into the east of al-Qarara village,
northeast of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip. 
They leveled areas of land, which they had previously razed, along the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. 
During this incursion, Israeli tanks opened fire indiscriminately.  At approximately 15:00, a tank shell hit a
house belonging to Hisham Mohammed Abu Farhana. 
The house and a neighboring house belonging to Abu Farhana’s brother
were damaged.  IOF redeployed outside the
area at approximately 21:00 of the same day.

 

· At
approximately 23:15, IOF moved into al-Ma’sara village, south of
Bethlehem.  They raided a two-storey
house belonging to Mohammed and Hassan Ahmed Braijiya, activists in Popular
Committee against Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the
Annexation Wall.  IOF held and
interrogated Hassan for some time.  They
accused him of incitement and threatened him, urging him not to organize
peaceful protests against settlement activities and the construction of the
wall. 

 

Friday, 09 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. 
They raided and searched a house belonging to Fayez Hmaida, but no
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into ‘Aanin village, west of Jenin.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Saddam Mohammed Yassin, 20, and arrested him.

 

Saturday, 10 April 2010

 

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

 

Sunday, 11 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into ‘Aida refugee camp, north of
Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Mukhles Suleiman Radi, 32.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-‘Azza refugee camp, north of
Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a
number of houses and summoned Anas ‘Abdul Jabbar Abu Tarboush for
interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 01:15, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of
Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Waleed Mohammed Zarrouq, 19.  They also summoned Saleh Mohammed
al-Jua’aidi. 

 

Monday, 12 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Ali ‘Awadh, 17; and

2. Nasser Sami Sabarna, 20.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Zbaidat village, north of Jericho.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
Mohammed Mahmoud Zbaidat and summoned him for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Obwin village, northwest of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Ahmed Nader al-Aa’raj, 21;

2. Ahmed Mahmoud al-Barq, 20;

3. Jameel Naji Mohsen, 19;

4. Mohammed Wajeeh ‘Abdul Karim, 21; and

5. Mustafa al-‘Iraqi, 19.

 

· At
approximately 08:30, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.  They surrounded Yasser Arafat Elementary
School in the west of the village.  They
requested to meet the headmaster.  When
the headmaster went to Israeli troops to inquire about the reason the school
was surrounded, he learned that IOF intended to arrest a number of students for
allegedly throwing stones at their vehicles. 
They requested to enter each classroom to find suspected students.  The headmaster refused to allow them, so they
threatened to remain in the area until the end of the school day, which they
did.  When the headmaster noticed, he let
the students exit the school through another gate without Israeli troops
noticing. 

 

· At
approximately 12:00, Israeli soldiers in military jeeps stationed at the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, fired at dozens of
Palestinian civilians participating in a peaceful demonstration near the border
in ‘Abassan village, protesting against the establishment of a security zone
along the border.  No casualties were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 22:10, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the north of the Bedouin Village fired 4 flash bombs that
landed on Palestinian houses in the village. 
No casualties or damages were reported.

 

Tuesday, 13 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They
raided and searched a number of houses, and summoned 17-year-old Khalil Ibrahim
Yassin for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 05:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the east of al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza
Strip exchanged fire with a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance
when the latter approached the border. 
Israeli troops also fired a number of artillery shells, while aircrafts
were hovering over the area.  As a result
of the exchange of fire, two resistance activists were killed:

 

1. Marwan Faraj Mohammed al-Jarba, 22,
from al-Boreij refugee camp; and

2. Wa’el Mahmoud ‘Abdul Nabi Abu Jalal,
28, from Nussairat refugee camp. 

 

Three activists were also wounded.  Soon after, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into
the area.  They leveled areas of land
which they had already razed.  They moved
back to the border in the afternoon.

 

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Bal’a village, east of Tulkarm.  They raided and searched a number of
houses.  They summoned 3 Palestinian
civilians for interrogation: Mohammed ‘Abed Suleiman, 24; Fadi ‘Abdul Jabbar
Mahyoub, 25; and Ra’ed Mohammed Suleiman, 30.  

 

Wednesday, 14 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Yatta village, south of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Hamza Isma’il Houshiya, 24.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Bourqin village, west of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Mahmoud ‘Abdullah Qasrawi, 25; and

2. ‘Adnan Farah Sobeh, 20.

 

· At
approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Bitounia village, west of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Nidal Jamal Hindiya, 20, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 12:10, IOF moved approximately 250 meters into the east of
Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip.  They
leveled an area of land, which they had previously razed.

 

2. Use of Excessive Force against
Peaceful Demonstrations

 

IOF have continued to
construct the Annexation Wall and inside West Bank territory.  During the
reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in
protest of the construction of the Wall and the ongoing settlement
activities.  At least 7 Palestinian
civilians, including two children, were wounded, and others sustained bruises
or suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

  

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 09 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah.  The
demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands
behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound
bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators.  As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation, and some of them sustained bruises.  IOF also arrested Haitham Jamal al-Khatib,
34, a photographer of B’Tselem and the Popular Committee against the Wall and
Settlements, but released him later.  

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 09 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration
in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the
Annexation Wall.  They clashed with IOF
troops positioned near the Wall.  IOF
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators.  Dozens of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 09 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Nabil Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, in protest to land
confiscation in 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,
7 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded by rubber-coated
metal bullets:

 

1.  Ziad ‘Abdul Raziq Tamimi, 22, wounded
in the head;

2. Ramzi Hussein Tamimi, 31, wounded in
the back;

3. Saleh Ayoub Tamimi, 40, wounded in the
right leg;

4. Malek Talal Tamimi, 22, wounded in the
right hand;

5. Khaled ‘Atallah Tamimi, 27, wounded in
the right foot;

6. Mo’tassem Khalil Tamimi, 14, wounded in
the right leg; and

7. Mohammed ‘Abdullah, 17, wounded in the
head.  

 

Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas
inhalation, and other sustained bruises.

 

· On
Saturday morning, 10 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and number of
international and Israeli human rights defenders and peace activists organized
a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar and Safa village, north of Hebron, in
protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement
activities.  They moved towards ‘Ein
al-Baida area, 500 meters to the northeast, where IOF plan to confiscate areas
of Palestinian land.  Israeli troops were
intensively deployed in the area.  They
surrounded the demonstrators and declared Safa village a closed military
zone.  At approximately 14:00, Israeli
troops fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators.  They also beat a number of demonstrators.  According to investigations conducted by
PCHR, IOF arrested 11 civilians (6 Palestinian civilians, including a
journalist, and 5 international solidarity activists).  The Palestinian civilians who were arrested
are:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Ayad ‘Awadh, 48;

2. Mousa ‘Abdul Hamid Abu Maria, 32;

3. Younis Mousa ‘Arar, 37;

4. ‘Aatef Za’al Abu Daya, 28;

5. Saqer Sadiq Abu Maria, 38; and

6. Hazem Jameel Bader, 42, a
photojournalist of France Press. 

 

Bader was released on the same day, while the other
detainees were released on the following day on bails ranging from 1,500 to
2,500 NIS. 

 

3. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

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

 

Gaza Strip

 

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

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

 

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

 

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

07 –
13 April 2010

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

07 –
13 April 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
opened the crossing on Wednesday, 07 April 2010, and allowed the entry of 1,326
tons of wheat and 1,092 tons of fodders. 
They opened also it on Monday, 12 April 2010, and allowed the entry of
1,833 tons of wheat and 2,535 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

07 –
13 April 2010

 

 

The
West Bank

 

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

 

· Jerusalem: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city. Thousands of
Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied
access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the
city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on
Fridays, preventing Muslim Palestinians from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah.  IOF troops positioned at the Jaba’ and
Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed additional
restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of Palestinian
civilians.  During the reporting period,
IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.  On Sunday
morning, 11 April 2010, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara
checkpoint, north of Ramallah.  They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.                

 

· Nablus:  IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  On Sunday morning and Wednesday noon, 11 and
14 April 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus,
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.    

 

· Hebron:  IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians.  On Friday noon, 09 April
2010, IOF established 3 checkpoints at the Ethna, Beit Kahel and Kharsa
intersections, northwest and southwest of Hebron.  They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.  On Tuesday, 13 April
2010, IOF established 6 military checkpoints on various roads around the
town.  They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.           

 

4. Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian
Civilians and Property

 

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

 

· At
approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 08 April 2010, IOF moved into Kufol Hares
village, north of Salfit.  They closed
the entrances of the village and restricted the movement of Palestinian
civilians.  At approximately 21:30, at
least 5,000 Israeli settlers moved into the village and raided sevreal Islamic
sites.  They also threw rocks at houses,
damaging them.  They left the village,
escorted by IOF, at approximately 04:00 of the following day.

 

· At
approximately 10:30 on Saturday, 10 April 2010, an Israeli settler from
“Shilo” settlement, north of Ramallah, threw a small steel object at
the car of Khaled Hassan Sobeh, 50, a 
member of the political bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, who
was traveling from Nablus to Ramallah. 
The front window of the car was broken, but no injuries were reported.

 

· At
approximately 23:00 on Monday, 12 April 2010, IOF moved into the east of Nablus
to secure access to the area for Israeli settlers.  Soon, buses transporting dozens of Israeli
settlers arrived.  The settlers exited
the buses and conducted religious ceremonies near Joseph’s Tomb.  A number of Palestinian children gathered and
threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. 
Israeli troops fired at the children, but no casualties were reported.  The settlers, escorted by IOF, left the area
at approximately 06:00 on the following day.

 

· At
approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 13 April 2010, IOF moved into Hares village,
northwest of Salfit.  They demolished a
130-square-meter, two-storey, house currently under construction and belonging
to Maher Hassan Sultan, claiming that it was being built without a
license.  They also demolished a car wash
facility belonging to Ghannam ‘Abed Daoud. 

 

· At
approximately 15:00 on Tuesday, 13 April 2010, at least 15 Israeli settlers
from “Karmi Tsur” settlement to the south of Beit Ummar village,
north of Hebron, threatened Ahmed Khalil Abu Hashem, 42, and his family, when
they were on their own land 70 meters from the aforementioned settlement.  The settlers fired into the air, terrifying
the family.

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Wednesday, 14 April 2010, IOF moved into al-Khader
village, southwest of Bethlehem.  They
surrounded a 160-square-meter house belonging to ‘Ali Saleem Mousa, in which 8
people live.  They forced the family to
vacate their belongings from the house within 30 minutes, and then demolished
the home.  The house is located 150
meters from the Annexation Wall.  It is
worth noting that IOF have previously demolished a house belonging to the
family in the same area in 2004.

 

· On
Wednesday morning, 14 April 2010, Israeli settlers burned 3 cars belonging to
Palestinian civilians in Hawara village, south of Nablus.  The cars belonged to Sameer Ibrahim ‘Ouda,
Ziad ‘Abdullah ‘Ouda and Hassan ‘Awadh ‘Ouda. 
The settlers also spray-painted a Star of David on the wall of a mosque
in the village.

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

 

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 ([email protected])
or telephone (+972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893).