Israeli occupation forces fired
tear gas in a
village in the West Bank against the demonstrators who were gathered to protest against the annexation Wall.

---

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

 

 

· A Palestinian
civilian was killed by Jewish young men in Jerusalem.

 

· IOF continued
to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the
Gaza Strip.

– 4 Palestinian workers, including a child, were
wounded.

 

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

– Two Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded.

– IOF arrested 3
Palestinian civilians.

 

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

– IOF arrested 19
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and one woman.

– IOF harassed a
Palestinian family in al-Khader village near Betlehem.

 

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

– Israeli soldiers positioned at a military checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested 3 Palestinian children.

– Israeli soldiers positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the
Gaza Strip arrested a Palestinian civilian.

 

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

– IOF razed a tract of agricultural land and uprooted 53 trees in
East Jerusalem.

– IOF ordered Palestinian civilians to evacuated a 20-donum area of
land near the annexation wall in Kharas village near Hebron.

– Israeli settlers uprooted 250 seedlings in Beit Ummar town near
Hebron.

– Israeli settlers uprooted 12 olive seedlings in Nabi Saleh village
near Ramallah.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (10 – 16 February 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, a
Palestinian civilian was killed by Jewish young men in Jerusalem. IOF also wounded 6 Palestinian civilians,
including two children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

 

On Friday morning, 11 December 2011, Hussam Hussein al-Rwaidhi, 24,
from Jerusalem, was killed by a number of Jewish young men, when he was on his
way back home.  Al-Rawaidhi was on his way back home in East
Jerusalem from his work in West Jerusalem. While he was walking with his friend, Khader al-Joulani, on a street in
West Jerusalem, a Jewish young man stabbed him in the face. Soon after, other Jewish young men gathered
and violently beat him. He died of his
injuries a few hours later.

 

During the reporting period, 4
Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded when Israeli soldiers
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at workers who
were collecting scraps of construction materials.

 

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, two
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded, and dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises. Additionally, IOF arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.  

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 19
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a woman.

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one 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. 

 

· 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.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza
does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with
Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international
human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with
respect to the easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and the
reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from the Gaza Strip. 

 

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

 

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

 

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 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, 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.

 

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

 

On 13 February 2011, a number of Israeli settlers from “Bat
Ain” settlement to the north of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron,
uprooted 250 olive seedlings from lands belonging to ‘Aadi and Ekhlil families
in the nearby Safa village. 

 

On 14 February 2011, IOF razed a one-donum area of land belonging
to Nasser Khalil Abu Ta’a in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. At least 40 olive, almond and apricot trees,
7 grape trees and 20 cypress ones were uprooted. According to Abu Ta’a, Israeli police officer
violently beat his son, 16-year-old Hamza, and cut his identity card. IOF did not present a judicial order to raze
the land, and claimed that the land leveling was for security
considerations. 

 

Also on 14 February 2011, IOF handed notices to a number of
Palestinian civilians notices ordering the evacuation of 20 donums of
agricultural land near the annexation wall in Kharas village, northwest of
Hebron, claiming that they are state property. These areas of land, which are planted with olives and almonds, are
located nearly 300 meters away from the annexation wall.

 

On the same day, 14 February 2011, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of Ramallah, uprooted 12 olive
seedlings in Wad Raya area in Nabi Saleh village. IOF then moved into the area and evacuated
the settlers. 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (10 – 16 February 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 10 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Malek Khaled Slaibi, 15.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Aqqaba village, west of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 brothers: Ra’fat; Ziad; and Eyad Yousef Abu ‘Erra, 23, 21 and 19
respectively.

 

· At
approximately 06:30, IOF moved into Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus. They patrolled in the streets and
photographed a number of old homes, the building of the local council and the
old mosque of the village. They withdrew
later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village, northwest of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah, and
patrolled in the streets.  A number of
Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli military
vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers
fired rubber-coated metal bullets , sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
them. As a result, a number of
Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 19:00, IOF moved into ‘Izbat Shoufa village, south of
Tulkarm. They established a checkpoint
in the center of the village. They
stopped and checked Palestinian civilians. They withdrew later and no house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· Also at
approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

Friday,
11 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Beit Reema 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 ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets and held 3
children for some time. They withdrew
later and no house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 14:20, IOF moved into Hijja village, east of Qalqilya. They established the entrance of the village
and held two Palestinian civilians for an hour. They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 15:00, IOF moved into Shwaika suburb, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 17:45, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

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

 

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.  

 

Saturday, 12 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 00:55, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Madama village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Mahmoud
   ‘Aamer Nassar, 16; and
2. ‘Abdul
   Karim Ghassan Ziada, 24.

 

· At approximately
09:05, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They
patrolled in the streets and established a checkpoint. They then raided a photography shop and
summoned 3 Palestinian civilians: Ashraf Hourani; Anwar al-Hajj Hassan; and
Bashar Ameen al-Hajj.

 

· At approximately
12:15, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the border between
the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north west of Beit Lahia town fired at a
number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction
materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of “Elli
Sinai” used to stand. As a result,
Mahran Rezeq Tanboura, 25, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left
knee, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border.  At approximately 13:00, Israeli soldiers fired
the workers again. As a result, ‘Aashour
Mohammed Shkhaidem, 29, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left
knee, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border.

 

· At
approximately 15:50, IOF moved into Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· In the evening,
Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to
the east of Gaza City fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting scraps of construction materials in the east of al-Shuja’iya
neighborhood east of Gaza City. As a
result, Mohammed Sa’id Eshtaiwi, 16, from al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City,
was wounded by a bullet to the right leg, when he was nearly 800 meters away
from the border. 

 

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

 

· At approximately
19:00, IOF moved into ‘Izbat Nasser neighborhood in the east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 13 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Bitounia town, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
resported.

 

· At
approximately 04:20, IOF moved into Habla village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· Also at
approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 18:10, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Bedya village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

Monday, 14 February 2011

 

· At approximately
01:00, IOF moved into Hares village, north of Salfit. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Sameh Sameer Sultan, 17; and
2. Sufian Waleed Daoud, 19.

 

· At
approximately 01:20, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

2. Ahmed Muthanna Hussein, 20;
3. Ubai Hamza Hussein, 19; and
4. Tha’er ‘Abdul Rahim Radwan, 13.
   

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a flat in Hakam Nassif apartment building
belonging to Muhannad Mahmoud Saladin, 31, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 09:50, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north west of Beit Lahia town
fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of
construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of
“Elli Sinai” used to stand. As
a result, Suleiman Salem Abu Rkab, 20, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet
to the left leg, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into ‘Izbat Shoufa village, south of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Hussein Abu Saleem, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 22:40, IOF moved into Deir Ghassana village, northwest of
Ramallah, and patrolled in the streets. A number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli
military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers fired rubber-coated bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs. As a result, a number of Palestinian
civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

· At
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ra’fat Ibrahim ‘Eissa, 22.

 

· Also at
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No house raids or arrests were reported.

  

Tuesday, 15 February 2011

 

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

 

1. Mohammed
   Saleh Za’aqiq, 15; and
2. Rami
   Ibrahim Sabarna, 23.

 

· Also at
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into ‘Aaboud village, northwest of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jabal Jouhar neighborhood in the southeast
of Hebron. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Sameeh No’man Da’na, 43, and arrested
him. 

 

· Also at
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Masharqa al-Fouqa neighborhood,
southeast of Hebron. They raided and
searched a house belonging to the al-Ja’bari family, and arrested ‘Alyaa’
Mohammed al-Ja’bari, 23. It is worth
noting that the detainee is the sister of Mar’ei Mohammed al-Ja’bari, who has
been detained by IOF for several years.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They raided a house belonging to Mohammed
‘Ali ‘Amarna, bringing his son, 20-year-old ‘Ali, who has been detained by them
for several months. They searched the
house and took out a mysterious object, which they then blew up outside the
house. IOF then raided and searched two
nearby houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Aziz
   Samer Qalaq, 20; and
2. Jihad
   Mohammed ‘Amarna, 20.

 

· At
approximately 11:20, IOF moved into Deir Jareer village, northeast of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately
12:15, 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 22:35, IOF moved into Marka village, south of Jenin. They raided two houses and summoned two
Palestinian civilians for interrogation: Zayed ‘Abdul Qader Nafe’, 24; and Samer Mahmoud Mousa, 36.

 

Wednesday, 16 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of
Jenin. They raided and searched a house
belonging to Hafez Hassan Melhem, 80. They then took him out to guide them to the house of his son,
27-year-old Mansour, nearly 200 meters away. They raided the house and interrogated Mansour. They also warned him for carrying out any
activity against them. Mansour had been
detained by IOF in the past for his activities in Islamic Jihad. IOF then raided and searched a house
belonging to Hani Ahmed Harazallah, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Tulkarm refugee camp. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· Also at
approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Nour Shams refugee camp, east of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 05:00, IOF moved into Shwaika suburb, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some and
withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

A Palestinian Civilians Killed by Jewish Young
Men in Jerusalem

 

On Friday morning, 11 December 2011, Hussam Hussein al-Rwaidhi, 24,
from Jerusalem, was killed by a number of Jewish young men, when he was on his
way back home. 

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
01:30, al-Rawaidhi was on his way back home in East Jerusalem from his work in
West Jerusalem. While he was walking
with his friend, Khader al-Joulani, on a street in West Jerusalem, a Jewish
young man stabbed him in the face. Soon
after, other Jewish young men gathered and violently beat him. He died of his injuries a few hours
later. In his testimony to PCHR, Khader
al-Joulani stated:

 

“When we left our work, we were surprised by two Jewish young
men. They provoked and insulted us. One of them then took out a knife and hits
Hussam on his face. More Jewish young
men gathered and violently beat him and me. I was injured in the neck. When
the attackers fled, I asked for help from a nearby restaurant, but the staff
refused to help us. I called the
police. An ambulance arrived then and
evacuated Hussam to the hospital, but he died a few hours later.”

 

IOF kept al-Rwaidhi’s body in the Israeli forensic medicine
institute. The Israeli police called the
victim’s father and informed him that they would deliver the body at Qalandya
checkpoint at night. They also ordered
him to bury the victim’s body with the presence of 10 relatives only. IOF delivered the victim’s body to the family
on Wednesday morning, 16 February 2011, and the body was buried at 04:30 on the
same day.

 

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, two Palestinian civilians,
including a child, were wounded. Dozens of
Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises.  Additionally, IOF arrested 3 Palestinian
civilians.    

   

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 11 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international
and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in
Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the
annexation wall.  Israeli soldiers
stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a
result, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:

 

1. Mohammed
   Fat’hi Abu Rahma, 19, hit by a tear gas canister to the right foot; and
2. Mohammed
   Shawkat al-Khatib, 16, hit by a tear gas canister to the right hand.

 

Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation.  

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 11 January 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 Wall. Israeli troops
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. As a result, a
Palestinian civilian, who has not been identified, was hit by a tear gas
canister to the right foot. Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation. 

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 11 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Beit Reema 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.  IOF
also arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Jalal Ibrahim
Tamimi, 52;

2. Rayan ‘Othman
Tamimi, 33; and

3. Helmi Muneer
Tamimi, 29.

 

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.

 

· Expanding the
list of items allowed into Gaza does not change the illegality of this policy,
which is inconsistent with Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying
Power and under international human rights treaties to which it is party, such
as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with respect to the easing of the closure imposed
on the Gaza Strip and the reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of
goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from the Gaza Strip. 

 

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

 

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

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

At
approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 01 June 2010, the Egyptian authorities decided
to open Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border in both
directions without specifying a date for its closure. The Egyptian decisions came following the
Israeli attack on the Gaza-aid flotilla in international water. On the following morning, the crossing point
was effectively opened and restricted categories of Palestinian civilians were
allowed to travel through it.

 

Rafah International Crossing Point: Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border has been
closed since 29 January 2011 due to the ongoing political crisis in Egypt. Palestinian sources in the crossing point
stated that 56 Palestinians have been stuck in Cairo International Airport
since the beginning of the crisis, as the crossing point has been closed.  On 13 February 2011, a Palestinian civilian
and the body of a dead one were allowed into the Gaza Strip.   

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

09 –
14  February 2011

 

 

On Wednesday, 09 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 320 tons
of cement and 28 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA.

On Thursday, 10 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 120 tons of
cement for Palestinian Water Authority.

On Sunday, 13 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 280 tons of
cement for Palestinian Water Authority.

On Monday, 14 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 312 tons of
cement for UNDP, 200 tons of cement for Palestinian Water Authority and 432
tons of cement for UNRWA.

 

Note:

IOF closed the crossing on Tuesday, 15 February.

 

Exports:

 

On Wednesday, 09
February, 61,000 flowers and 4.6 tons of strawberries were exported.

On Thursday, 10
February, 240,000 flowers and 7 tons of strawberries were exported.

On Monday, 14
February, 235,000 flowers and 4.5 tons of strawberries were exported.

 

Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
reopened the crossing on Wednesday, 09 February, and allowed the entry of 1,833
tons of wheat and 1,443 tons of fodders. They opened it again on Sunday, 13 February 2011, and allowed the entry
of 3,430 tons of aggregate.

 

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. 

 

On Tuesday evening, 15 February 2011, IOF informed the Palestinian
side that business people would be prevented from traveling through the
crossing starting from Wednesday morning, 16 February 2011. The claimed that a Palestinian trader made a
statement to the media about the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and that the
Gaza government’s decision to ban some goods imported from Israel from being
entered into the Gaza Strip. Later, IOF
informed that Palestinian business people would be allowed to travel through
the crossing on Thursday morning, 17 February 2011.

 

Movement
at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

09 –
15 February 2011

 

 

At approximately 08:30 on Tuesday, 15 February 2011, Israeli
soldiers positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing arrested Mohammed Mousa
Zo’robm 39, from Rafah, when he was accompanying his sister, 44-year-old Hanan,
who suffers from cancer, to an Israeli
hospital.

 

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. 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 established a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 08:30 on Thursday, 10 February 2011, IOF re-established
their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit
village, north of Ramallah. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 10:30, IOF established a checkpoint at Silwad
intersection, northeast of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:50, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Beit ‘Our al-Fouqa village, west of
Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At
approximately 09:30 on Sunday, 13 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge, northeast of Ramallah. At approximately 13:20, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
09:40 on Monday, 14 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Silwad –
al-Mazra’a al-Sharqiya road, east of Ramallah. At approximately 12:00, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara
checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. At approximately 12:30, IOF established a
checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge, northeast of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers positioned at those
checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 10 February 2011, IOF
established two checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Friday, 11 February 2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around the
town. On Saturday, 12 February 2011, IOF
established two checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Sunday, 13 February 2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around
Qalqilya.  Israeli soldiers stationed at
these checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 10
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the northern entrance of Beit
Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 16:20 on Saturday, 12
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the northern entrance of Beit
Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 13 February
2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
13:30, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road, south of
Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.        

 

· Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 03:35 on Saturday, 12
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Hares village,
north of Salfit. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At approximately 14:35 on the same day, they
established a checkpoint at the entrance of Yassouf village, east of
Salfit. At approximately 08:30 on Sunday,
13 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Yassouf
village, east of Salfit. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 09:30 on Friday, 11 December
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of al-Zubaidat village,
north of Jericho. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· On Thursday
morning, 10 February 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned in the vicinity of the
Ibrahimi Mosque in the old town of Hebron arrested Jalal Fayez Abu Rahma, 15.

 

· At
approximately 16:00 on Saturday, 12 February 2011, Israeli soldiers patrolling
near the annexation wall in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, arrested two
Palestinian children: Mohammed Faisal al-Khatib, 14; and Ameer ‘Eissa Yassin,
14.

 

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.

 

· On Sunday afternoon, 13 February 2011, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Bat Ain” settlement to the north of Beit Ummar village, north
of Hebron, uprooted 250 olive seedlings from lands belonging to ‘Aadi and
Ekhlil families in the nearby Safa village. According to information available to PCHR, the settlers were escorted
by IOF. They uprooted 250 olive
seedlings planted by the families on 27 January 2011. It is worth noting that an Israeli settlers
shot dead a Palestinian child in the area the end of last month.

 

· On Monday morning, 14 February 2011, IOF razed a one-donum area of
land belonging to Nasser Khalil Abu Ta’a in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East
Jerusalem. At least 40 olive, almond and
apricot trees, 7 grape trees and 20 cypress ones were uprooted. According to Abu Ta’a, Israeli police officer
violently beat his son, 16-year-old Hamza, and cut his identity card. IOF did not present a judicial order to raze
the land, and claimed that the land leveling was for security
considerations. 

 

· Also on Monday, 14 February 2011, IOF handed notices to a number of
Palestinian civilians notices ordering the evacuation of 20 donums of
agricultural land near the annexation wall in Kharas village, northwest of
Hebron, claiming that they are state property. These areas of land, which are planted with olives and almonds, are
located nearly 300 meters away from the annexation wall.

 

· On Monday afternoon, 14 February 2011, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of Ramallah, uprooted 12 olive
seedlings in Wad Raya area in Nabi Saleh village. IOF then moved into the area and evacuated
the settlers.  

 

…………………………………………………………

 

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).