Israeli settlers
running wild, car set alight in Dowar al-Qara’ village, northeast Ramallah
Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Continued Systematic Attacks against Palestinian
Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· Two
Palestinians were killed by an IOF air strike in the Gaza Strip.
– Two Palestinian workers were wounded in the same attack.
– Three buildings on the targeted site were destroyed.
· Israeli
settlers escalated attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property in the
West Bank.
– PCHR documented 40 attacks by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.
– The settlers burnt 4 cars and a tractor, and damaged 7 cars.
– A number of Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation
fired by IOF that escorted Israeli settlers.
– IOF uprooted 400 olives trees in Beit Dajan village, east of
Nablus.
· IOF continued
to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the
Gaza Strip.
– A Palestinian fisherman was wounded.
· IOF continued
to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
– A number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
– IOF arrested
two international human rights defenders.
· IOF conducted 47
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
– IOF arrested 66
Palestinian civilians, including 6 children.
– 52 of the
detainees are from ‘Awarta village, southeast of Nablus.
· 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 military checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested one Palestinian civilian.
Summary
Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (10 – 16 March 2011):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, IOF
killed two Palestinians and wounded 3 others in the Gaza Strip.
On 16 March 2011, IOF warplanes fired 3 missiles at a site of the
Palestinian National Security Forces south of Gaza City. As a result, a guard of the site and a member
of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) were killed. Two workers
of the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works, who were working nearly 20 meters
away from the site, were wounded. Additionally, three buildings on the site were also destroyed.
On the same day, IOF wounded a
Palestinian fisherman in the northern Gaza Strip.
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, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation. IOF also arrested
two international human rights defenders.
Incursions:
During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 66
Palestinian civilians, including 6 children. The widest incursion was into ‘Awarta village, southeast of Nablus,
during which IOF arrested 52 Palestinian civilians.
In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted a limited incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp,
during which they leaved 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 16 March 2011, IOF moved ingto
al-Tyour are in the east of Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus. They uprooted 400 olives trees from an areas of
agricultural land belonging to Jamal Mohammed Can’an. They transported the uprooted trees outside
the area.
Following the deaths of 5 Israeli
settlers in “Eitamar” settlement, southeast of Nablus, Israeli
settlers launched a series of attacks on Palestinian civilians and their
property throughout the West Bank.
Hebron: PCHR documented 6 attacks by Israeli settlers
against Palestinian civilians and property. Windows of a Palestinian fire engine was broken, a car was burnt, a
flower nursery was damaged, and 10 Palestinian civilians sustained bruises or
suffered from tear gas inhalation used by IOF that escorted the settlers.
Nablus: PCHR documented 6 attacks, during which 4
houses, a citrus nursery and a car were damaged, and a Palestinian civilian was
injured.
Qalqilya: PCHR documented 20 attacks, during which a car
and a tractor were burnt, 4 cars were damaged, and 5 Palestinian civilians
suffered from tear gas inhalation used by IOF that escorted the settlers.
Salfit: PCHR
documented 3 attacks, during which a Palestinian civilian suffered from tear
gas inhalation used by IOF that escorted the settlers.
Ramallah: PCHR documented 5 attacks, during which two
cars were burnt and a house was damaged.
Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (10 – 16 March 2011)
1. Incursions into
Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip
Thursday, 10 March 2011
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of
Salfit. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including two children:
· At
approximately 11:30, IOF moved into Beit ‘Our al-Tahta village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 17:30, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 18:30, IOF moved into the area located between ‘Azzoun and ‘Izbat
al-Tabib villages, east of Qalqilya. The
searched the area and arrested two Palestinian children working in a
construction workshop, claiming that the two children threw stones at Israeli
vehicles. The two children are:
· At
approximately 19:25, 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 20:50, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
Friday,
11 March 2011
· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 01:10, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
· At
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Kufor Sour village, south of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
Saturday, 12 March 2011
· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into the agricultural areas located between
al-Zababda village and Sanour and Masliya villages, southeast of Jenin. They searched the area and fired flash
bombs. They withdrew later and no
arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 07:00, following the deaths of 5 Israeli settlers in
“Eitamar” settlement, which stands of lands of ‘Awarta village,
southeast of Nablus, IOF moved into the village and imposed a curfew. They, raided, searched and damaged a number
of houses and beat a number of Palestinian civilians. They also arrested 20 Palestinian civilians:
· At
approximately 17:30, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.
· At
approximately 21:40, 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.
Sunday, 13 March 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 01:15, IOF moved into Baqat al-Hatab village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 07:00, IOF moved into ‘Awarta village, southeast of Nablus, and
imposed a curfew. They raided and
searched a number of houses and turned them into military sites.
· At
approximately 07:20, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, north of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets and established
a checkpoint at the entrance of the village. They also photographed a number of old buildings. They withdrew later and neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into ‘Aanin village, northwest of Jenin. They took position in the center of the
village, and raided a cafeteria belonging to Khaled Mahmoud Yassin. They held at least 13 customers and searched
the cafeteria. An Israeli intelligence
officer came and questioned the customers. Two hours later, IOF moved to the east of the village. They raided a number of shops and questioned
their owners. They withdrew later and no
arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Far’ata village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 15:30, 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 19:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.
· At
approximately 19:50, 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.
Monday, 14 March 2011
· At
approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Kufol 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 02:10, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, north of Salfit. They raided and searched houses belonging to
families of Mohammed Hassan Mansour, 23, and Bassel Mustafa al-Khatib, 25, and
summoned them for interrogation.
· Also at
approximately 02:10, IOF moved into Eskaka village, east of Salfit. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Bilal ‘Abdul Rahim Harb, 23, and summoned him for interrogation.
· 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.
· In the morning,
IOF moved into ‘Awarta village, southeast of Nablus, and imposed a curfew. They called on male civilians aged 15-40 to
gather in the eastern part of the village. They took at least 300 civilians into a house and detained them
there. They violently beat a number of
these civilians. At approximately 15:30,
IOF started to release these civilian in stages, but arrested 32 of them. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians
arrested by IOF from the village during the reporting period increased to 53.
· At
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Deir Ghazala village, northeast of
Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Beit Qad village, northeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Jalboun village, east of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Deir Abu Da’if village, east of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Jalqamous village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 19:00, 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 22:00, IOF moved into Baqa al-Sharqia village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Shabtin village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Helmi ‘Abdul Hafiz Dib, 40, and arrested him together with his three sons:
‘Ammar, 21; Mohammed, 16; and ‘Aayed, 14. IOF released them all on the following day.
· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
· At approximately
02:30, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
· At
approximately 08:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east of al-Boreij
refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian land near the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel. They moved back to the
border at approximately 16:00 on the same day.
· At
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Jabal al-Sharif neighborhood in the west of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and delivered a summon to Firas Murad Abu ‘Omar.
Wednesday, 16 March 2011
· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.
· Also at
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.
· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Abu Esnaina neighborhood and Tariq Bin Ziad
Street in the south of Hebron. They
raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:
· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Fassayel village, north of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
· At approximately 10:40, IOF warplanes fired 3 missiles at a site of
the Palestinian National Security Forces south of Gaza City. As a result, a guard of the site and a member
of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) were killed:
Two workers of the Palestinian Ministry of Public Works, who were
working nearly 20 meters away from the site, were wounded:
Three buildings on the site were also destroyed.
· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Bir al-Basha village, south
of Jenin. They stormed a mobile
transition tower of Wataniya Mobile Company. They checked and held the guard, Ameer Nidal Bani Sa’idan, 23. They searched the area for two hours. They then released Bani Sa’idan. No arrests were reported.
· Also at approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets and stopped and
checked Palestinian civilians. They
withdrew later and no arrests were reported.
· At approximately 11:15, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian
fishing boats opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern Gaza Strip. As a result, Yasser Nasser Baker, 19, was
wounded by a bullet to the right side.
· At approximately 15:10, IOF moved into al-Jiftlek village, north of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
· At approximately 17:20, IOF moved into ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp,
southwest of Jericho. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein al-Sultan refugee camp,
west of Jericho. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
2. Use of
Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations Protesting Settlement
Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall
During
the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized
by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
in protest to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the
West Bank. As a result, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and
others sustained bruises. IOF also
arrested two international human rights defenders.
· Following the Friday Prayer on 11 March 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, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 11 March 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 number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 11 March 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 also suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally, IOF arrested two international
human rights defenders. IOF also turned
a house belonging to a Helmi Tamimi into a military site, and held Mustafa
Mahmoud Tamimi, 12, for an hour.
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:
Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point
09 –
15 March 2011
|
Date |
Details |
|
09 March 2011 |
227 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 78 others |
|
10 March 2011 |
210 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 105 others |
|
11 March 2011 |
Closed. |
|
12 March 2011 |
Closed. |
|
13 March 2011 |
220 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 140 others |
|
14 March 2011 |
210 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 81 others |
|
15 March 2011 |
222 Palestinians were allowed to travel to Egypt and 80 others |
Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing
PCHR apologizes for not providing details of the movement at the
crossing due to technical problems facing officials at the crossing. Details of movement during the reporting
period will be included in the next report.
Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: IOF completely
closed the crossing.
Sofa Crossing: At approximately 11:00 on
Wednesday, 09 March 2011, IOF opened Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah, and
allowed the entry of 512 tons of construction aggregate. According to information available to PCHR,
the crossing was exceptionally opened from 11:00 to 14:00, and it will be
opened again to allow the entry of 70,000 tons of aggregate, which have been
blocked for years, for UNRWA and the Palestinian private sector.
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
09 –
15 March 2011
|
Date |
09 March |
10 March |
11 March |
12 March |
13 March |
14 March |
15 March |
|
Patients |
20 |
24 |
1 |
Nil |
48 |
58 |
39 |
|
Companions |
21 |
22 |
1 |
Nil |
49 |
58 |
42 |
|
Arabs from Israel |
Nil |
9 |
2 |
Nil |
40 |
16 |
7 |
|
Diplomats |
20 |
18 |
Nil |
Nil |
5 |
Nil |
5 |
|
International Journalists |
Nil |
3 |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
Nil |
3 |
|
International Workers |
40 |
20 |
10 |
Nil |
29 |
10 |
29 |
|
Travelers abroad |
Nil |
2 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
Business People |
64 |
65 |
Nil |
Nil |
60 |
66 |
56 |
|
Economic Meetings |
Nil |
4 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
2 |
1 |
|
Security Interviews |
1 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
|
VIP’s |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
2 |
|
Ambulances to Israel |
3 |
Nil |
Nil |
Nil |
5 |
2 |
Nil |
|
Ambulances from Israel |
2 |
2 |
1 |
Nil |
1 |
1 |
2 |
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
08:00 on Thursday, 10 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the
entrance of Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 10:45 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, west of
Ramallah. At approximately 21:10 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 07:00 on Saturday, 12 March 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 14:20 on Monday, 14 March 2011, IOF re-established
their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At approximately 14:30, they established a
checkpoint near al-Mazra’a village, northwest of the town. At approximately 15:00, IOF established a
checkpoint near ‘Aaboud village, northwest of the town. At approximately 19:30 on Tuesday, 15 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near ”Oufra” settlement, north of
Ramallah. At approximately 20:20, IOF
re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of the town. At approximately 06:20 on Wednesday, 16 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Abu Shkhaidem village,
northwest of Ramallah. At approximately
13:30, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. At approximately 18:00, IOF established a
checkpoint near the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 19:00, IOF established a
checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud Bridge, northeast of Ramallah.
· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 10 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at Jeet intersection, northeast of
Qalqilya. At approximately 23:00 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint under ‘Azzoun Bridge between Qalqilya
and Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. On
Sunday, 13 March 2011, IOF established 5 checkpoints around Qalqilya. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.
· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 11:30 on Thursday, 10 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Beit Leed intersection, east of
Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 11:30 on Friday, 11 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint in
al-Kafriyat area, south of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Saturday morning, 12 March 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
09:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint in al-Kafriyat area, south
of Tulkarm. At approximately 19:20 on
Sunday, 13 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Far’oun intersection
on Tulkarm-Qalqilya road. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 22:00 on Monday, 14 March 2011, IOF established a
checkpoint at Far’oun intersection, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.
· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:00 on Monday, 14 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Jalama village, north
of Jenin. At approximately 18:30 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint at Kfiret intersection, southwest of
Jenin. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.
· Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday morning, 12 March 2011, IOF
closed Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus; Beit Fourik checkpoint, east of the
city; and al-Bathan checkpoint, north of the city, and prohibited the movement
of Palestinian civilians. They also
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through
other checkpoints around the city.
· Jericho: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 16:00 on
Thursday, 10 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Fassayel village, north of Jericho. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 01:00 on Friday, 11 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho. At approximately 15:00 also on Friday, IOF
established a checkpoint near the entrance of ‘Ein al-Dyouk village, north of
Jericho. At approximately 20:00 on the
same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fassayel village,
north of Jericho. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 15:30 on Monday, 14 March 2011, IOF established a
checkpoint near the entrance of al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately 17:30
on Tuesday, 15 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of
‘Ein al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.
Arrests at
Military Checkpoints
· At
approximately 15:30 on Tuesday, 15 March 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at a
checkpoint near the entrance of Beit Reema village, northwest of Ramallah,
arrested Ahmed Sameh al-Khatib, 21, but released him at approximately 21:00.
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 09:30 on Wednesday, 16 March 2011, IOF moved ingto al-Tyour are
in the east of Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus. They uprooted 400 olives trees from an areas
of agricultural land belonging to Jamal Mohammed Can’an. They transported the uprooted trees outside
the area.
Following the deaths of 5 Israeli
settlers in “Eitamar” settlement, southeast of Nablus, Israeli
settlers launched a series of attacks on Palestinian civilians and their
property throughout the West Bank.
Hebron:
· At approximately 14:30 on Saturday, 12 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers threw stones at a Palestinian Civil Defense vehicle that was
traveling on bypass road #60, south of Hebron. The front window of the car was broken, and Captain Ibrahim Abu Sabha
was lightly injured in the head and the shoulders.
· At approximately 15:30 also on Saturday, a number of Israeli settlers,
some of whom were armed with rifles and pistols, attacked Palestinian houses in
Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron, near “Ramat Yishai”
settlement, using stones and empty bottles. In the meantime, at 50 Israeli settlers made a tour in the streets. They insulted and threatened Palestinian
civilians. A number of houses in the
area were damaged.
· At approximately 18:00 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Kiryat Arba” and “Kharsina” settlements,
southeast of Hebron, attacked a number of Palestinian houses near the two
settlements with stones, damaging them. Other Israeli settlers carrying firearms, knives and sticks attacked
Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on roads, south, east and north of
Hebron. A number of Palestinian
civilians were injured and a number of cars were damaged.
· At approximately 19:50 also on Saturday, a number of Israeli
settlers broke windows of a car belonging to Ashraf ‘Abdul Khaliq al-Sa’id, and
set fire to it before the eyes of Israeli soldiers. According to al-Sa’id’s brother, 7 Israeli
settlers completely burnt his brother’s brown Mitsubishi car, which was parked
nearly 200 meters away from his house.
· At approximately 21:00, at least 200 Israeli settlers, escorted by
IOF, threw stones and fired at Palestinian houses between the entrance of
al-‘Arroub refugee camp and the eastern entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron. Israeli soldiers also fired tear
gas canisters. As a result, 3
Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation: Mo’ayad Bahjat al-‘Allami, 13; Sabha Mohammed
Abu ‘Ayash, 72; and Bahjat Shihda al-‘Allami, 60.
· At approximately 22:00 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers attacked a rose nursery belonging to Shihda Mohammed al-‘Allami at the
entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. The nursery was heavily damaged.
Nablus
· At approximately 13:30 on Saturday, 12 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Brakha” settlement, south of Nablus, threw
stones at Palestinian houses in Bourin village. Two houses belonging to Yousef al-Zain and Khaled Hassan were
damaged. The settlers also attempted to
kidnap two children from Hassan’s house, but Palestinian villagers foiled the
attempt.
· At approximately 15:00 on the same day, Israeli settlers from
“Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, got close to Palestinian
houses in the south of Southern ‘Assira village. IOF arrived the area and drove them
away. When IOF left the area, more
Israeli settlers came and attacked a house belonging to Qassem Hassan Saleh,
but Palestinian civilians stopped them. Soon, IOF arrived and fired tear gas canisters and sounds bombs at
Palestinian civilians.
· At approximately 18:00 on the same day, hundreds of Israeli
settlers gathered near the intersection of Nablus-Ramannal road and the road of
“Yits’har” settlement, and at Za’tara intersection, south of
Nablus. Palestinian traders in Hawara
village were forced to close their shops to avoid being attacked by the settlers.
· At approximately 21:00 also on Saturday, dozens of Israeli settlers
attacked Palestinian house in the north of Hawara village, south of Nablus.
· At approximately 23:00 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Brakha” and “Yits’har” settlements attacked
the entrance of Bourin village and destroyed a citrus nursery belonging to the
Eshtayeh family. They also attacked a
school and a mosque and attempted to set fire to it, but Palestinian civilians
stopped them. The settlers also attacked
two houses belonging to Qassem and Ghaleb al-Najjar, damaging them.
· At approximately 07:45 on Sunday, 13 March 2011, Israeli settlers
threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on Nablus-Ramallah
road. They also attacked a Palestinian
civilian and injured him. In his
statement to PCHR, Bassam Rafiq ‘Abdul Fattah, 43, Director of Palestinian
Petrol Agency in Qalqilya, said:
“At
approximately 07:45 on Sunday, 13 March 2011, I was traveling to Ramallah to
submit the weekly worksheets. When I got
close to al-Lubban al-Sharqi village, I noticed that an Israeli settler car was
chasing me. The car got close to me and
Israeli settlers started to swear on me. They then bypassed me. They threw
empty bottles in front of my car. When I
was near a fuel station, the car moved away from me. I decided to phone one of my colleagues who
was traveling back on the same road to warn him. When I put the mobile phone on my ear,
Israeli settlers threw a big stone on my car. The stones broke the window, broke the phone and hit my. I sustained a fracture to my finger. Another person who was traveling near me
drove the car and transported me to Ramallah Hospital.”
Qalqilya
· At approximately 20:15 on Saturday, 12 March 2011, dozens of
Israeli settlers from “Karni Shomron” settlement gathered at Kufor
Laqef intersection, east of Qalqilya, and threw stones at Palestinian civilian
vehicles. They also attempted to break
into the village.
· At approximately 22:00, Israeli settlers from “Qidoumim”
settlement gathered on Nablus-Qalqilya road and threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles. They attacked a car
belonging to Bilal Nasser Barham, from Kufor Qaddoum village, and damaged
it. IOF intervened and took him out of
the settlers’ hands.
· At approximately 22:15, dozens of Israeli settlers from
“Emanuel” settlement gathered at Jainsafout intersection, east of
Qalqilya, and threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles. A car belonging to Mahmoud ‘Abdul Karim
Bashir was damaged.
· At approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 13 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement threw stones at a number
of Palestinian farmers who were on their lands in the south of Kufor Qaddoum
village, northeast of Qalqilya. No
injuries were reported.
· At approximately 16:15 on the same day, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Karni Shomron” settlement threw stones at Palestinian civilian
vehicles traveling near “Kufor Laqef” intersection, east of
Qalqilya. No injuries were reported.
· At approximately 17:00 also on Sunday, many Israeli settlers
gathered on Qalqilya-Nablus road near the entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya, and used megaphones to insult Palestinians. They also cut a number of olive trees. They then threw stones at Palestinian
civilians and their vehicles. Palestinian civilians attempted to stop these attacks. Immediately, IOF intervened and fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at these
civilians. As a result, 5 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, suffered from tear gas inhalation:
1. Mo’tassem
Tayseer Radwan, 20;
2. Mohammed Ahmed
Radwan, 20;
3. Hamed Ibrahim
Radi, 26;
4. ‘Amru Mohammed
Abu Haniya, 17; abd
5. Ahmed Ghazi
Swaidan, 20.
· At approximately 01:30 on Monday, 13 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers moved into Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. They set fire to a car belonging to Najeh
Mohammed Ayoub. According to Ayoub, who
works as a marketing officer, there was an amount of 10,000 NIS inside the
car. The settlers also burnt a tractor
belonging to Hamdallah ‘Abdul Karim Ayoub.
· At approximately 08:10 on the same day, Israeli settlers from
“Qidoumim” settlement stormed Palestinian agricultural lands located
between Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, and the settlement. They set up a tent and raised the Israeli
flags.
· At approximately 08:55 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers gathered in the west of Nabi Elias village near “Tsufim”
settlement, in an attempt to attack Palestinian civilians. IOF intervened and evacuated the settlers
from the area.
· At approximately 17:15, a number of Israeli settlers gathered at
the entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, in an attempt to attack
Palestinian civilians. IOF intervened
and evacuated the settlers from the area.
· At approximately 17:40, a number of Israeli settlers from “Qidoumim”
settlement gathered on Qalqilya-Nablus road, east of Qalqilya, and closed
it. They threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles. No injuries were
reported.
· At approximately 18:00 also on Monday, at least 500 Israeli
settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement stormed Jeet village, northeast
of Qalqilya. They threw stones at a
number of Palestinian civilians who were sitting near their houses close to the
settlement. They also attempted to
break into a number of houses.
· At approximately 18:15 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Karni Shomron” gathered on Qalqilya-Nablus road. They threw stones at Palestinian civilians
vehicles. No injuries were reported.
· At approximately 18:20 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers gathered near Kufor Laqef intersection on Qalqilya-Nablus road, east
of Qalqilya. They threw stones at
Palestinian civilian vehicle. A car
belonging to ‘Emad ‘Abdullah Hamdan was damaged.
· At approximately 20:10 on the same day, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Gilad” settlement outpost launched fireworks onto Palestinian
houses in Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. They also threw stones at a number of houses. No injuries were reported.
· At approximately 20:15, a number of Israeli settlers from “Emanuel”
settlement attempted to break into Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. They fired at Palestinian houses. IOF intervened and evacuated them from the
area.
· At approximately 16:35 on Tuesday, 15 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Karni Shomron” settlement threw stones at
Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on Qalqilya-Nablus road. No injuries were reported.
· At approximately 17:35 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Qidoumim” settlement threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles traveling on Qalqilya-Nablus road. A car belonging to ‘Essam Masalha was
damaged. IOF intervened and closed the
road. They reopened the road when they
drove the settlers away.
· At approximately 18:00 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers attempted to break into Kufor Laqef village, east of Qalqilya, but IOF
prevented them. At approximately 19:30,
the settlers threw stones at Palestinian houses in the village. No casualties were reported.
Salfit
· At approximately 11:35 on Sunday, 13 March 2011, a number of armed
Israeli settlers gathered at the entrance of Hares village, north of
Salfit. They threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles. IOF evacuated them
from the area.
· At approximately 20:50 on the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Kfar Taffouh” settlement threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles traveling on the main road near the settlement, east of
Salfit. No injuries or damages were
reported.
· At approximately 22:15, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by
IOF, gathered at the entrance of Yassouf village, east of Salfit. Palestinian civilians rushed to area in an
attempt to prevent the settlers from breaking into the village. Immediately, IOF fired tear gas canisters and
sound bombs at them. As a result, Ahmed
Nabeel ‘Abdul Raziq, 21, suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Ramallah
· At approximately 20:30 on Saturday, 12 March 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of Ramallah,
closed the entrance of Nabi Saleh village and attempted to enter the
village. They also threw stones at
Palestinian civilian vehicles. IOF then
intervened and evacuated the settlers from the area.
· At approximately 22:00 on the same day, many armed Israeli settlers
from “Beit Eil” settlement, north of Ramallah, gathered at the
western entrance of Bitin village. They
attempted to break into a house belonging to Bashar ‘Ezzat al-Tawil. They damaged al-Tawil’s car and broke windows
of the house.
· At approximately 02:30 on Sunday, 13 March 2011, many armed Israeli
settlers from “Beit Eil” settlement, north of Ramallah, stormed Dawar
al-Qare’ village to the north of the aforementioned settlement. They attempted to enter a house belonging to ‘Ammar
Jihad Nassif. They threw stones and
empty bottles at the house. They burnt
two cars belonging to the al-Zinati and al-‘Orabi families. They then fled to the settlement.
· At approximately 07:00 on Monday, 14 March 2011, many Israeli
settlers closed the entrance of Nabi Saleh village and attempted to enter the
village. They also threw stones at
Palestinian civilian vehicles. IOF were
present in the area and did not intervene to stop 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 ([email protected]) or telephone (+972 (0)8
282 4776 – 282 5893).
