Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Launch More Attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

· 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were killed
by IOF.

· Construction of the “annexation wall” in the West Bank has
continued; more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated for this purpose and
Jerusalem has been isolated from the rest of the West Bank.

· IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas
in the West Bank.

· Houses were raided and at least 40 Palestinian civilians
were arrested.

· Continued shelling of residential and a Palestinian child was
seriously injured in Rafah.

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

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the current
Intifada, IOF have continued to impose severe restriction at Rafah
International Crossing Point, IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number
of Palestinian civilians and IOF imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian
villages.

Introduction

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have launched more attacks
against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). 
This week, human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included willful killing,
incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling and total closure
imposed on Palestinian communities. IOF have also continued to construct the
annexation wall inside the West Bank territory and confiscated more areas of Palestinian
land for this purpose.  They have
continued to expand existing settlements at the expense of Palestinian
land. This week, 3 Palestinian
civilians, including 2 children, were killed by IOF. 

In the Gaza Strip, on
25 February 2005, IOF killed a Palestinian child and arrested 2 others in
Rafah, when they were attempting to infiltrate into Israel to search for
jobs. On Wednesday evening, 2 March
2005, IOF opened fire at residential areas in Rafah, seriously wounding a
Palestinian child. In the West Bank, 2
Palestinian civilians, including a child, died from previous injuries they had
sustained by IOF. On 24 February 2005, a
Palestinian civilian died from an injury he had sustained on 26 January 2005,
when IOF extra-judicially killed a Palestinian in Qalqilya. On 2 March 2005, a child died from an injury
he had sustained by IOF in Jenin on 28 January 2003. 

IOF also conducted a
series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, during which they
raided and searched houses and arrested 40 Palestinian civilian civilians. Two other civilians were also arrested at
Israeli military checkpoints. 

IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside
the West Bank territory. They have
confiscated more areas of Palestinian land for this purpose. Israeli plans in
this regard aim at isolating Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank, separate
between the north and south of the West Bank. This week, IOF issued military orders, confiscating large areas of
Palestinian land for the purpose of the construction of the wall. More settlements will be annexed to Israel
according to these new plans. 

Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of
international humanitarian law have launched a series of attacks against
Palestinian civilians and property. IOF
have continued to confiscate areas of Palestinian land for settlement
activities. 

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT,
including Jerusalem. 

In the Gaza Strip, contrary to
Israeli official claims regarding easing measures of closure imposed on the
Gaza Strip, IOF have continued to completely or partially close all border
crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal
movement of Palestinian civilians.  IOF have continued to impose severe
restriction on the travel of Palestinian civilians through Rafah International
Crossing Point. They have also continued
to close a number of roads and crossings in the Gaza Strip since the beginning
of the current Intifada. IOF have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities near Israeli
settlements, causing more suffering to Palestinian civilians.  They have also continued to attacks
Palestinian fishermen.   

In
the West Bank, IOF have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. This
week, they erected a number of military checkpoints and arrested a number of
Palestinian civilians.  They also beat a
number of civilians and imposed restrictions on journalists.  IOF also imposed a strict siege on
Tulkarm. Furthermore, they also imposed
curfews on a number of villages.  

The full report is available PDF format.