Not Committing to the Ceasefire, Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch More Attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT)

· 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, were killed by IOF.

· IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.

· Houses were raided and at least 10 Palestinian civilians
were arrested.

· Continued shelling of residential areas, and a Palestinian
child was injured in Khan Yunis.

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

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

· 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, Palestinians aged 16-35 have been prevented from traveling through
Rafah International Crossing Point, and IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested
a number of Palestinian civilians.

Introduction

Despite the ceasefire declared by
the Israeli and Palestinian sides in Sharm al-Sheik on 8 February 2005 and the
Palestinian commitment to this declaration, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have
launched more attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT).  This week, 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, were killed
by IOF.  Human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included incursions
into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling and total closure imposed on
Palestinian communities contrary to Israeli official claims regarding easing
closure measures. IOF have also
continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory and
confiscated more areas of Palestinian land for this purpose.

In the
West Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinians, including 2 children. On 14 February 2005, IOF severely beat a
Palestinian child in Hebron for no apparent reason and then fired at him twice
from a close range after they had ordered him to leave the area, killing
him. On 15 February 2005, IOF killed a
child and seriously injured another one for no apparent reason near the
annexation wall to the southwest of Bitounia town, south of Ramallah. Also on 15 February 2005, IOF killed 2
Palestinians, claiming that the two were on their way to launch an attack on
“Har Barakha” settlement, south of Nablus, but eyewitnesses asserted
that the two victims used to be in the area at night to prevent Israeli
settlers from attacking Kufor Qalllil village. 

IOF conducted 11 incursions into Palestinian
areas in the West Bank, during which they arrested at least 10 Palestinian
civilians. 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, especially in Hebron.  In the Gaza Strip, IOF and settlers fired live
ammunition and sound bombs at Palestinian communities near settlements. A Palestinian child was injured when he was
sleeping at home. 

IOF have continued to construct the
annexation wall inside the West Bank Territory. On 14 February 2005, IOF started to construct huge cement sections of
the wall in the villages of Hazma and ‘Anata, northeast of Jerusalem. On 10 February 2005, IOF handed military
orders to a number of Palestinian civilians from Shu’fat refugee camp,
northeast of Jerusalem, confiscating at least 50 donums of land. At the same time, IOF handed a military order
to a number of Palestinian civilians from Beit Hanina village, north of
Jerusalem, confiscating approximately 150 donums of land in the village for the
purpose of the construction of the wall. On 13 February 2005, IOF handed a military order to residents of Toura
al-Gharbiya village, west of Jenin, confiscating 301 donums of agricultural
land in the village. Also on 12
February 2005, the Israeli High Court issued a temporary injunction stopping
the construction of the wall on the land of the villages of Salfit and Eskaka, south
of Nablus, for 21 days. This latest
decision was one of a series of decisions taken by the court and they were then
cancelled. 

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.  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.   

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.  

The full report is available PDF format.