Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 9
Palestinians, including a child, were killed by IOF in the West Bank.
· 4
of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
· 12
Palestinians, including 7 children and a woman, were wounded by IOF.
· IOF
conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
· IOF
arrested 32 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.
· IOF
have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have isolated the Gaza
Strip from the outside world and IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child.
· IOF
have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Ban; IOF have
started to construct a section of the Wall around “Avni Hevetz” settlement,
east of Tulkarm.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reported period (14 – 20 December
2006):
Killing: During
the reported period, IOF killed 9 Palestinians, including a child, in the West
Bank.
On 14 December 2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian
civilian in Kufor al-Dik village, southwest of Nablus, when they chasing a
number of children who threw stones at their military vehicles. On 16 December
2006, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian resistance in the old town of
Nablus during an exchange of fire. On 19 December 2006, IOF shot dead
13-year-old child near the Annexation Wall in Far’oun village, southwest of
Tulkarm. On 20 December 2006, IOF shot dead two members of the al-Quds Brigades
(the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad) in Seilat al-Harthiya village, west of
Jenin.
On 14 December 2006, IOF extra-judicially executed
two members of the Palestinian resistance in ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp,
west of Nablus. Six civilian bystanders (5 children and a woman) were wounded.
On 19 December 2006, IOF extra-judicially executed a members of the Palestinian
resistance and wounded and arrested two others inside a hospital in Nablus.
This attack violates article 8 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949, which prohibits
subjecting hospitals to attacks, and calls on the parties to the conflict to respect
and protect hospitals. Also on 19 December, IOF extra-judicially executed a
member of the Palestinian resistance and wounded a civilian bystander in ‘Allar
village, north of Tulkarm. These executions were committed by IOF undercover
unit after the Israeli High Court rejected a petition demanding the prohibition
of such killings.
In addition to nine Palestinians who were wounded in
these attacks, two Palestinian children were wounded by IOF in Bal’ein village,
west of Ramllah, and a worker was wounded by the IOF gunfire when he attempted
to reach his work place inside Israel.
Restrictions
on Movement: IOF have 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
IOF have
imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings
as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
IOF have closed Rafah International
Crossing Point since 25 June 2006, even though they do not directly control it.
During the reported period, the crossing point was reopened for 4 days, 3 of
which were devoted for pilgrims wishing to travel to Saudi Arabia. IOF have
partially reopened commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing,
but many goods and medical supplies have been lacked in markets in the Gaza
Strip. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza
Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been
prevented from traveling through this crossing. IOF have allowed
international workers to pass through the crossing. With this closure, only
few Palestinian patients have been able to travel to hospitals in Israel and
the West Bank. In addition, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian
fishermen from fishing for nearly 6 months.
West Bank
IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian
communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest
of the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. IOF have continued to separate between the north and south of
the West Bank. During the reported, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in
the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child.
Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West
Bank. During the reported period, IOF started to raze areas of Palestinian
land near “Avni Hevetz” settlement, east of Tulkarm, to construct a new section
of the Wall. According to local sources, IOF have confiscated 144.6 donums[1] of
agricultural land for the purpose of the construction of the new section. In violation
of international humanitarian law and human rights law, the Israeli High Court
rejected on 13 December 2006,
a petition against the route of the Wall in al-Rama and
Dahiat al-Barid areas, north of East Jerusalem. The court refused to order a
change to the route of the Wall, claiming that it does not affect Palestinian
civilians. In a step towards enhancing the Advisory Opinion issued by the
International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004, which considers the Annexation
Wall illegal, the UN General Assembly endorsed on Friday, 16 December 2006, by
an overwhelming majority of votes in favor a resolution to establish a UN
registry to handle Palestinian claims of damages resulting from the
construction of the Wall in the West Bank.
The
outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006:
o 483
Palestinians, 306 of whom are civilians, including 92 children and 30 women,
have been killed by IOF. In the Gaza Strip alone, 405 Palestinians, 243 of whom
are civilians, including 84 children, 28 women and 4 paramedics, haven been
killed by IOF.
o At
least 1628 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 345 children, 110 women.
In the Gaza Strip alone, 1275 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 345
children, 104 women, 4 paramedics and 7 journalist, have been wounded by the
IOF gunfire.
o At
least 328 air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been
fired at Palestinian civilian and military targets in the Gaza Strip.
o Buildings
of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
the Ministry of National economy, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister
and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed.
o The
electricity generation plant, providing 45% of the electricity of the Gaza
Strip, was destroyed, and electricity networks and transmitters have been
repeatedly attacked.
o 6
bridges linking Gaza City with the central Gaza Strip and a number of roads
have been destroyed.
o Hundreds
of donums of agricultural land and dozens of houses have been destroyed.
o Hundreds
of Palestinian civilians, including 10 ministers and 31 members of the Palestinian
Legislative Council (PLC), including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretary,
have been arrested. Minster of Prisoners’ Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister
of Labor and Second Deputy Speaker of the PLC were released.
o The
Palestinian governmental compound in Nablus has been destroyed.
o Many
families in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia have been forced to leave their
houses.
o IOF
intelligence has warned some Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by phone
to evacuate their houses, which would be attacked.
o 73
houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions have been destroyed by
IOF warplanes.
o IOF
have imposed a strict siege on the OPT, and have isolated the Gaza Strip from
the outside world.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (14 – 20 December 2006)
Download the full
report here.
