Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate
Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT) and Threaten to Expand Military Operations in the Gaza Strip
· 27
Palestinians, 11 of whom including 2 children and a woman are civilians, were
killed by IOF.
· 16
of the victims, including 6 members of one same family, were killed by IOF in
the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.
· 104
Palestinians, including 29 children and 4 women, were wounded by IOF.
· IOF
have continued to launch air strikes on houses and civilian facilities in the
Gaza Strip; 4 houses were destroyed and a number of others were severely
damaged.
· IOF
conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 8 others
into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF
have initiated a wide scale offensive on Beit Hanoun town.
· IOF
arrested 93 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, in the West Bank, and one
in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF
have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF arrested 7 Palestinian
civilian at checkpoints in the West Bank
· IOF
have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; Palestinian
farmers have been denied access to their agricultural lands to cultivate
olives.
· Israeli
settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT;
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and prevented them from
cultivating olives.
Summary
IOF have escalated attacks on Palestinian civilians
and their property in the OPT. Israeli political and military officials have
threatened to launch a wide scale military campaign on the Gaza Strip,
unconcerned about the lives and property of Palestinian civilians.
Israeli violations of international law continued in
the OPT during the reported period (12 – 18 October 2006):
Killing: During
the reported period, IOF killed 27 Palestinians, 11 of whom are civilians
including two children and a woman, are civilians. Twenty three of the victims
were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 104 Palestinians, including 29
children and 4 women, were wounded. This increase in the number of casualties
in the Gaza Strip has followed orders by the Israeli Defense Minister Amir
Perets to his army to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip allegedly to
stop the armament of Palestinian organizations.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 23 Palestinians,
including two children, one woman and 6 members of one same family, and wounded
72 others, including 10 children and 4 women.
On 21 October 2006, a special unit of IOF killed a
Palestinian civilian in al-Fukhari area in Khan Yunis for no apparent reason
and without warning. They also obstructed his evacuation to the hospital. On 23
October 2006, the first day of the Eid al-Futur, IOF killed 6 members 8
Palestinians, including a woman, in Beit Hanoun town. Six of the victims were
from the al-Shanbari family. In addition, 29 Palestinian were wounded by IOF.
On 26 October 2006, IOF killed two Palestinians, including a child, and wounded
4 others during an incursion into ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. On the
same day, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian in the northern Gaza Strip, while
he was hunting birds on his agricultural land. On 31 October 2006, IOF killed 3
members of the Palestinian resistance during an incursion into Khuza’a village,
east of Khan Yunis. On 1 November 2006, IOF killed 5 members of the Palestinian
resistance, one member of the Palestinian National Security Forces and one
civilian during a wide scale offensive on Beit Hanoun town, which is still
ongoing. Another civilian died from a heart attack when IOF soldiers raided his
house. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by IOF in Beit Hanoun in less
than 10 days increased to 16.
.
IOF also launched 3 air
strikes on 3 houses in the Gaza Strip. As a result, 4 houses were destroyed and
a number of other ones were severely damaged. IOF often warn residents of
houses of their intention to attack them a very short time prior to the
attack.
In the west
Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians, and wounded 32 others. On 22 October
2006, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wound 19 others, including 8
children, in al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. On 27 October 2006, IOF killed
two Palestinian civilians and wounded a third one in al-Fara’a refugee camp,
southeast of Jenin. On the same day, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and
wounded two of his brothers in al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. In addition,
IOF wounded two children in Jenin refugee camp, 5 ones in Tulkarm and 3 ones in
Hebron.
Incursions:
During the reported period, IOF
conducted at least 45 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank, during which they raided dozens of houses and arrested 93 Palestinian
civilians, including 8 children. IOF also closed al-Huda Women Society in
Ramallah, which provides social, humanitarian, educational and medical
services.
In the Gaza
Strip, IOF conducted 8 military incursions into areas in the Gaza Strip. The
widest of these incursions was into Beit Hanoun town on 1 November 2006. This
incursion is still ongoing. During these incursions, IOF killed a number of
Palestinians, razed at least 18 donums[1] of
agricultural land, raided and searched houses, transformed a number of houses
into military sites and arrested a Palestinian civilian. They also interrogated
dozens of Palestinian civilians.
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 this period, the crossing has been opened
for 18 separate days. IOF have closed commercial crossings of the Gaza
Strip, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. As a consequence, the economic
situation inside the Gaza Strip has further deteriorated and many goods have
been lacked in markets. During the reported period, IOF partially reopened
al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City, and Sofa and Kerem Shalom
crossings near Rafah. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the
northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza
Strip had 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 prevented Palestinian fishermen
from fishing for approximately 4 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. They have further prevented Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip from entering Jerusalem to pray in al-Aqsa Mosque in the Holy Ramadan.
IOF positioned at various checkpoints around Jerusalem imposed severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. During the reported
period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 7
Palestinian civilians.
Annexation Wall: While they have continued to construct the Annexation Wall
inside the West Bank, IOF have prevented Palestinian farmers in the north and
south of the West Bank from reaching their agricultural lands, which are
planted with olives, located behind the Wall. According to these farmers, IOF have
refused to issue permits for them to be able to reach their lands. The farmers have
expressed their concerns that they may lose the current olive season. IOF often
fire at Palestinian farmers to drive them away from their lands.
Illegal
Settler Activities: Israeli settlers
in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and
have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property.
During the reported period, Israeli settlers repeatedly attacked Palestinian
farmers cultivating olives, especially in Hebron and Qalqilya. As a result, 6
farmers were injured. Israeli settlers also attacked houses and agricultural
land. All attacks took place before the eyes of IOF.
The
outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006:
o 342
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 64 children and 15 women, have been
killed by IOF.
o At
least 1186 Palestinian civilians, including 344 children and 49 women, have
been wounded by the IOF gunfire.
o At
least 292 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 9 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 57
houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions were 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 (19 October –
1 November 2006)
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report here.
