A Palestinian toddler from Hebron who
sustained a fracture to his hand and cuts to his face by a checking machine at
an Israeli military checkpoint near Jerusalem

 

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

 

· A Palestinian resistance activist was killed by IOF in the
southern Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

– An Israeli human rights defender was injured.  

– IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians, and 5 international human
rights defenders.

 

· IOF continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in
the Gaza Strip’s border areas.

– A Palestinian worker was wounded in
the northern Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF expanded the buffer zone in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

· Israeli warplanes bombarded civilian facilities in the Gaza
Strip.

 

· IOF conducted 21 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and 3 limited ones into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children,
in the West Bank.

 

· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and
has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

– Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints and border
crossings in the West Bank arrested a Palestinian woman.

 

· Israel has continued to take measures aimed at creating a
Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem.

– Guards of Israeli settlements attacked Palestinian civilians
in Jerusalem.

 

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

– IOF
decided to establish 23 buildings in 8 settlements in the West Bank to be used
as classrooms.

– IOF
decided to establish a new secular settlement to the east of Nablus.

– Israeli
settlers uprooted 150 olive trees in Nablus.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (12 – 18 August
2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian resistance activist and wounded
a worker in the Gaza Strip and an Israeli human rights defender in the West
Bank. 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, on 16 August 2010, IOF killed a Palestinian resistance activist
during armed clashes in the east of Khan Yunis. 

 

On
14 August 2010, a
Palestinian worker was wounded when IOF fired at a number of workers who were
collecting raw construction materials in the northern Gaza Strip. 

 

During
the reporting period, Israeli warplanes bombarded a number of civilian
facilities in the southern and central Gaza Strip.

 

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 21
military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which
they arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children. IOF also arrested two Palestinian civilians, 4
Israeli human rights defenders and an international one.

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into Palestinian
communities, during which they leveled 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. 

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels only through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom)
crossing, southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5 million people are
being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their
rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

· The main concern of
the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food,
medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel has continued
to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more
than three years.

 

· Israel has not allowed
fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and
energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The Rafah
International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients
who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to 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.

 

· At least 800 Gazan
prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation for more
than three years. 

 

· IOF have continued to
attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

 

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 630 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60 – 80 ‘flying’ or temporary
checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

· 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 (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· 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.

 

Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem: IOF have continued to take measures at creating a Jewish majority in
Jerusalem. 

 

On 12 August 2010, dozens of workers in settlement protection companies,
escorted by the Israeli police, attacked Palestinian civilians in the old town
of Jerusalem. According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, a worker in Israeli settlement protection
companies, pushed a blind Palestinian civilian and kicked him when fell down in
al-Wad Street in the old town of Jerusalem. Palestinian civilians in the area were agitated, so they gathered around
the blind man to protect him. Immediately, dozens of guards of Israeli settlements and police officers
attacked Palestinian civilians. 

 

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 13 August 2010,
Israeli settlers from “Kiryat Arba” settlement, southeast of Hebron,
threw stones and empty bottles at 3 Palestinian houses.  The three houses were damaged.

 

On 14 August 2010, an
Israeli settler threw an incendiary bottle at a Palestinian civilian car, in
which Sami Khaled Abu Haniya, was traveling, near Kufor Laqif intersection on
Nablus-Qalqilya road. The car was
damaged.

On 15 August 2010, the
Israeli government decided to establish 23 structures in 8 Israeli settlements
in the West Bank, to be used as classrooms, that would absorb 600
students. The decision was taken during
a meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the
Israeli Minister of Education, Gidon Sa’ar, in the presence of the Israeli Minister
of Defense, Ehud Barak; Minister of Justice, Yacov Ne’iman; and
Attorney-General, Yacov Feinstein. 

 

The Israeli daily
Ma’ariv reported on Sunday, 15 August 2010, the Israeli government decided to
establish a new secular settlement in the northern West Bank. The new settlement would be a student town,
and would be established within the boundaries of “Magdalim”
settlement, east of Nablus, to serve students of Ariel College. 

 

The Israeli daily
Ha’aretz reported on Monday, 16 August 2010, that the Israeli Ministry of
Construction and Housing invited tenders to establish an additional road to
link “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement, east of Jerusalem, with its
surrounding. The new road will link the
settlement with a new settlement suburb known as “E1.” 

 

On
16 August 2010, Palestinian villagers in Qasra village, east of Nablus, woke up
to find that 150 olive trees had been uprooted on their lands located between
their village and the nearby Jaloud village. Those trees belong to ‘Ali ‘Abdul Hamid Hassan. The land is located neat “Shavot
Rachel” settlement. 

 

On 17 August 2010,
Israeli settlers from “Karni Shomron” settlement, east of Qalqilya,
threw stones at a car, in which Samer Khaled Abu Haniya, from ‘Azzoun
village. The car was damaged.  

 

 

 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (12
– 18 August 2010)

 

1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on
Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

 

Thursday, 12 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bitounia town, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ahmed ‘Abdul Rahman al-Froukh, 32, and his brother Mahmoud, 30,
but released the latter later.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into the old town of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Mon’em al-Salaima, 17, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into
al-Farrahin area in ‘Abassan village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of
Khan Yunis. They leveled area of
Palestinian agricultural land. They
redeployed outside the area at approximately 15:30.

 

· In
the evening, IOF moved into Marda village, north of Salfit. They raided a house belonging to Rawhi Shawqi
and arrested him child, 14-year-old Ibrahim.

 

Saturday, 14 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 06:00, IOF moved into Kufol Hares village, north of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia town opened fire at a number of
Palestinian workers, who were collecting raw construction materials from a site
where the evacuated Israeli settlement of “Elli Sinai” used to
stand. As a result, one of the workers,
Rafiq ‘Aayesh al-Sous, 30, from Beit Lahia town, was wounded by a bullet to the
right thigh, when he was nearly 1,200 meters away from the border. 

 

· At
approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Hares village, northwest of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Sunday, 15 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Safarin village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Nabi Elias village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hasaan village, northwest of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later. No arrests
were reported.

 

Monday, 16 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Zahiriya village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Ussama Ibrahim al-Najjar, 40, and arrested him.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron.
They raided and searched a house belonging to ‘Abdullah Ahmaru and arrested his
child, 14-year-old Tamer.

 

· At
approximately 01:20, IOF moved into Beit ‘Awa village, southwest of
Hebron. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Ibrahim Mahmoud al-Masalma, 22, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Tammoun village, southeast of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Nader Mohammed Bisharat, 27; and

2. Mahmoud ‘Abdullah Bisharat, 27.

 

· At
approximately 15:00, armed clashes erupted between a number of activists of the
Palestinian resistance and Israeli troops stationed at the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis. Soon, IOF sent backup to the area. IOF then moved nearly 300
meters into the area. In the evening, IOF declared that they killed an activist of the
Palestinian resistance and that an Israeli soldier was injured in the
clashes. The resistance activist was
identified as Nassam Burhom Suleiman al-Daghma, 22, a member of the al-Quds
Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad). IOF did not allow Palestinian medical crews to attend his body until
17:00 on the following day. According to
medical sources, he was hit by bullets and shrapnel throughout the body, and
apparently bled to death.

 

· At
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into Yatta village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including two brothers:

 

1. Mohammed Salem al-Junaidi, 24;

2. Ashraf Salem al-Junaidi, 26; and

3. Ra’fat ‘Ezzat al-Najjar, 22.

 

Tuesday, 17 August 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of ‘Anan Mohammed Jawabra, 20, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Ameer Sameer Abu ‘Ayash, 19, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into
al-Farrahin area in ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. They redeployed outside the area at
approximately 15:00. 

 

· At
approximately 21:35, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a tunnel in al-Shouka
village on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Two hours later, they fired a missile at another tunnel in al-Salam
neighborhood in the south of Rafah. No
casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 21:50, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a deserted house
and an empty greenhouse in the northwest of Khan Yunis. The missile made a large crater in the area,
but no casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 22:30, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a tract of land
located in the east of Gaza Valley village in the central Gaza Strip. The missiles hit a well, two rooms and a
deserted house. The well and the house
were destroyed and a nearby factory was damaged.  

 

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. As a result, an Israeli human rights defender
was injured. A number of civilians also
suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. IOF also arrested two Palestinian civilians, 4
Israeli human rights defenders and an international one. 

 

· Following the Friday
Prayer on 13 August 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and
Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to
the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein village, west of
Ramallah. They moved towards the
annexation wall. Israeli troops
stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear
gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a
result, Tanya Eizokovitz, 29, an Israeli human rights defender, was hit by a
tear gas canister to the right hand. Several
demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained
bruises as they were beaten by Israeli troops. 

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 13 August 2010, 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, several demonstrators suffered from
tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises. 

 

· Also following the
Friday Prayer on 13 August 2010, 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. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear
gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. 

 

· Also following the Friday
Prayer on 13 August 2010, Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful
demonstration in al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem. They moved towards areas of land where IOF
intend to construct a section of the annexation wall. IOF had already closed the entrance of the
village. Once the demonstrators arrived
at the area, Israeli troops fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them,
and a violently beat a number of them. As a result, Mahmoud Mohammed Abu ‘Ali, 40, sustained bruises to the
left knee. IOF also arrested two
demonstrators, but released them later on bail: Majed Khalil al-A’raj, 40; and Ma’moun Sa’di al-A’raji, 25.

 

· At
approximately 16:00 on the same day, the Youth Commission against Settlement in
Hebron, organized a peaceful demonstration to protest the continued closure of
al-Shuhada Street in the center of the town. A number of international solidarity activists participated in the
demonstration, which stopped near the entrances of “Beit Rumano”
settlement outpost in the north of the old town. Israeli troops attacked the demonstrators and
prevented them from moving forward, claiming that the area was a closed
military zone. They also arrested 4
Israeli human rights defenders and an international one. 

 

· At
approximately 11:40 on Tuesday, 17 August 2010, Israeli troops stationed near
Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip fired at about 40
Palestinian civilians and 10 international solidarity activists who
demonstrated nearly 50
meters away from the crossing. When the shooting stopped, the demonstrators
removed a barbwire fence placed by IOF around a tract of Palestinian
agricultural land in the area. The
demonstration ended at approximately 13:00 and no casualties were reported.

 

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 more than
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. 

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to only allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom)
crossing, southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5 million people are
being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their
rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

 

· The main concern of
the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food,
medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel has continued
to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more
than three years.

 

· Israel has not allowed
fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and
energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The Rafah International
Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who
received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to 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.

 

· Since the imposition
of the closure, living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have
seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted
sharply.

 

· At least 800 Gazan
prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation for more
than three years. 

 

· IOF have continued to
attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 01 June 2010, the Egyptian
authorities decided to open Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian
border in both directions without specifying a date for its closure. The Egyptian decisions came following the
Israeli attack on the Gaza-aid flotilla in international water. On the following morning, the crossing point
was effectively opened and restricted categories of Palestinian civilians were
allowed to travel through it.

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

11 – 17 August 2010

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

11 – 17 August 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar (Karni)
Crossing: IOF
partially opened the crossing on Wednesday, 11 August 2010, and allowed the
entry of 1,404 tons of wheat and 2,691 tons of fodder. They also opened it on Tuesday, 17 August
2010, and allowed the entry of 975 tons of wheat and 2,957 tons of fodder. 

 

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

11 – 17 August 2010

 

 

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. On Friday morning, 13
August 2010, the first Friday in the Holy Ramadan Month, IOF imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in Jerusalem. Israeli troops stationed at military
checkpoints around Jerusalem prevented Palestinian civilians aged below 50 from
entering the city for the Friday Prayer. IOF also reinforced their presence in the city. They established a number of roadblocks and
checkpoints in various areas.  

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. They have
continued to close a number of roads in the center, south and southeast of
Hebron for several years. During the
reporting period, Israeli troops stationed in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi
Mosque stopped and checked Palestinian civilians wishing to pray in the
mosque. On Friday and Saturday, 12 and
13 August 2010, IOF reinforced their presence in the vicinity of the Ibrahimi
Mosque and other areas in Hebron. They
also established observation points atop of a number of houses. IOF also prevented the calls for prayers in
the Ibrahimi Mosque on Friday evening and Saturday morning. On Monday, 16 August 2010, IOF established a
number of checkpoints inside and around the town. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday morning, 14 August 2010, IOF
established a checkpoint opposite to al-Tanib factory in the west of
Nablus. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles, but no arrests were reported. On Tuesdy moon, IOF established a checkpoint
the intersection of “Shavi Shomron” settlement on Nablus-Jenin road,
northwest of Nablus. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Wednesday evening, 18 August 2010, IOF closed all entrances of
Nablus. 

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah. IOF troops positioned at the Jaba’ and
Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed additional
restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period,
IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 23:30 on Friday, 13 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. 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, 05 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on Tulkarm-Nablus
road, east of Tulkarm. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Qalqilya:  IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 08:00 on Saturday, 14 August
2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of Qalqilya. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At noon, IOF
established a checkpoint at the northern entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
03:00 on Sunday, 15 August 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the eastern
entrance of Qalqilya. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

 

 

Arrests at
Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 19:20 on Monday, 16 August 2010, Israeli troops stationed at a
checkpoint in Tal Rumaida neighborhood arrested Ayat Nasser al-Sa’id, 21. They took her to a police station near
“Kiryat Arba” settlement, southeast of Hebron, where they
interrogated her. They released her at
approximately 23:00 on the same day.

 

Harassments at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 12:00 on Saturday, 14 August 2010, IOF violently beat ‘Aassem
Ma’zouz Masalha, 35, near the entrance of “Karni Shomron” settlement,
east of Qalqilya. According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, Masalha was driving his truck on
Nablus-Qalqilya road. Israeli police
officer who were traveling in a civilian car ordered him to stop. They got out of the car and asked him for his
licenses and ID card. He was not
carrying his ID card, so they violently beat him using gun butts. They left him on the ground and left the
area. He was later evacuated to Rafidya
Hospital in Nablus. According to medical
sources, he sustained bruises throughout the body.

 

· On
Monday morning, 16 August 2010, 10-month-old Mo’men ‘Azmi al-Qasrawi, was about
die when the wheel of a checking machine used by IOF at checkpoint 300, north
of Bethlehem, swallowed his arm. The toddler
sustained a fracture to the hand and some cuts and bruises. 

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and the testimony of the
toddler’s mother, Shirine ‘Azmi al-Qasrawi, she and her 3 children, including
Mo’men, arrived at checkpoint 300, north of Bethlehem, at approximately 11:00,
on their way to Jerusalem to pray in the al-Aqsa Mosque. At approximately 12:00, she was allowed to
get close to the first gate of a mobile wheel used for checking. When she was there, Mo’men’s arm was stuck in
the wheel after he had been separated from his mother. The wheel continued to spin. In spite of the toddler’s cries and appeals
of the mother and other civilians, Israeli troops did not stop the wheel
immediately and waited for some minutes. As a result, Mo’men sustained a facture to the hand, and cuts to the
head and the face. He was taken to a
hospital in Jerusalem.  

 

4. Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic
Majority in Jerusalem

 

Israel has recently escalated
arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in order to
force them to leave the city. PCHR has
devoted this section in the Weekly Report to highlighting violations of human
rights perpetrated by IOF against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem.

 

· On
Thursday evening, 12 August 2010, dozens of workers in settlement protection
companies, escorted by the Israeli police, attacked Palestinian civilians in
the old town of Jerusalem. According to
investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 16:30, a worker in Israeli
settlement protection companies, escorted by 3 armed guards, pushed a blind
Palestinian civilian and kicked him when fell down in al-Wad Street in the old
town of Jerusalem. Palestinian civilians
in the area were agitated, so they gathered around the blind man to protect
him. Immediately, dozens of guards of
Israeli settlements and police officers attacked Palestinian civilians. They also arrested Ra’ed Fat’hi Taha,
33. He was released on Saturday evening,
14 August 2010, but an Israeli court ordered his expulsion from the old town
for 15 days.

 

5. 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.

 

· On
Friday evening, 13 August 2010, Israeli settlers from “Kiryat Arba”
settlement, southeast of Hebron, threw stones and empty bottles at 3
Palestinian houses belonging to Jamal Jameel Abu Es’aifan, ‘Abdul Hai Abu
Es’aifan and Jameel Abu Es’aifan. The
three houses were damaged.

 

· On
Saturday evening, 14 August 2010, an Israeli settler threw an incendiary bottle
at a Palestinian civilian car, in which Sami Khaled Abu Haniya, was traveling,
near Kufor Laqif intersection on Nablus-Qalqilya road. The car was damaged.

 

· On
Sunday, 15 August 2010, the Israeli government decided to establish 23
structures in 8 Israeli settlements in the West Bank, to be used as classrooms,
that would absorb 600 students. The
decision was taken during a meeting between the Israeli Prime Minister,
Benjamin Netanyahu, and the Israeli Minister of Education, Gidon Sa’ar, in the
presence of the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak; Minister of Justice,
Yacov Ne’iman; and Attorney-General, Yacov Feinstein. According to Israeli sources, the classrooms
would be established in the settlements of “Ofra, Eili, Talmon; Adam; Eitamar;
Emanuel; Allon Moreh; and Efrat.” The Israeli Minister of Defense would be responsible for facilitating
the establishment of the classrooms, as was agreed in the meeting.

 

· The
Israeli daily Ma’ariv reported on Sunday, 15 August 2010, the Israeli
government decided to establish a new secular settlement in the northern West
Bank. The new settlement would be a
student town, and would be established within the boundaries of
“Magdalim” settlement, east of Nablus, to serve students of Ariel
College. Around 30 students were
accepted to live in the town, and will have to work as volunteers for 8 hours a
week. 

 

· The
Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported on Monday, 16 August 2010, that the Israeli
Ministry of Construction and Housing invited tenders to establish an additional
road to link “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement, east of Jerusalem, with its
surrounding. The new road will link the
settlement with a new settlement suburb known as “E1.” According to the newspaper, 200 million NIS
(approximately US$ 50 million) were invested in the infrastructure of E1
settlement neighborhood, which is supposed to link “Ma’ale Adomim”
settlement with Jerusalem. The
construction of the neighborhood has been suspended due to US objection. However, the infrastructure of the project
has continued to be established. In its
response to this report, the Israeli Ministry of Construction and Housing
claimed that “the decision to freeze construction in settlement does not
include services for existing structures.”

 

· On
Monday morning, 16 August 2010, Palestinian villagers in Qasra village, east of
Nablus, woke up to find that 150 olive trees had been uprooted on their lands located
between their village and the nearby Jaloud village. Those trees belong to ‘Ali ‘Abdul Hamid
Hassan. The land is located neat
“Shavot Rachel” settlement. 

 

· At
approximately 22:30 on Tuesday, 17 August 2010, Israeli settlers from
“Karni Shomron” settlement, east of Qalqilya, threw stones at a car,
in which Samer Khaled Abu Haniya, from ‘Azzoun village. According to Abu Haniya, when he arrived near
the entrance of the aforementioned settlement, he was surprised by a number of
Israeli settlers who shouted on him to stop, but he fled. They threw stones at his car, damaging it.  

 

 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

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 (pchr@pchrgaza.org)
or telephone (+972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893).