Israeli soldiers burn old olive trees in
Qatna village, northwest of Jerusalem

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

 

 

· A Palestinian worker
was killed when Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip.

 

· 9 Palestinians,
including 6 civilians, were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

 

· Israeli
warplanes attacked a number of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.

– 3 training
sites and a number of tunnels were destroyed.

 

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

– A Palestinian civilian
was wounded.

– Dozens of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

· Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF conducted 32
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two limited ones
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 13
Palestinian civilians, including a child.

– Golden jewels
were stolen from a house in Tallouza village near Nablus.

 

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

– IOF arrested one
Palestinian civilian at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

 

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

– IOF confiscated more irrigation networks in al-Baq’a area near
Hebron.

– 3,000 olive trees were burnt in Bourin village, south of
Nablus. 

– Israeli settlers attacked 3 Palestinian shepherds and injured two
of them.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (14 – 20 July 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
killed a Palestinian worker in a tunnel in the southern Gaza Strip town of
Rafah. They also wounded 10 Palestinians
in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

 

On 14 July 2011, Israeli warplanes
fired a missile at a tunnel on the Egyptian border near Saladin Gate in the
south of Rafah. The tunnel was destroyed
and a worker was missing. Palestinian
medical crews were able to find his body at approximately on 16 July 2011. Additionally, 5 Palestinians were wounded.

 

On 16 July 2011, an activist of
al-Qauds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) was wounded when an Israeli
drone fired a missile at him in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

On 18 July 2011, two activists of
the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) were wounded when an
Israeli drone fired a missile at them in the southern Gaza Strip.  

 

During the reporting period, Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip in two
separate incidents. In one of these
attacks, on 14 July 2011, Israeli gunboats attacked Palestinian fishing boats
and an international boat, Oliva, which monitors Israeli attacked against
Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip. Three fishing boats and Oliva were damaged. 

 

During the reporting period, Israeli
warplanes attacked a number of targets throughout the Gaza Strip. As a result of these attacks, 3 training
sites of resistance groups and a number of tunnels on the Egyptian border were
destroyed. 

 

In the West Bank, during the
reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations
organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of
the annexation wall in the West Bank. As
a result, a Palestinian civilian was wounded and dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas
inhalation.  IOF also arrested two Palestinian
civilians and an Israeli human rights defender.  

 

On 18 July 2011, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, when IOF fired at
Palestinian civilians who were participating in a funeral procession of a dead
Palestinian.

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 32 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 13 Palestinian
civilians, including a child. They also
stolen golden jewels, whose value is estimated at US$ 7,000 from a house in
Tallouza village near Nablus.

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two limited incursion into the southern and
central Gaza Strip, 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. 

 

· IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza
Strip and practically made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial
crossing of the Gaza Strip although it is not proper for commercial purposes in
terms of its distance and operational capacity.

 

· IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed
at tightening the strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip,
including imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.

 

· The total closure of al-Mentar
“Karni” crossing on 02 March 2011 has created a bitter situation that
has seriously affected the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all the economic and commercial establishments
in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in
the Gaza Strip in terms of its operational capacity to absorb the flow of
imports and exports. The decision of
al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions to totally
close Soafa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and
Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which was dedicated for the delivery of
fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

 

· These statistics which were made available to
PCHR by the Border and Crossings Department indicate a continued drop in the
number of truckloads of Gaza imports and exports.

 

· IOF have continued to impose total ban on the
delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Stri, except for very limited items and
quantities. The limited quantities of
raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.

 

· The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last
November has continued to affect the Gaza Strip. This crisis was created when the Israeli
occupation authorities totally closed, on 04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing,
which used to be dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas supplies to
Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing
which is not technically equipped to receive Gaza’s needs of fuel.  Karm
Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum absorptive capacity, can receive only 200
tons of cooking gas per day.

 

· Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have
continued to depend on alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief
agencies, rates of families who are living below poverty line have continued to
be on the rise and approximately 40% of Gaza’s manpower has continued to suffer
from permanent unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza’s
economic establishments.

 

· IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the
exportation of Gaza’s products, especially industrial products, leading to
undermining any real chances to rerun economic establishments. The situation has been aggravated especially
after making Karm Abu Salem crossing as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the
repeated closure of this crossing which negatively affected the quantity of
Gazan products which were allowed to be exported during last April.

 

· IOF have continued to prolong the
implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although
more than 11 months have passed since they announced this decision after three
years of ban imposed on the delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices of cars in Gaza have
been on the rise and local markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.

 

· For approximately four consecutive years, IOF
have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During
the reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of
construction materials for a number of international organizations.

 

· Israel has
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians from
the Gaza Strip. IOF only allow the
movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long hours of
waiting in the majority of cases. IOF
have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of
Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive
medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and Jerusalem. IOF denied new categories of Gazan patient
permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

 

· Israel has
imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists
and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip.

 

· For
approximately 47 months, IOF have continued to deny approximately 710
Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in Israeli jails their visitation
rights without providing any justification to this measure, which violates the
rules of the international humanitarian law.

 

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
in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

· There are
approximately 585 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank.

 

· 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, confiscating more 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.

 

· 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 permits issued by IOF. Such
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.

 

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 15 July 2011, at least 10 Israeli
settlers from “Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, set fire to olive trees
in al-Khirnaqa area in the south of Bourin village. Palestinian fire fighters were able to
extinguish fire, but after at least 3,000 olives trees had been burnt.

 

On 17 July 2011, bulldozers
belonging to Israeli settlers razed large areas of Palestinian land in the east
of Sa’ir village, northeast of Hebron, for the purpose of expanding “Asfar”
settlement to the east of the village. These areas of land belong to the Shalalda family. When owners of the land attempted to stop
such attacks on their lands, armed Israeli settlers stopped them and called
Israeli soldiers who expelled them from their lands. On Monday and Tuesday, the bulldozers,
continued to raze areas of land. The
bulldozers razed at least 5 dunums[1]
of Palestinian land.

 

On 18 July 2011, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Maghroun” settlement, southeast of Ramallah, attacked 3
Palestinian shepherds from Mikhmas village. The settlers used stones and sharp tools in their attack. As a result, two shepherds were injured.

 

On 19 July 2011, IOF moved into
al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron. They
dismantled irrigation network from Palestinian agricultural plots and
confiscated them. According to various
sources, IOF dismantled irrigation networks that covered a 25-donum area of
agricultural land planted with grapes and vegetables belonging to the al-Rajabi
family. This operation has been the
fourth of its kind since the beginning of this year in this area, which is
located near bypass road #60. 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (07 – 13 July 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 14 July 2011

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Til village, southwest of
Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Mohammed Ibrahim ‘Assida, 23.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Zawata village, west of
Nablus. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Zaher Sidqi Mousa, 35, and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a patient and
a child:

 

1. Ahmed ‘Ali
‘Awadh, 19, who is sick;

2. Wassim Jamal
Bahar, 16; and

3. ‘Ali Mohammed
Abu ‘Ayash, 25.

 

During the house raids, Israeli soldiers violently beat ‘Aawadh’s
father. He sustained bruises to the
right leg. They also pushed the mother
towards the wall, and she fainted.

 

· At approximately 03:30, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
tunnel on the Egyptian border near Saladin Gate in the south of Rafah. The tunnel was destroyed and a worker,
Mohammed Ibrahim al-Bayouk, 21, from Khan Yunis, was missing. Palestinian medical crews were able to find
his body at approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 16 July 2011. Additionally, 5 Palestinians were wounded:

 

1. Jamal Ahmed
Shurrab, 18, a worker from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body
and sustained burns to the face;

2. Fadel Jaber
al-Ra’ei, 18, a worker from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel throughout the
body;

3. Majdi Mohammed
Abu Samaha, 25, a worker from Beit Lahia, wounded by shrapnel to the left leg;

4. Mohammed ‘Aatef
al-Jamal, 29, from Rafah, wounded by shrapnel to the left leg and sustained
bruises to the chest; and

5. Wa’el ‘Azmi Abu
Zuhri, 40, from Rafah, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body and sustained
fractures to the left shoulder.

 

· At approximately 10:00, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Deir
al-Balah seashore in the central Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats that were accompanied by an international solidarity boat – Olivia. They also used water hoses against
Olivia. As a result of these attacks, 3
Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing nearly 5 nautical miles offshore
were damaged:

 

1. A boat
belonging to Rajab Mohammed al-Hissi, from Gaza City;

2. A boat belonging
to ‘Ali Mohammed Kabaja, from al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City; and

3. A boat
belonging to Sa’id Mohammed Abu Riala, from al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City.

 

· Also at approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Turmos’iya village,
north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 10:45, IOF moved into al-Zawia village, west of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
and stopped and questioned a number of Palestinian civilians. They withdrew later and neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into ‘Obwin village, northwest of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:10, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:20, IOF moved into Bedya village, northwest of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:25, IOF moved into Mas’ha village, northwest of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported. 

 

· At approximately 23:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a
training site of al-Ahrar Movement in the west of the southern Gaza Strip town
of Khan Yunis. The site was damaged, but
no casualties were reported. 

 

Friday,
15 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) to
the west of al-Maqqoussi housing project in the northwest of Gaza City. Two Palestinian children were shocked.

 

· At approximately 00:05, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in
the southwest of Gaza City. The site was
heavily damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 00:05, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in
the west of Gaza City. The site was
heavily damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 03:20, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
tunnel near Saladin Gate on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 03:20, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
tunnel at the Egyptian border near Yibna refugee camp in Rafah. No casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into Bitillu village, northwest
of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 13:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-‘Ouja village, east of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Fassayel village, north of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported. 

 

Saturday, 16 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, an Israeli drone fired a missile at an
activist of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in the east
of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. He was wounded by shrapnel to the back and the right foot.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ematin village, east of
Qalailya. They raided a house belonging
to the family of Majdi Ibrahim Sawan, 23, and summoned him for interrogation.

 

· At approximately 01:50, IOF moved into al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiya
village, northwest of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya. They raided a
number of houses and summoned 4 Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

 

· At approximately 10:45, IOF moved into Ematin village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 13:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 21:25, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit
Lahia seashore in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats. Palestinian fishermen were forced
to sail back to the beach and no casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 21:50, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported. 

 

Sunday, 17 July 2011

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taffouh village, west of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Tariq ‘Abdul
Karim Erzaiqat, 22;

2. Fahmi Yousef
al-Tarda, 21; and

3. Majdi Ahmed
al-Tarda, 20.

 

· At approximately 09:40, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into the east
of al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian land along
the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They moved back to the border at approximately 17:30.

 

· At approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Qaryout village, southeast
of Nablus. They patrolled in the streets
and violently beat Yazid Sarham Kassab, 30, who is physically disabled. At approximately 17:00, they stopped two
children: ‘Abada Mo’men Mousa, 14; and Hamza Mohammed Mousa, 14. They handcuffed and blindfolded ‘Abada. His mother intervened to prevent them from
arresting him, but they told her that they would release him in 10
minutes. However, they later took him
away from the area. She and other
civilians attempted to stop Israeli soldiers, who immediately fired tear gas
canisters at them. IOF released ‘Abada at
approximately 23:30 on the same day.

 

· Also at approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They raided a house belonging to the family
of Anees Fares ‘Amawi, 27, and summoned him for interrogation.

 

Monday, 18 July 2011

 

· At approximately 01:25, IOF moved into Far’ata village, east of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:40, IOF moved nearly 250 meters into the east
of Khuza’a village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land along
the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They moved back to the border at approximately 07:00.

 

· At approximately 02:00, an Israeli drone fired a missile at a group
of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in Khuza’a
village, east of Khan Yunis. As a
result, two members of the group were wounded, one of whom was in a serious
condition.

 

· At approximately 02:20, IOF moved into Safa village, north of
Hebron. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Ahmed ‘Abdul Fattah al-Teet, 21, who suffers from
diabetes, and arrested him. 

 

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into ‘Attil village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
and established a checkpoint on the road linking between Tulkarm and its
northern villages. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. They withdrew later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 14:00, following the funeral procession of a dead
Palestinian in the Islamic Cemetery in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron,
Israeli soldiers positioned at the nearby major entrance of the town fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at Palestinian
civilians. As a result, ‘Emad Ahmed Abu
Hashem, 21, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet. Soon after, Palestinian boys threw stones at
IOF, and limited clashes erupted between the two sides. Israeli soldiers attacked Mousa Mahmoud Abu Hashashm
56, and Manal al-Ja’abari, 25, field workers of B’Tselem, and Mohammed ‘Ayad
‘Awadh, 48, an activist against Israeli settlement activities. Israeli soldiers fired a tear gas canister
near al-Ja’bari, detonated a sound bomb near Abu Hashash and pushed ‘Awadh
several times. They also prevented the
three activists from photographing the scene. 

 

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast
of Bethlehem. They raided, searched a
house belonging to the family of Sabri Mousa Jebrin, 21, and arrested him. According to the detainee’s brother, Tariq,
32, Israeli soldiers stormed his house and his father’s house in al-Sarra
quarter. The masked soldiers broke the
door and entered his house. The damaged
contents of the house and terrified the family. Israeli soldiers forced him out of the house while they were searching
it.

 

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of ‘Ali ‘Ali Dummaj, 22, and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Tallouza village, northeast
of Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Hussam ‘Abdullah Abu Shaqra, 52, and his son,
Rami, 23. They also stolen golden
jewels, whose value is estimated at 5,000 Jordanian dinars (approximately US$
7,000). 

 

Wednesday, 20 July 2011

 

· At approximately
00:30, Israeli warplanes bombarded a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades
(the armed wing of Hamas) in the west of al-Shujaieya neighborhood in the east
of Gaza City.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into al-Quds Street in the
northwest of Hebron. They raided and
searched a car store belonging to Nizam and Mowaffaq al-Haimouni. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

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 in the
West Bank. As a result, a Palestinian civilian
was wounded dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders suffered
from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises. IOF also arrested two Palestinian civilians
and an Israeli human rights defender.        

   

· On Friday morning, 15 July 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall.  Israeli
soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs
and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, Eyad Mohammed Bernat, 38, was wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet to the right leg. Additionally,
a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and others
sustained bruises.

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 15 July 2011, 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 annexation wall. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises as they were
beaten by Israeli soldiers. 

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 15 July 2011, 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. As a result, a number
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  Additionally, IOF arrested 3 demonstrators,
including an Israeli human right defender: Eyad ‘Abdul Karim Tamimi, 41, who
was released on the following day morning; ‘Alaa’Abu Shousha, 21; and Eyala,
35, an Israeli human rights defender. IOF also turned the roof of a house belonging to Yasser Tamimi into a
military site. They left the house at
approximately 18:30.  

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 15 July 2011, dozens of
Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Lufor Qaddoum
village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest to the continued closure of the
entrance of the village by IOF. Israeli
soldiers prevented the demonstrators from getting close to the entrance. The demonstrators dispersed at approximately
14:00, and no casualties or arrests were reported.

 

· On Saturday morning, 16 July 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians
organized a peaceful demonstration in Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus, in
protest to the confiscation of their lands and attacks by Israeli
settlers. The demonstrators moved
towards the east of the village, where IOF had confiscated areas of land. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas
canisters and sound bombs at them. A
number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.   

 

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 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. The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian
crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the
Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the blockade are vague,
purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis, which can
only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure,
including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on
exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply shifting Gaza
to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become internationally
accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from
the same shortage of goods, but they will remain economically dependent and
unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically
isolated from the rest of the world.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

06 –
19 July 2011

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

13 –
19  July 2011

 

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

· On Wednesday, 13 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 36 tons of construction
iron and 2,310 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 546 tons of
straws, 897 tons of fodders and 117 tons of wheat.

 

· On Thursday, 14 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 120 tons of
cement, 1,050 tons of construction aggregate and 66 tons of construction iron
for UNDP, and 40 tons of construction iron for the Palestinian Water
Authority. They also allowed the entry
of 117 tons of wheat and 468 tons of fodders.

 

· On Sunday, 17 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 200 tons of
cement, 57 tons of construction iron and 3,448 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 468 tons of fodders and 40 tons of
wheat.

 

· On Monday, 18 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 520 tons of
cement, 121 tons of construction iron and 2,240 tons of construction aggregate
for UNRWA, and 80 tons of cement for UNDP. They also allowed the entry of 468 tons of fodders. 

 

· On Tuesday, 19 July 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 576 tons of
cement and 96 tons of construction iron for UNRWA, and 64 tons of cement and
1,610 of construction aggregate for UNDP. They also allowed the entry of 1,131 tons of fodders. 

 

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

13 –
19 July 2011

 

 

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.    

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah.  At approximately 05:00 on Thursday, 14 July
2011, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 08:00 on Friday, 15 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near
the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.       

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 08:55 on Thursday, 14 July 2011,
IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. On
Friday, 15 July 2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Saturday, 16 July 2011, IOF established 3
checkpoints around the town. At
approximately 09:45 on Sunday, 17 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at
Jeet intersection, northeast of Qalqilya. On Monday, 18 July 2011, IOF established 3 checkpoints around the town      

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 16 July
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at Misliya intersection, south of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 15:00 on Sunday, 17 July
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit Leed intersection, east of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.  At approximately
09:30 on Monday, 18 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the southern
entrance of Tulkarm. At approximately
11:50 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at Qiffin intersection,
north of Tulkarm. At approximately 16:30
on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near Bal’a intersection, east of
Tulkarm. On Tuesday evening, 19 July
2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  

 

· Jericho: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 17:30 on
Saturday, 16 July 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Jiftlek
village, north of Jericho. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Wednesday noon, 20 July 2011, IOF
established a number of checkpoints in the south and east of Hebron. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· At approximately 11:00 on Friday, 15 July 2011, Israeli soldiers
patrolling the south of Hebron arrested ‘Izziddin Mohammed Yaghmour, 17,
claiming that he was carrying a small knife.

 

Harassments at Military Checkpoints

 

· At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 09 July 2011, Israeli soldiers
arrested 3 Palestinian workers who attempted to enter Israel near ‘Azzoun ‘Atma
village, southeast of Qalailya, after chasing them for an hour. Israeli soldiers violently beat the workers
and handcuffed and blindfolded them. They then transported them to a military post near Wadi Qana area,
northwest of Salfit, where the Israeli police questioned them. The three workers are: Tariq Fayez Dwaikat,
30; Haitham Tawfiq Tayeh, 32, both from Iraq al-Tayeh village east of Nablus;
and Mazen Mohammed Naji, 20, from ‘Anabta village east of Tulkarm.

 

· On Monday afternoon, 11 July 2011, Israeli soldiers stationed at
the eastern entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, stopped and beat
Anwar Khaled Sabarna, 37; Younis Yousef ‘Allami, 25; and Sufian Mahmoud Bahar,
22. Israeli soldiers held the three
civilians for nearly 25 minutes, during which time the beat them by hands, feet
and gun butts. The three civilians
sustained bruises. 

 

· At approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 30 June 2011, Israeli soldiers
patrolling in the old town of Hebron arrested Mohammed ‘Aadel Abu ‘Ayash, 15,
claiming that he was carrying a knife.

 

· At approximately 11:00 on Sunday, 03 July 2011, Israeli soldiers
stationed at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, arrested Murad Ahmed Shadid,
21, a university student from ‘Allar village north of Tulkarm. 

 

4. 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.

 

· At approximately 11:00 on Friday, 15 July 2011, at least 10 Israeli
settlers from “Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, set fire to olive trees
in al-Khirnaqa area in the south of Bourin village. Palestinian fire fighters were able to
extinguish fire, but after at least 3,000 olives trees had been burnt.

 

· On Sunday morning, 17 July 2011, bulldozers belonging to Israeli
settlers razed large areas of Palestinian land in the east of Sa’ir village,
northeast of Hebron, for the purpose of expanding “Asfar” settlement to the
east of the village. These areas of land
belong to the Shalalda family. When
owners of the land attempted to stop such attacks on their lands, armed Israeli
settlers stopped them and called Israeli soldiers who expelled them from their
lands. On Monday and Tuesday, the
bulldozers, continued to raze areas of land. By Tuesday noon, 19 July 2011, the bulldozers had razed at least 5
dunums[2]
of Palestinian land.

 

· At approximately 08:00 on Monday, 18 July 2011, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Maghroun” settlement, southeast of Ramallah, attacked 3
Palestinian shepherds from Mikhmas village. The settlers used stones and sharp tools in their attack. As a result, two shepherds were injured:

 

1. Najat Muhareb
Abu ‘Ali, 42, sustained a fracture to the left hand and injuries to the head;
and

2. Ahmed ‘Abbas
Abu ‘Ali, 42, injured throughout the body.

 

· At approximately 07:30 on Tuesday, 19 July 2011, IOF moved into
al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron. They
dismantled irrigation network from Palestinian agricultural plots and
confiscated them. According to various
sources, IOF dismantled irrigation networks that covered a 25-donum area of
agricultural land planted with grapes and vegetables belonging to the al-Rajabi
family. This operation has been the
fourth of its kind since the beginning of this year in this area, which is
located near bypass road #60. 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

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).