Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate
Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT)
· 9
Palestinians killed by IOF in the West Bank.
· 41
Palestinian civilians, including 13 children, were wounded by IOF gunfire.
· IOF
continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, especially the northern
area.
· IOF
conducted 43 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2
into the Gaza Strip.
· For
the first time since their redeployment from the Gaza Strip, IOF razed 20 dunums[1]
of agricultural land in al-Qarara village near Khan Yunis.
· 77
Palestinian civilians, including 6 children and a woman, were arrested by IOF.
· IOF
have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have continued to close
border crossings of the Gaza Strip; the north of the West Bank has been
separated from the south; and IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians at
checkpoints in the West Bank.
Summary
Israeli
violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period
(11–17 May 2006):
Killing: During the reported
period, IOF killed 9 Palestinians in the West Bank. On Sunday, 14 May 2006, IOF killed 5
Palestinians, including 2 brothers in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. One of these Palestinians was killed when he
exchanged gunfire with IOF; his brother was killed when he attempted to
evacuate him; a third Palestinian was killed when IOF fired shots at stone
throwers; and the remaining two Palestinians, who were the target of this
attack, were killed when IOF shelled the house where they were hiding in and
partially demolished it over them. On the
same day, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian General Intelligence Services,
while he was guarding the headquarters in Jenin. In Nablus, IOF killed 3 Palestinian militants in two
separate incidents. One of these
militants was killed by IOF in the old town of Nablus on 12 May 2006, and the
other two militants were killed when IOF surrounded a house where they were hiding
and opened fire at them. An old
Palestinian man also died from a heart attack during the last IOF operation in
Nablus.
It is worth noting that IOF have killed 110 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, including 17 children, since the beginning of this year, in
comparison to 84 Palestinian during the same period in 2005. At least 49 of these Palestinians were
extra-judicially executed by IOF. This
is an indicator of the escalation in Israeli operations in the OPT, despite
redeployment of IOF troops from inside the Gaza Strip.
During the
reported period, 41 Palestinians, including 13 children, were wounded by IOF
gunfire. In the West Bank, 25 Palestinians were wounded by IOF during
incursions into Palestinian communities, and 10 others were wounded when IOF
used force to disperse peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the
construction of the Annexation Wall. In
the Gaza Strip, 4 members of the Palestinian resistance were wounded, when an
IOF drone shelled their car. A passing
girl was also wounded in the attack. In
addition, a farmer was wounded when IOF shelled the northern Gaza Strip.
Incursions:
During the reported period, IOF
repeatedly moved into Nablus. IOF also conducted
43 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses
and arrested 77 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children and a woman. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two
incursions into the south and north of the Gaza Strip, during which they razed
20 dunums of agricultural land in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan
Yunis. These incursions have been the
first since the IOF’s redeployment from inside the Gaza Strip to the borders,
which further proves PCHR’s position that the Israeli occupation is still
effective in the Gaza Strip.
Restrictions on
Movement: IOF have continued to
impose a comprehensive siege on the OPT, in violation of civil, political,
economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians.
IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the
Gaza Strip, transforming it into a large prison. IOF have continued to
monitor the movement of Palestinian civilians through Rafah International
Crossing Point on the Egyptian border. Although IOF have allowed the
transportation of food aid from Egypt into the Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom
commercial crossing, southeast of Rafah, the crossing has not yet been
officially opened. IOF have also continued to prevent Palestinian workers
from the Gaza Strip from reaching their work places in Israel through Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing. They have continued to prevent hundreds of
thousands of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip from traveling to the West
Bank. IOF have partially operated al-Mentar (Karni)
commercial crossing, east of Gaza City. Since the beginning of this year,
IOF have closed the crossing for 62 separate days completely and 70 days
partially. As a result of the repeated
closures of the crossing, the economic conditions in the Gaza Strip have
deteriorated. During the reported
period, IOF arrested two Palestinian fishermen while they were fishing near
Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on
Palestinian communities in 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 the
north and south of the West Bank. For
this purpose, they have closed Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, and
re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. They have also erected two new checkpoints
near Ramallah. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various
checkpoints around Nablus imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West
Bank abused a number of Palestinian civilians. During the reported
period, IOF positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested two Palestinian
civilians.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (11–17 May 2006)
Download the full
report here.
