Israeli soldiers detain a
Palestinian man during clashes in the Safa village near Hebron

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

 

 

· A
member of the Palestinian resistance was killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

 

· 3
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in
the West Bank.

 

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

 

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

 

· IOF
conducted 15 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and a
limited one into the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
arrested 22 civilians, including 4 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 in the West Bank arrested 3
Palestinian civilians.

 

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

 

· IOF
seized a 7-donum[1]
area of Palestinian land in the vicinity of the “Ramat Yishai”
settlement outpost in the center of Hebron.

 

· Israeli
settlers burnt two cars belonging to Palestinian civilians in Jainsafout
village, east of Qalqilya. 

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (15 – 21
April 2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and one
civilian in the Gaza Strip, and wounded two civilians, including a child, in
the West Bank.

 

On 16 April 2010, a member of the Palestinian
resistance was killed in the Gaza Strip during armed clashes with Israeli
troops that moved into al-Shoja’eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. 

 

On 20 April 2010, a Palestinian worker was wounded
when Israeli troops fired at a number of workers who were collecting bricks and
construction aggregate in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

On 20 April 2010, Israeli gunboats fired at Palestinian
fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

 

On the same day, IOF fired at a number of Palestinian
civilians and international solidarity activists who organized a peaceful
protest against the establishment of a buffer zone along the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel. No casualties
were reported.

 

In the West Bank, two Palestinian civilians,
including a child, were wounded by IOF in al-Far’a refugee camp, south of
Tubas, and in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

 

IOF also used excessive force against peaceful
protests organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human
rights defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement
activities in the West Bank. 

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 15 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 22 Palestinian civilians,
including 4 children. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited
incursion into the east of al-Shoja’eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza
City. 

 

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

 

Israel had continuously closed all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years. The Israeli-imposed siege
of Gaza, 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 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 two and a half 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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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 two and a half 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, 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 around 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.

 

· During
the reporting period, Israeli troop stationed at military checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

Settlement Activities: Israel has continued its settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international
humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.  

 

On 15 April 2010, IOF delivered notices to a number
of Palestinian families in the Tal al-Rumaida neighborhood in central Hebron,
announcing the seizure of 5 tracts of land near their houses, supposedly out of
security considerations. The area of
land, a total of 7 donums, belongs to the heirs of Mahmoud Khamis al-Saheb. 

 

On 16 April 2010, Israeli settlers burnt two cars belonging
to Palestinian civilians in Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. 

 

On Wednesday, 21 April 2010, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Ariel” settlement near Salfit threw stones at
Palestinian civilian vehicles near Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit. No injuries were reported. 

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (15 – 21 April 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
15 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Koubar village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Khaldoun al-Barghouthi, 26, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested two Palestinian children:

 

1. Ma’ath ‘Ali Sabbah, 17; and

2. Fadi Hashem Sabbah, 17.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of
houses. Israeli soldiers ordered Jalal
Jamal Mubarak, 21, who was waiting near his house for a car to take him to
work, to come over to them. Mubarak was
afraid and ran away. Immediately, they
fired at him. He was wounded by a gunshot
to the right thigh. IOF then arrested
him. They further arrested 6 Palestinian
civilians, including a child:

 

1. Isma’il Fayez ‘Awadh, 18;

2. Nour Mohammed ‘Olayan, 22;

3. ‘Odai Hassan Tayeh, 20;

4. Hamza ‘Abdullah ‘Ouda, 18;

5. ‘Omar Riad Khrais, 17; and

6. ‘Emad Riad Khrais, 19.

 

· At
approximately 03:30, IOF moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of
Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Hamada Farouq Bahr al-Dam, 30;

2. Jihad Mahmoud Derbas, 20; and

3. Munjed ‘Omar al-Shantir, 21.

 

Friday, 16 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Ma’sara village, south of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
house belonging to Mohammed Ahmed Braijiya, Coordinator of the Popular
Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem. They threatened to arrest him in case he
continued organizing peaceful protests against the wall and settlement
activities.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into the east of al-Shoja’eya
neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. A
number of Palestinian resistance activists exchanged fire with IOF. During the exchange of fire, a resistance
activist, 23-year-old Mohammed Mohammed Mahmoud Eslim, was killed. IOF redeployed outside the area at
approximately 11:30.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into al-Walaja village, northwest of
Bethlehem. They raided a house belonging
to the family of Hatem al-Aa’raj, who had been detained by IOF. Dozens of people were in the house to express
solidarity with the family. IOF arrested
3 of them, including a child:

 

1. Mo’tassem ‘Omran Hajajla, 21;

2. Mohammed ‘Omran Hajajla, 17; and

3. Rami Rafeeq Hajajla, 18.

 

Saturday, 17 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 12:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They surrounded the yard of the Zahrat
al-Mada’en School before an assembly organized by the Solidarity Project in
support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal
bullets and tear gas canisters at the yard, which provoked Palestinian
civilians in the area. Clashes erupted
between Palestinian boys and Israeli troops, during which Yazan ‘Emad Slaibi,
17, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head. In the afternoon, Israeli troops detained and
violently beat 15-year-old Savri Ibrahim ‘Awadh. He sustained bruises all over his body.

 

Sunday, 18 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Doha village, west of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Mahmoud Khalil ‘Izziya, 26.

 

· Also
at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-‘Azza refugee camp, north of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and summoned a number of Palestinian civilians for
interrogation.

 

· Also
at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into ‘Aida refugee camp, north of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and summoned a number of Palestinian civilians for
interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Hawwara village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Shadi Jihad al-Hawari, 21.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, northeast of
Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 04:00, IOF moved into al-Thawri neighborhood in the old town of
East Jerusalem. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Tamer Nayef Jwaihan, 19;

2. Mahmoud Ayoub al-Shwaiki, 21;

3. Mohammed al-Taweel, 32; and

4. ‘Awadh Eskafi, 19.

 

Tuesday, 20 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 07:05, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia opened fire at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting bricks and construction aggregate from
former Israeli settlement areas. As a result, Ahmed Mohammed Jaber, 24, from
Beit Lahia, was wounded by two bullets to the feet.

 

· At
approximately 08:30, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit Lahia beach in
the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats. The fishing boats were forced to sail back to
the beach and no casualties or damage were reported.

 

· At
approximately 11:50, about 150 Palestinian civilians and international
solidarity activists and a number of journalists gathered at al-‘Atatra
intersection in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, to organize a
peaceful protest against the establishment of a buffer zone along the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They
traveled in buses that later stopped 700 meters from the border. Some protestors walked towards the border and
stopped 100 meters from it. A number of
them raised the Palestinian national flag on a hill in the area. At approximately 12:20, Israeli troops
stationed at the border fired at the protestors. No casualties were reported. According to Saber al-Za’anin, Coordinator of
the Local Initiative, the protest was conducted in the context of weekly
peaceful protests organized against the establishment of a buffer zone along
the northern and eastern border of the Gaza Strip, which would seize areas of
Palestinian land.

 

· At
approximately 22:00, Israeli tanks stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel fired at least 15 shells at agricultural areas in the east of
Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.  

 

Wednesday, 21 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Khalil Ibrahim Yassin, 16, to arrest him, but did not find him at
home. A number of international human
rights defenders arrived at the house to prevent Israeli troops from arresting
the child.

 

2. Use of Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations

 

IOF have continued to
construct the Annexation Wall and inside West Bank territory.  During the
reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in
protest of the construction of the Wall and settlement activities.

  

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 16 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah. The
demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to to access annexed lands
behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound
bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation, and some of them sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 16 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration
in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the
Annexation Wall. They clashed with IOF
troops positioned near the Wall. IOF
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 09 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Nabil Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, protesting against
land confiscation in the Wad al-Raya area between the villages of Nabi Saleh
and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators
attempted to reach 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,
dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other
sustained bruises.

 

3. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

Israel has 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 more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, 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 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 two and a half 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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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 two and a half years. 

 

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

 

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

14 – 20 April 2010

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

14 – 20 April 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: Israel partially
opened the crossing on Wednesday, 14 April 2010, and allowed the entry of 1,989
tons of wheat and 1,872 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

14 – 20 April 2010

 

 

The
West Bank

 

Israel
has imposed a tightened siege 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. IOF troops
positioned at the Jaba’ and Qalandya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have
imposed additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks on
Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Sunday morning, 18 April 2010, IOF established a checkpoint in ‘Oyoun
al-Haramiya area on Nablus-Ramallah road. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Sunday mornings, 18 April 2010,
Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, imposed
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Tuesday morning, 20 April 2010, Israeli
troops stationed at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.   

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday morning, 15 April 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of al-Ras village, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 15:00, IOF closed Jebara
Gate in the Annexation Wall, south of Tulkarm. They prohibited the movement of Palestinian civilians through the gate,
including those who have permits. 

 

· Hebron: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period,
Israeli troops stationed at B-56 checkpoint at the northern entrance of
al-Shuhada Street imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. They conducted
prolonged checks on civilians. On
Saturday, 17 April 2010, IOF imposed a tightened closure on Beit Ummar village,
north of Hebron. They prevented
international solidarity activists from entering the village. 

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 15:00 on Thursday, 15 April 2010, Israeli troops stationed at
Hawwara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested 3 Palestinians from al-Far’a
refugee camp south of Tubas, who were passing through the checkpoint:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Omar Nabhan, 22;

2. Thabet Mohammed Ja’aisa, 22; and

3. ‘Alaa’ Mohammed Abu Habeeb, 22.

4.  

 

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
noon on Thursday, 15 April 2010, IOF delivered notices to a number of
Palestinian families in the Tal al-Rumaida neighborhood in central Hebron,
announcing the seizure of 5 tracts of land near their houses, supposedly out of
security considerations. The area of
land, a total of 7 donums, belongs to the heirs of Mahmoud Khamis
al-Saheb. Since the establishment of
the “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost in the neighborhood, IOF have
imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the
area. Israeli settlers have also
repeatedly attacked Palestinian homes.

 

· At
approximately 02:00 on Friday, 16 April 2010, a number of Israeli settlers
traveling in a small car entered Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. They stopped their car near a house belonging
to ‘Abdullah Hassan ‘Annash. A few
minutes later, people in the area heard an explosion. When they got out of their houses to see what
had happened, they saw ‘Annash’s car burning. The settlers immediately moved towards the entrance of the village. There, they burnt another car belonging to
Mohammed Hassan Bashir. They then moved
towards “Qidoumim” settlement. 

 

· At
approximately 07:15 on Wednesday, 21 April 2010, a number of Israeli settlers
from “Ariel” settlement near Salfit threw stones at Palestinian
civilian vehicles near Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit. No injuries were reported. 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

 

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 ([email protected])
or telephone (+972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893).