On the Eve of Palestinian Legislative Elections:

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue to
Perpetrate Human Rights Violations throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT)

· 3
Palestinians, including 1 child, killed by IOF.

· 4
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, wounded by IOF. 

· IOF
conducted 88 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

· Houses
were raided and 65 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children and 3 females,
were arrested by IOF in the West Bank.

· 9
children detained by IOF in the Gaza Strip, while attempting to infiltrate into
Israel.

· 6
West Bank houses transformed by IOF into military sites.

· IOF
have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have imposed severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and election candidates
in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; IOF have arrested 14 candidates and
campaign activists; IOF have imposed a partial closure on the Gaza Strip; and
IOF arrested 2 Palestinian children at checkpoints in the West Bank.

· IOF
have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank. 11
demonstrators injured by IOF in Beilin; 3 houses in Jenin bulldozed by IOF.

Summary

Despite announcing that IOF would not initiate
military actions in the OPT due to the Palestinian elections, IOF continued to
conduct incursions, carry out arrests, and impose movement restrictions
throughout the West Bank. In addition,
IOF killed one child following their announcement. 

Israeli violations of international law in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (19 – 25
January 2006):

Killing: During
the reported period, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians in clear incidents of
excessive use of force.  On 19 January 2006, IOF killed a Palestinian in
an area north of Hebron. IOF claimed
that the victim was attempting to throw a Molotov cocktail bomb at a patrol in
the area. And on 21 January 2006, IOF
killed a civilian and injured 2 more as they attempted to infiltrate into
Israel in order to look for work. On 23
January 2006, IOF killed a Palestinian child from Al-Mughayer village, east of
Ramallah. The child was killed following
the IOF announcement of halting their military operations in the OPT. In addition, 4 Palestinian, including 2
children, were injured during the reporting period.    

Incursions: IOF
conducted 88 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West
Bank.  During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 65
Palestinian civilians, including 6 children and 3 females.  IOF also
transformed 6 houses into military sites.  In addition, IOF detained 9
children attempting to infiltrate into the Israel from 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 big prison.  Rafah International Crossing Point on
the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world,
has been partially reopened.  The crossing point is operated for 8 hours a
day only.  IOF reopened Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for a limited
number of workers after closing it for a month.  The crossing’s operation
was handed to a private company, a step PCHR fears will lead to transforming it
into an international border crossing. IOF continued to close al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing,
east of Gaza City, since 15 January 2006.   

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  They have imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. 
IOF continue to prevent residents of Jenin and Tulkarm from passing through
Za’tara checkpoint since 15 August 2005. Over the past 3 weeks, IOF have prevented northern West Bank residents,
apart from a few humanitarian cases, from passing through the checkpoint. Restrictions were imposed on the movement of
PLC candidates campaign activities throughout the West Bank, including East
Jerusalem. In addition, most of them
were prevented from commuting between the Gaza Strip and West Bank, and between
the West Bank and East Jerusalem. IOF
detained 5 PLC candidates and 9 campaign activists. In addition, IOF detained 2 children at
checkpoints in the West Bank.

Annexation Wall: IOF have
continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank
territory.  During the reported period, IOF continued to raze areas of
land to the east of “Shavi Shomron” settlement, northwest of Nablus,
to establish a wall around it.  IOF demolished 3 houses in Jenin under the
pretext that they are close to the Wall. IOF used excessive force to disperse a peaceful demonstration by Palestinian
civilians, international solidarity activists, and Israeli peace activists in
Bal’ein. 11 demonstrators were injured,
and a Palestinian and an Israeli were detained. IOF continued to impose
restrictions on movement on both sides of the Wall, which led to preventing PLC
candidates from campaigning in communities beyond the Wall.  

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting
Period (19 – 25 January 2006)

Download the full report
here.