Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate
Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT), Especially in the Gaza Strip

 

 

· 23 Palestinians, including one civilian, were killed by IOF
in the Gaza Strip.

 

· 10 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.

 

· 8 of the victims were killed by IOF during an offensive on
al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip.

 

· 32 Palestinians were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the Gaza
Strip, and 9 persons, including an American human rights defender, were wounded
by IOF in the West Bank.

 

· IOF invaded al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip

 

· IOF razed 133 donums[1]
of agricultural land.

 

· IOF partially destroyed 10 houses and arrested one
Palestinian.

 

· IOF transformed a number of houses into military sites.

 

· IOF conducted 24 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.

 

· IOF arrested 87 Palestinian civilians, including a member
of the Palestinian Legislative Council, in the West Bank.

 

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

 

· IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and
a humanitarian crisis has emerged.

 

· IOF prevented at least 150 Palestinian pilgrims to travel
through Erez crossing.

 

· IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.

 

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

 

· IOF demolished a house in Jerusalem.

 

· Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian farmer in Nablus.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (13 – 26 December 2007):

 

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed
23 Palestinians. Ten of the victims were extra-judicially executed in 3 IOF air
strikes in less than 9 hours at the eve of the Eid al-Adha. The victims were
all members of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad).
Additionally, 10 civilian bystanders were wounded.

 

On 20 December 2007,
IOF killed 8 members of the Palestinian resistance during an incursion into
al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip. Additionally, 21 Palestinians,
including a woman, 2 children and 2 journalists, were wounded.

 

On 18 December 2007,
an IOF air strike killed 2 police officers in Rafah. On 21 December 2007, IOF
killed a member of the Palestinian resistance in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan
Yunis. On 24 December 2007, IOF killed 2 members of the Palestinian resistance
in al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

 

On 23 December 2007, a
Palestinian civilian was wounded by a gunshot fired by IOF, when he was on his
land in the east of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip.

 

In the West Bank, 13
Palestinian civilians and an American human rights defender were wounded by IOF
gunfire.

 

On 14 and 21 December
2007, 9 Palestinian civilians and an American human rights defender were
wounded when IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations in Bal’ein
village, west of Ramallah, organized in protest to the construction of the
Annexation Wall. On 14 December 2007, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF
gunfire near the Annexation Wall to the south of Hebron. On 23 December 2007,
IOF troops positioned at a checkpoint near Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron,
wounded and arrested a Palestinian civilian. On 24 December 2007, 2 Palestinian
children were wounded by IOF gunfire in ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.  

 

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 24 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 87 Palestinian civilians,
including 2 children, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, 2
members of the municipal council of Nablus and 3 university professors. Thus, the
number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of
this year has mounted to 2,640.

 

In the Gaza Strip, on
20 December 2007, the second day of the Eid al-Adha, IOF moved into al-Musaddar
village in the central Gaza Strip. During this incursion, IOF killed 8
Palestinians and wounded 21 others. They also razed 73 donums of agricultural
land and partially destroyed 10 houses. Additionally, IOF arrested a
Palestinian civilian. On 21 December 2007, an IOF infantry unit moved into
‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. During this incursion, IOF troops killed a
member of the Palestinian resistance. 

 

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

 

IOF have continued to close all border crossings of
the Gaza Strip for nearly 18 months. The total siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza
Strip has left disastrous impacts on the humanitarian situation and has
violated the economic and social rights of the Palestinian civilian population,
particularly the rights to appropriate living conditions, health and education.
It has also paralyzed most economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions
have been imposed on the movement of the Palestinian civilian population.
Moreover, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip has severely impacted the flow of
food, medical supplies and other necessities such as fuel, construction
materials and raw materials for various economic sectors. IOF have further
tightened the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza
Strip, and the living and economic conditions of Palestinian civilians have
further deteriorated. On 19 September 2007, the Israeli government declared the
Gaza Strip as “a hostile entity” and accordingly measures of collective
punishment against Gaza escalated. Since that time, IOF have limited the goods
exported to the Gaza Strip to only 9 basic materials. As a consequence, local
markets ran out of many goods, which caused a sharp increase in prices, which
mounted to 500% for some goods. IOF have banned the flow of some medicines, furniture,
electrical appliances and cigarettes into the Gaza Strip, and have decreased
the amounts of some goods allowed into the Gaza Strip, such as fruits, milk and
some dairy products.

 

West Bank

 

IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. Thousands
of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied
access to Jerusalem. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside
the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate
on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often
violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and
enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed 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 also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and
intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF troops
positioned at checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested at
least 3 Palestinian civilians.

 

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement
activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of
international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians
and property. During the reporting period, IOF demolished a Palestinian house
in Wad al-Jouz neighborhood in East Jerusalem. A number of Israeli settlers
also attacked a Palestinian farmer in Til village, southwest of Nablus,
injuring him.

 

 

Israeli Violations Documented
during the Reporting Period (13 – 26 December 2007)

 

The
full report is available PDF format.