Israeli
soldiers arrest an Israeli human rights defender during the weekly peaceful
demonstration against the construction of the annexation wall in Nabi Saleh
village, northwest of Ramallah

 

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

 

 

· A Palestinian
was wounded and arrested by IOF in Qalqilya.

 

· Israeli
warplanes bombarded a chicken farm in the central Gaza Strip, killing 3,500
chicks.

 

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

– 4 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded.

– IOF arrested 6
international human rights defenders.

 

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

– Two fishing boats were damaged.

 

· IOF conducted 38
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two limited ones
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 12
Palestinian civilians, including two children.

 

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

– IOF arrested
two Palestinian civilians, 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 demolished 8 houses to the south of Hebron.

– At least 30 dunums of agricultural land planted with olives were
burnt.

– Israeli settlers damaged two houses and a car in Kufor Hares
village, north of Salfit.

– Israeli settlers violently beat a Palestinian civilian in Hebron..

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (16 – 22 June 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, 5
Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF in the West Bank. 

 

On 19 June 2011, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded and arrested by IOF in the northern West Bank town of
Qalqilya. IOF claimed that he attempted
to stab an Israeli soldier. 

 

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, 4
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded, and dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation.  IOF also arrested 6
international human rights defenders.

 

During the reporting period, Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip in 3
separate incidents. In one of these
attacks, two Palestinian fishing boats were damaged.

 

On 22 June 2011, Israeli warplanes
bombarded a chicken farm in the central Gaza Strip. The farm was damaged and 3,500 chicks were
killed. IOF claimed that a tunnel was
dug under the farm.

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 12
Palestinian civilians, including two children. 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two limited incursions into Palestinian areas in
the 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 10 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 46 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 16 June 2011, fire broke out in
agricultural plots planted with olives belonging to the families of ‘Abbadi and
al-Kilani to the southwest of Jenin. According to eyewitnesses, who accused IOF of responsibility for the
incident, at least 30 dunums of land planted with olives were burnt. Palestinian civilians rushed to the area
attempting to extinguish fire, but their attempts failed.

 

Also on 16 June 2011, IOF moved into
Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit, escorting a number of Israeli settlers
who were visiting a religious site. The
settlers remained in the village until the following day. They threw stones at two houses breaking
their windows. They also threw stones at
a car belonging to Jalal Mahmoud As’ad, damaging it heavily. 

 

On 18 June 2011, 15 Israeli settlers
from “Beit Hadasa” settlement intercepted Anas Hashem Abu al-Halaw, 21, a
university student, when he was on his way back to his house in Qub Janeb
neighborhood, which overlooks al-Shuhada Street that has been closed by
IOF. The settlers violently beat Abu
al-Halawa for two minutes before he was able to flee. When he arrived near Cordoba School, the same
settlers attacked him again. They
violently beat him, while Israeli soldiers were present in the area. He bled from the shoulder and the arm. The settlers then escaped. Israeli soldiers
gathered around him, but they did not offer him any help. A Palestinian ambulance evacuated him to the
hospital. 

 

On 20 June 2011, IOF moved into
Khirbat Beer al-‘Abed village to the east of Yatta town, south of Hebron. They forced Palestinian civilians to vacate
their houses and tents. They then
demolished 8 houses and subordinate tents, in which 50 people live. They also damaged some crops. Additionally, IOF detained a female student
for some time, claiming that she was banned from living in the area. 

 

 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (16 – 22 June 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 16 June 2011

 

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

 

1. Salah Khalil
Hamamra, 18;

2. ‘Obaida
Mohammed Sabatin, 18; and

3. Saber ‘Otham
Sabatin, 19.

 

According to information available to PCHR, the three detainees
were violently beaten during interrogation.

 

· At approximately 08:30, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into ‘Aaboud village, northeast
of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 14:15, IOF moved into Nabi Elias villahe, east of
Qalqilya. They raided a car maintenance
workshop. They held and interrogated
Malek ‘Abdul Latif Majd and Khaled ‘Ali Radwan. They withdrew later and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 15:00, IOF moved into ‘Asala village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into Khirbat Abu Falah village,
northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:15, IOF moved into Qiffin village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Beit Liqya village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets. A number of Palestinian boys
gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the
boys. A number of Palestinian civilians
suffered from tear gas inhalation.

· At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Kufor al-Dik village, west
of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:15, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.  

 

Friday,
17 June 2011

 

· At approximately 00:20, IOF moved into Farkha village, southeast of
Salfit. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 00:25, IOF moved into Khirbat Qais village,
southeast of Salfit. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Yatta village, south of
Hebron. They raided and searched two
houses belonging to Rabah Hissein Hraizat, 48, and his son Fadi, 26, and
arrested both of them.

 

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Kharabtha al-Misbah village,
west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into al-Mazra’a al-Gharbiya
village, north of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 12:30, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 14:30, IOF moved into al-Hashimiya village,
southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in
the streets and erected a checkpoint at the entrance of the village. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. They withdrew later
and neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:40, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit
Lahia seashore in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats. No casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

 

 

Saturday, 18 June 2011

 

· At approximately 00:10, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in
the streets and delivered a notice to Bahaa’ Mohammed Eshtaiwi, summoning him
for interrogation.

 

· At approximately 00:35, Israeli gunboats stationed opposite to Beit
Lahia seashore in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing
boats. No casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:00, 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 10:00, IOF moved into ‘Aaboud village, northwest
of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Kufor Ra’ei village, south
of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Fahma village, south of
Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron. They raided al-Khatib gas
station and arrested Jihad Hisham Abu Maria, 21, a worker. They violently beat him causing a fracture to
his nose. 

 

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of
Ramallah, and patrolled in the streets. A number of Palestinian boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli
military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound
bombs. A number of civilians suffered
from tear gas inhalation.

 

Sunday, 19 June 2011

 

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

 

· At approximately 01:00, 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 10:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They took positioned near the entrance of
Palestine Technical College. They
stopped, checked and questioned a number of students. They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 10:55, IOF moved into Nabi Elias village, east of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 12:45, Israeli soldiers positioned near the
Israeli military liaison office at the eastern entrance of Qalqilya fired at
Mahdi ‘Abdul Latif ‘Aamer, 22, from Qalqilya. He was moderately wounded. They
also arrested him, claiming that he attempted to stab an Israeli soldier.

 

· At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into Fassayel village, north of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village,
northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in
the streets and held Ahmed ‘Abdul Fattah Jom’a, 28, for half an hour. They withdrew later and neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Kufor Laqif village,
east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Artah suburb, southwest of
Tulkarm. They raided a taxi office. They checked a car and then arrested Jameel
Nemer Abu Safaqa, 50, the owner of the office, and Bassam ‘Abdul Fattah ‘Ali,
42, a driver. They also confiscated the
car. The two detainees and the car were
released on the following day morning.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Monday, 20 June 2011

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Housan village, west of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian school children:

 

1. Miras Mohammed
Sabatin, 17;

2. Shaker ‘Abdul
Wahab Hamamra, 17; and

3. ‘Omar ‘Abdul
Wahab Hamamra, 18.

 

· At approximately 08:30, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into Juhor
al-Dik village, southeast of Gaza City. They searched the area for some time and withdrew later.

 

· At approximately 09:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into the east
of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of land along the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel. They
pulled back to the border at approximately 17:00.  

 

Tuesday, 21 June 2011

 

· At approximately 10:00, Israeli gunboats station opposite to Gaza
seashore opened fire at a fishing boat belonging to Nasser Suleiman Baker, 24,
from al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. The boat was sailing nearly two nautical miles away from the beach. Baker, his two brothers, Ahmed and Jalal, and
their cousin, Jouhar, were on board of the boat. The motor of the boat was damaged. Another boat belonging to Mohammed Subhi
Baker, on board of which were 5 fishermen, came to offer help to the affected
boat, but Israeli gunboats opened fire at it damaging its motor also. Many fishing boats gathered and fishermen
were able to pull the two damaged boats to the beach.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into the north and northwest of
Hebron. They raided, searched and
photographed 3 shops. No arrests were
reported.

 

Wednesday, 22 June 2011

 

· At
approximately 00:25, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a 400-square-meter
chicken farm belonging to ‘Alaa’ Hussein al-Louh in Wadi al-Salqa village in
the central Gaza Strip. The farm was
damaged and 3,500 out of 5,000 chicks were killed. 

 

· At
approximately 10:30, IOF moved into Beit Sahour town near Bethlehem. They besieged the campus of al-Quds Open
University. They stopped and checked a
number of students. They also held
Mohammed Sobeh, a university student, and George Qanawati, a journalist, for
two hours.

 

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, 4 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered
from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.  Additionally, IOF arrested 6 international human
rights defenders.    

   

· Following the Friday Prayer on 17 June 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.   James Shimos, a US director; Nassif al-Dik
and Salah al-Khawaja, leaders of the Palestinian National Initiative; and
members of Liberty Theater in Jenin participated in the demonstration. Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators. As a result, 3
demonstrators, including a child, were wounded:

1. Rabi’ Turkman,
26, an artist, hit by a tear gas canister to the right hand;

2. ‘Eissa Mahmoud
Abu Rahma, 42, hit by a tear gas canister to the shoulder; and

3. Mousa Yassin,
11, suffered from gas effects on his eyes.

 

Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises.  

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 17 June 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 Wall. Israeli troops 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. 

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 17 March 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.  

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 18 June 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in
Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, in protest to Israeli settlement
activities. They moved towards
Palestinian land, which are closed by IOF, near “Karmi Tsur” settlement, south
of the town. Israeli soldiers attacked
the demonstrators and violently beat a number of them. They also detonated sound bombs. As a result, Rateb Yusri al-Jbour, 50, and
his child, 15-year-old Lu’ai, sustained bruises throughout the body.  

 

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:

 

Rafah International Crossing Point:

 

On Sunday, 19 June 2011, Miles of Smiles Convoy arrived in the Gaza
Strip through Rafah International Crossing Point. The convoy included 62 European and Arab activists,
15 ambulances and some medications.

 

At approximately 11:00 on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, dozens of
Palestinian children organized a sit-in at the crossing point. They distributed flowers to Egyptian border
guards and called upon the Egyptian government to facilitate the movement of
Palestinian civilians through the crossing point. They raised the Palestinian
and Egyptian flags.

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

15 –
21 June 2011

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

08 –
21 June 2011

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

· On Thursday, 09 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 240 tons of
cement, 980 tons of construction aggregate, 72 tons of iron bars and 210 tons
of base course for UNRWA; 350 tons of construction aggregate for UNDP; and 560
tons of base course for ANERA. They also
allowed the entry of 1,443 tons of fodders.

 

· On Sunday, 12 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 360 tons of
cement and 72 tons of iron bars for UNRWA, and 840 tons of construction aggregate
for UNDP. They also allowed the entry of
780 tons of wheat.

 

· On Monday, 13 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 40 tons of cement
and 32 tons of iron bars for UNRWA, and 1,330 tons of construction aggregate
for ANERA. They also allowed the entry of 741 tons of wheat and 195 tons of
fodders.

 

· On Tuesday, 14 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 2,450 tons of
construction aggregate for UNRWA, and 320 tons of cement and 58 tons of iron
bars for UNDP. They also allowed the
entry of 1,521 tons of fodders.

 

· On Wednesday, 15 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 2,100 tons of
construction aggregate for UNDP. They
also allowed the entry of 1,443 tons of fodders.

 

· On Thursday, 16 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 24 tons of
construction aggregate and 55 tons of iron bars for UNRWA; and 1,470 tons of
construction aggregate for ANERA. They
also allowed the entry of 1,365 tons of wheat and 569 tons of straws. 

 

· On Sunday, 19 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 200 tons of
cement and 71 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA.

 

· On Monday, 20 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 1,540 tons of
construction aggregate for ANERA. They
also allowed the entry of 585 tons of wheat and 117 tons of fodders.

 

· On Tuesday, 21 June 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 140 tons of
cement for UNRWA, and 80 tons of cement and 1,610 tons of construction
aggregate for ANERA. They also allowed
the entry of 1,599 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

15 –
21 June 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.  

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Friday afternoon, 17 June 2011, Israeli
soldiers positioned at the southern entrance of Beit Ummmar town, north of
Hebron, attacked Palestinian civilians during the funeral procession of a dead
Palestinian civilians. They fired tear
gas canisters and sound bombs at the participants and chased them. Fire broke out in a wheat farm and about 20
almond trees. On Sunday evening, 19 June
2011, IOF moved into the southwest of Hebron. The established a checkpoint in the area and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Monday
morning, 20 June 2011, IOF prevented a number of religious and public figures
from having a tour in the old town of Hebron, claiming it was a closed military
zone.

 

· Ramallah: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian
civilians in Ramallah.  At approximately
10:00 on Thursday, 16 June 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on Beit ‘Aur
al-Tahta – Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa road, west of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
17:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah
Bridge, west of Ramallah. At
approximately 19:00 on Friday, 17 June 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on
the road linking between Silwad and al-Mazra’a al-Sharqiya villages, northeast
of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
11:30 on Saturday, 18 June 2011, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara
checkpoint, north of Ramallah. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 17:00 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint at Beit ‘Aur al-Fouqa intersection, west of
Ramallah.   

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  On Friday, 17 June 011, IOF established 4
checkpoints around the town. On
Saturday, 18 June 2011, IOF established two checkpoints around the town. On Sunday, 19 June 2011, IOF established 5
checkpoints around the town.  On Monday,
20 June 2011, IOF established 6 checkpoints around the town.  

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 08:00 on Thursday, 16 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Leed intersection,
east of Tulkarm. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 18 June 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on
Tulkarm-Qalqilya road, near Far’oun village. At approximately 14:45 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at
Far’oun intersction, south of Tulkarm. At approximately 17:00, IOF established two checkpoints at the entrance
of Baqa al-Sharqiya and Qiffin villages, north of Tulkarm. At approximately 09:00 on Sunday, 19 June
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Beit Leed intersection, east of
Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 10:30 on the same day, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians via Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Jericho: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 19:30 on
Thursday, 16 June 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Fassayel
village, north of Jericho. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 21:00 on Friday, 10 June 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at the
northern entrances of the old town of Hebron arrested Hamada ‘Emad Da’na, 22.

 

· At
approximately 18:20 on Tuesday, 21 June 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned a
checkpoint at the northwestern entrance of al-Shuhada Street, which has been
closed by IOF for several years, arrested Sarhan Isma’il al-Jamal, 26, and
Majed Mustafa al-Jamal, 23.     

 

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 11:30 on Thursday, 16 June 2011, fire broke out in agricultural
plots planted with olives belonging to the families of ‘Abbadi and al-Kilani to
the southwest of Jenin. According to
eyewitnesses, who accused IOF of responsibility for the incident, at least 30
dunums of land planted with olives were burnt. Palestinian civilians rushed to the area attempting to extinguish fire,
but their attempts failed.

 

· At
approximately 23:20 on Thursday, 16 June 2011, IOF moved into Kufor Hares village,
north of Salfit, escorting a number of Israeli settlers who were visiting a
religious site. The settlers remained in
the village until the following day. They threw stones at two houses belonging to ‘Ali Saleh Hammad and the
sons of ‘Abdul Rahman Husni Shaqqour, breaking their windows. They also threw stones at a car belonging to
Jalal Mahmoud As’ad, damaging it heavily. 

  

· At
approximately 16:20 on Saturday, 18 June 2011, 15 Israeli settlers from “Beit
Hadasa” settlement intercepted Anas Hashem Abu al-Halaw, 21, a university
student, when he was on his way back to his house in Qub Janeb neighborhood,
which overlooks al-Shuhada Street that has been closed by IOF. The settlers violently beat Abu al-Halawa for
two minutes before he was able to flee. When he arrived near Cordoba School, the same settlers attacked him
again. They violently beat him, while
Israeli soldiers were present in the area. He bled from the shoulder and the arm. The settlers then escaped. Israeli soldiers gathered around him, but
they did not offer him any help. A
Palestinian ambulance evacuated him to the hospital. 

 

· At
approximately 05:00 on Monday morning, 20 June 2011, IOF moved into Khirbat
Beer al-‘Abed village to the east of Yatta town, south of Hebron. They forced Palestinian civilians to vacate
their houses and tents. They then
demolished 8 houses and subordinate tents, in which 50 people live. They also damaged some crops. Additionally, IOF detained a female student
for some time, claiming that she was banned from living in the area. According to Ziad Mohammed Makhamra, an owner
of one of the demolished houses, IOF had already destroyed at least 2,000
dunums of agricultural planted with wheat and parleys, and prevented
Palestinian civilians from reaching their land, claiming that it is a closed
military zone.  

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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).