Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 6 Palestinians were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF attempted to extra-judicially execute 2 Palestinians in
the southern Gaza Strip, but the attempt failed.
· 22 Palestinians, including 7 children, and a Japanese human
rights defender were wounded by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
· IOF conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and one into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 51 Palestinian civilians, including a girl, 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.
· 2 patients died due to the denial of their access to
medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip.
· IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child.
· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank.
· IOF destroyed a road in al-Walaja village, northwest of
Bethlehem.
· IOF ordered 6 Palestinian civilians in al-Khader village
near Bethlehem to stop building their houses.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
· IOF destroyed a barnyard in Bethlehem.
· Israeli settlers attacked a house in Brouqin village near
Salfit, and a car near Nablus.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (15 – 21 November 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed
6 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and wounded 23 others and a Japanese human
rights defender in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In the Gaza Strip, on
15 November 2007, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip
and Israel fired a surface-to-surface missile at a number of members of the
Palestinian resistance who were at the entrance of Beit Hanoun town attempting
to launch home-made rockets at Israeli town. As a result, 2 members of the
resistance were killed and 4 others were wounded. On 19 November 2007, IOF
troops shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis,
even though he obeyed their order to stop and raised hands up. They also
seriously wounded another civilian who was inside his house. He died from his
wound 2 days later. Additionally, 2 members of the Palestinian resistance were
wounded when they exchanged fire with IOF troops that moved into the village.
On 20 November 2007, IOF troops killed 2 members of the Palestinian resistance
who were attempting to infiltrate through the border. On 18 November 2007, an
IOF warplane fired 2 missiles at a civilian car, in which a number of members
of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) were traveling, in
al-Fukhari area in the southeast of Khan Yunis. The missiles went astray, and
the passengers were able to flee from the car. Soon after, the IOF warplane
fired 2 additional missiles at the car, destroying it. No casualties were
reported. On 21 November 2007, 3 members of the Palestinian resistance were
wounded when they exchanged fire with IOF troops that moved into ‘Abassan
village, east of Kahn Yunis.
In the West Bank, on
16 November 2007, 4 Palestinian civilians and a Japanese human rights defender
were wounded when IOF troops used to force to disperse a peaceful demonstration
organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights
defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village,
west of Ramallah. On 20 November 2007, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 7
children, were wounded when IOF troops that moved into al-Fara’a refugee camp,
south of Tubas, opened fire at children who threw stones at IOF military
vehicles.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 35 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 51 Palestinian civilians,
including a girl. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West
Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 2,446. During the
reporting period, IOF transformed 3 Palestinian houses into military sites.
In the Gaza Strip, on 21 November 2007, IOF moved
into Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. They withdrew from the village 2
hours later.
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 17 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. Israeli occupation forces 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. During the reporting period, 2 Palestinian
patients, including a child, died due to the denial of their access to medical
treatment outside the Gaza Strip. This brings to 10 the number of Gaza patients
who died since last August as a result of denying them their medical rights.
The victims include 2 women and an infant. IOF have also continued to impose
severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip.
West Bank
IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from
Jerusalem. 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 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 5 Palestinian civilians.
Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the
Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. On 18 November 2007, IOF destroyed an
800-meter-long main road in al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem, because
of its closeness to the Wall. The road links Khellat al-Samak area with the
school of the village. On 21 November 2007, IOF handed notices to 6 Palestinian
civilians from the Salah clan in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem,
ordering stoppage of the construction of their houses, claming that the
construction was taking place without licenses and their sites overlap with the
tract of the Wall in the area.
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 destroyed a barnyard in
al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem. Israeli settlers also attacked a
house in Brouqin village near Salfit and a car near Nablus.
Israeli Violations Documented
during the Reporting Period (15 – 21 November 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
