Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 5 Palestinians, including an old man, were killed by IOF.
· 2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
· 31 Palestinians, including 8 children, 2 women and a
journalist, were wounded by IOF.
· IOF conducted 34 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and 5 ones into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and
3 others in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen opposite to Rafah
seashore.
· IOF razed at least 163 donums[1]
of agricultural land and demolished a house in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF destroyed an under-construction house in Qalqilya.
· IOF transformed a number of houses into military sites.
· 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.
· Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
have been denied access to Jerusalem.
· IOF troops arrested 5 Palestinian civilians at checkpoints
in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (11 – 17 October 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed
5 Palestinians and wounded 31 others, including 8 children, 2 women and a
journalists, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, IOF
killed 3 Palestinians, including an old man, and wounded 15 otehrs, including 5
children, a woman and a journalist.
On Thursday, 11
October 2007, an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially executed a member of the
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) and wounded and
arrested another one. On Tuesday, 16 October 2007, a member of the Palestinian
resistance and an old man were killed and 8 others, including a child, a woman
and a journalist, were wounded during an incursion by IOF into Nablus. The
resistance activist was killed when a home-made shell, which he and his
colleagues wanted to fire at IOF, exploded near him. Two of his colleagues were
also wounded. The old man was killed when IOF troops opened fire at him as he
was about to open the door of his house when they knocked it. During the
reporting period, 6 other civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF
troops in various areas in the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 2 Palestinians and wounded 16 others, including 3 children and a woman.
On Saturday, 13
October 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed a member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) and wounded 3 others and a passing child.
On Wednesday, 17 October 2007, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian
resistance and wounded 6 others and a woman during an incursion into
al-Farrahin area in ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. During the reporting
period, 6 Palestinians civilians, including 2 children, were wounded by IOF in
various areas in the Gaza Strip.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 34 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians,
including 5 children. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the
West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 2,146. IOF also
destroyed an under-construction house in Qalqilya belonging to a Palestinian
who has been detained in Israeli jails.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
conducted 5 incursions into Palestinian communities. During those incursions,
IOF troops transformed a number of houses into military sites, demolished a
house, razed 163 donums of agricultural land and arrested 3 Paletsinian
civilians.
Restrictions on Movement: Since Wednesday morning, 26 September 2007, IOF have imposed
a total siege on the OPT. 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 imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border
crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
IOF have closed Rafah
International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They
have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching
it. IOF had already closed Rafah International Crossing Point following an
armed attack against an IOF military post in Kerem Shalom area, southeast of
Rafah, on 25 June 2006. The crossing point had been partially reopened for
short, sporadic periods to allow few numbers of Palestinian to travel through
it. The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the
Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing
point. There are approximately 6,000 Palestinians held at the Egyptian side of
the border awaiting to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip. Most of them
have run out of money and are living on assistance. In addition, 19 of them
have died in Egypt. The bodies were returned to Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem
(Kerem Shalom) crossing. In addition, thousands of travelers were allowed to
return to the Gaza Strip through al-Ojah crossing, 8 kilometers southeast of
Rafah. From there, they were transported to Erez Checkpoint to enter the Gaza
Strip. IOF have also
closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. IOF have
continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through
this crossing. During the reporting period, IOF arrested 4 Palestinian
fishermen opposite to Rafah seashore.
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 imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the city during the
Eid al-Futr. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian
communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest
of 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 arrested 5 Palestinian civilians at
checkpoints in the West Bank.
Settlement Activities: Israeli settlers living in the OPT
in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack
Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, Israeli
settlers escalated attacks against Palestinian farmers in an attempt to prevent
them from cultivating olives.
Israeli Violations Documented
during the Reporting Period (11 – 17 October 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
