Jerusalem Municipality forced Palestinian
Citizen to destroy him house by his hands in Swar Bahar Village , Jerusalem

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

 

 

· 3 Palestinian
civilians were killed by IOF in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

· A Palestinian
resistance activist was killed and 6 others and 3 civilian bystanders,
including two children, were wounded by IOF artillery shelling on Gaza City.

 

· IOF continued
to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the
Gaza Strip.

– Two Palestinian workers were wounded.

– IOF arrested 3 Palestinian fishermen in Khan
Yunis.

 

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

– 8 Palestinian civilians,
including 3 children, were wounded.

– IOF arrested 15
Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights
defenders.

 

· IOF conducted 47
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 limited ones
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 10
Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.

 

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

– Israeli soldiers positioned at a military checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested 6 Palestinian children, including 3 children.

 

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

– IOF destroyed 3 water wells and an agricultural room in Bani Na’im
town, east of Hebron.

– IOF demolished 8 homes and two water wells in Sousia area, south of
Hebron, rendering 40 Palestinian civilians homeless.

– Israeli settlers uprooted 200 olive seedlings and 70 olive trees in
Qasra village, south of Nablus.

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (17 – 23 February 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
killed 3 Palestinian civilians and a resistance activist and wounded 10 others
(two children, two workers and 6 resistance activists) in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 8 Palestinian civilians,
including 3 children in the West Bank.

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 17 February
2011, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians who were attempting to infiltrate into
Israel to search for jobs. IOF fired
artillery shells and gunshots at the victims.

 

On 23 February 2011, IOF killed a
Palestinian resistance activist and wounded 6 others and two children in the
east of Gaza City. IOF fired two
artillery shells at a number of activists of The al-Quds Brigades (the armed
wing of Islamic Jihad).

 

During the reporting period, two
Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded when Israeli soldiers
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at workers who
were collecting scraps of construction materials.

 

On 23 February 2011, Israeli
gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza
Strip. No casualties were reported.

 

In the West Bank, 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, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded, and
dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered
from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises. Additionally, IOF arrested 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9
children, and two international human rights defenders.  

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 47 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 10
Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.

 

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into the southern and
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. 

 

· 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.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza
does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with
Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international
human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with
respect to the easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and the
reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from the Gaza Strip. 

 

· Israel had
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing
to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social
visits.

 

· Israel has
imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists
and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

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
at 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, further confiscating 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 a permit issued by the IOF.
These 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 17 February 2011, IOF stormed Khillat al-Furn area in the west
of Bani Na’im village, southeast of Hebron. They demolished 3 water wells and an agricultural room located near bypass
#60.

 

On 20 February 2011, Israeli settlers from “Kida”
settlement near Qasra village, south of Nablus, uprooted 200 olive seedlings
and 70 olives trees in Qasra village.

 

On 22 February 2011, IOF demolished 8 tents and shelters and
destroyed two water wells in Sousia area in the south of Yatta town, south of
Hebron. 

 

Also on 22 February 2011,
a number of Israeli settlers from “Bat Ain”
settlement to the northwest of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, uprooted at
least 250 olive trees and seedlings.

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (17 – 23 February 2011)

 

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

 

Thursday, 17 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Masaken neighborhood in the northeast of
Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Basheer Zamel Zamel, 28.

 

· Also 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 house raids or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to the northwest of Beit Lahia town fired a number of
artillery shells at 3 Palestinian civilians who were attempting to cross the
border to search for jobs in Israe. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli helicopters flew over the area and
opened fire. Israeli soldiers stationed
on observation towers in the area opened fire until 02:30. As a result, the three civilians were killed
by shrapnel. The victims are:

 

1. Jihad
   Fat’hi Khalaf, 21, from Jabalya town;
2. Tal’at
   Mohammed al-Rawagh, 41, from Gaza City; and
3. Ashraf
   ‘Abdul Latif Qtaifan, 32, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City.

 

According to medical crews of Palestinian Red Crescent Society,
they were informed by the ICRC that there were 3 dead persons in the northwest
of Beit Lahia, so they moved to the area. They found the bodies at approximately 08:15 nearly 200 meters away from the
border. 

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Beit Wazan village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ahmed Sa’id Salah, 36, and Sameh Haten Abu ‘Eisha, 24. They also confiscated 3 mobile phones from
the former’s house and 4 computer sets, a laptop and a mobile phone from the
house of the latter.

 

· At
approximately 13:15, IOF moved into Jeet village, northeast of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets and closed the
entrances of the village. They withdrew
from the village at approximately 15:00, and neither house raids nor arrests
were reported.

 

Friday,
18 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. They chased 10-year-old Mahmoud Ahmed
al-‘Allami , who resorted to a house in the village, and arrested him. They claimed that the child threw stones at
an Israeli military checkpoint at the eastern entrance of the town.

 

· At
approximately 15:50, 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 17:50, 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 18:00, IOF moved into Kufor
Malek village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No house raids were reported.

 

· At
approximately 18:20, IOF moved into Kufor Laqef village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported. 

 

· At
approximately 19:00, 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 21:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Bitounia town, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

Saturday, 19 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 11:00, an Israeli gunboat chased a Palestinian fishing boat
nearly 3 kilometers
off Khan Yunis beach in the northern Gaza Strip. Three fishermen were on board of the boat:
Mustafa Hijazi al-Lahham, 42; Hijazi Hani al-Lahham, 27; and Mahmoud Hassan
al-Lahham, 30. Israeli soldiers on board
of the gunboat fired near the fishing boat and ordered the fishermen to stop
it. They forced the fishermen to take
their clothes off and to swim towards the gunboat, which was nearly 20 meter away. They took the fishermen to the Israeli Ashdod
Harbor. There, the fishermen were
interrogated. They were released at
21:00, but the fishing boat was kept in custody.

 

· At
approximately 15:15, 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 15:50, 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 17:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein al-Dyouk 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 Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 20 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into an open area to the east of ‘Anabta village
near “Ennab” settlement, east of Tulkarm. They searched the area for some time and
withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 11:30, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids nor
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No house raids or arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 15:00, IOF moved into Seilat al-Harthiya village, northwest of
Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

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

 

· At approximately
16:00, IOF moved into al-Taibeh village, northwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 16:20, IOF moved into ‘Aanin village, northwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 18:10, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, west of
Salfit. 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 Bedya village, west of Salfit. 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 Nabi Elias village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Monday, 21 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Brouqin village, west of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 16:15, IOF moved into Habla village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 17:40, IOF moved into Ras ‘Atiya village, south of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses,
but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 19:20, IOF moved into an area located between ‘Azzoun and ‘Asala
villages, south of Qalqilya. They
stormed and searched a farm and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a
child: Ayham and Mustafa Marwan Hawari,
17 and 19 respectively.

 

· At
approximately 22:45, IOF moved into Jeet village, east of Qalqilya. The delivered notices ordering the demolition
of 6 houses belonging to: Zahi Ahmed ‘Arfan; Hamed Yousef Sakhen; Rawhi Hassan
‘Arfan; Subhi Mahmoud ‘Arfan; ‘Arfan Mohammed Yamin; and Jawad Jasser Yamin.

 

Tuesday, 22 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 00:05, IOF moved into Jayous village, north of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Mohammed Jamal Abu Hashem, 14, and arrested him.

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Seilat al-Harthiya village, northwest of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1. ‘Abdul
   Qadim Turki Shawahna, 24; and
2. ‘Aassem
   ‘Abdul Rahman Abu al-Khair, 30.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into
al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. They moved back to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel at
approximately 13:00.

 

· At
approximately 08:30, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into Wadi
al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. They moved back to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel at
approximately 15:00.

 

· At
approximately 09:05, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets and delivered summons to 3 Palestinian
civilians: Bassam ‘Abdul Latif Abu
al-‘Adel; Mahmoud Na’el ‘Abdul Ghafer; and Bahaa’ Mohammed Tabaja.

 

· At
approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Artah suburb, south of Tulkarm. They stopped Fayez Salem Abu Mo’ammar and
delivered a notice to him summoning his brother, 27-year-old Yahaia, for
interrogation. During this incursion,
IOF also held Nassim Ahmed Abu Rabi’, 21, for some rime. 

 

· At
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Deir Ghazala village, northeast of
Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· Also at
approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Beit Qad village, northeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

·  Also at approximately 12:00, IOF moved into
‘Izbat Shoufa village, south of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 12:15, an IOF undercover unit moved into Salem village, east of
Nablus, traveling in a bus. The bus
stopped near a school in the center of the village, and about 40 Israeli
soldiers stepped down. They stormed the
third floor of Eshtayeh apartment building, where ‘Aawdallah Jameel Eshtayeh,
47. They immediately handcuffed him and
covered his head with a green sac. They
violently beat him before the eyes of his wife and children. They took him to an unknown destination.

 

· Also at
approximately 12:15, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north of the Bedouin Village in
the northern Gaza Strip fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated
Israeli settlement of “Nissanit” used to stand. As a result, Saleem Kamal Barakat, 21,from
al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, was wounded by a bullet to the right leg,
when he was nearly 400
meters away from the border.

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF moved into Yassouf village, east of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Sinjel village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some and
withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At
approximately 23:50, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Wednesday, 23 February 2011

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately
08:30, IOF moved nearly 200
meters into Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza
Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian
land. They moved back to the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel at approximately 15:00.

 

· At
approximately 09:10, IOF moved into ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp, southwest of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
and photographed some historic sites . They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 09:45, Israeli soldiers stationed at observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north of Beit Lahia town fired
at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction
materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of “Elli
Sinai” used to stand. As a result,
Nidal Mohammed Halawa, 22, from al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, was
wounded by a bullet to the left leg, when he was nearly 300 meters away from the
border.

 

· At
approximately 11:40, IOF fired two artillery shells at a number of activists of
the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) who were near al-Sawda
Factory in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. As a result, 7 activists and 3 civilian
bystanders, including two children, were wounded. One of the wounded activists, ‘Aadel Mohammed
Jundiya, 29, from al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City, died of
his wounds in the evening. The three
cvilians who were wounded are:

 

1. Ahmed
   Musbah Abu ‘Ammar, 15;
2. Fahmi
   Ibrahim Saleh, 14; and
3. Nihad
   Daoud al-Ashqar, 30, from Beit Lahia, wounded by shrapnel to the right
   side and leg.

 

· At approximately 20:30, Israeli gunboats fired at Palestinian
fishing boats that were sailing opposite to Beit Lahia beach in the northern
Gaza Strip. The fishermen fled and no
casualties were reported.

 

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, 8 Palestinian civilians,
including 3 children, were wounded. Dozens
of Palestinian civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises.  Additionally, IOF arrested 15 Palestinian
civilians, including 9 children, and two international human rights defenders.    

   

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 18 February 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.  Israeli
soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs
and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:

 

1. Hamza
   Suleiman Bernat, 18, wounded by two bullets to the back and the right leg;
   
2. Ahmed
   Rebhi Abu Rahma, 16, hit by a tear gas canister to the right hand;
3. Kifah
   Mansour Mansour, 30, hit by a tear gas canister to the left hand;
4. Fadi
   Mustafa ‘Omar, 30, sustained burns to the face; and
5. ‘Abdullah
   Ahmed Yassin, 19, sustained burns to the face.

 

Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation.  

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 18 January 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 Palestinian civilian, who has
not been identified, was hit by a tear gas canister to the right foot. Additionally, a number of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 18 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Beit Reema 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, Wa’d Bassem al-Tamimi, 13, was
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right hand. A number of demonstrators also suffered from
tear gas inhalation. Additionally, IOF
turned a house belonging to Helmi al-Tamimi into a military site. Before their withdrawal from the village at
approximately 16:15, IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians: Nasser Nizar
Amlah, 23; and Hamza Mohammed Abu Qare’, 27. They also arrested two international human rights defenders were not identified.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, Palestinian civilians and international human rights
defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Uammar town, north of
Hebron, in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the US veto against UN
Security Council draft resolution condemning Israeli settlement activities in
the OPT. They moved towards closed
Palestinian areas located neat “Karmi Tsur” settlement, south of the
town. At approximately 13:00, Israeli
soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs
at the demonstrators. As a result, two
Palestinian civilians were wounded:

 

1. Nasri
   Rasheed Sabarna, 48, Mayor of Beit Ummar, wounded by shrapnel from sound
   bombs to the left foot; and
2. Hamza
   Ahmed Abu Hashem, 12, wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets to the left
   hand and knee.

 

Four demonstrators, including a woman, also sustained bruises:

 

1. Muna Mohammed
Abu Maria, 44;

2. Mohammed
Ibrahim ‘A’mar, 65;

3. Hisham Khalil
Abu Hashem, 44; and

4. Ahmed Khalil
Abu Hashem, 43, Secretary of the National Committee against the Wall and
Settlements.

 

At the end of the demonstration, Israeli soldiers surrounded a
number of demonstrators who were on their way back homes and arrested 13 of
them, including 9 children:

 

1. ‘Essam Jamal
Abu Hashem, 22;

2. Tariq Jamal Abu
Hashem, 18;

3. Mousa Haitham
Slaibi, 16;

4. Ma’ath Mahmoud
‘Alqam, 16;

5. Mohammed ‘Ali
‘Awadh, 16;

6. Anwar Yousef
‘Awadh, 16;

7. Mohammed Yousef
‘Awadh, 14;

8. ‘Aayesh Nasser
Ekhlil, 15;

9. Ahmed Mahmoud
Slaibi, 15;

10. Habes Hisham Abu Hashem, 22;

11. Mo’taz Yousef ‘Awadh, 16;

12. ‘Ali Mohammed Za’aqiq, 17; and

13. Nabeel Mohammed ‘Awadh, 22.

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.

 

· Expanding the
list of items allowed into Gaza does not change the illegality of this policy,
which is inconsistent with Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying
Power and under international human rights treaties to which it is party, such
as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with respect to the easing of the closure imposed
on the Gaza Strip and the reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of
goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from the Gaza Strip. 

 

· Israel had
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing
to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social
visits.

 

· Israel has
imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists
and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

16 –
22 February 2011

 

 

Note: Palestinian university students were not allowed to travel to
Egypt due to continued closure of Egyptian universities. Travelers who did not have visas to enter
Egypt were not directly transported to airports as it was the case during the
era of former Egyptian President Husni Mubarak.

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

16 –
22  February 2011

 

 

On Wednesday, 16 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 292 tons
of cement and 110 tons of iron for UNDP.

On Thursday, 17 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 480 tons of
cement for Palestinian Water Authority, 180 tons of cement for UNRWA and 50
tons of cement for UNDP.

On Sunday, 20 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 280 tons of
cement for Palestinian Water Authority.

On Monday, 21 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 134 tons of
cement for ANERA and 226 tons of iron for Palestinian Water Authority.

 

Exports:

 

On Wednesday, 16
February, 442,000 flowers and 3.7 tons of strawberries were exported.

On Thursday, 17
February, 207,000 flowers were exported.

On Monday, 21
February, 438,000 flowers were exported.

 

Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
reopened the crossing on Wednesday, 16 February, and allowed the entry of 1,716
tons of wheat and 5,600 tons of construction aggregate. They opened it also on Thursday, 17 February
2011, and allowed the entry of 741 tons of wheat and 1,599 tons of fodders. They opened it again on Monday, 21 February
2011, and allowed the entry of 8,330 tons of aggregate for UNRWA.

 

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

16 –
22 February 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.  

 

· Ramallah: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian
civilians in Ramallah. IOF troops
positioned at the Jaba’ and Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have
imposed additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of
Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF established a number of temporary checkpoints, and
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 08:30 on Thursday, 17
February 2011, and at approximately 11:30 on the following day, IOF re-established
their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit
village, north of Ramallah. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:30 on Friday, 18 February 2011, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Sinjel village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
11:15 on Saturday, 19 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
12:45 on the same day, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint
at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. On Tuesday, 22 February 2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints
around Ramallah. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 18:30 on
Wednesday, 23 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint under ‘Ein Yabroud
Bridge, northeast of Ramallah. At
approximately 19:00, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at
the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 17 February 2011, IOF
established 8 checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Friday, 18 February 2011, IOF established 5 checkpoints around the
town. At approximately 10:50 on
Saturday, 19 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Nabi Elias
village, east of Qalqilya. On Sunday, 20
February 2011, IOF established 4 checkpoints around Qalqilya.  Israeli soldiers stationed at these
checkpoints stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 17
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Leed
village, east of Tulkarm. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 17:00 on the same day, Israeli soldiers positioned at
Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. At
approximately 22:30 on Saturday, 19 February 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned
at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians.         

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 17
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at ‘Arraba intersection, southwest
of Jenin. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At
approximately 19:00 on Monday, 21 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
at Kufor Dan intersection, northwest of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Salfit: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 10:30 on
Sunday, 20 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Yassouf village, east of Salfit. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 11:20 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint on Yassouf – Eskaka road, east of Salfit. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. 

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian

civilians. At approximately 19:40 on Thursday, 17
December 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Fassayel
village, north of Jericho. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 17:00 on Friday, 18 February 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at
Mavo Dutan checkpoint, southwest of Jenin, arrested two Palestinian children
from Ya’bad village: Bilal ‘Awadh Qabaha, 14; and Mohammed ‘Omar Abu Salah, 16.

 

· At
approximately 08:00 on Sunday, 10 February 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at
a checkpoint established near the intersection of “Yits’har”
settlement, south of Nablus, arrested Ahmed Rasmi al-Khuffash, 22, from Marda
village north of Salfit.

 

· At
approximately 22:00 on Monday, 21 February 2011, an IOF infantry unit that set
up an ambush near the western entrance
of Beit Fourik village, northeast of Nablus, arrested 3 Palestinian civilians,
including a child: Mohammed Ibrahim
Mlaitat, 18; Mohammed ‘Adnan Mlaitat, 20; and Ussama ‘Adnan Mlaitat, 16.

 

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 07:30 on Thursday, 17 February 2011, IOF stormed
Khillat al-Furn area in the west of Bani Na’im village, southeast of
Hebron. They demolished 3 water wells
and an agricultural room belonging to Jamal Mohammed al-Tawil, from Hebron,
claiming that the wells and the room are located near bypass #60.

 

· On Sunday morning, 20 February 2011, Israeli settlers from
“Kida” settlement near Qasra village, south of Nablus, uprooted 200
olive seedlings on a tract of land belonging to Saber Mohammed ‘Othman, which
were planted two days earlier. They also
uprooted 70 olive trees on a nearby tract of land belonging to ‘Abed and
Mohammed ‘Abdullah Dawabsha, from the neighboring Douma village.

 

· At approximately 05:00 on Tuesday, 22 February 2011, IOF,
accompanied by two bulldozers, moved into Sousia area in the south of Yatta
town, south of Hebron. They closed the
entrances of the area and started to forcibly evacuate a number of Bedouin
homes. The bulldozers then demolished 8
tents and shelters and tents, in which 40 individuals live. The demolished tents and shelters belong to:
‘Eissa Hussein al-Jbour; ‘Eissa Badawi al-Jbour; ‘Omar Badawi al-Jbour;
Mohammed Ibrahim al-Jbour; Mohammed Hussein al-Jbour; and Tayseer
al-Jbour. IOF also destroyed two water
wells belonging to Mohammed Hussein al-Jbour.

 

· On Tuesday noon, 22 February 2011, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Bat Ain” settlement to the northwest of Beit Ummar
town, north of Hebron, uprooted at least 250 olive trees and seedlings
belonging to Palestinian civilians from al-Ja’ba village.

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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 ([email protected]) or telephone (+972 (0)8
282 4776 – 282 5893).