Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· IOF killed 11 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, in the
Gaza Strip and a 12th one on the West Bank.
· The victims in the Gaza Strip were killed during an IOF
incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp.
· The victim in the West Bank was extra-judicially executed
by IOF.
· 30 Palestinians, including 25 civilians, were wounded by
IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank.
· 24 of these Palestinians, including 20 civilians, were
wounded during an IOF incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp.
· IOF arrested 2 of the wounded in the West Bank.
· IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank, and 2 incursions into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF razed at least 200 donums[1]
of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF damaged some public and private property.
· IOF arrested 69 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and
10 others in the Gaza Strip.
· 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 is likely to emerge.
· At least 6,000 Palestinians have been stuck at the Egyptian
side of Rafah International Crossing Point, and the number of deaths among them
has mounted to 14.
· IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (5 – 11 July 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 12 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, and wounded 30 Palestinians,
mostly civilians, including 8 children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 11 Palestinians, including 3 civilians.
On Thursday morning, 5 July 2007, IOF initiated a wide scale incursion into
al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, which continued until Friday
evening, 6 July 2007. During this incursion, IOF killed 3 Palestinian
resistance and 8 activists of the Palestinian resistance, and wounded 24
others, including 8 children and a cameraman of the local al-Aqsa Television,
whose legs were amputated.
In the
West Bank, on Sunday evening, 8 July 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed an
activist of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) at the
southern entrance of Jenin. They also wounded and arrested another activist. They
claimed that that they attempted to stop a car, in which 4 Palestinian
militants were traveling, but the militants of fire, so IOF returned fire,
killing a militant. IOF also arrested the other 3 militants. However,
investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that IOF observed the car and fired
at it.
On 6 July 2007, 3
Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF used force against 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 9 July 2007, 2 Palestinian civilians were
wounded when IOF fired at them during an incursion into Jericho.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 36 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 69 Palestinian civilians,
including 4 children. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the
West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,567.
In the Gaza Strip, in
addition to the aforementioned incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp, IOF
conducted an incursion into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. During
the two incursions, IOF razed at least 170 donums of agricultural land,
arrested 10 Palestinian civilians and damaged some civilian property.
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 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. At least 6,000 Palestinians have been stuck in Egypt waiting to be
allowed in the Gaza Strip. According to PCHR’s documentation, 14 Palestinians
of those who are stuck in Egypt have died due to the deterioration in their
health conditions.
IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially
al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. During the reporting period, IOF reopened the
crossing for one day only to allow the entry of flour into the Gaza Strip. If
this closure continues, a humanitarian crisis is likely to emerge in the Gaza
Strip. IOF have also 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. They prevented traders and patients from
passing through. IOF allow very few patients to travel through the crossing,
but following coordination through the ICRC. During the reporting period, IOF
reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast of Rafah, and Sofa crossing,
northeast of the town.
West Bank
IOF have tightened the
siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have
isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. Contrary to promises by the
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to ease restrictions on movement 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 soldiers positioned at various checkpoints and border
crossings in the West Bank arrested at least 3 Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (5 – 11 July 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
