Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 10 Palestinians, including 6 civilians, were killed by IOF
in the OPT.
· 3 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in
Khan Yunis.
· 27 Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF gunfire in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
· IOF conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank, and 3 incursions into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF conducted a 2-day incursion into Nablus and neighboring
refugee camps.
· IOF arrested 92 Palestinian civilians, including 19
children, 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 is likely to emerge.
· 12 Palestinians stuck at the Egyptian side of Rafah
International Crossing Point died.
· A Palestinian who was wounded in a car accident died as IOF
obstructed his evacuation to the hospital.
· IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 6 Palestinian civilians.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (28 June – 4 July 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 10 Palestinians, including a child, and wounded 27 civilians, including
11 children.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 7 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, and wounded 12 others, including
2 children. At approximately 17:00 on Saturday, 30 June 2007, IOF
extra-judicially executed 3 members of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of
Islamic Jihad) in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. In addition, 7
civilian bystanders, including 2 children, were wounded. Three hours later, IOF
killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including a man and his son, and wounded 2
others, when an IOF warplane attacked a workshop in al-Maghazi refugee camp in
the central Gaza Strip. IOF attacked the same workshop again a few hours later.
As a result, a PCHR lawyer, Shareef Abu Nassar, who lives in the area, was
wounded by shrapnel. On 29 June 2007, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by
shrapnel from a tank shell fired by IOF at Gaza Valley village, south of Gaza
City. On 2 July 2007, a Palestinian civilians was wounded by a gunshot, when
IOF troops positioned at the Gaza Strip border fired at him.
In the West Bank, IOF
killed 3 Palestinians, including a child. On 29 June 2007, IOF shot dead a
Palestinian civilians in Nablus, claiming that he attempted to escape. According
to eyewitnesses, IOF troops shot him dead after wounding and arresting him. On
2 July 2007, IOF killed an activist of the Palestinian resistance during an
exchange of fire in Jenin town and refugee camp. On 3 July 2007, IOF shot dead
a Palestinian child in Hebron, claiming that he disobeyed orders to stop, as he
was carrying a toy gun. On 28 June 2007, 15 Palestinian civilians, including 9
children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire in Nablus.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 31 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 92 Palestinian civilians,
including 19 children. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the
West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,490. The widest of
these incursions was into Nablus and neighboring refugee camps. This incursion
continued for 2 days, during which IOF killed a Palestinian civilian, wounded
15 civilians, arrested 11 civilians, destroyed a house and transformed 6 houses
and buildings into military sites.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
conducted 3 incursions into Palestinian communities. On 29 June 2007, IOF moved
nearly 300 meters into Gaza Valley village, south of Gaza City. On 1 and 2 July
2007, IOF moved into the Palestinian side of Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing and
removed the remainders of buildings which they had already demolished. IOF also
demolished a small mosque.
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, 12 Palestinians
of those who are stuck in Egypt 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 3 days to allow the entry of wheat 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. 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 4 Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (28 June – 4 July 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
