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

· A Palestinian child was killed by IOF in Hebron.  

· 13 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by
IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

· IOF shelled Palestine Center for Research and Studies in
Gaza City.

· IOF conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank, and 2 incursions into the Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 21
Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 7 others in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF razed 33 donums[1]
of agricultural land in al-Shouka village in the southern Gaza Strip.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

· IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

· IOF positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in
the West Bank arrested 10 Palestinian civilians.

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

· IOF demolished a house in al-Sawahra village near
Jerusalem.

· Israeli settlers stormed Kufol Hares village, and moved
back to the evacuated “Homesh” settlement in the northern West Bank.

· Israeli settlers violently beat 2 Palestinian children in
Hebron, and IOF arrested one of the children.

· Israeli settlers burnt about 200 donums of agricultural
land in the north of Tulkarm.  

Summary

Israeli violations of international
law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (7 –
13 June 2007):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed a Palestinian child in Hebron and wounded 13 civilians in the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip.

On Friday evening, 8 June 2007,
opened fire at 3 Palestinian civilians who were hunting birds. As a result, one
of the children was killed and another one was wounded. An IOF spokesman
claimed that IOF soldiers “spotted a number of Palestinians who were
carrying guns and fired at them.” He added that “Palestinians who
carry guns are considered to be posing a threat, and they can be targeted in
accordance with the rules in effect.”

Additionally, 6 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, 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.

In the Gaza Strip, 6 Palestinian
civilians were wounded by the IOF gunfire. On 7 June 2007, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded when IOF soldiers positioned in the northern Gaza Strip opened
fire at houses in ‘Ezbat Beit Hanoun. On 8 June 2007, another civilian, who is
deaf and dumb, was wounded when IOF opened fire at al-Amal neighborhood in the
northeast of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. On 10 June 2007, 4
Palestinian civilians were wounded when an IOF warplane fired 2 missiles at
Palestine Center for Research and Studies in Gaza City.

Since the beginning of this latest
offensive against the Gaza Strip, IOF have killed 56 Palestinians, including 10
children and a woman, and have wounded 184 others, mostly civilians, including
25 children, 18 women, 2 paramedics and 2 journalists.  

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians. Thus,
the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning
of this year has mounted to 1,358. IOF also stormed offices of the Islamic
Charity in Yatta village, south of Hebron.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2
incursions into Palestinian communities. On 8 June 2007, IOF moved into the
east of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip and arrested a Palestinian
civilian. On 9 June 2007, IOF moved into al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. They
arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, largely destroyed the civilian infrastructure
and razed 33 donums of agricultural land.

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 imposed severe
restrictions at its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against
Palestinian civilians.

IOF have
closed Rafah International Crossing Point since 25 June 2006, even though they
do not directly control it. During the reporting period, the crossing point was
reopened only for 2 separate days. IOF have partially reopened
commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, but many goods and
medical supplies have been lacked in markets 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. IOF have allowed international workers to pass through the
crossing.  With this closure, only few Palestinian patients have been able
to travel to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank.  In addition, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian fishermen
from fishing for approximately a year.

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 10 Palestinian civilians, including a woman.

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. On
11 June 2007, IOF demolished a house in al-Sawahra village, southeast of
Jerusalem, claiming that it was built without a license. On 8 June 2007,
Israeli settlers moved into Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit. They
destroyed headstones of a number of graves and sanctuaries and threw stones at
houses. On 9 June 2007, a number of Israeli settlers living in settlement
outposts in the center and south of Hebron attacked 16-year-old Sa’id Nafez
al-Atrash when was passing near the Ibrahimi Mosque. He was injured in the
face. The settlers and the Israeli police prevented a Palestinian ambulance
from evacuating the child to the hospital. They even threw stones at the
ambulance damaging it. Later, the Israeli police took al-Atrash to an unknown
destination. On the same day, a number of Israeli settlers violently beat
9-year-old Shareef Tayseer Abu ‘Eisha in Hebron. On 10 June 2007, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Harish” and “Maysar” settlements near Tulkarm burnt at
least 200 donums of agricultural land in ‘Akaba village, north of the town. The
affected areas of land are sealed off by the Annexation Wall. On 12 June 2007, a
number of Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, moved into the evacuated “Homesh”
settlement near Nablus – Jenin road.

Israeli Violations Documented
during the Reporting Period (7 – 13 June 2007)

The
full report is available PDF format.