Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT), Especially in the Gaza Strip
· 19 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, were killed by IOF
in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
· 2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in
the West Bank.
· 12 of the victims were killed by IOF air strikes on the
Gaza Strip.
· 67 Palestinians, mostly civilians, were wounded by IOF
gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
· 54 of these Palestinians were wounded by IOF gunfire in the
Gaza Strip.
· IOF have shelled various areas in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF launched 46 missiles at civilian and paramilitary targets.
· 5 civilian facilities, one house and a number of
paramilitary sites were destroyed.
· Dozens of houses and civilian facilities were damaged.
· IOF conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank, and one into Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 79 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank,
including 2 ministers, 4 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, 9
mayors and 4 members of municipal councils.
· IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF stormed offices of 6 charities and cultural centers in
the West Bank.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
· IOF have cut off the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
· IOF positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in
the West Bank arrested 12 Palestinian civilians, including a child and
physically disabled one.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank.
· IOF demolished 6 houses in Jerusalem and Hebron allegedly
for havening been constructed without licenses.
Summary
IOF escalated violations
of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (24 – 30 May 2007):
Killing: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 17 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Two other
Palestinians, including a woman, died from previous wounded. In addition, IOF wounded
54 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 6 children and 8 women and 2
paramedics, in the Gaza Strip, and 13 civilians, including 2 children and an a
journalist, in the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 12 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, whereas 2 others, including a
woman, died from previous wounds. In addition, 54 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, including 6 children, 8 women and 2 paramedics, were wounded. IOF continued
air strikes on civilian facilities, sites of resistance groups and civilian
vehicles believed to be transporting members of the Palestinian resistance. During
to the reporting period, IOF launched 46 missiles at several targets in the
Gaza Strip. In addition to deaths and casualties incurred by these attacks, 5
civilian facilities, a house and a number of paramilitary sites mostly
belonging to Hamas and the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of
Interior were destroyed. Dozens of houses and civilian facilities, including
PCHR’s branch office in Jabalya refugee camp, were also damaged. IOF
demonstrated a flagrant disregard to the lives of the Palestinian civilian
population as they attacked densely populated area while pursing members of the
Palestinian resistance. Since the beginning of this latest offensive against
the Gaza Strip, IOF have killed 52 Palestinians, including 7 children and a
woman, and have wounded 174 others, mostly civilians, including 24 children, 18
women, 2 paramedics and 2 journalists.
In the West Bank, IOF
killed 5 Palestinians and wounded 13 civilians, including 2 children, a woman
and a journalist. On 26 May 2007, IOF killed 2 Palestinian militants and a
civilian bystander in Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood in the southeast of
Jerusalem. The two militants exchanged fired with IOF soldiers. On 29 May 2007,
IOF undercover units committed 2 extra-judicial executions in Ramallah and
Jenin, which killed a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of
Fatah movement) and another of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of the
Islamic Jihad), and wounded 5 civilian bystanders.
On 25 May 2007, 5
Palestinian civilians, including a journalist, were wounded when IOF used force
against a peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the construction of
the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. On 28 May 2007, 2
Palestinian children were wounded by the IOF gunfire in Jericho. On 29 May
2007, a Palestinian was wounded by the IOF gunfire in Tulkarm refugee camp.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 56 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During those incursions, IOF waged arrest campaigns that targeted
public figures affiliated to Hamas and Fatah movements. IOF arrested 79 Palestinian
civilians, including 2 ministers, 4 members of the Palestinian Legislative
Council, 9 mayors and 4 members of municipal councils. Most of the arrests took
place on Thursday, 24 May 2007. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by
IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,300. Additionally,
IOF stormed offices of 6 charities and cultural centers.
In the Gaza Strip, on
29 May 2007, IOF moved into al-Fukhari area in the southeast of Khan Yunis.
They killed 2 Palestinian militants, wounded a woman and arrested 2 brothers.
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. On Tuesday, 22
May 2007, IOF imposed a total closure on the OPT for the Jewish Shavuot.
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 since 25 June 2006, even though they
do not directly control it. During the reporting period, the crossing point was
reopened on 3 sporadic 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. 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 impose severe restriction on
fishing in the Gaza Strip.
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 Israeli claims, 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 12 Palestinian civilians,
including a child and a physically disabled one.
Settlement
Activities: IOF
have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international
humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, IOF demolished 4
houses in Jerusalem and 2 others in Hebron, claiming that they were built
without licenses.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (24 – 30 May 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
