Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue to Commit War
Crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
Summary
Israeli violations of international
law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (29
March – 4 April 2007):
Shooting: On 29 March 2007, IOF used
excessive force and killed Ahmad Asous (16) from El-Muthalath village south of
Jenin. The boy was throwing rocks at IOF troops claiming to surround a hideout
of a wanted Palestinian. No wanted people were in the house. Two others were
injured in the same incident. On the same day, the child Sa’id Abu Warda (17)
from Jabalia died of wounds sustained a day earlier in IOF bombardment of a
civilian vehicle on the Gaza Beach road to the west of Beit Lahia. Also on 29
March 2007, the child Mohammad Oweida (15) died of wounds sustained the
previous day at Qalandia checkpoint. He was hit by a bullet that penetrated his
ear and issued from his eye. And on 4 April 2007, IOF killed Ramiz Awad
El-Za’anin, a member of Islamic Jihad, in the town of Beit Hanoun in the north
of the Gaza Strip.
On 30 March 2007, IOF injured 7
demonstrators in the village of Bal’ein, west of Ramallah. Two of the injured
in Bal’ein were children. In addition, WAFA journalist Mofeed El-Hasayna (43)
from Ramallah was injured by a sound bomb in his leg. In addition, IOF injured
3 civilians in separate shooting incidents by IOF troops at the border of the
Gaza Strip. All three were injured in unprovoked incidents while working in
their farms. And in the Beit Hanoun incursion of 4 April 2007, two farmers were
injured by IOF.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 24 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
OPT. During those incursions, IOF arrested 29 Palestinians in the West Bank and
Gaza Strip. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank
since the beginning of this year has mounted to 860. It is noted that IOF raids
and searches systematically include destruction of property and ransacking
houses. In addition, police dogs are occasionally used. The residents of
targeted houses are also systematically abused. One of the incursions on 2
April 2007 was in the Gaza Strip, during which IOF leveled land in the Wadi
Gaza village. The targeted land was razed earlier during Al-Aqsa Intifada. And
on 4 April 2007, IOF moved 500
meters into the Gaza Strip, into the town of Beit
Hanoun. Two Palestinian farmers were injured in the incursion.
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 1 April 2007, IOF imposed a complete security closure
over the OPT due to the Jewish holiday of “Passover.” IOF announced that all
border crossing between the OPT and Israel will remain closed till 9 April
2007. Only exceptional humanitarian cases, international relief workers, medical
crews, and religious leaders will be allowed to pass through the border after
getting a special permit from IOF.
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 for two days (30
March 2007 and 4 April 2007).
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. During the reporting period, IOF completely closed al-Mentar crossing on
3 April 2007, and partially closed it on 2 April 2007.
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. On Friday, 16
February 2007, IOF opened the new Erez International Crossing Point under new
procedures. Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank have to obtain
permits from the IOF Civil Administration as it was the case before. However,
Palestinians living in East Jerusalem have to hand their identity cards the
Israeli Ministry of Interior to get travel documents. In the past, they had to
hand identity cards to IOF at Erez crossing. This includes 800-1000 women from
East Jerusalem married to men in the Gaza Strip. According to Palestinians who
traveled through the new crossing point, IOF imposed the same restrictions on
their movement as in the past. In addition, IOF have continued to
prevent Palestinian fishermen from fishing freely for more than 9 months.
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. During the
reporting period, During the reporting period, IOF completely closed a number
of checkpoints inside the West Bank as part of the complete security closure
for the Passover holiday. IOF have prevented Jenin residents from leaving the
governorate, and restricted their movement inside it. In addition, IOF detained
7 Palestinian civilians at various checkpoints in the West Bank during the
reporting period.
Settlement Activities: On 29 March 2007, settlers from
Karmi Tzur settlement north of Hebron attacked Palestinian farmers from
Halhoul, and prevented them from reaching their farms near the settlement. On
30 March 2007, settlers from Beit Hadasa settlement savagely beat Palestinian
civilians in Shuhada Street in Hebron. And for the second consecutive week,
settlers continue to occupy a Palestinian house in Wadi El-Hussein area,
southeast of Hebron, near the settlement of Kiryat Arba. IOF continue to
provide protection to the settlers who occupy the house.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (29 March – 4 April 2007)
The
full report is available PDF format.
