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

· 2 Palestinian children were by IOF in the West Bank.

· 8 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and a woman, were
wounded by the IOF gunfire; 5 of them were wounded in Ne’lin village near
Ramallah.

· IOF conducted 44 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.

· IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children,
in the West Bank.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and
have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

· IOF troops harassed a journalist from Gaza at al-Karama
International Crossing Point on the Jordanian Border.

· IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.

Summary

Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting
period (26 June – 2 July 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 2 Palestinian children in the West Bank, and wounded 8 civilians,
including 2 children and a woman, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  

In the West Bank,
IOF killed 2 Palestinian children and wounded 7 civilians, including 2
children.

On 26 June 2008, IOF
shot dead a Palestinian child in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. IOF
troops moved into the village and opened fire. The child was killed when he was
near his house.

On 29 June 2008, IOF
shot dead a Palestinian child in Tubas town. They set an ambush for a number of
Palestinian children who are accustomed to gather in the area to throw stones
and Molotov Cocktails at IOF military vehicles. IOF troops fired at the
children. One of the children was killed.

On 28 June 2008, 2
Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF troops fired at the participants in
the funeral procession of a child who had been killed by IOF on the preceding
day.

On 1 July 2008, 5 Palestinian
civilians, including 2 children, were wounded when IOF used force to disperse a
peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the construction of the
Annexation Wall in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah.

In the Gaza Strip,
on 1 July 2008, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel to the east of Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip fired at 2
Palestinian women who were cultivating wheat from their land, nearly 500 meters
away from the border. A woman was wounded. This attack had been the third of
its kind since the Egypt-brokered truce in the Gaza Strip between Palestinian
resistance groups and Israel entered into force.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 44 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians,
including 2 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF
in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 1,424.

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 continued to close all
border crossings of the Gaza Strip for more than one year and a half. The total
siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip has left disastrous impacts on the
humanitarian situation and has violated the economic and social rights of the
nearly 1.5 million Palestinian civilian population, particularly the rights to
appropriate living conditions, health and education. It has also paralyzed most
economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions have been imposed on the
movement of the Palestinian civilian population. The siege imposed on the Gaza
Strip has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other
necessities such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various
economic sectors. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into
the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have stopped their industrial
activities. Concerning the movement of persons, IOF allow a few Palestinian
civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to travel to the West
Bank. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is the sole outlet
for the Gaza Strip to the outside world. 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.
Even though the Egypt-brokered truce between Palestinian resistance groups and
Israel entered into force, no major change has been noticed with regard to the
movement of persons and goods through border crossings of the Gaza Strip. 

The closure of border crossings deprives the
Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of
movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected to
intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to
monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go
fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.

West Bank

Contrary to Israeli
claims of easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians throughout the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Jerusalem. IOF have
established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the
movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them
from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently beat Palestinian
civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF have also tightened
the siege imposed on Palestinian communities 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 troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank
arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.

Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (26 June – 2 July 2008)

The full report is available PDF format.