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

· 11 Palestinians, including 2 children and an elderly man, were
killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

· 25 Palestinians, including 9 children and 5 women, were
wounded by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

· IOF conducted 32
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4 into the Gaza
Strip.

· IOF razed 240 donums[1]
of agricultural and destroyed a house in the southern Gaza Strip.  

· IOF transformed 3 houses in the West Bank into military
sites.

· IOF arrested 39 Palestinian civilians, including 4
children, in the West Bank, and detained 12 others in the Gaza Strip.

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

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

· IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT for 3 days.

· 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and a woman, were
arrested by IOF at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

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

· IOF demolished 3 houses in East Jerusalem.

· IOF started to establish a new settlement outpost to the
southwest of Hebron.

· 4 Palestinian civilians, including an elderly man and his
wife, were injured by Israeli settlers.

Summary

Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT, especially in the
Gaza Strip, during the reporting period (5 – 11 June 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 11 Palestinians, including 2 children and an elderly man, and wounded 25
others, including 9 children and 5 women, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 10 Palestinians,
including two 8-year-old children, and wounded 16 others, including 5 children
and 3 women.

On 5 June, IOF killed
an 8-year-old child in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, when they fired a
missile that fell near her family’s house. The child’s mother was also wounded.
Additionally, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF during an incursion
into ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis.

On 6 June, 5
Palestinians (3 children and 2 police officers) were wounded when IOF aircrafts
bombarded a police station of the dismissed Palestinian government in the
northern Gaza Strip.

On 7 June, IOF shot
dead a Palestinian civilian in al-Shoja’eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza
City, when he attempted to offer help to a number of activists of the
Palestinian resistance who had been wounded by IOF. On the same day, IOF killed
an activist of the Palestinian resistance, when they fired a tanks shell at a
number of activists in al-Shoja’eya neighborhood. In addition, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded by IOF in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis.

On 8 June, 2
Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF near Khan Yunis town in the southern
Gaza Strip and near al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.

On 10 June 2008, IOF
killed 3 activists of the Palestinian resistance in al-Tuffah neighborhood in
the east of Gaza City.

On 11 June, IOF killed
an 8-year-old girl and 2 activists of the Palestinian resistance during an
incursion into al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. The girl’s aunt and
another girl were also wounded. On the same day, IOF killed an elderly Palestinian
man and wounded his grandchild, when an IOF helicopter gunship fired a missile
at a tent that serves as a site for the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed
wing of Hamas) in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip.

In the West Bank, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian
and wounded 9 others, including 4 children and 2 women.

On 5 June, IOF killed a
Palestinian civilian, when they opened fire at members of two clans who were
exchanging fire in the context of a dispute between the two clans in Hebron. On
the same day, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and 2 women, were
wounded when IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

On 7 June, 2
Palestinian children were wounded when IOF fired at a number of children who
demonstrated when IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas.

On 9 June, a
Palestinian child was wounded by IOF in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

On 10 June, a
Palestinian civilian was wounded when IOF fired at a number of Palestinian
children who demonstrated in Deir Abu Mash’al village, northwest of Ramallah.

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 32 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested
39 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. Since the beginning of the
year, 1,306 Palestinian civilians have been arrested by IOF in the West Bank. IOF
also closed two offices belonging to the ‘Islamic Charity’ in Hebron, and transformed
3 houses into military sites.   

In the Gaza Strip, IOF
conducted 4 incursions into Palestinian communities. During these incursions,
IOF razed at least 240 donums of agricultural land, destroyed 2 green houses, demolished
a house and a bird farm, and detained 12 Palestinian civilians for some time,
but released 11 of them later.

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. During the
reporting period, IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT from Sunday
morning to Tuesday morning, 8-11 June 2008.  

Gaza Strip

IOF have continued to
close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for almost two years. The IOF siege
of Gaza, which has tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on
the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and has violated the human,
economic and social rights of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinian
civilian population, particularly their rights to appropriate living
conditions, health and education. The siege has also paralyzed the Gazan
economy. In addition, the siege 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 many factories have been forced to
close. Severe restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the entire
Palestinian civilian population. Regarding civilian movements, IOF permit very few
Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in order to
travel to the West Bank or Israel. Rafah International Crossing Point in the
southern Gaza Strip is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world
via a country other than Israel. 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 from reaching it. The closure
of these border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the
Gaza Strip of their inalienable right to freedom of movement, education and
health. IOF also imposes restrictions on the access of fishermen to sea, using
force to impose severe restrictions on their rights to fish on their own
coastline.

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 harass 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 various checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and a woman.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement
activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT have, in violation of
international human rights and humanitarian law, continued to attack
Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, IOF demolished
3 Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem, claiming that they were built without
licenses. IOF also started to establish a settlement outpost on the land of
Arab al-Ramadin village, south of Hebron. IOF named the new settlement outpost
“Sinsana B”, and it would be constructed only a few meters away from “Sinsana
A” settlement outpost. In the meantime, Israeli settlers continued to attack
Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, 4 Palestinian
civilians, including an old man and his wife, were injured when Israeli
settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron district.

Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (5 – 11 June 2008)

The full report is available PDF format.