Palestinian establishment targeted by Israeli warplanes this week
in the north of the Gaza Strip

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

 

 

· 3 Palestinian resistance activists were
killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip, one of whom was extra-judicially executed.

– 3
Palestinian resistance activist were wounded in the Gaza Strip and one civilian
was wounded in the West Bank.

 

· IOF warplanes launched a series or
air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.

– The
Ship Building in the northern Gaza Strip was bombarded, and at least 30 houses
and two schools were damaged.

– Two
tunnels were destroyed in Rafah.

– A
number of Palestinian civilians were injured by shattered glass.

 

· IOF continued to use force against
peaceful protests in the West Bank.

– 4 Palestinian civilians, including two
children, were wounded. 

– IOF arrested 14 Israeli human rights
defenders and two Palestinian civilians.

 

· IOF conducted 52 incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two limited ones into the Gaza
Strip.  

– IOF arrested 27 Palestinian civilians,
including 14 children.

– IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north
of Hebron, and arrested 18 Palestinian civilians.

 

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

 

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

– IOF
destroyed 3 water wells in Bethlehem.

– IOF
destroyed a road in Qarawt Bani Hassan village near Salfit.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations
of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the
reporting period (24 – 30 March 2011):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF killed 3
Palestinian resistance activists and wounded 3 others in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 5 Palestinian civilians,
including two children, in the West Bank. 

 

In
the Gaza Strip, on 30 March 2011, IOF extra-judicially executed an
activist of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and wounded
another one seriously in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.

 

On
27 March 2011, IOF killed two activists of the al-Quds Brigades and wounded a
third one in the northern Gaza Strip. An
IOF warplanes fired at these activists after they had fired home-made rockets
into Israeli towns. 

 

On
24 March 2011, a Palestinian resistance activist was wounded by a missile fired
by an IOF drone in the northern Gaza Strip.

 

During
the reporting period, IOF launched a series of air strikes and artillery
shelling against targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result of these attacks, two tunnels on the Egyptian border were
destroyed and at least 30 houses and two schools were damaged.

 

In
the West Bank, IOF wounded 5 Palestinian civilians, including two
children.

 

During the reporting period, IOF used
excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to
Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in
the West Bank. As a result, 4
Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded, and dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation.  IOF also arrested
14 Israeli human rights defenders and two Palestinian civilians.

 

On 25 March 2011, a Palestinian civilian,
who suffers from a psychological disorder, was wounded by the Israeli police in
Fassayel village near Jericho.

 

Incursions:

 

During the reporting
period, IOF conducted at least 52 military incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 27 Palestinian
civilians, including 14 children. The
widest incursions were into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, during which IOF
arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, mostly children. 

 

In the Gaza Strip,
IOF conducted two limited incursion into Palestinian areas, during which they
leveled areas of Palestinian land.

 

Restrictions on
Movement:

 

Israel had 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

 

Israel has continuously closed all border
crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has
had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian
crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for the population of the
Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the blockade are vague,
purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of the crisis, which can
only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of the closure,
including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on
exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply shifting Gaza
to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become internationally
accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer from the
same shortage of goods, but they will remain economically dependent and unable
to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically isolated from
the rest of the world.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza does not
change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with Israel’s legal
obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international human rights
treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant on Civil and
Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the ground refute Israeli
claims with respect to the
easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and the reduction of
restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli declaration of allowing new
goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes an attempt to delude the
international community, as such goods do not meet the minimal needs of the
Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have continued to ban the entry
of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have imposed a ban on all exports
from the Gaza Strip. 

 

· Israel had continued to close Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West
Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

 

· Israel has imposed additional access
restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers
seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several
international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living conditions of the Palestinian
civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and
unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

West Bank

 

IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank,
including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

 

· IOF have established checkpoints in
and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city.
Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

· There are approximately 585 permanent
roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank.

 

· When complete, the illegal Annexation
Wall will stretch for 724
kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the
entire population. 350
kilometers of the Wall have already been constructed.
Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself,
further confiscating Palestinian land.

 

· At least 65% of the main roads that
lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully
controlled by IOF.

 

· There are approximately 500 kilometers of
restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of
the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to
Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF. These permits are extremely
difficult to obtain.

 

· IOF continue to harass, and assault
demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the
Annexation Wall.

 

· Palestinian civilians continue to be
harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being
regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

 

Settlement
Activities:
 

 

Israel has continued
its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian
law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property. 

 

On 24 March 2011, IOF completed the
destruction of 3 water wells and subordinate structures in Arab al-Rashaida
village, southeast of Bethlehem. These
wells were established hundreds of years ago. The destruction came before the end of the period decided by IOF for the
owners to appeal against the decision to destroy them. 

 

Also on 24 March 2011, IOF moved into
Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit. They destroyed al-Horriya road for the second
time in 3 months. According to sources
of the local council, the road was destroyed for the second time in 3 months,
and IOF target the area in order to annex it to “Yakir” and “Rafafa”
settlements, because it is rich with water. 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (24 – 30 March 2011)

 

1. Incursions
into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip

 

Thursday, 24 March 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved
into Tulkarm. They raided a number of
houses and summoned or interrogated a number of Palestinian civilians.

 

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved
into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. They
raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Shadi Shihda
   Na’im, 24;
2. Ahmed ‘Ali
   Ekhlil, 30;
3. Nasser Fat’hi
   Ekhlil, 22; and
4. Mohammed ‘Ali
   ‘Awadh, 19.

 

· At approximately 01:20, an IOF
warplane fired a missile at a tunnel near Saladin Gate on the Egyptian border,
south of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. The tunnel was destroyed, but no casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved
into Jericho. They patrolled in the
streets and photographed Intercontinental Hotel. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF
moved into the old town and the southern part of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including two brothers:

 

1. ‘Adnan Mohammed
   Abu ‘Arafa, 22;
2. ‘Omar Mohammed
   Abu ‘Arafa, 25;
3. Jawad ‘Abdul
   Rahman al-Muhtasseb, 26; and
4. Ayman Fat’hi
   al-Jabrini, 37.

 

· In the morning, an IOF drone fired a
missile at an activist of the Palestinian resistance near Hammouda fuel station
in the northeast of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. 

 

· At approximately 08:00, IOF moved
into Abu Qash village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved
into Hijja village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved
into Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Bassem
Mohammed Tamimi, 45, and arrested him.

 

· At approximately 11:40, IOF moved
into Nabi Elias village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 11:50, IOF moved
into Jafna village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 15:00, IOF moved
into Zabbouba village, northwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets. A
number of Palestinian boys gathered and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. Immediately, IOF fired tear gas
canisters. They withdrew later, and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 16:55, IOF moved
into Jayous village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 17:00, IOF moved
into ‘Izbat al-Tabib village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 20:25, IOF warplanes
fired 4 missiles at the Ship Building of the Palestinian General Intelligence
in the southwest of the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians were
lightly injured by shattered glass in nearby houses: Siraj Ahmed al-Sa’ati, 26; ‘Emad Nasser
Ja’is, 24; and Ra’ed Mohammeed al-‘Afifi, 38. The bombardment also cased damage to some properties:

 

1. The upper part
   of the southern façade of the targeted building was destroyed.
2. Windows of at
   least 30 houses near the building were broken.
3. All windows of
   That al-Sawari School wer broken, and computer, labs and housekeeping
   rooms were heavily dmaged.
4. All windows and
   10 doors of Constantinople Secondary
   School were destroyed.
5. The Museum
   Hotel and Restaurant was damaged.  
6. Windows of the
   main building of al-Hilal Sports Club were broken.
7. Windows of the
   buildings of the Union of UNRWA Employees Club were broken.
8. Ten windows and
   3 doors of Sinbad Entertainment City were destroyed.

 

· Also at approximately 20:25, IOF
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east and
north of the northern Gaza Strip fired a number of artillery shells at
Palestinian areas. IOF fired at least 5
shells. No casualties were reported, but
Palestinian civilians were extremely terrified. 

 

· Also at approximately 20:25, an IOF
warplane fired a missile at a training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades
(the armed wing of Hamas) in the northwest of al-Shati refugee camp, west of
Gaza City. A number of nearby houses
were damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:30, IOF moved
into the agricultural area located between Kufor al-Labad village and Thinnaba
suburb, east of Tulkarm. They searched
the area for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 20:30, IOF
moved into al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:40, IOF moved
into Kharabtha al-Misbah village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved
into Fassayel village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, IOF moved
into the agricultural area located between ‘Attil and Deir al-Ghossoun
villages, north of Tulkarm. They
searched the area for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported. 

 

Friday, 25 March
2011

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved
into Qabatya village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Rami Ahmed
Kmayel, 32, and arrested him. They also
confiscated his personal computer.

 

· In the morning the Israeli police
fired a Palestinian civilian, who suffers from a psychological disorder, in Fassayel
village, north of Jericho. He was
wounded and then arrested by the police. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:30,
Karam Suleiman ‘Eissa, 35, from Balata refugee camp east of Nablus, moved from
his work in Fassayel village, north of Jericho, to the toilettes of the mosque in the village. He was accompanied by his employer, Fawzat
Abu Hussam, 45. An Israeli soldier who
was on the main road called on ‘Eissa to stop, but he did not do. The soldier shouted on ‘Eissa, so ‘Eissa
threw stones at him. An Israeli police
vehicle arrived at the area, and police officers fired at ‘Eissa. He was wounded by two bullets to both legs. The Israeli police transported him to an
Israeli hospital. They also detained the
employer for a few hours. According to
‘Eissa’s family, he suffers from a psychological disorder and he regularly
takes medicines. When he threw stones at
the soldier, he had not taken his medicines. 

 

· At approximately 09:30, IOF move into
al-Mentar area in ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They searched the area for some time and
withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 18:20, IOF moved
into the west of Qalqilya. They searched
the area for some time, claiming that a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the
annexation wall. They withdrew later and
no arrests were reported.

 

Saturday, 26 March 2011

 

· At approximately 16:30, IOF moved
into Jayous village, north of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 19:15, IOF moved
into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, IOF moved
into Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

Sunday, 27 March 2011

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved
into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 08:00, an IOF drone
fired a missile at a number of activists of al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of
Islamic Jihad), who had fired home-made rockets into Israeli town, near
Hammouda fuel station in the east of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza
Strip. Two activists were killed by
shrapnel throughout their bodies:

 

1. Sabri Hashem
   Mohammed ‘Assaliya, 20, from Beit Lahia town; and
2. Radwan Ahmed
   Mohammed al-Namrouti, 32, from al-Zawaida village in the central Gaza
   Strip.

 

A
third activist was wounded by shrapnel to the chest and the right hand.

 

· At approximately 09:30, IOF moved
into Beit ‘Our al-Tahta village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved
into Maithaloun village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 15:50, IOF moved
into Beit Ameen village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at approximately 15:50, IOF
moved into Snirya village, south of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 22:30, IOF moved
into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:30, IOF moved
into Fassayel village, north of Jericho. They raided a house belonging to Mohammed Mahmoud Nawawra, 58. They forced residents of the house and
searched it. They withdrew from the
village at approximately 01:00 on the following day, and no arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 23:50, IOF moved
into al-‘Ouja village, northeast of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Monday, 28 March 2011

 

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved
into Jericho. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:00, in the
context of continued collective punishment measures against Palestinian
civilian in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron, IOF moved into the village. They raided and searched dozens of
houses. According to investigations conducted
by PCHR, IOF forced residents of houses out and searched the houses using
tracker dogs. In this context, Israeli
soldiers violently beat Ahmed Hamed Za’aqiq, 40, when protested the way they
searched the house and arrested his child. He sustained bruises to the face, the back and the limbs. During this campaign, IOF arrested 14
Palestinian civilians, including 12 children:

 

1. Jameel Ahmed Za’aqiq, 15;

2. Mohammed Yasser Za’aqiq, 18;

3. Ahmed Yasser Za’aqiq, 17;

4. Ahmed Mohamed Ekhlil, 22;

5. Muntasser Ibrahim Ekhlil, 20;

6. Mohammed ‘Azzam al-Za’aqiq, 16;

7. Malek Nayef Slaibi, 16;

8. ‘Allam Yousef ‘Awadh, 14;

9. Ahmed Yousef Sabarna, 18;

10. Mohammed Yousef Sabarna, 17;

11. Shareef Fat’hi Braighaith, 18;

12. Hassam Majed Slaibi, 16;

13. Eihab Mohammed Abu Fanous, 14; and

14. Yousef ‘Aayesh Sabarna, 14.

 

It
is worth noting that at least 200 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, have
been arrested by IOF in the town since the beginning of 2011, according to
sources of the Palestinian Prisoners Club in the town.

 

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF
moved into Kufor Laqef village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested ‘Abada ‘Abdul Karim Madaniya, 19. They confiscated a hunting rifle from the house.

 

· At approximately 09:00, IOF moved in
‘Ein Yabroud village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.

 

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved
into Deir Abu Da’if village, east of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 15:00, IOF moved
into the vicinity of Haddad Tourist Village, southeast of Jenin. They broke into the village and searched
it. They withdrew later and no arrests
were reported.

 

· At approximately 17:00, IOF moved
into Ramin village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 20:00, IOF moved
into the areas located between ‘Azzoun and ‘Izbat al-Tabib villages, east of
Qalqilya. They searched the area and
arrested ‘Omar ‘Omran Hassan, 16, claiming that they threw stones at them.

 

· At approximately 23:50, IOF moved
into al-Zbaidat village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday, 29 March 2011

 

· At approximately 02:30, an IOF
warplane fired a missile at a tunnel on the Egyptian border near Yibna refugee
camp, south of Rafah. The tunnel was
destroyed and no casualties were reported. 

 

· At approximately 05:00, IOF moved
into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
and photographed a training site of the Palestinian Presidential Guard and the
roadblock of the Palestinian National Security Forces. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 08:30, IOF move
nearly 200 meters into al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of Palestinian land near
the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

 

· At approximately 09:00, IOF moved
into ‘Allar village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at approximately 09:00, IOF
moved into Kfairet village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· Also at approximately 09:00, IOF
moved into Rummana village, northwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 09:30, IOF moved
into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 10:30, IOF moved
into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:00, IOF moved
into Maithaloun village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some
time and withdrew later. Neither house
raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved
into Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

· At approximately 21:50, IOF moved
into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

Wednesday, 30 March 2011

 

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved
into ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved
into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses. They took 3 Palestinian civilians to an area
far from the village: Ameen Khaled Abu
Haniya, 45; Khaled ‘Abdul Rahim Abu Haniya, 40; and Baker Sa’id Abu Haniya,
45. They interrogated these civilians
about allegations of hiding weapons in their houses, although they thoroughly
searched the housed and did not find anything. IOF violently beat these civilians during interrogation, and released
them at 05:00.

 

· At approximately 02:20, IOF moved
into Tulkarm and patrolled in the streets. They then moved eastward into Nour Shams refugee camp. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew a few hours later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 10:30, IOF moved
nearly 400 meters into Bourat Abu Samra area in the north of the northern Gaza
Strip of Beit Lahia. They opened fire
and leveled areas of land, which they had already razed. Palestinian farmers were forced to leave the
area. At approximately 15:30, IOF moved
back to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

 

2. Use of
Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations Protesting Settlement
Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

During the reporting
period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to
the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including
a child, were wounded. Dozens of Palestinian
civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and
others sustained bruises.  Additionally,
IOF arrested 14 Israeli human rights defenders and two Palestinian civilians.    

   

· Following the Friday Prayer on 25
March 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human
rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of
Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the annexation wall.  Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators. As a result, 3
Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:

 

1. Ibrahim ‘Abdul Fattah Bernat, 28, hit
by a tear gas canister to the right hand;

2. Ahmed Rebhi Abu Rahma, 17, wounded by
a bullet to the right foot; and

3. Mohammed Suleiman Bernat, 20, sustained
burns to the face.

 

Additionally,
a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 25
March 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and human rights
defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of
Ramallah, in protest against the construction of the annexation wall. They clashed with Israeli troops positioned
near the Wall. Israeli troops fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. As a result, a number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 25
March 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human
rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations in the Wad al-Raya
area between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators attempted to reach
areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near “Halmish” settlement,
Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters at them. As a result, Mahmoud
Wajeeh Tamimi, 15, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right
hand. A number of demonstrators also
suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally,
IOF arrested 12 international human rights defenders and 18-year-old ‘Odai
‘Abdul Raziq Tamimi, 18. 

 

· At approximately 13:00 on Saturday,
26 March 2011, Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights
defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron, in protest to the tightened siege imposed in the town. They moved towards the main entrance of the
town, which has been closed by IOF. Immediately, IOF chased the demonstrators and fired tear gas canisters
and sound bombs at them. IOF also
arrested three demonstrators: Kopi Levi, 30, and Israeli human rights defender;
Katia, an American human rights defender; and ‘Emad Ahmed Abu Hashem, 21, a
Palestinian civilian. 

 

3. Extra-Judicial Execution

 

During
the reporting period, IOF extra-judicially executed an activist of the al-Quds
Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and wounded another one in the
southern Gaza Strip of Rafah.

 

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:15 on Wednesday, 30
March 2011, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Mohammed Khaled Suleiman Abu
Mo’ammar, 25, and ‘Abdullah Saleh al-Ghalban, 25, as soon as they got out of
the former’s house near Martyr Tariq Abu al-Hussain Mosque in al-Nasser
village, north of Rafah, for the Dawn Prayer. The two were seriously wounded. They were evacuated to European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis. At approximately 06:10, Abu Mo’ammar was
pronounced dead. Al-Ghalban is still in
a serious condition and his right leg was amputated. Abu Mo’ammar was an activist of the al-Quds
Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), while al-Ghalban is a member of the
Salafi movement.  

 

4. Continued Closure of the OPT

 

Israel
has continued to impose a tightened closure of 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

 

Israel has continuously closed all border
crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has
had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza
Strip.

 

· The illegal closure has caused not
only a humanitarian crisis but a crisis of human rights and human dignity for
the population of the Gaza Strip. Measures declared recently to ease the
blockade are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to deal with the root causes of
the crisis, which can only be addressed by an immediate and complete lifting of
the closure, including lifting the travel ban into and out of the Gaza Strip
and the ban on exports. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply
shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become
internationally accepted and institutionalized. Palestinians in Gaza may no
longer suffer from the same shortage of goods, but they will remain
economically dependent and unable to care for themselves, and socially,
culturally and academically isolated from the rest of the world.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed
into Gaza does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent
with Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under
international human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the ground refute Israeli
claims with respect to the easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and
the reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli declaration of allowing new
goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes an attempt to delude the
international community, as such goods do not meet the minimal needs of the
Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have continued to ban the entry
of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have imposed a ban on all exports
from the Gaza Strip. 

 

· Israel had continued to close Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West
Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

 

· Israel has imposed additional access
restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers
seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several
international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living conditions of the Palestinian
civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and
unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

Movement at Border
Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement at Rafah
International Crossing Point

23 – 29 March 2011

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu
Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

22 – 29 March 2011

 

 

Notes:

· On
Tuesday, 22 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 18 tons of iron and 300 tons of
cement for UNRWA. They also allowed the
entry of 1,131 tons of wheat.

· On
Wednesday, 23 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 36 tons of iron, 120 tons of
cement and 132 tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA.  They also allowed the entry of 1,328 tons of
fodders.

· On
Thursday, 24 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 190 tons of cement and 96
tons of construction aggregate for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,716 tons of fodders.

· On
Sunday, 27 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 1,209 tons of wheat.

· On
Monday, 28 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 280 tons of cement for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,287 tons of
wheat and 53 tons of fodders.

· On
Tuesday, 29 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 120 tons of cement, 70 tons of
construction aggregate and 95 tons of iron for UNRWA. They also allowed the entry of 1,521 tons of
fodders.

 

Exports

· On
Tuesday, 22 March 2011, 206 tons of tomatoes and 265,000 flowers were exported.

· On
Wednesday, 23 March 2011, 106 tons of tomatoes were exported.

· On
Thursday, 24 March 2011, 129,000 flowers were exported.

· On
Monday, 28 March 2011, 85,000 flowers were exported.

· On
Tuesday, 29 March 2011, 153,000 flowers were exported.

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing:
IOF completely closed the crossing.

 

Beit
Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun
(Erez) crossing for the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have allowed
only diplomats, a number of international journalists, employees of
international agencies and a limited number of patients who suffer from serious
diseases to pass through the crossing. They have continued to prevent
Palestinian civilians from visiting their relatives who are detained in Israeli
jails. The small number of patients permitted to pass through the crossing is
only able to do so under severe restrictions that include prolonged checking. 

 

Movement at Beit
Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

16 – 22 March 2011

 

 

The
West Bank

 

Israel
has imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank. During the reporting period,
IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

 

· Jerusalem: IOF have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and
from the city. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the
Gaza Strip have been denied access to the city. IOF have established many
checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of
Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays, preventing Muslim Palestinians
from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.  

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian civilians in
Ramallah.  At approximately 10:00 on
Thursday, 24 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Nabi
Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah.  At approximately 13:00, IOF established a
checkpoint near the entrance of Turmos’iya village, north of Ramallah. At approximately 11:30 on Friday, 25 March
2011, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 10:30 on Saturday, 26 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on
Silwad – ‘Ein Yabroud road, northeast of Ramalllah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
16:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Nabi
Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. At
approximately 20:00 on the same, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance
of Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah. At approximately 08:30 on Monday, 28 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
near the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 10:30 on Tuesday, 29 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint between Bitouna town and Beit ‘Our al-Fouqa
village, west of Ramallah.  At
approximately 13:00 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near the
entrance of al-Lubban al-Gharbi village, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 18:30 on the same day, IOF
re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah.  

 

· Hebron: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. For the second consecutive week, IOF have
continued to impose a tightened siege on Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. They have continued to close all entrances of
the town. They have prohibited the
movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the town. 

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  On Thursday, 24 March 2011, IOF established 5
checkpoints around the town.  On
Saturday, 26 March 2011, IOF established 7 checkpoints around the town.  On Sunday, 20 March 2011, IOF established 6
checkpoints around the town.  At
approximately 10:30 on Monday, 28 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at
Jeet intersection. At approximately
14:15 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Azzoun
village, east of Qalqilya.

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 19:00 on Thursday, 24 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Leed village, east
of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilians vehicles. At
approximately 17:30 on Friday, 25 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint on
Tulkarm – Qalqilya road in al-Kafriyat area, south of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles.

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 07:30 on Friday, 25 March 2011,
IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of al-Mansoura village, south of
Jenin. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. At
approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 26 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Sanour village, south of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 17:00 on Monday, 28 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Yassouf village, east of
Salfit. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 11:10 on Thursday, 24 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
18:20 on Friday, 25 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance
of ‘Ein al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At approximately 10:00 on Monday, 28 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the southern entrance of Jericho. At approximately 18:00 on Tuesday, 24 March
2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of al-Jiftlek village,
north of Jericho. At approximately 19:00
on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of ‘Ein
al-Dyouk village, north of Jericho.     

 

5. Settlement Activities and Attacks by
Settlers against Palestinian Civilians and Property

 

Israel has continued
its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian
law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.

 

· On Thursday morning, 24 March 2011,
IOF completed the destruction of 3 water wells and subordinate structures in
Arab al-Rashaida village, southeast of Bethlehem. According to investigations conducted by
PCHR, at approximately 10:00 on Wednesday, 23 March 2011, IOF, accompanied by a
bulldozer, moved into Arab al-Rashaida village. They began to destroy 3 water wells, that are used for collective
rainwater. These wells were established
hundreds of years ago. The destruction
came before the end of the period decided by IOF for the owners to appeal
against the decision to destroy them. The wells’ details are as follows:

 

1. A well that absorbs 280 cubic meters
of water belonging to Yousef Hussein Rashaida;

2. A well that absorbs 3,000 cubic
meters of water belonging to ‘Ali Salem Mad’an; and

3. A well that absorbs 225 cubic meters
of water belonging to Majed Ehdaiwi Rashaida.

 

· At approximately 09:55 on Thursday,
IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, northwest of Salfit. They destroyed al-Horriya road for the second
time in 3 months. They withdrew from the
village at approximately 12:20. According to sources of the local council, the road was destroyed for
the second time in 3 months, and IOF target the area in order to annex it to
“Yakir” and “Rafafa” settlements, because it is rich with
water. 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

Recommendations to the International
Community

 

 

1. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel’s respect for
the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence
practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it
is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human
rights and humanitarian law.

 

2. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take
effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the OPT and to
provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

 

3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with their legal obligations
detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those
responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

 

4. PCHR calls for the immediate
implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of
Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the
West Bank illegal.

 

5. PCHR recommends that international
civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar
associations and NGOs, participate in the process of exposing those accused of
grave breaches of international law and urge their governments to bring the perpetrators to justice.

 

6. PCHR calls upon the European Union to
activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides
that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic
cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods
produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.

 

7. PCHR calls on the international
community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented in
September 2005, for what it is – not an end to occupation but a compounding of
the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. 

 

8. In recognition of ICRC as the
guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase
its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of family
visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

 

9. PCHR appreciates the efforts of
international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar
associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in
pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human rights in the
OPT and to demand Israel end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

 

10. PCHR calls upon the international
community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the
Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international
organizations to the OPT.

 

11. PCHR reiterates that any political
settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law
cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to
further suffering and instability in the region. Any peace process or agreement must be based
on respect for international law, including international human rights and
humanitarian law.

 

 

 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

Public Document

For further information please visit our
website (www.pchrgaza.org) or contact
PCHR’s office in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email ([email protected]) or telephone (+972 (0)8
282 4776 – 282 5893).