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

· A Palestinian
worker and a resistance activist were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF launched a
series of air strikes against civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.

– 4 houses were destroyed and 14 others were damaged.

– 11 civilian establishments were destroyed or heavily damaged, a
security building was destroyed and a mosque was damaged.

· IOF continued
to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the
Gaza Strip.

– A Palestinian worker and a farmer were
wounded.

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

– 7 Palestinian civilians,
including a child, were wounded.

– A PCHR field
worker, a paramedic and two journalists suffered from tear gas inhalation.

– IOF arrested a Palestinian
civilian, an Israeli journalist, an Israeli human rights defender and two
international ones.

· IOF conducted 40
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 limited ones
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 13
Palestinian civilians, including two children.

· 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 razed 15 donums of land in Deir Estia village near Salfit.

– IOF ordered the demolition of a school, a mosque and 13 houses in
al-Ramadin village near Hebron.

– Israeli settlers attacked a house in Hawara village near Nablus
using Molotov cocktails.

Summary

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (24 February – 02 March 2011):

Shooting:

During the reporting period, IOF
killed a Palestinian worker and a resistance activist, and wounded a worker, a
farmer and a resistance activist in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 7 Palestinian civilians, including
a child in the West Bank.

In the Gaza Strip, on 27 February
2011, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel shot dead
a Palestinian worker who was collecting scraps of construction materials in the
northern Gaza Strip, nearly 300 meters away from the border.

Another worker was wounded by IOF on
26 February 2011.

On 27 February 2011, IOF killed a
Palestinian resistance activist in the east of Gaza City. An Israeli warplane fired a missile at a
number of activists of The al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad).

On 28 February 2011, IOF wounded a Palestinian resistance activist
in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. 

On 01 March 2011, a Palestinian farmer was wounded when IOF fired
an artillery shell at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in
the central Gaza Strip.

During the reporting period, IOF
launched a series of air strikes against the Gaza Strip. As a result, 4 houses were destroyed and 14
others were damaged, 11 civilian facility were heavily damaged, a security
building was destroyed and a mosque was damaged.

In the West Bank, 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, 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded, and dozens
of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation, including a PCHR field worker, a paramedic and two
journalists. Additionally, IOF arrested
a Palestinian civilian, an Israeli journalist, an Israeli human rights defender
and two international ones.   

Incursions:

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 40 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 13
Palestinian civilians, including two children.

In
the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions into the southern and
central Gaza Strip, 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 27 February 2011, IOF moved into Hariqat al-Khammas area in the
west of Deir Estia village, northwest of Salfit. They razed a 15-donum area of land belonging
to Hussein ‘Abdul Rahim Zaidan. IOF
destroyed fences of the land and 30 water tanks and uprooted 150
seedlings. 

On the same day, IOF handed notices ordering the demolition of a
school, a mosque and 13 houses in al-Ramadin village, southwest of Hebron,
claiming that they were built without licenses. 

On 28 February 2011, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Gilad” settlement set up a number of tents and mobile
homes on Palestinian land in the east of Ematin village, northeast of
Qalqilya. IOF intervened later and dismantled
the tents and mobile homes.

On 28 February 2011, a number of armed Israeli
settlers from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of Ramallah, closed the
entrance of Nabi Saleh village, west of the town. They threw stones at Palestinian civilian
vehicles. IOF were present in the area,
but did not intervene immediately. 

On 28 February 2011, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Yits’har” settlement attacked a house in Hawara
village, south of Nablus, using Molotov cocktails. The house was damed.  

On 02 March 2011, IOF destroyed a water well
belonging to Hamed Yousef Jaber in al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron, near bypass
road #60.

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (24 February – 02 March 2011)

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

Thursday, 24 February 2011

· At
approximately 00:05, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at an agricultural
room belonging to Wa’el ‘Abdul Hadi al-Majaida, 40, in the north of the
southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. The room was completely destroyed and a nearby house belonging to Khaled
Na’im Wafi was damaged.

· At
approximately 00:15, IOF moved into ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1. Mujahed
   Marwan al-Sous, 18;
2. ‘Edwan
   Mahmoud Ya’qoub, 18;
3. Qassem
   Jawad Hamed, 17;
4. Qussai
   Ibrahim Sammour, 18;
5. Lutfi
   Hussam al-Sa’di, 18; and
6. Shiraz
   Mahmoud Abu Tabeekh, 18.

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, northwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Murad Ahmed Nawahda, 20, and arrested him.

· Also at
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, south of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· Also at
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 03:10, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a 2-donum,
asbestos-roofed yard belonging to Adham Khaled Shurrab, 47, in Nussairat
refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. The yard was destroyed. The same
warplane fired another missile at a 250-square-meter building belonging to
Hassan Yousef Shurrab in the same area. The building was also destroyed. A number of nearby establishments were also damaged:

1. A
   3.5-donum building, that includes stores and a factory of juice belonging
   to Ibrahim ‘Olayan ‘Ali and brothers;
2. A
   5-donum factory of textiles belonging to Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahim Hamdouna;
3. A
   6-donum area factory of papers and nylons belonging to Ussama Baker
   al-Khuzondar; and
4. A
   5-donum flour mill belonging to ‘Awni ‘Olayan Abu Yousef.

· At
approximately 03:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a one-donum
workshop belonging to Ibrahim Mohammed al-Heela in al-Zawaida village in the
central Gaza Strip. The workshop was
damaged.

· At
approximately 04:10, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a yard in al-Shouka
village, east of Rafah. As a result, a
house belonging to Hassam Mahmoud Hamad was destroyed, and another house
belonging to Ashraf Hassan Abu Rezeq was heavily damaged. Hamad’s son stated to
PCHR that he had received a phone call from a person who introduced himself as
an officer of the Israeli intelligence. The officer order him to evacuate the house, because it would be
bombarded, and the family did.

· At
approximately 09:20, 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 10:35, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 10:40, 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 15:20, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, north of Salfit. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· At approximately
18:30, 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 18:55, Israeli warplanes fired 5 missiles at a civilian vehicle,
in which two persons were traveling, in al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah. Two missiles hit a wall in a house belonging
to Mansour Hamdan Bani Hassan, damaging it. Another two missiles hit an olive farm. The fifth missile hit the vehicle directly after the two persons had
stepped down. One of the persons was
lightly injured, while the vehicle was destroyed. The two persons were not identified.

· At
approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Jeet village, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
 

· At
approximately 22:00, 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 22:25, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

Friday,
25 February 2011

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

Saturday, 26 February 2011

· At
approximately 03:30, an Israeli warplane fired a missile a 100-square-meter
resort belonging to ‘Emad al-Din Mohammed ‘Aaqel, 38, in al-Boreij refugee camp
in the central Gaza Strip. The resort
was completely destroyed. Additionally,
8 houses and a bird farm were damaged:

1. A
   120-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Nasser ‘Abdul Karim
   ‘Ammar, whose 17-year-old child, Hanin, was also injured;
2. A
   200-square-meter, 3-storey house belonging to Miriam Hamad Abu Marahil;
3. A
   330-square-meter, 3-storey house belonging to ‘Omar Hammad Abu Marahil;
4. A
   100-square-meter belonging to Khaled Sha’ban al-Mabhouh;
5. A
   120-square-meter house belonging to Yousef ‘Abdullah Abu Shu’aib;
6. A
   70-square-meter house belonging to ‘Adnan ‘Abdul Karim ‘Eissa;
7. A
   165-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Ussama Mahmoud al-Krunz;
8. A
   120-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahman
   Noufal; and
9. A
   150-square-meter bird farm and a room belonging to Jabri Khaled al-‘Aalem.

· At
approximately 04:05, Israeli warplanes fired 4 missiles at a training site of
the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in the west of Khan
Yunis. No caulaties were reported. The same site had been repeatedly bombarded by
IOF.

· At
approximately 11:30, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north of Beit Lahia town fired
at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction
materials from destroyed buildings. As a
result, Khaled Mohammed al-Hossoumi, 37, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a
bullet to the right leg, when he was nearly 300 meters away from the border.

· In the
afternoon, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a site of the ‘Izziddin
al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in the northwest of Rafah. The missile exploded near a water wall of the
Municipality of al-Nasser. As a result, a major electricity transmitter was
destroyed and electricity was cut off in several areas in Rafah. Two Palestinian civilians were also shocked.

· At
approximately 14:15, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site of the al-Quds
Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in the west of Khan Yunis. No caulaties were reported. The same site had been repeatedly bombarded
by IOF.

· Also at
approximately 14:15, an Israeli warplane fired a missile an under-construction
building in Sa’ed Sayel site of the Palestinian National Security Forces in the
east of Rafah. The building was
destroyed. There nearby flast belonging
to Jamal Mahmoud Abu Sharekh and his sons were damaged, and his grandchild,
Saja, was injured in the head.

· At
approximately 15:30, an Israeli warplane fired two missiles at two house
belonging to Ahmed and Hatem ‘Eid Abu Shareb in the east of al-Boreij refugee
camp in the central Gaza Strip. The two
houses and a barrack of animals were destroyed and a neighboring house was
damaged. According to Ahmed Abu Shareb,
he received a phone call at approximately 15:00 from a person who introduced
himself as an Israeli military officer. He ordered Abu Shareb to evacuate his house because it would be
bombarded, so he evacuated his house and his brother’s house and informed the
neighbors. Ten minutes later, the officer phoned again to make sure that the
house was evacuated.  The damages to nearby civilian property were:

1. A
   200-square-meter house belonging to Mohammed ‘Eid Abu Shareb was damaged;
   and
2. A
   barrack of animals belonging to Hassan ‘Abdul Karim al-Nabahin ws heavily
   damaged.

· At
approximately 16:30, IOF moved into the area located between ‘Azzoun and ‘Izbat
al-Tabib villages, east of Qalqilya. They patrolled in the area for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 18:50, 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.

Sunday, 27 February 2011

· At
approximately 00:20, 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 01:30, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of
Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Nabi Saleh village, northwest of
Ramallah. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Mohammed Ibrahim Tamimi, 14.

· At
approximately 02:40, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

· At
approximately 10:30, IOF moved into al-‘Araqa village, west of Jenin. They established a checkpoint at the entrance
of the village. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. They also summoned 4 Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

· At
approximately 18:00, IOF moved into al-Jaroushiya village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
and held two Palestinian children for some time. They withdrew later, and neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 20:40, IOF moved into ‘Attil village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No house raids or
arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Deir al-Ghossoun village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 22:30, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a number of activists
of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in the east of
al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. An activist, ‘Abdul Majid Ghazi Shahin, 21,
from Deir al-Balah, was killed.

Monday, 28 February 2011

· At
approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Zeita 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 00:15, IOF moved into al-Jaroushiya village, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Reema village, northwest of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel fired 3 artillery shells at Gaza International Airport in the southeast
of Rafah. Two shells hit destroyed
buildings in the airport. As a result, a
member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) was
wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen and the thighs. The third shell hit a 100-square-meter house
belonging to Hanan ‘Abdul Qader Abu Jarad, in which 5 people live, who was not
at home then. The house was completely
destroyed.

· At approximately 10:00, Israeli soldiers positioned on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north of Beit Lahia town fired at a Palestinian worker, 20-year-old ‘Omar ‘Arafa Ma’rouf, who was collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of “Elli Sinai” used to stand. Ma’rouf was nearly 300 meters away from the border. He was wounded by a bullet to the left side. At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into the area. At approximately 12:00, IOF informed the Palestinian side that they would deliver the body of a dead Palestinian at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. At approximately 13:35, the body was delivered to a Palestinian ambulance. 

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

· At
approximately 14:40, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel fired an artillery shell at an open area in the east of Jabalya
town. The shell landed nearly 700 meters
away from the border. Palestinian farmer
working on their agricultural lands in the area were forced to leave their
lands. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 20:40, Israeli soldiers fired sound and flash bombs near Kufor
Laqef village, east of Qalqilya, claiming that stones were thrown at Israeli
settlers’ cars. No casualties were
reported.

· At
approximately 21:20, IOF moved into al-Fundoq village, east of AQalqilya. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

Tuesday, 01 March 2011

· At
approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Sourif village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Ahmed ‘Abdul Fattah al-Hour, 53, and arrested him.

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved nearly 400 meters into the east of Khuza’a
village, east of the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. This incursion continued until 17:00. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved into ‘Ejja village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and summoned Akram Waleed Ma’ali, 24, for interrogation.

· At
approximately 13:00, IOF moved nearly 300 meters into Khuza’a village, east of
the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land. This incursion continued until 16:00. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF positioned at border between the Gaza Strip and Israel
fired at a number of Palestinian resistance activists in the east of Deir
al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip. As a result, Rami Saleh Abu Mussa’ed, 22, was wounded by shrapnel to the
right side.

· In the evening,
the Israeli police in Hebron arrested ‘Eissa Isma’il ‘Amru, 30, a human rights
defender. ‘Eissa was summoned by the
Israeli police for interrogation at 19:00. They accused him of incitement and affiliation to an illegal
organization, referring to the Youth Commission against Settlement in
Hebron. ‘Amru had been arrested by IOF
several times.

· At
approximately 21:00, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats
opposite to Rafah beach in the southern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Kharabtha al-Misbah village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 23:30, IOF moved into al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.

Wednesday, 02 March 2011

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Beit Oula village, northwest of
Hebron. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Ahmed ‘Awni al-‘Adam, 32, and arrested him.

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Hadd village, southwest of Hebon. They raided and searched a house belonging to
al-Koumi family. They arrested Hafez and
Maher Kayed al-Koumi, 28 and 23 respectively.

· At
approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm town and refugee camp. They
patrolled in the streets and established a checkpoint near Kaffa suburb. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. They withdrew later
and no arrests were reported.

· At
approximately 15:30, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel opened fire at Palestinian farmers in the east of the northern Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoun. No casualties
were reported.

· At
approximately 17:20, IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and
Israel opened fire at Palestinian farmers in the northeast of Beit Hanoun
town. No casualties were reported.

· At
approximately 18:00, IOF moved into ‘Attil village, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. Neither house raids
or arrests were reported.

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, 7 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.   

· Following the
Friday Prayer on 25 February 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, Qassem Barakat al-Khatib, 17, was hit by a tear gas
canister to the right hand.

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

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 25 February 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
Palestinian civilian, who has not been identified, was hit by a tear gas
canister to the right foot. Additionally, a number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation. 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 25 February 2011, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Beit Reema 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, 3 Palestinian civilians were
wounded:

1. Bassem
   Mohammed Tamimi, 50, hit by a tear gas canister to the back;
2. ‘Abdul
   Hafiz Mohammed Tamimi, 52, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the
   head; and
3. Nidal
   Hussein Tamimi, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head.

A number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation. Additionally, IOF arrested an Israeli
journalist, David, 54.

· At
approximately 12:10 on Friday, 25 February 2011, the Youth Commission against
Settlement in Hebron organized a peaceful demonstration in the center of
Hebron, in protest to Israeli settlement activities and in commemoration of
victims of an attack by an Israeli settler against Palestinian civilians in
Hebron in 1994, in which 29 civilians were killed. When the demonstrators arrived near
“Beit Rumano” settlement in the north of the old town, IOF fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. They also violently beat a number of
demonstrators. Three demonstrators were
wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

1. Nassar
   ‘Essam Abu Maizar, 23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left
   foot;
2. ‘Odai
   Sa’id Nassar, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left
   hand; and
3. Hussam
   ‘Othamn ‘Aabdin, 50, wounded by 3 rubber-coated metal bullets to the right
   leg.

A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation,
including Fahmi Hamdi Shahin, 27, a PCHR field worker, a paramedic and two
journalists. Additionally, IOF arrested
Mahmoud Ramadan al-Ja’bari, 26. IOF also
arrested 3 international human rights defenders, but released them later. It is worth noting that the demonstration
attempted to draw the attention of the international community to a series of
human right violations perpetrated by IOF against Palestinian civilians,
including the closure of al-Shuhada Street in the center of Hebron for 17 years.

3. 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
February – 01 March 2011

Note: Palestinian university students were not allowed to travel to
Egypt due to continued closure of Egyptian universities. Travelers who did not have visas to enter
Egypt were not directly transported to airports as it was the case during the
era of former Egyptian President Husni Mubarak.

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

23  February – 01 March 2011

On Wednesday, 23 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 383 tons
of iron for the Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.

On Thursday, 24 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 380 tons of
cement and 38 tons of iron for UNRWA and 210 tons of iron for Coastal
Municipalities Water Utility.

On Monday, 28 February 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 25 tons of iron
for ANERA.

On Tuesday, 01 March 2011, IOF allowed the entry of 400 tons of
cement and 108 tons of iron for UNRWA; 94 tons of cement and 70 tons of iron
for ANERA; and 110 tons of iron for Coastal Municipalities Water Utility.

Exports:

On Thursday, 24
February, 363,000 flowers were exported.

On Monday, 28
February, 427,000 flowers were exported.

On Tuesday, 01
March 2011, 173,000 flowers were exported.

Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
reopened the crossing on Wednesday, 23 February, and allowed the entry of 1,131
tons of wheat and 585 tons of fodders. They
opened it also on Sunday, 27 February 2011, and allowed the entry of 7,630 tons
of construction aggregate. They opened
it again on Monday, 28 February 2011, and allowed the entry of 2,535 tons of
wheat and 1,769 tons of foddrs.

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

23 February
– 01 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. IOF troops positioned
at the Jaba’ and Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed
additional restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of
Palestinian civilians. During the
reporting period, IOF established a number of temporary checkpoints, and
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 16:30 on Thursday, 24
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Nabi Saleh
village, northwest of Ramallah. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  At
approximately 14:45 on Friday, 25 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint
near the entrance of al-Mughayar village, northeast of Ramallah. At approximately 17:00 on the same day, IOF
re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of
Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. At
approximately 21:20 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint at the
entrance of Turmos’iya village, north of Ramallah. At approximately 11:30 on Monday, 28 February
2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Silwad village, northeast
of Ramallah. At approximately 16:00 on
the same day, IOF established a checkpoint near the entrance of Kufor Malek
village, northeast of Ramallah. At
approximately 08:15 on Tuesday, 01 March 2011, IOF re-established their
presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the northern entrance of Bir Zeit village,
north of Ramallah.  At approximately
17:15 on the same day, IOF established a checkpoint between Bitillo and Deir
‘Ammar villages, northwest of Ramallah. At approximately 06:45 on Wednesday, 02 March 2011, IOF re-established
their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah. 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 24 February 2011, IOF
established 3 checkpoints around Qalqilya. On Saturday, 26 February 2011, IOF established 6 checkpoints around the
town. On Sunday, 27 February 2011, IOF
established 3 checkpoints around Qalqilya.  Israeli soldiers stationed at these checkpoints
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.  

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 17:30 on Thursday, 24
February 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned at Ennab checkpoint, east of
Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. At approximately 13:00 on
Tuesday, 01 March 2011, IOF established a checkpoint in Tulkarm-Nablus
raod. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. On
Wednesday morning, 02 March 2011, IOF closed the gate of the annexation wall to
the west of Deir al-Ghossoun village, north of Tulkarm.         

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 24
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint near Rummana intersection,
northwest 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 09:50 on
Sunday, 27 February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance
of Kufol Hares village, northwest of Salfit. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 22:10 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint 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 21:15 on Saturday, 26
February 2011, IOF established a checkpoint neat “Yataf” settlement,
east of Jericho. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

4. 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.

· At approximately 09:30 on Sunday, 27 February 2011, IOF moved into
Hariqat al-Khammas area in the west of Deir Estia village, northwest of
Salfit. They razed a 15-donum area of
land belonging to Hussein ‘Abdul Rahim Zaidan. Zidan presented documents of ownership of the land to an Israeli
officer, and explained to him that the Israeli court would consider an appeal
filed by him against Israeli claims of ownership of the land. The officer refused to see the documents. IOF destroyed fences of the land and 30 water
tanks and uprooted 150 seedlings. 

· On Sunday evening, 27 February 2011, IOF handed notices ordering
the demolition of a school, a mosque and 13 houses in al-Ramadin village,
southwest of Hebron, claiming that they were built without licenses. The houses belong to: Mohammed Jakhadba;
Mohammed Zagharna; Ameer Zagharna; Mohammed Sa’id Zagharna; Tawqfiq Sanyour;
Mahmoud Zaghaghma; Younis Zagharna; Mohammed Jasser Zagharna; ‘Aakef Jakhadba; KKhaled
Zgharna; Hamda Shanyour; and Suleiman Jakhadba.

· At approximately 09:00 on Monday, 28 February 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Gilad” settlement set up a number of tents and
mobile homes on Palestinian land in the east of Ematin village, northeast of
Qalqilya. IOF intervened later and
dismantled the tents and mobile homes.

· At approximately 19:30 on Monday, 28 February 2011, a number of
armed Israeli settlers from “Halmish” settlement, northwest of
Ramallah, closed the entrance of Nabi Saleh village, west of the town. They threw stones at Palestinian civilian
vehicles. IOF were present in the area,
but did not intervene immediately. 

· At approximately 20:30 on Monday, 28 February 2011, a number of
Israeli settlers from “Yits’har” settlement attacked a house
belonging to Warda Hassan Damadi in al-Haowouz area in the southwest of Hawara
village, south of Nablus. They broke the
window of a children bedroom and a Molotov cocktail into the room setting it
alight. Residents of the house attempted
to extinguish fire. The owner’s child,
Rabee’, saw Israeli settlers throwing another Molotov cocktail into the
room. The child covered it with a
blanket, and the family continued to extinguish fire. Half an hour later, a fire engine arrived and
extinguished fire. As a result of the
attack, two beds and two closets were burnt. The settlers also threw a Molotov cocktail at a car belonging to Rabee’
al-Dumaidi. The front of the car was
burnt. 

· On Wednesday morning, 02 March 2011, IOF destroyed a water well
belonging to Hamed Yousef Jaber in al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron, near bypass
road #60.

…………………………………………………………

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).