Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian
Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 4 Palestinians were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
· 12 Palestinians, including 3 children, a woman and a
mentally disabled person, were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
· 3 civilians, including 2 human rights defenders, were
wounded by IOF in the West Bank.
· IOF conducted 44 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.
· IOF arrested 53 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.
· IOF raided and searched a number of cultural centers.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
· IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
· 3 Palestinian civilian were arrested by IOF at military
checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
· The construction of 2,200 housing units in East Jerusalem
was approved.
· Israeli settlers attacked a school in Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law seriously escalated in the OPT,
especially in the Gaza Strip, during the reporting period (13 – 18 March 2008):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 4 members of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip. They also
wounded 15 Palestinians, including 4 children, a woman and a mentally disabled
person.
In the Gaza Strip, on
15 March 2008, IOF killed 3 activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing
of Islamic Jihad) in Gaza City. IOF fired a surface-to-surface missile at the
three activists. A woman and a child were also wounded. On the same day, IOF
killed an activist of the Palestinian resistance and wounded another one
seriously in Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Strip. An IOF aircraft fired
a missile at the two activists. On 18 March 2008, IOF attempted to
extra-judicially execute 3 activists of the al-Quds Brigades in Beit Lahia
town. The three activists and 6 civilian bystanders, including 2 children and a
mentally disabled person, were wounded.
In the West Bank, on 14
March 2008, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF during an incursion into
Tubas town. On the same day, 2 human rights defenders were wounded when IOF
used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized in Bal’ein village,
west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall.
Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 44 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 53 Palestinian civilians,
including 3 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF
in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 695. During the
reported period, IOF also raided and searched a number of cultural centers.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT
and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. On Tuesday
evening, 18 March 2008, IOF imposed a total closure on the OPT, which will
continue until Sunday morning, 23 March 2008.
Gaza Strip
IOF have continued to close all
border crossings of the Gaza Strip for more than one year and a half. The total
siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip has left disastrous impacts on the
humanitarian situation and has violated the economic and social rights of the
nearly 1.5 million Palestinian civilian population, particularly the rights to
appropriate living conditions, health and education. It has also paralyzed most
economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions have been imposed on the
movement of the Palestinian civilian population. The siege imposed on the Gaza
Strip has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other
necessities such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various
economic sectors. IOF have further tightened the siege imposed on the Gaza
Strip since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, and the living and economic
conditions of Palestinian civilians have further deteriorated. In September
2007, the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip as “a hostile entity,”
which implies imposing more restrictions and measures of collective punishment
against the Palestinian civilian population. Since then, IOF have sharply
decreased food and fuel supplies allowed into the Gaza Strip. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of
raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have stopped
their industrial activities. Concerning the movement of persons, IOF allow a
few Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to travel
to the West Bank. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is the
sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world. IOF have closed Rafah
International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They
have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching
it.
The closure of border crossings deprives the
Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of
movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected to
intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to
monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go
fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.
West Bank
IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. Thousands
of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied
access to Jerusalem. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside
the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate
on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often
violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and
enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian
communities in the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the
West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and
intersections in the West Bank. IOF imposed a total closure on the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, on 18 March 2008. During the reporting period, IOF
troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3
Palestinian civilians.
Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement
activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of
international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians
and property. During the reporting period, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported
that the Israeli government approved the construction of 2,200 housing unit in “Givat
Hamatos” settlement neighborhood in East Jerusalem. The Israeli Committee of
Planning and Construction preliminarily approved the plan, whose final approval
is expected to take two years. “Givat Hamatos” settlement neighborhood was
established in 1991 on the lands of the Palestinian Beit Safafa suburb. On 13
March 2008, Israeli settlers living in the center of Hebron attacked Cordoba
Elementary School in al-Shuhada Street in the center of the town. They entered
the garden of the school pointing their guns at the guards. They also
demolished a wall and damaged a number of structures which are being built to
expand the school. IOF troops intervened later and violently beat a guard of
the school who attempted to stop the settlers.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (13 – 18 March 2008)
The full report is available PDF format.
