Hisham
al-Dgahma’s house, which was demolished by Israeli military bulldozers during
an incursion into ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis, 26 March 2010

 

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

 

· Two
Palestinian brothers were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

 

· 18
Palestinians, including 3 children and a journalist, were wounded by Israeli
gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian
civilians.

 

· IOF
continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the
Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
conducted 8 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4
incursions into the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including a child, in the West Bank.

 

· Among
the detainees was Abbas Zaki, member of the Central Committee of the Fatah
Movement. 

 

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

 

· Israeli
troops stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested at least 8
Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

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

 

· IOF
confiscated 3.5 donums[1]
of land in Nablus.

 

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (25 – 31
March 2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinian brothers in the Gaza Strip,
and wounded 18 other Palestinians, including 3 children, a resistance activist
and a journalist, in West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF moved into ‘Abassan village,
east of Khan Yunis on 26 March 2010. They exchanged fire with activists of the Palestinian resistance and shelled
Palestinian communities. As a result,
two Palestinian brothers, one of whom was a resistance activist, were killed,
and 6 others, including a child, were wounded. 

 

During the reporting period, 4 Palestinian civilians,
including a child, were wounded by Israeli troops stationed on the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel as well as by Israeli naval troops on
gunboats patrolling off the shore of the Gaza Strip. 

 

In the West
Bank, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a journalist, were wounded
during the reporting period, when IOF used excessive force against peaceful
demonstrations organized in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall
and settlement activities in the West Bank.  IOF also
arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including ‘Abbas Zaki, member of the Central
Committee of the Fatah Movement and the Central Council of the Palestine
Liberation Organization, and a journalist. 

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 8 military incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank.  IOF
arrested 10 Palestinian civilians, including a child. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 4 limited incursions
into Palestinian areas, during which they demolished a house and an egg
production facility, razed 31 donums of agricultural land and leveled areas of
land that they has previously razed.

 

Restrictions
on Movement: Israel has 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 two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family
visitation for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

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 630 permanent roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60 – 80 ‘flying’ or temporary
checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

 

· 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 (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· There
are around 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.

 

· During
the reporting period, Israeli troop stationed at military checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

Settlement Activities: Israel has continued its 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, IOF issued a
military order seizing a 2.5-donum area of land in ‘Awarta village, south of
Nablus, to establish a military site, as well as a 900-square-meter area of
land in Yanoun village, southeast of Nablus.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (25 – 31 March 2010)

 

 

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

 

Thursday,
25 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved intro Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 brothers:

 

1. Hassan Mohammed Nasser, 30;

2. Mohammed Mohammed Nasser, 28;

3. Ussama Mohammed Nasser, 25; and

4. Sami Yousef Abu ‘Arqoub, 23.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, Israeli troops stationed at Sofa crossing, southeast of
Khan Yunis, fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who were collecting
aggregate, approximately 150 meters from the crossing. As a result, Naji Suleiman Abu Raida, 34, was
wounded by a gunshot to the right thigh.

 

· At
approximately 21:30, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats
that were sailing approximately 800 meters off the northern shore of the Gaza
Strip. As a result, Hazem Ahmed
al-Qar’an, 27, from Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip, was seriously
wounded by shrapnel to the head, and his boat was damaged. 

 

· At
approximately 13:30, Israeli troops stationed on observation towers at Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip fired at Sa’id ‘Abdul ‘Aziz
Hamdan, 15, from Beit Hanoun, when approached an area 100 meters from the
border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. He was wounded by a gunshot to the left foot. According to the child, he had gone to the
area to look for his brothers who were collecting construction aggregate from
the debris of destroyed buildings. After
he was wounded, he managed to approach a number of workers located
approximately 100 meters from him. They
evacuated him to a hospital in Beit Lahia on an animal cart. 

 

Friday, 26 March 2010

 

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

 

1. ‘Alaa’ Ibrahim Abu Jamhour, 22; and

2. Bayan Mohammed Salah, 22.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Bourqin village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Qussai Saleem Mahamid, 24.

 

· At
approximately 14:30, an IOF infantry unit moved approximately 500 meters intro
‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis city, in the southern Gaza Strip. A number of activists of the Palestinian
resistance clashed with Israeli troops. Later, Israeli tanks, supported by warplanes, moved into the area. They opened fire at houses and agricultural
areas as a number of civilians and journalists gathered in the area to observe
the events. At approximately 16:45, IOF
moved back to the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, but continued to
fire at the area. At approximately
17:00, as there were reports that a number of people were wounded in the area,
Haitham ‘Abdul Hakim ‘Aaref ‘Arafat, 21, and 3 of his friends come to the area
to search for wounded people, who they thought might include his brother,
20-year-old Suliman. Soon, Israeli
troops fired at them, wounding ‘Arafat and 18-year-old ‘Abed Rabbu ‘Abdullah
Abu ‘Anza. The latter was wounded by a
gunshot to the shoulder and was able to leave the area. ‘Arafat remained in the area, bleeding. A number of people attempted to reach him to
evacuate him to the hospital, but Israeli troops fired at them. As a result, Fadi Mohammed Abu Hajras, 20,
was wounded by a gunshot to the foot. Later, residents were able to evacuate ‘Arafat to the hospital. He was seriously wounded by shrapnel. Medical efforts to save his life failed and
he was pronounced dead at approximately 22:00. As a result of the indiscriminate Israeli gunfire and shelling, an
additional 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded:

 

1. Nassim Jawad Abu Daqqa, 13, seriously
wounded by a gunshot to the back, which damaged the spinal column and the
spleen, when he was near his house;

2. Ra’ed Mohammed Abu Tu’aima, 35, lightly
wounded by shrapnel to the head and the limbs when he was near his house;

3. Hassam Mohammed Abu Raida, 21, wounded
by a gunshot to the shoulder; and

4. Bassam Burhom al-Daghma, 22, lightly
wounded by shrapnel. 

 

At approximately 21:30, IOF moved into the area
again. This incursion continued until
the early morning of the following day, during which time IOF demolished a
house and razed 31 donums of agricultural land:

 

1. IOF demolished a 330-square-meter, two-storey
uninhabited house belonging to Hashem Ibrahim al-Daghma;

2. They demolished an egging facility
belonging to Majed Abu Samra;

3. They razed a 13-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables and wheat belonging to Salem ‘Atiya
Abu Daqqa;

4. They razed a one-donum area of
agricultural land planted with parsleys belonging to Ibrahim Salman Qudaih;

5. They razed a 15-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables and wheat belonging to Nidal Isma’il
Abu Daqqa; and

6. They demolished a two-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables belonging to ‘Obaida Mohammed
Qaudaih. 

 

At approximately 18:00 on Sunday, 28 March 2010,
medical crews found the body of Suleiman ‘Abdul Hakim ‘Arafat, 20, a member of
the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), after IOF allowed them
to enter the area where armed clashes had taken place on Friday. Suleiman was the brother of Haitham ‘Arafat,
who was killed by IOF while searching for Suleiman.

 

Sunday, 28 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fadi Mohammed
Qanaze’, 21.

 

· At
approximately 08:00, IOF moved approximately 600 meters into ‘Abassan village,
east of Khan Yunis. They leveled area of Palestinian land, which they had
previously razed. They withdrew from the
area at approximately 14:00.

 

Monday, 29 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 10:30, IOF moved approximately 400 meters into the east of
al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of land, which they had already razed.

 

Tuesday, 30 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into ‘Aqabet Jaber refugee camp, south of
Jericho. They raided and searched a
number of houses and summoned two Palestinian civilians for interrogation:
Sobhi ‘Abdul Maqsoud, 25; and Shaker Hassan ‘Amara, 50.

 

· At
approximately 11:30, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel, to the east of al-Maghazi refugee camp, opened fire at a
peaceful demonstration organized by the Public Committee against the Security
Fence established by IOF along the border, when a number of young men got as
close as two meters to the border. As a
result, Mohammed Hani al-Atayi, 21, from Deir al-Balah, was wounded by a gunshot
to the right leg.

 

· At
approximately 12:00, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, fired at hundreds of Palestinian
civilians who were participating in a peaceful demonstration near the
border. As a result, 3 civilians,
including a child, were wounded:

 

1. Jom’a Ramadan al-Najjar, 22, wounded by
a gunshot to the head;

2. Walaa’ Farid al-Najjar, 19, wounded by
a gunshot to the left thigh; and

3. Hani Riad al-Najjar, 17, wounded by a
gunshot to the left leg and shrapnel to the right leg.

 

· At
approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, northwest of
Salfit. They arrested two Palestinian
civilians, including a child, by their houses near the main road:

 

1. ‘Abdul Rahim Mohammed Zaidan, 16; and

2. Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader Zaidan, 38.

 

Wednesday, 31 March 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-‘Azza refugee camp, north of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses and summoned two Palestinian civilians for interrogation: Sami ‘Abdul Hamid al-‘Azza, 50; and Majed
‘Abdul Hadi al-‘Azza, 34.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a
number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 08:45, Israeli troops stationed on observation towers at Beit
Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting bricks and iron bars from destroyed
buildings in the industrial zone, south of the crossing. The workers fled and no casualties were reported. 

 

· At
approximately 09:30, IOF moved approximately 300 meters into the east of
al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land, which they had already razed.
They withdrew from the area at approximately 13:00.

 

2. Use of Excessive Force against
Peaceful Demonstrations

 

Israel has continued to
construct the Annexation Wall and inside West Bank territory.  During the
reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in
protest of the construction of the Wall and the ongoing settlement
activities. At least 5 Palestinian
civilians, including one child, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets,
and several others sustained bruises or suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 26 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah. The
demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands
behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound
bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation, and some of them sustained bruises. IOF also arrested Gur Mintser, 54, an Israeli
human rights defender. 

 

· Also
at noon on Friday, 26 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in
Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the
Annexation Wall. They clashed with IOF
troops positioned near the Wall. IOF
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and other sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 26 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration protesting against land confiscation in the Wad al-Raya area
between the villages of Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam, northwest of Ramallah. When the demonstrators attempted to reach
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, two Palestinian
civilians were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Ahmed Hussein al-Tamimi, 16, wounded in
the face; and

2. ‘Ali Yousef al-Tamimi, 32, wounded in
the right leg.

 

Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas
inhalation, and others sustained bruises.

 

· On
Sunday morning, 28 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians, Christian
clerics and international and Israeli human rights defenders participated a
peaceful demonstration in Bethlehem, protesting against the fact that
Christians were prevented from entering Jerusalem to celebrate Palm Sunday. The demonstration was organized by Holy Land
Trust. The demonstrators marched from
the yard of the Church of the Nativity towards the southern crossing to
Jerusalem. They gathered around the main
gate of the crossing and passed through it. They also passed through the second gate. IOF intervened and attacked the demonstrators
and drove them away from the crossing. They also arrested 14 demonstrators (10 Palestinians and 4 international
and Israeli human rights defenders). They released the human rights defenders several hours later, but kept
Palestinian detainees in custody. The
Palestinians are:

 

1. Shareef ‘Ali Mash’al (‘Abbas Zaki), 68,
member of the Central Committee of the Fatah Movement and the Central Council
of the Palestine Liberation Organization;

2. Marwan Sha’ban Farafja, 42, a leader of
the Fatah movement in Bethlehem;

3. Ahmed Khalil al-‘Azza, 30, from the
Holy Land Trust;

4. Mahmoud Hussein Zawahra, 45;

5. Mohammed Jaber al-Houbani, 29;

6. Antoine Bishara Shahwan, 15;

7. Fadi Eyad Hamad, 28, a cameraman of
Associated Press;

8. Shadi Fawaghra, 25;

9. Ibrahim Mohammed Salah, 50; and

10. Hassan Mohammed Braijiya, 35.

 

· At
noon on Tuesday, 30 March 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israel human rights defenders and peace activists organized a
peaceful demonstration in the center of Budros village, west of Ramallah,
celebrating Palestinian Land Day. They
marched towards the Annexation Wall. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas
canisters and sound bombs, and beat a number of demonstrators. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians,
including a journalist, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

 

1. Haroun Yousef ‘Amaira, 26, a reporter
for Palestine Television, wounded in the leg;

2. ‘Adnan Ahmed Shalash, 35, wounded in the
abdomen; and

3. Mohammed ‘Ali Marar, 45, wounded in the
back.

 

Additionally, a number of other demonstrators
sustained bruises or suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

3. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

Israel has 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 more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to 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.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family
visitation for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

24 – 30 March 2010

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

24 – 30 March 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: Israel partially
opened the crossing on Thursday, 25 March 2010, and allowed the entry of 1,560
tons of wheat and 1,677 tons of fodders. 

 

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

24 – 30 March 2010

 

 

 

The
West Bank

 

Israel
has imposed a tightened siege 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. On
Thursday evening, 25 March 2010, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinians in the old city.  According to eyewitnesses,
hundreds of Border Police officers established military checkpoints at the
entrances of the old city, on all of the streets inside the walls of the old
city, as well as on streets in the immediate vicinity. On Friday morning, 26 March 2010, IOF imposed
additional restrictions on access to the old city and al-Aqsa Mosque.  On Monday
morning, 29 March 2010, IOF closed Jerusalem and prevented Palestinians from
the West Bank from entering it.  

 

· 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 erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Thursday afternoon, 25
March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus,
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  

 

· Hebron: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Thursday morning, 25 March
2010, IOF closed 3 alleys in the Jaber quarter, in the southeastern part of the
old city of Hebron, with cement blocks, allegedly to secure the movement of
Israeli settlers on the road linking between the Ibrahimi Mosque and
“Kiryat Arba” settlement.  

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
noon on Thursday, 25 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed near the Ibrahimi
Mosque in Hebron arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child,
claiming they were in possession of a knife: Saif Mohammed al-Qasrawi, 18; and
Mohammed Fares al-Qasrawi, 17.

 

· On
Thursday afternoon, 25 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara
checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Nazem Mohammed ‘Obaid, 45, from Yasouf
village northeast of Salfit.

 

· On
Friday morning, 26 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at al-Hamra checkpoint,
south of Tubas, arrested Salah ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu Rwais, 25; and Ahmed Ibrahim
Abu Rwais, 20, both from al-Nassariya village south of the town. 

 

· On
Saturday morning, 27 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Qalanadiya
checkpoint, south of Ramallah, arrested Salam Yousef Safi, 19, from al-Am’ari
refugee camp near Ramallah, claiming that she had attempted to stab an Israeli
soldier.

 

· On
Saturday evening, 27 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Ennab checkpoint,
east of Tulkarm, arrested ‘Ali Yousef Jeetawi, 33, from Bal’a village east of
the town. 

 

· On
Sunday evening, 28 March 2010, Israeli troops stationed at al-Karama
International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border arrested Ma’ath Ameen
al-Ghoul, 22, from al-Far’a refugee camp south of Tubas. 

 

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.

 

· During
the reporting period, IOF issued a military order seizing a 2.5-donum area of
land in ‘Awarta village, south of Nablus, to establish a military site, as well
as a 900-square-meter area of land in Yanoun village, southeast of Nablus. 

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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).