Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate
Attacks against Palestinian Civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT), Launching Intense Air Strikes against Gaza Strip Targets
· 20 Palestinians, including 3 children, were killed by IOF in
the Gaza Strip. In addition, one Palestinian was extra-judicially executed in
the West Bank.
· 8 of the victims, including 3 children and an elderly man,
were killed during a series of air strikes.
· 5 of the victims were killed by IOF in Khan Yunis.
· 28 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and an international
human rights defender, were injured by IOF gunfire.
· IOF escalated air strikes against civilian targets in the
Gaza Strip
· 3 workshops and 2 buildings of the Ministry of Interior were
destroyed.
· IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and 2 into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 67 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and three
civilians in the Gaza Strip.
· 4 houses were transformed into IOF military sites.
· IOF seized properties of the Islamic Charity and the Islamic
Youth Association in Hebron.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
· 4 Palestinian civilians were arrested by IOF at various
checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF confiscated 900 donums of agricultural land in villages
located southwest of Hebron for the purpose of further constructing the
Annexation Wall.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
· IOF demolished a house in East Jerusalem.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting
period (21 – 27 February 2008):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 21 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and wounded 28
others, including 9 children, and an international human rights defender.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 20 Palestinians, including 9 civilians, and wounded 16 others.
On 27 February, IOF
killed 5 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, and wounded 9 others,
including 6 children and a woman. One of the victims was a 7-month baby. On 22
February, IOF killed 2 Palestinian resistance activists and wounded a third, in
al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. An IOF aircraft fired 2
missiles at the activists. On 23 February, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians
who were having a picnic near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel,
east of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF fired a surface-to-surface-missile
at the three civilians. On the same day, IOF fired a surface-to-surface missile
at a number of Palestinian resistance activists in the east of Gaza City. An
activist and a passing by child were also injured. On 24 February, IOF killed Palestinian
resistance activist during an incursion into al-Shouka village, southeast of
Rafah. On 25 February, IOF killed 3 Palestinian resistance activists and
wounded a fourth in 2 separate attacks in Gaza City and ‘Abasan village, east
of Khan Yunis. On 26 February, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian during an
incursion into al-Qarara village, east of Khan Yunis. On 27 February, IOF
extra-judicially executed 5 members of the ‘Izziddin al -Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas) and wounded a sixth in Khan Yunis. An IOF aircraft fired a
number of missiles at the vehicle in which the 6 activists were traveling. On
the same day, IOF killed a Palestinian child in al-Boreij refugee camp in the
central Gaza Strip. In addition, on the same day, a Palestinian civilian was
wounded by IOF gunfire in al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah.
On 27 February, IOF
launched a series of air strikes against civilian targets in the Gaza Strip.
The air-strikes destroyed 2 buildings of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior
and 3 workshops. A number of houses were also damaged.
In the West Bank, on 27
February, an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially executed a member of the
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) and wounded four
others and a worker in Nablus. The victim was included in an amnesty list
issued by IOF several months ago.
Six Palestinian
civilians and an American human rights defender were injured when IOF troops
used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration protesting the construction of
the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, on 22 February. Three
days later, on 25 February, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded by an IOF
undercover unit that moved into Nablus.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 36 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. IOF arrested 67 Palestinian civilians. The number of Palestinian
civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 stands
at 499. IOF also transformed 4 houses into military sites. Additionally, IOF
seized the properties of the Islamic Charity and Islamic Youth Association in
Hebron and ordered the closure of both associations.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
conducted 2 incursions into Palestinian communities. On 24 February, IOF moved
into al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. They arrested 3 Palestinian
farmers. On 26 February
IOF moved into
al-Qarara village, east of Kahn Yunis. During this incursion, IOF killed a
Palestinian civilian.
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.
Gaza Strip
To date, IOF have closed all border crossings to the Gaza
Strip for more than 18 months continuously. The total siege imposed by IOF on
the Gaza Strip has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian situation in
Gaza, and has violated the economic and social rights of the Palestinian civilian
population, particularly their 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 of 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. During the reporting period,
IOF cut off food and fuel supplies.
Concerning the movement of civilians,
during the reporting period, IOF permitted a limited number of Palestinian
civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in order 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 assault Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and
enter the city. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian
communities in the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the
West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and
intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF troops
positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 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. On 21 February, Israeli police arrested Ghada Mohammed
al-Ja’bari, 17, from her house, which is located opposite to “Kiryat Arba”
settlement, southeast of Hebron. The police claimed that she attacked Israeli
settlers when she was passing in the street adjacent to a building seized by
settlers. On 22 February, IOF troops positioned near al-Rujbi building, which
has been seized by Israeli settlers for nearly one year, in al-Ras neighborhood
in the southeast of Hebron, broke windows of a number of Palestinian civilian
vehicles parking in the area, claiming that they endanger the movement of
Israeli settlers in the area. In the context of the policy of land confiscation
for the purpose of the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank, 21
and 22 February, IOF handed a military order to a number of Palestinian farmer
confiscating 900 donums of agricultural land in al-Zahiriya, Dura and Arab
al-Ramadin villages, southwest of Hebron.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (21 – 27 February 2008)
The full report is available PDF format.
