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

· 6 Palestinians, including a child, were killed by IOF in the
Gaza Strip.

· 2 Palestinians died from previous injuries in the West Bank
and the Gaza Strip.

· 13 Palestinians, including a woman and a journalist, were injured
by IOF gunfire.

· IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and another 2 incursions into the Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 48 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

· One patient died because IOF obstructed her access to
medical treatment in the West Bank.

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

Summary

Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (14 – 20 February 2008):

Shootings: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, in the Gaza Strip. Two Palestinians
also died from previous injuries in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In
addition, IOF injured 13 Palestinians, including one woman and a journalist.

In the Gaza Strip, on
17 February, IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, and injured 9
others, including a woman, during an incursion into al-Shouka village,
southeast of Rafah. On the same day, a Palestinian resistance activist died
from an injury he had sustained on 12 February during armed clashed with IOF
troops who had invaded Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. On 19
February, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child during an incursion into the same
village, Wadi al-Salqa.  

In the West Bank, on 14
February, a Palestinian civilian died from an injury sustained on 7 February during
an incursion by IOF into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. On the same day
two Palestinian civilians were wounded in ‘Anabta village, east of Tulkarm,
when IOF troops opened fire during an incursion into the village. A Palestinian
journalist was also 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.     

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 23 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank, and arrested 48 Palestinian civilians. To date the number of
Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of the
year stands at 432.  

In the Gaza Strip, IOF
conducted 2 incursions into Palestinian communities. On 17 February, IOF moved
into al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. They killed five Palestinians and
arrested 70 others. The detainees were released after interrogation. On 19 February,
IOF moved into Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. During this
incursion they killed a Palestinian child.

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.

 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 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 to enter the Gaza Strip. IOF have continued to prevent the entry of
raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have been
forced to close. Regarding the movements of civilians, IOF permit an extremely
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 therefore the Gaza Strip’s sole gateway to the outside
world. However, IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, although
they do not directly control the Crossing. IN addition, they have prevented
European observers working at Rafah International Crossing Point from reaching
the Crossing in order to monitor it.  

The closure of these border crossings deprives the entire
Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their human rights to
freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have also continued to impose
severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected
to intensive harassment by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to
monitor and intimidate the fishermen. The Interim Arrangements singed in 1994/95
permit Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from
the Gaza seashore. However, IOF continue to violate the Interim Arrangements
and prevent Gaza fishermen from working.

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 systematically
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 in order 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, further limiting the freedom of
movement of civilians.

Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (14 – 20 February 2008)

The full report is available PDF format.