Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue
Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 12 Palestinians were killed by IOF during the reporting
period.
· The victims include 7 police officers, whose workplace in
the southern Gaza Strip was bombarded by IOF.
· 22 Palestinians, mainly civilians, including 4 children and
an elderly woman, were injured by IOF gunfire.
· IOF conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank, and one incursion into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children,
in the West Bank, and 40 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
· IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested at least 8 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
· IOF demolished 3 houses in Jerusalem and al-Jiftlik village.
· Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and property
in Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting
period (31 January – 6 February 2008):
Shootings: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 12 Palestinians and wounded 22 others, including 4 children, in the Gaza
Strip and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 10 Palestinians, including 7 police officers, and injured 9 others.
On 4 February, IOF
extra-judicially executed an activist of the Salah al-Din Brigades (the armed
wing of the Popular Resistance Committees). A civilian bystander was also
injured. On 5 February, IOF killed 2 Palestinian resistance activists during an
incursion into al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. On the same day, seven police
officers of the dismissed Palestinian government were killed, and an eighth
injured, when IOF fired a surface-to-surface missile at their workplace in
‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. On 31 January, a Palestinian civilian was
injured when an IOF aircraft opened fire at agricultural areas in Beit Hanoun
town in the northern Gaza Strip. On 6 February, 3 Palestinian resistance activists
were seriously wounded in 3 separate attacks by IOF in Jabaliya and Beit Hanoun
towns in the northern Gaza Strip, and in Gaza City. On the same day, an elderly
woman was wounded when IOF bombed a farm near her house.
In the West Bank, IOF
killed 2 Palestinians and injured 13 others.
On 4 February, IOF extra-judicially
executed 2 activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad),
and injured a third, in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. On 31 January, IOF
wounded a Palestinian civilian during an incursion into ‘Azzoun village, east
of Qalqilya. On 1 February, IOF wounded 6 Palestinian children, including a
child, in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On 2 February, IOF wounded 3
Palestinian children in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. in addition,
2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF used force to disperse a peaceful
demonstration organized in protest at the construction of the Annexation Wall
in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, on 1 February.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 35 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children and a
girl. The number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank
since the beginning of the year now stands at 307.
In the Gaza Strip, on 5
February, IOF invaded al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah. During this
incursion, IOF killed 2 Palestinian resistance activists, and arrested at least
40 civilians, including a number of children.
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 to the Gaza Strip.
As a reaction to the economic and
humanitarian stranglehold imposed by IOF against the Gaza Strip, hundreds of
thousands of Gazans crossed the border into Egypt when Palestinian resistance
activists blew up entire sections of the border fence in Rafah on January 23.
In addition to residents of Gaza crossing into Egypt en masse, hundreds of
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip who had been stranded in Egypt, due to the
enforced closure of Rafah International Crossing Point, also returned home to
Gaza. The Egyptian authorities responded positively and with restraint,
allowing Palestinian civilians to purchase foods, medicines, and other supplies
which are not available in Gaza due to the escalating IOF siege and closure of
the Gaza Strip. However, opening the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip
did not meet all the basic needs of the civilian population of Gaza. Civilians
across the Gaza Strip still suffer from severe shortages, or total
unavailability, of many essential items, including domestic fuel and industrial
fuel for Gaza’s single power plant. In addition, hundreds of students, patients
and Gazans living abroad remain in effective limbo; many have been waiting for
permission to leave the Gaza Strip legally since June 2007. PCHR has learned
that approximately 1,500 Gazans have gathered in the Egyptian town of al-Arish,
and have asked the Egyptian authorities to allow them to travel via Cairo to
third countries, where they can pursue their work, study or medical treatment.
They are currently awaiting an official decision from the Egyptian authorities.
PCHR reiterates its position that the chaos on the Rafah border during the past
week is an inevitable consequence arising from the IOF siege and closure of the
entire Gaza Strip. The IOF have deliberately deprived the entire civilian
population of the Gaza Strip of their human right to safe movement and
unrestricted travel. In addition, the closure has prevented essential goods and
medicines reaching the civilian population. PCHR notes that IOF have tightened
the closure of the Gaza Strip since June 2007. Since then, all border crossings
into and out of Gaza have been effectively sealed, including the Rafah
Crossing.
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. During the reporting period, IOF troops
positioned at various checkpoints arrested at least 8 Palestinian civilians,
including 5 children.
Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement
activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT have, in violation of
international humanitarian law, continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property. During the reporting period, IOF demolished a house in East
Jerusalem, and 2 others in al-Jiftlik village in the central Jordan Valley. On
31 January, Israeli settlers violently beat 2 Palestinian children in Hebron.
On 4 February, Israeli settlers attacked a house in Hebron, injuring a man and
his child.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (31 January – 6 February 2008)
The full report is available PDF format.
