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.
· 4 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in the
southern Gaza Strip.
· 13 Palestinians, mostly civilians, plus 4 international and
Israeli human rights defenders, were wounded by IOF gunfire.
· IOF conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.
· IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children,
in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
· Palestinian newspapers have not been allowed into the Gaza
Strip for the 2nd consecutive week.
· IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested at least 11 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and
property.
· An Israeli settlement outpost to the north of Hebron was
expanded.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (24 – 30 January 2008):
Shootings: During the reporting period, IOF
killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, and injured 13 others. In addition,
four international and Israeli human rights defenders were also injured in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF
killed 4 Palestinians. In addition, one Palestinian was injured.
On 25 January, IOF
extra-judicially executed 4 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas) in 2 separate attacks within a few hours in the southern
Gaza Strip town of Rafah. A fifth brigade member was seriously injured.
In the West Bank, IOF
killed 2 Palestinians and wounded 12 others, in addition to injuring 4
international and Israeli human rights defenders.
On 24 January, IOF
killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 3 others in Beit Ummar village, north
of Hebron. IOF moved into the village in order to arrest the fathers of 2
Palestinians who had been killed the previous day by Israeli settlers, allegedly
because the fathers attempted to launch an armed reprisal attack. IOF also injured
another two civilians during the funeral procession of one of the Palestinians
who was killed by settlers. On 28 January, IOF killed a Palestinian child and injured
5 civilians in Bethlehem. IOF moved into the town in order to arrest an
activist of Islamic Jihad. They opened fired indiscriminately. In addition,
three Palestinian civilians and 4 international and Israeli human rights
defenders were injured 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.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 26 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children. The
number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the
beginning of 2008 stands at 253. IOF troops also destroyed a house in Tulkarm.
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 almost 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 result of the Israel’s economic
and humanitarian stranglehold on the Gaza Strip, on 23 January, hundreds of
thousands of Gazans poured crossed the border into Egypt after Palestinian resistance
activists blew up entire sections of the fortified border in Rafah. 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 in the West Bank arrested at least 11
Palestinian civilians, including a child.
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, IOF troops, in cooperation with
Israeli settlers, added 5 mobile homes to a settlement outpost located to the
west of “Karmi Tsur” settlement, north of Hebron. The mobile homes were placed
on a tract of land belonging to Palestinian civilians.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (24 – 30 January 2008)
The full report is available PDF format.
