4
shops demolished by the Israeli municipality in Bab al-Amoud neighborhood in
occupied Jerusalem

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

      

IOF
use force to disperse peaceful protest organized by Palestinian civilians in
the West Bank.

5 Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded.

 

IOF
launched a series of air strike on the Gaza
Strip.

A
training site and a car were bombarded, but no casualties were reported.

Two
houses were damaged.

 

IOF
conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.   

IOF
arrested 19 Palestinians, including two children.

IOF
arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including two children, who attempted to
enter Israel to search for jobs.

 

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

5 Palestinian civilians were arrested by IOF at various checkpoints
in the West Bank.

 

IOF
have continued efforts to create a Jewish demographic majority in East Jerusalem.

Israeli
authorities published tenders for the construction of 171 housing units in
“Pisgat Ze’ev” and “Gilo” settlements, north and south of Jerusalem
respectively.

Israeli
authorities demolished 4 shops at the entrance of the old town of Jerusalem.

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (28 June – 04 July  2012):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF
used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.  As a
result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded and dozens of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli warplanes
bombarded a training site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing
of Hamas) and a car.  No casualties were
reported, but two houses were damaged.   

 

Incursions:

 

During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 45 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  During these incursions, IOF arrested 19 Palestinians,
including two children.  

 

In
the Gaza Strip, on 29 June 2012, IOF arrested 3 Palestinian civilians,
including two children, when they attempted to cross the border between the Gaza
Strip and Israel to search for jobs inside Israel.

 

Restrictions
on Movement:

 

Israel had 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.

 

The illegal Israeli-imposed closure
of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.
The illegal closure has caused not only a humanitarian crisis but a crisis of
human rights and human dignity for the population of the Gaza Strip.  Measures
declared recently to ease the blockade are vague, purely cosmetic and fail to
deal with the root causes of the crisis, which can only be addressed by an
immediate and complete lifting of the closure, including lifting the travel ban
into and out of the Gaza Strip and the ban on exports. Palestinians in Gaza may no longer suffer
from the same shortage of goods, but they will remain economically dependent
and unable to care for themselves, and socially, culturally and academically
isolated from the rest of the world.

 

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.

 

Efforts to
Create a Jewish Demographic Majority in East Jerusalem:

 

On
29 June 2012, the Israeli Ministry of Housing published tenders to build 171
housing units in “Pisgat Ze’ev”  and
“Gilo” settlements, north and south of East Jerusalem repsectively.  According to Ahmed Sab Laban, a settlement
researcher, the those tenders were published by the Israeli land authority for
contractors on 28 December 2011. 

 

On
01 July 2012, crews of the Israeli municipality of Jerusalem, under security
escort, stormed Bab al-‘Amoud (Damascus Gate) area in the old town of
Jerusalem.  They tore down 4 shops, which
had been subject to an arson attack a week earlier, and their losses were
estimated at 100,000s ILS.  While the
Israeli police investigated the attack, it did not reveal the party that
launched it.  So, the owners repaired the
shops and brought new goods into them.  The
Israeli Supreme Court approved the evacuation and demolition of the four shops
in February 2010, claiming that there was a plan to develop the infrastructure
of the old town. 

 

 

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (28 June – 04 July 2012)

 

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

 

Thursday, 28 June 2012

 

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved
into Yatta village, south of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Ahmed Mousa al-‘Othara, 17.

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved
into al-Dyouk village, northwest of Jericho.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved
into Bittin village, northeast of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 11:00, IOF moved
into ‘Obwin village, northwest of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 09:45, IOF moved
into ‘Allar village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets and established a checkpoint at the
entrance of the village.  They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. 
At noon, IOF withdrew from the village and neither house raids and nor
arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 20:30, IOF moved
into al-‘Araqa village, west of Jenin. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 22:30, IOF moved
into al-Janya village, northwest of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 22:50, IOF moved
into Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 23:00, IOF moved
into al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Friday,
29 June 2012

 

At approximately 09:30, IOF moved
into Turmos’iya village, north of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 09:45, IOF moved
into Brouqin village, west of Salfit. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 10:00, IOF moved
into Ras Karkar village, northwest of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 10:45, IOF moved
into Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 18:00, IOF
positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of al-Boreij
refugee camp arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including two children, who
attempted to cross the border to search for jobs:

 

1. ‘Ali Ghazi Badwan, 17;

2. Firas Khalil Wishah, 17; and

3. Suleiman ‘Atiya al-‘Awawda, 20.

 

At approximately 21:00, IOF moved
into ‘Attil village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 21:00, IOF
moved into Deir al-Ghossoun village, north of Tulkarm.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 21:50, IOF moved
into Hijja village, east of Qalqilya. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 23:30, IOF moved
into Beit ‘Aur al-Tahta village, southwest of Ramallah.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Saturday, 30 June 2012  

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved
into Fassayel village, north of Ramallah. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 09:40, IOF moved
into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 20:30, IOF moved
into al-Jiftlek village, north of Jericho.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 22:00, IOF moved
into al-‘Ouja village, north of Jericho.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 22:00, IOF
moved into Ematin village, northeast of Qalqilya.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:30, IOF moved
into Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Sunday, 01 July 2012

 

At approximately 00:15, IOF moved
into Nazlat al-Shiekh Zayed village, northwest of Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved
into al-Doha village, west of Bethlehem.
 They patrolled in the streets for some
time and withdrew later.  Neither house
raids nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved
into al-Mughayar village, northeast of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Mujahed Rafiq Abu ‘Olaya, 19, and arrested him.

 

At approximately 09:45, IOF moved
into Zeita village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 09:45, IOF
moved into ‘Allar village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 10:30, IOF moved
into ‘Attil village, north of Tulkarm. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 11:30, IOF moved
into Deir Dibwan village, northeast of Ramallah.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 20:00, IOF moved
into Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Ali Abu ‘Ayash, 12; and

2. Mohammed Ibrahim Abu ‘Ayash, 22.

 

At approximately 20:30, IOF moved
into al-‘Araqa village, west of Jenin. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.

 

Also at approximately 20:30, IOF
moved into Kharabtha Bani Hareth village, northwest oif Ramallah.  They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later.  Neither house raids
nor arrests were reported.

 

At approximately 23:00, IOF moved
into ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Jericho. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

Monday, 02 July 2012

 

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved
into Beit ‘Awa village, southwest of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Shadi al-Swaiti, 20;

2. Maher al-Swaiti, 20; and

3. Ahmed al-Swaiti, 18.

 

At approximately 03:00, an Israeli
warplane fired two missiles at a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas), southwest of Gaza
City.  No casualties were reported.  The attack targeted a number of members of
the Palestinian resistance, but they survived the attack. 

 

Also at approximately 03:00, IOF
moved into Qalqilya.  They raided and
searched two house belonging to the families of Mohammed Khalil Zaid, 30, and
Wassef Ibrahim Zaid, 55, and arrested both of them.  A few hours later, the latter was
released. 

 

At approximately 06:00, an Israeli
drone fired a missile at a car in which a number of members of the Palestinian
resistance were traveling to the west of the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah.  The missile went astray and damaged two
houses instead.

 

At approximately 09:00, IOF moved
into Far’ata village, northeast of Qalqilya. 
They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later.  Neither house raids nor arrests were
reported.

 

At approximately 19:30, IOF moved
into Nazlat Sheikh Zayed village, northwest of Jenin.  They raided an under-construction house
belonging to Fares ‘Aatef Barri, 24. 
They withdrew later and no arrests were reported.

 

Tuesday, 03 July 2012

 

At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Housan village, west of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Mohammed ‘Ali Za’oul, 32; and

2. Ibrahim ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Shousha, 35.

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Doha village, southwest
of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Fu’ad Ahmed Faraj, 18, and arrested him. 

 

At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Jayous village, northeast of
Qalqilya.  They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Ahmed Nabeel
Khaled, 27; and

2. Adham ‘Aahed
Shamasna, 21.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm.  They raided and searched a two-storey house
belonging to the family of Raja’ei Mustafa Abu Hantash, 29, and arrested
him.  They then raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Mohammed Mahmoud al-Hajj Qassem, 25, and
arrested him.

 

At approximately 12:30, IOF moved into Sanour village, south of
Jenin.  They patrolled in the streets for
some time and withdrew later.  Neither
house raids nor arrests were reported.  

 

 

Wednesday, 04 July 2012

 

At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Ra’ei village,
southwest of Jenin.  They raided and
searched a house belonging to the family of Tayseer Ahmed Subaih, 51, and
arrested him.

 

At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Jaba’ village, south of
Jenin.  They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of Muard Ghaleb Abu ‘Oun, 24.

 

2. Use of Excessive Force against Peaceful Demonstrations
Protesting Settlement Activities and the Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

During
the reporting period, IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized
by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
in protest to the construction of the Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.  As a
result, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded and dozens of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises.  

 

Following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a
peaceful demonstration in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the
construction of the annexation wall and settlement activities.  They raised the Palestinian flag and called
for ending political division. They then moved towards areas of annexation
wall.  They called through megaphones on
Israeli settlers in “Mitityahu” settlement to leave Palestinian land.  Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired
rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators.  As a result, a
Palestinian civilian was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right
foot.  Additionally, a number of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
organized a peaceful demonstration in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in
protest to the construction of the annexation wall and settlement
activities.  The demonstrators moved
towards areas of the annexation wall.  
Immediately, Israeli soldiers stationed in the area fired rubber-coated
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators.  As a result, some demonstrators suffered from
tear gas inhalation.

 

Also following the Friday Prayer on 29 June 2012, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and Israeli and international human rights defenders
gathered in the center of Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, to start
the weekly peaceful protest against the construction of the annexation wall and
settlement activities.  The protesters walked towards the gate erected by
IOF near the entrance of the village and leading to Palestinian lands that
Israeli settlers from the nearby “Halmish” settlement are trying to
seize.  Israeli soldiers who had been extensively deployed in the area and
near all the entrances of the village since the morning, began to confront the
protesters who wanted to walk towards the affected lands.  Israeli
soldiers fired live and rubber-coated bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters at the protesters.  As a result,
some demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

At approximately 13:20 also on Friday, 29 June 2012, Palestinian
civilians and international human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest to
the continued closure of the eastern entrance of the village by IOF.  They moved towards the entrance.  Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired tear gas
canisters and sound bombs at them.  As a
result, 4 demonstrators, including a child, were hit by tear gas canisters.  Some demonstrators also suffered from tear
gas inhalation. 

 

3. Continued Closure of the OPT

 

Israel has
continued to impose a tightened closure of 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 nearly 5 years.
The illegal Israeli-imposed closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened
since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic
situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza Strip and practically
made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip
although it is not proper for commercial purposes in terms of its distance and
operational capacity.

 

IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed at tightening the
strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip, including imposing
total control over the flow of imports and exports.

 

The total closure of al-Mentar “Karni” crossing on 02
March 2011 has created a bitter situation that has seriously affected the Gaza
Strip.  Following this closure, all the
economic and commercial establishments in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut
off.  It should be noted that al-Mentar
crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip in terms of its operational
capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports.  The decision of al-Mentar crossing was the
culmination of a series of decisions to totally close Sofa crossing, east of
the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza
City, which was dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza
Strip, in the beginning of 2010.

 

IOF have continued to impose total ban on the delivery of raw
materials to the Gaza Strip, except for very limited items and quantities.  The limited quantities of raw materials
allowed into Gaza
do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.

 

The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last November has
continued to affect the Gaza Strip.  This
crisis was created when the Israeli occupation authorities totally closed, on
04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing, which used to be dedicated for the delivery
of fuel and cooking gas supplies to Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas
supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing which is not technically equipped to
receive Gaza’s needs of fuel.  Karm Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum
absorptive capacity, can receive only 200 tons of cooking gas per day.

 

Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have continued to depend on
alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief agencies, rates of families
who are living below poverty line have continued to be on the rise and
approximately 40% of Gaza’s manpower has continued to suffer from permanent
unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza’s economic
establishments.

 

IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the exportation of Gaza’s products,
especially industrial products, leading to undermining any real chances to
rerun economic establishments.  The
situation has been aggravated especially after making Karm Abu Salem crossing
as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the repeated closure of this crossing
which negatively affected the quantity of Gazan products which were allowed to
be exported during last April.

 

For approximately five consecutive years, IOF
have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During the
reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of
construction materials for a number of international organizations.

 

Israel has
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians from
the Gaza Strip.  IOF only allow the
movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long hours of
waiting in the majority of cases.  IOF
have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of
Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive
medical treatment in hospitals in Israel
or in the West Bank and Jerusalem.  IOF denied new categories of Gazan patient
permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.

 

Israel has
imposed additional access restrictions on traders, international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip.  On Wednesday evening, 14 March 2012, IOF
arrested Ahmed Subhi al-Kahlout, 40,
a trader from Gaza
City, when he was
traveling via Beit Hanoun crossing.

 

For approximately 59 months, IOF have continued to deny
approximately 700 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in Israeli jails their
visitation rights without providing any justification to this measure, which
violates the rules of the international humanitarian law.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

27 June
– 03 July 2012

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem
(Kerem Shalom) Crossing

27 June
– 03 July 2012

 

Imports:

 

 

Notes:

 

On Wednesday, 27 June 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 780 tons of
cement, 2,870 tons of construction aggregates and 34 tons of construction steel
for UNRWA.  They also allowed the entry
of 858 tons of fodders and 273 tons of wheat.

 

On Thursday, 28 June 2012, IOF allowed the entry 400 tons of cement
and 3,570 tons of construction aggregates for UNRWA.  They also allowed the entry of 957 tons of
fodders and 273 tons of wheat. 

 

On Sunday, 01 July 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 320
tons of cement, 4,130 tons of construction aggregates and 18 tons of
construction steel for UNRWA.  They also
allowed the entry of 702 tons of fodders and 351 tons of wheat.

 

On Monday, 02 July 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 940 tons of
cement and 4,900 tons of construction aggregates for UNRWA.  They also allowed the entry of 507 tons of
fodders and 390 tons of wheat. 

 

On Tuesday, 03 July 2012, IOF allowed the entry of 700 tons of
cement and 4,270 tons of construction aggregates for UNRWA.  They also allowed the entry of 585 tons of
fodders and 195 tons of wheat.

 

Movement
at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing

27 June
– 3 July 2012

 

 

The West Bank

 

Israel has
imposed a tightened closure on the West Bank.
During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians.

 

There are approximately hundreds of permanent roadblocks, and
manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank.

 

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, confiscating more Palestinian land.

 

Many of the main roads that lead to Palestinian communities in the
West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF.

 

IOF have continued to restrict access of Palestinian civilians from
the West Bank to East Jerusalem, through a strict system of permits and a
network of checkpoints.

 

IOF have completed controlled access to the Jordan Valley through 4
permanent checkpoints established at its entrances.  Palestinians living outside the area are not
allowed to enter it without permits.

 

Settlement activities and expansion of settlements impose
additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. 

 

IOF have continued to restrict access to gunfire areas and natural
reserves, which constitute about 26% of the total area of the West Bank.

 

Israeli military checkpoints restrict the movement of goods
throughout the West Bank.

 

Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem,
and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped, searched and even
arrested in the streets by IOF.

 

Israel has
imposed a tightened closure 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 young Muslim Palestinians from
praying at al-Aqsa Mosque.

 

Ramallah:  IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 11:30 on Thursday, 28 June
2012, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah.  At approximately 20:00, IOF
established at the entrance of Deir Qiddis village, west of Ramallah.  At approximately 10:30 on Friday, 29 July
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah.  At approximately
16:30, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of
Ramallah.  At approximately 22:00, IOF
established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, southwest of
Ramallah.  At approximately 10:30 on
Sunday, 01 July 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-Lubban
al-Gharbi village, northwest of Ramallah. 
At approximately 10:30 on Monday, 02 July 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of Beit Liqya village, west of Ramallah.  At approximately 16:00, IOF established a
checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, southwest of Ramallah.  At approximately 18:30, IOF re-established
their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint, north of Ramallah.  At approximately 09:00 on Tuesday, 03 July
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Deir Qiddis village, west
of Ramallah.     

 

Qalqilya:  IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  On Saturday, 30 June 2012, IOF established 5
checkpoints around Qalqilya.  On Sunday,
01 July 2012, IOF established 3 checkpoints around Qalqilya.               

 

Jenin:  IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 06:00 on Saturday, 30 June
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Ya’bad village, southwest
of Jenin.  At approximately 06:00 on
Sunday, 01 July 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Ya’bad
village, southwest of Jenin.  At approximately
08:00 on Monday, 02 July 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of
Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin.  At
approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 03 July 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin.  At approximately 07:30 on Wednesday, 04 July
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Ya’bad village, southwest
of Jenin.

 

Tulkarm:  IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  At approximately 18:30 on Friday, 29 June
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Shoufa village, southeast
of Tulkarm.  At approximately 11:45 on
Sunday, 01 July 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of Qiffin
village, north of Tulkarm.  At
approximately 10:30 on Tuesday, 03 July 2012, Israeli soldiers positioned at
Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians.     

 

Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians.  At
approximately 10:00 on Thursday, 28 June 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at
the southern entrance of Jericho.  At
approximately 17:00, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of al-‘Ouja
village, northeast of Jericho.  At
approximately 08:30 on Friday, 29 June 2012, IOF established a checkpoint at
the entrance of al-Zbaidat village, north of Jericho.  At approximately 20:00, IOF established a
checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho. 
At approximately 13:00 on Sunday, 01 July 2012, IOF established a
checkpoint at the entrance of al-‘Ouja village, northeast of Jericho.  At approximately 11:00 on Monday, 02 July
2012, IOF established a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Jericho.      

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints:

 

At approximately 20:00 on Thursday, 29 June 2012, Israeli soldiers
positioned at Barta’a checkpoint, southwest of Jenin, arrested Khaled Yaqoub
Kittana, 30.

 

On Friday evening, 29 June 2012, Israeli soldiers positioned at the
entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, arrested Ahmed Safi
al-‘Allami, 23, and Mahmoud ‘Abdul Hamid al-‘Allami, 23.

 

On Monday evening, 02 July 2012, Israeli soldiers positioned at a
checkpoint established at the entrance of Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron,
arrested Ahmed Ibrahim Ekhlil, 18.

 

On Tuesday noon, 03 July 2012, IOF stationed in al-Suhada Street in
the center of Hebron arrested ‘Ameer Zahda, 21, claiming that he attempted to
stab an Israeli soldier.   

 

4. Efforts to Create a Jewish Demographic Majority in East
Jerusalem

 

Israeli
occupation authorities have continued efforts aimed at creating a Jewish
demographic majority in East Jerusalem.

 

On Friday
morning, 29 June 2012, the Israeli Ministry of Housing published tenders to
build 171 housing units in “Pisgat Ze’ev”  and “Gilo” settlements, north and south of
East Jerusalem repsectively.  According
to Ahmed Sab Laban, a settlement researcher, the those tenders were published
by the Israeli land authority for contractors on 28 December 2011. 

 

At
approximately 01:00 on Sunday morning, 01 July 2012, crews of the Israeli
municipality of Jerusalem, under security escort, stormed Bab al-‘Amoud
(Damascus Gate) area in the old town of Jerusalem.  They tore down 4 shops belonging to the Abu
al-Dab’at family, and rented by the families of al-Syouri, Abu Ermaila,
al-Ja’bari and al-Salaima.  It is worth
noting that these shops had been subject to an arson attack a week earlier, and
their losses were estimated at 100,000s ILS. 
While the Israeli police investigated the attack, it did not reveal the
party that launched it.  So, the owners
repaired the shops and brought new goods into them.  The Israeli Supreme Court approved the
evacuation and demolition of the four shops in February 2010, claiming that
there was a plan to develop the infrastructure of the old town. 

 

 

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).