A mosque
that was burnt by Israeli settlers in al-Lubban al-Sharqi village near Nablus,
04 May 2010 

 

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

 

 

· 7
Palestinian civilians, including two children and a journalist, were wounded by
Israeli gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

 

· IOF
continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the
Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and a
limited incursion into the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
arrested 40 civilians, including 8 children, 3 journalists and two human rights
defenders, in the West Bank.

 

· IOF
have continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza
Strip from the outside world.

 

· Israeli
troops stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested two
Palestinian civilians.

 

· IOF
have continued the construction of the annexation wall inside West Bank
territory.

 

· IOF
demolished a house in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem.

 

· IOF
ordered the demolition of a number of civilian facilities in Ethna village,
west of Hebron.

 

· IOF
have continued to take measures aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority
in Jerusalem.

 

· Israeli
settlers seized a Palestinian house in Beit Safafa village, south of Jerusalem.

 

· Israel
has continued its settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers
have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

 

· Israeli
settlers uprooted 30 olive trees in Qalqilya and burnt a further 20 in Nablus.

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (29 April –
05 May 2010):

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, 7 Palestinian civilians, including two children and a
journalist, were wounded by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

In the West Bank, IOF used
force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest of the construction
of the Wall and settlement activities. At least 6 Palestinian civilians, including two children and a
journalist, were wounded, and others sustained bruises or suffered from tear
gas inhalation. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, on 02 May 2010, a Palestinian
civilian was wounded when IOF moved into the northern Gaza Strip and fired at a
number of Palestinian workers who were collecting bricks and construction
aggregate. 

 

During the reporting period, Israeli gunboats fired
at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

 

On 04 May 2010, Israeli troops stationed in the
vicinity of Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip fired
sporadically for two hours at Ahmed ‘Ouda Abu Shallouf, 42, and Fareed Mohammed
Sha’ban, who were stranded at the crossing and protesting their deportation to
the Gaza Strip. The two Palestinians
demanded that IOF allow them to return to the Israeli town of Be’r al-Saba’ in
order to join their families there.

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 23 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 31 Palestinian civilians,
including 4 children. They also arrested
3 journalists, one of them an Irish citizen, and two human rights
defenders. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited
incursion into the northern Gaza Strip and fired at a number of Palestinian
workers who were collecting bricks and construction aggregate. 

 

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

 

Israel has continuously
closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over two and a half years.
The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since
June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic
situation in the Gaza Strip.

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel
had continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians
wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or
social visits.

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family
visitation for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

West Bank

 

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.

 

· IOF
have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting
Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying
at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

 

· There
are approximately 630 permanent roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints
across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60 – 80 ‘flying’ or temporary
checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

 

· 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, further confiscating Palestinian land.

 

· At
least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West
Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).

 

· There
are around 500
kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In
addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East
Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF.
These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

 

· IOF
continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests
against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

 

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

 

· During
the reporting period, Israeli troop stationed at military checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

 

Construction of the Annexation Wall: IOF have
continued to construct the annexation wall inside West Bank territory. For this purpose, they demolished a house in
al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem, and ordered the demolition of a
number of civilian facilities in Ethna village, west of Hebron.

 

Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic
Majority in Jerusalem: IOF have continued to take measures aiming at
creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem. In this context, on 02 May 2010, dozens of
Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, took over a house belonging to ‘Ali Ibrahim
Salah in Beit Safafa village, south of Jerusalem. They also engaged in disruptive behavior in
the area until 21:00. Israeli troops
were deployed to the area in order to protect the settlers. It is worth noting that Salah’s family had
been forced to evacuate their home to make room for Israeli settlers the
previous week, following an Israeli court ruling issued on 15 December 2009
which ruled the house would have to be within 120 days. The Israeli High Court claimed that the house
and the land on which it is built belong to a number of Israeli settlers,
headed by Yitzhak Hershkowitz who lives in “Kiryat Arba” settlement
and orchestrates a campaign to expel Palestinians from the area to establish a
new settlement outpost.

 

Settlement Activities: Israel has continued its settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international
humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.  

 

On 29 April 2010, at least 40 Israeli settlers from
“Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, stormed the western part of
Hawara village, south of the city. They
threw stones at the municipal park and at 3 uninhabited houses, damaging
them. In the meantime, IOF were
patrolling in the streets of the village, providing protection for settlers.  On 30 April 2010, a number of Israeli
settlers from “Givat Gilad” settlement, which was constructed on
lands belonging to Kufor Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya, uprooted at least
30 olive trees. On 04 May 2010, at least
40 Israeli settlers from “Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus,
stormed al-Naqar area in the west of Hawara village. They set fire to a tract of agricultural land
belonging to Mohammed Taha Dmaidi. As a
result, 20 olive trees were burnt. 

 

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (29 April – 05 May 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday,
29 April 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Mohammed ‘Abed ‘Alawna, 29.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bouqin village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses,
but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian
civilians:

 

1. Hussein Ahmed Souman, 24; and

2. Tamer Mustafa Abu Daya, 24.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian children:

 

1. Mohammed Talal Sorour, 17; and

2. ‘Alaa’ ‘Ata Qahoush, 16.

 

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Jeftlik village, north of Jericho. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Muneer Mahmoud al-‘Aaidi, 42, and arrested him.

 

Friday, 30 April
2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, west of Salfit. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. Jihad Nihad ‘Abdullah, 17;

2. ‘Aahed ‘Ezzat Mansour, 20;

3. Mohammed ‘Adnan Diab, 21; and

4. Muntasser Mohammed al-Qaissi, 22.

 

Sunday, 02 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Beit Reema village, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Ahmed Fahed al-Barghouthi, and summoned him for interrogation.

 

· At
approximately 01:40, IOF moved into Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian
civilians:

1. Jihad Hassan ‘Anboussi, 22;

2. Mohammed Ibrahim Daraghma, 29; and

3. Mahmoud Ibrahim Daraghma, 29.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Deir Ghazala village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Deir Abu Da’if village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Qad village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Jalboun village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Faqqou’a village, northeast of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest of
Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 06:30, an IOF infantry unit moved nearly 250 meters into
al-Sayafa area in the northwest of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli troops fired at a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting bricks and stones from a site of the
former Israeli settlements “Dogit” and “Elli Sinai”. As a result, ‘Aayesh As’ad al-Sous, 25, was
wounded by a bullet to the right foot and shrapnel to the left foot. Al-Sous
was positioned at least 450
meters from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel
when he was wounded.

 

· At
approximately 09:30, Israeli gunboats off the coast of Beit Lahia beach in the
northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to
return to the shore. No casualties were
reported.

 

Monday, 03 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Oula village, southwest of
Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1. ‘Aziz Ahmed al-‘Adarba, 35;

2. Sa’ed ‘Abdul ‘Afu al-‘Amla, 21;

3. Hussein Tayseer al-Hilali, 16;

4. ‘Abdullah Yousef Ershaidat, 19; and

5. Ra’fat Khalil Ershaidat, 19.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kfairet village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.

 

· In
the morning, Israeli gunboats off the coast of Beit Lahia beach in the northern
Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to
the shore. No casualties were
reported. 

Tuesday, 04 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into the west of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
Wissam ‘Essam ‘Amru, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ethna village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Isma’il Ahmed Tmaizi, 24, and arrested him.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Sammou’ village, south of
Hebron. They raided and searched a house
belonging to the family of ‘Omar ‘Abdulllah Abu ‘Oqail, 26, and arrested him.

 

· In
the morning, Israeli gunboats off the coast of Beit Lahia beach in the northern
Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats, forcing them to return to
the shore. No casualties were reported.

 

· At
approximately 12:50, Israeli troops stationed in the vicinity of Beit Hanoun
(Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip fired sporadically for two hours at
Ahmed ‘Ouda Abu Shallouf, 42, and Fareed Mohammed Sha’ban, who were stranded at
the crossing and protesting their deportation to the Gaza Strip. The two Palestinians demanded that IOF allow
them to return to the Israeli town of Be’r al-Saba’ to join their
families. IOF had deported the two
Palestinians because they had allegedly been living in Israel illegally. The two men were forced to move 150 meters from the
crossing and at approximately 17:00, were forced to enter Gaza. 

 

Wednesday, 05 May 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bourin village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Nidal Jameel al-Najjar, 50;

2. Sameh Mohammed Qadous, 20;

3. Muntasser Maher al-Najjar, 20;

4. Mahmoud Waleed al-Najjar, 25; and

5. Ra’ed Rustom al-Tirawi, 24.

 

· At
approximately 02:20, IOF moved into Til village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested Hussam Ibrahim Eshtayeh, 25, and his brother Mohammed, 23.

 

· At
approximately 05:00, IOF moved into al-Jeftlik village, north of Jericho. They raided and searched a house belonging to
the family of Muneer Mahmoud al-‘Aaidi, 42, who had been arrested on 29 April
2010. No arrests were reported.

 

2. Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

Israel has
continued to construct the annexation wall inside West Bank territory, in
violation of international law. 

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 02 May 2010, IOF moved into Ethna village, west
of Hebron. They handed notices to ‘Abdul
Hamid Ahmed Abu Zalata, ‘Awadh ‘Abed Rabbu Abu Zalata and Sa’di Mohammed Abu
Zalata, ordering the demolition of two animal sheds. They delivered notices to
Nihad and Zaher Mohammed Abu Zalata ordering the demolition of two houses
belonging to them and currently under construction. IOF claimed that these buildings were erected
without licenses. According to locals, these facilities are located more than one
kilometer from the annexation wall.  IOF
also photographed a number of houses in the area. 

 

· On
Monday morning, 03 May 2010, Israeli troops stationed in the vicinity of the
annexation wall to the west of Ethna village, west of Hebron, stopped the only
garbage disposal truck belonging to the Municipality of Ethna in the southwest
of the village, claiming that it was present in a restricted area. They held and questioned the driver and two
workers for 4 hours and confiscated the truck.

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 04 May 2010, IOF moved into the west of
al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem, near the annexation wall. They surrounded a 160-square-meter house
belonging to ‘Ali Saleem Mousa, in which 8 people live. They ordered the family to vacate the home
with their belongings in 30 minutes, and then demolished the house. IOF claimed that the house had been built
without a license. It is worth noting
that in 2006 the Israeli High Court overturned the demolition order issued for
the house, which is located approximately 150 meters away from the
wall.

 

3. 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 of
the construction of the Wall and settlement activities. At least 6 Palestinian civilians, including
two children and a journalist, were wounded, and others sustained bruises or
suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 30 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah. The
demonstrators moved towards the Wall and attempted to access annexed lands
behind it. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound
bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation, and some of them sustained bruises. Israeli troops further arrested two staff
members of al-Jazeera Satellite Channel and an Irish journalist: Majdi George
Bannoura, 40; Nader Helmi Bathri’a, 31; and Tom Donald, 63. They also arrested an unidentified
international human rights defender. The
detainees were released later. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 30 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration
in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the construction of the
Annexation Wall. They clashed with IOF
troops positioned near the Wall. IOF
troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at
demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained bruises. 

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 30 April 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized a peaceful
demonstration in Nabil Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah, protesting against
land confiscation in the Wad al-Raya area between the villages of Nabi Saleh
and Deir Nizam. When the demonstrators
attempted to reach areas of land seized by Israeli settlers near
“Halmish” settlement, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal
bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. Two Palestinian civilians, including a child,
were wounded

 

1. Ussama Bilal al-Tamimi, 12, hit by a
tear gas canister to the head; and

2. Fadel Tamim al-Tamimi, 45, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet to the chest.

 

IOF also arrested 5 demonstrators, including two children and an Israeli
human rights defender:

 

1. ‘Odai Ma’zouz Snaif, 19;

2. Rassem ‘Abdul Karim Rizqallah, 21;

3. Mohammed Ibrahim Hjaiji, 17;

4. Hamada Ibrahim Hjaiji, 15;

5. Ben, 25, an Israeli human rights
defender.

 

Additionally, dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation,
and others sustained bruises.

 

· On
Saturday morning, 01 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in Beit
Ummar village, north of Hebron, in protest against the construction of the
annexation wall and settlement activities. They moved towards areas of Palestinian land that are threatened by
settlement activities. Israeli troops
immediately attacked them, firing tear gas canisters and rubber-coated metal
bullets. Four Palestinian civilians
suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

· On
Sunday morning, 02 May 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international
human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstrated in Beit Jala, west of
Bethlehem, in protest of the construction of sections of the annexation wall in
the town. They moved towards the Tunnel
Road. Israeli troops closed the area and
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the
demonstrators and journalists who were present in the area. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians,
including a journalist and a child, were wounded:

 

1. Mo’ammar
‘Awadh, 23, a
photojournalist of APA, hit by a tear gas canister to the head;

2. Mohammed
Masalma, 23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right leg;

3. Suhaib
‘Omar Mesleb, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left leg; and

4. Jiryes
Batarsa, 23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right hand.

 

4. Continued Siege on the OPT

 

Israel has 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

 

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a
disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

 

· On
Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently,
and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing,
southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

 

· 1.5
million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of
movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and
education.

 

· The
main concern of the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs
of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two and a half years.

 

· Israel
has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of
cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, since 10 December 2008.

 

· The
Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number
of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to
the Gaza Strip.

 

· Israel
had continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians
wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or
social visits.

 

· Israel
has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented
representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from
entering the Gaza Strip.

 

· Living
conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated;
levels of poverty and unemployment have mounted sharply.

 

· At
least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation
for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza
Strip.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

28 April – 04 May 2010

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

27 April – 04 May 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: Israel partially
opened the crossing on Wednesday, 28 April 2010, and allowed the entry of 663
tons of wheat and 1,911 tons of fodders. IOF opened it again on Tuesday, 04 May 2010, and permitted the entry of
1,911 tons of wheat and 1,950 tons of fodders. 

 

Beit
Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: Israel has
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for the movement of Palestinian
civilians. IOF have allowed only diplomats, a number of international
journalists, employees of international agencies and a limited number of
patients who suffer from serious diseases to pass through the crossing. They
have continued to prevent Palestinian civilians from visiting their relatives
who are detained in Israeli jails. The small number of patients permitted to
pass through the crossing is only able to do so under severe restrictions that
include prolonged checking

 

Movement at Beit Hanoun (Erez)
Crossing

28 April – 04 May 2010

 

 

The
West Bank

 

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

 

· Ramallah: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of the Palestinian civilians in Ramallah. IOF troops positioned at the Jaba’ and
Qalandiya checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, have imposed additional
restrictions on movement and conducted prolonged checks of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period,
IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

· Nablus: IOF have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Thursday at noon, on
Sunday morning and Wednesday morning, 29 April and 02 and 05 May 2010,
respectively, Israeli troops stationed at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus,
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.   

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 04 May 2010, IOF established two
checkpoints at the ‘Arraba and Jaba’ intersections on the Jenin-Nablus
road. They stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

 

 

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· At
approximately 22:00 on Sunday, 02 May 2010, Israeli troops stationed at Jabara
checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, arrested Saleh Mohammed Noufal, 25, a member of the
Palestinian Preventive Security Service; and Mo’ayad Mohammed Khaled, 30, a member of the National
Security Forces. 

 

5. Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem

 

Israel has recently
increased arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in
order to force them to leave the city. PCHR has devoted this section of the
Weekly Report to highlighting violations of human rights perpetrated by IOF
against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem.

 

On Sunday morning, 02 May
2010, dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, took over a house belonging
to ‘Ali Ibrahim Salah in Beit Safafa village, south of Jerusalem.

 

According to investigations
conducted by PCHR, at approximately 10:30 on Sunday, at least 150 Israeli
settlers from settlements in Bethlehem and from “Kiryat Arba”
settlement southeast of Hebron, forcibily entered Salah’s house. They also engaged in disruptive behavior in
the area until 21:00. Israeli troops were deployed to the area in order to
protect the settlers. It is worth noting
that Salah’s family had been forced to evacuate their home to make room for
Israeli settlers the previous week, following an Israeli court ruling issued on
15 December 2009 which ruled the house would have to be within 120 days. The Israeli High Court claimed that the house
and the land on which it is built belong to a number of Israeli settlers,
headed by Yitzhak Hershkowitz, who
lives in “Kiryat Arba” settlement and orchestrates a campaign to
expel Palestinians from the area to establish a new settlement outpost. The
Salah family, which is comprised of 50 individuals, has lived in the
200-square-meter house since 1967. Hershkowitz claims that he purchased the house from the original owner in
1991. Israeli settlers have been
attempting to seize the house since the 1990s, and the family was subjected to
repeated attacks by Israeli settlers, the most notable of which took place on
20 October 2009, when Israeli settlers burnt an animal farm belonging to the
family and IOF confiscated 120 sheep.

 

6. Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian
Civilians and Property

 

Israel has continued its
settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian
law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Thursday, 29 April 2010, at least 40 Israeli settlers
from “Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, stormed the western part
of Hawara village, south of the city. They threw stones at the municipal park and 3 uninhabited houses,
damaging them. In the meantime, IOF were
patrolling in the streets of the village, providing protection for settlers.

 

· On
Friday morning, 30 April 2010,
a number of Israeli settlers from “Givat
Gilad” settlement, which was constructed on lands belonging to Kufor
Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya, uprooted at least 30 olive trees belonging
to Saleh Yousef Eshtaiwi.

 

· At
approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 04 May 2010, at least 40 Israeli settlers from
“Yits’har” settlement, south of Nablus, stormed al-Naqar area in the
west of Hawara village, south of the city. They set fire to a tract of agricultural land belonging to Mohammed Taha
Dmaidi. As a result, 20 olive trees were
burnt. 

 

 

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).