An
Israeli bulldozer razes olive trees prior to the olive cultivation season in
West Bank.

 

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

 

· IOF willfully a
Palestinian worker in occupied Jerusalem.  

 

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

– A Palestinian child
was wounded. 

 

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

– A worker was wounded.

 

· IOF conducted 18
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and a limited one
into the Gaza Strip.  

– IOF arrested 6
Palestinian civilians, including a judge and a child.

 

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

– Israeli troops
stationed at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank
arrested at least two Palestinian civilians.

 

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

– Israeli began to build 350 housing units in a
number of settlements in the West Bank.

– IOF delivered noticed ordering the demolition
of a number of houses in Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm.

– Israeli settlers set fire to a mosque in Beit
Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem.

 

Summary

 

Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (30 September – 06 October 2010):

 

Shooting:

 

During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian worker in the
West Bank, and wounded another one in the Gaza Strip and a child in the West
Bank. 

 

In the West Bank, on 03 October 2010, IOF killed a Palestinian
worker from Sa’ir village, northeast of Hebron, when he had crossed the
annexation wall near al-Tour village, east of Jerusalem, towards his work. An Israeli police spokeswoman claimed that
the Israeli police “noticed a number of persons (around 15) jumping over a
wall opposite to al-‘Eissawiya village near the main road leading to Ma’ale
Admoim settlement. Two police officers
chased them, and one of the officers was able to capture one of them. A quarrel erupted between the two, during
which the Palestinian worker attempt to seize the officer’s gun, so a bullet
was unleashed, and it hit the worker.” However, investigations conducted by PCHR and eyewitnesses’ accounts
refute this claim, and indicate that Israeli soldiers could have arrested the
worker without killing him. 

 

During the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse
peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities
and the construction of the annexation wall. As a result, a Palestinian child was wounded, and dozens of Palestinian
civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas
inhalation or sustained bruises. 

 

In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian worker was wounded when Israeli soldiers
stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at them while
collecting raw construction materials. 

 

Incursions:

 

During the reporting period, IOF conducted at
least 18 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank,
during which they arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a judge and a
child.  

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited
incursion into the northern Gaza Strip, during which they chased a number of
Palestinian workers who were collecting raw construction materials.  

 

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.

 

Gaza
Strip

 

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza
Strip for over three 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. 

 

· 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. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply
shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become
internationally accepted and institutionalized. 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.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza
does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with
Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international
human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with
respect to the easing of the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip and the
reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from 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 access restrictions on international
diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter 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.

 

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 585 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, 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.

 

· There are approximately 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.

 

Settlement
Activities:

 

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. 

 

On 03 October 2010, Israeli settlers from “Aadi Aad”
settlement outpost stormed olive fields in the northwest of al-Mghayar village,
northeast of Ramallah. They attempted to
steal olives. Soon after, IOF moved into
the area.

 

On 04 October 2010, a number of Israeli settlers stormed the
Prophets Mosque in Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem, and set fire to
it. The mosque was heavily damaged.

 

On 05 October 2010, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of
Tulkarm. They stopped near a play ground
in the west of the village and photographed it. They also hung a notice of demolition of its buildings. They then delivered notices ordering the
demolition of a number of houses belonging to Palestinian civilians.

 

On 06 October 2010, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that 350
housing units are currently being built in Israeli settlements in the West
Bank.  According to the paper, 56 units
are being built in “Qidoumim” settlement, east of Qalqilya; 54 ones
in “Ariel” settlement, north of Salfit; 56 ones in “Karmi
Tsur” settlement, north of Hebron; 24 ones in “Mateh Benjamin; 34
ones in “Kiryat Arba” settlement, southeast of Hebron; and one unit
in each of the following settlements: “Oranit;” “Sha’ari
Tikva;” “Rafafah;” “Yakir;” “Kokhav
Hashahar;” “Burkan;” “Kfar Adomim;” “Taqqou;”
and “Dulif.”

 

 

Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (30 September – 06 October 2010)

 

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

 

Thursday, 30 September 2010

 

· In the morning, IOF arrested Judge of the
Magistrate Court in Hebron, Jamal ‘Abdul Majid Shadid, 42, from Kharsa village
southwest of Hebron. According to his
brother, Nasser, 47, and his wife, Nivine, 33, at approximately 02:00, IOF
besieged the judge’s house. Israeli
soldiers threw stones towards the house, so he opened the door. When they attempted to catch him and break
into the house, he introduced himself and refused to allow soldiers to get into
the house. He requested to talk with the
officer of the military unit. They
accompanied him to the officer who was 100 meters away. In the meantime, Israeli soldiers stormed and
searched the house. They held the family
in one room. Later, they allowed the
judge to get into the house to change his clothes and then arrested him. On Monday noon, 04 October 2010, a lawyer was
able to visit the judge in “Kfra Etzion” detention center. On Wednesday evening, 06 October 2010, the
judge’s family learnt that he was transferred to ‘Oufar Prison, west of
Ramallah, and that he would be presented to the Israeli military court on
Thursday, 07 October 2010.

 

· At approximately 11:30, IOF moved into Beit
Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Beit ‘Ur
al-Tahta village, west of Ramallah. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:10, IOF moved into Shoufa
village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

Friday, 01 October  2010

 

· At approximately 00:15, IOF moved into Qiffin
village, north of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

· At approximately 00:40, IOF moved into Nour
Shams refugee camp, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into
Kharabtha village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrested were reported.

 

· At approximately 23:20, Israeli soldiers
stationed on observation towers at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern
Gaza Strip opened fire at dozens of Palestinian workers who were collecting raw
construction materials to the northwest of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit
Hanoun, 600 meters away. The workers
fled from the area leaving their tools and carts. At approximately 00:30 on the following day,
they went back to the area to take their tools and carts, but they were
surprised by an Israeli incursion into the area. They fled from the area. Ni casualties were reported.

 

Sunday, 03 October 2010

 

· In the morning, IOF killed a Palestinian worker
from Sa’ir village, northeast of Hebron, when he had crossed the annexation
wall near al-Tour village, east of Jerusalem, towards his work. An Israeli police spokeswoman claimed that
the Israeli police “noticed a number of persons (around 15) jumping over a
wall opposite to al-‘Eissawiya village near the main road leading to Ma’ale
Admoim settlement. Two police officers
chased them, and one of the officers was able to capture one of them. A quarrel erupted between the two, during
which the Palestinian worker attempt to seize the officer’s gun, so a bullet
was unleashed, and it hit the worker.” However, investigations conducted by PCHR and eyewitnesses’ accounts
refute this claim, and indicate that Israeli soldiers could have arrested the
worker without killing him. 

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
00:00, a number of Palestinian workers, including ‘Izziddin Saleh al-Kawazba,
37, from Sa’ir village northeast of Hebron, went out to their work places in
Jerusalem. At approximately 02:15,
al-Kawazba arrived at a section of the annexation wall near al-Tour village,
east of Jerusalem, where around 50 workers gathered and attempted to jump over
the wall. At approximately 02:30, the
workers were able to jump over the wall and cross the main road :30, the
workers were able to jump over the wall and cross the main road :30, the
workers were able to jump over the wall and cross the main road near
“Ma’ale Adomim” settlement. They then resorted to a dirt road towards al-Tour village. When al-Kawazba was crossing the main road,
he was surprised by a military vehicle coming towards him, so he ran towards
the dirt road. A soldier stepped down
from the vehicle and ran behind him. When the soldier was as close as to 10 meters to al-Kazazba, he fired
one bullet. Al-Kawazba was wounded in
the back. Ten minutes later, an Israeli
ambulance arrived at the area, but Israeli soldiers did not allow its crew to
attend al-Kawazba. An eyewitness, Ghanem
‘Aabed al-Kawazba, 32, stated that IOF evacuated the victim’s body to the
Israeli forensic medicine department. IOF delivered the body to a Palestinian ambulance at Tarqoumia crossing,
southwest of Hebron, at approximately 16:30 on the same day. The eyewitness further said: “… When we received the martyr’s
body, we noticed signs of autopsy, and a Palestinian doctor who witnessed the
autopsy told us that the bullet was explosive and it entered the back and then
penetrated the heart.” Al-Kawazba was married and a father of 6
children.

 

· At approximately 00:50, IOF moved into Shwaika
suburb, north of Tulkarm. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Jayous
village, northeast of Qalqilya. They
raided and searched a number of houses and a shop of electrical appliances. They delivered summons to Rasheed Mohammed
Saleem, 26, and his brother Rashed, 28. 

 

Monday, 04 October 2010

 

· At approximately 10:10, IOF moved into Beit
Leed village, east of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets for some time and held Ra’ed Taher Draidi, 19, but
released him later. They withdrew from
the village a few hours later, and no arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 11:35, IOF moved into ‘Anabta
village, east of Tulkarm. They patrolled
in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· Also at approximately 11:35, IOF moved into
‘Arraba village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.

 

· At approximately 20:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun
village, east of Qalqilya, and closed the main road, known as road #55. They also closed the entrances of the village
and searched olive fields, allegedly looking for persons who threw stones. They withdrew two hour later and no arrests
were reported.

 

Tuesday, 05
October 2010

 

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jenin
town and refugee camp. They raided and
searched a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Fayez al-Sa’di, 22, and
arrested him.

 

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Ne’lin
village, west of Ramallah. They raided
and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including
a child:

 

1. ‘Othman
Rezeq ‘Amira, 40;

2. Mohammed
Ahmed ‘Amira, 17;

3. As’ad
‘Abdul Fattah Nafe’, 20; and

4. Tariq
Hassan Musleh, 18.

 

· At approximately 09:15, Israeli soldiers
station on a hill at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israeli to the
northwest of Beit Lahia town fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were
collecting raw construction materials from the evacuated Israeli settlement of
“Elli Sinai.” As a result,
Ziad Mohammed Tanboura, 27, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the
left foot, when he was 500 meters away from the border.

 

· At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into Zeita
village, north of Tulkarm. They
patrolled in the streets and held two Palestinian civilians for some time:
Ma’ath Mar’ei, 20; and Yasser Jaber Mahmlud, 20. They withdrew from the village a few hours
later and no arrests were reported.  

 

Wednesday,
06 October 2010

 

· In the morning, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets and
photographed the entrance of the police station in the east of the town. They then moved northwards and photographed
the entrances of the buildings of the Preventive Security Service and the
General Intelligence Service.  They also
photographed the entrance of the building of the Military Medical Service.

 

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, and against the establishment of a buffer zone along the border in
the Gaza Strip. As a result, a
Palestinian child was wounded. Dozens of
civilians and human rights defenders also suffered from tear gas inhalation and
others sustained bruises.   

 

· Following the Friday Prayer on 01 October 2010, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders organized
a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall
in Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the annexation wall. Israeli troops stationed in the area fired rubber-coated metal bullets,
sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, a number of demonstrators suffered
from tear gas inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by
Israeli troops.  

 

· Also following
the Friday Prayer on 01 October 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and human rights defenders organized a peaceful demonstration in
Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest against the construction of the
Annexation Wall. They clashed with
Israeli troops positioned near the Wall. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas
canisters at demonstrators. As a result,
several demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and others sustained
bruises.  

 

· Also following the Friday Prayer on 01 October 2010, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders
organized a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of
Ramallah, in protest against land confiscations 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. As a result, Wa’d al-Tamimi, 13, was hit by a
tear gas canister to the right foot. A
number of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation. 

 

· At approximately 11:30 on Saturday, 02 October 2010, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders organized a
peaceful demonstration in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They moved towards areas of Palestinian land,
which are threatened of confiscation by IOF, near “Karmi Tsur”
settlement, south of the village. IOF
attacked and fired at the demonstrators. As a result, Mohammed Jamal Abu Hashem, 14, was hit by a tear gas
canister that caused burns to his body. 

 

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 over three 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. 

 

· 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. PCHR is concerned that the new Israeli policy is simply
shifting Gaza to another form of illegal blockade, one that may become
internationally accepted and institutionalized. 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.

 

· Expanding the list of items allowed into Gaza
does not change the illegality of this policy, which is inconsistent with
Israel’s legal obligations both as an Occupying Power and under international
human rights treaties to which it is party, such as the International Covenant
on Civil and Political Rights. 

 

· Facts on the
ground refute Israeli claims with respect to the easing of the closure imposed
on the Gaza Strip and the reduction of restrictions imposed on the entry of
goods.

 

· Israeli
declaration of allowing new goods to be entered into the Gaza Strip constitutes
an attempt to delude the international community, as such goods do not meet the
minimal needs of the Gaza Strip. 

 

· IOF have
continued to ban the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip. 

 

· IOF have
imposed a ban on all exports from 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 access restrictions on international
diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter 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.

 

Movement
at Border Crossings during the Reporting Period:

 

At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 01 June
2010, the Egyptian authorities decided to open Rafah International Crossing
Point on the Egyptian border in both directions without specifying a date for
its closure. The Egyptian decisions came
following the Israeli attack on the Gaza-aid flotilla in international
water. On the following morning, the
crossing point was effectively opened and restricted categories of Palestinian
civilians were allowed to travel through it.

 

Movement
at Rafah International Crossing Point

29 September
– 05 October 2010

 

 

Movement
at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) Crossing

29 September
– 05 October 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing: During the
reporting period, IOF partially opened the crossing on Sunday, 03 October 2010,
and allowed the entry of 1,599 tons of wheat and 2,418 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
September – 05 October 2010

 

 

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.

 

· 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.  On Friday morning, 01 October
2010, IOF imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. They reinforced their
presence throughout the city. They
stopped and checked Palestinian civilians.   

 

· Bethlehem: IOF
have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. They have maintained their
presence at 41 checkpoints around the town. The town has been also impacted by the construction of the annexation
wall to the north and west, and large areas of Palestinian land have been
isolated by the wall. During the
reporting period, Israeli troops stationed at the 300 checkpoint (Rachel Toms),
north of Bethlehem, continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to Jerusalem. Palestinian civilians are forced to wait in
queues on two routes outside the checkpoint. They are then checked by Israeli soldiers using electronic checking
machines. Such checking is often
prolonged and humiliating. During the
reporting period, only Palestinians who have permits were allowed to travel to
Jerusalem.   

 

· Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians. They have
continued to establish checkpoints on the roads leading to the city and to stop
and search Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 15:00 on Thursday, 30 September 2010, IOF established a
checkpoint near Deir Sharaf intersection on Nablus-Tulkarm road. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
08:00 on Saturday, 02 October 2010, IOF established a checkpoint on
Nablus-Qalqilya road near ‘Izbat al-Tabib village. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. .

 

· 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. At approximately 10:15 on Saturday, 02
October 2010, IOF re-established their presence at ‘Attara checkpoint at the
northern entrance of Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. At approximately
17:00 on Sunday, 03 October 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at Beit ‘Out
intersection, west of Ramallah. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 23:45 on the same day, IOF
established a checkpoint under Kharabtha al-Misbah Bridge, west of Ramallah. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.   

 

· Qalqilya: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to close the agricultural
road located to the east of ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, since 2009. The village is also separated from road #55,
which links between Nablus and Qalqilya, with a barbwire fence. The fence cuts off the village from
agricultural land belonging to it in the north. During the reporting period, IOF continued to erect temporary
checkpoints on the main roads leading to Qalqilya. At approximately 19:40 on Monday, 04 October
2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the northern entrance of ‘Izbat al-Tabib
village, east of Qalqilya. They stopped
and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. At approximately 06:30, IOF closed the gates of Jayous village,
northeast of Qalqilya, and denied access of Palestinian farmers to their lands
to cultivate olives.

 

· Tulkarm: IOF have continued to
impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 13:30 on Thursday, 30
September 2010, IOF established a checkpoint near the northern entrance of Beit
Leed village on Tulkarm-Nablus road. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.    

 

· Jenin: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians. At
approximately 22:20 on Saturday, 02 October 2010, IOF established a checkpoint
at Zabbouba intersection, northwest of Jenin. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilians vehicles. On Sunday evening, 03 October 2010, Israeli
soldiers stationed at a checkpoint on the road linking Jenin with the northern
villages of Tulkarm imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. They stopped and
searched dozens of civilian vehicles. 

 

· Salfit: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to close the northern
entrance of Salfit with cement blocks and sand barriers since 2000. They have also continued to close two roads
linking Marda village with agricultural land belonging to it. 

 

· Jericho: IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 12:10 on Saturday, 02
October 2010, IOF established a checkpoint at the entrance of ‘Ein al-Dyouk village,
north of Jericho. They stopped and
searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.      

 

Arrests at Military Checkpoints

 

· At approximately 07:30 on Monday, 04 October
2010, Mahmoud ‘Ali Masa’id, 43, went with his sister, 46-year-old Fatima, to
visit their brother Younis, 32, who is detained in Ramoun Prison. At noon, he and his sister arrived at the
prison.  Israeli soldiers checked them
and arrested him.

 

· On Monday evening, Israeli soldiers stationed
at a temporary checkpoint established near Hawara checkpoint, southeast of
Nablus, arrested Yousef ‘Aaref Hajj Mohammed, 65, when he was traveling with
his family.

 

4. 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 11:30 on Sunday, 03 October
2010, Israeli settlers from “Aadi Aad” settlement outpost stormed
olive fields in the northwest of al-Mghayar village, northeast of
Ramallah. They attempted to steal
olives. Soon after, IOF moved into the
area.

 

· On Monday morning, 04 October 2010, a number of
Israeli settlers stormed the Prophets Mosque in Beit Fajjar village, south of
Bethlehem, and set fire to it. The
mosque was heavily damaged.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, and the testimony of
Ayman Ibrahim Taqatqa, 34, who lives near the mosque, at approximately 02:40, a
loud noise was heard near the house. Taqatqa looked through the window. He saw a civilian vehicle parked near the entrance of the mosque, which
was open. He saw threw persons in the
area. He immediately stepped up to the
roof of his house to see what was going on. He then saw one of those persons throwing a plastic can into the mosque,
and fire broke out. He realized that the
mosque was being attacked. He called on
people to save the mosque. Soon, another
two persons got out of the mosque and joined the other three ones. They all got into the car and traveled
outside the village. People immediately rushed to extinguish fire in the
mosque. Later, Palestinian civil defense
crews arrived and were able to extinguish fire. Less than 15 minutes later, an Israeli military jeep arrived in the
village and moved around the mosque. It
is worth noting that the Israeli settlement of “Migdal ‘Ouz” is less
than 700 meters away from the affected mosque. As a result of the attack, carpets, other equipment and 15 copies of the
holy Quraan were burnt. At approximately
11:00, IOF and the Israeli police moved into the village, in the presence of
Palestinian liaison and police officers, to investigate the attack.  

 

· At approximately 11:30 on Tuesday, 05 October
2010, IOF moved into Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They stopped near a play ground in the west
of the village and photographed it. They
also hung a notice of demolition of its buildings. They then delivered notices ordering the
demolition of a number of houses belonging to Palestinian civilians:

 

1. An
under-construction house belonging to Mohammed Barham Abu Daqqa;

2. An
under-construction house belonging to ‘Abdul Hamid Mustafa Shalabi;

3. An
under-construction house belonging to Marwan Mohammed Saqallah; and

4. An
under-construction house belonging to Basha’er Saleh Abu Baker. 

 

· On Wednesday, 06 October 2010, the Israeli
daily Ha’aretz reported that 350 housing units are currently being built in
Israeli settlements in the West Bank. According to the paper, 56 units are being built in “Qidoumim”
settlement, east of Qalqilya; 54 ones in “Ariel” settlement, north of
Salfit; 56 ones in “Karmi Tsur” settlement, north of Hebron; 24 ones
in “Mateh Benjamin; 34 ones in “Kiryat Arba” settlement,
southeast of Hebron; and one unit in each of the following settlements:
“Oranit;” “Sha’ari Tikva;” “Rafafah;”
“Yakir;” “Kokhav Hashahar;” “Burkan;” “Kfar
Adomim;” “Taqqou;” and “Dulif.”

 

 

…………………………………………………………

 

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).