Israeli Forces Continue Systematic Attacks
against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the occupied Palestinian territory
(oPt) and Continue to Impose a Total Closure on the Gaza Strip
· A mentally disabled Palestinian civilian was killed and
another civilian was wounded by Israel forces in the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank, and two into the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including
two women and a child, in the West Bank.
· Israeli naval troops continued to pursue and attack
Palestinian fishers.
· Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the oPt
and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
· Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoints in the
West Bank arrested 4 Palestinian civilians.
· Israel has continued measures aimed at establish a Jewish
majority in occupied east Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces forced a Palestinian civilian to demolish his
house in Sour Baher village near Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces closed a development center in Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces prevented the organization of a tourist show
in Jerusalem.
· Israel has continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.
· Israeli troops used force against peaceful protest against
Israeli settlement activities in the West Bank.
· Israeli settlers launched a series of attacks against
Palestinian civilians and their property.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the reporting
period (16 – 22 July 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli
forces killed a mentally disabled Palestinian civilian and wounded another one
in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, Israeli
forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian
civilians to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank. A
number of demonstrators also suffered from the inhalation of a new substance
used by Israeli forces. Israeli forces have used this substance since 08 August
2008, when it was first used against a peaceful demonstration protesting the
construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.
Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli
forces conducted at least 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities
in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including two
children and one woman. In the Gaza
Strip, Israeli forces conducted two limited incursions into Palestinian
communities, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.
Gaza Strip
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli-imposed closure of Gaza,
which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on
the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.
· 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
1.5 million people living in 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 years.
· Israel has not allowed
fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas,
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 has 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.
· Poverty and
unemployment levels are at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza
Strip.
· Israel has continued
to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage systems. Losses
incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.
· 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 sharply mounted.
· At least 900
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights
for more than two years.
· Israeli forces have
continued to attack Palestinian fishers along the Gaza Strip coast.
West Bank
Israeli forces 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.
· Israeli forces have established checkpoints in and around
Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are
frequently prevented from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
· There are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, and 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 Israeli
forces 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 has 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 leads to 18 Palestinian
communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by Israeli forces (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 Israeli forces. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.
· Israeli forces continue to harass, and assault demonstrators
who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall.
· Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by Israeli
forces in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly
stopped and searched in the streets by Israeli forces.
· During the reporting period, Israeli troops positioned at
military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 Palestinian civilians.
Efforts intended to establish a Jewish majority in
occupied east Jerusalem: Israeli forces have continued arbitrary measures against Palestinian
civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, Israeli forces forced a Palestinian civilian to demolish
his house in Sour Baher village, south of Jerusalem, claiming that it was built
without a license. Israeli forces also raided Nidal Center for Community
Development in al-Habasha quarter in the old town in East Jerusalem. They forced the staff and participants in a
summer camp out, and ordered the closure of the center until 11 August 2009, claiming
that it “supports terror activities.” The center belongs to the Union
of Heath Work Committees in Jerusalem. It was established more than 10 years ago to provide development
projects for youth. Additionally, Israeli forces stormed the lobbies of
al-Hamra Castle in East Jerusalem, where a press conference was being held to launch
the first hotel exhibition in Palestine in the context of the declaration of
Jerusalem as a capital of the Arab culture for 2009. According to a decision issued by the Israeli
Minister of Internal Security, Israeli forces prevented holding the conference
claiming that it was being held under the auspices of the Palestinian National
Authority. They forced the participants
to vacate the place in a few minutes and closed the doors.
Settlement
Activities: Israeli
forces have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of
international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers living have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 17 July 2009, Israeli
forces issued a military order banning access of Palestinian farmers to their
lands that are located east of “Carme’il” settlement to the southeast
of Yatta village, south of Hebron. The
restricted area of land is estimated to be approximately 300 donums, located
nearly 500 meters
to the east of the aforementioned settlement. Israeli forces threatened to arrest and imposed a fine on whoever tried
to reach these lands. On 18 July 2009, dozens of Palestinian farmers and
international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in Wad Abu al-Reesh area
in the north of Safa village, north of Hebron, in order to organize a peaceful
protest on Palestinian lands that have been subjected to confiscation and
attacks by Israeli settlers. Israeli
troops stormed the area. The violently
beat the demonstrators and fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at
them. Five Israeli human rights
defenders sustained bruises, and Israeli troops detained 9 others for several
hours. On 19 July 2009, dozens of Israeli settlers from “Bat ‘Ain”
settlement, northwest of Hebron, launched a series of attacks against
Palestinian houses in the nearby Safa village. They opened fire at houses. Israeli
troops were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop the attacks. On
20 July 2009, Israeli settlers throw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles
traveling at the southern entrance of Bethlehem and on the #60 and #35
Hebron-Bethlehem roads. Israeli troops
were present in these areas, but did not intervene to stop the attacks. On 21 July 2009, 4 Israeli settlers cut 24 olive
trees on a tract of land belonging to Mohammed Raja al-Zain in Bourin village,
south of Nablus. When Israeli troops
arrived at the area, the settler fled towards the nearby “Yits’har”
settlement. On the same day, a number of Israeli settlers from “Gilad”
settlement attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the Qalqilya-Nablus
road. They threw stones at the vehicles
damaging a number of them.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (16 – 22 July 2009)
The full report is available PDF format.
