Israeli Forces Continue Systematic
Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the occupied Palestinian territory
(oPt) and Continue to Impose a Total Siege on the Gaza Strip
· 5 Palestinian civilians, including two chidden, were injured
when Israeli forces used force against peaceful protest against the Annexation
Wall.
· Israeli forces conducted 11 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank and two into the Gaza Strip.
· Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinian civilians, including one
child, in the West Bank.
· Israeli forces have 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, including a woman.
· Israel has continued measures aimed at establishing a Jewish
majority in occupied east Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces demolished two houses in Beit Hanina and
Silwan villages.
· Israeli forces removed at least 300 graves in an Islamic
cemetery to establish a Jeiwsh museum.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law in the oPt continued during the
reporting period (09 – 15 July 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, 5
Palestinian civilians, including two children, were injured when 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 substance that had a
disgusting smell. Israeli forces had used the same substance for the first time
on 08 August 2008 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 11 military incursions into Palestinian communities
in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested 10 Palestinian civilians, and an
American human rights defender. In the
Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted two limited incursions into Beit Hanoun
town, 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 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.
· 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.
· IOF have continued to
prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more
than two years.
· IOF have 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.
· IOF have 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 stands at
approximately 80% and unemployment approximately 60% 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.
· At least 900
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation
rights for more than 25 months.
· 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 Israel. 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 IOF in
Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and
searched in the streets by IOF.
· During the reporting period, Israeli troops positioned at
military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 Palestinian civilians,
including a woman.
Efforts intended to establish a Jewish majority in
occupied east Jerusalem: Israeli forces have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian
civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, Israeli forces demolished two houses in Beit Hanina and
Silwan villages, claiming that they were built without licenses. During the reporting period, Israeli forces removed
at least 300 Islamic graves in Ma’man Allah cemetery near Hebron Gate in
Jerusalem. They collated skeletons found
in these graves and buried them in one mass grave. The Israeli Municipality plans to establish a
museum on the land of the cemetery, which will be named the “Tolerance
Museum.” The area of the cemetery
is approximately 200 donums, and it includes graves of soldiers in Salah
al-Din’s army that fought Crusaders in the city, as well as some Moslem
intellectuals.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (09 – 15 July 2009)
The full report is available PDF format.
