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 Palestinian child was killed and her father and uncle were
wounded by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
· Three Palestinian civilians, including two chidden, were injured
when Israeli forces used force against peaceful protest against the Annexation
Wall.
· Israeli forces conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank.
· Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including seven
children, and an American human rights defender 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 three Palestinian civilians.
· Israeli forces have continued measures aimed at the establishing
a Jewish majority in occupied east Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces forced a Palestinian civilian to demolish a
structure added to his house in Beit Hanina village near Jerusalem.
· Israeli forces stormed the Palestinian National Theater in
Jerusalem and prevented an art show.
· Israeli forces have continued settlement activities in the
West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians
and property.
· Israeli forces issued military orders to demolish 11 houses
and 4 wells in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem.
· Israeli forces razed areas of Palestinian land in Yatta
village, south of Hebron, to expand a settlement outpost.
· Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian child and attempted
to run him down in Hebron.
· Israeli settlers released hundreds of wild boars in the
northern West Bank.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the oPt during the
reporting period (02 – 08 July 2009):
Shooting: On Thursday, 02 July 2009, Israeli
troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east
of Gaza Valley village, fired three artillery shells at the area. One shell landed a few meters away from the
house of Kamal ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu ‘Aayesh, 52, nearly one kilometer away from the
border, wounding him in the left side. The second shell landed on a bedroom in a house belonging to Saleem
‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu ‘Aayesh, 57, killing his daughter, 17-year-old Heyam. The father was also lightly wounded by
shrapnel to the neck and the right shoulder. The third shell landed near a dairy killing two cows.
During the reporting period, three
Palestinian civilians, including two children, were injured when Israeli forces
used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians
in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli
forces conducted at least 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities
in the West Bank. Israeli forces arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including seven
children, and an American human rights defender.
Gaza Strip
Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings
to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli 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.
· Israeli forces have
continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two years.
· Israeli forces 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.
· Israeli forces 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 and unemployment
levels in the Gaza Strip are approximately 60%, and 80% respectively.
· Israeli forces have
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.
· Israeli forces have
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 2 years.
· IOF 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. 406
kilometers of the Wall has already been constructed, while 46 kilometers are
currently under construction. 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 forces troops
positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested three Palestinian
civilians.
Efforts 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 a structure
added to his house in Beit Hanina Village, north of Jerusalem. Israeli forces also stormed the Palestinian
National Theater in East Jerusalem and prevented an art show that was supposed
to be organized in it.
Settlement Activities: Israeli forces have continued
settlement activities in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli
settlers illegally living in the oPt have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property. During the
reporting period, Israeli forces issued military orders to demolish 11 houses
and 5 wells in al-Khader village, south of Bethlehem, claiming that they were
built without licenses. On 06 July 2009, IOF, accompanied by a number of armed
Israeli settlers razed at least 5 donums of land in Kherbat al-Mafqara area to
the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, to expand the nearby
“Avigal” settlement outpost. They then placed three mobile homes and
an electricity generator on the land. On
Thursday morning, 02 July 2009, a number of Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli
forces, stormed the evacuated “Homesh” settlement, northwest of
Nablus. They stayed in the area for
approximately two hours. On Saturday, 04 July 2009, Anas Nayef Qaffisha, 16,
sustained bruises and cuts throughout the body, when he was attacked by 5
Israeli settlers, who attempted to run him down as he was passing through the
main road in the Wadi al-Huassain and al-Ras neighborhood near “Kiryat
Arba” settlement, southeast of Hebron. The settlers attacked the child and
fled towards the aforementioned settlement. Over the past four years, Israeli
settlers have continued to release wild boars into Palestinian agricultural areas
in Skaka village, east of Salfit. According to local sources, Israeli settlers release 40-60 wild boars
each time, which damage crops. Palestinian farmers have sustained large losses due to such
attacks. The village is located near
“Ariel” settlement, the largest Israeli settlement in the northern
West Bank.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (02 – 08 July 2009)
The full report is available PDF format.
