Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
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
· Two Palestinian resistance activists were killed by IOF in
the Gaza Strip.
· 17 Palestinian civilians, including four children and an old
woman, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the West Bank.
· IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.
· IOF arrested three Palestinian civilians, including five
children, in the West Bank.
· IOF arrested six Palestinian fishers in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and
have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
· IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West
Bank arrested 10 Palestinians, including three children.
· IOF have continued measures aimed at establishing a Jewish
majority in occupied East Jerusalem.
· IOF demolished a barnyard and a number of fences in
al-‘Eissawiya village.
· An Israeli court ordered the demolition of a house in the
old town of Jerusalem.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.
· IOF confiscated 300 donums[1]
of land in Jenin.
· Israeli settlers burnt 10 donums of agricultural land near
Nablus.
· Israeli settlers closed a number of roads and attacked
Palestinian farmers and shepherds.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting
period (21 – 27 May 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF
killed two Palestinian resistance activists in the Gaza Strip, and wounded 17
civilians, including four children and an old woman in the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, on 22 May 2009,
IOF killed two members of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic
Jihad) 400 meters from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of
Rafah.
In the West Bank, on 23 May 2009, an
old woman was wounded when IOF moved into ‘Arrana village, northeast of Jenin,
and opened fire at houses.
On 23 May 2009, three Palestinian
children were wounded when IOF moved into Nour Shams refugee camp, east of
Tulkarm, and fired at a number of children who threw stones at them.
Additionally, 14 Palestinian
civilians, including one child, were wounded when IOF used force against a peaceful
demonstration organized to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in
Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. IOF arrested 30 Palestinian civilians, including five children. In
the Gaza Strip, IOF naval troops arrested six Palestinian fishers.
Gaza Strip
IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza
Strip for more than two years. The IOF 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.
· 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 had mounted to
approximately 80% and unemployment has mounted to 60% in the Gaza Strip.
· IOF 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.
· IOF have imposed
additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and
humanitarian workers seeking to enter 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 sharply mounted.
· At least 900
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights
for more than 17 months.
· IOF have continued to
attack Palestinian fishers along the Gaza Strip coast.
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 the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
· There are approximately 630 permanent 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 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 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 leading to 18 Palestinian
communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of
72 roads).
· 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.
· During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at
military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 10 Palestinian civilians,
including three children.
Efforts to establish
a Jewish majority in occupied East Jerusalem: IOF have escalated arbitrary measures against
Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. On
21 May 2009, the Israeli Municipal Court of Local Affairs issued a decision
ordering the demolition of a structure added to a house belonging to Riad
Ya’qoub Agha in the ‘Aqabat al-Saraya quarter in the old town of Jerusalem. It
was claimed that the structure was built without a license. The court also
imposed a fine of 6,000 NIS (approximately US$ 1,500) on Agha. On 24 May 2009,
IOF demolished a barnyard and fences surrounding three houses in al-‘Eissawiya
village.
Settlement
Activities: In
violation of international humanitarian law, IOF have continued settlement
activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT have continued to
attack Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, IOF
confiscated 300 donums of Palestinian land located between the villages of
Ya’bad and Toura, southwest of Jenin. They gave the owners 45 days to evacuate
their belongings from the land. On 22 May 2009, a number of Israeli settlers
launched an arson attack against dozens of donums of agricultural land planted
with barley in the southeast of Bourin village, south of Nablus, near
“Tits’har” settlement. Civil defense crews were not able to reach the
area due to the presence of Israeli settlers. On Saturday, 23 May 2009, three
Israeli settlers from “Alkanah” settlement, west of Salfit, threw
stones at a house belonging to Hani Mohammed ‘Aamer, 51, insulted him and his
son and ordered him to leave the area. It is worth noting that IOF had
surrounded the house, which is located behind the Annexation Wall. They exerted
pressure on him to leave the area. On 25 May 2009, at least 20 Israeli settlers
from “Beit Yatir” and “Ma’oun” settlements to the east of
Yatta village, south of Hebron, attacked a number of Palestinian shepherds
using sticks and stones. As a result, four shepherds sustained bruises. On the
same day, dozens of Israeli settlers from “Yits’har” settlement,
south of Nablus, gathered at the northern entrance of the settlement and threw
stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the bypass road. As a
result, a number of civilians were injured and their vehicles were
damaged. On 26 May 2009, an Israeli
settler attacked Thamina Khalil Hassan, 21, from Qasra village southeast of
Nablus, near Za’tara checkpoint. IOF troops positioned at the checkpoint saw
the attack, but did not intervene to stop it. The settlers violently beat the woman
who was waiting for a taxi. The attack lasted for 15 minutes, until an Israeli
military ambulance arrived at the area, Israeli soldiers in it drove the
settler away from the woman.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (21 – 27 May 2009)
The full report is available PDF
format.
