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

 

 

· A
child was wounded in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

 

· IOF
fired bullets and projectiles from the ground, air and sea at civilians and
civil targets in the Gaza Strip.

 

· IOF
conducted 19 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

 

· IOF
arrested 20 Palestinian civilians and an American human rights defender in the
West Bank.

 

· IOF
stormed houses of a number of activists working against the construction of the
Annexation Wall. 

 

· IOF
naval troops have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen 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 one
Palestinian civilian.

 

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

 

· IOF
closed off 150 donums in Beit Ummar and prevented civilians from accessing them.

 

· The
corner stone was laid for a new settlement compound in Hebron.

 

· A
Palestinian civilian was forced to demolish a room of his house in the old city
of Jerusalem.

 

· Israeli
settlers seized one floor of a building belonging to a Palestinian family.  

 

 

Summary

 

Israeli violations of international law
and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (28
January – 03 February 2010).

 

Shooting: During
the reporting period, IOF wounded a Palestinian child in the West Bank village
of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On
30 January 2010, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village and chased a number of
children and youth in the Bayad area. The children and youth stoned IOF soldiers
who responded by firing sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the children and
youth. One of the children sustained shrapnel wounds in his back as a result.

 

IOF continued to systematically use excessive force to
disperse demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international
and Israeli human rights defenders protesting the Annexation Wall, settlement
activities and attacks of Israeli settlers. Many of the demonstrators sustained
bruises as they were beaten by IOF while others suffered from tear gas
inhalation.

 

During the reporting period, IOF launched numerous
air strikes and shot bullets on many occasions in the Gaza Strip. On 31 January
2010, IOF stationed along the Gaza Strip border to the east of Juhr Addiq
village, east of Gaza City, fired several shells at the waste treatment office
of Gaza Municipality and the employees were forced to flee.

 

On 1 February 2010, IOF positioned in observation
towers at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at a
group of Palestinian civilians who were collecting iron bars from the rubble of
buildings destroyed in the nearby industrial zone. The civilians were forced to
flee in fear for their lives, but no casualties were reported. On the same day,
IOF fired indiscriminately at the Shejaeya neighborhood, east of Gaza City.

 

On 2 February 2010, an IOF gunboat fired at
Palestinian fishing boats off the shore of Deir al-Balah. Then a number of
rubber boats from the gunboat began to chase the Palestinian fishing boats. They
fired at fishing nets, destroying them partially, and confiscated them. On the
same day, IOF warplanes launched 6 air strikes in the city of Rafah. They fired
at least 5 missiles at Gaza International Airport, southeast of Rafah. At least
one missile was fired at a tunnel near Rafah crossing, southeast of Rafah. No
casualties were reported.

 

Incursions: During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 19 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 20 Palestinian civilians, including
one child. IOF also stormed houses of
activists working against the construction of the Annexation Wall. IOF arrested
two civilians in Bil’ein who are members of the Popular Committee against the
Wall and Settlements, as well as one American human rights defender.

 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2 limited incursions
in the south and the north of the territory. On 28 January 2010, IOF moved
approximately 250 meters
into the east of Khza’a village, east of Khan Younis. They positioned themselves
in the east of the neighborhood inhabited by the Abu Rida clan, leveled farms
and fired indiscriminately. No casualties were reported.

 

On 3 February 2010, IOF moved approximately 350 meters to the east
of Martyrs’ Cemetery, in the east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. They
leveled lands and fired sporadically. 

 

 

Restrictions
on Movement: Israel has 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 more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed
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 the past two and a half 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 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.

 

· 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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. It has 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.

 

· Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails from the Gaza Strip have been deprived of family visitation
rights for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen 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, 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 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 (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 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 settlement activities and Israeli
settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

 

On 28 January 2010, IOF delivered military notices to a number of
Palestinian civilians from Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, stating that
they were prevented from accessing approximately 150 donums of their lands,
claiming that they were state-owned lands. On 30 January 2010, dozens of
Palestinian farmers headed with Israeli and international human rights
defenders to farms in the targeted area in order to plant olive trees and to
trim trees, but IOF prevented them from accessing the area under the above-mentioned
military order.

 

It should be noted that the delivery of these notices is a new measure
taken by IOF in Beit Ummar village. It is the first time this measure has been
taken. IOF have continuously dismissed Palestinian civilians from their own
lands in line with continued attacks implemented by Israeli settlers. The
targeted lands are farms that were subjected to attacks by settlers from “Bat
‘Ein” settlement, north of the village, last summer. PCHR expresses its concern
that this measure may be the beginning of similar military measures targeting
hundreds of dunums in the nearby “Wadi Abu al-Rish” area.

 

On 30 January 2010, IOF chased a number of Palestinian shepherds who
were accompanied by activists from the Ta’ayush movement in “Um Zaytouna” and
“al-Mafqara” areas in the Musafer area, east of Yatta in the south of Hebron.

 

On the morning of Sunday, 31 January 2010, members of the the Israeli
government laid the corner stone of a new settlement compound in the vicinity
of “Beit Hajai” settlement, in the south of Hebron. The corner stone was place
by Beini Beighen, minister without portfolio, and it was announced that the
compound would include ten new houses. Beighen claimed that the new settlement
compound received its license three months ago as “three thousand houses were
licensed in Judea and Samaria” before the governmental decision to temporarily
suspend settlement activities in the West Bank, excluding occupied East
Jerusalem.

 

 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (28 January – 03 February 2010)

 

 

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

 

Thursday, 28 January 2010  

 

· At
approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-‘Aroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians, one of them a minor:

 

1. Jamal Abdul Fattah Nemer Jawabra, 17;
and

2. Ashraf Yousef Mahmoud Jawabra, 35.

 

· Also
at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians who are brothers:

 

1. Khalil Ahmed Khalil al-Hmouz, 21; and

2. Fadi Ahmed Khalil al-Hmouz, 19.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nablus City and ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee
camp, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two
Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Nour Addin Taysir Abdul Haq, 21, from
al-Makhfeya neighborhood in Nablus; and

2. Mu’taz Saleh Khabbas, 18, from ‘Ein
Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched the house of
Mohammed Abdul Karim al-Khatib, 35, arrested al-Khatib and confiscated some of
his documents. Al-Khatib is a member of the Popular Committee against the Wall
and Settlements in Bil’ein. Dr. Adib Abu Rahma, a member of the Popular
Committee, stated that 35 activists involved with the popular action in Bil’ein
has been arrested during the past six months.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin city.
They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Zubeidat village, north of Jericho.
They raided and searched the house of Ahmed Ibrahim al-Zubeidat and arrested his
two sons:

 

1. Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim al-Zubeidat, 40;
and

2. Eyad Ahmed Ibrahim al-Zubeidat, 33.

 

· Also
at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Zabouba village, west of Jenin. They
raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-‘Irqa village, southwest of Jenin. They
raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 14:00, IOF moved approximately 250 meters into the east
of Khza’a village, east of Khan Younis. They positioned themselves in the east
of the neighborhood inhabited by the Abu Rida clan, leveled farms and fired
indiscriminately. No casualties were reported.

 

Friday,
29 January 2010

 

· At
approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, and
took position in the eastern part of the village. They raided and searched four
residential houses that are between 100 and 120 meters from the
military checkpoint and observation tower erected near the entrance of Beit
Ummar village. They claimed that they were looking for a Palestinian who threw
a Molotov cocktail at the military site.  

 

According
to investigations conducted by PCHR, IOF raided the houses and forced the
residents to leave them. They held the residents and placed them under investigation
for two successive hours. IOF withdrew at approximately 22:30 and no casualties
or arrests were reported. The raided houses belong to: Ahmed Younis Abu ‘Ayash,
Mahmoud Younis Abu ‘Ayash, Abdul ‘Aziz Mahmoud Abu ‘Ayash, and Anwar Mahmoud
Breighith.

 

Saturday,
30 January 2010

 

· At
approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, and
closed the northern and eastern entrances of the village. They chased a number
of children and boys in the Bayad area, the northwestern part of the village.
The children and youth stoned IOF soldiers who responded by firing sound bombs
and tear gas canisters at the children and youth. At approximately 20:30, Ahmed
Mahmoud ‘Aziz ‘Awad, 17, was wounded by shrapnel in his back when a sound bomb
hit a wall near him. ‘Awad was transferred to the medical center in the village
for treatment.

 

Sunday, 31 January 2010

 

· At
approximately 09:10, IOF stationed along the Gaza Strip border to the east of
Juhr Addiq village, east of Gaza, fired several shells at the waste treatment
office of Gaza Municipality and the employees were forced to flee. No
casualties were reported. The firing of shells resulted in the suspension of
the transfer of waste from Gaza City and from northern the Gaza Strip to the
waste treatment site. Garbage was left in the streets. IOF have repeatedly
targeted the waste treatment site and disrupted the transfer and treatment of
waste.

 

Monday, 1 February 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Hebron city. They raided and searched a number
of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. ‘Azzam
Ahmed al-Salayma, 45; and

2. Yousef
Ramadan, 34.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Orta village, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Abdul Salam Mohmmed Yousef ‘Awwad, 39;
and

2. Mohammed Abdul Karim Mohmmed Yousef
‘Awwad, 22.

· At
approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They patrolled the streets of the village and
fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at houses. No raids of houses or
arrests were reported.

 

· At
approximately 13:50, IOF positioned in observation towers in Beit Hanoun (Erez)
crossing, in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at a group of Palestinian civilians
who were collecting iron bars from the rubble of buildings destroyed in the
nearby industrial zone. The civilians were forced to flee, but no casualties
were reported.

 

· At
approximately 16:00, IOF stationed along the Gaza Strip border to the east of
the Shejaeya neighborhood, east of Gaza City, fired indiscriminately at
Palestinian houses. No casualties or damages were reported.

 

Tuesday, 2 February 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Kafr Ra’i village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

 

1. Bassam Nabil Sa’id Dyab, 24; and

2. Mansour Hafez Najib Melhem, 23.

 

· At
approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Seilat al-Thuhur, south of Jenin. They
raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Thamin Ahmed Abu Dayak, 27.
Abu Dayak works in the Islamic Institution for Frozen Foods in Jenin.

 

· At
approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Dheisha refugee camp, southwest of
Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Hazem
Faraj, 37.

 

· At
approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Jabbara village, south of Tulkarem. They
erected a military checkpoint near the entrance of the village until 17:00
o’clock. They prevented civilians from entering or exiting the village. They
searched civilians and checked their ID cards and they held dozens of Palestinian
vehicles. IOF beat Tha’er Zeyad Mohammed Saleh, 21, as he attempted to leave
the village.

 

· At
approximately 10:00, an IOF gunboat fired at Palestinian fishing boats off the
shore of Deir al-Balah. Then a number of rubber boats from the gunboat began to
chase the Palestinian fishing boats. They fired at fishing nets, partially
destroying them, and confiscated them. The confiscated nets belong to Fawzi
Musallam al-‘Aqra’a, ‘Awni Rashad al-‘Aqra’a, Suheil Fayeq al-‘Aqra’a, and
Sameh Mohammed al-‘Aqra’a.

 

· At
approximately 23:45, IOF warplanes launched 6 air strikes in Rafah city. They
fired at least five missiles at Gaza International Airport, southeast of Rafah.
At least one missile was fired at a tunnel near Rafah crossing, southeast of
Rafah. No casualties were reported. The air strikes terrorized Palestinian
civilians who live near the targeted areas but no casualties were reported.
Gaza International Airport has been destroyed almost completely, as it was bulldozed
and bombarded several times during the al-Aqsa Intifada.

 

 

  

Wednesday, 3 February 2010

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nablus city. They raided and searched a
number of houses. They arrested Sharhabil ‘Awwad, 22, from the Makhfeya
neighborhood southwest of Nablus.

 

· At
approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bil’ein village, west of Ramallah. They
raided and searched the home of Ibrahim Abdul Fattah Burnat, 29, a member of the Popular
Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bil’ein. In the meantime, Hamdi
Phathi Abu Rahma, a photographer from the Freedom and Justice Friends
Association, arrived at Burnat’s house to cover the event. In addition, an
American citizen, called “Stormy”, arrived at the house in an attempt
to prevent IOF from arresting Burnat. IOF arrested Burnat, Abu Rahma and “Stormy”.
 

 

· At
approximately 07:00, IOF moved approximately 350 meters to the east
of Martyrs’ Cemetery, in the east of Jabalya in the northern the Gaza Strip.
They leveled lands and fired sporadically. They withdrew at approximately 07:40
and no casualties were reported.

 

2. Continued Closure of the OPT

 

IOF have 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

 

IOF have continued to impose a tightened closure for
more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed 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.

 

· Israel
has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for the past two and a half 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 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.

 

· 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 restrictions on access of international diplomats,
journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. It has 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.

 

· Palestinian
prisoners in Israeli jails from the Gaza Strip have been deprived of family visitation
rights for more than two and a half years. 

 

· IOF
have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip coast.

 

Movement at Border Crossings during the Reporting
Period:

 

Movement at Rafah International
Crossing Point

27 January 2010 – 2 February 2010

 

 

Movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem
Shalom) Crossing

27 January 2010 – 2 February 2010

 

 

Al-Mentar
(Karni) Crossing: IOF partially
opened the crossing on Monday, 1 February 2010, and allowed the entry of 1,400
tons of wheat and 720 tons of fodders. The crossing was closed on the remaining
days.

 

Beit
Hanoun (Erez) Crossing: IOF have
continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for the movement of Palestinian
civilians. They have allowed only diplomats, a number of international
journalists, employees of international agencies, and a small 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. IOF have permitted a small number of
patients to pass through the crossing, but under severe restrictions that
include prolonged checking.

 

Movement at Beit Hanoun (Erez)
Crossing

20 – 25 January 2010

 

 

The
West Bank

 

IOF have
imposed a tightened siege on the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF
imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

 

· Jerusalem: IOF continued to impose severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city. Thousands of
Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to
the city. IOF have established numerous checkpoints around and inside the city.
Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often increase on
Fridays, preventing Muslim Palestinians from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli occupation forces often violently beat Palestinian civilians who
attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city.

 

· Nablus: IOF continued to impose severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 28 January 2010, Israeli troops
were stationed at the northern entrance of Nablus, at the “17”
checkpoint. They also took position at El-Bathan checkpoint, northeast of
Nablus, and established a checkpoint around Talouza village, north of Nablus. Eyewitnesses
stated that IOF stopped and searched Palestinian civilian
vehicles. On Sunday, 31 January 2010, Israeli
troops stationed at Za’tarah checkpoint, south of Nablus, imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Tuesday, 2 February 2010, IOF established
a checkpoint at the southern entrance of ‘Assira, in north of Nablus, and
started stopping and searching Palestinian civilian vehicles. 

 

· Ramallah: IOF continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of the Palestinian civilians in
Ramallah. IOF troops positioned at Jaba’ and Qalandiya
checkpoints, southeast of Ramallah, imposed additional restrictions on movement
and conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians. During the reporting
period, IOF erected a number of temporary checkpoints, and stopped and searched
Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Friday, 29 January 2010, IOF closed ‘Atarah
checkpoint at the northern entrance of Birzeit, north of Ramallah.
Eyewitnesses stated that IOF stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles
and forced people to turn around. At the same time, Israeli troops established
a checkpoint at the intersection of the Nablus-Ramallah road in the Wad ‘Eyoun
El-Haramiyah area, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles and forced people to return to Jaba’ checkpoint at the
southwestern entrance of Ramallah. On Sunday, 31 January 2010, Israeli troops
stationed at Jaba’ checkpoint, southeast of Ramallah, imposed additional
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. The said checkpoint is
three kilometers from Qalandiya checkpoint and separates the south of the West
Bank from the central and the northern areas.

 

· Bethlehem: IOF continued to impose severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 12:00 on Sunday, 31 January
2010, IOF stationed at the Container checkpoint, northeast of Bethlehem, closed
the checkpoint. Palestinians were not allowed to pass for over three hours. The
said checkpoint at Wadi El-Nar road connects the southern cities of the West
Bank with the other towns and there are no other alternative roads. 

 

· Hebron: IOF
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Monday, 1 February 2010,
IOF deliberately established temporary checkpoints at roads leading to farms in
the north and northwest of Halhoul city so as to prevent the Palestinian
farmers from access to their farms. On Tuesday, 2 February 2010, IOF closed a
branch road connecting Al-Dhaheriya and El-Sammou’ with the main street of
other towns in the south of Hebron. It was blocked with sand and cement blocks.

 

Arrests
at Military Checkpoints

 

· On
Tuesday, 2 February 2010, Israeli troops stationed at a checkpoint at the
entrance of Zabouba village, west of Jenin, arrested Mohammed Naser Mahamid,
20, from the said village and took him to an unknown destination.

 

3. Construction of the Annexation Wall

 

IOF have continued to
construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory.  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.

 

· On
the morning of Thursday, 28 January 2010, dozens of farmers from Bourin
village, south of Nablus, and other civilians who came from other areas headed
to farms belonging to the village in order to plant olive seedlings. The farms
are located along the bypass road that separates Bourin village and “Yetsahar”
settlement. While the civilians were working, an IOF jeep arrived at the scene.
Four soldiers stepped out of the jeep and requested the Palestinian civilians
to leave the area. The Palestinian civilians refused to leave and the soldiers
called additional forces. IOF soldiers tried to force journalists to leave and
confiscated their cameras. Then IOF fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at
civilians and chased them for approximately 200 meters.

 

Rami Rouhi Darwish Sweidan, 34, is a cameraman for Ma’an
News Agency. He s gave the following statement to a PCHR Fieldworker:

 

“At approximately 11:30 on Thursday, 28 January 2010, I was on duty,
covering the tree planting in Bourin village, south of Nablus, on the occasion
of Tree Day. The Ministry of Agriculture, Under-Secretary, social figures and
the residents of the village were participating in the event. The activity was
taking place in the south of Bourin village, near the bypass road. There was a
military jeep in the area. As the civilians started to plant trees, the
soldiers annoyed the civilians. Suddenly, four soldiers attacked four
journalists who were covering the activity, including me, Ashraf Abu Shawish,
photographer of Pal Media Agency, Hassan al-Titi and Abdul Rahim al-Qousini,
both Reuters photographers. They tried to confiscate our cameras. As we refused
to give them the cameras, they fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at us
and chased us and the farmers. They had called another military jeep. They
chased us for at least 200
meters. They continued firing tear gas canisters and
sound bombs. We were dispersed from the plantation area.”

  

· Following
the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Bil’ein
village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall. An IOF troop was hiding
behind cement blocks in the area. The troops blocked the gate of the wall with
barbed wire fence. As the participants tried to pass the Wall to reach lands
located behind it, IOF fired live bullets, rubber coated bullets, tear gas
canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens of participants suffered suffocation
as they inhaled tear gas while others sustained bruises from IOF beatings.

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
gathered in the center of Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, in protest of the
construction of the Annexation Wall. They moved towards the Wall and tried to gain accessto lands behind the
Wall, which are a part of the lands of Ne’lin village. IOF prevented them from
crossing the gate erected in the Wall and the demonstrators stoned IOF. IOF
responded by firing live bullets, rubber coated bullets, tear gas canisters and
sound bombs at demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas
inhalation and others sustained bruises as they were beaten by IOF. It should
be noted that IOF had closed the western and eastern entrances of Ne’lin
village in the morning in order to prevent solidarity activist and
internationals from accessing the village to participate in the demonstration.

 

· Also
following the Friday Prayer on 29 January 2010, dozens of Palestinian civilians
gathered in the Wad al-Raya area, between al-Nabi Saleh village and Deir
Netham, northwest of Ramallah. As they were trying to reach lands located near
“Halmish” settlement to plant seedlings, IOF soldiers who were in the area
fired rubber coated bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them. Dozens
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

· On
the afternoon of Sunday, 31 January 2010, 4 Palestinian civilians sustained
bruises as they were attacked by IOF after they intervened to protect their
lands in the Buqa’a area in the east of Hebron, which had been attacked by
Israeli settlers. IOF also arrested Rashid Rabi’ Jaber, 16. Jaber was released
later on bail.

 

According to PCHR investigations and statements given
by eyewitnesses, including ‘Ata Abdul Jawad Jaber, at approximately 07:00 on
Sunday, 31 January 2010, five buses transporting large numbers of Israeli
settlers, mostly youth, arrived at the Buqa’a area in the east of Hebron.
Forces of the “Settlement Security”, IOF police, and vehicles from the
municipality of “Kiryat Arba’a” settlement were accompanying the settlers. IOF
immediately deployed in the area and settlers who were accompanied by military
protection entered farms located in the vicinity of Palestinian houses along
settlement road No. 60. They took position across an area of more than 200
donums. Settlers planted pine trees. Accompanying IOF officers claimed that the
targeted lands were “state-owned.” Approximately 40 Palestinian civilians
gathered to prevent Israeli settlers’ activities on their lands and to conduct
a peaceful protest against this event. IOF soldiers immediately used force and
threats in order to drive the Palestinian civilians from the area. They
provided protection and all necessary facilitations to settlers so they could
continue the planting of pine trees. IOF arrested Rashid Rabi’ Jaber, 16, and
transferred him to “Kiryat Arba’a” settlement, southeast of Hebron. Jaber was
released later on the same day after his family paid a bail of 1,200 NIS. IOF
accused Jaber of disrupting their work in the area.

 

IOF imposed a closure on the Palestinian civilians
who were present in the area and chased them for several hours. They tried to
drive them out of the area and to prevent their disruption of the settlers’
activities. IOF attacked the Palestinian civilians, pushing some of them
violently and causing them to fall to the ground. Four Palestinians, including
three women, sustained bruises as a result. One of the injured women was
transferred to Hebron Governmental Hospital for treatment while the others were
treated on site. The injured are: Bakza Ahmed al-Salayma, 65, ‘Azzam Ahmed
al-Salayma, 45, Najah Fadel Jaber, 50, and Rudaina Bader Jaber, 40.

 

‘Ata Abdul Jawad Jaber stated that one week ago,
Israeli settlers tried to seize some of the targeted lands and to erect a fence
around them. He explained that IOF intervened in order to provide protection to
the settlers. They announced the targeted areas to be “closed military zones”
to prevent their Palestinian owners from accessing them. The targeted lands are
the property of Palestinian civilians who have documents establishing their
ownership of these lands. The owners of these lands include: Zeyad Hamouda
Jaber and his brothers, Salah Saleh Jaber, Ali Saleh Jaber, Shu’eib Saleh
Jaber, Belal Saleh Jaber, heirs of Ahmed Asad Jaber, Amjad Ayoub Talhami, ‘Azmi
al-Salayma and his brothers, Badran Jaber, heirs of Bader Jaber, heirs of
Husein al-Za’tari, Kayed Fadel Jaber, Ibrahim Fadel Jaber, and ‘Ata Abdul Jawad
Jaber.

 

4. Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem

 

IOF has recently escalated
arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in order to
force them to leave the city. PCHR has devoted this section in the Weekly
Report to highlighting violations of human rights perpetrated by IOF against
Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem.

 

· IOF
forced Farouq Bassam al-Mamlouq to demolish a room in his home in the ‘Aqabet
Riman area of al-Sa’deyeh neighborhood in the old city of East Jerusalem. IOF
claimed that the room was built without a permit from the Jerusalem
Municipality. Al-Mamlouq lives with his family in an old house. In 2004, he built
a room that measures approximately 10 square meters.
Later. Jerusalem Municipality forced him to pay 6,000 NIS as a fine.

 

· During
the reporting period, the Jerusalem Municipality delivered a notice to Abdul
Rahman Yousef Abu Farha, 40, notifying him of the IOF’s intent to demolish his
house al-Sa’deyeh neighborhood in the old city of East Jerusalem under the
pretext of the lack of a building permit. The Abu Farha family is mad eup of
seven members, including five children. They live in 45-square-meter house. In
1997, the Jerusalem Municipality forced Abu Farha to make repairs in his house,
or to pay a fine of more than 1,800 NIS in addition to 130 NIS for each day of
delay in implementing the repairs. Abu Farha implemented the repairs despite
his difficult economic situation.

 

· On
29 January 2010, a
group of Israeli settlers raided the house of Fatma Abdul Dawod al-Dawodi, 80, in ‘Aqabet al-Saraya in occupied
East Jerusalem. The settlers broke the lock of door of the second floor of the
house and entered. This raid followed a decision taken by the Israeli
Magistrate’s Court in Jerusalem that allowed settlers to enter to the second
floor of the house. The decision stated that Fatma al-Dawodi will be put in
prison and pay a fine of 20,000 NIS in case of non-implementation of the
decision. Israeli settlers had previously raided the house of al-Dawodi family
in September 2009.

5. Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian
Civilians and Property

 

IOF have continued
settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian
law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.

 

· On
the afternoon of Thursday, 28 January 2010, IOF delivered military notices to a
number of Palestinian civilians from Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron,
stating that they were prevented from accessing approximately 150 donums of
their lands, claiming that they are state-owned lands.

 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and statements given by
Mohammed ‘Ayad ‘Awad, coordinator of the solidarity project in Beit Ummar, the
military notices which were issued on 28 January 2010 were signed by the
“Commander of the Central Region of the Israeli Defence Forces”. The military
notices required the owners of the targeted lands not to be present on and/or
access these lands which are located in the Shamaleya area, north of Beit Ummar
village. The targeted lands measure approximately 150 donums. The delivered
notices were attached to maps identifying the targeted lands which are owned by
Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim Thalji ‘Adi, Mahmoud Ahmed Ibrahim Thalji ‘Adi, Ali
Ahmed Ibrahim Thalji ‘Adi, Ibrahim Ahmed Ibrahim Thalji ‘Adi and Fathi Ahmed
Abdul Hamid Jaber Salibi.

 

It should be noted that the delivery of these notices is a new measure
taken by IOF in Beit Ummar village. It is the first time this measure has been
taken. IOF have continuingly dismissed Palestinian civilians from their lands
in line with continued attacks implemented by Israeli settlers. The targeted
lands are farms that were subjected to attacks by settlers from “Bat ‘Ein”
settlement, north of Beit Ummar village, last summer. PCHR has concerns that
this measure may be the beginning of similar military measures targeting
hundreds of dunums in the nearby “Wadi Abu al-Rish” area.  

 

·  On Saturday morning, 30 January 2010, dozens
of Palestinian farmers and Israeli and international human rights defenders headed
to farms located in the northern area of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron,
to plant olive trees and to trim trees. At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into
the area and prevented civilians and human rights defenders from accessing the
area under the pretext that the area was “state-owned” and that
Palestinians are prevented to access the area under a military order issued on
Thursday, 28 January 2010.

 

· On
Saturday afternoon, 30 January 2010, IOF chased a number of Palestinian
shepherds who were accompanied by activists from the Ta’ayush movement in the
Um Zaytouna and al-Mafqara areas in al-Musafer, east of Yatta in the south of
Hebron. IOF chased and dismissed Palestinian shepherds from the two mentioned
areas that are close to “Maoun” and “Karmael” settlements in order to enable
Israeli settlers to take control of hundreds of donums, including farms
cultivated with winter crops.

 

On Sunday morning, 31 January 2010, members of the Israeli government laid
the corner stone of a new settlement compound in the vicinity of “Beit Hajai”
settlement, in the south of Hebron. The corner stone was place by Beini
Beighen, minister without portfolio, and it was announced that the compound would
include ten new houses. Beighen claimed that the new settlement compound received
its license three months ago as “three thousand houses were licensed in Judea
and Samaria” before the governmental decision to temporarily suspend settlement
activities in the West Bank, excluding occupied East Jerusalem.

…………………………………………………………

 

 

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 2824776 – 2825893).