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
· A Palestinian child from the Gaza Strip died of injuries he
had sustained during the latest IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip.
· 19 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including eight children
and a journalist, were injured by IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip.
· IOF warplanes bombed targets in the Gaza Strip.
· There were intensive IOF air strikes on the border between
Gaza and Egypt, and forcible evacuation of Palestinian civilians living in the
area.
· IOF conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and one into the Gaza Strip.
· IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including six
children and one woman.
· An IOF military dog bit the ear and shoulder of a
98-year-old Palestinian civilian.
· A number of houses were damaged during IOF house raids.
· Offices belonging to a radio station and a house were taken
over by the IOF and used as military sites.
· Three houses were severely damaged in the central 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 four Palestinian civilians, including two children.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank
and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
· Israeli settlers broke into the Prophet Joseph Shrine in
Nablus and launched a series of attacks in Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of
international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting
period (19-25 February 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, a
Palestinian child died of injuries sustained during the latest IOF offensive on
the Gaza Strip. The IOF also injured 17 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including
8 children and a journalist, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, on 20
February, a Palestinian civilian was injured in Beit Ummar village, north of
Hebron, when IOF troops moved into the village, following and firing at Palestinian
children who allegedly threw stones at military vehicles.
During the reporting period, 14 Palestinian
civilians, including 7 children, were injured when IOF used force against
peaceful demonstrations organised in protest of the construction of the
Annexation Wall.
In the Gaza Strip, on 24
February, ‘Abdullah Nabeel Sha’ban Esleem, 17, died of injuries he had
sustained during the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. According to PCHR’s
documentation, Esleem was injured in his home on 15 January 2009 when IOF
warplanes bombed a neighbouring house belonging to Eyad Siam in order to
assassinate Sa’id Siam, a senior Hamas leader. The attacks killed Siam and nine
others. Esleem had been receiving medical treatment in Egypt.
On 19 February a
Palestinian journalist was injured in Rafah when IOF warplanes bombed the
Egyptian border, south of the town. On 24 February a Palestinian child was injured
in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, when IOF fired at a number of
Palestinian civilians who were near the remains of their destroyed homes. On 23
February, two members of the Palestinian resistance were injured during an IOF
incursion into al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF
conducted at least 35 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the
West Bank. They arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including six children. IOF
also transformed offices of a local radio in Nablus and a house in al-Khader
village near Bethlehem into military sites. During house raids, IOF damaged a
number of houses. Additionally, an IOF military dog bit the ear and shoulder of
a 98-year-old man in Tammoun village near Tubas.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a blockade 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 close all border crossings to the Gaza
Strip for over two years. The IOF siege and economic blockade of Gaza, which
has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a devastating 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.
· The majority of the civilian population lack access to
drinking water.
· Electricity is cut off for hundreds of thousands of Gazan civilians
for around 8-12 hours a day, which has affected at least 500,000 students in
various stages of education who are currently having exams.
· The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was repeatedly forced
to suspend its humanitarian aid delivery program to at least 750,000
Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip.
· The Rafah International Crossing Point was opened for a few
days to allow a number of patients who had received medical treatment abroad to
return home to the Gaza Strip.
· IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for
Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israel for medical
treatment, trade or social visits.
· IOF have imposed additional restrictions on international
diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers requiring access to the Gaza
Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international
humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.
· Health conditions in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated and
all medical facilities have been affected, particularly medical equipment that
is operated by electricity. Dozens of medicines have been unavailable.
· The lives of premature babies have been endangered by power
cuts that affect neonatal units run on electricity.
· Living conditions for Palestinian civilians have
deteriorated; unemployment and poverty levels have risen sharply.
· At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have
been denied family visitation rights for over 17 months.
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 completed, 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 around 500 kilometers of roads throughout the West
Bank that Palestinians are restricted from using. 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 street.
· During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at
military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested four Palestinian civilians,
including two children.
Judaization of
Jerusalem: IOF have
escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to
force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, the Israeli
Municipality of Jerusalem ordered 88 Palestinian civilians living in al-Bustan
quarter in Silwan village, south of the old town of Jerusalem, to evacuate
their homes, which were to be demolished allegedly because they had been built
without permits. According to the al-Bustan committee, 130 families – a total
of 1,500 people of which 65% are children – live in these homes. On 22 February
IOF stormed the solidarity tent set up by the al-Kurd family near their house that
was seized by IOF on 19 November 2008. They threw out the tent’s contents and
tore it down. The IOF had already torn down four tents set up by the family in
the area.
Settlement
Activities: IOF
have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the
OPT have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property, in violation
of international humanitarian law. On 23 February a number of Israeli settlers,
escorted by IOF troops, broke into the Prophet Joseph shrine east of Nablus,
and conducted religious ceremonies for several hours. On the same day, Israeli
settlers living in a settlement outpost in the centre of Hebron cut off
electricity supplies throughout Hebron and launched a series of attacks against
Palestinian houses in the centre and south of the town. They used stones and
empty bottles in their attacks. A number of houses were damaged. IOF troops
were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop the attacks.
Israeli Violations Documented during
the Reporting Period (19-25 February 2009)
The full report is available PDF format.
