Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch
More Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT)
· 4 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, were killed by IOF.
· One of the victims was extra-judicially executed by IOF in
Rafah.
· 17 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children, were
wounded by IOF.
· IOF launched at least 8 attacks on the Gaza Strip.
· IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.
· Houses were raided and 42 Palestinian civilians, including 8
children, were arrested by IOF.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; Rafah
International Crossing Point was partially reopened; IOF have closed Erez
crossing in the northern Gaza Strip; and IOF arrested 10 Palestinian civilians,
including a child, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in
protest to the construction of the Wall; IOF arrested two Palestinian children
near the Wall; and at least 610 donums[1]
of Palestinian land were confiscated in Yatta village near Hebron to construct
a section of the Wall, which will also isolate 14000 donums of land.
· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the OPT; at least 90 donums of Palestinian land in
Nablus and Bethlehem were confiscated; and IOF razed 5 donums of land in Silwan
neighborhood in Jerusalem to establish a car parking lot for Israeli settlers.
Summary
On Monday,
5 December 2005, the Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz stated that he
ordered IOF to conduct military operations in the Gaza Strip and the north of
the West Bank, including extra-judicial executions targeting activists of the
Islamic Jihad. Following a bombing that
occurred in the Israeli town of Netanya on Monday, IOF imposed a total closure
on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Israeli media sources reported that IOF were instructed to shell areas
from where Qassam rockets are launched; to resume extra-judicial executions;
and to prevent members of the Palestinian police from carrying weapons in
Tulkarm. The Israeli government has decided
also to prevent Palestinians from entering Israel; to cancel VIP permits; to
prevent Palestinian workers from entering Israel; to prevent the movement of
Palestinian convoys between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank; and to give a
green line to launch a wide scale military operation against the Islamic Jihad
in the West Bank. PCHR asserts that these
latest decisions will serve to increase tension in the region and will threaten
the lives of Palestinian civilians.
Israeli
violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) during the reporting period (1 – 7 December 2005):
Killing:
During the reported
period, IOF killed 3 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. A fourth Palestinian died in the West Bank
from a wound he had sustained at the beginning of the current Palestinian
Intifada. On 2 December 2005, IOF killed
a Palestinian when he was attempting, together with other civilians, to cross
the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to search for jobs. On 3 December 2005, IOF shot dead a
Palestinian fisherman in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis. They claimed that he did not obey orders to
stop while sailing in the sea. On 7
December 2005, IOF extra-judicially executed a Palestinian in Rafah. In the West Bank, a Palestinian civilian died
from a wound he had sustained in Jenin at the beginning of the current Intifada. In addition, 17 Palestinian civilians,
including 10 children, were wounded by the Israeli gunfire. Five of these civilians were wounded in Rafah
when IOF extra-judicially executed one Palestinian. IOF also launched a series of aerial attacks
on the Gaza Strip.
Incursions: IOF
conducted 23 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank
and two incursions into the Gaza Strip. During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 42 Palestinian
civilians, including 8 children. IOF used
trained dogs to search houses.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a
comprehensive siege on the OPT, in violation of civil, political, economic,
social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians.
IOF have continued to impose a
tightened siege on the Gaza Strip, transforming it into a big jail. Rafah
International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the
Gaza Strip to the outside world, was partially reopened following a two-month
closure. An agreement was reached regarding the operation of the crossing
point. The crossing point is operated
for 4 hours a day only. In the meantime,
IOF have closed Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian workers and
patients. IOF have also continued to impose severe restrictions at
commercial border crossings and on fishing in the Gaza Strip.
IOF have
declared the West Bank a closed military zone following the bombing that
occurred in the Israeli town of Netanya. They have erected more checkpoints and imposed severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. During
the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints arrested 10 Palestinian
civilians, including a child.
Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the
Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. IOF
have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank
territory. During the reported period, IOF razed areas of Palestinian
agricultural land in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem, and the
villages of Prophet Samuel and al-Jeeb and Dahiat al-Barid area near Jerusalem,
to construct new sections of the Wall. IOF decided to change the route of the Wall to the north of Jerusalem,
but these changes will not reverse the fact that the Wall is being constructed inside
the West Bank territory, in violation of international law and the Advisory
Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004. During the reported period, IOF issued a
military order confiscating at least 610 donums of Palestinian land in Yatta
village, south of Hebron, to construct a new section of the Wall. This section will isolate at least 14200
donums of Palestinian land. In the
meantime, the Israeli Minister of Justice Tzipi Livni stated that “the
Israeli High Court issue judicial rulings to decide the borders of Israel
through the Wall.” During the
reported period, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized
by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists in
protest to the construction of the Wall. At least 20 demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation, and 5
others, including a journalist, were wounded by rubber-coated metal
bullets. IOF also beat and arrested two
Israeli solidarity activists. Also
during the reported period, IOF arrested two Palestinian children who were
walking near the Wall.
Illegal
Settler Activities:
Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside
in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians
and property. During the reported period, IOF handed home demolition notices to
12 civilians in Qaryout village, south of Nablus. IOF claimed that these houses
were built without obtaining necessary licenses in Area C, which is under full
Israeli control according to the Oslo Accords. In addition, IOF also
confiscated 5 donums of land in Majdal Bani Fadel village, southeast of Nablus,
to establish a military post. IOF also issued
a military order confiscating 85 dunums of land in the villages of al-Khader
and Battir, and Beit Jala town, to establish a crossing point to separate the
western rural areas of Bethlehem from the rest of the governorate. On Monday, 5 December 2005, IOF razed 5 donums
of land owned by Palestinian civilians in Silwan neighborhood to the south of al-Aqsa
Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, for the purpose of establishing a car parking lot
for the vehicles of extremist settlers living in the area.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (1 – 7 December 2005)
The full report is available PDF format.
