Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch
More Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory (OPT)

· 4 Palestinians, including 2 children, were killed by IOF.

· IOF conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.

· Houses were raided and 36 Palestinian civilians were
arrested by IOF. 

· One house was seized and transformed by IOF into a military
site.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close Rafah International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun
(Erez) crossing; IOF imposed severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip; and
IOF arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, at military
checkpoints in the West Bank.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF established a military post near Qalandiya checkpoint and
arrested 19 solidarity activists during a peaceful demonstration organized in
protest to the construction of the Wall.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the OPT; IOF confiscated 60 dunums[1]
of Palestinian land in Nablus district for settlement expansion.

Summary

Israeli
violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) during the reporting period (6 – 12 October 2005):

Willful Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 4 Palestinians in two separate
incidents in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. On Sunday morning, 9 October 2005, IOF shot dead a Palestinian gunman in
Nablus. That evening, IOF shot dead 3
Palestinian civilians, including two children, in the Gaza Strip. The three civilians apparently attempted to
enter Israel through the eastern border of the Gaza Strip in order to search
for jobs. IOF left the three victims to
bleed to death, offering no medical aid. IOF also seriously wounded a Palestinian child in Hebron. 

Incursions: IOF
conducted 26 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses
and arrested 36 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. IOF also seized a house and transformed it
into a military site.     

Restrictions on Movement:  Even though IOF have been redeployed around
the Gaza Strip, the Israeli government maintains the occupation of the Gaza
Strip though controlling all outlets and crossings. Rafah International Crossing
Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside
world, has remained closed for the second consecutive week, as no deal has been
reached concerning transportation across it.  IOF insist on maintaining
control over the movement of persons and goods through the crossing point, and
have actually moved equipment from the crossing point to “Kerem
Shalom” area on the Egyptian – Israeli border.  In the meantime, IOF
have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian
workers and patients for several weeks.  With the closure of Rafah
International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, the Gaza
Strip has been transformed into a big prsion, as IOF maintain control over the
airspace and other border crossings in the Gaza Strip.  IOF have also
imposed severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. On a number of occasions, IOF opened fire
against the civilian fishermen in order to enforce the 9-nautical-mile limit
imposed on them.  The Oslo Accords make provision for Gaza’s sea to be
fished up to 20 nautical miles.

In the
West Bank, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. Since the
beginning of the Ramadan Month, IOF have tightened the siege imposed on East
Jerusalem to prevent Palestinian Muslims from praying at the al-Aqsa
Mosque. On Friday morning, 7 October
2005, IOF implemented a military order that was issued last month, according to
which the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron would be closed for 6 separate days in
October, to allow Jewish settlers to celebrate Jewish occasions. IOF have imposed more restrictions on
movement. They have also continued to
close a number of the main roads in the northern West Bank despite the
evacuation of 4 settlements in the area. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints
arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children. 

Annexation
Wall: During the
reported period, IOF completed the construction of a military post near Qalandiya
checkpoint, south of Ramallah. They also
established car parks and erected a communication tower. In the meantime, IOF have continued to
construct a section of the Wall in the area. Israeli media sources reported that the section of the Wall being built
around Jerusalem would annex areas of Palestinian land to be devoted to
settlement expansion. IOF fired tear gas
canisters and sound bombs at demonstrators who were protesting the construction
of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.. They also arrested 19 demonstrators, mostly
Israeli solidarity activists. 

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 reporting
period, IOF issued 3 military orders confiscating areas of Palestinian land,
closing other areas of land and prohibiting construction on land in the
villages of Sabastia, al-Naqoura and Deir Sharaf, northwest of Nablus. According to these orders, 60 dunums of land
would be confiscated to create a buffer zone around “Shavi Shomron”
settlement. The creation of the buffer
zone would also isolate nearly 100 dunums of Palestinian land. 

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (6-12 October 2005)

The full report is available PDF format.