Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Perpetrate
More Violations of Human Rights against Palestinian Civilians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· A Palestinian civilian was killed and another was seriously injured,
when an IOF jeep hit their car in Tulkarm.
· A number of
Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF in the West Bank.
· IOF conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank.
· Houses were raided and 36 Palestinian civilians were
arrested by IOF.
· 3 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.
· IOF Moved into the northern Gaza Strip and confiscated
hundreds of dunums[1]
of Palestinian land to create a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Israel
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
closed Rafah International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing; and IOF
arrested 6 Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; the Israeli High Court recognize the legitimacy of the construction
of the Wall in the West Bank; and 8 Palestinian civilians were wounded by
gunshots fired by IOF to disperse a peaceful demonstration in protest to the
construction of the Wall.
· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the OPT; more areas of Palestinian land were razed in
order to annex them to “Kiryat Arba” settlement, east of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli
violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) during the reporting period (15 – 21 September 2005):
Killing: On
15 September 2005, a Palestinian civilian was killed and another was seriously
injured when an IOF military vehicle hit their car.
Incursions: IOF
conducted 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses
and arrested 36 Palestinian civilians. They
also imposed curfews on a number of communities and transformed 3 houses into
military sites. In the Gaza Strip, on 18
September 2005, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into the Beit Hanoun area of the
northern Gaza Strip and leveled areas of Palestinian land, previously razed by
IOF, to create a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Restrictions on Movement: Although IOF were redeployed around
the Gaza Strip as part of the ”Disengagement Process”, the Israeli government
maintains the occupation of the area, by controlling all outlets and crossing
points. 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 this crossing point, and have actually
moved equipment from there to the “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 the 5th consecutive week. With the closure of Rafah International
Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, the Gaza Strip has been
transformed into a large prison, as IOF continue to maintain control over
airspace, the sea and other border crossings of the Gaza Strip.
In the
West Bank, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians, especially in Hebron. They also imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities. During the reported period, IOF, positioned
at various checkpoints, arrested 6 Palestinian civilians.
Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the
Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. On 15 September 2005, the Israeli High Court approved the construction
of the Wall on Palestinian land occupied since 1967 for security reasons. The court also demanded IOF to provide
appropriate alternatives for the route of the Wall, provide protection for
“Alfeh Menasheh” settlement and lessen the damage incurred to the
Palestinian population living the area of the Wall. The court decided to change the route of the
Wall in the Qalqilya district only, in response to a petition submitted by the
Association of Civil Rights in Israel on behalf of Palestinians living in 5
villages. This new decision by the
Israeli High Court further proves that the court provides legal cover for
illegal acts of IOF. In an Advisory
Opinion issued on 9 July 2004, the International Court of Justice considered
the Wall illegal. In response, the
Israeli High Court decided that this Advisory Opinion is not binding for Israel
as it does not take into consideration the military and security necessities
for Israel. On 18 September 2005, IOF
issued a military order confiscating 22 dunums of Palestinian land in Beit Jala
town and al-Khader village near Bethlehem for the purpose of the construction
of the Wall. During the reported period,
IOF used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian
civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists in protest to the
construction of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. Eight Palestinian civilians, including a
journalist and 3 brothers, were injured.
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, Israeli settlers attacked a number of Palestinian houses and
burnt some Palestinian trees. On 19
September 2005, IOF razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land to the west of
“Kiryat Arba” settlement, east of Hebron, to be annexed to the
settlement.
Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (15-21 September 2005)
The full report is available PDF format.
