Disengagement Begins: Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Attacks (OPT)

· 4 Palestinian workers were killed by an
Israeli settler.

· 15 Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF and settlers.

· IOF conducted 42 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

· Houses were raided and 51 Palestinian civilians were
arrested by IOF. 

· A house was destroyed in al-Mawasi area as a form of
collective punishment.

· 15 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF
have imposed a tightened siege on Palestinian communities located near Israeli
settlements in the Gaza Strip and the northern West Bank; IOF have closed
al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints in the Gaza Strip;

· IOF arrested 10 Palestinian civilians at military
checkpoints in the West Bank and a woman at Rafah International Crossing Point;
and IOF have continued to use a special checking machine at the crossing point.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF razed more area of Palestinian land to the northwest of
Jerusalem; 8 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded by IOF
in ‘Azzoun village near Qalqilya; IOF arrested 25 Israeli solidarity activists
and 10 international ones in Bal’ein village near Ramallah; and IOF demolished
5 civilian facilities in Ethna village near Hebron.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip; a journalist and two
children were wounded by IOF that supported a number of Israeli settlers who
launched attacks against Palestinian civilians in Bala’a village near Tulkarm.

Summary

Israeli
violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) during the reporting period (11-17 August 2005):

Willful
Killing: On
Wednesday evening, 17 August 2005, an Israeli settler killed 4 Palestinian
workers, including two brothers, who used to work in the industrial zone of
“Shilo” settlement, southwest of Nablus. IOF arrested the settlers and prevented
Palestinian ambulances from attending the victims. They have also held the bodies of the
victims.   

Incursions: IOF
conducted 34 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, and 8
incursions into the Gaza Strip. During
these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 44 Palestinian civilians. IOF also seized 15 houses and transformed
them into military sites in the West Bank.  During the incursions into the Gaza Strip, IOF
raided houses and arrested 7 Palestinian civilians and transformed 4 houses
into military sites. They also imposed
curfews on Palestinian communities located near Israeli settlements. During the reported period, two Palestinian
civilians, including a child, were wounded by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip.     

Restrictions
on Movement: As IOF
have started to implement the “Disengagement Plan” in the Gaza Strip,
they imposed severe restrictions on Palestinian civilians, especially in
communities located near Israeli settlements. On Wednesday, 17 August 2005, IOF closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli
checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street (the main road between the north and south
of the Gaza Strip). They have also continued to close al-Tuffah and Tal
al-Sultan checkpoints leading to al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis and Rafah for the
second consecutive week. In addition,
IOF have  continued to close a number of
roads since the beginning of the current Intifada. In the West Bank, IOF have continued to close
Za’tra checkpoint, south of Nablus, and ‘Ennab gate, east of Tulkarm, for the fifth
consecutive week.   Following the declaration of the northern West
Bank as a closed military zone, on Monday morning, 15 August 2005, IOF started
to impose more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected a number of iron gates on the
main roads. They also erected a number
of checkpoints and arrested at least 10 Palestinian civilians.   In
the West Bank PCHR field workers documented 4 cases of inhumane treatment by
IOF at military checkpoints.

Annexation
Wall: IOF have
continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank territory. For this purpose, they razed more areas of
agricultural land between the villages of Beit Sourik and Biddu, northwest of
Jerusalem. They also razed a playground
in ‘Anata village, northeast of Jerusalem. IOF have continued to construct a section of the Wall around
“Ariel” settlement, southwest of Nablus. In addition, IOF used force to disperse
peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international
solidarity activists in protest at the construction of the Wall. Eight demonstrators, including two children,
were wounded by IOF. A number of other
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF also arrested 25 Israeli solidarity
activists and 10 international ones. Furthermore, IOF demolished 5 civilian facilities in Ethna village, west
of Hebron.  

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, especially in
the Gaza Strip during the implementation of the “Disengagement Plan.”
During the reported period, Israeli settlers launched 9 attacks on Palestinian
civilians. Three Palestinian civilians
were wounded by IOF that supported Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian
civilians in Bala’a village, eats of Tulkarm.  

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (11 – 17 August 2005)

The full report is available PDF format.