Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate
Attacks on Palestinian Civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

· 14 Palestinians, including two children, were killed by IOF.

· 8 of the victims, who were members of Hamas, were
extra-judicially killed by IOF.

· IOF conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and 2 into the Gaza Strip.

· Houses were raided and 78 Palestinian civilians were
arrested by IOF in the West Bank and 1 in the Gaza Strip. 

· Two Palestinian civilians were used by IOF as a human
shields to raid houses. 

· 21 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF divided
the Gaza Strip into 3 separate zones; IOF shot dead a Palestinian child near a
checkpoint in the Gaza Strip; IOF have prevented Palestinian civilians aged
16-35 from traveling through Rafah International Crossing Point; IOF arrested 6
Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West Bank and injured a
seventh one.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF attacked Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity
activists who demonstrated against the construction of the Wall; 7 Palestinian
civilians and an Israeli solidarity activist were wounded and 3 Israeli
solidarity activists were arrested.  

· 3 Palestinian civilians were injured and IOF razed more
areas of Palestinian land for the purpose of settlement expansion. 

Summary

Israeli
violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) during the reporting period (14-20 July 2005):

Willful
Killing: During the
reported period, IOF killed 14 Palestinians (eight in the West Bank and six in
the Gaza Strip, including two children. 

In the
West Bank, on 14 July 2005, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian in
Nablus. On 15 July 2005, IOF
extra-judicially killed three Palestinians in Salfit village near Nablus and
killed a child during the clashes that followed this attack. On 19 July 2005, two Palestinians were killed
in al-Yamoun village near Jenin when they exchanged fire with IOF. On 20 July 2005, a Palestinian died from a
wound he sustained last week during an Israeli incursion into Tulkarm. 

In the
Gaza Strip, on 15 July 2005, IOF extra-judicially executed 4 Palestinians in
Gaza City. They also extra-judicially executed
a 5^th  Palestinian in Khan
Yunis on 17 July 2005. On 18 July 2005,
IOF positioned at a checkpoint in the central Gaza Strip killed a Palestinian
child, when they opened fire at a number of Palestinian civilians who were waiting
at the checkpoint.

Shelling: During the reported period, in
addition to using aircrafts in the aforementioned extra-judicial killings, IOF
launched nine aerial attacks at civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. They fired 14 missiles at these targets,
destroying them. In addition, at least
10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were injured as a result. 

Incursions:
IOF conducted 47
military incursions into Palestinian areas (45 in the West Bank and two in the
Gaza Strip), the widest of which was into Tulkarm. During these incursions, IOF injured 20
Palestinian civilians. They raided
houses and arrested 79 Palestinian civilians. In addition, IOF seized 21 houses and transformed them into military sites.
 

Restrictions
on Movement: IOF
have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT, including
Jerusalem.  IOF divided the Gaza Strip into three separate zones. They have also continued to close Erez
crossing for the second consecutive week. IOF have decided to prevent Palestinian civilians aged 16-35 from
traveling through Rafah International Crossing Point. In the West Bank, IOF erected a number of
military checkpoints. They arrested six
Palestinian civilians, including two children. They also imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities. In addition, a Palestinian civilian was
injured by IOF near a military checkpoint.

Annexation
Wall: IOF have
continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank territory. IOF have continued to construct a section of
the Wall to the northeast of East Jerusalem. They also established a military post near Qalandya checkpoint, south of
Ramallah. During the reported period,
IOF continued to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in Amatin village
near Qalqilya to construct a section of the Wall in the area. On 19 July 2005, IOF issued three military
orders confiscating 15 donums[1] of
Palestinian land near Qalqilya to establish roads that will link a number of
settlements with the Wall. In addition,
IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian
civilians, international and Israeli solidarity activists in protest at the
construction of the Wall. Seven
Palestinian civilians and an Israeli solidarity activist were wounded and three
Israeli solidarity activists were arrested.

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. Three Palestinian civilians, including a
child, were injured. IOF also razed
areas of Palestinian land in Shoufa village near Tulkarm for the purpose of
settlement expansion.

Israeli Violations
Documented during the Reporting Period (09–15 June 2005)

The full report is available PDF format.