Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Impose
a Total Siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) for the celebration
of a Jewish Holiday but Continue Incursions

· A Palestinian civilian died after the IOF positioned at an
iron gate on the Annexation Wall obstructed his evacuation to a hospital; a
number of Palestinian civilians were injured by IOF.

· IOF conducted 19 incursions into Palestinian communities in
the West Bank and 3 incursions into the Gaza Strip.

· Houses were raided and 19 Palestinian civilians, including 2
children, were arrested by IOF. 

· IOF have impose a total siege on the OPT for a Jewish
holiday; IOF have imposed more restrictions on movement in East Jerusalem; IOF
have continued to close a number of roads and border crossings in the Gaza
Strip since the beginning of the current Intifada and IOF arrested nine
Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints, including one in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank; IOF attacked Palestinian civilians and international solidarity
activists who demonstrated in protest to the construction of the Wall, and
arrested three solidarity activists. Palestinian
civilians living behind the Wall continue to be denied access to medical
assistance. 

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in the West Bank. 

Summary

Israeli violations of
international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during
the reporting period (09 – 15 June 2005):

Injury to Palestinian
Civilians: Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) fired at Palestinian civilians in their houses during
incursions into Palestinian communities. During the reported period, four Palestinian civilians, including two
children, were wounded. A Palestinian civilian
was wounded and arrested by an undercover unit of IOF in Tulkarm. Another civilian was wounded by the Israeli
gunfire in Saida village, north of Tulkarm. A 14-year-old child was wounded by the Israeli gunfire in Ethna village,
west of Hebron. Another child was
wounded by the Israeli gunfire in Dura village, south of Hebron. 

Incursions:
IOF conducted 22
military incursions into Palestinian areas (19 in the West Bank and three in
the Gaza Strip). During these
incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 21 Palestinian civilians (19 in the
West Bank and 2 in the Gaza Strip). IOF transformed
a house in Yatta village, south of Hebron into a military site. They also raided, searched and damaged a
school in Beit Jala town near Bethlehem.  

Restrictions
on Movement: IOF
have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT, including
Jerusalem.  On Sunday morning, 12 June 2005, IOF imposed a comprehensive
closure on the OPT for celebrations of a Jewish holiday effective until 14 June
2005. In the Gaza Strip, IOF have
continued to completely or partially close some roads and border crossings of
the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of
Palestinian civilians. In the West Bank,
IOF imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They prevented Palestinian civilians who are
under 45 from reaching al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem for the Friday Prayer. IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested nine
Palestinian civilians, including one person at a checkpoint in the Gaza Strip.

Annexation
Wall: This week,
Israeli media sources reported an official decision by Israel to start
construction of a section of the Wall around “Gush Etzion” settlement block in
Bethlehem. The Israeli daily Maariv
reported on Tuesday, 14 June 2005, that the construction of this section of the
Wall, whose length will be 60 kilometers, will begin in two weeks. It would annex “Gush Etzion” settlement block
to Israel. In addition, 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. A number of demonstrators
were injured or arrested. During the
reported period, IOF continued severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians living behind the Wall. A Palestinian civilian from Jibara village, which is located behind the
Wall, died after the IOF obstructed his evacuation to the hospital.

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
Hebron. They set fire to a shop and
attacked a number of houses with stones and bottles in Hebron. They also uprooted 400 trees in
Bethlehem. The settlers attacked a
family in Salem village, south of Nablus, with stones. In the Gaza Strip, the settlers attacked a
clinic in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis. 

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

The full report is available PDF format.