Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Launch More Attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

· One Palestinian was extra-judicially killed by IOF.

· 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded
by IOF.

· Construction of the “annexation wall” in the West Bank has
continued; more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated and the Israeli High
Court issued a decision allowing the construction of a section of the wall in
Beit Sahour.

· IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.

· At least 20 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children,
were arrested by IOF. 

· 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested
by IOF near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians
and property in the West Bank and more areas of Palestinian land were
confiscated in Hebron. 

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have
continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the current
Intifada, IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian
civilians and injured one, and IOF resumed using a special checking machine at
Rafah International Crossing Point.

Introduction

Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have
launched more attacks on Palestinian civilians and property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT). IOF extra-judicially killed a Palestinian in
Balata refugee camp near Nablus. This week, human rights violations perpetrated
by IOF included shooting at Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian
areas, house raids and arbitrary arrests. In violation of international law and
humanitarian law, IOF have also continued to construct the annexation wall
inside the West Bank territory and confiscated more areas of Palestinian land for
this purpose.  They have also continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. 

On
Thursday, 14 April 2005, an undercover unit of IOF extra-judicially killed
Ibrahim Hashash, 24, from Balata refugee camp near Nablus. IOF admitted
responsibility for this killing, but claimed that Hashas fired at Israeli
soldiers. Hashas was allegedly wanted by
IOF for his activities in al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Fatah
movement. According to PCHR’s investigation, Hashash was shot from a very close
range. This killing has been the second of its kind since the declaration of a
truce. 

This week,
IOF conducted at least 17 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the
West Bank. IOF raided and searched a
number of houses and opened fire at Palestinian civilians. As a result, eight
Palestinian civilians, including four children, were wounded, and 22 other
civilians, including five children, were arrested. IOF also arrested five
Palestinian civilians, including two children, in the Gaza Strip, as these
civilians apparently attempted to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs. On
18 April 2005, a Palestinian civilian was injured by IOF in the northern Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoun, while he was farming his land.  

IOF have continued to construct the
annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. IOF resumed the construction of
a section of the wall to the north of East Jerusalem. They also started to
establish a road linking “Neve Yaqoub” settlement with Israeli settlements
located to the northeast, east and southeast of Jerusalem. When the
construction of this section of the wall is completed, it will totally isolate
Dahiat al-Barid area. On Tuesday, 19 April 2005, the Israeli High Court issued
a decision allowing IOF to construct a section of the wall on land belonging to
the villages of al-Khas and al-No’man, north of Sahour. Large areas of land will be isolated behind
the wall. In addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations
organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the wall. They
arrested two international solidarity activists and two Palestinian farmers.

Israeli settlers living in the OPT
in violation of international humanitarian law have launched a series of attacks
against Palestinian civilians and property. This week, IOF issued a number of
military orders confiscating 90 donums[1] of
Palestinian land in Sa’ir village near Hebron for the purposes of settlement
expansion. They also issued 19 military orders to demolish some civilian
facilities near Yatta village, south of Hebron.  

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT,
including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, IOF have continued to completely
or partially close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe
restrictions on the internal movement of Palestinian civilians. They have
also continued to close a number of roads and crossings in the Gaza Strip since
the beginning of the current Intifada. IOF have continued to impose a strict siege
on Palestinian communities near Israeli settlements, causing more suffering to
Palestinian civilians. A Palestinian woman from al-Mawasi area was aborted as
IOF prevented her from traveling to a hospital in Khan Yunis. This week, IOF
resumed using a special checking machine at Rafah International Crossing
Point.  

In
the West Bank, IOF have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also
imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected
a number of sudden military checkpoints. They stopped and checked Palestinian
civilians and arrested 5 of them, including a patient. On 19 April 2005, IOF
fired at Palestinian civilian while crossing a checkpoint near Nablus, wounding
him in the leg.

The full report is available PDF format.