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

· 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded
by IOF.

· IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.

· Houses were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians
were arrested.

· Construction of the “Annexation Wall” in the West Bank has
continued; more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated and 5 houses and a
number of animal farms were destroyed for this purpose.

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

· 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 have continued to impose severe restrictions on travel at Rafah
International Crossing Point, IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number
of Palestinian civilians.

Introduction

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have
launched more attacks on Palestinian civilians and property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT). This week, human
rights violations perpetrated by IOF included shooting at and causing injury to
Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian areas, house raids and
arbitrary arrests. In violation of international law including international
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 continued to
illegally expand existing settlements at the expense of Palestinian land.  IOF have also continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. 

This week,
IOF conducted 24 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, during
which a Palestinian civilian was wounded. A number of others sustained injuries from being beaten by the IOF. IOF
also arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including a number of Palestinian Policemen. In the Gaza Strip, on 1 April 2005, IOF
opened fire at a number of Palestinian children who were playing near their
houses in Khan Yunis. Two of the
children were wounded. On the same day,
IOF arrested 4 Palestinian children who attempted to infiltrate into
Israel. 

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation
Wall inside the West Bank territory, especially in Ramallah and Hebron. For the purpose of the construction of the Wall,
they demolished five houses in Wadi Rahhal village, southwest of Bethlehem, and
issued military orders to demolish another house and an agricultural store in
Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. They
also confiscated nine donums[1] of
land in al-Walaja village and Beit Jala town, northwest of Bethlehem. This week, IOF used force to disperse
peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the
construction of the Wall. Five
Palestinian civilians and an Israeli solidarity activist were wounded.

Israeli settlers living in the OPT
in violation of international humanitarian law have launched a series of
attacks against Palestinian civilians and property, especially in Hebron which
has been the scene of many such past attacks on Palestinian men, women and
children. 

Contrary to Israeli claims, 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.  This week, IOF continued to impose severe
restrictions on travel through Rafah International Crossing Point on the
Egyptian border. 

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. This
week, they erected a number of sudden military checkpoints. They stopped and checked Palestinian
civilians and arrested six civilians, including two children. IOF claimed that the one of the children
attempted to stab an Israeli soldier at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus.

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