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

Palestinian Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian
23-29 August 2008
Territory
Three children from the Abu Ghazala family, who were killed by Israeli Occupation Forces in Beit Hanon on 29 August 2007

• 12 Palestinians including 6 Children killed by IOF and a 13^th Dies of previous Wounds.
  
• 33 Palestinians, including 11 children and a mentally ill person, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the OPT.
• Mother and brother of a killed child among the injured.
• IOF conducted 21 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
• IOF arrested 30 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 13 in the Gaza Strip.
• IOF raze 12 Dunums of agricultural land in the southern Gaza Strip.
• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT, and continues to isolate the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
• Severe humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip due to the closure.
• IOF positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a child.
• 1 Gaza resident detained at Erez on his way to Gaza from Ramallah.
• Israeli settlement activity and attacks by Israeli settlers continue:

Summary

IOF escalated violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (23 – 29 August 2007):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 12 Palestinians including 6 children. Five children were killed in the Gaza Strip in 2 extra-judicial executions. A 13^th Palestinian died of wounds sustained two weeks ago during an incursion into the town of New Abasan in the southern Gaza Strip. 33 Palestinians, including 11 children were injured.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 8 Palestinians, including 5 children, and a 9^th died of wounds sustained two weeks ago during an incursion into the town of New Abasan in the southern Gaza Strip. On 29 August, 3 children were killed in Beit Hanoun by an Israel surface-to-surface missile fired near launchers of locally produced rockets. There were no launching cells in the area at the time, and the children were at a considerable distance from the launching ladders. And on 23 August, IOF killed 2 members of Izzedeen El-Qassam Battalions (the armed wing of Hamas) by a surface-to-surface missile fired near the Palestine Car Market east of Gaza City. On 4 August, IOF used excessive force to kill 2 children east of Jabalia. The children were carrying hand grenades and were shot at a distance of 400 meters away from the border. On 27 August, IOF killed a sheep herder in the village of Wadi Gaza in the center of the Gaza Strip as he was herding his sheep near the border.

A Palestinian civilian was injured on 25 August by shelling of El-Shoka town in the southern Gaza Strip. And on 23 August, 6 Palestinians were injured during an incursion into the town of Khuza’a in the southern Gaza Strip. A mentally-ill civilian was injured by IOF gunfire north of Beit Lahia.

In the West Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinians and injured 25 others. On 24 August, IOF killed an activist in Al-Quds Battalions (armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and a child in the town of Saida near Tulkarm. The child’s mother and brother were injured in the attack. And on 25 August, IOF conducted an extra-judicial execution of 2 Islamic Jihad activists, killing both and injuring 3 others, in Jenin. Four civilians were injured in Jerusalem when IOF fired sound charges at a dinner in a house in the city. And on 29 August, 14 Palestinians were injured during an incursion into Qalqilya. Finally, 2 demonstrators were injured in the weekly demonstration against the Annexation Wall in the village of Bal’in near Ramallah.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 21 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. During those incursions, IOF arrested 46 Palestinian civilians. And in the Gaza Strip, IOF razed 12 dunums of agricultural land in the southern Gaza Strip.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.

IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. IOF had already closed Rafah International Crossing Point following an armed attack against an IOF military post in Kerem Shalom area, southeast of Rafah, on 25 June 2006. The crossing point had been partially reopened for short, sporadic periods to allow few numbers of Palestinian to travel through it. The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing point. At least 6,000 Palestinians stuck in Egypt were allowed in the Gaza Strip through El-Ojah – Erez route. According to PCHR’s documentation, 19 Palestinians of those who are stuck in Egypt have died due to the deterioration in their health conditions. This week, IOF allowed 70 Palestinians residing in other countries or studying abroad to travel outside the Strip through Erez – El-Ojeh.

IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. During the reporting period, IOF reopened the crossing for some hours to allow the entry of some goods into the Gaza Strip. If this closure continues, a humanitarian crisis is likely to emerge in the Gaza Strip. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip are prevented from traveling through this crossing. They prevented traders and patients from passing through. IOF allow very few patients to travel through the crossing, but following coordination through the ICRC. During the reporting period, IOF reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast of Rafah, and Sofa crossing, northeast of the town. During the reporting period, Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, which is deigned for the entry of fuels into the Gaza Strip, witnessed active movement.

West Bank

IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. Contrary to promises by the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to ease restrictions on movement in the West Bank, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF soldiers positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested at least 2 Palestinian civilians. In addition, IOF closed checkpoints surrounding Nablus several times during the week, especially during rush hour traffic.

Settlement Activities: Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. During the reporting period, Israeli settlers from the settlement of Kiryat Arba near Hebron attacked Palestinian houses near the settlement, damaging the windows of 4 houses.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (23 – 29 August 2007)