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

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 41/2007 11 - 17 Oct. 2007
The suffering of Palestinian civilians at Israeli military checkpoints continues 5 Palestinians, including an old man, were killed by IOF. 2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF. 31 Palestinians, including 8 children, 2 women and a journalist, were wounded by IOF. IOF conducted 34 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 5 ones into the Gaza Strip. IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 3 others in the Gaza Strip. IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen opposite to Rafah seashore. IOF razed at least 163 donums[1] of agricultural land and demolished a house in the Gaza Strip. IOF destroyed an under-construction house in Qalqilya. IOF transformed a number of houses into military sites. IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT. IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and a humanitarian crisis has emerged. Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Jerusalem. IOF troops arrested 5 Palestinian civilians at checkpoints in the West Bank. IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property. Summary Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (11 – 17 October 2007): Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 5 Palestinians and wounded 31 others, including 8 children, 2 women and a journalists, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, IOF killed 3 Palestinians, including an old man, and wounded 15 otehrs, including 5 children, a woman and a journalist. On Thursday, 11 October 2007, an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially executed a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) and wounded and arrested another one. On Tuesday, 16 October 2007, a member of the Palestinian resistance and an old man were killed and 8 others, including a child, a woman and a journalist, were wounded during an incursion by IOF into Nablus. The resistance activist was killed when a home-made shell, which he and his colleagues wanted to fire at IOF, exploded near him. Two of his colleagues were also wounded. The old man was killed when IOF troops opened fire at him as he was about to open the door of his house when they knocked it. During the reporting period, 6 other civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF troops in various areas in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 2 Palestinians and wounded 16 others, including 3 children and a woman. On Saturday, 13 October 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed a member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) and wounded 3 others and a passing child. On Wednesday, 17 October 2007, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and wounded 6 others and a woman during an incursion into al-Farrahin area in ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. During the reporting period, 6 Palestinians civilians, including 2 children, were wounded by IOF in various areas in the Gaza Strip. Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 34 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 54 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 2,146. IOF also destroyed an under-construction house in Qalqilya belonging to a Palestinian who has been detained in Israeli jails. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 5 incursions into Palestinian communities. During those incursions, IOF troops transformed a number of houses into military sites, demolished a house, razed 163 donums of agricultural land and arrested 3 Paletsinian civilians. Restrictions on Movement: Since Wednesday morning, 26 September 2007, IOF have imposed a total siege on the OPT. 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. There are approximately 6,000 Palestinians held at the Egyptian side of the border awaiting to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip. Most of them have run out of money and are living on assistance. In addition, 19 of them have died in Egypt. The bodies were returned to Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. In addition, thousands of travelers were allowed to return to the Gaza Strip through al-Ojah crossing, 8 kilometers southeast of Rafah. From there, they were transported to Erez Checkpoint to enter the Gaza Strip. IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. IOF have continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through this crossing. During the reporting period, IOF arrested 4 Palestinian fishermen opposite to Rafah seashore. West Bank IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF have imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the city during the Eid al-Futr. IOF have also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of 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 arrested 5 Palestinian civilians at checkpoints in the West Bank. 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 escalated attacks against Palestinian farmers in an attempt to prevent them from cultivating olives. Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (11 – 17 October 2007) The full report is available online at: html format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/18-10-2007.htm pdf format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/pdf/Weekly%20Report%2041.pdf Public Document For further information please visit our website (http://www.pchrgaza.org) or contact PCHR’s office in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email (pchr@pchrgaza.org) or telephone (+972 (0)8 2824776 – 2825893). *Office Hours are between 08:00 – 16:00 hours (05:00 GMT – 13:00 GMT) Sun – Thurs. ----------------------------------- If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to request@pchrgaza.org and write "subscribe" in the subject line.