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

22-28.11.07

· 11 Palestinians, including 2 brothers, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

· One the victims was extra-judicially executed by IOF in the West Bank.

· The two brothers were killed by the internationally-banned flechette shells.

· 28 Palestinians, including 4 children, and an Israeli human rights defender were wounded by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

· IOF conducted 12 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 2 ones into the Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 30 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and 12 others in the Gaza Strip.

· IOF destroyed a house and razed 7 donums[1] of agricultural land in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip.

· 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.

· A patient died due to the denial of her access to medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip.

· IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.

· IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders in protest to the construction of the Wall.

· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.

· Israeli settlers attacked and injured13 Palestinian civilians who were traveling in a minibus.

· Israeli settlers attacked a school in Hebron, damaging it.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (22 – 28 November 2007):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 11 Palestinians, including 2 brothers, and wounded 28 others, including 4 children, and an Israeli human rights defender in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

In the Gaza Strip, on 22 November 2007, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Gaza City, shot dead a Palestinian civilian who was suffering from depression. On 23 November 2007, IOF troops that had moved into Erez industrial zone in the northern Gaza Strip shot dead 2 Palestinian brothers when they were on their way back home near the zone. According to medical sources, IOF fired 2 flechette shells, which are internationally prohibited, at the two victims. On 26 November 2007, IOF killed 3 members of the Palestinian resistance and wounded a 4^th one and 2 civilian bystanders in the northern Gaza Strip. later on the same day, IOF killed a 4^th member of the Palestinian resistance in the east of Jablaya town. On 27 November 2007, IOF killed a Palestinian civilians and wounded 3 others (a man and his two sons) during an incursion into al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. On 28 November 2007, IOF warplanes attacked a site of the Palestinian naval police in Khan Yunis. Two policemen were killed and 5 others were wounded. On 24 November 2007, IOF troops wounded a Palestinian fisherman in the northern Gaza Strip. On 25 November 2007, 4 members of the Palestinian resistance and 2 civilians, including a child, were wounded when IOF fired a surface-to-surface missile at the northern Gaza Strip. Later on the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded by IOF troops that had moved into Beit Hanoun town. On 28 November 2007, IOF wounded a Palestinian civilian when they opened fire at al-Shouka village, east of Rafah.

Furthermore, IOF continued air strikes against the Gaza Strip. On 24 November 2007, an air strike targeted a group of the Palestinian resistance in Khan Yunis, but no casualties were reported. On 27 November 2007, an air strike targeted a site of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas), but no casualties were reported as the site was empty.

In the West Bank, on 25 November 2007, IOF troops extra-judicially executed a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement). They left him bleeding to death. On 27 November 2007, 2 Palestinian civilians and an Israeli human rights defender were wounded when IOF troops used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, and al-Ma’sara village, south of Bethlehem. On 27 November 2007, 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded by IOF troops that had moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 12 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 30 Palestinian civilians. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 2,476. During the reporting period, IOF transformed 3 Palestinian houses into military sites.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2 incursions into Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, and al-Shouka village, east of Rafah. During those incursions, IOF destroyed a house, razed 7 donums of agricultural land and damaged the civilian infrastructure. They also arrested 12 Palestinian civilians, including 3 wounded ones.

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 continued to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip for nearly 17 months. The total siege imposed by IOF on the Gaza Strip has left disastrous impacts on the humanitarian situation and has violated the economic and social rights of the Palestinian civilian population, particularly the rights to appropriate living conditions, health and education. It has also paralyzed most economic sectors. Furthermore, severe restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the Palestinian civilian population. Moreover, the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip has severely impacted the flow of food, medical supplies and other necessities such as fuel, construction materials and raw materials for various economic sectors. IOF have further tightened the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip, and the living and economic conditions of Palestinian civilians have further deteriorated. On 19 September 2007, the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip as “a hostile entity” and accordingly measures of collective punishment against Gaza escalated. Since that time, IOF have limited the goods exported to the Gaza Strip to only 9 basic materials. As a consequence, local markets ran out of many goods, which caused a sharp increase in prices, which mounted to 500% for some goods. Israeli occupation forces have banned the flow of some medicines, furniture, electrical appliances and cigarettes into the Gaza Strip, and have decreased the amounts of some goods allowed into the Gaza Strip, such as fruits, milk and some dairy products. During the reporting period, a Palestinian patient died due to the denial of her access to medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip. This brings to 11 the number of Gaza patients who died since last August as a result of denying them their medical rights. The victims include 3 women and an infant. IOF have also continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip.

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 also tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities 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 troops positioned at checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested at least 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 24 November 2007, Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian minibus, and injured 13 Palestinian civilians. On 25 November 2007, Israeli settlers attacked a school in Hebron, damaging it.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (22 – 28 November 2007)

The full report is available online at:

html format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/29-11-2007.htm

pdf format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/pdf/Weekly%20Report%2047.pdf

Public Document

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