Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and the Gaza Strip Remains Under Occupation One Year Following the IOF Redeployment · 6 Palestinians, including two children, were killed by IOF. · 3 of the victims, including two civilian bystanders, were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Qabatya village near Jenin. · 29 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and 6 women, were wounded by the IOF gunfire. · IOF have continued to launch air strikes on houses in the Gaza Strip; one house was destroyed in Gaza City. · IOF conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4 others into the Gaza Strip. · IOF arrested 55 Palestinian civilians, including two children, 3 women and two wounded persons, in the West Bank. · 4 houses were destroyed and 280 donums of agricultural land were razed by IOF in the Gaza Strip. · IOF transformed a number of houses into military sites. · IOF raided various offices of Prisoners’ Supporters Association and closed the Association for two years. · IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip; and IOF positioned at a various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child. · IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; they confiscated 100 donums of land in al-Khader village south of Bethlehem; and the Israeli High Court approved resuming the construction of the Wall to the northwest of Jerusalem. · Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; an Israeli settler ran down a Palestinian child in Qalqilya.
Summary The publication of this report coincides with the first anniversary of the IOF redeployment in the Gaza Strip, under which IOF dismantled Israeli settlements and deployed along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. Israel claimed then that its forced withdrew from the Gaza Strip and ended 38 years of occupation, but facts on the ground refute this claim, as IOF have continued to commit crimes against Palestinian civilians and property in the Gaza Strip and have maintained control over it border, airspace and sea. In the meantime, IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall and expand settlements in the West Bank. As the international community has remained silent, IOF have continued to wage a full scale offensive on the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip, since 35 June 2006, when Palestinian militants launched an attacks on an IOF military site near Rafah. During the reported period, IOF have continued their attacks on Palestinian civilians and property. PCHR, monitoring with utmost concern the developments of this offensive, calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and United Nations, to immediately intervene to force IOF to stop this offensive and lift the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. PCHR also warns the international community of the consequences of the policy of collective punishment and reprisals practiced by IOF against the Palestinian civilian population, especially the destruction of energy resources and the denial of the flow of fuels needed for providing basic services. Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (7 – 13 September 2006): Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including a child. A sixth Palestinian also died from a previous. In the west Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinians, including a child. Three of the victims, including two civilian bystanders, were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. IOF killed two of these victims after having wounded and captured them. The fourth victim, who was child, was shot dead by IOF in Bethlehem on 12 September 2006. In addition, 22 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 5 women, were wounded by IOF gunfire. One of them was pronounced clinically dead. In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian civilians was killed by IOF shelling in Rafah on 10 September 2006. Another Palestinian died on 9 September, from a previous wound he had sustained in an armed clash with IOF in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis. In addition, 7 Palestinians, including a child, were wounded by the IOF gunfire. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip since 25 June 2006 has increased to 228, including 48 children and 12 women. In addition, 813 others, mostly civilians, including 216 children, 30 women, 4 paramedics and 4 journalists, have been wounded. IOF also launched an air strike on a house in the Gaza Strip belonging to Palestinian resistance activist. The house was destroyed, number of neighboring houses and civilian facilities were severely damaged and 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded. Incursions: During the reported period, IOF conducted at least 35 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they raided dozens of houses and arrested 55 Palestinian civilians. In addition, IOF raided various offices of Prisoners’ Supporters Association, and closed them for two years. They also closed the office of a lawyer in Jenin. In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 4 incursions in the southern Gaza Strip villages of ‘Abasan, Khuza’a and al-Shouka, and the central Gaza Strip town of Deir al-Balah. During this incursions, IOF arrested 4 Palestinians; razed at least 280 donums of agricultural land; and destroyed 4 houses, 4 bird farms and 4 wells. They also damaged the electricity and water supplies. 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 have closed commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. As a consequence, the economic situation inside the Gaza Strip has further deteriorated and many goods have been lacked in markets. During the reported period, IOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City, and Sofa and Kerem Shalom crossings near Rafah. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, IOF have prevented Palestinian fishermen from fishing. 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. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to separate between the north and south of the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints around imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child. Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF issued a military order confiscating 100 donums of Palestinian land in al-Khader village, west of Bethlehem, to complete the construction of a section of the Wall near Road 60, which links Jerusalem with the southern West Bank. Upon the completion of its construction, this section of the Wall will separate Bethlehem from its western countryside, and will prevent Palestinian farmers in al-Khader village from farming their agricultural land. On 10 September 2006, the Israeli High Court approved the planned route of the Wall in villages located to the northwest of occupied East Jerusalem. Thus, at least 500 donums of Palestinian land would be effectively annexed to Israel. In taking this decision, the court rejected 7 petitions submitted by residents of these villages. It is worth noting that 5 Israeli settlements stand in the area. The court claimed that “the purpose of the construction of the Wall is to protect the lives of Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks, so its expected benefit is great.” The court further claimed that the new route “minimized the impact of the wall on Palestinians, and created a balance between the right of Israelis to be secure, and the right of Palestinians to farm their lands.” This latest decision violates the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice on 9 July 2004, which called for the dismantlement of the Walla. It also violates the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War and other international human rights instruments. IOF also used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli peace activists in protest to the construction of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. As a result, 15 demonstrators were injured. Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. During the reported period, Israeli settlers launched 4 attacks on Palestinian civilians. In one these attacks, an Israeli settler ran down a Palestinian child in Qalqilya. IOF also demolished two civilian facilities in Taqqou’a village, east of Bethlehem. The outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006: o 263 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 51 children and 12 women, have been killed by IOF. o At least 983 Palestinian civilians, including 277 children and 37 women, have been wounded by the IOF gunfire. o At least 253 air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been fired at Palestinian civilian and military targets in the Gaza Strip. o Buildings of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National economy, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed. o The electricity generation plant, providing 45% of the electricity of the Gaza Strip, was destroyed, and electricity networks and transmitters have been repeatedly attacked. o 6 bridges linking Gaza City with the central Gaza Strip and a number of roads have been destroyed. o Hundreds of donums of agricultural land and dozens of houses have been destroyed. o Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including 9 ministers and 31 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretary, have been arrested. Minster of Prisoners’ Affairs, Minister of Labor and Second Deputy Speaker of the PLC were released. o The Palestinian governmental compound in Nablus has been destroyed. o Many families in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia have been forced to leave their houses. o IOF intelligence has warned some Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by phone to evacuate their houses, which would be attacked. o 41 houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions were destroyed by IOF warplanes. o IOF have imposed a strict siege on the OPT, and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (7 – 13 September 2006) The full report is available online at: html format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/14-09-2006.htm pdf format: http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/pdf/weekly%20report%2036.pdf |