• 9 Palestinians, including 5 children and a woman, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

• The victims include a woman and her 4 children who were killed when IOF shelled their house in Beit Hanoun town.

• 29 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 6 children and a woman, were wounded by IOF.

• A Palestinian civilian was wounded by Israeli settlers in the West Bank.

• IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4 ones into the Gaza Strip.

• IOF razed 140 donums[1] of agricultural land in the southern Gaza Strip.

• IOF demolished a house and damaged agricultural areas in Beit Hanoun.

• IOF arrested 37 Palestinian civilians and held at least 50 others for some time in the Gaza Strip.

• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.

• The fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip has escalated.

• 6 Palestinian civilian were arrested by IOF at military 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.

• The Israeli High Court legitimize the demolition of at least 60% of the houses in al-'Aqaba village in the Jordan Valley.

• Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilians and their property in Hebron.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law seriously escalated in the OPT, especially in the Gaza Strip, during the reporting period (24 – 29 April 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 9 Palestinians, including 5 children and a woman, and wounded 29 others, including 6 children and a woman in the Gaza Strip. The victims include a woman and her 4 children who were killed when IOF shelled their house.

On 24 April 2008, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 5 others in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. On the same day, IOF wounded 2 activists of the Palestinian resistance and 2 civilians in 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. On 26 April 2008, IOF killed a Palestinian child and wounded her mother seriously in Beit Hanoun. IOF opened fire at the house and arrested the father. Three civilians were also wounded in the same attack. On 28 April 2008, IOF killed a woman and her 4 children and wounded 10 civilians, including 4 children in Beit Hanoun town. They also killed an activist of the Palestinian resistance and wounded another one. The woman and her children were killed when an IOF aircraft fired missiles at activists of the Palestinian resistance near the house. On the same day, IOF shelled Palestinian areas in the northern Gaza Strip. An activist  of the Palestinian resistance was killed and 9 Palestinians, including a child, were wounded.

In the West Bank, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in Yassouf village, east of Salfit, on 25 April 2008, when Israeli settlers fired a number of Palestinian civilians in the village.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 36 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 37 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 1,051.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 4 incursions into Palestinian communities. During these incursions, IOF razed at least 140 donums of agricultural land, demolished a house, arrested a Palestinian civilian, and damaged some civilian property.    

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 more than one year and a half. 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 nearly 1.5 million 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. 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. In September 2007, the Israeli government declared the Gaza Strip as "a hostile entity," which implies imposing more restrictions and measures of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilian population. Since then, IOF have sharply decreased food and fuel supplies allowed into the Gaza Strip.  IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into the Gaza Strip, and subsequently many factories have stopped their industrial activities. Concerning the movement of persons, IOF allow a few Palestinian civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to travel to the West Bank. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world. 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. 

The continued Israeli ban on fuel supplies required for civilian life in the Gaza Strip has led to paralyzing 50% of the educational sector as half the students in all educational levels have been unable to reach their schools and universities. In addition, educational sector employees have been unable to reach their work. Furthermore, the transportation sector has nearly stopped functioning throughout the Gaza Strip. As a result, all basic functions of civilian life have come to a near standstill, including drinking water delivery, sewage water disposal, and garbage collection. In addition, healthcare facilities registered a 25% drop in clients due to the transportation crisis, and hundreds of healthcare professionals have been unable to reach their work places.

The closure of border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.

West Bank

Contrary to Israeli claims of easing restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Jerusalem. 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 dismantled the 17 checkpoint near Nablus, but maintained their presence in the area and continued to search Palestinian civilian vehicles. During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 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. During the reporting period, the local council of al-'Aqaba village, northeast of Tubas, received a copy of a decision issued by the Israeli High Court, which rejected a petition submitted against the demolition of at least 60% of the houses in the village, and the decrease of the area of land on which the village stands from 3,000 to 100 donums only. Israeli settlers also continued to attack Palestinian civilians and their property. During the reporting period, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in Yassouf village, east of Salfit, when Israeli settlers fired a number of Palestinian civilians in the village.  In Hebron, dozens of Israeli settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of the town, attacked Palestinian houses and cars in Wadi al-Nassara, al-Hussain and al-Ras neighborhoods using stones and iron bars.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (24 – 29 April 2008)

1.      Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 24 April 2008

·      At approximately 00:30, an IOF aircraft that was supporting an IOF incursion into al-Sikka Street in the west of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, which started on Wednesday evening, 23 April 2008, fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians. As a result, 'Abdul Rahman Zaki Hamad, 23, was seriously wounded by shrapnel throughout the body. At approximately 03:55, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance near the Agricultural School in the north of Beit Hanoun. The missile fell near a house belonging to Daoud Jaber al-Kafarna, 55, when he was at the door. He was instantly killed by shrapnel throughout the body.

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ramallah and al-Bireh towns and al-Am’ari refugee camp. They raided and searched a house belonging to Saleh Mahmoud Cana’an, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Anata village, east of Jerusalem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Sa’id Khamis, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bani Na’im village, southeast of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mubarak 'Olayan Zaidat, 30, and arrested him.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 'Abdul Mo’ti Ahmed Rabi, 42.

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including 3 brothers:

1.      Mahmoud Yousef Habash, 18;

2.      Jassem Farah Mansour, 35;

3.      Tha’er Mahmoud Zinnada, 28;

4.      Sa’ed Mahmoud Zinnada, 25;

5.      Ahmed Mahmoud Zinnada, 23;

6.      Ra’ed Sameeh Abu Arab, 23; and

7.      'Abed 'Essam Fallaha, 30.

·      Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Rammoun village, east of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ahmed Hani Kuhla, 27.

·      Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Beit Oula village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Ashraf Salah al-Din Salah, 27;

2.      Ayman Is’haq Salah, 22;

3.      'Ali 'Abdul Fattah Salah, 23;

4.      Ahmed Hassan Salah, 22; and

5.      Waleed Khader Salah, 21.

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Kufor Dan village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Za’tara village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 05:30, IOF moved nearly 700 meters into 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. They started to level areas of agricultural land. At approximately 08:00, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of Palestinian civilians and resistance activists. Two civilians and 2 resistance activists were wounded by shrapnel throughout their bodies. The two civilians who were wounded are: Nour Mousa 'Asfour, 20; and Mohammed Yousef 'Asfour, 22. IOF troops also arrested 9 Palestinian civilians, but released them in the evening.

Friday, 25 April 2008

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Artah suburb, west of Tulkarm. They raidd and searched dozens of houses, but no arrests were reported.

Saturday, 26 April 2008

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Jihad Riad al-Mughrabi, 25;

2.      Nemer Mohammed Abu Tammam, 26; and

3.      Tha’er Ibrahim 'Abed Rabbu, 29.

·      At approximately 01:15, an IOF infantry unit and a number of military vehicles moved nearly 3,000 meters into al-Amal neighborhood in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. They besieged a house belonging to Mustafa Hassan Ma’rouf, 40, a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas). They called him on his mobile phone and ordered him to surrender. Less than 5 minutes layer, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at the two-storey house, in which 11 individuals, including 9 children, live. Fire broke out in the house. The mother, 40-year-old Samia Ma’rouf, her daughter, 15-year-old Miriam, and her baby, 6-month-old Hajar, got out of their house and walked towards the nearby grandfather’s house. IOF troops opened fire at them. The mother was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the chest and Miriam was seriously wounded by 2 gunshots to the chest and the abdomen. Other members of the family were able to leave the house. IOF troops continued to shell the house until Ma’rouf surrendered. The mother and her daughter remained bleeding for nearly 4 hours, as ambulances were not able to attend them. The daughter died from her wound, whereas the mother was evacuated to the hospital in a serious condition. During this incursion, a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance exchanged fire with IOF troops. Two activists were wounded. As a result of the IOF gunfire and shelling, 3 Palestinian civilians were also wounded:

1.      Saleh Mohammed Ma’rouf, 40, seriously wounded by a gunshot to the chest;

2.      Mohammed 'Atiya Ghaben, 40, wounded by shrapnel to the legs; and

3.      Ziad Mustafa Subeh, 33, wounded by a gunshot to the right thigh.

At approximately 06:30, IOF withdraw from the area leaving extensive destruction to agricultural areas, and after demolishing Ma’rouf’s house.

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed 'Izziddin al-Natsha, 38, and summoned him for interrogation.

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh town. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Hebron. They raided a sewing workshop belonging to the Islamic Charity, which is located on the first floor of the building of the House of Female Orphans, in the west of the town. They ordered the administrators of the workshop to close it in one day implementing military orders to close and seize all properties belonging to the Islamic Charity and the Islamic Youth Association. IOF trooped threatened to imprison workers for 5 years if they did not commit to the order. The workshop was established in 1985. It provides clothes for at least 4,000 orphans. The two associations estimated their losses because of the Israeli measures in recent weeks at US$ 1.7 million.  

Sunday, 27 April 2008  

·      At approximately 00:00, IOF moved nearly 1,200 meters into the east of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip. They raided and searched a number of houses and transformed their roofs into military sites. IOF arrested 40 Palestinian civilians, but released them on the following day, excluding Majed Hassan Abu Gharaba, 40. IOF bulldozers razed areas of Palestinian houses. IOF redeployed outside the area at approximately 23:30 leaving extensive damages:

1.      They demolished the fences of 6 houses.

2.      They damaged 3 houses.

3.      They razed 140 donums of agricultural land planted with olives, citrus and vegetables, and 5 greenhouses that stood on the land.

4.      They destroyed 20 beehives and killed 60 sheep belonging toe the al-Rumaili and al-Qadimi families.

5.      They stole 3 mobile phones and a camera belonging to Khaled Abu Hadhoud.

6.      They stole jewelry whose value is estimated at US$ 900.

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Ra’ed Mohammed Salah, 24;

2.      Mahmoud 'Ali 'Eissa, 27;

3.      Khalil 'Aaref Salah, 22; and

4.      Majdi Marzouq 'Eissa, 27.

·      Also at approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

Monday, 28April 2008

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided searched a number of houses and arrested 'Abdul Halim 'Abdul Rahman Hussein, 23, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ramallah and al-Bireh towns and al-Am’ari refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bitounia town, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mahmoud 'Izziddin al-Natsha, 28, and summoned him for interrogation.

·      At approximately 06:00, IOF troops, reinforced by at least 20 heavily armored military vehicles, moved approximately 1,200 meters into Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. The raiding forces took positions on the Water Reservoir Hill, apposite to al-Nada housing project and 'Izbat 'Abed Rabbu, and in Sultan 'Abdul Hamid Street in the west of the town. IOF fired heavily as the moved and took up positions. At approximately 08:15, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance near 'Abdullah 'Azzam Mosque, southwest of 'Izbat 'Abed Rabbu, approximately 1,000 meters away from the main area of the incursion. The missile fell 10 meters away from the house of Ahmad 'Eid Hassan Abu Me’tiq, seriously wounding a resistance activist. Less than a minute later, IOF aircrafts fired another 2 missiles at the same area, which landed at the door of the same house, killing another resistance activist, Ibrahim Salem Suleiman Hajouj, 20. Shrapnel from the missile destroyed the house door and spread inside the house. Meyasar Metliq Abu Me’tiq, 40, and her 6 children were having their breakfast only 2 meters away from the door. The shrapnel killed four of the children immediately. The mother was seriously w