Part of the destruction caused by IOF in the town of Khuza’a east of Khan Yunis on 4 May
May 8, 2008
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF)
Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
-
9 Palestinians, including a woman, were
killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
-
3 of the victims were extra-judicially
executed by IOF.
-
35 Palestinians, including 6 children and a
woman, were injured by IOF.
-
IOF conducted 43 incursions into Palestinian
communities in the West Bank, and five into the Gaza Strip.
-
IOF used dozens of Palestinian civilians,
including children and women, as human shields during military operations in
'Abassan village in the southern Gaza Strip.
-
IOF razed 484 donums
of agricultural land and destroyed 5 greenhouses, 9 bird farms and 23 houses
in the southern Gaza Strip.
-
IOF arrested 100 Palestinian civilians,
including 15 children, in the West Bank, and arrested fifty people in the
Gaza Strip, as well as holding another 52 people for questioning.
-
IOF confiscated the contents of a sewing
workshop of the Islamic Charity in Hebron and ordered its closure for 3
years.
-
IOF have continued to impose a total siege
on the OPT.
-
The fuel crisis in the Gaza Strip has
escalated.
-
2 Palestinian civilian were arrested by IOF
at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
-
IOF have continued to construct the
Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
-
IOF issued notices to six Palestinian
civilians in Beit 'Awa village, south of Hebron, that their houses will be
demolished.
-
IOF have continued settlement activities in
the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian
civilians and property.
-
IOF plan to expand "Har Brakha" settlement
near Nablus on a 229-donum area of Palestinian land.
-
Three Palestinian civilians and 2
international human rights defenders were injured by Israeli settlers.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and
humanitarian law seriously escalated in the OPT, especially in the Gaza Strip,
during the reporting period (30 April – 7 May 2008):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, IOF killed 9
Palestinians, including a woman, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, and
wounded 35 others, including 6 children and a woman, also in the Gaza Strip.
Three of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in southern Gaza.
On 30 April 2008, IOF extra-judicially executed
2 al-Quds Brigades activists (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and wounded a
third, as well as three civilian bystanders, including 2 children, in Rafah town
in the southern Gaza Strip. An IOF aircraft fired missiles at a workshop in
Rafah, whilst the activists were inside the workshop. On 1 May, IOF
extra-judicially executed an activist from the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the
armed wing of Hamas) in Rafah. An IOF aircraft fired a missile at the activist
whilst he was walking in the street. A nearby child was also injured. On 4 May,
IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 5 others during an incursion into
Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, in southern Gaza. On 6 May, IOF killed a
'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades activist, and wounded a second in Beit Lahia town
in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF fired a surface-to-surface missile at the
activists. On 7 May, IOF killed a Palestinian woman and a Palestinian resistance
activist, and wounded 4 civilians, including 2 children, during an incursion
into 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, IOF conducted at
least 43 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF
arrested 100 Palestinian civilians, including 15 children. The number of
Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of
2008 stands at 1,151. IOF also raided a sewing workshop belonging to the Islamic
Charity in Hebron and ordered its closure for 3 years.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 5 incursions
into Palestinian communities. During these incursions, IOF razed at least 484
donums of agricultural land; destroyed 5 greenhouses, 9 bird farms and 23
houses. In addition, 50 Palestinian civilians were arrested, and another 52 held
for questioning.
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 to the Gaza Strip for more than one year
and a half. The IOF imposed siege has had a disastrous impact on the
humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, and has violated the human, economic
and social rights of the approximately 1.5 million Palestinian civilian
population, particularly their rights to appropriate living conditions, health
and education. The siege has also paralyzed the Gazan economy. In addition, the
siege 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 continued to prevent the entry of raw materials into
the Gaza Strip, and many factories have been forced to close. Severe
restrictions have been imposed on the movement of the entire Palestinian
civilian population. Regarding civilian movements, IOF permit a few Palestinian
civilians to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in order to travel to the
West Bank or Israel. Rafah
International Crossing Point in the
southern Gaza Strip is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world
via a country other than Israel. 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 following
are the most significant current impacts of the IOF siege of the Gaza Strip,
including the current impacts of fuel deprivation.
·
Streets across the Gaza Strip are empty, and daily life has
almost been paralyzed.
·
Two weeks ago UNRWA was forced to suspend food aid to at
least 650,000 Palestinian refugees living in the Gaza Strip because of fuel
shortages.
·
Livings conditions of the civilian populations have continued
to deteriorate.
·
Hundreds of patients have been denied access to medical
treatment outside the Gaza Strip.
·
Many university and school students have not been able to
reach their educational institutions due to overwhelming demand for public
transport.
·
Only 15% of public transport is operating, due to lack of
fuel.
·
The operation of 15 wells have been stopped and at least
100,000 people across the Gaza Strip now face severe difficulties in accessing
safe drinking water.
·
Access to 125 reservoirs has decreased due to lack of fuel.
·
Twelve sewage treatment plants lack the necessary fuel
supplies to operate at full capacity, and subsequently at least 40,000 liters of
untreated sewage have been pumped into the sea daily.
·
Piles of garbage are seen in the streets, which may cause
environmental and widespread sanitary problems.
·
At least 85% of vehicles of the Coastal Municipalities Water
Utility have not been able to operate in order to supply safe drinking water,
treat sewage and maintain the current sewage networks.
·
Poverty and employment have sharply increased.
The closure of border crossings is depriving the
Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of
movement, education and health. IOF have also continued to impose severe
restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Fishermen in the Gaza Strip have been
subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and
gunboats to monitor and harass the fishermen. Under the 1994 Interim Agreement,
Palestinian, fishermen are permitted to fish up to 20 nautical miles away from
the Gaza seashore. However, IOF have never honoured the rights of the fishermen
under the Interim Agreement.
West Bank
Contrary to Israeli claims to have eased
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, including occupied East
Jerusalem. IOF have established numerous checkpoints around and inside East
Jerusalem. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate
on Fridays in order to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF
often harass and assault Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints
and enter the city. IOF positioned at checkpoints across the West Bank have also
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. During the reporting period, IOF imposed comprehensive closures on
the OPT on Friday, 2 May, and on Tuesday, 6 May. In addition, IOF troops
positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested two Palestinian
civilians.
Annexation Wall:
IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. For
this purpose, during the reporting period,
IOF handed notices
to six Palestinian civilians in Beit 'Awa village, southwest of Hebron, that
their houses, which are located 450-1,000 meters away from the Annexation Wall,
will be demolished. IOF claimed that the houses were built without licenses, and
gave the owners until 24 May to appeal against the demolition decision.
Settlement Activities:
IOF have continued settlement activities and
Israeli settlers living in the OPT have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and property in violation of international human rights law. During
the reporting period, IOF revealed a plan to expand "Har Brakha" settlement,
south of Nablus. The plan includes the construction of several housing units on
229 donums of land belonging to Bourin village, which is a Palestinian village.
Israeli settlers also continued to attack Palestinian civilians and their
property. On 2 May, at least 15 armed Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian
family in the al-Teera area west of Ramallah. On the same day, Israeli settlers
armed with stones and batons also attacked a number of Palestinian civilians in
Tawani village, south of Hebron. A number of international solidarity activists
arrived at the area to protect the civilians. However, more Israeli settlers
arrived in the area and also attacked the solidarity activists. One Palestinian
civilian and two international solidarity activists subsequently sustained
bruises. On 3 May, a number of Israeli settlers from "Yits’har" settlement,
south of Nablus, attacked a house belonging to Jamal Yousef Saleh in the
southeast of 'Assira village, south of Nablus. The settlers set fired to
agricultural areas and threw stones at the house. A number of local villagers
came to the area to support Saleh and assist him in extinguishing the fire. The
settlers also beat the locals who came to his assistance.
Israeli Violations Documented during the
Reporting Period (30 April – 7 May 2008)
1.
Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on
Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Wednesday, 30 April
·
At approximately 01:00,
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 confiscated the contents of the
workshop and ordered its closure for 3 years. IOF had already issued military
orders to close and seize all properties belonging to the Islamic Charity and
the Islamic Youth Association. Fifteen female workers work in the workshop,
which provides clothes for at least 4,000 orphans.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring 'Askar refugee camp. They raided and
searched many houses and arrested 27 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Ra’ed Mustafa Abu Lail,
23
2.
Talab Za’al Abu Lail, 25
3.
Mohammed Deeb Hassoun,
30
4.
Bassel Sameer Abu Lail,
27
5.
Rabah Saleh 'Olayan, 26
6.
Salah Saleh 'Olayan, 23
7.
Tamer Saleh 'Olayan, 21
8.
Firas 'Adnan 'Olayan, 24
9.
Mahdi Mousa Fadel, 19
10.
Mohammed Nabhan Saqer,
25
11.
Ahmed Waheed 'Olayan, 22
12.
Mohammed Waheed 'Olayan,
24
13.
'Alaa’ Mustafa Abu
Salem, 25
14.
Bassel As’ad al-Shanteer,
28
15.
Mohammed As’ad al-Shanteer,
21
16.
Mohammed Jamal al-Shanteer,
19
17.
Maher Mousa Edris, 24
18.
'Othman Talal Saqer, 24
19.
Nasser Ramzi Badran, 25
20.
Eyad Sameer Hajjaj, 22
21.
Ahmed Mohammed Abu
Qa’oud, 24
22.
Bilal Mohammed Abu
Qa’oud, 26
23.
Saif Sa’id al-Batta, 30
24.
Mohammed 'Ata Saleem, 20
25.
Yassin Qassem Abu Lafah,
27
26.
Ahmed Mohammed Qatanani,
22
27.
Sa’ed Mahmoud Qatanani,
26.
·
At approximately 01:45,
IOF moved into al-'Eizariya village, southeast of Jerusalem. They raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Mohammed Falah Khalaf,
20
2.
Mohammed 'Omar Abu Ziad,
19
3.
Hassan Khaled Khalaf, 21
4.
Diaa’ Ahmed al-Soubani,
20.
·
Also at approximately
01:45, IOF moved into Abu Dis town, southeast of Jerusalem. They raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested 7 Palestinian civilians:
1.
'Abdul Karim Younis
Halabiya, 19
2.
Mohammed Jameel
'Oraiqat, 19
3.
'Aamer Hani 'Arabiya, 18
4.
Malek Hassan Qurai’, 18
5.
Mohammed Sami Shihada,
21
6.
Mohammed Rajeh 'Ayad, 20
7.
Mohammed 'Allan Shuqair,
18.
·
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 Sourif village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested Ahmed Mousa Ehmaidat, 27.
·
At approximately 02:30,
IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Ahmed Fat’hi 'Amarna, 17.
·
At approximately 16:30,
IOF moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets
and opened fire. They arrested Khaled Ghaleb Abu Baker, 15, near the
northeastern entrance of the village claiming that he threw stones at their
vehicles.
·
Also at approximately
16:30, IOF moved into Fahama village, southwest of Jenin. They patrolled in the
streets and opened fire. They arrested 5 Palestinian children claiming that they
threw stones at their vehicles:
1.
Sofian Mahmoud Sa’abna,
12
2.
Mohammed Nayef Mara’ba,
17
3.
'Abdul Fattah Anwar
Nawasra, 13
4.
Saif Tariq Sa’abna, 12
5.
Shadi 'Aatef Sa’abna,
16.
·
At approximately 20:00,
IOF moved into Kufol Hares village, east of Salfit, and imposed a curfew to
allow Israeli settlers to conduct religious ceremonies in the village.
Thursday, 1 May
·
At approximately 01:00,
an IOF infantry unit moved nearly 800 meters into al-Farrahin neighborhood in
'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. IOF troops raided a number of houses and
transformed them into military sites. Later, a number of IOF tanks and
bulldozers arrived at the area opening fire. IOF troops held some civilians in
open areas endangering them as IOF troops exchanged fire with activists of the
Palestinian resistance. IOF troops also forced a number of civilians to get on
tank, apparently using them as human shields. At approximately 10:55, IOF fired
a tank shell that fell near a house belonging to Hussein Khalil Qaudaih, about
600 meters away from the affected area. As a result, 15-year-old 'Emad Hussein
Qudaih, was seriously wounded by shrapnel to the head, the back and the feet. At
approximately 15:00, Mohammed Musallam Saleem Abu Daqqa, 58, was seriously
wounded by a gunshot to the right side, when IOF troops positioned on the roof
of a house in the area fired at him. He died on the way to the hospital. During
this incursion, IOF arrested and interrogated 21 Palestinian civilians, but
released them at night. They also razed 225 donums of agricultural land planted
with olives, palms, fruits, vegetables, parleys and wheat, and destroyed a
greenhouse, a number of irrigation networks and a number of rooms. They further
damaged 6 houses, where 36 people live. IOF withdrew from the area at 22:30.
·
At approximately 01:15,
IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of
houses, but no arrests were reported.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into al-'Azza refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested Firas Hashem Jaber, 27.
·
At approximately 22:00,
IOF moved into Tulkarm. They opened fire at houses and shops, damaging a number
of them. Neither casualties nor arrests were reported.
Friday, 2 May
·
At approximately 00:30,
IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested
3 Palestinian civilians:
1.
'Abdullah Husayan Khalf,
16;
2.
'Alaa’ Hatem Iraqi, 20;
and
3.
Mohammed Rustom Mahdawi,
20.
·
At approximately 01:00,
IOF moved into Ethna village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Mohammed 'Ata 'Abdul
Fattah Abu Juhaisha, 22;
2.
Khaled Mohammed Khalawi,
21; and
3.
Mohammed 'Adnan Tumaizi,
24.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of
houses, but no arrests were reported.
·
At approximately 02:00,
IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Ashraf Yasser Shadeed,
35;
2.
Mohammed al-Rajoub, 37;
and
3.
Fidaa’ al-Shahateet, 30.
Saturday, 3 May
·
At approximately 01:00,
IOF moved into Nablus. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire. They
withdrew later and neither casualties no arrests were reported.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Deir Dibwan village, northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets and opened fire. They withdrew later and neither casualties 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-'Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian children
1.
Ziad Zuhdi Mahfouz, 17;
and
2.
Hassan Khaled Janazra,
16.
·
At approximately 02:30,
IOF moved into Beit Emrin village, northwest of Nablus. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested Hakam Hamad al-Faqeeh, 19.
·
At approximately 13:00,
IOF moved into Fahama village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian children claiming that they threw
stones at military vehicles:
1.
Ibrahim Ahmed Nawasra,
17; and
2.
Khaled Waleed Nawasra,
13.
Sunday, 4 May
·
At approximately 00:20,
IOF moved into Southern 'Assira village, south pf Nablys. They raided and
searched a number of houses, including a house belonging to Mahmoud 'Awadh
Yassin. When IOF troops left Yassin’s house, the family discovered that a number
of small notebooks that including accounting information of Yassin’s work.
Yassin is a construction contractor and the bursar of 'Assira Charity. One of
the notebooks contains a check issued by Yassin for teachers in the kindergarten
of the charity, whose value is 2269 NIS (approximately US$ 650).
·
At approximately 01:00,
IOF moved nearly 1,000 meters into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis. They
raided a house belonging to 'Azmi Shihda Qudaih, 30. They held the family in one
room and transformed the house into a military site. IOF then started to raze
areas of agricultural land and opened fire indiscriminately. At approximately
04:45, Mohammed Sameer al-Najjar, 24, was wounded by a gunshot to the head when
he was in a house belonging to one of his relatives, approximately 600 meters
away from the invaded area. at approximately 07:10, an IOF aircraft fired 2
missiles at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance who attempted to
resist the incursion. Three activists were wounded and a house in the area was
damaged. At approximately 09:40, IOF troops fired at Hussam Mohammed Saleem al-Najjar,
40, when he was on the roof of his 3-storey house. He was seriously wounded by a
gunshot to the back. When his brother, 37-year-old Maher, attempted to pull him
away, IOF troops fired at him. He was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the
right armpit. The two were evacuated to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, but
Hussam died of his wound. At approximately 11:00, IOF redeployed outside the
area after destroying a 400-square-meter, 2-storey house belonging to Fayez
Ahmed Qudaih, damaging a house belonging to 'Azmi Qudaih and razing 106 donums
of agricultural land, on which 4 greenhouses, a number of rooms and 2 bird farms
stood. IOF also arrested 'Azmi Shihda Qudaih, 30, and Tariq Salem al-Najjar, 31,
a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces. According to 'Azmi
Qudaih’s family, IOF troops stole 2,700 NIS (approximately US$ 800) from the
house.
·
At approximately 01:15,
IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested
2 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Hassan Husni Abu Shanab,
23; and
2.
Shadi Riad al-Mughrabi,
30.
·
At approximately 03:00,
IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested
Mohammed Isma’il al-Shilla, 24.
Monday, 5 May
·
At approximately 01:00,
IOF moved into Beita village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number
of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:
1.
'Ammar Ahmed Bani Shamsa,
21;
2.
Qussai Bassem Bani
Shamsa, 19;
3.
Mujahed Mohammed Bani
Shamsa, 22; and
4.
Ayman Ihsan 'Adeeli, 20.
·
Also at approximately
01:00, IOF moved into Sourif village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested Mahmoud 'Awad al-Qadhi, 27.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Ethna village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Jasser 'Abdul Halim al-Nattah, 32.
·
At approximately 02:00,
IOF moved into Beit Fajjar village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Salti Ahmed Thawabta,
33;
2.
Ibrahim Majed Thawabta,
23; and
3.
'Ali Hamdi Taqatqa, 20.
·
At approximately 08:00,
IOF moved nearly 600 meters into al-Farrahin area in 'Abassan village, east of
Khan Yunis. They opened fire and leveled areas of land they had already razed.
They also razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives
belonging to Shihada Mahmoud Abu Daqqa. During this incursion, which continued
until 15:00, IOF opened fire indiscriminately damaging a number of houses.
·
At approximately 21:45,
IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no
arrests were reported.
·
At approximately 23:00,
an IOF infantry unit moved nearly 2,000 meters into al-Sayafa area in the
northwest of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza Striop. IOF troops raided and
searched a number of houses. They arrested 31 Palestinian civilians and took
them to military posts located at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
IOF released all detainees several hours later, excluding 3 ones:
1.
Nidal Khader al-Dahnoun,
31;
2.
Mos’ad 'Ata 'Oudetallah,
39; and
3.
Sa’ed Mansour Tanboura,
27.
·
At approximately 23:40,
IOF moved into Karissa village, southwest of Hebron. They raided, searched and
damaged a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.
Tuesday, 6
May
·
At approximately 01:15,
IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel launched a
surface-to-surface missile at a number of activists of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam
Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) stationed in the east of Baeit Lahia town in
the northern Gaza Strip. Two activists were wounded. One of them, 23-year-old
Hisham Najeeb Shoumar, died for his wound a few hours later.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Sourif village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Hazem 'Omar Haddoush,
23;
2.
'Abdullah Ahmed al-Hour,
22;
3.
Ibrahim Mahmoud Hmaidat,
25;
4.
Ma’moun Shaker Haddoush,
26; and
5.
'Anan Mahmoud al-Qadhi,
27.
·
At approximately 02:00,
IOF moved into 'Azmout village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested Saleh Ibrahim Samara.
·
At approximately 02:30,
IOF moved into Deir Samet village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Mohammed Mahmoud Abu
Saleh, 30; and
2.
Nasser Ahmed al-Sharawna,
22.
·
At approximately 03:20,
IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a
house belonging to the family of Firas Ibrahim Abu Maria, 17, and arrested him.
During the house raid, IOF troops violently beat the child’s mother, 38-year-old
Siham Mohammed Abu Maria. She sustained bruises to the shoulders, the hands and
the face.
·
At approximately 12:00,
an IOF undercover unit moved into Kufor Qallil village, east of Nablus,
traveling in 2 civilian cars. The car stopped near 2 Palestinian civilians,
including a child, who were drinking tea in front of a house belonging to Sabri
Saleem al-Qinni. IOF troops immediately kidnapped Younis Sabri al-Qinni, 27, and
Maher Sameer al-Qinni, 16. Soon after, IOF military vehicles moved into the area
to secure the withdrawal of the undercover unit.
Wednesday,
7 May
·
At approximately 01:00,
IOF infantry units moved nearly 1,000 meters into 'Abassan town, east of Khan
Yunis. IOF troops raided a number of houses and transformed them into military
sites. Later, IOF military vehicles, supported by air cover, moved into the
area. They opened fire indiscriminately. At approximately 04:30, an IOF aircraft
fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance who
attempted to resist the incursion. Three activists were wounded. At
approximately 07:00, IOF fired a tank shell at a gathering of Palestinian
civilians and resistance activists. One civilian, 25-year-old Salem Msharraf
'Arafat, and a resistance activist were wounded. At approximately 09:55, IOF
fired tank shells at a deserted house, in which a number of activists of the
Palestinian resistance sheltered. Five activists were wounded. At approximately
13:40, an IOF aircraft fired 2 missiles at a number of activists of the
Palestinian resistance. An activist was killed and 7 others were wounded. At
approximately 14:55, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of resistance
activists near the cemetery of the area. Three activists were wounded. Also as a
result of indiscriminate IOF shelling, a woman and 2 children were wounded:
Fatema Mohammed Shaheen, 67; Sami Jameel Abu 'Anza, 16; and 'Aadel Ahmed Abu
Khater, 16. At approximately 22:50, IOF started to redeploy outside of the area
towards the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. To cover their withdrawal,
IOF opened fire indiscriminately. As a result, Wafaa’ Shaker al-Daghma, 30, was
killed by shrapnel throughout the body. During the incursion, IOF arrested 60
Palestinian civilians, demolished 2 houses and razed large areas of agricultural
land. The detainees were released on the following day, excluding 5 who remained
in custody. According to a number of Palestinian civilians, IOF used them as
human shields. Electricity was also cut off from the area.
·
At approximately 01:30,
IOF moved into Yatta village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a number
of houses belonging to Mohammed Salem Rasheed, 65, and arrested him and 4 of his
sons: Hazem, 22; Hassan, 25; 'Abdul Karim, 28; and Mahmoud, 30.
·
Also at approximately
01:30, IOF moved into Sourif village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched
a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:
1.
Mohammed 'Ali al-Hour,
34
2.
Mahmoud Ibrahim al-Hour,
26.
·
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.
·
At approximately 02:30,
IOF moved into Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family
of Bassam 'Abdul Basset al-Tamimi, 16, and arrested him.
2.
Extra-Judicial Executions
During the reporting period, IOF committed 2
extra-judicial executions in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. Three
activists of the Palestinian resistance were killed and a 4th one and
3 children were wounded.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR:
·
At approximately 16:50
on Wednesday, 30 April 2008, an IOF aircraft fired 2 missiles at a workshop of
car painting belonging to Lutfi Mahmoud Salah in Abu Baker al-Siddiq Street in
the southwest of Rafah. Three activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing
of Islamic Jihad) were in the workshop. The two missiles hit the workshop
directly. An activist was killed and 2 others were wounded; one of them died 2
days later. Additionally, Salah’s two children were injured.
The two activists who were killed have been
identified as:
1.
'Awadh 'Abdul Fattah al-Qeeq,
33, who survived an extra-judicial execution attempt by IOF on 5 October 2007;
and
2.
Ussama 'Abdul Hamid al-Houbi,
43.
Also injured in the attack:
1.
Karam Jaber Hammad, 27,
an activist of the al-Quds Brigades, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;
2.
Amjad Lutfi Salah, 9,
wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and
3.
Ahmed Lutfi Salah, 14,
wounded by shrapnel throughout the body.
·
At approximately 09:15
on Thursday, 1 May 2008, an IOF aircraft fired 2 missiles at a field leader of
the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), 39-year-old Nafez
Kamel Mansour, when he was walking in Bilal Ben Rabah Street in al-Shaboura
refugee camp in Rafah. He was seriously wounded. He was evacuated to Abu Yousef
al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, but medical efforts to save his life failed. A
passing child, 15-year-old Khouloud 'Abdul Hadi al-Najili, was also wounded by
shrapnel throughout the body. Additionally, a number of houses and 2 cars were
damaged.
3.
Continued 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
On 9 April
2008, IOF stopped the flow of already heavily reduced fuel supplies to the Gaza
Strip. As a result, the humanitarian situation, which had already deteriorated
due to the imposition of collective punishment on the civilian population since
15 June 2006, deteriorated even further. During the reporting period, IOF
allowed the entry of just 170 tons of cooking gas into the Gaza Strip.
Monitoring by
PCHR indicates that the Gaza Strip has become a de facto ghost town, especially
during the day. Approximately 145 fuel stations and all suppliers of fuel and
gas have shut down due to the total lack of supplies. Local sources indicate
that the transportation sector is operating at 15% capacity, including public
and private transportation. The civilian population finds it extremely difficult
to reach places of work, study, and healthcare facilities.
The Ministry
of Health (MOH) announced that most ambulances have stopped due to lack of fuel.
In addition, the Ministry announced that it has started using its limited fuel
reserves to operate health centers and essential medical equipment. The MOH
warned that the expiry of this small reserve would paralyze the health sector
and the remaining operational ambulances; thus depriving civilians of minimum
healthcare services. In addition, hospitals and medical centers in the Gaza
Strip are suffering from the absence of staff due to their inability to reach
their workplaces. As a result, the operation of these institutions is severely
threatened.
Concerning the
movement at Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, which designed for the entry
of fuels, from Thursday to Tuesday, 1-6 May 2008, IOF did not allow the entry of
benzene and diesel into the Gaza Strip. They only allowed the entry of very
limited amounts of domestic cooking gas that do not meet the actual need of the
population. On Monday, 5 May 2008, IOF allowed the entry of 184,000 liters of
diesel and 28,500 liters of benzene for UNRWA. During the reporting period, IOF
allowed the entry of the following amounts of fuels:
Date |
Benzene
|
Diesel
|
Cooking
Gas |
Energy
Fuel |
1 May
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
180 tons
|
681,000
liters |
4 May
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
154 tons
|
522,000
liters |
5 May
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
116 tons
|
270,000
liters |
6 May
|
Nil
|
Nil
|
186 tons
|
908,000
liters |
7 May
|
75,000
liters |
800,000
liters |
150 tons |
400,000
liters |
During the
reporting period, IOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing
and allowed the entry of 6,370 tons of seeds and feeds.
Concerning the
movement at Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah, during the reporting period, it
was as shown in the following table:
Date |
Details |
30 April
2008 |
58
containers of goods and humanitarian aids were entered into the Gaza
Strip |
1 May 2008
|
61.5
containers of goods were entered into the Gaza Strip |
4 May 2008
|
62
containers of goods and humanitarian aids were entered into the Gaza
Strip |
5 May 2008
|
59
containers of goods and humanitarian aids were entered into the Gaza
Strip |
6 May 2008
|
57
containers of goods and humanitarian aids were entered into the Gaza
Strip |
With regard to
Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the Egyptian
authorities started to open it on a limited basis for a small number of
patients. The movement the crossing during the reporting period was as shown in
the following table:
1 May 2008
|
6
Palestinian civilians stuck in Egypt were allowed to travel back to
Gaza |
3 May 2008
|
6
Palestinian civilian were allowed to travel to Egypt |
4 May 2008
|
A
Palestinian patient, 19-year-old Marwa Kuhail, traveled to Egypt to
receive medical treatment |
5 May
|
5
Palestinian patients who had received medical treatment in Egypt
were allowed to travel back to the Gaza Strip |
In the
meantime, IOF have continued to close Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing for
more than 3 weeks.
The West Bank
IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the West
Bank. IOF have also continued to prevent Palestinians aged below 35 from passing
through some checkpoints, especially in the northern West Bank. During the
reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians.
·
Jerusalem:
IOF have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city.
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 impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians on Fridays to restrict their access to the al-Aqsa Mosque. On
Wednesday, 30 April 2008, IOF imposed a total closure on Jerusalem on the
anniversary of the "Holocaust." IOF closed the city again on Tuesday, 6 May
2008.
·
Hebron:
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Tuesday evening, 6 May, IOF closed the entrance to Beit 'Awa
village, southwest of Hebron, for several hours and denied movement to and from
the village. on Wednesday morning, 7 May 2008, IOF erected a checkpoint at al-Saheb
– Wadi al-Hariya intersection in the southwest of Hebron. They stopped, checked
and humiliated Palestinian civilians.
At approximately 21:30 on Friday, 2 May, IOF
troops positioned at a checkpoint established on Tawal Mohammed road to the
south of al-Sammou’ village, south of Hebron, opened fire at Khalil Ahmed
Mahmoud al-Za’areer, 27, when he was walking on the road near the checkpoint,
which is located nearly 4 kilometers away from the village. He was wounded by
several gunshots to the upper part of the body. IOF then took him to an unknown
detination. At approximately 22:30 on the same day, IOF raided and searched al-Za’areer’s
house without informing his family that he was wounded. On the following day
morning, IOF informed the Palestinian side that al-Za’areer died of his wound.
IOF claimed that al-Za’areer attempted to stab an IOF soldier.
·
Nablus:
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Wednesday morning, 30 April 2008, IOF erected a checkpoint near
al-Lubban village, south of Nablus. They stopped and searched Palestinian
civilian vehicles. On Sunday morning, 4 May, IOF closed Za’tara checkpoint,
south of Nablus, for 2 hours.
·
Tulkarm:
IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians. On Thursday, 1 May, IOF closed Wad al-Teen checkpoint, south of
Tulkarm, from 06:00 to 09:00. On Saturday, 3 May, IOF troops positioned at Ennab
checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians, especially those aged below 35. On Sunday, 4 May 2008,
IOF erected a checkpoint at Ektaba intersection, east of Tulkarm. They stopped
and searched dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Tuesday, 6 May, IOF
erected a checkpoint at al-Jaroushiya intersection, north of Tulkarm. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles.
On Thursday evening, 1 May, IOF troops
positioned at Wad al-Teen checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, arrested 2 Palestinians
from Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya:
1.
Saleh Mohammed Noufal, a
member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Services; and
2.
Mo’ayad Mohammed Khaled,
29, a member of the Palestinian General Intelligence Service.
·
Qalqilya:
At approximately 13:00 on Wednesday, 30 April, IOF troops violently beat Yousef
As’ad al-Tabeeb, 17, when he was on his way back home in 'Izbat al-Tabeeb
village, east of Qalqilya. They also confiscated his mobile phone.
At approximately 08:30 on Saturday, 3 May, IOF
troops positioned at the gate of 'Azzoun 'Atma village, south of Qalqilya,
violently beat 'Aa’ed 'Ali Taha, 24. He sustained bruises throughout the body.
IOF claimed that Taha participated in a demonstration organized on 14 April 2008
against the closure of the gate.
4.
Construction of the Annexation
Wall
IOF have continued to construct the Annexation
Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, IOF used force
against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to the construction
of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, and al-Ma’sara village, south
of Bethlehem.
·
On
Wednesday morning, 30 April, IOF handed notices to 6 Palestinian civilians in
Beit 'Awa village, southwest of Hebron, that their houses, which are located
450-1,000 meters away from the Annexation Wall, would be demolished:
1.
A
75-square-meter house belonging to 'Abdul Rahman Taha Swaiti;
2.
A
180-square-meter house belonging to Mousa Taha Swaiti;
3.
A
150-square-meter house belonging to Na’el Yousef Swaiti;
4.
A
160-square-meter house belonging to Rajeh 'Abdul 'Aziz Swaiti;
5.
A
180-square-meter, 2-storey house belonging to Haitham 'Abdul Hadi Swaiti; and
6.
A
100-square-meter house belonging to 'Ouda Qadri al-Hroub.
IOF claimed that the
houses were built without licenses, and gave the owners an indulgence until 24
May to appeal against the decision of demolition.
·
Following
the Friday Prayer on 2 May, scores of Palestinian civilians and international
and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bal’ein village, west of
Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. The demonstrators moved
towards the Wall, but IOF closed all gates designed for crossing the Wall. The
demonstrators then set fire to tires in protest to the closure of gates.
Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal
bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, dozens of
demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
·
Also
following the Friday Prayer on 2 May, scores of Palestinian civilians and
international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in al-Ma’sara
village, south of Bethlehem. The demonstrators moved towards Palestinian land
which were confiscated by IOF. IOF troops placed barbwire near the land to
prevent the demonstrators from moving forward. They also violently beat a number
of demonstrators. As a result, 3 Palestinian civilians sustained bruises and
others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
5.
Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against
Palestinian Civilians and Property
IOF have continued settlement activities in the
OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
·
During the reporting
period, IOF revealed a plan to expand "Har Brakha" settlement, south of Nablus.
The plan includes the construction of several housing units on 229 donums of
land belonging to Bourin village. "Har Brakha" settlement was established in
1982, and 547 Israeli settlers live in it.
·
At approximately 15:00
on Friday, 2 May, at least 15 armed Israeli settlers attacked a Palestinian
family in al-Teera area in the west of Ramallah. According to Bassem al-Khaldi,
46, Head of the United Nations Special Coordinator Office in the OPT (UNSCO),
he, his wife, their two children and Na’ima al-Sheikh Ali, Member of the
Palestinian Legislative Council, and her child were in a barbeque trip in al-Teera
area in the west of Ramallah. At least 15 Israeli settlers apparently coming
from "Yad Ta’ir" settlement, nearly 2 kilometers away from the area, attacked
them with stones. Al-Khaldi’s child, 10-year-old Karam, was hit by a stone to
the chest, and al-Sheikh Ali was hit by a stone to the foot. The settlers also
beat al-Khaldi’s wife, 40-year-old E’tidal, on her back with sticks. When al-Khaldi
attempted to defend his wife, the settlers pointed their guns at him and
attempted to attack him. He attempted to show them his identity and pointed at
his car, which is marked by the UN badge. The settlers left the area later.
·
At approximately 15:15
also on Friday, 3 Israeli settlers attacked a number of Palestinian civilians in
Tawani village, south of Hebron, using stones and sticks. A number of
international solidarity activists arrived at the area to protect those
civilians. Soon, more Israeli settlers came to the area and attacked the
solidarity activists. They attempted to steal cameras from those activists. Soon
after, IOF arrived at the area and forced Palestinian civilians to move towards
the center of their village. They also detained 5 civilians for some hours. As a
result of such attacks, a Palestinian civilian and 2 international solidarity
activists sustained bruises:
1.
Kamal Hassan Reb’ei, 26;
2.
Pierre Georgio, 30, from
Operation Dove; and
3.
Lior, 28, from the
Christian Peace Team.
·
On Saturday afternoon, 3
May, a number of Israeli settlers from "Yits’har" settlement, south of Nablus,
attacked a house belonging to Jamal Yousef Saleh in the southeast of Southern
'Assira village, south of Nablus. The settlers set fired to agricultural areas
and threw stones at the house. A number of villager came to the area to support
Saleh and assist him to extinguish fire. The settlers violently beat a number of
villagers. As a result, Hammas Muneer 'Abdul Latif, 16, and Rebhi 'Abdul Karim
'Assaira, 44, sustained bruises. IOF troops arrived at the area to support the
settlers. They handcuffed, blindfolded and violently beat Saleh several times.
In the end, they carried him and hem dumped him on a pile of stones. He was
injured and sustained bruises.
…………………………………………………………
Recommendations to the International Community
1.
PCHR calls upon the High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and
moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect
for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR believes that
the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has
encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel
continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
2.
PCHR calls upon the High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to
take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the OPT and
to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
3.
PCHR calls upon the High
Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal
obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and
prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
4.
PCHR calls for the
immediately implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International
Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside
the West Bank illegal.
5.
PCHR recommends
international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations,
bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of exposing those
accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to
bring these people to justice.
6.
PCHR calls upon the
European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement,
which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for
economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon
the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli
settlements in the OPT.
7.
PCHR calls on the
international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was
implemented last year, for what it is - not an end to occupation but a
compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip.
8.
In recognition of ICRC
as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to
increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of
family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
9.
PCHR appreciates the
efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations,
bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in
pressuring their governments to secure Israel's respect for human rights in the
OPT and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
10.
PCHR calls upon the
international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions
imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for
international organizations to the OPT.
11.
PCHR reiterates that any
political settlement not based on international human rights law and
humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian
question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and
instability in the region. Any peace agreement or process must be based on
respect for international law, including international human rights and
humanitarian law.
…………………………………………………………
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).
|