israeli War Crimes

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

http://www.pchrgaza.org


Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
No. 14/2005

07- 13 Apr. 2005







Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch More Attacks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)



· 3 Palestinian children were killed by IOF.

· 16 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded by IOF.

· Construction of the “annexation wall” in the West Bank has continued; large areas of Palestinian land were confiscated in Hebron, Bethlehem and Ramallah.

· IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, the widest of which was into Nablus.

· At least 40 Palestinian civilians were arrested by IOF.

· 2 Palestinian houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.

· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank and more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated in Hebron and Jenin for the purpose of settlement expansion.

· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the current Intifada, and IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian civilians.




Introduction



Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have launched more attacks on Palestinian civilians and property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This week, human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included shooting at Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian areas, house raids and arbitrary arrests. This week, IOF killed 3 Palestinian children in Rafah and injured a number of other civilians. In violation of international law and humanitarian law, IOF have also continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory and confiscated more areas of Palestinian land for this purpose. They have also continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.



In the Gaza Strip, on 9 April 2005, IOF willfully killed 3 Palestinian children near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. These children did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers. PCHR believes that whatever the reason for the presence of the victims near the border, it does not justify their killing. On the same day, IOF opened fire at residential areas in Khan Yunis, injuring five Palestinian civilians, including three children. On 8 April 2005, a Palestinian civilian was injured when IOF opened fire at residential areas in Rafah.



This week, IOF conducted 23 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, the largest of which was into Nablus on 11 April 2005. IOF raided and searched a number of houses and opened fire at Palestinian civilians. As a result, 10 Palestinian civilians, including eight children, were wounded, and 11 other civilians were arrested. This week, IOF arrested 44 Palestinian civilians, including seven children, in the West Bank. IOF also seized two houses in Hebron and transformed them into military sites. They also raided two schools and a kindergarten.



IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. For this purpose, they confiscated more areas of Palestinian land. At the beginning of this week, IOF completed the construction of a section of the wall to the west of al-Ram village, north of East Jerusalem. The construction of this section of the wall has impacted on commercial transactions in the area. It has also isolated nearly 60,000 Palestinian civilians in al-Ram village and isolated the village and the neighboring Dahiat al-Barid area from their surroundings. This week, IOF issued a number of military orders confiscating 2691 donums[1] in the villages of Yatta, al-Zahiriya and al-Biurj, southwest of Hebron; al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem; and Deir Ebzei' village, southwest of Ramallah. In addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the wall. A number of Palestinian civilians and international solidarity activists suffered from tear gas inhalation.



Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. This week, IOF issued a number of military orders confiscating 116 donums of Palestinian land in Hebron for the purposes of settlement expansion. They also confiscated for more areas of Palestinian land to the east of Hebron to establish a fence around "Ennab" settlement.



IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT, including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, IOF have continued to completely or partially close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of Palestinian civilians. They have also continued to close a number of roads and crossings in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current Intifada. IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities near Israeli settlements, causing more suffering to Palestinian civilians.



In the West Bank, IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to prevent them from reaching Jerusalem to protect al-Aqsa Mosque as extremist Jewish groups declared that they would break into the mosque. IOF also erected a number of sudden military checkpoints. They stopped and checked Palestinian civilians and arrested 12 of them, including two children. IOF arrested Sheikh Hassan Yousef, Spokesman of Hamas, when he was traveling back to Ramallah from al-Aqsa Mosque.













Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property



Thursday, 7 March 2005



At approximately 02:00, an infantry unit of IOF moved into al-Qazzazin market in the old town of Hebron. IOF raided Salim 'Eissa al-Batash's house. They interrogated members of the family and held them in two rooms. Then, they transformed the house into a military site.



At approximately 12:00, a number of Palestinian children gathered near a bypass road to the southeast of Salem village, east of Nablus. They threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, IOF fired at them. An infantry unit also surprised the children and arrested five of them:



1. Luqman 'Abdul Hakim Hamdan, 16;

2. Adham 'Abdul Fattah 'Eissa, 17;

3. Mohammed Qaher 'Eissa, 16;

4. Fadi Ghassan Ghassab, 17; and

5. Na'el 'Eissa, 16.



Friday, 8 April 2005



At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into 'Allar village, north of Tulkarm. They surrounded Bassem Fayad 'Akawi's house and threw stones at its windows. Soon after, they raided the house and forced its eight residents out. They searched the house and then arrested the owner's son, 21-year-old Rassem.



At approximately 14:00, IOF seized and transformed into a military site Jihad Ahmed Siaj's house in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron, near "Ramat Yishai" settlement post. The house is uninhabited as its residents moved to live in East Jerusalem 17 years ago. Israeli settlers had seized a neighboring house owned by Zakria and Jouda Salim al-Bakri on 2 April 2005. Palestinian civilians living in the area are concerned that IOF and settlers may seize more structures in the area to annex them to the aforementioned settlement post, especially as an Israeli military court rejected an appeal against the establishment of a settler road in the area.



At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Bal'ein village, west of Ramallah. They fired tear gas canisters. Then, they surrounded a mosque. They checked dozens of people praying and arrested 30-year-old Farah Kamal.



Saturday, 9 April 2005



At approximately 10:30, IOF positioned in the vicinity of "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron, moved into Khellat Hadour neighborhood. They raided a kindergarten of Palestine Red Crescent Society. They held teachers and 80 children in one room and searched the kindergarten. This raid continued until 12:00.



At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They raided and searched an internet café. They interrogated all the clients and arrested 16-year-old Nidal 'Abdul Majid Bustanji.



In another attack that reflects the continuing disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians, especially children, IOF willfully killed 3 Palestinian children near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. These children did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers. These killings were the first of their kind for one month, even though IOF have continued to perpetrate other violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), while Palestinian resistance groups have committed to a truce that was agreed upon in the context of Israeli – Palestinian understandings in Shram al-Sheikh, and the Cairo understandings among resistance groups.



According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 16:00, IOF positioned at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, without warning opened fire at 5 Palestinian children who were playing on ruins of houses that had been already demolished by IOF in Block J in Rafah refugee camp. Two of the children were instantly killed, while a third one died shortly after being evacuated to the hospital. The other two children survived the attack and were able to escape. According to medical sources, each of the victims was hit by one live bullet to the upper part of the body, which strongly indicates that IOF intended to kill them. The victims were identified as:



1. Khaled Fu'ad Ghannam, 17, hit by a live bullet to the neck;

2. Ashraf Sameer Mousa, 15, hit by a live bullet to the chest; and

3. Hassan Ahmed Abu Zaid, 17, hit by a live bullet to the head.



At approximately 17:00, IOF positioned in military posts in the vicinity of "Neve Dekalim" and "Gani Tal" settlements, west and northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Amal neighborhood and Khan Yunis refugee camp, while Israeli military aircraft flew over the area. Five Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were injured:



1. 'Abdul Rahman Jameel Kallousa, 7, injured by shrapnel in the left thigh;

2. Yousef Mohammed Barakat, 16, injured by shrapnel in the left hand;

3. Ahmed 'Abdul Salam Abu al-Jahjouh, 12, injured by shrapnel in the abdomen;

4. Mohammed Khalil al-'Aamoudi, 22, injured by shrapnel in the left arm; and

5. Mohye al-Din Younis Abu 'Amara, 49, injured by shrapnel in the left leg.



At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They opened fire at houses. Then, they raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 10 Palestinians.









Sunday, 10 April 2005



At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Kufor Ne'ma village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of 'Aatef Mohammed Abu 'Aadi, 23, and arrested him.



At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Ethna village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Anwar Mahmoud Mutair, 36, and arrested him.



At approximately 08:30, IOF moved into al-'Asa'sa village, south of Jenin. They surrounded an elementary school and beat a number of schoolchildren. Then, they imposed a curfew on the village.



At approximately 16:00, a number of Palestinian civilians gathered at the entrance to Jama'in village, southwest of Nablus. They threw stones at Israeli military vehicles that were patrolling on Tran-Samaria road. IOF chased these civilians and arrested three of them:



1. Firas Na'el al-Haj 'Ali, 18;

2. Fadi As'ad Zeitawi, 18; and

3. Saleh Saleh 'Assaf, 17.



At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into 'Aaida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They chased some Palestinian children who organized a peaceful demonstration near Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque in protest to an attempt by an extremist Jewish group to break into al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem. No arrests were reported.



Monday, 11 April 2005



At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into al-'Asakra village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched two houses belonging to Anwar and Mohammed 'Asakra. No arrests were reported.



At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Yousef 'Omar 'Abahra, 22, and arrested him.



At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Sourif village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested three Palestinians:



1. 'Othman Mahmoud al-Qadi, 22;

2. Mousa Jamil Ghunaimat, 19; and

3. Islam Mustafa al-Hadmi, 19.



At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Tammoun village, southeast of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets and erected a checkpoint at the northwestern entrance of the village. They stopped and searched a number of Palestinian civilian vehicles. IOF withdrew from the village at 18:30 and no arrests were reported.



In the widest military operation in Nablus since the beginning of this year, IOF moved into the city. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians and raided a number of houses.



According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:00, IOF, reinforced by a helicopter, moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ra'ed 'Abdul Karim al-Khalili, who was killed on 7 April 2005, when a live bullet was unintentionally fired from his pistol. Al-Khalili had been wanted by IOF. Then, IOF raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 11 Palestinians, including one who was blind. During this incursion, which continued until 12:00, dozens of Palestinian children threw stones at IOF, which fired at the children, wounding eight of them and two passing civilians:



1. Tha'er Saher 'Aashour, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;

2. Rami Ussama Demiati, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh;

3. Ahmed 'Omar Mansi, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;

4. Ibrahim Isma'il Abu Lail, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh;

5. 'Ameed Ghazi Abu Keshek, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;

6. Radi Nemer Hashash, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;

7. 'Ameed Waddah 'Alawi, 17, wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets in the right hand and foot;

8. 'Ali Hussein Mansour, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;

9. Ayman Ra'ed 'Abdullah, 31, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot; and

10. Sameer Mohammed al-Qadi, 23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the forehead.



Tuesday, 12 April 2005



At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Arraba village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested three Palestinians:



1. Ja'far Fawzi Abu Salah, 36;

2. Hassan Ramzi Abu Salah, 28; and

3. Fadi Tayseer Abu Salah, 26.



At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Salem village, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched three houses and arrested three Palestinians:



1. 'Aadel Bassem 'Awad, 18;

2. Huthaifa 'Abdul Raziq Shihada, 18; and

3. Ahmed 'Abdul Raziq Jabbour, 18.



At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Hawara village, south of Nablus. They imposed a curfew on the village.



At approximately 07:00, IOF moved into al-Khader village. They raided and searched Ahmed 'Eissa's house, but no arrests were reported.



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 Jerusalem.



Gaza Strip



IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. They have continued to completely or partially close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of Palestinian civilians. Furthermore, the suffering of Palestinian civilians living in areas near Israeli settlements in the Gaza Strip has continued.



With regard to internal movement, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), even though they have increased the hours of opening the two checkpoints. They often close the two checkpoints and hold and check Palestinian civilians in between.



IOF have also continued to impose a strict siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip. Male Palestinians aged 16-35 have been prohibited from crossing al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to the area. Only 150 civilians are allowed to exit the area daily, but under severe restrictions. IOF allow the entry of foodstuffs into the area on Saturdays and Sundays, and allow the entry of other goods on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. On other days, they allow the transportation of agricultural products out of the area. IOF and settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. With regard to education, 1430 schoolchildren study at one school in the area, which lacks electricity and water. The school also lacks teachers of a number of subjects, such as mathematics, physics and chemistry. Only one teacher from outside the area is allowed to teach at this school, and he is prevented sometimes from entering the area. As a result of such conditions, the school was forces to cancel the scientific section, so students who wish to study science have to go to Khan Yunis. Israeli troops frequently close al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to the area.



IOF have also continued to close a number of roads inside the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current Intifada, such as the western Rafah – Khan Yunis road in the southern Gaza Strip, Abu al-'Ajeen road between the villages of al-Qarara and Wadi al-Salqa in the central Gaza Strip and Salah al-Din Street at "Netzarim" and "Kfar Darom" junctions in the central Gaza Strip. Furthermore, IOF have continued to prohibit Palestinian civilians from using "Kissufim", "Morag" and al-Mentar roads in the southern and central Gaza Strip, which have been devoted for the movement of IOF and settlers. IOF have continued to close Gaza International Airport for the fourth consecutive year.



IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities located near Israeli military posts and settlements, particularly al-Sayafa area between "Dogit" and "Elli Sinai" settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. At least 200 Palestinian civilians live in the area, including 47 students, one physician, 5 public employees, 50 children and 7 patients. On Thursday, 7 April 2005, a number of Israeli settler living in "Dogit" settlement moved into the area and stole a large amount of iron and aluminum of the remainders of Palestinian greenhouses destroyed by IOF.



The daily suffering of Palestinian civilians living in al-Sayafa area is demonstrated in the following:



1. Palestinian civilians aged under 30 are prohibited from moving out and into the area without prior coordination.

2. A very limited number of farmers are allowed to enter the area, but only following coordination.

3. University students have been forced to live outside the area due to the prohibition imposed on the movement of those who are under 30.

4. The area lack paved roads, which makes transportation extremely difficult, so residents of the area have to move on foot.

5. IOF open the iron gate at the entrance of the area from 07:00 to 09:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00.

6. The area lacks basic services, such as electricity, as IOF have prevented establishing an electricity network in the area.

7. Patients have to walk or transport on animal cart as ambulances are not allowed to enter the area without coordination, which often takes a long time.

8. Farmers face extreme difficulties in marketing their products or bringing agricultural equipment into the area.



In the same context, IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on al-Ma'ni area near "Kfar Darom" settlement in the central Gaza Strip. The area has lacked water and telephone networks for three years after IOF had destroyed them. According to residents of the area, they obtain water from a well in the area or bring it from Deir al-Balah. IOF do not allow any Palestinian living outside the area to entering it.



IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, including workers and patients, through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Workers who can work in Israel must be over 35, married and approved by Israeli security services.



The daily suffering of Palestinian workers at Erez crossing is demonstrated in the following:



1. Workers are subject to strict and prolonged checking and humiliation on their way to their work places.

2. Some of them are subject to interrogation by Israeli security services.

3. Many workers are prevented from entering Israel for security claims.

4. Work permits of workers who do not go to their work for a period that exceeds one week are cancelled.

5. On 13 March 2005, IOF established a new route equipped with cameras, where workers are checked before reaching the two passage routes at the crossing.



On Monday, 28 March 2005, while IOF were checking workers, an Israeli soldier suddenly closed one of the iron gates at the crossing. As a result, one of the workers, 44-year-old Mazen Hassan Lubbad, sustained bruises and fractures throughout the body.



Only 25 patients who suffer from serious diseases are allowed to enter Israel daily, but following prior coordination and under inhuman conditions. Patients have to wait for

long hours before they are forced to wall or move on wheel chairs to be checked. Only patients who suffer from serious diseases are allowed to travel in ambulances, while other patients have to travel in taxis after passing through checking.



IOF have continued to impose severe restriction on commercial transactions at al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing, east of Gaza City. Even though, IOF declared last week that they would ease these restrictions, they have allowed only 30-35 trucks to enter Israel through the crossing and 270 to enter the Gaza Strip from Israel. The crossing has been operated in a very limited capacity, which have damaged goods and caused large losses to Palestinian traders. In the same context, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian workers from entering Israel through Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah. They only allow the entry of construction raw materials into the Gaza Strip through the crossing.



Even though Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border is open, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on travel. The crossing point is opened from 09:00 to 17:00 everyday. Even though, IOF have allowed Palestinians aged 16-35 to travel through the crossing since 20 February 2005, they have continued to summon and interrogate a number of these Palestinians. This week, many Palestinian travelers had to wait for several days at the Palestinian side of the crossing point, as IOF allowed a small number of travelers to travel on each day. This week, IOF stopped using a special checking machine, which causes health problems, following protests by human rights organizations and the Palestinian National Authority.





The West Bank



IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities.



Jerusalem



Sinc Friday morning, 8 April 2005, IOF have imposed severe restriction on the movement of Palestinian civilians to prevent thousands of Palestinian civilians from entering the city to stop an attempt by extremist Jewish groups to break into al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, 10 April 2005. According to eyewitnesses, IOF prevented Palestinian civilians aged under 40 from attending the Friday Prayer at al-Aqsa Mosque. On Sunday morning, 10 April 2005, around 4000 Israeli police members surrounded the old town and prevented thousands of Palestinian from entering it. According to eyewitnesses, IOF arrested and interrogated 11 Palestinian civilians.



Ramallah



IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday morning, 9 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint on 'Atara Bridge, north of Ramallah. They stopped and searched dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles. According to eyewitnesses, IOF held a number of students of Bir Zeit University for several hours. In the meantime, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance to Beit Reema village, northwest of Ramallah, and prevented Palestinian civilians from traveling to Ramallah. On Monday morning, 11 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance of Kufor Ne'ma village. They stopped and checked Palestinian civilians.



Nablus



IOF positioned at various checkpoints around Nablus have continued to impose restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They have continued to stop and search Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Sunday, 10 April 2005, IOF erected three checkpoints at the entrances of the villages of Hares, Deir Estia and Jama'in, southwest of Nablus. They imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians into and from these villages.



Hebron



IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 10:00 on Thursday, 7 April 2005, IOF forced owners of shops in the old town to close their shops and leave the area, while Israeli settlers threw stones and eggs at Palestinian civilians before the eyes of IOF. In addition, IOF closed one of the gates leading to the Ibrahimi Mosque. At approximately 11:40, IOF severely beat Shawqi Fakhri Musawdi, 28. On Friday, 8 April 2005, hundreds of Palestinian civilians were not able to reach the Ibrahimi Mosque and the old town due to the severe restrictions imposed by IOF on movement. Since the middle of March, IOF have imposed severe restrictions on access of Palestinian civilians to the Ibrahimi Mosque, conducting prolonged checking and preventing some civilians from entering the mosque.



Tulkarm



On Friday morning, 8 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at Qiffin crossroads, north of Tulkarm. They prevented dozens of Palestinian civilians from traveling to Jenin. On Saturday, 9 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at Far'oun crossroads, south of Tulkarm. On Sunday morning, 10 April 2005, IOF closed al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of Tulkarm. They also erected a checkpoint to the west of Tulkram and checked Palestinian workers traveling to Israel. They prevented some of these workers from proceeding towards Israel.



Qalqilya



IOF imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Monday evening, 11 April 2005, IOF closed the entrances to the town. They also erected a checkpoint at the eastern entrance of the town. In the meantime, IOF moved into 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya and closed its entrances. IOF also erected a number of checkpoints around Qalqilya.



Arrests at Military Checkpoints



On Thursday noon, 7 April 2005, IOF positioned at Beit Eiba checkpoint, west of Nablus, arrested Zahi Mousa Srouji, 22, a university student from Tulkarm.



At approximately 19:00 on the same day, IOF erected a checkpoint on Jericho – Nablus road. They stopped dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles and checked Palestinian civilians. They arrested Na'el Jihad Abu al-'Asal, 28, from 'Aqabat Jaber refugee camp.



On Sunday morning, 10 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance to Shaqba village, west of Ramallah. They checked dozens of Palestinian civilians and arrested one of them, 26-year-old Ziad Subhi Qadah.



At approximately 14:00 on Sunday, IOF arrested Hassan Yousef, Spokesman of Hamas, his son and his bodyguard, when they were traveling back to Ramallah from Jerusalem. IOF took the three to an interrogation center in Jerusalem. At approximately 19:00, IOF moved the three to "Oufar" detention center in Ramallah. The three were interrogated. They were released late at night.



On Monday morning, 11 April 2005, IOF positioned at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border arrested Bashar Abu Sara, 28, from 'Arraba village, south of Jenin.



On Monday afternoon, IOF arrested Ahmed Mustafa Thura, 17, a schoolchild from Qalqilya. According to his mother, at approximately 13:30, she was called by a person who identified himself as a member of the Israeli "Border Guard." He told her that her son had been arrested.



At approximately 22:00 on Monday, IOF positioned at a checkpoint near 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, arrested two Palestinians:



1. Rani Nassim 'Owais, 22; and

2. Mohammed 'Abdullah 'Owais, 24, both from Qalqilya.



At night, IOF positioned at the northern entrance of al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron, arrested 19-year-old Hussam Mohammed al-'Anati, a university student.



At approximately 17:30 on Tuesday, 12 April 2005, IOF suddenly closed Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, and arrested Hassan 'Ali Hashash, 15, from Balata refugee camp. IOF claimed that the child was carrying Molotov Cocktails under his suit.



On Tuesday morning, IOF positioned at a checkpoint near Deir Sharaf village, northwest of Nablus, stopped a number of Palestinian civilian cars and checked Palestinian civilians. They severely beat Tahseen Ahmed Bisharat, 26, from Tammoun village near Jenin.



Continued Construction of the Annexation Wall



At the beginning of this week, IOF completed the construction of a section of the wall to the west of al-Ram village, north of East Jerusalem. This section was constructed in the middle of the main road that links Ramallah with Jerusalem. IOF finished placing huge concrete blocks near Qalandya Airport and a military checkpoint in the area. They also started to establish an iron gate near the aforementioned checkpoint. The construction of this section of the wall has impacted on commercial transactions in the area. It has also isolated nearly 60,000 Palestinian civilians in al-Ram village and isolated the village and the neighboring Dahiat al-Barid area from their surroundings.



On Thursday morning, 7 April 2005, IOF handed three military orders issued by the IOF commander in the West Bank on the preceding day to a number of Palestinian civilians. According to these order, 700 donums of land in al-Zahirya village, 350 donums in al-Sammou' village and 453 donums in al-Burj village near Hebvron. At least 14,000 donums of land have been confiscated in Hebron district since the middle of last year for the purpose of the construction of the wall.



Also on Thursday, IOF handed a military order to the local council of Deir Ebzei' village, southwest of Ramallah, confiscating 1200 donums of Palestinian agricultural land for the purpose of the construction of the wall and the establishment of a road that will serve it.



On Friday morning, 8 April 2005, IOF handed a military order to Palestinian civilians, confiscating 7.5 donums of agricultural land in al-Khader village near Bethlehem for the purpose of the construction of a section of the wall, 500 meters long and 15 meters wide parallel to bypass road (60) between Jerusalem and Hebron.



On Thursday morning, 7 April 2005, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Saffa village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the wall. IOF fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Eight demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.



On Friday afternoon, 8 April 2005, dozens of Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Deir Ballout village, southwest of Nablus. IOF fired tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.



Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilian and Property



Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. IOF have continued to confiscate areas of Palestinian land for settlement activities.



On Thursday morning, 7 April 2005, IOF issued a military order confiscating around 70 donums of Palestinian agricultural land owned by Yousef and 'Ali Mahmoud Nasser in Fuqaiqees village, southwest of Hebron, to expand the neighboring "Negahot" settlement.



On Thursday afternoon, IOF issued a military order closing large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the villages of Kufor al-Labad, Shoufa and Ramin, east of Tulkarm, and prohibiting access of Palestinian farmers to the land. According to the order, IOF will establish a fence around the neighboring "Ennab" settlement, 3000 meters long and 26 meters wide.



On Friday, 8 April 2005, IOF started to build a separating cement wall inside a house belonging to the heirs of Yousef No'man al-Sharbati to the east of "Avraham Avino" settlement post in the old town of Hebron. IOF claimed that the building of this wall aims at providing protection to Israeli settlers. Members of the al-Sharbati family have been waiting for the implementation of a decision issued by the Israeli High Court on 13 December 2004, allowing their return to their house after they had been expelled by IOF from the house since 27 July 2002.



On Saturday morning, 9 April 2005, IOF issued a military order confiscating 46 donums of Palestinian agricultural land in the villages of Halhoul and Beit Ummar, north of Hebron, near "Kermi Tsur" settlement. The confiscation of the land aims at establishing a fence near the aforementioned settlement.



On Saturday afternoon, a number of Israeli settlers from "Ramat Yishai" settlement in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in Hebron attacked four neighboring Palestinian houses using stones and empty bottles. The houses were damaged.



In the meantime, a group of female Israeli settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron, threw stones at Sa'di Hassan Jaber's house. A number of the windows were broken.



At approximately 17:30, a number of Israeli settlers from "Ramat Yishai" settlement post in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron, who were celebrating the coming of new Jewish families to live in the settlement post, intercepted and severely beat 15-year-old Mohammed Tayseer Abu 'Eisha. When his siter, 17-year-old Rajaa', intervened to save her brother, the settler beat her. The two children sustained bruises throughout the body.



According to information available to PCHR, this week, at least eight new extremist Jewish families came to live in new housing units built inside the aforementioned settlement post.





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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 Territories. PCHR believes the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as a state above law and 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 OPTs 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 recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and solidarity groups to participate in the process of searching for Israeli war criminals and to urge their governments to bring these war criminals to justice.

5. 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 OPTs.

6. PCHR calls upon European governments to change their positions towards the Palestinian cause at UN bodies, particularly the General Assembly, Security Council and Commission on Human Rights.

7. PCHR welcomes the UN General Assembly resolution, which referred the issue of the Separation Wall inside the OPTs to International Court of Justice to give its Advisoryt Opinion. There is no doubt that the wall is illegal, which obligates the international community to take steps that amount to the level of the expected decision by the court.

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 OPTs, including for facilitating 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 solidarity groups, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel's respect for human rights in the OPTs and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

10. In light of the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupying forces on access of international solidarity groups to the OPTs, PCHR calls upon European countries to deal the same way with Israeli citizens.

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.



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Public Document



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