Weekly Summary of israeli War Crimes

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

http://www.pchrgaza.org



Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory



No. 07/2006

16-22 Feb. 2006





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



· 5 Palestinians, including two children, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.



· 42 Palestinian civilians, including 25 children, two women, and an international solidarity activist were wounded by IOF in the West Bank.



· IOF continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, an infant was seriously injured.



· IOF conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and invaded Nablus and Balata refugee camp.



· Houses were raided and 79 Palestinian civilians, including 26 children, were arrested by IOF.



· 6 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.



· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT, especially in the West Bank; the eastern part of the West Bank has been isolated from the remainder of the West Bank; Palestinian civilians aged below 45 were prevented from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday Prayers; and IOF arrested 11 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a girl, at checkpoints in the West Bank.



· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; IOF plan to construct a section of the Wall to the east of Hebron; IOF used force against Palestinian civilians demonstrating against the construction of the Wall; IOF have continued to imposed severe restrictions on movement in Palestinian communities located near the Wall; and IOF demolished a house in Deir al-Ghosoun village near Tulkarm.


Summary



On Sunday, 19 February 2006, the Israeli government adopted a series of collective punishment measures against Palestinian civilians in the OPT. The Israeli cabinet decided in its weekly meeting to stop the transfer of tax and customs revenues to the Palestinian National Authority, to impose severe restrictions on the access of Palestinian workers to workplaces in Israel and to intensify security checks at crossing points, especially Erez and Karni.



Israeli violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (16 – 22 February 2006):



Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 5 Palestinians within the space of 24 hours. On Sunday morning, 19 February 2006, an IOF aircraft launched a missile at two members of the Palestinian Popular Resistance Committees in Khan Yunis, killing them. At noon, IOF willfully killed two Palestinian children in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. On Monday morning, 20 February 2006, IOF killed two Palestinian gunmen during an exchange of fire in Nablus. During the reported period, IOF shelled Palestinian communities in the Gaza Strip. An artillery shell hit an apartment building in the northern Gaza Strip. A two-year-old child was seriously injured by shrapnel. During the reported period, 42 Palestinian civilians, including 25 children, two women and an international solidarity activist, were wounded by the IOF gunfire.



Incursions: IOF conducted 31 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The widest of these incursions was in Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. During this incursion, IOF killed 3 Palestinians, including two children, wounded 36 civilians and arrested at least 13 others. They also transformed a number of houses into military sites. In other incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 79 Palestinian civilians, including 26 children. IOF also transformed 6 houses into military sites. IOF used undercover units and trained dogs during these incursions.



Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a comprehensive siege on the OPT, in violation of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians.



IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip, transforming it into a large prison. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, has been partially reopened. The crossing point is operated for 8 hours a day only. IOF allowed less than 2,500 Palestinian workers to travel to their work places inside Israel through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. Palestinian workers are also checked in a special room that is equipped with an as yet unidentified type of x-ray machine. Although IOF reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing, east of Gaza City, they have so far allowed the entry of foodstuffs only.



IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. IOF have continued to prevent Palestinians aged below 45 from entering the al-Aqsa Mosque for Friday Prayers. During the reported period, IOF arrested 11 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a girl, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.



Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF continued to construct a separation barrier around "Shavi Shomron" settlement, northwest of Nablus. IOF constructed cement sections of the wall at a distance of nearly 500 meters from the eastern border of the settlement near the Nablus–Jenin road. IOF declared their intention to construct new sections of the Wall near Hebron. According to Israeli sources, Israel plans at this stage to construct a section of the Wall near Hebron. This section will not reach the Dead Sea. The route of this section is still under discussion by the Israeli government and its construction comes in the context of a plan to cut off the Jordan Valley from the remainder of the West Bank. IOF plan to construct a separation fence to cut off agricultural areas in the Jordan Valley, which are estimated at half a million dunums.[1] In addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the Wall in Bal'ein, Beit Siera and 'Aaboud villages near Ramallah. They also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians living in communities located near the Wall.







The full report is available online at:

html format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/23-02-2006.htm

pdf format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/pdf/weekly%20report%2007.pdf







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 [at] pchrgaza.org) or telephone (+972 (0)8 2824776 – 2825893).

*Office Hours are between 08:00 – 16:00 hours (05:00 GMT – 13:00 GMT) Sun – Thurs.

-----------------------------------

If you got this forwarded and you want to subscribe, send mail to request [at] pchrgaza.org

and write "subscribe" in the subject line.

------

To unsubscribe, send mail to request [at] pchrgaza.org