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. 15/2005

14- 20 Apr. 2005





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

· One Palestinian was extra-judicially killed by IOF.

· 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF.

· Construction of the “annexation wall” in the West Bank has continued; more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated and the Israeli High Court issued a decision allowing the construction of a section of the wall in Beit Sahour.

· IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas.

· At least 20 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were arrested by IOF.

· 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were arrested by IOF near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

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

· 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, IOF positioned at checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinian civilians and injured one, and IOF resumed using a special checking machine at Rafah International Crossing Point.




Introduction



Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have launched more attacks on Palestinian civilians and property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). IOF extra-judicially killed a Palestinian in Balata refugee camp near Nablus. This week, human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included shooting at Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian areas, house raids and arbitrary arrests. 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.



On Thursday, 14 April 2005, an undercover unit of IOF extra-judicially killed Ibrahim Hashash, 24, from Balata refugee camp near Nablus. IOF admitted responsibility for this killing, but claimed that Hashas fired at Israeli soldiers. Hashas was allegedly wanted by IOF for his activities in al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Fatah movement. According to PCHR's investigation, Hashash was shot from a very close range. This killing has been the second of its kind since the declaration of a truce.



This week, IOF conducted at least 17 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank. IOF raided and searched a number of houses and opened fire at Palestinian civilians. As a result, eight Palestinian civilians, including four children, were wounded, and 22 other civilians, including five children, were arrested. IOF also arrested five Palestinian civilians, including two children, in the Gaza Strip, as these civilians apparently attempted to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs. On 18 April 2005, a Palestinian civilian was injured by IOF in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, while he was farming his land.



IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. IOF resumed the construction of a section of the wall to the north of East Jerusalem. They also started to establish a road linking "Neve Yaqoub" settlement with Israeli settlements located to the northeast, east and southeast of Jerusalem. When the construction of this section of the wall is completed, it will totally isolate Dahiat al-Barid area. On Tuesday, 19 April 2005, the Israeli High Court issued a decision allowing IOF to construct a section of the wall on land belonging to the villages of al-Khas and al-No'man, north of Sahour. Large areas of land will be isolated behind the wall. In addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians in protest to the construction of the wall. They arrested two international solidarity activists and two Palestinian farmers.



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 90 donums[1] of Palestinian land in Sa'ir village near Hebron for the purposes of settlement expansion. They also issued 19 military orders to demolish some civilian facilities near Yatta village, south of Hebron.



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. A Palestinian woman from al-Mawasi area was aborted as IOF prevented her from traveling to a hospital in Khan Yunis. This week, IOF resumed using a special checking machine at Rafah International Crossing Point.



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. IOF also erected a number of sudden military checkpoints. They stopped and checked Palestinian civilians and arrested 5 of them, including a patient. On 19 April 2005, IOF fired at Palestinian civilian while crossing a checkpoint near Nablus, wounding him in the leg.













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



Thursday, 14 March 2005



At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses. A number of members of the Palestinian resistance exchanged fire with IOF. Two members of the resistance were injured:



1. Eyad Mohammed Musaimi, 24, injured by shrapnel in the hands and the face; and

2. Ahmed Mohammed Abu Sharaf, 26, injured by shrapnel in the hands and the face.



IOF also arrested two Palestinians:



1. Mahdi Waddah Darwaza, 18; and

2. Tha'er Mansour, 25.



At approximately 07:30, IOF moved into Budros village, west of Ramallah. They raided an elementary school and checked the identity cards of its staff. No arrests were reported.



Also at approximately 07:30, IOF moved into Sourif village, north of Hebron. They opened fire at the houses. Then, they erected a number of checkpoints in the center of the village and checked passing Palestinian civilians. Dozens of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at IOF. Immediately, IOF opened fire at the children, wounding 4 of them and two passing civilians:



1. Mohammed Khaled Ghunaimat, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;

2. Mahmoud Mousa Ehmaidat, 15, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot;

3. Wa'ad 'Arafat al-Hadmi, 14, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;

4. 'Omar Fua'd al-Qadi, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left arm;

5. Ibrahim Mohammed al-Qadi, 27, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg; and

6. Salah Mohammed al-Hur, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand.



At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into 'Ezbat Shoufa village, southeast of Tulkarm. They raided fields located neat a bypass road that links "Avni Hevetz" settlement and al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of Tulkarm. They arrested eight Palestinian farmers and interrogated them at al-Kafriyat checkpoint. Then, they released these farmers.



At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into al-'Azza refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested three Palestinians:



1. Nawaf Isma'il al-Qaisi, 28;

2. Laith Hassan al-'Azza, 40; and

3. Muhannda Salim al-'Azza, 24.



Friday, 15 April 2005



At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into the villages of Tubas, Tammoun and al-Fara'a, southeast of Jenin. They erected checkpoints at the entrances of these villages. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. IOF withdrew from these villages at approximately 07:00 and no arrests were reported.



Saturday, 16 April 2005



At approximately 07:30, IOF moved into Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. They were positioned in the center of the village. They fired tear gas canisters and dozens of Palestinian schoolchildren who were on their way to school. Then, they arrested 16-year-old Mustafa Farid Ta'ma.



At approximately 13:00, IOF moved into Marda village, southwest of Nablus. They fired tear gas canisters and sound bombs at Palestinian schoolchildren who were on their way home. They also confiscated a schoolbag from 13-year-old Yousef Tawfiq 'Abdul Fattah.



At approximately 17:00, IOF moved into the east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip and arrested two Palestinian children who apparently attempted to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs:

1. Mohammed 'Abdul Samei' al-'Adini, 17; and

2. 'Olayan 'Abdul Hadi al-Burdaini, 17.



Sunday, 17 April 2005



At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Hazma village, east of Jerusalem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Rashed Mohammed Salah al-Din, 36, and arrested him.



Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Attil village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of 'Ali 'Abdul Latif Abu Khalil. No arrests were reported.



At approximately 16:30, IOF moved into the east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip and arrested three Palestinian civilians who apparently attempted to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs:

1. 'Atallah Ziad al-Abeet, 20;

2. Nidal 'Abdul Samei' al-'Adini, 25; and

3. Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Mughassib, 18.







Monday, 18 April 2005



At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into 'Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed 'Abdul Rahman Abu Leila, 24. They broke into the house and searched it. They also fired a sound bomb into one room, damaging it. Before leaving the house, IOF arrested Abu Leila.



At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Silwad village, northeast of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinians:



1. Mohammed Daoud Hammad, 19; and

2. Bilal 'Abdul Majid Hammad, 18.



At approximately 08:00, IOF moved into Burqa village, northwest of Nablus, and imposed a curfew. They claimed that a Molotov Cocktail was thrown at an Israeli military vehicle.



At approximately 13:00, IOF moved nearly 50 meters into Palestinian agricultural areas to the north and east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. They leveled areas of land and placed barbwire near the neighboring Erez crossing. IOF fired at 'Abdul Karim 'Arafat al-Masri, 19, who was farming his land, nearly 300 meters away. He was injured by shrapnel in the head and the right hand.



Also at approximately 13:00, IOF moved into al-'Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They chased a number of Palestinian schoolchildren who threw stones at Israeli military vehicles, and arrested two of them:



1. Nour al-Din Ahmed al-Badawi, 14; and

2. Sa'id Deeb al-Hajajra, 16.



Tuesday, 19 April 2005



At approximately 08:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, northeast of Qalqilya. They stopped and checked dozens of Palestinian civilians. They also raided and searched two shops.



Extra-Judicial killing



In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial killings officially adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments, on Thursday, 14 April 2005, an undercover unit of IOF extra-judicially killed Ibrahim Hashash, 24, from Balata refugee camp near Nablus. IOF admitted responsibility for this killing, but claimed that Hashas fired at Israeli soldiers. Hashas was allegedly wanted by IOF for his activities in al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Fatah movement. According to PCHR's investigation, Hashash was shot from a very close range.



According to investigations conducted by PCHR and according to an eyewitness, at approximately 12:10 on Thursday, Ibrahim Mohammed Mahmoud Hashas, 24, traveled in a car together with two other persons to Fattouh mosque at al-Quds Street to the south of Balata refugee camp. When the car arrived at the area, Hashash got out and walked for nearly 100 meters. Shortly after a car that had Palestinian registration plates arrived in the area. It stopped near him and 8-10 persons wearing womens clothes got out of it and opened fire at him. Soon after, five Israeli military jeeps arrived at the area and evacuated his body. Approximately an hour later, IOF phoned Palestine Red Crescent Society calling for them to send an ambulance to Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus to receive Hashash's body. The body was transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. According to medical sources, the victim was hit by six live bullets to the chest, the leg, the hand and the abdomen.



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 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. 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. On 20 April 2005, IOF positioned at al-Tuffah checkpoint prevented a pregnant woman living in the area from traveling to Khan Yunis to receive medical treatment as she was suffering from severe pain in the abdomen even though her travel was coordinated with IOF in advance. The woman miscarried. She also suffered from a hemorrhage. As her health condition deteriorated, IOF allowed her evacuation to the hospital.



(For more details about the suffering of Palestinian civilians living in al-Mawasi area, see PCHR's previous weekly reports).



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. 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.



(For more details about the suffering of Palestinian civilians living in these two areas, see PCHR's previous weekly reports).



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 can be seen by 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.



Only 30 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 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. On 16 April 2005, IOF resumed using a special checking machine, which causes health problems. They first stopped using it on 6 April 2005, following protests by human rights organizations and the Palestinian National Authority. On 16 April 2005, IOF prevented Saber Suleiman al-Fallit, 48, from Deir al-Balah, from traveling to Egypt to receive medical treatment as he refused to be checked by the aforementioned machine. They also prevented Ashraf Saqer, from Gaza City, from traveling for security reasons. Also on the same day, IOF severely beat 'Abed Rabbu Amin Kassab, 40, from Rafah, when he was on his way back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.



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.



Hebron



IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians inside the town, especially around the Ibrahimi Mosque and the old town. On Friday, 16 April 2005, hundreds of Palestinian civilians were not able to reach the Ibrahimi Mosque. IOF positioned at various checkpoints and iron gates leading to the mosque imposed severe restriction on access of Palestinian civilians to the mosque. On Friday and Saturday, 15 and 16 April 2005, IOF erected two checkpoints on the main road that links Hebron with the neighboring Dura village. They stopped and checked dozens of 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. They also erected a number of sudden checkpoint on the roads leading to the city.





Tulkarm



On Friday morning, 15 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at Far'oun crossroads, south of Tulkarm. They prevented dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles from traveling towards the neighboring al-Kafriyat checkpoint. IOF also erected a checkpoint at Qiifin crossroads, north of Tulkarm, and prevented Palestinian civilians from traveling to Jenin. At approximately 10:00 on Saturday morning, 16 April 2005, IOF closed al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of Tulkarm. This closure continued until 14:00. On Sunday morning, 17 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint on 'Ezbat Nasser road, south of Tulkarm.



Qalqilya



On Friday morning, 15 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint on Qalqilya – Nablus road. on Sunday morning, 17 April 2005, IOF erected a checkpoint at the northern entrance to 'Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, and prevented movement to and from the village.



Attacks on Palestinian Civilians While Crossing Military Checkpoints



At approximately 14:00 on Thursday, 14 April 2005, IOF positioned in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron severely beat Shaher Rajab Abu 'Eisha, 24, when he intervened to prevent a number of Israeli settlers from throwing stones at a number of children from his family. He sustained bruising all over the body.



On Friday evening, 15 April 2005, IOF stopped and checked 'Emad Mohammed al-Rujbi, 41, and his son 'Abdullah, 17, from Hebron. They also held the man and his son for more than one hour. When the man asked Israeli soldiers why they were holding them, Israeli soldiers severely beat them.



At approximately 13:00 on Tuesday, 19 April 2005, Mohammed Sa'id Abu Wahdan, 45, from Deir Sharaf village, northwest of Nablus, was traveling from Nablus towards his village. IOF positioned at Beit Eiba checkpoint, west of Nablus, prevented his son from crossing the checkpoint. He debated with a female Israeli soldier positioned at the checkpoint. Immediately, a number of Israeli soldiers gathered around him and attempted to arrest him. He pushed one of the soldiers. Another Israeli soldier fired at him, wounding him with a live bullet in the left leg. A number of Palestinian civilians evacuated him in a taxi to a hospital in Nablus.



Arrests at Military Checkpoints



On Thursday, 14 April 2005, IOF positioned at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border arrested Hussein 'Adnan Farid Jarad, 28.



At approximately 20:00 on Friday, 15 April 2005, IOF positioned at a checkpoint east of Bethlehem arrested Ibrahim Salama Joma'a, 25, from Za'tara village.



At approximately 14:00 on Saturday, 16 April 2005, IOF positioned at Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Ahmed Amjad Salah, 19, from 'Askar refugee camp near Nablus.



On Monday noon, 18 April 2005, IOF positioned at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border arrested Ayoub Khalil Jaber, 60, from Beit Jala, when he was traveling back to the West Bank after he had received medical treatment abroad.



On Tuesday morning, 19 April 2005, IOF positioned at a checkpoint near al-Fundoq village, east of Qalqilya, arrested Ra'ed Ahmed 'Abbas, 25, from 'Attil village near Tulkarm.



Continued Construction of the Annexation Wall



On Sunday morning, 17 April 2005, IOF resumed the construction of a section of the wall to the north of East Jerusalem. They also started to establish a road linking "Neve Yaqoub" settlement with Israeli settlements located to the northeast, east and southeast of Jerusalem. When the construction of this section of the wall is completed, it will totally isolate Dahiat al-Barid area, where approximately 18,000 Palestinians live.



On Tuesday morning, 19 April 2005, the Israeli High Court issued a decision allowing IOF to construct a section of the wall on land belonging to the villages of al-Khas and al-No'man, north of Sahour. Large areas of land will be isolated behind the wall. IOF has already annexed large areas of land from the two villages to Jerusalem.



On Friday afternoon, 15 April 2005, hundreds of Palestinian civilians and international solidarity activists organized a peaceful demonstration in Bal'ein 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 and arrested two international solidarity activists.



Also on Friday, IOF showed members of the local council of 'Aaboud village, northwest of Ramallah, some maps, according to which nearly 6,000 donums of land in the village would be confiscated. IOF did not hand the maps or any military order to the local council. They only requested that the owners of the land be present on their land two weeks later to see the maps.



On Saturday afternoon, 16 April 2005, IOF arrested Wa'el Majed Sa'ed, 19, and his brother Ayman, 28, while they were farming their agricultural land near a section of the wall to the west of Baqa village, north of Tulkarm. Ayman was released later, while Wa'el has remained in custody.



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 Friday morning, 15 April 2005, an Israeli settler from "Shavi Shomron" settlement, northwest of Nablus, threw a stones at a Palestinian civilian car that was traveling on Nablus – Jenin road. The front window of the car was broken, but the driver was not hurt.



On Friday evening, a number of Israeli settlers from "Ramat Yishai" settlement in the center of Hebron attacked a number of Palestinian houses in Tal Rumaida neighborhood. IOF did not intervene to stop these attacks although Palestinian families submitted complaints to the Israeli police and IOF.



On Sunday, 17 April 2005, IOF issued 19 military orders, ordering the destruction of a number of Palestinian civilian facilities to the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, to expand the neighboring "Karma'il" settlement. According to these orders, three houses would be demolished and 10 wells 6 sanitation facilities would be destroyed.



On Sunday evening, an Israeli settler car ran down 12-year-old Nidaa' 'Ali Suleiman, from Taqqou' village, south of Bethlehem, and escaped from the area. The child was injured in the face and sustained a fracture to the right leg.



At approximately 03:00 on Monday, 18 April 2005, dozens of Israeli settlers, some of them armed with riffles and pistols, moved from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron. They closed the Prayers road and set fire to tires. They also spoke racist slogans against Arabs. In addition, they threw stones at Palestinian houses and cars and uprooted some olive and grape trees. As a result, six houses were damaged.



On Thursday, 14 April 2005, IOF informed three Palestinian families from al-'Adisiya village, northeast of Hebron, to vacate 90 donums of their agricultural land located to the east of "Kharsina" settlement. They also ordered the families not to enter the land or use it.



On Sunday evening, 17 April 2005, Israeli settlers established two new settlement posts near "Allon Moreh" settlement, northeast of Nablus, and in "Gibourim" area in Hebron.



Also on Sunday, the Israeli government published an invitation for bids to sell 50 tracts of land in "al-Kanah" settlement, southwest of Nablus, to build new houses. It claimed that these tracts of land are owned by the State of Israel even though they are located in the OPT.







***





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.



“END”











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