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. 37/2005

15 - 21 September 2005



Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Perpetrate More Violations of Human Rights against Palestinian Civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)



· A Palestinian civilian was killed and another was seriously injured, when an IOF jeep hit their car in Tulkarm.



· A number of Palestinian civilians were wounded by IOF in the West Bank.



· IOF conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.



· Houses were raided and 36 Palestinian civilians were arrested by IOF.



· 3 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.



· IOF Moved into the northern Gaza Strip and confiscated hundreds of dunums[1] of Palestinian land to create a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Israel



· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing; and IOF arrested 6 Palestinian civilians at military checkpoints in the West Bank.



· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; the Israeli High Court recognize the legitimacy of the construction of the Wall in the West Bank; and 8 Palestinian civilians were wounded by gunshots fired by IOF to disperse a peaceful demonstration in protest to the construction of the Wall.



· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; more areas of Palestinian land were razed in order to annex them to "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron.



Summary



Israeli violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (15 - 21 September 2005):



Killing: On 15 September 2005, a Palestinian civilian was killed and another was seriously injured when an IOF military vehicle hit their car.



Incursions: IOF conducted 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 36 Palestinian civilians. They also imposed curfews on a number of communities and transformed 3 houses into military sites. In the Gaza Strip, on 18 September 2005, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into the Beit Hanoun area of the northern Gaza Strip and leveled areas of Palestinian land, previously razed by IOF, to create a buffer zone between the Gaza Strip and Israel.



Restrictions on Movement: Although IOF were redeployed around the Gaza Strip as part of the ”Disengagement Process”, the Israeli government maintains the occupation of the area, by controlling all outlets and crossing points. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, has remained closed for the second consecutive week, as no deal has been reached concerning transportation across it. IOF insist on maintaining control over the movement of persons and goods through this crossing point, and have actually moved equipment from there to the "Kerem Shalom" area on the Egyptian – Israeli border. In the meantime, IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian workers and patients for the 5th consecutive week. With the closure of Rafah International Crossing Point and Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing, the Gaza Strip has been transformed into a large prison, as IOF continue to maintain control over airspace, the sea and other border crossings of the Gaza Strip.



In the West Bank, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, especially in Hebron. They also imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities. During the reported period, IOF, positioned at various checkpoints, arrested 6 Palestinian civilians.



Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. On 15 September 2005, the Israeli High Court approved the construction of the Wall on Palestinian land occupied since 1967 for security reasons. The court also demanded IOF to provide appropriate alternatives for the route of the Wall, provide protection for "Alfeh Menasheh" settlement and lessen the damage incurred to the Palestinian population living the area of the Wall. The court decided to change the route of the Wall in the Qalqilya district only, in response to a petition submitted by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel on behalf of Palestinians living in 5 villages. This new decision by the Israeli High Court further proves that the court provides legal cover for illegal acts of IOF. In an Advisory Opinion issued on 9 July 2004, the International Court of Justice considered the Wall illegal. In response, the Israeli High Court decided that this Advisory Opinion is not binding for Israel as it does not take into consideration the military and security necessities for Israel. On 18 September 2005, IOF issued a military order confiscating 22 dunums of Palestinian land in Beit Jala town and al-Khader village near Bethlehem for the purpose of the construction of the Wall. During the reported period, IOF used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists in protest to the construction of the Wall in Bal'ein village, west of Ramallah. Eight Palestinian civilians, including a journalist and 3 brothers, were injured.



Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. During the reported period, Israeli settlers attacked a number of Palestinian houses and burnt some Palestinian trees. On 19 September 2005, IOF razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land to the west of "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, to be annexed to the settlement.





The full report is available online at:

html format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2005/22-09-2005.htm

pdf format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2005/pdf/weekly%20report%2037.pdf