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. 08/2006

23 Feb.- 01 Mar. 2006





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



· 8 Palestinians were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.



· 3 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.



· 36 Palestinian civilians, an Israeli peace activist and two international medical volunteers were wounded by IOF.



· IOF continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip.



· IOF conducted 40 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and invaded Nablus and Balata refugee camp.



· Houses were raided and 60 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children, were arrested by IOF.



· 4 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.



· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT, especially in the West Bank; IOF fired at Palestinian civilians waiting at checkpoints; Palestinian civilians have been prohibited from travelling from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank; and IOF arrested 7 Palestinian civilians at checkpoints in the West Bank.



· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; IOF started to construct the last section of the Wall between Jerusalem and Bethlehem; IOF razed areas of Palestinian land in Salfit and Ramallah; 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.



· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; a Palestinian shepherd was wounded; IOF razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the Jordan Valley; and settlers attacked Palestinian civilian property.

Summary



Israeli political and military officials have continued their threats to perpetrate more crimes against Palestinians. The Israeli Defence Minister Shaul Mofaz threatened to "turn the lives of Palestinians into a hell". The former director of the Israeli General Security Service and a candidate for the Kadima Party in the upcoming Israeli parliamentary elections, Avi Dichter, threatened that if Palestinian prisoners in Jericho Prison, who are allegedly responsible for the assassination of the late Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Z'eivi, were released, their fate would be either "imprisonment in Israel or graves". Dichter had already called for the reoccupation of the Gaza Strip, allegedly to stop the launching of locally made rockets at Israeli targets.



Israeli violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (23 February–1 March 2006):



Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 6 Palestinians, including 5 in the West Bank. A seventh Palestinian died from a wound sustained in the Gaza Strip previously. In addition, the leader of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, was killed in Gaza City in an explosion, the cause of which remains unclear.



On Thursday, 23 February 2006, IOF killed 5 Palestinian in Nablus and the neighbouring Balata refugee camp. Two of the victims were killed during demonstrations organized in protest to crimes committed by IOF in the city and the camp. The other 3 victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF. On Saturday, 25 February 2006, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian. Another civilian died from a previous wound he had sustained by IOF. On Friday, 24 February 2006, IOF attempted to extra-judicially execute Palestinians in the northern Gaza Strip but the attempt failed and two passing children were injured.



During the reported period, IOF shelled Palestinian communities in the Gaza Strip. During the reported period, 36 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children; an Israeli peace activist and two international medical volunteers were wounded by the IOF gunfire.



Incursions: IOF conducted 40 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The largest of these incursions occurred in Nablus and the neighbouring Balata refugee camp. During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 60 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children. IOF also transformed 4 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 have continued to close al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing, east of Gaza City, since 21 February 2006. Before this closure, IOF had allowed the entry of foodstuffs only into the Gaza Strip. IOF have allowed less than 3,500 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. IOF have also continued to close Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah, since 14 February 2006.



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. During the reported period, IOF arrested 7 Palestinian civilians.



Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF started to construct the last section of the wall to the north of Bethlehem. The construction of this section of the wall is expected to be completed very soon. With its construction, Bethlehem will be completely separated from East Jerusalem. IOF continued to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in Marda village, southwest of Nablus, and Beit Siera 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 in Bal'ein, Beit Siera and 'Aaboud villages near Ramallah. A number of demonstrators were injured. They also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians living in communities located near the Wall.



Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers continue to reside in the OPT, in breach of international humanitarian law, and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. On 24 February 2006, a guard from the Israeli settlement of "Fasayyel", northwest of Jericho, fired at a Palestinian shepherd, wounding him with live bullet to the leg. On 28 February 2006, a number of Israeli settlers violently beat a Palestinian woman near Yatta village, south of Hebron. IOF also continued to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the Jordan Valley. The Israeli Defence Minister stated that Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley are part of Israeli land.





The full report is available online at:

html format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/02-03-2006.htm

pdf format:

http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/pdf/weekly%20report%2008.pdf







Public Document

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