Author
Tierra Insurgene / Intifada Al Ard
This is a weekly summary of israeli war crimes committed in Palestine for the week ending 23 November 2005. 6mins, english
PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
No. 45/2005
17- 23 November 2005
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Launch More Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· 4 Palestinian civilians were killed by IOF in the West Bank.
· One of the Victims was suffering from a psychological disorder.
· 2 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
· 11 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF.
· IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, focusing particularly on Jenin.
· Houses were raided and 35 Palestinian civilians, including 18 children, were arrested by IOF.
· 5 houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.
· IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; they have closed all border crossings of the Gaza Strip; they prevented at least 1000 students from attending their school classes in the old town of Hebron; and they arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a girl, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
· IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; at least 438 dunums[1] of Palestinian land in Bethlehem were confiscated; IOF used force against demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Wall and arrested two Israeli solidarity activists; and IOF imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians near the Wall.
· Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; 6 houses were demolished in East Jerusalem; IOF started to place a fence along the "Trans-Samaria" road; and a new settlement post was established in Yatta village, south of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law continued in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) during the reporting period (17 – 23 November 2005).
On 15 November 2005, an agreement regarding border crossings of the Gaza Strip was concluded. This agreement serves to reinforce the de facto control of IOF over the economy and movement of the population of the Gaza Strip. The agreement allows IOF to monitor the border crossings, which are the main artery to the economic, social and cultural rights of the Palestinian civilian population. The absence of actual Israeli military presence inside the Gaza Strip does not mean that the Israeli military occupation has come to an end. The field conditions in the Gaza Strip prove that IOF have continued to control movement to and from the Gaza Strip. This agreement reinforces the IOF control over, and occupation of the Gaza Strip, which has not come to an end with the implementation of the "Disengagement Plan" (for more details about this agreement, see PCHR's press release issued on 16 November 2005, and the section of this report on the siege imposed on the OPT). PCHR is concerned that IOF may continue to perpetrate violations of international humanitarian law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
Killings: During the reported period, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank. Two of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Jenin, on 17 November 2005. IOF also killed a Palestinian civilian in Hebron on 18 November 2005. The fourth victim was killed by IOF during an incursion into Jenin on 23 November 2005. In addition, 11 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by IOF.
Incursions: IOF conducted 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 35 Palestinian civilians, including 18 children. IOF employed undercover units and trained dogs in these incursions. IOF also transformed 5 houses into military sites.
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 big prison. Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, has remained closed for over two months. An agreement was reached regarding the operation of the crossing point. According to media reports, the crossing point will be operated by the Egyptians and Palestinians with the presence of a European force as a third party, whose responsibilities have not been determined. Goods and foreigners will not be able to travel through the crossing point, rather they will travel through Kerem Shalom crossing point to the southeast of Rafah. Israel insists on maintaining some authority at Rafah International Crossing Point, including fixing cameras to monitor the movement at the crossing and the handover of lists to the Europeans of those Palestinians banned from travelling for alleged security reasons, in order to ensure their ban. In the past weeks, IOF allowed Palestinians to operate the crossing point for several hours in order to solve the problem of those who had been trapped on both sides of the crossing point. The continued closure of the crossing point has deprived hundreds of Palestinian civilians of their rights to education, health, work and social communication. In the meantime, IOF have continued to restrict Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian workers and patients. During the reported period, IOF allowed several hundred workers to reach their work places in Israel, while only a few patients suffering from serious diseases were allowed to travel to Israeli hospitals through the crossing. IOF have also continued to impose severe restrictions at commercial border crossings. IOF have also imposed severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, IOF have imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian civilians living in Jenin from crossing Za'tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, for more than 4 months. During the reported period, IOF prevented schoolchildren in the old town of Hebron from reaching their schools. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a girl.
Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank, as the Israeli Defense Minsiter Shaul Mofaz stated on 16 November 2005, that the Wall "must be completed." IOF started to level land to construct a new section of the Wall in 'Aaboud village, northwest of Ramallah. The construction of this section of the Wall is likely seize at least 5,330 dunums of land in the village, including 3,887 dunums which will be isolated behind the Wall. IOF razed 26 dunums of land belonging to the Municipality of Bethlehem in the Joroun al-Hommos area, near a permanent IOF checkpoint at the northern entrance of the town. During the reported period, IOF handed military orders to Palestinian civilians confiscating 94 dunums of land in Beit Jala town; 115 dunums in al-Khader village; and 119 dunums in al-Walaja village, for the purpose of the construction of a section of the Wall in the area. In addition, IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists in protest to the construction of the Wall. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation and IOF arrested two Israeli solidarity activists.
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, IOF started to place a fence on both sides of the "Trans-Samaria" road. They also confiscated 9.5 dunums of land in Ya'bad village, southwest of Jenin, for "military purposes." In East Jerusalem, IOF demolished 6 houses. Armed Israeli settlers continued to establish a new settlement post to the south of Hebron.
The full report is available online at:
html format:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2005/24-11-2005.htm
pdf format:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2005/pdf/weekly%20report…
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[1] 1 dunum is equal to 1000 square meters.
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