Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
* 16 Palestinians, including 3 children, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
* 10 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
* 18 Palestinians were wounded by IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
* IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two ones into the Gaza Strip.
* IOF arrested 44 Palestinian civilians, including a child, in the West Bank.
* IOF shelled fishing boats and arrested 8 Palestinian fishermen in Rafah.
* IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
* IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and a humanitarian crisis has emerged.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (16 – 22 August 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 16 Palestinians, including 3 children, and wounded 18 others, including 2 children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 13 Palestinians, including two children. Ten of the victims were extra-judicially-executed by IOF in less than 48 hours.
On 18 August 2007, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian and arrested two others when they attempted to cross the border into Israel to search for jobs. On 20 August 2007, IOF extra-judicially 4 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas) and two members of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. On 21 August 2007, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at 3 armed Palestinians in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. Soon after, an IOF infantry unit moved into the area and opened fire. The three Palestinian were killed. On 22 August 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed a member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades and wounded another one in the east of Gaza City. Since the beginning of the current Palestinian Intifada, 655 Palestinians, including 221 civilian bystanders, have been extra-judicially executed by IOF. The victims have included 73 children. On 22 August 2007, two Palestinian children were killed, when IOF fired a missile at them while they were playing near a launcher of home-made rockets. Additionally, during the reporting period, 6 Palestinians, including two children, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday morning, IOF shelled fishing boats and arrested 8 Palestinian fishermen in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.
In the west Bank, IOF killed 3 Palestinians, including a child. On 16 August 2007, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child during an incursion into Kufor Dan village, west of Jenin. A Palestinian resistance activist was killed by IOF during clashes that followed the child’s death. On 21 August 2007, a Palestinian resistance activist was killed in armed clashes with IOF during their incursion into ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. During the reporting period, 11 Palestinian civilians were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the West Bank. In addition, on 17 August 2007, a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and 4 journalists suffered from tear gas inhalation when IOF used force against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 44 Palestinian civilians, including a child. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,803.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two incursions into al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip and ‘Abasan village in the southern Gaza Strip. During these incursions, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded.
Restrictions on Movement: 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 occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. IOF had already closed Rafah International Crossing Point following an armed attack against an IOF military post in Kerem Shalom area, southeast of Rafah, on 25 June 2006. The crossing point had been partially reopened for short, sporadic periods to allow few numbers of Palestinian to travel through it. The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing point. There are approximately 6,000 Palestinians held at the Egyptian side of the border awaiting to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip. Most of them have run out of money and are living on assistance. In addition, 19 of them have died in Egypt. The bodies were returned to Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. In addition, thousands of travelers have allowed to return to the Gaza Strip through al-Ojah crossing, 70 kilometers south of Rafah. From there, they were transported to Erez Checkpoint to enter the Gaza Strip. IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through this crossing.
West Bank
IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (16 – 22 August 2007)
The full report is available online at:
html format:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/23-08-2007.htm
pdf format:
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2007/pdf/Weekly%20Report%2033.pdf