Report 27 August – 2 September 2009: Palestinian Center for Human Rights

Photo: Palestinian fishing boat after being fired on by Israeli gunboats near Gaza.

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period, 27 August – 2 September 2009

During the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinian civilians, including a child, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Two members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) were also killed in the Gaza Strip, and Hamas accused IOF of killing them.

The body of a Palestinian, who had been missing since last week, was also found near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Additionally, 4 Palestinian civilians, including two medical personnel and a child, and a resistance activist were wounded by IOF.

In the Gaza Strip, on 27 August 2009, IOF gunboats fired an artillery shell at a number of Palestinian fishers in the northern Gaza Strip, killing one fisher.

On 01 September 2009, two members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) were killed in the Gaza Strip, and Hamas accused IOF of killing them.

On 29 August 2009, civil defense crews and a number of civilians found the body of a Palestinian near Salah al-Din Gate on the Egyptian border south of Rafah. The victim and his two brothers were killed on Tuesday, 25 August 2009, when an IOF warplane fired a missile at a tunnel on the Egyptian border.

On 30 August 2009, IOF warplanes bombarded a building of the Palestinian Energy Authority in Gaza City. The building was destroyed.

On 31 August 2009, IOF gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. A fishing boat was totally burnt and another one was damaged.

On 31 August 2009, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child and arrested 4 others in al-Jalazoun refugee camp, in the West Bank. They also wounded two medical personnel who attempted to evacuate the child to the hospital.

IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 22 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 39 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a woman.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted two limited incursions into Palestinian communities, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land they had already razed.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a tightened closure 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 continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The IOF closure of the Gaza Strip, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.

* 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

* The main concern of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

* IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than two years.

* IOF have not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas, since 10 December 2008.

* The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.

* IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the face of Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

* Poverty and unemployment rates stand at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.

* IOF have continued to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.

* IOF have imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

* Living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment are among the highest in the world.

* At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation for more than two years.

* IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishers along the Gaza Strip coast.

West Bank

IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians throughout the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip continue to be denied access to Jerusalem.

* IOF have established checkpoints in and around Jerusalem, severely restricting Palestinian access to the city. Civilians are frequently prevented from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

* There are approximately 630 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60-80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

* When complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall has already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

* At least 65% of the main roads that leads to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).

* There are around 500 kilometers of restricted roads across the West Bank. In addition, approximately one third of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, is inaccessible to Palestinians without a permit issued by the IOF. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

* IOF continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

* Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

On 27 August 2009, Israeli settlers attacked 3 Palestinian civilian vehicles belonging to the al-Za’tari family in al-Bawaira neighborhood in Hebron, between “Kiryat Arba” and “Kharsina” settlement. The vehicles were damaged. On the same day, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian houses in the same area using stones and empty bottles. A number of houses were damaged.

On 28 August 2009, 3 Israeli settlers living in “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron chased and violently beat Shareef Mohammed Abu ‘Eisha, 12. The child sustained bruises to the head and the back.

IOF troops witnessed the attack, but did not intervene to stop it. On 29 August 2009, Israeli settlers living in “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost in the center of Hebron attacked Palestinian houses in Tal Rumaida neighborhood using stones and empty bottles. A number of houses were damaged. Israeli settlers from “Ariel” settlement, north of Salfit, released herds of pigs into the west of the town. According to local sources, the pigs have damaged at least 80% of arable lands in al-Yanabee’ area.