- September 03 – 09, 2009, report Palestinian Center for Human Rights
- Photo: Zoriah (c). Movements along the seafront in Gaza.
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (03 – 09 September 2009)
During the reporting period, IOF killed a Palestinian child and wounded 6 Palestinian civilian, a resistance activist and an Israeli journalist.
On 04 September 2009, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, as he was walking with his family towards their farm in the border area.
On 03 September 2009, a Palestinian resistance activist was wounded in fighting during an Israeli military incursion into the east of Gaza City.
On 09 September 2009, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in Beit Hanoun town, when Israeli troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at him.
On 03 September 2009, an IOF warplane bombarded a tract of land in ‘Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. The bombardment made a large crater in the area, but no casualties were reported.
In the West Bank, on 03 September 2009, a Palestinian child was injured when a sound bomb left by IOF in Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah, exploded.
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; 4 Palestinian civilians, including a journalist and a child, and an Israeli journalist were wounded.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 22 Palestinian civilians, including two children.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 5 limited incursions into Palestinian communities, during which they leveled areas of previously razed Palestinian land. They also arrested 5 Palestinian children who were grazing animals.
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 illegal 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 to 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 restrictions on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to 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 have sharply mounted.
* At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights 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 permanent 630 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.
Efforts intended to establish a Jewish majority in occupied Jerusalem: IOF have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem in an attempt to force them to leave the city. On 07 September 2009, the Israeli police summoned Hazem Abu Sair, Director of Nidal Center for Community Development in the old town of Jerusalem, and handed to him a decision signed by the chief of Israeli police extending the closure of the center until 11 September 2010. It is worth noting that the Israeli police had closed the center for one month starting from 15 July 2007.
On 06 September 2009, a number of Israeli settlers attacked a number of clergymen near the Armenian Monastery. They violently beat the clergymen and broke their crosses. Soon, the Israeli police arrived at the area. The clergymen complained to the police, but the police instead arrested two clergymen. The police detained them for 3 days and wanted to expel them to Armenia, but retreated under media and political pressure.
Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers living have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On Thursday morning, 03 September 2009, IOF moved into al-Baq’a area, east of Hebron. Bulldozers destroyed 4 cement-made water tanks, which are used for irrigation. During this incursion, a number of Palestinian farmers attempted to stop the destruction of the tanks. IOF troops violently beat them. As a result, 3 farmers sustained bruises.
On 06 September 2009, Murad Mohammed Abu Haikal, 19, and Labib Mohammed Abu Haikal, 16, from Hebron, were attacked by Israeli settlers living in “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost in the Tal Rumaida neighborhood, central Hebron. Murad sustained a fracture to the nose and bruises throughout the body.
On 06 September 2009, the Israeli Minister of Defense, Ehud Barak, approved new settlement construction plans. The cabinet (the six-fold Council of ministers) met to discuss the distribution of 450-500 housing units that had been approved by the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, on 6 September 2009. The establishment of the approved units was decided to be distributed accross different settlements, including “Har Gilo” south of Jerusalem, “Mode’in Elite” west of Ramallah and “Ariel” north of Salfit. On 07 September 2009, a ceremony was organized to lay the foundation of a new settlement neighborhood called “Mafsirit Adomim” in the “E1” zone between “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement and the eastern city of occupied Jerusalem.
It is reported that there are plans to establish 3,000 housing units. According to statements by the head of the municipality of “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement, there are 37,000 settlers in “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement and that the settlement needs 600 new housing units every year.
Israeli Peace Now reported that a few days ago, the Israeli government had finished the preparations to construct dozens of housing units in the northern Jordan Valley in the east of the West Bank. Peace Now stated that there were 100 housing units being constructed. These units had been approved by former Israeli Minister of Defense, Amir Peretz, in 2006 and by Minister of Defense, Ihoud Barak, in 2008. The Israeli government continues to approve the establishment of new housing units in settlements.
Some facts should be cleared here:
1. All the Hamas militants were wearing civilian uniform during the operation in Gaza. You can’t really tell who is a fighter and who is a civilian. This was done on purpose so the Israelis will not be able to distinguish between civilians and soldiers.
2. The Hamas recuites and arms young kids of age 15 and also women. There were a few suicide bombers who were women who were sent by the Hamas and were given the explosives.
3. Since the “Annexation Wall” or as it should be named “a border” was built – the number of casualties of terrorists attack has diminished by more than 90%. The wall therefore should be called “the lives saving wall”.
4. Since Gaza has been occupied by the Hamas, it has become a hostile entity to Israel. Its leaders call for the destruction of Israel and call for its people to kill Israelis. Therefore – Why should Israel let Gazan into its territory?
5. Gazans can have medical care and any other service from its neighbour – Egypt. I don’t understand why they seek medical aid or any other aid when they call for the destruction of Israel and launch rocket attacks on its southern cities.
6. The Hamas “police” have executed dozens of fellow palestinians without a trial who were suspected as “collaborators” or simply opposed the Hamas rule or were Fatah activists. I wonder why this human rights violation is not in this report. Maybe because it is totally biased?
7. A great part of the aid that is sent to Gaza is robbed by Hamas people. The Hamas activists enjoy this aid when the others … are not so fortunate.
8. Before October 2000, there were only a few road blocks in the west bank. After a series of dozens of terrorist attacks and houdreds of Israeli civilians casualties, the road blocks were built – to defend and save lives.
I can go on and on with other more fact – but I have to go now.
Sallam Aleikum.
تعليق LK — 11 septembre 2009 @ 11:12The Comments by LK are not only wrong they are false:
1. Hamas militants are often clearly distinguishable from the civilian population, carry their arms openly, and obey the laws of war. Israel, by it own admission, was able to clearly distinguish between civilians and the Hamas freedom fighters. The highly reliable Goldstone concluded Israel choose to intentionally target civilians and it continues to do so.
2. The Hamas does not recruit or arm children. This does not mean that some children do not participate–as they do in the Israeli militia formed by settlers–but it is not a policy and it is prohibited by Hamas’ rules and punished when proven to happen.
3. The illegal Wall has been declared to be a violation of international law and d an attempt by Israel to annex more of Palestine by force in violation of international law. Israel’s very creation is in violation of the Palestinians right to self-determination through out all of Palestine. This is black letter law.
4. Hamas fights for the right to self-determination against Israel, which is a state created in violation of international law. Hamas has the legal right to fight for the self-determination of the Palestinian people using force against an illegal and oppressive foreign occupier. Israel’s continued occupation of Palestine is illegal and may not be recognized by other countries in the world, who may use force to end it.
5. Gazans and Palestinians in the West Bank are often denied medical care by Israel…and unfortunately sometimes by Egypt.
6. The Hamas “police” maintain order in Gaza. It is true that there has been inter-Palestinian violence and this is unfortunate and those involved both in the West Bank and Gaza should be brought to justice. Inter-Palestinian violence is however insignificant in comparison to he violence by Israel against Palestinians for more than 60 years.
7. Hamas officials are the freely and fairly elected representatives of the Palestinian people.
8. Before being occupied by Israel (formally starting in May 1948) the Palestinian people, the indigenous people of Palestine according to international law, were exercising their self-determination. Since that time Israel has been existing and acting in violation of international law.
The oppression of the Palestinian is the greatest ongoing affront to human rights and international law more generally…it must be ended to ensure the rule of international law and to ensure the human rights of th4e women, children and men of Palestine.
تعليق Tomas — 13 octobre 2009 @ 4:21