A greenhouse in Khan Yunis bombarded by Israeli warplanes, 30 October 2011
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Gaza Strip
12 Palestinian resistance activists were killed and 5 others were wounded by Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip.
3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli war planes launched 17 air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.
A country house, a room and two containers were destroyed and a number of houses, shops and fields were damaged.
IOF have continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
A Palestinian civilian was wounded.
Dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation.
The Israeli Navy has continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli naval troops arrested two Palestinian fishermen.
.
IOF conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and a limited one into the Gaza Strip.
IOF arrested 8 Palestinians.
IOF used a dog to attack a Palestinian civilian.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli soldiers arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israel has continued measures aimed at creating a Jewish majority in East Jerusalem.
The Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem exerts pressure to accelerate the establishment of a biblical park in Silwan village.
IOF demolished 3 houses in al-Khan al-Ahmar area.
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers while cropping olives in the West Bank.
An old woman was injured near Ramallah.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (27 October – 02 November 2011):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, IOF escalated attacks on the Gaza Strip. Israeli warplanes launched 17 air strikes against various targets. As a result of these attacks, 12 Palestinian resistance activists were killed 5 others were wounded. Additionally, 3 civilians, including a child, were wounded.
On 29 October 2011, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah. As a result, 5 resistance activists were killed.
On the same day, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at two activists of the al-Quds Brigades also in Rafah. The two activists were killed.
On the same day, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at two activists of the al-Quds Brigades in the west of Gaza City. The two activists were killed.
On 30 October 2011, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at two activists of the National Resistance Brigades (the armed wing of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine) in Rafah. An activist was killed and the other one was seriously wounded.
On the same day, Israeli warplanes fired 3 missiles at 3 activists of al-Ansar Brigades (the armed wing of al-Ahrar Movement) in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Yunis. Two activists were killed.
On 27 October 2011, a Palestinian shepherd was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the southeast of Rafah.
On 29 October 2011, a Palestinian resistance activist and a child were wounded when an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a number of activists of the al-Quds Brigades in the central Gaza Strip.
During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes bombarded a number of civilian targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result of these strikes, a country house and tow containers were destroyed and a number of houses, shops and farms were damaged.
On 27 October 2011, Israeli naval troops arrested two Palestinian fishermen in the southern Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, during the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, a Palestinian civilian was wounded and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 56 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 8 Palestinian civilians.
On 28 October 2011, IOF used a dog to attack a Palestinian civilian in Beit Ummar town, north of Hebron. The civilian was injured and was then arrested by IOF.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted a limited incursion into the central Gaza Strip, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.
Restrictions on Movement:
Israel had 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
Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed 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.
IOF have tightened the closure of the Gaza Strip and practically made Karm Abu Salem crossing as the sole commercial crossing of the Gaza Strip although it is not proper for commercial purposes in terms of its distance and operational capacity.
IOF have continued to apply their policy aimed at tightening the strangulation of the commercial movement in the Gaza Strip, including imposing total control over the flow of imports and exports.
The total closure of al-Mentar "Karni" crossing on 02 March 2011 has created a bitter situation that has seriously affected the Gaza Strip. Following this closure, all the economic and commercial establishments in Gaza Commercial Zone were shut off. It should be noted that al-Mentar crossing is the biggest crossing in the Gaza Strip in terms of its operational capacity to absorb the flow of imports and exports. The decision of al-Mentar crossing was the culmination of a series of decisions to totally close Sofa crossing, east of the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2009, and Nahal Oz crossing, east of Gaza City, which was dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas to the Gaza Strip, in the beginning of 2010.
These statistics which were made available to PCHR by the Border and Crossings Department indicate a continued drop in the number of truckloads of Gaza imports and exports.
IOF have continued to impose total ban on the delivery of raw materials to the Gaza Stri, except for very limited items and quantities. The limited quantities of raw materials allowed into Gaza do not meet the minimal needs of the civilian population in the Gaza Strip.
The cooking gas crisis which has erupted last November has continued to affect the Gaza Strip. This crisis was created when the Israeli occupation authorities totally closed, on 04 January 2010, Nahal Oz crossing, which used to be dedicated for the delivery of fuel and cooking gas supplies to Gaza, and shifted fuel and cooking gas supplies to Karm Abu Salem crossing which is not technically equipped to receive Gaza's needs of fuel. Karm Abu Salem crossing, with its maximum absorptive capacity, can receive only 200 tons of cooking gas per day.
Approximately 80% of Gaza civilians have continued to depend on alimentary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief agencies, rates of families who are living below poverty line have continued to be on the rise and approximately 40% of Gaza's manpower has continued to suffer from permanent unemployment as a result of shutting down the majority of Gaza's economic establishments.
IOF have continued to impose a total ban on the exportation of Gaza's products, especially industrial products, leading to undermining any real chances to rerun economic establishments. The situation has been aggravated especially after making Karm Abu Salem crossing as Gaza sole commercial crossing and the repeated closure of this crossing which negatively affected the quantity of Gazan products which were allowed to be exported during last April.
IOF have continued to prolong the implementation of their decision to allow 60 cars into Gaza weekly although more than 11 months have passed since they announced this decision after three years of ban imposed on the delivery of cars to Gaza. As a result, the prices of cars in Gaza have been on the rise and local markets experience serious shortage in spare parts.
For approximately four consecutive years, IOF have continued to ban the delivery of construction materials to Gaza. During the reporting period, IOF approved the delivery of limited quantities of construction materials for a number of international organizations.
Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians from the Gaza Strip. IOF only allow the movement of limited groups amidst severe restrictions, including long hours of waiting in the majority of cases. IOF have also continued to adopt a policy aimed at reducing the number of Palestinian patients allowed to move via Beit Hanoun crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in Israel or in the West Bank and Jerusalem. IOF denied new categories of Gazan patient permission to have access to hospitals via the crossing.
Israel has imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip.
For approximately 52 months, IOF have continued to deny approximately 700 Palestinian prisoners from Gaza detained in Israeli jails their visitation rights without providing any justification to this measure, which violates the rules of the international humanitarian law.
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 in the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.
There are approximately 585 permanent roadblocks, and manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank.
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 have already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, confiscating more Palestinian land.
At least 65% of the main roads that lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF.
There are approximately 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 permits issued by IOF. Such 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 to Create a Jewish Majority in Jerusalem:
On 30 October 2011, the Israeli media report that a plan to establish the biblical “King Park” in Silwan village to the south of the old town of Jerusalem would be approved soon. Under the plan, 22 Palestinian houses in the village would be demolished. According to the Israeli media, the Israeli Mayor of Jerusalem exerts pressure on the District Committee of Construction and Organization to approve the plan.
On 31 October 2011, IOF demolished 3 Palestinian houses in al-Khan al-Ahmar area in the northeast of Jerusalem.
Settlement Activities:
Israel has continued its settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 31 October 2011, a number of Israeli settlers from “Maghroun” settlement, which stands on the lands of Mikhmas village, southeast of Ramallah, threw stones at ‘Aa’esha Mohammed Abu ‘Ali, 78. As a result, she was injured in the head and the right hand.
Palestinian Center for Human Rights
No comments:
Post a Comment