Thursday, 19 January 2012 00:00
Israeli troops use force to disperse a peaceful demonstration in Nabi Saleh village, northwest of Ramallah
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
Two Palestinian resistance activists were killed by IOF in Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip.
Two Palestinian resistance activists were wounded by IOF in the east of al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza.
IOF have continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
Many Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation in the West Bank.
IOF conducted 56 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and 3 limited ones into the Gaza Strip.
IOF arrested 37 Palestinians, including 4 children, in the West Bank.
IOF arrested 2 Palestinians from al-Shoka village in the south of the Gaza Strip.
IOF raided the house and office of Abu Warda, a journalist, in Nablus and confiscated computers and a camera memory.
Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
Israeli soldiers arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.
Israel has continued efforts to create a Jewish majority in East Jerusalem.
IOF demolished a Palestinian house in Shu'fat, bulldozed a warehouse and barracks in Sur Baher.
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
Israeli settlers continued their attacks in Hebron and burnt out a car.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (12 – 18 January 2012):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, IOF killed 2 Palestinian resistance activists and wounded another two resistance activist in the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, many Palestinians suffered from tear gas inhalation in peaceful demonstrations.
In the Gaza Strip, on 18 January 2012, two Palestinian resistance activists were killed when IOF positioned at the border in the southeast of Beit Hanoun, in the north of the Gaza Strip, fired 8 consecutive artillery shells at two Palestinian resistance activists while on mission near the border area. Israeli aircrafts also flew in the sky and opened heavy fire at the two activists. IOF also fired two artillery shells at PRCS ambulances while trying to evacuate the bodies. IOF declared that they targeted a group of Palestinians who were trying to plant explosives near the boarder.
On 12 January 2012, two Palestinian resistance activists were wounded when IOF positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, to the east of al-Boreij refugee camp, in the central Gaza Strip, fired two artillery shells at them. The wounded were transferred to the al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah and their wounds were described to be moderate.
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, many participants in the demonstrations suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF also arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a woman.
Incursions:
During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 56 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 37 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and a university professor.
During the reporting period, IOF raided the house of Amin Abdul Aziz Abu Warda, 46, a journalist and lecturer in the journalism department in An-Najah National University, in the third floor in Abu Warda building in al-Quds Street, east of Nablus. They held the five member family of Abu Warda and, his brother and his brother's wife in a room in the house. They withdrew one hour later and confiscated a laptop, a hard desk, papers from Abu Warda's work and mobile numbers' including Abu Warda's number. IOF also destroyed the door of Abu Warda's office in the third floor in al-Takrouri building, in the western compound in Nablus. They raided and searched the office. They confiscated a laptop, 2 hard desks and a camera memory and then withdrew. It should be noted that on 28 December 2011, IOF arrested Abu Warda and transferred him to an interrogation center in Petah Tikva. On 04 January 2012, Abu Warda was presented before a judge in the Israeli Military Court in Salem Camp, west of Jenin. The judge issued a decision to extend the detention of Abu Warda for 12 days pending investigation.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 3 limited incursions on 18 January 2008. The first incursion was conducted at around 02:00 into al-Shoka village, in the southeast of Rafah, in the south of the Gaza Strip, and arrested two Palestinians.
The second incursion took place at around 11:55 after IOF killed two Palestinian resistance activists in the southeast of Beit Hanoun in the north of the Gaza Strip. IOF conducted scanning works and then withdrew over the border.
IOF conducted the third incursion at around 12:30; they moved around 400 meters into the north of Beit Lahia, in the north of the Gaza Strip, while conducting intensive shooting at Palestinian farms located around 700 meters form the borders, following which they conducted scanning works. At around 14:00, IOF drove to the east along the border and positioned themselves at the Bedouin Village. They continued firing and conducting scanning works. Later, they drove to the site of the ex-settlement of Nisanit, northwest of Beit Hanoun. IOF withdrew at around 16:00 and neither casualties nor damages to civilian property were reported.
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 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 Strip, 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 continue to depend on elementary aid provided by UNRWA and other relief agencies, rates of families who are living below the poverty line continue 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 run local business. 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 55 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 East Jerusalem
On 16 January 2012, IOF, supported by bulldozers and the Israeli municipality officers moved into Shu'fat neighborhood, north of occupied Jerusalem. They surrounded the house of Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Khdeir and prevented its residents from getting out. The municipality officers started cutting metal poles. Abu Khdeir said that he established those poles 20 days ago to build a third floor made of aluminum, wood and bricks. The house is built on an area of 278 meters. He added that an inspector from the municipality has come 4 times within 10 days and took photos of the house. On 9 January 2012, the municipality officers sent us a notice stating that the poles had to be removed within a week, otherwise, the municipality would do so and oblige him to pay 150,000 NIS as a fine.
On the same day, IOF bulldozed a warehouse and barracks used to house sheep in Sour Baher village, south of occupied Jerusalem. The warehouse and barracks of 2,220 meters belong to Mostafa Ali Mostafa Dabash.
No comments:
Post a Comment