Debris of a bird farm that was bombarded by Israeli warplanes in the central Gaza Strip – 05 August 2011
PCHR, August 12, 2011
Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian
Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
IOF wounded a
Palestinian woman and killed some of her sheep in the central Gaza Strip.
Two activists
of the Palestinians were wounded by IOF in the east of Gaza City.
Israeli
warplanes bombarded a number of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.
Two bird farms were completely
destroyed and a third one was damaged, 500 chickens were killed and a room was destroyed.
IOF continued
to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
Dozens
of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
IOF conducted 31
incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
IOF arrested 31
Palestinian civilians, including 5 children.
17 of the
detainees were arrested in Hebron.
Israel has
continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip
from the outside world.
IOF arrested 4
Palestinian civilians, including a journalist, at military checkpoints in the
West Bank.
IOF have
continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
Summary
Israeli
violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued
during the reporting period (04 – 10 August 2011):
Shooting:
During the reporting period, a
Palestinian woman and two activists of the Palestinian resistance were wounded
by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
On 09 August 2011, Israeli soldiers positioned
at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at a Palestinian woman
while she was grazing animals in the central Gaza Strip. She was wounded moderately wounded and 8 of
her sheep were killed.
On 04 August 2011, two activists of
the Palestinian resistance were wounded when IOF fired two artillery shells at
them in the east of Gaza City.
During the reporting period, Israeli
warplanes bombarded a number of targets in the Gaza Strip. They bombarded a number of training sites of
Palestinian resistance groups and a border tunnel. They also destroyed two bird farms and
damaged a third one, killing at least 500 chickens.
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, dozens of
Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from
tear gas inhalation.
Incursions:
During
the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 31 military incursions into
Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 31 Palestinian
civilians, including 5 children. Seventeen
of the detainees were arrested in Hebron.
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 Soafa 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 48 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.
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 06 August 2011, 6 Israeli
settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron, attacked Radhi
Bassam al-Ja’bari, 14, and Anas Nafez Qaffiha, 19, when they were near their
houses. Israeli soldiers were present in
the area, but did not intervene to stop the attack.
On the same day, a number of Israeli
settlers stopped Anas 'Aaref Jaber, 15, and Hamza Mohammed Jaber, 16, near the
Ibrahimi Mosque, and beat the latter. They then forced the two children away
from the area.
On 09 August 2011, dozens of Israeli
settlers, escorted by IOF moved into Be’r al-Saba Street in the center for
Hebron, and conducted Jewish rituals near what they call "Etna’el Shrine." Some of the settlers were armed. They left the area later.
On the same day, at least 200
Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, arrived at a historic site atop of
al-Fraidees Mount, south of Bethlehem, and conducted some rituals.
Israeli
Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (04 – 10 August 2011)
1- Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian
Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
Thursday, 04 August 2011
At approximately 01:10, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site
of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) near al-Maqqoussi
housing project in the northwest of Gaza City. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 01:15, Israeli warplanes bombarded a training site
of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) in Jaffa Street
in the east of Gaza City. No casualties
were reported.
At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They surrounded a house belonging to the
al-Shourbaji family. They called through
megaphone on Mohammed Yousef al-Shourbaji, 21, to get out of the house. Once he got out, they arrested him.
At approximately 02:20, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
tunnel near Saladin Gate on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Bal’a village, northeast of
Tulkarm. The raided and searched a house
belonging to Mansour 'Abdul Rahim Mansour, 49, and arrested him.
At approximately 09:00, IOF moved into Beit 'Aur al-Tahta village,
west of Ramallah. They patrolled in the
streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Beit Leed village, east of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. Neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
At approximately 17:30, IOF arrested Nihad No’man Mdallal, 18, from
Kufor Sour village south of Tulkarm, after summoning him from interrogation.
At approximately 19:10, IOF positioned at the border between the
Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Gaza City, fired two artillery shells at a
number of Palestinian resistance activists in al-Tuffah neighborhood in the
northeast of Gaza City. As a result, two
activists were wounded.
At approximately 21:30, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into al-Jiftlek village, north of
Jericho. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
Friday,
05 August 2011
At approximately 01:20, Israeli warplanes fired 4 missiles at 3
bird farms, two of which were empty, in Wadi al-Salqa village in the central
Gaza Strip. The two empty farms, which
belong to Salem Selmi Abu al-'Ajin, were completely destroyed, while the third
one, which is rented by 'Alaa’ Hussein al-Louh, was heavily damaged and 500
chickens were killed.
At approximately 01:30, Israeli warplanes fired two missiles at a
security site on the coastal road to the west of Deir al-Balah town in the
central Gaza Strip. Half an hour later,
they fired a third missile at the site. The site was damaged, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 02:35, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a
mobile room placed on an agricultural plot in the west of the southern Gaza
Strip town of Khan Yunis. The room was
destroyed, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 03:10, IOF moved into Ramin village, east of
Tulkarm. They raided and searched a
house belonging to 'Adnan Ibrahim Bsaissi. They questioned Bsaissi as they were looking for his brother. They showed him a map to locate his brother’s
house, but he could not. They ordered
him to accompany them to his brother’s house. When they arrived at the house, IOF raided and searched it. They took the family out, and then arrested
the brother, Malek, 31.
At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Khirbat Abu Falah village,
northeast of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
At approximately 11:00, IOF moved into Deir Qiddis village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
At approximately 20:00, IOF moved into Deir Abu Mash’al village,
northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into 'Arraba village, southwest
of Jenin. They patrolled in the streets
and searched the area separating the village from "Dutan" settlement. They withdrew later, and no arrests were
reported.
Saturday, 06 August 2011
At approximately 14:30, IOF moved into Shwaika suburb, north of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
and established a checkpoint. They
stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. They withdrew later and no arrests were
reported.
At approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Beit Siera village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
At approximately 20:30, IOF moved into Safa village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
At approximately 22:30, IOF moved into Ne’lin village, wets of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
and provoked Palestinian civilians. A
number of Palestinian boys gathered and threw stones at Israeli military
vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers
fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at them.
A number of civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.
At approximately 23:20, IOF moved into Beit Ummar town, north of
Hebron, while a ceremony to honor families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli
jails was being held in the 40 Park. They surrounded the park and attacked the gathering using tear gas
canister and sound bombs, claiming that stones were thrown at them while
passing near the park. Palestinian
civilians were provoked, so they threw stones at IOF. Israeli soldiers immediately fired
rubber-coated metal bullet at those civilians. They also chased and beat a number of civilians. Dozens of Palestinian civilians suffered from
tear gas inhalation, and Kifah Ahmed Abu 'Ayash, 24, sustained a facture to the
left foot. The windows of a car
belonging to Maisara Mahmoud 'Alaq was broken. Before their withdrawal, IOF arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:
1- Mohammed Shawkat 'Alqam, 19;
2- Nayef Khaled Ekhlil, 18;
3- Mohammed Ayman Ekhlil, 17;
4- 'Afif Ibrahim 'Awadh, 18; and
5- Mahmoud Yousef al-'Alama, 17.
Sunday, 07 August 2011
At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into 'Anabta village, east of
Tulkarm. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. They
then moved northward to the nearby Kufor Rumman village, where they patrolled
in the streets. They withdrew later and
neither house raids nor arrests were reported.
At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into Beit Siera village, west of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
At approximately 18:30, IOF moved into Jericho. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
Monday, 08 August 2011
At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Bireh. They patrolled in the streets for some time
and withdrew later. No arrests were
reported.
At approximately 01:10, IOF moved into Bir Zeit village, north of
Ramallah. They patrolled in the streets
for some time and withdrew later. No
arrests were reported.
At approximately 08:00, IOF moved into 'Ein al-Sultan refugee camp,
northwest of Jericho. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village,
northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.
At approximately 17:20, IOF moved into Nabi Saleh village,
northwest of Ramallah. They patrolled in
the streets for some time and withdrew later. No arrests were reported.