• 19 Palestinians, including 5 children, 3 women and an old man, were killed by IOF.

• 4 of the victims, including a civilian bystander, were extra-judicially executed by IOF.

• Two of the victims died from previous wounds.

• 92 Palestinians, including 41 children and one woman, were wounded by IOF.

• IOF have continued to launch air strikes on houses and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip; 12 houses, a mosque, a pharmacy shop, a kindergarten and 3 shops were destroyed, and 19 houses were severely damaged.

• IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 6 into the Gaza Strip.

• IOF arrested 59 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, in the West Bank, and two others in the Gaza Strip.

• IOF destroyed 7 houses in al-Shouka village, east of Rafah, and razed 3 donums[1] of agricultural land in Khan Yunis.

• IOF demolished a house completely in Qaqlilya, and demolished another one partially in Tulkarm.

• IOF closed the Orphan Society in Bethlehem and raided a mosque in Deir Estia village near Nablus.

• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including two children, at checkpoints in the West Bank

• Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; 5 Palestinian civilians were injured in Hebron as a result of attacks launched by Israeli settlers.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (16 – 22 November 2006):

Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 17 Palestinians, including 5 children, two women and an old man. Two other Palestinians died from previous wounds in the Gaza Strip. In addition, IOF wounded 92 Palestinians, including 41 children.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 13 Palestinians, including 7 civilians. The victims include 3 children, two women and an old man. Two Palestinians also died from previous wounds.

On 18 November 2006, IOF moved into the northern Gaza Strip. IOF military vehicles and helicopter gunships opened fire, killing 3 Palestinian civilians, including two children, and wounding 5 Palestinians, including two children and two members of the Palestinian resistance. On 21 and 22 November 2006, IOF moved into various areas in the northern Gaza Strip. During this incursion, IOF killed 5 Palestinians, including a woman and a child, and wounded 34 others, including 15 children. On 21 November 2006, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and a woman during an incursion into al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. Also during the reported period, IOF committed two extra-judicial executions in Gaza City. The targeted persons survived the first attack, but a civilian bystander was killed and 9 others were wounded. In the second attack, two targeted persons were killed and 5 civilian bystanders from one same family, including two children, were wounded. In addition, a woman and a member of the Palestinian resistance died on 18 November 2006 from previous wound. In addition to the aforementioned wounds, a child was wounded in Rafah on 17 November 2006, when IOF bombarded a house, and a fisherman was wounded when IOF gunboats opened fire at a number of Palestinian fishermen also in Rafah.

IOF also launched 9 air strike on a number of houses, a workshop, a site of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior and a mosque in the Gaza Strip. As a result, 12 houses were completely destroyed and 19 others were severely damaged. In addition, the third floor of the mosque, workshop, the site of the Executive Force, 3 shops and a kindergarten were destroyed. IOF often warn residents of houses of their intention to attack them a very short time prior to the attack.     

In the West Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinians, including two children, and wounded 36 others.

On 16 November 2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian in 'Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. On 17 November 2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian child and wounded 29 civilians, including 16 children, in Qalqilya, when Palestinian civilian organized a demonstration against IOF that destroyed a house in the town. On 20 November 2006, IOF soldiers shot dead a Palestinian child near a checkpoint in Jericho. On 22 November 2006, an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially executed a member of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad) and wounded a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (an armed wing of Fatah movement) in Jenin refugee camp.

Incursions: During the reported period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they raided houses and arrested 59 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children. IOF also raided a mosque in Deir Estia village near Nablus, closed the office of the Orphan Society in Bethlehem, demolished a house completely in Qalqilya, and demolished another one partially in Tulkarm.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF moved into several areas in the northern Gaza Strip. They killed a number of Palestinians and destroyed a number of civilian facilities. IOF also moved into 'Abasan and al-Fukhari villages near Khan Yunis. They razed 3 donums of Palestinian agricultural land. During the reported period, IOF redeployed from al-Shouka village, east of Rafah, after having destroyed 7 houses and having arrested two Palestinian civilians. IOF also moved into al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. They killed two Palestinians, including woman, arrested a third one, and razed 20 donums of agricultural land.

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have 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

IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.

IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point since 25 June 2006, even though they do not directly control it. Since 15 June 2006, the crossing point has been opened for 20 separate days. On 15 November 2006, the Palestinian – Israeli agreement on border crossing, which was concluded under US and European supervision, expired. Under this agreement, IOF have maintained indirect control over of the crossing point. The European observation team working at the crossing point extended their mission for additional 6 months. IOF have imposed severe restrictions at commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. As a consequence, the economic situation inside the Gaza Strip has further deteriorated and many goods have been lacked in markets. During the reported period, IOF continued to close Sofa and Kerem Shalom crossings near Rafah. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip.  Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip had been prevented from traveling through this crossing.  IOF have allowed international workers to pass through the crossing.  With this closure, only few Palestinian patients have been able to travel to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank.  In addition, IOF have continued to prevent Palestinian fishermen from fishing for 5 months.

West Bank

IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  IOF have continued to separate between the north and south of the West Bank. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.

Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. During the reported period, Israeli settlers living in settlement posts in the center of Hebron attacked Palestinian civilians and their houses. As a result, 5 civilians were injured and a number of houses were damaged. IOF witnessed these attacks, but did not intervene to stop them.   

The outcome of crimes committed by IOF since 25 June 2006:

o     453 Palestinians, 287 of whom are civilians, including 87 children and 28 women, have been killed by IOF.

o     At least 1548 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 311 children, 10 women, 4 paramedics and 7 journalist, have been wounded by the IOF gunfire.

o     At least 326 air-to-surface missiles and hundreds of artillery shells have been fired at Palestinian civilian and military targets in the Gaza Strip.

o     Buildings of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National economy, the office of the Palestinian Prime Minister and a number of educational institutions have been destroyed. 

o     The electricity generation plant, providing 45% of the electricity of the Gaza Strip, was destroyed, and electricity networks and transmitters have been repeatedly attacked.

o     6 bridges linking Gaza City with the central Gaza Strip and a number of roads have been destroyed. 

o     Hundreds of donums of agricultural land and dozens of houses have been destroyed. 

o     Hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including 10 ministers and 31 members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretary, have been arrested. Minster of Prisoners’ Affairs, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Labor and Second Deputy Speaker of the PLC were released.

o     The Palestinian governmental compound in Nablus has been destroyed.

o     Many families in Rafah, Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia have been forced to leave their houses.

o     IOF intelligence has warned some Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip by phone to evacuate their houses, which would be attacked.

o     73 houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions have been destroyed by IOF warplanes.

o     IOF have imposed a strict siege on the OPT, and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (16 – 22 November 2006)

1.      Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 16 November 2006

·      At approximately 00:30, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 400-square-meter house belonging to 'Essam Hamdan Madi, in which 37 people (6 families) live, in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah. The house and two neighboring houses, where 29 people live, were destroyed, and 6 others were severely damaged. According to Madi, his brother received a call on his mobile phone at approximately 12:05 from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer informing that the house would be bombarded soon.

·      At approximately 00:45, IOF moved into 'Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and transformed them into military sites. An IOF shot dead Mohammed Salama Hamdan, 25, when he looked through his window to check what was going on.

In his testimony to PCHR, the victim’s father stated:

"At approximately 00:45 on Thursday, 16 November 2006, we woke up hearing sounds of shooting in 'Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. IOF soldiers were knocking doors of houses. They transformed a number of houses into observation points to pursue Palestinian resistance activists. We were waiting our turn as IOF used to raid our house every other day, claiming that my son, 28-year-old Jad, is wanted. At approximately 01:00, we heard IOF knocking doors of our neighbors. My son, 25-year-old Mohammed, and his mother looked through a window on the third floor of my house to check what was going on. Immediately, and IOF soldier fired one live bullet at them, and we did not know in which house IOF soldiers were positioned. The bullet hit my son Mohammed to the chest and killed him. His mother and eye hugged him crying, but we did not scream. We did not tell anyone that Mohammed was killed until IOF withdrew from the camp at 06:00. We were worried that if his brother Jad learnt the news, he might come to the house and would be then captured by IOF."

·      At approximately 00:50, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 180-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to 'Abdullah Mahmoud 'Abed Rabbu, in which 30 people (4 families) live, in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. The house was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged. According to 'Abed Rabbu, his brother received a call on his mobile phone, at approximately 12:05 from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer informing that the house would be bombarded in 15 minutes.

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Anabta village, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched dozens of houses and arrested Nidal Ahmed Abu 'Ali, 20.

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided Nassif apartment building in the south of the town. IOF soldiers violently bear 'Adnan Ahmed Shourbaji, 50, and his son Ahmed, 20, claiming that they were late in opening the door of their flat for them.

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Maher 'Abdul Ghani Saba’na, 31;

2.      Yasser Arafat Zakarna, 22;

3.      Nasser Hosni 'Alawna, 22;

4.      Tamer Saba’na, 45; and

5.      'Awad Abu Zalat, 26.

·      At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. They patrolled in the streets and raided and searched a number of houses. No arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 12:00, IOF pulled out of al-Shouka village, east of Rafah, following a 3-day incursion. PCHR’s field worker in Rafah reported that IOF had destroyed 7 houses belonging to the Abu Mo’ammar clan, in which 54 people (7 families) lived. They had also destroyed a number of roads and water supplies. According to residents of the area, IOF released 16 Palestinians civilians whom they had arrested at the beginning of the incursion, but kept two others in custody: 'Abdul Hamid Fares Mo’ammar, 31; and Yasser 'Ata Abu Mour, 28.

·      At approximately 14:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They besieged a two-storey house belonging to the heirs of Saleh Zeitawi in the north of the town. They ordered Mohammed Saleh Zeitawi, 24, through megaphones to surrender. They opened fire at the house. They also raided and searched a number of neighboring houses and transformed them into military sites. IOF continued to fire at the house until 18:00, when an IOF bulldozer started to demolish the first floor of the house. At approximately 19:00, Zeitawi surrendered to IOF. Zeitawi is the deputy leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (a military wing of Fatah movement) in Tulkarm.

·      At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Deir Estia village, southwest of Nablus. They raided the mosque of the village. They checked the prayers claiming that they were searching for young men who threw stones at them. They withdrew from the village later and no arrests were reported.

·      At approximately 23:05, an IOF helicopter gunship fired a missile at a 60-square-meter house belonging to Ibrahim Mohammed Dahman, a member of the Popular Resistance Committees, in Block 7 in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. The house was largely destroyed and two neighboring houses belonging to Dahman’s father and the Abu Qamar family were damaged. According to Dahman, he recived a call on his mobile phone 15 minutes prior to the attack from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer informing that the house would be bombarded soon.

Friday, 17 November 2006

·      At approximately 00:00, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 220-square-meter house belonging to Sami Salim Saleh, in which 9 people (two families) live, in al-Shaboura refugee camp in Rafah. The house and 3 neighboring houses, in which 28 people live, were destroyed and 6 other ones, in which 68 people live, a pharmacy shop and 3 stores were severely damaged. In addition, 15-year-old Mahmoud 'Aatef al-Satari was wounded by shrapnel to the head. According to Saleh’s father, his sister received a call on her mobile phone at approximately half an hour prior to this attack from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer informing that the house would be bombarded in 20 minutes. This house was the second to be bombarded by IOF in the same area, which is densely populated, in 24 hours. The two houses belong to members of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior.

·      At approximately 01:00, 4 IOF tanks, accompanied by a bulldozer, moved nearly 500 meters into 'Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land, which they had already razed during the Intifada. IOF withdrew from the area nearly 3 hours later.

·      At approximately 01:40, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb at a 250-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Ziad Mohammed Abu 'Ajeena, 45, in which 13 people live, in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. The house, a kindergarten belonging to 'Abu 'Ajeena and a house belonging to Abu 'Ajeena’s mother were destroyed. In addition, two neighboring houses were severely damaged.

·      At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      Eyad Shukri Khalifa, 19;

2.      Bashir Makhlouf, 18; and

3.      Nour Ahmed al-Shahrouri, 16.

·      Also at approximately 01:45, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 500-square-meter workshop belonging to 'Abdul Rahman Khalil Mansour in the center of Khan Yunis. The workshop was destroyed.

·      At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Kufor Dan village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed Mustafa Mar’ei, 25.

·      Also at approximately 02:15, IOF moved into al-Kurkoffa neighborhood in Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Firas 'Abdul Halim Salhab, 23, and arrested him.

·      At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Qalqilya. They besieged a 130-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Riad Ramadan al-Houtari and his brothers. They forced residents of the house out and held them in a neighboring house. In the meantime, dozens of Palestinian children and young men gathered and threw stones at IOF vehicles. Immediately, IOF soldiers opened fire at them, killing 17-year-old Tariq Ziad Taha with two live bullets to the abdomen. In addition, 29 civilians were wounded. A few hours later, IOF demolished the aforementioned house and a number of greenhouses and uprooted dozens of citrus trees. According to the al-Houtari family, no member of the family was wanted by IOF and that IOF soldiers interrogated them about an alleged wanted person claiming that he was hiding in the house, but this claim was untrue.

·      At approximately 23:20, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 4-storey house belonging to 'Alaa’ al-Din Mohammed 'Oqailan, in which 23 people (3 families) live, in al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. The second floor of the house was destroyed and other floors were severely damaged. According to 'Oqailan, he received a call on his mobile phone from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer, informing him that the house would be bombarded in 15 minutes.  

Saturday, 18 November 2006

·      At approximately 00:05, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 400-square-meter, two-storey post of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior in al-Shati refugee camp, west of Gaza City. The post was destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were damaged.

·      At approximately 01:05, an IOF helicopter gunship fired a missile at al-Islah Mosque in the densely populated al-Mansoura area in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The missile hit the second and the third floor of the mosque and severely damaged them.

·      At approximately 02:00, an IOF infantry unit moved at least 1500 meters into Fad’ous area in the north of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. At least 20 IOF soldiers raided a house belonging to Khader Ramadan Salman, 40. They held him, his parents, his wife and his 9 children in one room and transformed the house into a military site. At approximately 08:15, IOF soldiers positioned in the house opened fire at Sa’id Salem Hajjouj, 21, a body guard of Saleh Zaidan, a member of the political bureau of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. He was seriously wounded by several live bullets throughout the body. IOF prevented medical crews from attending him until their access was finally coordinated. Hajjouj was evacuated to the hospital, but medical efforts to save his life failed.  At approximately 10:00, a number of members of the Palestinian resistance and some civilians gathered near Salman’s house. An exchange of fire erupted between resistance activists and a number of IOF tanks that had moved into the area to support the infantry unit. As a result, two resistance activists were seriously wounded:

1.      'Abdullah 'Ata al-Keilani, 19, from Beit Lahia, hit by several live bullets to the abdomen and the right thigh; and

2.      Mohammed Fahmi al-Masri, 38, from Beit Lahia, hit by a live bullet to the abdomen.

At approximately 13:00, IOF military vehicles moved forwards until they reached the edges of the Bedouin Village. They opened fire indiscriminately. As a result, Tha’er Hasan al-Masri, 17, was seriously wounded by two live bullets to the neck and the chest, when he was near his house. He was evacuated to the hospital, but medical efforts to save his life failed. In addition, 3 other civilians, including two civilians, were wounded:

1.      Mohammed al-Sayed Abu Jalhoum, 17, from Jabalya refugee camp, seriously wounded by a live bullet to neck and died from his wound on the following day;

2.      Khaled Hussein Abu Namous, 17, from Jabalya refugee camp, seriously wounded by a live bullet to the chest; and

3.      Maher Abu Sultan, 18, from Beit Lahia, wounded by a live bullet to the right foot.

At approximately 15:00, IOF helicopter gunships opened fire at several areas in Beit Lahia. A schoolchild, 6-year-old Ahmed 'Essam 'Abdul 'Aziz Hannoun, was wounded by shrapnel to the forehead, when he was in the classroom. Another child, 12-year-old Rawan Khaled al-Mabhouh, was also wounded by shrapnel to left foot, when he was going to the same school to take her littler brother back home. On Sunday morning, 19 November 2006, IOF pulled out of Beit Lahia.

·      Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Qarawat Bani Hassan village, southwest of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      'Alaa’ Mahmoud 'Aassi, 20; and

2.      'Aamer Taqfiq Mar’ei, 19.

:: Article nr. 28502 sent on 24-nov-2006 16:47 ECT