PCHR Weekly Report

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 41/2006 12 - 18 October 2006

The debris of Tawfiq al-Aschi’s house, in Rafah which was bombarded by Israeli warplanes on 14 Oct. 2006.

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

28 Palestinians, 17 of whom including 2 children and a woman are civilians, were killed by IOF.

6 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in 3 separate attacks.

IOF have continued to launch air strikes on houses and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip; 5 houses were destroyed and a number of others were severely damaged.

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

IOF arrested 48 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, in the West Bank, and 8 others in the Gaza Strip.

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF arrested 3 Palestinian civilian at checkpoints in the West Bank

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; Palestinian farmers have been denied access to their agricultural lands to cultivate olives.

Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (12 – 18 October 2006):

Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 28 Palestinians, 17 of whom are civilians including two children and a woman, are civilians. in the Gaza Strip. Twenty four of the victims were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 44 Palestinians, including 14 children and 4women, were wounded. This increase in the number of casualties in the Gaza Strip followed orders by the Israeli Defense Minister Amir Perets to his army to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip allegedly to stop the armament of Palestinian organizations.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 24 Palestinians and wounded 29 others, including 5 children and 4 women.

On Thursday, 12 October 2006, IOF moved into Greater ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. During this incursion, which continued until Saturday, 14 October 2006, IOF killed 7 Palestinians, including 4 civilians (a man, his child, a woman and a young man). The man and his child were killed when they were inside their house. Three members of the Palestinian resistance were also killed when they clashed with IOF. On Thursday evening, IOF killed 3 Palestinian civilians, including a man and his child, when they bombarded a room in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City. On Friday, 13 October 2006, IOF extra-judicially executed 4 Palestinians in two separate attacks in Beit Lahia town and Gaza City. On Saturday, 14 October 2006, IOF killed 6 Palestinians, including two civilians, when IOF helicopter gunships fired 5 missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. On Tuesday, 17 October 2006, IOF killed two Palestinians, including one civilian, during an incursion into Jabalya. On Wednesday, 18 October 2006, IOF killed two members of the Palestinian resistance during an incursion into Rafah.

IOF also launched 4 air strikes on 3 houses and two stores of car batteries in the Gaza Strip. As a result, 5 houses were destroyed and a number of other ones were severely damaged. 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. On Tuesday, 17 October 2006, IOF killed two Palestinians, including one civilian, in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. On the same day, IOF extra-judicially executed two Palestinians in ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus. In addition, 4 Palestinians were wounded by the IOF gunfire.

Incursions: During the reported period, IOF conducted at least 30 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they raided dozens of houses and arrested 48 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, the youngest of whom is 7 years old. IOF also transformed 6 houses in Hebron into military sites.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 6 military incursions into areas in the Gaza Strip. The widest of these incursions was into Rafah on 18 October 2006. This incursion has been the widest into the southern Gaza Strip town since the implementation of the Israeli Disengagement Plan in the Gaza Strip in September 2005. During these incursions, IOF killed a number of Palestinians, razed at least 120 donums[1] of agricultural land, raided and searched houses, transformed a number of houses into military sites, stole some belongings and arrested 8 Palestinians. They also interrogated hundreds of Palestinian civilians.

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.

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. During this period, the crossing has been opened for 14 separate days. IOF have closed 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 partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City, and 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 prevented Palestinian fishermen from fishing for approximately 4 months.

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. They have further prevented Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip from entering Jerusalem to pray in al-Aqsa Mosque in the Holy Ramadan. IOF positioned at various checkpoints around Jerusalem imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.

Annexation Wall: While they have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank, IOF have prevented Palestinian farmers in the north and south of the West Bank from reaching their agricultural lands, which are planted with olives, located behind the Wall. According to these farmers, IOF have refused to issue permits for them to be able to reach their lands. The farmers have expressed their concerns that they may lose the current olive season. IOF often fire at Palestinian farmers to drive them away from their lands.

o 315 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 62 children and 14 women, have been killed by IOF.

o At least 1072 Palestinian civilians, including 315 children and 45 women, have been wounded by the IOF gunfire.

o At least 286 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 9 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 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 53 houses belonging to activists of Palestinian factions were 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 (12 – 18 October 2006)

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

On Thursday morning, 12 October 2006, IOF moved into Greater ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yuis. During this incursion, which continued for at least two days, IOF killed a man and his child, when they were inside their house in Greater ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. They also killed a woman, a young man 3 members of the Palestinian resistance. In addition, 11 Palestinians, 9 of whom including a woman are civilians, were wounded by the IOF gunfire. Investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that IOF used excessive force without taking into consideration the principles of necessity and discrimination in attacking Palestinian resistance activists. IOF also arrested 4 Palestinians, and razed at least 120 donums of agricultural land planted with olives, palms, fruits and vegetables.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 01:45 on Thursday, 12 October 2006, special units of IOF moved nearly 800 meters into Greater ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. IOF soldiers raided and searched 3 houses. They transformed these houses into military sites. A number of members of the Palestinian resistance gathered to confront IOF. Soon, IOF military vehicles, reinforced by helicopters, moved into the village. They opened fire at agricultural areas. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were wounded. Soon after, an IOF helicopter gunship fired 3 missiles at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance, who were on a field located near a number of houses. One of these missiles hit the western part of a house belonging to ‘Aadel Zer’ei Mahmoud Qudaih, 40, in which 8 people live. As a result, his child, 13-year-old Suhaib, was instantly killed, where as he was seriously wounded and died at the hospital later. In addition, Qudaih’s wife, 35-year-old ‘Abeer ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Qudaih, was wounded by shrapnel to the face and the limbs. Palestinian civilians were able to evacuate the child’s body and his mother to the hospital more than two hours later. The other missiles hit the targeted resistance activists. As a result, 3 resistance activists were killed by shrapnel throughout their bodies:

3. ‘Omar Khader Qudaih, 22, wounded by shrapnel to the side and the right hand;

At approximately 07:00, Mohammed Ramadan Baraka, 18, was seriously wounded by two live bullets to the chest and the left shoulder, when IOF positioned near the cemetery of the village opened fire indiscriminately. He was evacuated to the hospital, but medical efforts to save his life failed and he was pronounced dead at 12:00.

Later, IOF expanded their incursion into the village. They raided and searched dozens of houses and forced their male residents aged 15-40 out. IOF soldiers arrested 150 Palestinians and took them to military sites to the northeast and southeast of Rafah. They interrogated and violently beat these Palestinians. Later, IOF released these Palestinians excluding 4, including two brothers:

1. ‘Azmi Barham Abu Daqqa, 31, a member of the Executive Force of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior;

2. Tamer Kamal Qudaih, 28, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces;

3. Mohammed Kamal Qudaih, 25, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces; and

At approximately 06:30 on Friday, 13 October 2006, IOF soldiers positioned on tanks and on the roofs of a number of houses in Qudaih area opened fire at dozens of Palestinian civilians who gathered on a branch road in the area. As a result, Zahra Ahmed Joma’a Qudaih, 29, a mother of 4 children, was killed by a live bullet to the chest, and Fadi Husni Qudaih, 23, was wounded by a live bullet to the right hand.

At approximately 16:50, Shareef Helmi Qudaih, 20, was wounded by a live bullet to the right foot, when IOF opened fire indiscriminately.

During this incursion, which continued until 00:00 on Saturday, 14 October 2006, IOF razed at least 120 donums of agricultural land planted with olives, palms, fruits and vegetables. They also destroyed irrigation networks and two agricultural pools and damaged a house. Palestinian civilians accused IOF soldiers of stealing jewelry and money from their houses during house raids.

· At approximately 00:25, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 140-square-meter, two-storey house, in which 7 people live, belonging to Suleiman ‘Abdul Hamid Salah, 54, in the densely populated Jabalya refugee camp. The house and two neighboring houses were destroyed. Additionally, a number of neighboring houses were severely damaged. According to residents of the area, they received phone calls from persons who introduced themselves as Israeli intelligence officers. Those persons informed them that their houses would be destroyed. Salah was not officially informed that his house would be destroyed.

· At approximately 00:50, IOF moved into Beit Kahel village, northwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinians, including a child:

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Hani Hussein al-‘Arouj, 33, and arrested him.

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Za’tara village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of ‘Aahed Ahmed al-Wahesh, 25, and arrested him.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, north of Qalqilya. They raided and searched two houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Ahmed Abu Khairan, 18, and arrested him.

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Kamal ‘Othman ‘Amru, 50, a leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and arrested him.

· Also at approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Deir Razeh village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Kamel Mohammed Nassar, 21, and arrested him.

· At approximately 20:00, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 36-square-meter room, which is a subordinate of a 120-square-meter, 3-storey house belonging to Iftikhar Sa’id Farawana in al-Tawabin Street in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The room and parts of the house were destroyed and two neighboring houses were severely damaged. As a result, Ayman Mohammed Saleh Farawana, 40, was killed by shrapnel throughout the body, when he was sitting near the room. In addition, 5 members of the family (3 women and two children) were wounded. Shrapnel from the bombs moved up to 80 meters away and killed Ussama Fadel al-Harazin, 30, and his two-year-old child Iman, when they were walking in the area. It is worth noting that a member of the Farawana family, Ashraf, is a member of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The wounded in this attack are:

· At approximately 00:30, an IOF helicopter gunship fired a missile at a two stores of car batteries belonging to Ameen Saleh al-Riashi, 34m which are located under his 3-storey house, in which 35 people live, near Bahloul fuel station in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The two stores were severely damaged and two doors of two other stores in the same building were destroyed. This attack was the second of its kind against the family's property after a member of the family, Reem al-Riashi, had carried out a bombing against IOF at Erez crossing in the north of the Gaza Strip.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm refugee camp. They opened fire indiscriminately and raided and searched a number of houses. No casualties or arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They opened fire at houses and shops. A number of shops and houses were damaged.

· At approximately 17:00, a special unit of IOF moved nearly 300 meters in Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. The unit arrested two Palestinian farmers: Tayseer Saleh Abu Muhareb, 20; and Yasser Salem Abu Muhareb. IOF interrogated the two farmers and released them two hours later.

· At approximately 20:00, IOF permanently positioned in the center and south of Hebron, raided and searched a house belonging to Humaidan Farid al-'Owaiwi. They held the ten residents of the house on the first floor and transformed the second floor into a military site allegedly to secure the celebrations organized by Israeli settlers for the Jewish feasts. According to the owner, IOF soldiers damaged the house.

· Also at approximately 20:00, IOF raided and searched a house belonging to Sameeh No'man Da'na in Biar neighborhood near "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron. They held the 7 residents of the house on the first floor and transformed the second floor and the roof into a military site.

· At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians, wounding two of them:

1. Yousef Hamad Nasasra, 26, seriously wounded by shrapnel to the right eye; and

2. Tayseer 'Aaref al-Haj Mohammed, 50, wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen and the feet.

· At approximately 00:50, an IOF fighter jet dropped a bomb on a 400-square-meter, two-storey house, in which 31 people (5 families) live, belonging to Tawfiq Hashem al-‘Aschi in al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah. The house was destroyed and 5 neighboring houses, in which 78 people (12 families) live, were severely damaged. In addition, electricity was cut off from large areas in the towns. According to al-‘Aschi, one of his neighbors, Mahmoud Abu Mutair, received a phone call from a person who introduced himself as an Israeli intelligence officer. The officer ordered Mutair to inform al-‘Aschi that his house would be bombarded. IOF claimed that al-‘Aschi’s son, Hamdi, trade and store weapons in the house.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and helicopters, moved nearly 2500 meters into the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya. They opened fire and took position in 'Abed Rabbu farm in the east of the town. An hour later, IOF helicopters fired 5 missiles at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance, killing 4 of them in addition to two civilians living in the area:

IOF withdrew from the town at approximately 04:00, leaving large destruction to agricultural land and civilian facilities.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They took position in the Cafés area and opened fire indiscriminately. A number of members of the Palestinian resistance clashes with IOF. As a result of these clashes, one member of the resistance was seriously wounded by a live bullet to the abdomen. IOF then raided and searched a number of houses and transformed them into military sites. IOF withdrew from the village at approximately 06:00 and no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 05:00, IOF raided and searched ‘Adnan Rasheed Abu Hamdiya’s house in Qaitoun quarter in the old town of Hebron. They detained the eight residents of the house on the first floor and transformed the second floor into a military site.

· At approximately 10:00, IOF permanently positioned in the center and south of Hebron raided and searched a house belonging to Na’el and Hazem ‘Adnan Zaitoun in Qantarat al-Hamam quarter. They detained the ten residents of the house in one room and transformed the house into a military site.

· Also at approximately 10:00, IOF raided and searched a house belonging to ‘Essam Mohammed al-Harbawi in Bani Dar quarter in the old town of Hebron. They detained the six residents in one room and transformed the house into a military site.

· At approximately 21:30, IOF moved into Tubas village, southeast of Jenin. An IOF vehicles accidentally dropped into a sewage pipe near the building of the municipality. Immediately, IOF soldiers got out of their vehicles and opened fire indiscriminately. As a result 3 Palestinian children were wounded:

1. Mohammed Sati Daraghma, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right thigh;

2. Mohammed Kamal Sawafta, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot; and

3. Ibrahim Mohammed Abu Salah, 12, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot.

A number of live bullets also hit the building of the municipality, when a meeting of the municipal council was being held, but no casualties were reported.

· At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into ‘Ein Sara neighborhood. They erected a checkpoint at the main intersection in the neighborhood, and stopped, checked and interrogated a number of Palestinian civilians who had watched a football match in al-Hussein Stadium.

· At approximately 12:00, IOF raided and searched a house belonging to ‘Ataya Hassan al-Jabrini, 55, in the old town of Hebron. They ordered al-Jabrini and his family to get out of the house, which would be transformed into a military site. Al-Jabrini refused, and 5 IOF soldiers violently beat him before the eyes of his wife and children. He fainted and was injured to the head and the chest. IOF prevented medical crews for an hour from evacuating him to the hospital. IOF soldiers stayed in the house for 4 hours.

· At approximately 13:40, IOF moved into Nablus through its western entrance. They besieged a 4-storey apartment building in Tunisia Street. They ordered residents of the building through megaphones to get out and they did. IOF soldiers checked the identity cards of the residents. They then arrested Mohammed Mahmoud Rabai’a, 28, from Maithaloun village southeast of Jenin, who had been allegedly wanted for 3 years from being a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Fatah movement.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Wadi Ma’ali neighborhood in the southwest of Bethlehem. Theyt raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Khader Masalma, 17, and arrested him.

· In the early morning, IOF killed two Palestinians, including a civilian, and wounded 10 others, including 7 civilians, in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. IOF also arrested 15 Palestinians, including 3 militants who were wounded in clashes with IOF.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 23:00 on Monday, 16 October 2006, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They took position in al-Zakarna area in the southwest of the village and opened fire at houses. In the early morning of Tuesday, a number of Palestinian militants clashed with IOF. One of the militants, 18-year-old 'Omar 'Abdul Ra'ouf Mahmoud Zakarna, was killed by several live bullets to the head, the chest, the neck and the limbs. Three militants were also wounded and arrested by IOF:

IOF also raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

At approximately 08:00, a number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at IOF vehicles. Immediately, IOF soldiers fired at the children and at houses. As a result, Hani Mahmoud Mahmoud Ahmed Smadi, 24, was killed by a live bullet to the heart. According to eyewitnesses, an IOF soldier positioned inside a house in the village shot Smadi dead when he was standing in front of his house. In addition, 7 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded:

1. 'Izziddin Mohammed 'Abdul Rahim, 16, seriously wounded by a live bullet to the chest;

2. Mahmoud Ahmed Hanaisha, 20, wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen and the chest;

4. Mahmoud Hassan Abu al-Rub, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullets to the foot;

· At approximately 11:40, IOF moved into Hebron. They closed all entrances to 'Ein Sara neighborhood and imposed a curfew on a one-square-kilometer area. They then raided offices of members of the Palestinian Legislative Council representing the Change and Reform Bloc. They took all persons who were in the offices out and held them in a neighboring shop. They searched the offices and interrogated their staff members. IOF withdrew from the area at approximately 13:30 after having arrested Mahmoud Hamdi Shabana, 40, the director of the offices. Shabana had been placed under administrative detention in Israeli jails for long periods.

· At approximately 12:30, IOF moved raided the campus of the College of Religious Studies in al-Quds University in Abu Dis town, east of occupied Jerusalem. They arrested two students:

· At approximately 22:00, IOF, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and helicopters, moved nearly 2000 meters into 'Abed Rabbu farm in the northern Gaza Strip town of Jabalya until they reached Salah al-Din Streets. They opened fire at houses. A number of members of the Palestinian resistance clashed with IOF. As a result of these clashes, a member of the resistance, 21-year-old Zaher Isma'il al-Tanani, was killed by several live bullets throughout the body. At approximately 23:00, IOF positioned near the Customs Department at Salah al-Din Street opened fire at Palestinian houses in Sha'sha'a area in the east of Jabalya. As a result, Ghazi Ghassan Abu Dahrouj, 25, was killed by a live bullet to the neck, and Mohammed Mohammed 'Abed Rabbu, 20, was wounded by shrapnel from a tank shell fired at a gathering of Palestinian civilians. At approximately 04:00 on Wednesday, 18 October 2006, IOF withdrew from the area.

· In the early morning, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched dozens of houses and arrested 15 Palestinians, including 4 children, before thew withdrew from the village at 14:30:

· At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Thinnaba suburb, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ra’ed Hussam Ermailat, 30, and arrested him.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Khellat al-Iman neighborhood in the north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians: Khaled Ramadan Isma’il, 37; and his brother Mohammed, 22.

· At approximately 03:00, IOF expanded their incursion into Rafah. IOF had been positioned in al-Shouka village near Gaza International Airport since last Sunday. According to residents of the area, IOF moved from Kerem Shalom crossing on the Palestinian-Israeli-Egyptian border nearly 3 kilometers into Rafah reaching al-Salam neighborhood near the Egyptian border south of Rafah. They also took position near Rafah International Crossing Point and besieged members of the Palestinian Presidential Guard working at the crossing point. IOF soldiers raided and searched a number of houses and transformed them into military sites. During this incursion, a number of members of the Palestinian resistance clashed with IOF. IOF soldiers positioned atop of a number of houses opened fire at them. As a result, two members of the resistance were killed:

This operation has been the first of it kind, in which IOF reach Salah al-Din Street and the Egyptian border since the implantation of the Israeli Disengagement Plan in the Gaza Strip in September 2005. As the operation continued, at approximately 06:00, IOF called through megaphones on male Palestinian civilians to get out of their houses. When these civilians got out, IOF handcuffed and blindfolded them.

Also at approximately 03:00, a special unit of IOF moved hundreds of meters into al-Shouka village to the south of Sofa crossing on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. IOF soldiers raided and searched a number of houses. At approximately 08:30, IOF heavy military vehicles moved into the area to reinforce the special unit. IOF arrested a number of Palestinian civilians. Four of the detainees were identified as:

During the reported period, IOF committed 3 extra-judicial executions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, which left 7 Palestinians dead.

· According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 09:20 on Friday, 13 October 2006, an IOF drone fired a missile at a civilian car that was traveling in the center of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. Three members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas. The missile hit the car and killed the three passengers:

In addition, a civilian bystander, 14-year-old Sa’ad ‘Aadel Abu ‘Olba, was wounded by shrapnel to the feet.

· At approximately 15:30 also on Saturday, an IOF drone fired two missiles at a civilian car that was traveling in Ahmed Yassin Street in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City. Two members of the Mujahideen Brigade, an armed wing of Fatah movement, were traveling in the car. The two missiles hit the car and killed one of the passengers, 24-year-old Raja’ei Ahmed al-Labban, and wounded the other passenger. In addition, two civilian bystanders were wounded by shrapnel.

· At approximately 16:40 on Tuesday, 17 October 2006, an IOF undercover unit moved into 'Ein Beit al-Maa' refugee camp, west of Nablus, traveling in a civilian vehicles with a Palestinian registration plate. The unit took position at the southern entrance of the camp. Soon, IOF soldiers opened fire at a Palestinian taxi in which two Palestinians were traveling. The two Palestinians were killed:

2. Firas Bassam Abu al-Rish, 22, his cousin, hit by two live bullets to the chest.

The former was a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, an armed wing of Fatah movement, and the latter, who died shortly after having been evacuated to the hospital, was not wanted by IOF. Soon, IOF military vehicles moved into the camp to secure the withdrawal of IOF.

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.