PCHR Weekly Report

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights LTD (non-profit) http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 44/2008 30 Oct. - 05 Nov. 2008
IOF storm the campus of Palestine Technical College and arrest a number of students

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

IOF killed 7 members of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip.
21 Palestinians, including a woman, and an international human rights defender were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
IOF conducted 33 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and two others into the Gaza Strip.
IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, in the West Bank and 4 women in the Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border.
IOF closed all commercial crossings and Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
IOF demolished 3 houses and a wedding hall in East Jerusalem.
3 Palestinian journalists were injured in Hebron.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (30 October – 5 November 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 7 Palestinians and wounded 8 others in the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 13 Palestinian civilians and an international human rights defender in the West Bank.

On Tuesday evening and Wednesday morning, 4 and 5 November 2008, IOF killed 6 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas), and wounded 5 others in the southern and central Gaza Strip. All victims were hit by missiles fired by IOF aircrafts during Israeli incursions into some areas in the Gaza Strip. IOF also arrested a wounded woman. On Wednesday evening, IOF killed using missiles a member of al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) and wounded 2 civilian bystanders.

In the West Bank, 13 Palestinian civilians and an international human rights defender were wounded by the IOF gunfire.

On 31 October 2008, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron, and fired at civilians who threw stones at military vehicles.

On 3 November 2008, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, when IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas, and fired at civilians who threw stones at military vehicles.

During the reporting period, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and an international human rights defender were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall west of Ramallah.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 33 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 2,111.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 2 incursions into Palestinian communities on 4 November 2008. In the morning, IOF moved into al-Hamra area in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Stri, and leveled areas of land they had already razed. In the evening, IOF moved into the east of Deir al-Balah town in the central Gaza Strip. They killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and wounded 3 others and a woman. They also destroyed a house, razed areas of agricultural land and arrested 4 women, including one who was wounded.

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. During the reporting period, IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT for the the Jewish Sukkot.

Gaza Strip

IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The IOF siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.

· 1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living conditions, work, health and education.

· The Egypt-brokered ‘Tahdiya’ or truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel began on 19 June; however, there have been no major changes regarding the movements of civilians and goods through the six Gaza Strip border crossings.

· Rafah International Crossing Point, the only border crossing from the Gaza Strip to the outside world via a country other than Israel, remains closed.

· Health services continue to be severely affected by the siege, with healthcare facilities also registering a 25% drop in clients due to continuing chronic fuel shortages. Critically ill patients are still being denied permits to access vital health services in the West Bank, Israel and abroad. .

· Water facilities, including access to clean drinking water, and the treatment of raw sewage continue to be severely disrupted by fuel shortages. 50-60 million liters of untreated and partially treated sewage are being dumped into the Gaza Strip Mediterranean Sea daily, posing a public health risk.

· Hundreds of Gazan students are currently unable to resume their university studies abroad as they cannot exit the Gaza Strip. In addition, up to 1,200 school leavers are in the process of applying to study at foreign universities, and are dependent on being issued exit permits by the IOF.

· There are at least 900 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in jails in Israel who have been denied all visitation rights since 6 June 2007.

· Continuing chronic shortages of construction materials, including cement, aggregate and iron, have led to the collapse of the Gaza construction industry. Thousands of construction workers have been laid off, and vital infrastructure projects have been forcibly suspended.

· IOF have repeatedly closed border crossings of the Gaza Strip claiming that home-made rockets were launched at Israeli towns.

· During the reporting period, IOF decided to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip.

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 at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

· There are approximately permanent 630 roadblocks, manned and unmanned checkpoints across the West Bank. In addition, there are some 60-80 ‘flying’ or temporary checkpoints erected across the West Bank by IOF every week.

· 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 has already been constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

· At least 65% of the main roads that leads to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (47 out of 72 roads).

· There are around 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 a permit issued by the IOF. These 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.

· During the reporting period, IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians at al-Karama International Crossing Point on the Jordanian border.

Annexation Wall: During the reporting period, IOF started to raze areas of land in al-‘Amra natural reserve, which has been isolated by the Wall, southwest of Jenin. According to eyewitnesses, IOF razed areas of land in the vicinity of a residential compound where 27 Palestinians (5 families) live, for the purpose of establishing a fence surrounding and isolating the compound. IOF informed the families that they would establish a fence around their houses. Al-‘Amra is the largest natural reserve in the West Bank and has been isolated by the Wall. Control over it was supposed to be transferred to the Palestinian National Authority, but Israel maintained its control over it. In addition, IOF continued to prevented Palestinian farmers from reaching their lands that have been isolated by the Wall to cultivate olives although they have permits issued by IOF to reach their lands.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On Wednesday, 5 November 2008, IOF demolished 3 houses and a wedding hall in East Jerusalem. On Friday evening, 31 October 2008, Israeli settlers from “Kiryat Arab” and “Kharsina” settlements, southeast of Hebron, attacked Palestinian houses located near “Kharsina” settlement with stones and empty bottles. They then attacked journalists who were covering the attack. Three journalists were injured. A house was also damaged.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (30 October – 5 November 2008)

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

Thursday, 30 October 2008

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1. Mohammed Ibrahim Nassar, 33;

2. ‘Allam Ziad Jaradat, 34; and

3. Mohammed Ameen Abu Tame’, 34.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Sheikh quarter in Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned Tamer al-Joulani for interrogation.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-‘Ebayat village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ahmed Jamal ‘Ebayat, 19, and arrested him.

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Tarqoumia village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned Shadi Mohammed Ghareeb and Eyad Anwar al-Fatafta for interrogation.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 12:00, IOF stormed the campus of Palestine Technical College in al-‘Arroub area, north of Hebron. IOF also held at least 15 students from the adjacent Agricultural School and beat a number of them. They also arrested 12 college students, but released most of them in the evening. During this attack, ‘Eissa al-‘Amla, 43, Dean of Studnets’ Affairs, and Mohammed Abu Zagharit, 37, a guard of the college, were injured.

· At approximately 12:30, an IOF undercover unit moved into Bethlehem, traveling in an Israeli civilian vehicle. The vehicle stopped in the center of the town and members of the unit got out of it. They arrested ‘Izziddin ‘Abdul Karim Saddouq, 23. Soon after, IOF military vehicles moved into the town to secure the withdrawal of the undercover unit.

Friday, 31 October 2008

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire at a number of Palestinian civilians, which caused clashes between the two sides. Three Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded:

1. Mohammed Farhan ‘Asar, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left shoulder;

2. Badawai Ahmed al-‘Awawda, 27, wounded by shrapnel from a gunshot to the neck and abdomen; and

3. Fadi Ahmed al-Sharha, 21, wounded by a gunshot to the right foot and shrapnel from a gunshot to the neck.

· At approximately 17:50, IOF moved into al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Salah ‘Ali al-Titi, 33, a teacher.

Saturday, 1 November 2008

· At approximately 01:10, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Northern ‘Assira village, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses. They held Akram Yousef Salah, 12, and Mohammed Ibrahim Mousa, 12, for 2 hours. They withdrew from the village later and no arrests were reported.

Sunday, 2 November 2008

· At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Tamer Khalil al-Badan, 22.

· At approximately 02:10, IOF moved into Northern ‘Assira village, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested ‘Aamer ‘Essam ‘Abdullah, 16.

Monday, 3 November 2008

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Kufor Qoud village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:10, IOF moved into al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas, and imposed a curfew. They raided and searched a number of houses. A few hours later, a number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. Immediately, IOF troops fired at those civilians and wounded 6 of them, including 2 children:

1. Jihad Ghaleb Baladi, 11, seriously wounded by a gunshot to the back;

2. Mohammed Fu’ad Masalma, 21, seriously wounded by a gunshot to the pelvis;

3. ‘Ali Hassan Abu Tayeh, 24, wounded by a gunshot to the thigh;

4. Qais Yasser Abu Keshek, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the foot;

5. Shareef Khaled Subeh, 54, an UNRWA staff member who was on duty, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the side; and

6. Mohammed Jalal Abu ‘Ali, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the back.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qallil village, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1. ‘Essam Mohammed Hamad, 17; and

2. Shalabi Mer’eb Mash’ati, 18.

· At approximately 02:10, IOF moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed Ahmed Sama’na, 21.

Tuesday, 4 November 2008

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided ad searched a house belonging to the heirs of Yousef ‘Aawadh. They forced the family out, and took Rami Yousef ‘Awadh, 22, to a workshop belonging to the family. They searched the workshop and arrested him.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Kurkuffa neighborhood in Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

1. Fadi Fu’ad al-Balboul, 26; and

2. ‘Abdullah Abu Sha’ira, 23.

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-‘Azza refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

1. Mo’ayad ‘Othman al-‘Azza, 20; and

2. Shadi Mohammed al-Qaissi, 19.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

1. Fadi Mohammed Balsha, 28; and

2. Najeh Ahmed ‘Alawna, 21.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mousa Mahmoud Zawahra, 20.

· At approximately 07:00, IOF moved nearly 150 meters into al-Hamra in the east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. They leveled areas of land they had already razed. This incursion is still ongoing.

· At approximately 20:30, an IOF infantry unit moved almost 400 meters into Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. IOF troops raided a house belonging to Mofeed Suleiman al-Rumaili. They held the family hostage in one room, and used the house as a military base. Additional IOF troops besieged a house belonging to Hassan Suleiman al-Humiadi, using a megaphone to order the twenty three residents to leave the building. While the residents were leaving the house, Haneen Salah al-Humaidi, 27, was wounded by several gunshots to her back and right hand. Clashes subsequently erupted between the IOF troops and members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas). Three members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades were injured, one of them seriously. IOF subsequently sent reinforcements into the area, supported by aircrafts. At approximately 22:30, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, killing Mazen Nazmi Abu Sa’da (32). In the early hours of Wednesday, 5 November, IOF destroyed al-Humaidi’s house, razed 2.5 donumms of agricultural land, and also arrested 4 women, including the one who had been wounded. This escalation was the first of its kind since the Tahdi’a (the Egyptian-brokered truce between Palestinian resistance groups and Israel) entered into force on 19 June 2008.

Wednesday, 5 November 2008

· At approximately midnight, an IOF aircraft fired two missiles at four members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades in the east of al-Qarara village, near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The four members of the Brigades were killed:

1. Mahmoud Taha ‘Abdul Rahman Ba’lousha, 21;

2. ‘Omar Saleem Khader al-‘Alami, 20;

3. Wajed Nizam Hamza Muhareb, 19; and

4. Mohammed ‘Abdullah Mohammed ‘Awadh, 26.

Approximately an hour later, IOF aircrafts fired two missiles at another group of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades in Street No. 2 in the east of al-Qarara village. A member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades was killed. He was later identified as ‘Ammar Saleem Darwish Salhiya, 21, from al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Sheikh quarter in Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Hazem Falah al-Natsha, 25.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into ‘Aaida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of house and summoned ‘Ali ‘Awadh al-‘Aa’raj, 17, for interrogation.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Kufor al-Labad village, east of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned 3 Palestinian civilians for interrogation: Mo’men Haroun; Waheed Zabadi; and Ashja’ Rushdi Draid.

· At approximately 10:30, IOF moved into al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a shop belonging to Nasser ‘Aayesh, 44, and arrested him.

· At approximately 23:00, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) who were walking near al-‘Awda Hospital in Jabalya town in the northern Gaza Strip. An activist, 18-year-old Ghassan Yasser al-Taramsi, from Beit Lahia, was killed. Two civilian bystanders were also wounded:

1. Mohammed Tayseer al-Bahtiti, 19, wounded by shrapnel to the right hand; and

2. ‘Essam ‘Ali Ba’lousha, 46, wounded by shrapnel to the back.

IOF aircrafts pursued the activists after they had launched home-made rockets at Israeli towns.

2. Continued Siege on the OPT

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 continued to impose a siege on the 1.5 million civilians of the Gaza Strip. The border crossings of the Strip have been closed for more than two years as part of IOF’s collective punishment policy, imposing severe restrictions on the movement of civilians and goods. As a result, the territory is unable to secure its basic needs of food, medicine, and other supplies, pushing the poverty rate above 80%.

The continued Israeli ban on fuel supplies required for civilian life in the Gaza Strip has led to the paralysis of the educational sector. In addition, the health sector is on the verge of collapse due to the stoppage of many ambulances from operating for lack of fuel. Healthcare facilities have registered a drop in clients due to the transport crisis, and hundreds of healthcare professionals have been unable to reach their work places.

The tightened siege has led to the collapse of the Gaza Strip economic sectors. Most production facilities have ceased to operate due to the siege and restriction on movement of goods and individuals.

During the reporting period, IOF continued to close Sofa crossing, northeast of Rafah. Concerning the movement at Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, southeast of Rafah, during the reporting period, it was as shown in the following table:

Date	Details
29 October 2008	71 containers of goods and humanitarian aids were allowed into the Gaza Strip
30 October 2008	23 containers of goods were allowed into the Gaza Strip
31 October 2008	50 containers of goods and humanitarian aids were allowed into the Gaza Strip
1 November 2008	Closed
2 November 2008	70 containers of goods and humanitarian aids were allowed into the Gaza Strip
3 November 2008	79 containers of goods and humanitarian aids were allowed into the Gaza Strip
4 November 2008	75 containers of goods and humanitarian aids were allowed into the Gaza Strip

During the reporting period, IOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing, east of Gaza City, on Monday, 3 November 2008, and allowed the entry of 3,600 tons of feeds and seeds into the Gaza Strip. They also partially reopened it on Tuesday, 4 November 2008, and allowed the entry of 3,200 tons of feeds and seeds.

With regard to Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the Egyptian authorities started to open it limitedly for some patients. During the reporting period, the movement at the crossing point was as shown in the following table:

Date	Details
29 October	30 Palestinian civilians, including pilgrims and patients, were allowed to travel back to the Gaza Strip.
30 October	112 Palestinian civilians, including pilgrims and patients, were allowed to travel back to the Gaza Strip.
2 November	15 Palestinians, including 4 senior leaders of Islamic Jihad (Dr. Mohammed al-Hindi; Sheikh Nafez ‘Azzam; Ibrahim al-Najjar; and Jameel Yousef), were allowed to travel to Egypt.
3 November	Hamas leader Mahmoud al-Zakkar and Khalil al-Haya, accompanied by their bodyguards, were allowed to travel to Egypt for talks with Egyptian officials on the internal Palestinian dialogue.
4 November	1,093 Palestinians, including patients and students, were allowed to travel to Egypt, and 424 others, including Mahmoud al-Zahhar and Khalil al-Haya (Hamas leaders), were allowed to travel back to the Gaza Strip.

Concerning the movement at Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, IOF closed it on Tuesday, 21 October 2008. During the reporting period, the movement at the crossing was as shown in the following table:

Date	Benzene	Diesel	Cooking Gas	Energy Fuel
29 October	10,500 liters, in addition to 49,900 liters for UNRWA	220,000 liters for UNRWA	247.200 tons	188,400 liters
30 October	Nil	Nil	83.340 tons	Nil
2 November	124,410 liters	262,400 liters	223.390 tons	Nil
3 November	Nil	Nil	202.280 tons