PCHR Weekly Report

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

16 Palestinian civilians, including four children, and a Scottish human rights defender, were wounded by the IOF gunfire.

Nine of the wounded were wounded during peaceful demonstrations against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

IOF violently assaulted a number of Palestinian civilians during house raids.

IOF arrested 2 Palestinian civilians near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT for the Jewish Kipurim festival.

IOF troops positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 2 Palestinian civilians.

IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.

This report on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) coincides with the 8^th anniversary of the al-Aqsa Intifada, which erupted following the former Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s provocative visit to the al-Aqsa Mosque (the Holy Sanctuary) in occupied Jerusalem. Over the last 8 years, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have perpetrated grave breaches of international law, including war crimes, against Palestinian civilians, in a manner unprecedented since 1967. The international community has remained silent and the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 have failed to meet their obligations to ensure respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and provide protection for Palestinian civilians. The international silence has served to encourage the Israeli government and its occupation forces to perpetrate more war crimes with impunity against Palestinian civilians.

Justice is absolutely absent in the Israeli judiciary, especially regarding the Israeli military, regarding cases related to Palestinians in the OPT. The Palestinian centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has monitored human rights violations in the OPT since 1995, and has concluded that the Israeli judiciary is used to in order to provide legal cover for IOF to commit war crimes against Palestinian civilians.

In light of these facts, PCHR, in cooperation with a number of international legal and human rights organizations, has resorted to international legal means in order to prosecute Israeli war criminals, and those suspected of having committed war crimes. In this context, over the past three years, PCHR, in cooperation with human rights organizations, has sought to prosecute Israeli war criminals before international courts in order to achieve justice for victims of crimes committed by IOF. Cases have been filed against Israeli war criminals in Switzerland, USA, UK, Netherlands, New Zealand and Spain. One of the most recent cases was presented in Madrid against 6 Israeli officials who committed war crimes against Palestinian civilians, and the supreme judicial body in Spain accepted the case and declared that it will give it full consideration.

One of the cases pursued by PCHR was issued before the British judiciary against retired Major General Doron Almog, who served as GOC Southern Commander of the Israeli military from 8 December 2000 to 7 July 2003. Almog was forced to avoid arrest by British police officers under an arrest warrant issued by Chief London Magistrate Timothy Workman. In the most recent case, an application has been submitted by a torture victim to the Dutch authorities to arrest Ami Ayalon, who served as the Director of Shin Bet (the Israeli General Security Services - GSS) after the Dutch prosecution authorities failed to arrest him while he was visiting the Netherlands in May 2008.

Statistics of the al-Aqsa Intifada (29 September 2000 – 29 September 2008)

§ 3,731 Palestinian civilians have been killed by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

§ 1,114 Palestinians were killed by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip in armed clashes.

§ A total of 4,845 Palestinians have been killed by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip (this number does not include deaths at military checkpoints, deaths of patients as a result of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and deaths resulting from bombings inside Israel).

Area	Number of Victims	Percentage
West Bank	1,680	46%
Gaza Strip	2,051	54%

Some Categories of Palestinian Civilians Killed by IOF in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Category	Number	Percentage
Children	850	22.87%
Women	163	4.37%
Medical personnel	26	0.70%
Journalists	11	0.29%
Internationals	6	0.16%

Category	Number
Targeted persons	510
Non-targeted persons	229
Total	739

§ At least 25,000 Palestinians have been wounded by IOF in the OPT, including 12,261 in the Gaza Strip.

District	Complete Demolition	Partial Demolition
Northern Gaza Strip	346	870
Gaza	197	331
Central Gaza Strip	182	185
Khan Yunis	677	409
Rafah	1,556	1,114
Total	2958	2909

§ IOF have razed at least 40,485 donumms[1] of land in the Gaza Strip, and have confiscated thousands of donumms in the West Bank for settlement activities and the construction of the Annexation Wall.

Houses Demolished by IOF in the West Bank from 2001 to 2007 (Statistics from the Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem)

District	Number
Bethlehem	135
Jerusalem	469
Hebron	296
Jenin	147
Qalqilya	52
Tulkarm	137
Salfit	23
Tubas	18
Ramallah	98
Jericho	42
Nablus	189
Total	1606

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (25 September – 8 October 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli settlers killed a Palestinian civilian, and IOF wounded 16 civilians, including four children. They also wounded a Scottish human rights defender.

On Saturday evening, 27 September, Israeli settlers shot dead a Palestinian civilian from ‘Aqraba village, southeast of Nablus, with at least 20 gunshots to the neck, the chest and the legs. His body was found almost one kilometer from “Jetit” settlement, an area which is prohibited for Palestinians. Apparently, Israeli settlers kidnapped the victim and took him to the area.

During the reporting period, IOF wounded 15 Palestinian civilians and a human rights defender.

On 27 September, a Palestinian child was wounded when IOF troops fired at Palestinian civilians who got out of their houses in Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit, in order to stop dozens of Israeli settlers who stormed the village.

On 4 October, five Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF troops fired at Palestinian civilians who demonstrated in Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit.

On 7 October, a Palestinian civilian was wounded in al-Far’a refugee camp, south of Tubas, when an IOF undercover unit stormed his house and fired at him. According to eyewitnesses, IOF troops stormed the house by mistake as the attack targeted the victim’s neighbor.

During the reporting period, eight Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, and a Scottish human rights defender, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest at the construction of the Annexation Wall in N’elin and Bal’ein villages, west of Ramallah.

In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian fisherman was wounded by a heavy-caliber gunshot when IOF naval troops opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats opposite to the seashore of the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 59 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children and a woman. The number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year stands at 2,033. During house raids, IOF troops violently assaulted a number of Palestinian civilians, and a number of Palestinian families stated they subsequently lost jewelry and money.

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. On Wednesday evening, 8 October 2008, IOF imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT for the Jewish Kipurim Festival.

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 have been launched at Israeli towns.

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 kilometres 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 troops positioned at various checkpoints arrested 2 Palestinian civilians.

Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT have, in violation of international humanitarian law, continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. In addition to killing a Palestinian civilian (see above), during the reporting period, Israeli settlers launched seven attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank, especially in Hebron. Four Palestinian civilians, including a woman, and two Israeli peace activists were injured. Israeli settlers also deliberately set fire to dozens of olive trees.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (25 September – 8 October 2008)

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

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children:

· At approximately 01:40, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:40, IOF moved into Kherbat al-Janajra village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Wa’el Suleiman Sawarka, 33.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ibrahim Moneer ‘Arafa, 19.

· At approximately 02:15, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 22:00, IOF moved into Kufor Qaddoum village, east of Qalqilya. They opened fire into the air. They stopped and checked dozens of Palestinian civilians and beat a number of them. Provocative acts by IOF troops in the village continued for several hours.

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Sa’id Fareed Fraitakh, 21.

· At approximately 02:45, IOF moved into Seilat al-Harthiya village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:45, IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Waleed Moneer Jaradat, 15.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit ‘Awa village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, and imposed a curfew. They patrolled the streets and alleys and opened fire at houses and shops. IOF claimed that a number of young men had thrown stones at Israeli vehicles.

· At noon, IOF troops positioned in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron arrested Mohammed Rateb Abu Haikal, 50. Abu Haikal and his family were on a tract of their land, attempting to protect their olive trees when Israeli settlers living in “Ramat Yishai” settlement outpost attacked the land and harvested the olives for themselves. IOF troops arrested Abu Haikal when he intervened to prevent the settlers from attacking one of his sons. The Palestinians left the settlers on the land. According to the Haikel family, a number of settlers arrived at the land and started to harvest the olives. When Abu Haikal’s son, 14-year-old Mo’taz, attempted to prevent the settlers from harvesting the olives, they violently beat him. IOF troops in the area arrested Abu Haikal and his two sons: Mo’taz, 14; and Hussein, 19. The two sons were released in the evening while the father remained in custody.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Jaber quarter in the southeast of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to Sofian ‘Abdul Rahman Abu Hatta and arrested 3 of his sons: Waleed, 22; Mohammed, 20; and Mahdi, 19.

According to Abu Hatta, arresting his three sons was for the sake of satisfying Israeli settlers who repeatedly attacked his house. Two months ago, Israeli settlers pushed down his son, 15-year-old Hamza, from the roof of the house. The child sustained fractures and bruises throughout the body.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Bassa village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 15:00, IOF troops positioned on an observation tower at the border between the Gaza Strip to the east of al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis, fired at two Palestinian civilians, who were almost 100 meters to the west of the border. They then ordered the two civilians to lie on the ground. Soon after, an IOF infantry unit moved into the area and arrested the two civilians:

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into the west of Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. They arrested 3 Palestinian civilians who were in the area:

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

· At approximately 16:00, IOF moved into Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians and property. A number of Palestinian civilians gathered and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. Immediately, IOF troops fired at these civilians wounding 5, including a child:

2. ‘Esmat ‘Abdul Ghafer al-Dik, 23, mentally disabled, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot;

3. Mahfouz Kamel ‘Abdul Majid, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the left foot;

4. Jawdat Mohammed Qassoul, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right shoulder;

5. Younis Shawkat Ahmed, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot.

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Taqqou’ village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested ‘Omar Mohammed Nawawra, 33.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Duhaisha refugee camp, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children:

· At approximately 04:00, IOF navel troops opened fire at a number of Palestinian fishing boats that were sailing opposite to Rafah seashore. A fisherman, 19-year-old Mohammed Jihad Mosleh, from Rafah, was seriously wounded by a heavy-caliber gunshot to the legs.

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

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

PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights http://www.pchrgaza.org
Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory	No. 40/2008 25 Sep. 08 Oct. 2008
A Palestinian woman sorts olives during the harvest in a grove next to Israel's separation barrier near the West Bank village of Abu Dis