PCHR Weekly Report

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) amidst a Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip Due to the Closure

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (4 – 17 December 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 2 Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They also wounded 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank, and 4 activists of the Palestinian resistance and a woman in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli settlers' gunfire.

In the West Bank, on Monday, 15 December 2008, an IOF undercover unit extra-judicially executed Jihad Ahmed Ameen Nawahda, 21, a member of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), in al-Yamoun village west of Jenin. Nawahda was hit by multiple gunshots to the back, the abdomen and the legs.

During the reporting period, 9 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall west of Ramallah.

Also during the reporting period, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a man and his son, were wounded by Israeli settlers' gunfire in Hebron on 4 and 5 December 2008.

On Sunday, 12 December 2008, a Palestinian child was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head fired by IOF troops that provided protection to Israeli settlers who attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 38 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 50 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children and a girl. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 2,311. IOF also transformed 8 houses in Hebron into military sites. In the Gaza Strip, IOF troops that had moved into 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis, arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, for some hours.

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.

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.

· The Gaza Power plant completely stopped operation due to the lack of energy fuel. Over the past three weeks, IOF have allowed only 1,721,610 liters of energy fuel into the Gaza Strip, an amount which can operate the power plant for only 5 days.

· The main concern of 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

· Electricity is cut off for 100,000s of civilians from 8-12 hours daily, which has impacted at least 500,000 students or various stages of education who are currently having exams./

· The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was forced to suspend it humanitarian aids program for at least 750,000 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip for 5 days.

· Thousands of Palestinian civilians have been forced to wait in long queues to buy bread.

· The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.

· IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing in the face of Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.

· IOF have imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.

· IOF have decreased the number of patients allowed to travel through Erez crossing to receive medical treatment in hospitals in the West Bank and Israel to an average of 17 patients daily, which marks a decrease by 15% in comparison with the first quarter of 2008.

· Health conditions in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated and all medical facilities have been impacted as scores of medical sets are operated by electricity. Dozens medicines have been lacking.

· The lives of newly born babies, whose development has not been completed, is endangered as they need medical equipments in neonatal units that are operated by electricity.

· Living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply mounted.

· At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation for more than 16 months.

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 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child, at various checkpoints in the West Bank.

Judaization of Jerusalem: IOF have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, IOF stormed and confiscated for the third a tent set up by the al-Kurd family in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. It is worth noting that IOF seized Fawzia al-Kurd's house on 9 November 2008 and expelled the family from it. Since that date, Fawzia al-Kurd has lived in a tent set up near the house.

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. During the reporting period, Israeli settlers living in "Kiryat Arba" and "Kharsina" settlements and settlement outposts in the southeast and the center of Hebron launched a series of systematic terrorist attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in nearby Palestinian residential areas in Hebron. IOF provided protection for settlers. The settlers used firearms, empty bottles and stones in their attacks. A number of Palestinian civilians were injured, 4 houses were burnt, 5 vehicles were destroyed and some other property was damaged.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (4 – 17 December 2008)

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

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Mazra'a village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed Shraiteh, 42.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Madama village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 22:00, an IOF aircraft fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance who were in al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip. An activist was seriously wounded.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Nawal Bassam al-Sa'di, 48, the mother of 7 children, two of whom were killed by IOF. She is also the wife of Sheikh Bassam al-Sa'di, who has been detained by IOF.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF raided and searched a house belonging to Mahmoud 'Eissa al-'Obaidi in Ras al-'Aamoud neighborhood in East Jerusalem. They confiscated a computer set and a number of other electronic sets. They also violently beat the owner's son, 20-year-old Amjad, when he debated with them. He sustained bruises to the neck and the back. Before leaving the house, IOF troops arrested the owner's daughter, 21-year-old Amal.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit. They raided and searched a house belonging to Zayed Mohammed Mahmoud, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched 2 houses belonging to the 'Awadh family and arrested Bilal Ibrahim 'Awadh, 18.

· At approximately 10:00, IOF moved into Marda village, north of Salfit. They violently beat Shaker Ayoub Suleiman, 26, and his brother Mujahed, 23. The two brothers were moderately injured. According to eyewitnesses, IOF troops surprised a number of children who were playing near their houses, so the children cried. Shaker Suleiman got out of his house in order to explain to IOF troops that the children were afraid of them. Immediately, IOF troops violently beat him. When his brother intervened to discuss the matter with them, they also violently beat him.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into 'Attil village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fares Sami Daqqam 23.

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Saida village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into 'Azmout village, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Burqa village, west of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses. According to eyewitnesses, IOF troops detonated a sound bomb in a room in a house belonging to Tawfiq 'Abdullah Yousef, 55. The room was completely burnt. IOF troops also smashed windows of a car belonging to Najeh Mohammed Abu 'Omar. IOF withdrew from the village a few hours later and no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 15:00, an IOF infantry unit moved into Madama village, south of Nablus. IOF troops arrested 2 Palestinian civilians who were walking in the street:

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Madama village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

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

· Also at approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Seilat al-Zaher village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 20:30, IOF troops arrested 3 Palestinian civilians who were on their way to a house of one of them located 400 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Khan Yunis. Israeli troops set an ambush behind trees in the area and arrested the three civilians. They took them to a military post at the border and interrogated them. The three civilians were released at approximately 05:30 on the following day. They were identified as:

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Eihab Zaher al-Bireh, 33.

· At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Salfit town. A number of Palestinian children gathered in the center of the town and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the children, but no casualties were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into 'Anabta village, east of Tulkarm. A number of Palestinian children gathered in the center of the town and threw stones at IOF military vehicles. IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the children, but no casualties were reported.

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

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Fahma village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Kufor Ra'ei village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Deir Abu Mash'al village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Ibrahim Ahmed Nabahin. They brought the owner's son, who has been detained by them, to the house. No arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-'Obaidiya village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ayman Hussein Radaida, 21.

· Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Dar Salah village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed 'Azmi al-Ajdal, 25.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Za'tara village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed 'Abdullah Muhaisen, 37.

· At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring Balata refugee camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children:

· At approximately 23:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 13 Palestinian civilians, including 11 children:

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Kufor Ra'ei village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Jaba' village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into 'Arraba village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Fahma village, southwest of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 16:45, an IOF aircraft fired 2 missiles at a number of activists of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) who were preparing to launch home-made rockets at Israeli towns from al-Farta area in Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip. Three activists were wounded. A woman living in the area, 24-year-old Suhair Anwar al-Naqla, was also wounded by shrapnel to the left ear.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Harmala village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 21:00, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Jabalya, launched a surface-to-surface missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in Tal al-Za'tar area in the east of Jabalya town. The missile hit the garden of a house belonging to Salah 'Abdul Hadi 'Oukal, 47, when he was 'Oukal was irrigating trees. 'Oukal was instantly killed.

On Monday, 15 December 2008, IOF extra-judicially executed Jihad Ahmed Ameen Nawahda, 21, a member of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad), in al-Yamoun village west of Jenin. Nawahda was hit by multiple gunshots to the back, the abdomen and the legs.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 23:15 on Monday, 15 December 2008, an IOF undercover unit moved into al-Yamoun bvillage, west of Jenin, traveling in a civilian truck with a Palestinian registration plate. The truck was traveling very fast. It stopped in front of Bab al-Hara mini market near the building of the municipality in the center of the village. When the truck stopped, Jihad Ahmed Ameen Nawahda, 21, was passing near it. When he moved a few meters away, the door of the container on the back of the truck was opened, and 3 IOF soldiers – two of them were wearing civilian clothes – got out of it. They fired at Nawahda from the back. Nawahda fell down bleeding. One of the soldiers also fired at the mini market. IOF soldiers then pulled Nawahda towards the truck. They put him in the truck and withdrew from the area. At approximately 01:30 on Tuesday, 16 December 2008, IOF declared that Nawahda died from his wound.

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 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. 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.

With regard to Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the Egyptian authorities started to open it limitedly for some patients.

IOF allow a very limited number of seriously ill patients and staff of international organizations to pass through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing. IOF have also prevented families of at least 900 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails from visiting them since 6 June 2007. Additionally, IOF have imposed severe restrictions on access of internationals to the Gaza Strip.

The closure of border crossings deprives the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip of their right to freedom of movement, education and health. IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on fishing in the Gaza Strip. Following the attack on IOF on 25 June 2006, IOF prevented fishing. Approximately 35,000 people in and around Gaza’s coastal communities rely on the fishing industry, including 2,500 fishermen, 2,500 support staff and their families. Fishermen have been subjected to intensive monitoring by IOF, which use helicopter gunships and gunboats to monitor the fishermen. The Oslo Accords allow Palestinian fishermen to go fishing up to 20 nautical miles away from the Gaza seashore.

Impacts of Tightening the Siege Imposed on the Gaza Strip over the Past Two Months