PCHR Weekly Report

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

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (14 – 20 January 2010):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF wounded 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children and 3 journalists, in the West Bank.

Seven Palestinian civilians, including 3 journalists, were wounded when IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders, in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.

On 16 January 2010, a child was wounded in Yatta village, south of Hebron, while playing with an old explosive left in the area by IOF.

On 19 January 2010, a child was wounded when IOF moved into Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank and fired at a number of children who demonstrated in the area.

Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were also wounded by Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 22 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 34, including 4 children. Israeli forces also stormed houses of activists working against the construction of the Annexation Wall.

Restrictions on Movement: Israel has continued to impose a tightened closure 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.

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip over two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed 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 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.

· Israel has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for the past two and a half years.

· Israel has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas, since 10 December 2008.

· 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 to the Gaza Strip.

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

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

· IOF have continued to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.

· Israel has 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.

· Palestinian prisoners from Gaza in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation for more than two and a half years.

· IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip coast.

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 630 permanent 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 have 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.

Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Demographic Majority in Jerusalem: On 14 January 2010, IOF forced Haoroun Zakaria Burqan, 39, to demolish his 45-square-meter house and two animal sheds. The house, in which 8 individuals used to live, was built 5 years ago. IOF ordered the demolition of the house 3 years ago and imposed a fine of 5,000 NIS (approximately US$ 1,250).

During the reporting period, IOF continued excavations in the old city of Jerusalem. According to residents of Silwan village and the old city, a ground collapse took place in the Wadi Hilwa area, on the main road between Silwan village and the old city on Monday, 18 January 2010. The collapse created a crater with a depth of more than 10 meters. The collapse took place in a tunnel that was being created by Israeli excavations to link Silwan and "Givati" settlement.

Settlement Activities: Israel has 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 14 January 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from "Gilad" settlement, northeast of Qalqiliya, burned two cars and a tractor belonging to Palestinian civilians from Ematin village, east of Qalqiliya.

On the same day, Israeli settlers living in the "Havat Ma'oun" settlement outpost to the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, uprooted 70 olive trees in the east of al-Twana village.

On 19 January 2010, IOF demolished a house in Jaba' village, northeast of Jerusalem, claiming that it was built without a license.

On the same day, Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, moved into 'Awarta village, south of Nablus. They headed to the 'Eizairat area, which they claim is sacred, and performed prayers until the following morning. When the settlers and IOF left the village, Palestinian civilians found that the cemetery of the village had been desecrated and that 3 grave stones were destroyed. They also found hostile phrases in Arabic and Russian.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (14 – 20 January 2010)

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 Beit 'Awa village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Mohammed Ahmed Masalma, 33, and arrested him.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF raided and searched another house in Beit 'Awa, belonging to the family of Qussai Fakhri Hassan, 15, and arrested him.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Bajes Salama Salhoub, 35, and arrested him.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Far'a Refugee Camp, south of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Saida village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Hazma village, north of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a house belonging to Farouq Najeeb Saladin and arrested two of his sons: 'Odai, 20; and Mohammed, 18.

· At approximately 18:00, IOF moved into Maithaloun village, southeast of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Ma'sara village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses, including that of Mahmoud Zawahra, the mayor and head of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements, and Mohammed Braijiya, member of the local council and spokesman of the Popular Committee Against the Wall and Settlements. No arrests were reported.

· At noon, Saleh Ahmed al-Hathalin, 12, was wounded by the explosion of a suspicious object in Yatta village, south of Hebron. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:00, al-Hathalin was playing near his house in Khashm al-Daraj area. Soon, a suspicious object exploded near him. He was wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen and the left hand. According to the Palestinian police, the child was wounded when he played with an old explosive device left in the area by IOF.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring 'Ein Beit al-Maa' Refugee Camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children:

· Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Balata Refugee Camp, east of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Muntasser 'Abdul Hamid 'Awadh, 18.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Beit Diqqu village, northwest of Jerusalem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into Jenin Refugee Camp. They positioned themselves near a house belonging to the al-Sa'di family. A number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli troops fired at the children. As a result, Islam Hussam al-Tubassi, 17, was hit by a tear gas canister, which caused burns to his chest.

· At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Beit 'Awa village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Ethna village, southwest of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 'Ali Mohammed al-Jayawi, 22.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Sa'ir village, east of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Ma'ath Rassem Saleem, 22.

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Bourqin village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· Also at approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Bir al-Basha village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into the Jabal Abu Rumman area in Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned 5 Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

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

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.