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. 47/2008 20 - 26 Nov. 2008
Stoppage of the Gaza Power Plant threatens the lives of hundreds of patients at Gaza hospitals

 

 

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and a Serious Humanitarian Crisis in the Gaza Strip Due to the Closure of Its Border Crossings

 

• 7 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded by the IOF gunfire in the West Bank.

• IOF conducted 32 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

• IOF arrested 9 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

• IOF transformed 4 houses in Hebron into military sites.

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

• The Gaza Strip is suffering from a serious humanitarian crisis due to the closure of border crossings.  

• IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested a Palestinian civilian.

• IOF have continued to take measures aiming at the Judaization of Jerusalem.

• A Palestinian civilian who was expelled from his house died from a heart attack.

• IOF demolished a house in 'Eizariya village near Jerusalem.

• IOF banned a Palestinian student assembly in Jerusalem.

• Another house was seized in the Old Town.

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

• A Palestinian woman was injured and Israeli settlers wrote racist words on the body of a Palestinian ambulance.

 

 

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (20 – 26 November 2008):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF wounded 7 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

On 21 November 2008, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded when IOF troops opened fire at dozens of civilians who organized a peaceful demonstration in protest to attempts of settlers to re-establish their presence in the evacuated "Homesh" settlement, northwest of Nablus.

On 26 November 2008, a Palestinian child was seriously wounded during clashes between dozens of Palestinian civilians and IOF at the entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, south of Ramallah.

During the reporting period, a Palestinian civilian was 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 17 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 32 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 2,216. IOF also handed military orders to the owners of four houses in Hebron seizing the houses for 4 days for "military purposes." IOF held the families on the first floor of each house and turned the roofs into military sites. According to eyewitnesses, the military orders restrict the movement of Palestinian civilians living in 50 houses located neat "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron. IOF took this measure allegedly to allow Israeli settlers to celebrate the Jewish Ms. Sarah Day.

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.

 

Impacts of Tightening the Siege Imposed on the Gaza Strip over the Past Three Weeks

·      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.

 

·      The majority of the civilian population lack access to drinking water.

 

·      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./

 

·      UNRWA had been 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.

 

·      At least 45 bakeries in the Gaza Strip (75%) have been closed due to the black of electricity supplies and cooking gas, whereas the remaining 18 bakeries have been forced to work in a lower capacity.

 

·      The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for 3 days only to allow 2,100 Palestinian civilians, mostly patients and students, to travel abroad, and 780 others to travel back 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. At least 94 medicines have been lacking.

 

·      The lives of at least 30 newly born babies, whose development has not been completed, is endangered as they need medical equipments that are operated by electricity.

 

·      A Palestinian patient died when Israeli security forces attempted to practice extortion on him to cooperate with them to be able to received medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Thus, the number of Palestinian patients who died because IOF did not allow them to receive medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip or due to the lack of medicines in the Gaza Strip has mounted to 47, including 16 women and 10 children.   

 

·      Fuel supplies allowed into the Gaza Strip through the Nahal Ouz crossing have sharply dropped to amounts that could hardly satisfy the minimum needs of the population; the Gaza Strip has received only 19.6% of its daily needs of energy fuel required for the operation of the power plant; 4.1% of the daily needs of benzene; 2.9% of the daily needs of diesel; and 4.8% of the daily needs of cooking gas.

 

·      IOF have closed all commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip have been closed; al-Mentar (Karni) crossing have been partially reopened for 3 days and Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing has been partially reopened for 6 days only to allow the entry of limited amounts of humanitarian aids.

 

·      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 15 months. 

 

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 4 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, 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.

On 22 November 2008, Mohammed Kamel Mohammed al-Kurd, 62, died from a heart attack. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on 9 November 2008, al-Kurd suffered from a heart attack when IOF seized his house in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. IOF prevented ambulances from attending him. After IOF had expelled the family out of the house, he was evacuated to French Hospital in Jerusalem. He received medical treatment, but in the end, medical efforts to save his life failed and he died on 22 November 2008.

On 24 November 2008, IOF demolished a 130-square-meter, newly built house belonging Mohammed Mahoud Maz'aru in al-'Eizariya village, east of Jerusalem.

On 21 November 2008, IOF banned the organization of a student assembly in the Palestinian National Theater in Jerusalem under the auspices of a number of NGOs and in cooperation with a number of schools.

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 23 November 2008, hundreds of Israeli settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, accompanied by dozens of settlers from other settlements attacked Palestinian civilians and property between the aforementioned settlement and the Ibrahimi Mosque. According to eyewitnesses, the settlers used stones, empty bottles and iron bars.

On 24 November 2008, Israeli settlers who had already seized al-Tajabi builing near "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, attacked 5 Palestinian civilian vehicles. They cut the tires and broke windows.

On 26 November 2008, a number of Israeli settlers attacked an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society in Deir Estia village, northwest of Salfir. They wrote provocative and racist words on the body of the ambulance.

On the same day, Israeli settlers who had already seized al-Rajabi building, accompanied by settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron.

 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (20 – 26 November 2008)

 

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

 

Thursday, 20 November 2008

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      'Ammar 'Aadel Da'ma, 22; and

2.      Ibrahim Jihad Da'ma, 24.

 

·      Also at approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Shoufa village, southeast of Tulkarm. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned Sami Ahmed 'Ouda, 43, and Farouq 'Abdul Rahman 'Ouda, 24, for interrogation.

 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Tammoun village, southeast of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Akram Na'im Bani 'Ouda, 22; and

2.      Ahmed 'Abdul Latif Bisharat, 22.

 

·      Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Qiffin village, north of Tulkarm. They opened fire at houses and shops. They then besieged a house belonging to Sami Mustafa Te'ma and forced its residents out. They raided and searched the house. IOF withdrew from the village later and no arrests were reported.

 

·      At approximately 07:00, IOF moved into Habla village, south of Qalqilya. They besieged a house belonging to the family of 'Aqab Mohammed Kharroub, who was arrested by IOF two weeks earlier. They forced the family out and searched the house. No arrests were reported.

 

Friday, 21 November 2008

·      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 Tallouza village, north of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

 

·      At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Wadi al-Nassara neighborhood in the east of Hebron. They raided 4 houses belonging to Bassam al-Ja'bari, 'Abdul Mon'em Jaber, Munther Da'na and Ahmed Jaber, and handed military orders to the owners seizing the four houses for 4 days for "military purposes." IOF held the families on the first floor of each house and turned the roofs into military sites. According to eyewitnesses, the military orders restrict the movement of Palestinian civilians living in 50 houses located neat "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron. IOF took this measure allegedly to allow Israeli settlers to celebrate the Jewish Ms. Sarah Day.

·      At approximately 11:00, dozens of Palestinian civilians from Jaba', al-Fandoqawmiya and Seilat al-Zaher villages, south of Jenin, and Bazaria, Burqa and Deir Sharaft villages, northwest of Nablus, organized a peaceful demonstration towards the evacuated "Homesh" settlement. When the demonstrators arrived at the area, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullet, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at them. Five demonstrators, including 2 children, were wounded:

 

1.      Saddam Ragheb Shraida, 16, wounded by shrapnel from a sound bomb to the nose and a rubber-coated metal bullet to the shoulder;

2.      'Emad Shawkat Saif, 48, wounded by shrapnel from a sound bomb to the face;

3.      Sami 'Abdul 'Aziz Daghals, 49, wounded by shrapnel to the left leg;

4.      Dirar Mohammed Abu 'Omar, 46, wounded by shrapnel to the left hand; and

5.      Mustafa Tayseer Salah, 16, wounded by shrapnel to the face.

 

Saturday, 22 November 2008

·      At approximately 19:30, IOF moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses. They arrested 3 Palestinian civilians who were walking in the streets:

 

1.      Bilal Ahmed Zughol, 21;

2.      Waleed Muneer Jaradat, 19; and

3.      Kamal 'Adnan Sha'abna, 19.

 

Sunday, 23 November 2008

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Za'tara village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mohammed Hassan Zawahra, 19.

 

Monday, 24 November 2008

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of 'Ali Mousa Nawawra, 21, and arrested him.

 

Tuesday, 25 November 2008

·      At approximately 01:15, IOF moved into Jenin town and refugee camp. They patrolled in the streets and opened fire indiscriminately. Neither casualties nor arrests were reported.

 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Qalandya refugee camp, south of Ramallah. They erected a number of checkpoints in the streets and stopped, checked and held dozens of Palestinian civilians. The then raided and searched a number of houses and damaged a number of them. They also arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

 

1.      Mahmoud Rebhi 'Awad, 23;

2.      Sufian Mohammed Nemer, 25;

3.      Eyad Ibrahim Abu Latifa, 23;

4.      Mustafa Sa'id Mutair, 20;

5.      Mohammed Sa'id Mutair, 25;

6.      Mousa Nabeel Hazeen, 24; and

7.      Wissam Khalil Badran.

 

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into al-Rashaida village, east of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Mahmoud Mohammed Rashaida, 43; and

2.      Daoud Mohammed Rashaida, 40.

 

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Kassara and Jabal Jouhar neighborhood in Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Fayez Mohammed al-Rajabi, 25.

 

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Qalandya refugee camp, south of Ramallah. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 10 Palestinian civilians:

 

1.      Mohammed 'Ouda Khalil, 24;

2.      Karam Hassan Khalil, 26;

3.      Ra'ed Fayez Mutair, 36;

4.      Hassan 'Ata Sammour, 25;

5.      'Ali Mohammed Shihada, 30;

6.      Is'haq Younis Hamad, 23;

7.      Hamdan Shihada, 27;

8.      'Ali Abu Samra, 27;

9.      Ma'ath Mohammed Mutair, 20; and

10.  Rabee' Mohammed Hamad, 23.

 

·      At approximately 14:00, dozens of Palestinian civilians demonstrated at the western entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, south of Ramallah, in protest to the arrest campaign waged by IOF against Palestinian civilians in the early morning. IOF troops opened fire at these civilians. As a result, Khairallah Adeeb al-Jamal, 17, from Beit Sourik village west of Ramallah, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the chest.

 

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. 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.

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 Three Weeks

·      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.

 

·      The majority of the civilian population lack access to drinking water.

 

·      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./

 

·      UNRWA had been 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.

 

·      At least 45 bakeries in the Gaza Strip (75%) have been closed due to the black of electricity supplies and cooking gas, whereas the remaining 18 bakeries have been forced to work in a lower capacity.

 

·      The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for 3 days only to allow 2,100 Palestinian civilians, mostly patients and students, to travel abroad, and 780 others to travel back 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. At least 94 medicines have been lacking.

 

·      The lives of at least 30 newly born babies, whose development has not been completed, is endangered as they need medical equipments that are operated by electricity.

 

·      A Palestinian patient died when Israeli security forces attempted to practice extortion on him to cooperate with them to be able to received medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip. Thus, the number of Palestinian patients who died because IOF did not allow them to receive medical treatment outside the Gaza Strip or due to the lack of medicines in the Gaza Strip has mounted to 47, including 16 women and 10 children.    

 

·      Fuel supplies allowed into the Gaza Strip through the Nahal Ouz crossing have sharply dropped to amounts that could hardly satisfy the minimum needs of the population; the Gaza Strip has received only 19.6% of its daily needs of energy fuel required for the operation of the power plant; 4.1% of the daily needs of benzene; 2.9% of the daily needs of diesel; and 4.8% of the daily needs of cooking gas.

 

·      IOF have closed all commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip have been closed; al-Mentar (Karni) crossing have been partially reopened for 3 days and Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing has been partially reopened for 6 days only to allow the entry of limited amounts of humanitarian aids.

 

·      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 15 months.  

 

The West Bank

IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

·      Jerusalem: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the city. Thousands of Palestinian civilians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have been denied access to the city. IOF have established many checkpoints around and inside the city. Restrictions of the movement of Palestinian civilians often escalate on Fridays to prevent them from praying at the al-Aqsa Mosque. IOF often violently beat Palestinian civilians who attempt to bypass checkpoints and enter the city. IOF impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians on Fridays to restrict their access to the al-Aqsa Mosque.

 

On Tuesday evening, 11 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at the container checkpoint, east of Jerusalem, arrested Mahmoud Mousa Zuraiq, 21, from Bethlehem.

 

·      Nablus: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday evening, 20 November 2008, IOF closed the 17 checkpoint, north of Nablus. On Saturday evening, 22 November 2008, IOF erected a checkpoint at the southern entrance of Northern 'Assira village, north of Nablus. They stopped and searched Palestinian civilian vehicles. On Sunday morning, 23 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Za’tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians. On Monday morning, 17 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Za’tara and Hawara checkpoints, south of Nablus, and Beit Eiba checkpoint, west of the city, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians. On Tuesday morning, 18 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Za'tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, conducted prolonged checking on Palestinian civilians.

 

On Friday evening, 21 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Za'tara checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Sameer 'Ali Hwaitat, 22, from Jenin refugee camp.

 

·      Tulkarm: IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Thursday, 20 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Ennab checkpoint, east of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Sunday, 22 November 2008, IOF troops positioned at Wad al-Teen checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, imposed additional restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians, and chased civilians who resorted to alternative roads. On Wednesday, 26 November 2008, IOF erected a checkpoint at the entrance of Shwaika suburb, north of Tulkarm. They stopped and searched dozens of Palestinian civilian vehicles.

 

 

3.     Construction of the Annexation Wall

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, IOF used force against  peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest to the construction of the Wall. 

·      Following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 21 November 2008, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Ne’lin village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the area where IOF were razing land to construct a section of the Wall in the village. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, Safi Nemer Safi, 36, was wounded by 4 rubber-coated metal bullets to the back, the hand and the leg. Dozens of demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

·      Also following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 21 November 2008, scores of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders demonstrated in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. The demonstrators moved towards the Wall. Immediately, IOF troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.  

 

·      Also following the Friday Prayer on Friday, 21 November 2008, IOF attacked a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders in Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya, in protest to the construction of the Wall. They fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. A number of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF troops held Waleed 'Assaf, Member of the Palestinian Legislative Council, and Tayseer Khaled, Member of the Executive Committee of Palestine Liberation Organization in a house in the village. They also held 2 solidarity activist from Women for Peace Services, but released them on the following day morning. Additionally, IOF imposed a curfew on the village for several hours. 

 

4.      Judaization of Jerusalem

IOF has recently escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. For the purpose of reporting about violations of human rights perpetrated by IOF against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem, PCHR has decided to add a new section to the Weekly Report.

·      On Friday afternoon, 21 November 2008, IOF stormed a student assembly organized by the Jerusalemite Youth Parliament in the Palestinian National Theater in Jerusalem under the auspices of a number of NGOs and in cooperation with a number of schools. The agenda of the assembly included several artistic shows. IOF stormed the theater before the assembly started and forced all people who were in the theater out. They also handed a written decision signed by the Israeli Minister of Internal Security, Avi Dichter, banning the organization of the assembly claiming that it was organized under the auspices of the Palestinian National Authority. The organizers denied any connection between the assembly and the Palestinian National Authority.

 

·      At approximately 00:00 on Saturday, 22 November 2008, a number of Israeli settlers sneaked through the roofs of houses in 'Aqabat al-Saraya quarter in the Old Town in East Jerusalem into a house belonging to Fatema al-Daoudi. At the same time, another group of Israeli settlers wearing the medical uniform of Red David Star broke into the house. IOF and the Israeli police provide protection for those settlers who sized the house. It is worth noting that the family has lived in this 85-square-meter, 2-storey house for more than 78 tears. The family's lawyer was able to obtain a court ruling ordering the evacuation of the settlers from the house, and the settlers were evacuated on Sunday afternoon, 23 November 2008. However, IOF closed the second floor pending a court session to consider the case on 2 December 2008.  

 

·      On Saturday evening, 22 November 2008, Mohammed Kamel Mohammed al-Kurd, 62, died from a heart attack. According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on 9 November 2008, al-Kurd suffered from a heart attack when IOF seized his house in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem. IOF prevented ambulances from attending him. After IOF had expelled the family out of the house, he was evacuated to French Hospital in Jerusalem. He received medical treatment, but in the end, medical efforts to save his life failed and he died on 22 November 2008. It is worth noting that IOF seized al-Kurd's house on 9 November 2008, and they stormed the tent set up by the family opposite to the house on 19 November 2008. IOF claimed that al-Kurd's house was owned by Jews before 1948.

 

·      At approximately 06:00 on Monday, 24 November 2008, IOF moved into al-'Eizariya village, east of Jerusalem. They demolished a 130-square-meter, newly built house belonging Mohammed Mahoud Maz'aru. The construction of the house cost Maz'aru 40,000 JD (approximately US$ 57,000). IOF claimed that the house was built without a license.

 

5.      Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians and Property

IOF have continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law, and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

·      On Sunday morning, 23 November 2008, hundreds of Israeli settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, accompanied by dozens of settlers from other settlements attacked Palestinian civilians and property between the aforementioned settlement and the Ibrahimi Mosque. According to eyewitnesses, the settlers used stones, empty bottles and iron bars.

 

·      On Friday morning, 24 November 2008, Israeli settlers who had already seized al-Tajabi builing near "Kiryat Arba" settlement, east of Hebron, attacked 5 Palestinian civilian vehicles. They cut the tires and broke windows. The vehicles belong to: 'Ahdi Mohammed al-Ja'bari; Jalal Mohammed al-Ja'bari; 'Izz Haidar al-Ja'bari; Mohammed Salah al-Ja'bari; and Mohammed Hafez al-Ja'bari.

 

·      On Wednesday morning, 26 November 2008, a number of Israeli settlers attacked an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society in Deir Estia village, northwest of Salfir. They wrote provocative and racist words on the body of the ambulance.

 

·      Also on Wednesday, Israeli settlers who had already seized al-Rajabi building, accompanied by settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, attacked Palestinian civilians and property in Hebron. They attacked Monawar 'Arafat al-Ja'bari, 61. She sustained cuts and injuries. The settlers also attacked a number of houses. IOF troops were present in the area, but did not intervene to stop those attacks.  

 

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Recommendations to the International Community

1.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel's respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as if it is above the law and encourages Israel continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.

 

2.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the OPT and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

 

3.      PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

 

4.      PCHR calls for the immediately implementation of the Advisory Opinion issued by the International Court of Justice, which considers the construction of the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank illegal.

 

5.      PCHR recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of exposing those accused of grave breaches of international law and to urge their governments to bring these people to justice.

 

6.      PCHR calls upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel.  PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPT.

 

7.      PCHR calls on the international community to recognize the Gaza disengagement plan, which was implemented last year, for what it is - not an end to occupation but a compounding of the occupation and the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. 

 

8.      In recognition of ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPT, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

 

9.      PCHR appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel's respect for human rights in the OPT and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.

 

10.  PCHR calls upon the international community to pressure Israel to lift the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its occupation forces on access for international organizations to the OPT.

 

11.  PCHR reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question.  Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the region.  Any peace agreement or process must be based on respect for international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.

 

 

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Public Document

For further information please visit our website (http://www.pchrgaza.org) or contact PCHR’s office in Gaza City, Gaza Strip by email (pchr@pchrgaza.org) or telephone (+972 (0)8 2824776 – 2825893).