Live from the Field:

Israeli Occupation Force (IOF) Redeploy in the Gaza Strip

-         IOF have maintained control over the evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank and over border crossings, air space and water  of the Gaza Strip.

Disengagement (D-Day) Field Report: No. 22

Date: 12 September 2005

Time: 11:30 GMT

Location:

·      Southern Gaza Strip: Khan Yunis.

·      Northern West Bank: Jenin and Nablus

Chronology of Events

Today morning, IOF totally vacated its troops from the Gaza Strip and redeployed them around it, nearly one month following the evacuation of illegal settlements that stood on Palestinian land since the beginning of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip in 1967.  However, IOF have maintained control over 4 evacuated settlements in the northern West Bank and have refused to hand them over to the Palestinian National Authority.  They have also imposed severe restrictions on the freedom of movement of Palestinian civilians in the area.  In the meantime, IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian workers and patients for the 4^th consecutive week, and Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world, for the 6^th consecutive day.  IOF also closed Sofa crossing for raw construction materials, northeast of Rafah, this morning.  Additionally, IOF have maintained control over al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City.  Until the last minute of their presence inside the Gaza Strip, IOF had continued to use excessive force against Palestinian civilians. 

Shooting 

At approximately 15:55 on Sunday, 11 September 2005, a few hours before the evacuation of the Gaza Strip, IOF on tanks positioned in the vicinity of the evacuated military posts to the west of Khan Yunis opened fire at a number of Palestinian civilians who gathered near the fence surrounding those posts to watch the last hours of the evacuation of the Gaza Strip.  Five civilians, including 4 children, were wounded:

1.      Mohammed Hafez Abu Mustafa, 17, seriously wounded by a live bullet to the jaw;

2.      'Abdul Motei' Fawzi Abu Mustafa, 12, wounded by shrapnel to the left hand and the neck;

3.      We'am Nabil al-Hissi, 18, wounded by a live bullet to the right foot;

4.      Ahmed Ayoub Abu al-Khair, 10, wounded by a live bullet to the right foot; and

5.      Mahmoud Mohammed Mo'ammar, 16, wounded by a live bullet to the right thigh. 

The Siege

Northern West Bank

IOF have continued to close Nablus – Jenin road since they declared the area on the 15^th of August 2005 a closed military zone.  IOF positioned at a military checkpoint near "Shavi Shomron" settlement, northwest of Nablus, have continued to prevent Palestinian civilians from crossing the checkpoint, excluding medical crews which are subject to checking.  A PCHR field worker reported that at approximately 06:15 on Monday, 12 September 2005, IOF positioned at the aforementioned checkpoint stopped and searched a Palestinian taxi.  They forced the driver to get down bags of the passengers, who were apparently travelling to Jordan, and searched it.  They also checked the passengers and then forced the taxi to travel back. 

On Saturday and Sunday, 10 and 11 of September 2005, IOF positioned at a checkpoint near "Yitzhar" settlement, south of Nablus, used trained dogs to search personal belongings of Palestinian civilians.  Children and women were extremely terrified.  Palestinian civilians use this road to travel to Ramallah, Jericho and al-Karama International Crossing Point. 

On Sunday evening, 11 September 2005, IOF imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the northern Jordan Valley, east of Jenin.  They prohibited the movement of Palestinian civilians out of the villages of Bardala, Kardala and 'Ein al-Baida after 18:00. 

International Law

Settlements and settlers are illegal under international law.  The Fourth Geneva Convention, the primary document governing the OPT, stipulates in Article 49 that the transfer of the population of the occupying power into the occupied territory is in breach of international law.   The International Court of Justice confirmed in its 2004 judgment that settlements and settlement activity is illegal.

Freedom of movement is a right afforded to Palestinian civilians under the Fourth Geneva Convention as well as under established international treaties on human rights.  Preventing free movement of people and goods interferes with the right to work, the right to health, the right to education, the right not to be held as a prisoner without a free and fair trial.

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Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

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email: pchr@pchrgaza.org      website: www.pchrgaza.org