05 - 11 Jul 2007 Our Weekly report
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
• IOF killed 11 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, in the Gaza Strip and a 12th one on the West Bank.
• The victims in the Gaza Strip were killed during an IOF incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp.
• The victim in the West Bank was extra-judicially executed by IOF.
• 30 Palestinians, including 25 civilians, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
• 24 of these Palestinians, including 20 civilians, were wounded during an IOF incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp.
• IOF arrested 2 of the wounded in the West Bank.
• IOF conducted 36 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 2 incursions into the Gaza Strip.
• IOF razed at least 200 donums1 of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip.
• IOF damaged some public and private property.
• IOF arrested 69 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, and 10 others in the Gaza Strip.
• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
• IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and a humanitarian crisis is likely to emerge.
• At least 6,000 Palestinians have been stuck at the Egyptian side of Rafah International Crossing Point, and the number of deaths among them has mounted to 14.
• IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (5 – 11 July 2007):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 12 Palestinians, including 3 civilians, and wounded 30 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 8 children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 11 Palestinians, including 3 civilians. On Thursday morning, 5 July 2007, IOF initiated a wide scale incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, which continued until Friday evening, 6 July 2007. During this incursion, IOF killed 3 Palestinian resistance and 8 activists of the Palestinian resistance, and wounded 24 others, including 8 children and a cameraman of the local al-Aqsa Television, whose legs were amputated.
In the West Bank, on Sunday evening, 8 July 2007, IOF extra-judicially executed an activist of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) at the southern entrance of Jenin. They also wounded and arrested another activist. They claimed that that they attempted to stop a car, in which 4 Palestinian militants were traveling, but the militants of fire, so IOF returned fire, killing a militant. IOF alsoarrested the other 3 militants. However, investigations conducted by PCHR indicate that IOF observed the car and fired at it.
On 6 July 2007, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF used force against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defendersagainst the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. On 9 July 2007, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded when IOF fired at them during an incursion into Jericho.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 36 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During those incursions, IOF arrested 69 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. Thus, the number of Palestinians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of this year has mounted to 1,567.
In the Gaza Strip, in addition to the aforementioned incursion into al-Boreij refugee camp, IOF conducted an incursion into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. During the two incursions, IOF razed at least 170 donums of agricultural land, arrested 10 Palestinian civilians and damaged some civilian property.
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 ank,including occupied East Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
IOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
IOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. IOF had already closed Rafah International Crossing Point following an armed attack against an IOF military post in Kerem Shalom area, southeast of Rafah, on 25 June 2006. The crossing point had been partially reopened for short, sporadic periods to allow few numbers of Palestinian to travel through it. The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing point. At least 6,000 Palestinians have been stuck in Egypt waiting to be allowed in the Gaza Strip. According to PCHR’s documentation, 14 Palestinians of those who are stuck in Egypt have died due to the deterioration in their health conditions.
IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. During the reporting period, IOF reopened the crossing for one day only to allow the entry of flour into the Gaza Strip. If this closure continues, a humanitarian crisis is likely to emerge in the Gaza Strip. IOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through this crossing. They prevented traders and patients from passing through. IOF allow very few patients to travel through the crossing, but following coordination through the ICRC. During the reporting period, IOF reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast of Rafah, and Sofa crossing, northeast of the town.
West Bank
IOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Jerusalem from the rest of the West Bank. Contrary to promises by the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to ease restrictions on movement in the West Bank, IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF also erected more checkpoints on the main roads and intersections in the West Bank. During the reporting period, IOF soldiers positioned at various checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested at least 3 Palestinian civilians.
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