Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (9 – 15 October 2008):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 2 Palestinian civilians in less than 24 hours in the West Bank.
On Tuesday evening, 14 October 2008, IOF troops positioned on an observation tower in the vicinity of “Beit Eil” settlement, north of Ramallah, shot dead ‘Abdul Qader Mohammed Badawi Dar Zayed, 18, from al-Jalazoun refugee camp, when he was in his way back home.
On Wednesday evening, 15 October 2008, IOF opened fire at Palestinian civilians who demonstrated at the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian. 20-year-old Mohammed Jamal al-Ramahi, was killed, raising the number of civilians killed in the camp to 2 in less than 24 hours.
During the reporting period, 11 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in N’elin and Bal’ein villages, west of Ramallah.
Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were also wounded by IOF troops positioned at checkpoints near Nablus and Bethlehem. The child was violently beaten by IOF troops.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 15 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. During these incursions, IOF arrested 29 Palestinian civilians, including 13 children and a woman. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 2,062. IOF also partially demolished a house and transformed 3 others into military sites.
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.
Health services continue to be severely affected by the siege, with healthcare facilities also registering a 25% drop in clients due to continuing chronic fuel shortages. Critically ill patients are still being denied permits to access vital health services in the West Bank, Israel and abroad.
Water facilities, including access to clean drinking water, and the treatment of raw sewage continue to be severely disrupted by fuel shortages. 50-60 million liters of untreated and partially treated sewage are being dumped into the Gaza Strip Mediterranean Sea daily, posing a public health risk.
Hundreds of Gazan students are currently unable to resume their university studies abroad as they cannot exit the Gaza Strip. In addition, up to 1,200 school leavers are in the process of applying to study at foreign universities, and are dependent on being issued exit permits by the IOF.
There are at least 900 Palestinian prisoners incarcerated in jails in Israel who have been denied all visitation rights since 6 June 2007.
Continuing chronic shortages of construction materials, including cement, aggregate and iron, have led to the collapse of the Gaza construction industry. Thousands of construction workers have been laid off, and vital infrastructure projects have been forcibly suspended.
IOF have repeatedly closed border crossings of the Gaza Strip claiming that home-made rockets were launched at Israeli towns.
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 kilometres 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 troops positioned at various checkpoints arrested 3 Palestinian civilians and wounded 2 others.
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 occupation authorities declared the completion of the construction of synagogue, which was built on the debris of demolished Arab property in al-Wad area in the old town of Jerusalem. They opened the synagogue under strict security measures and arbitrary acts against Palestinian civilians. According to Palestinian sources, the synagogue is connected to the network of tunnels established under and near the al-Aqsa Mosque.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (9 – 15 October 2008)
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