No. 14/2009
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Continue to Impose a Total Siege on the Gaza Strip
- IOF killed two activists of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip and one civilian in the West Bank.
- 16 Palestinian civilians, including two children and two journalists, were wounded by IOF gunfire in the West Bank.
- 9 of these civilians were wounded by IOF and Israeli settlers in Kherbat Safa area, north of Hebron.
- IOF conducted 26 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- IOF arrested 52 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, in the West Bank and 10 fishers in the Gaza Strip.
- IOF conducted a wide scale incursion into Kherbat Safa area, north of Hebron.
- IOF occupied 8 Palestinian houses, and reclassified them as military sites.
- IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 9 Palestinian civilians.
- IOF have continued measures aimed at the creating of a majority Jewish demographic in East Jerusalem.
- IOF demolished two Palestinian houses in Jerusalem.
- A Palestinian house in the old town of Jerusalem was seized.
- IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF ordered the demolition of a number of houses in Hebron.
- Israeli settlers seized 4 shops in the old town of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in the OPT during the reporting period (02 - 08 April 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed two activists of the Palestinian resistance in the Gaza Strip and one civilian in the West Bank. They also wounded 16 Palestinian civilians, including two children and two journalists, in the West Bank. Three of these civilians were wounded by Israeli settlers in a joint attack with IOF.
In the Gaza Strip, on 04 April 2009, IOF killed two members of the 'Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the armed wing of Hamas) near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. IOF also fired artillery shells at the ambulance that attempted to evacuate the bodies from the area.
In the West Bank, on 07 April 2009, IOF shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Sour Baher village, south of Jerusalem, claiming that he ran down three Israeli soldiers.
On 04 April 2009, a Palestinian child was wounded by IOF during an incursion into Qalqilya.
On 06 April 2009, IOF wounded a Palestinian child in Qabalan village, south of Nablus.
On 08 April 2009, dozens of Israeli settlers, escorted by IOF, attacked Palestinian civilians in Kherbat Safa area, north of Hebron. As a result, nine Palestinian civilians were wounded by gunshots, including three who were shot by settlers; 26 others suffered from tear gas inhalation.
During the reporting period, five Palestinian civilians, including two journalists, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 26 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two incursions into the Gaza Strip. IOF arrested 52 Palestinian civilians, including eight children.
Following the death of one Israeli settler, and the injury of another, in the "Beit Ain" settlement (northwest of Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron), IOF moved into the Kherbat Safa area. This operation was allegedly conducted in order to search for a Palestinian worker suspected of killing the Israeli settler. The military operation continued for a number of days, during which time IOF occupied eight Palestinian houses, transforming them into military sites.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF arrested 10 Palestinian fishers off the coast of the northern Gaza Strip.
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.