Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Continue to Impose a Total Blockade on the Gaza Strip
- 41 civilians, including 5 journalists, 8 women, and one child, sustained injuries and bruises when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations in the West Bank.
- IOF conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and one into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF arrested 47 Palestinian civilians, including 17 children.
- Israeli naval troops continued to attack Palestinian fishermen and boats in the Gaza Strip.
- IOF warplanes bombarded tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a workshop in Gaza City.
- IOF have continued to impose a total blockade on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints and border crossings in the West Bank arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a child.
- IOF have continued measures aimed at creating a Jewish majority in Jerusalem.
- IOF demolished 8 houses in Jerusalem.
- IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- 5 Palestinian civilians were injured as a result of attacks by settlers.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (22 - 28 October 2009):
Shooting: During the reporting period, 41 Palestinian civilians, including 5 journalists, 8 women and one child were injured in peaceful demonstrations protesting a raid of the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, the construction of the Annexation Wall and attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian farmers while cultivating olives.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF warplanes bombarded tunnels in the southern Gaza Strip and a workshop in Gaza City. No Casualties were reported.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 25 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 47 Palestinian civilians, including 17 children.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF moved into the east of Gaza City and leveled areas of land, which they had already razed.
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.
Gaza Strip
IOF have continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The illegal IOF blockade of the Gaza Strip, 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 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.
IOF have continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than two years.
IOF have not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas, since 10 December 2008.
The Rafah International Crossing Point has been opened for a few days for a number of patients who received medical treatment abroad and needed to return home to the Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israeli for medical treatment, trade or social visits.
Poverty and unemployment rates stand at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.
IOF have imposed additional access restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers seeking to enter the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip.
Living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment are among the highest in the world.
At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights for more than three years.
IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip coast.
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, and 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.
Measures Aimed at Creating a Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem
During the reporting period, IOF stormed into the al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied East Jerusalem, and used excessive force against Palestinian civilians who attempted to stop the raid. The raid and related incidents followed a call by extremist Jewish groups, particularly the "Organization for Human Rights on the Temple Mount," urging extremist Jews to break into the al-Aqsa Mosque and its yards to conduct Talmudic rituals to mark Rambam's ascension. Since Saturday night, 24 October 2009, IOF had been intensively deployed throughout the Old City of Jerusalem. The al-Aqsa Mosque and worshippers had previously been subjected to a similar assault on 27 September 2009, when a number of Israeli settlers attempted to break into the yards of the Mosque.
On 27 October 2009, IOF demolished 8 houses in East Jerusalem.
Settlement Activities: 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 27 October 2009, scores of Israeli settlers from "Shavot Rachel" settlement, which stands on lands belonging to Qaryout village, southeast of Nablus, launched a series of attacks against Palestinian farmers who were cultivating olives, nearly 500 meters away from the settlement. The settlers, escorted by IOF, attacked farmers with stones and violently beat a number of them. As a result of these attacks, 5 Palestinian farmers sustained bruises, and IOF arrested Kamal 'Abdul Jawad Kassab, 29, claiming that refused to obey orders to leave the area.