Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
- 9 Palestinians, including a child and an elderly farmer, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
- 33 Palestinians, including 21 civilians, were wounded by IOF in the Gaza Strip.
- A Palestinian child was wounded by IOF in Jenin refugee camp.
- IOF conducted 34 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 8 into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF razed 606 donums(1) of agricultural in the central and southern Gaza Strip.
- IOF demolished 10 houses, 5 bird farms, 5 stores, a slaughterhouse, a brick factory and a stone factory in the Gaza Strip.
- IOF arrested 41 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children, in the West Bank, and arrested 16 others in the Gaza Strip.
- IOF raided schools and mosques, destroyed 4 cars and confiscated a number of computers during a military operation in Qalqilya.
- IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
- IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- 3 Palestinian civilian were arrested by IOF at military checkpoints in the West Bank.
- IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF ordered the demolition of 10 houses in Bethlehem districts.
- Israeli settlers attacked schoolchildren in Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law seriously escalated in the OPT, especially in the Gaza Strip, during the reporting period (22 - 28 May 2008):
Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed 9 Palestinians, including a child and an elderly farmer, and wounded 33 others, including 7 children, in the Gaza Strip. A child was also wounded by IOF in the West Bank.
On 22 May, IOF killed an elderly Palestinian during an incursion into Gaza Valley village in the central Gaza Strip. They left him bleeding to death. On the same day, IOF killed a Palestinian child and wounded 16 civilians, including 6 children, when they used excessive force against a demonstration organized near al-Mentar (Karni) crossing, east of Gaza City, in protest at the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
On 23 May, IOF killed 3 activists of the Palestinian resistance and wounded a fourth during an incursion into al-Fukhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis. On the same day, IOF shot dead a Palestinian farmer in the northern Gaza Strip. Also on the same day, IOF killed 2 activists of the Palestinian resistance during an incursion into al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
On 24 May, IOF wounded 8 activists of the Palestinian resistance in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis, and al-Sha'af neighborhood in the east of Gaza City.
On 27 May, IOF wounded a Palestinian child in the east of Gaza City. On 28 May 2007, IOF killed 2 activists of the Palestinian resistance and wounded 6 Palestinians, including 3 civilian, during an incursion into al-Shouka village, northeast of Rafah, and al-Fukhari village, southeast of Khan Yunis.
In the West Bank, a Palestinian child was wounded by IOF gunfire during an incursion into Jenin refugee camp.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 34 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 38 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children. Thus, the number of Palestinian civilians arrested by IOF in the West Bank since the beginning of 2008 has mounted to 1,224. The widest of those incursions was into Qalqilya town and continued for 24 hours. During that incursion, IOF arrested 10 Palestinian civilians, raided schools and mosques, destroyed 4 cars and confiscated a number of computer sets.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 8 incursions into Palestinian communities. During these incursions, IOF razed at least 606 donums of agricultural land, demolished 10 houses, 5 bird farms, 5 stores, a slaughterhouse, a brick factory and a paving stone factory. They also arrested 16 Palestinian civilians.
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.
Notes:
(1) 1donum is equal to 1,000 square meters.