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PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights LTD (non-profit) http://www.pchrgaza.org _________________________________ Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory A Palestinian woman standing at the closed Rafah crossing 19– 25 February 2009 NO 08-2009 Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the No. 8/2009 Occupied Palestinian Territory 19 – 25 February 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 • A Palestinian child from the Gaza Strip died of injuries he had sustained during the latest IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. • 19 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including eight children and a journalist, were injured by IOF gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. • IOF warplanes bombed targets in the Gaza Strip. • There were intensive IOF air strikes on the border between Gaza and Egypt, and forcible evacuation of Palestinian civilians living in the area. • IOF conducted 35 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and one into the Gaza Strip. • IOF arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including six children and one woman. • An IOF military dog bit the ear and shoulder of a 98-year-old Palestinian civilian. • A number of houses were damaged during IOF house raids. • Offices belonging to a radio station and a house were taken over by the IOF and used as military sites. • Three houses were severely damaged in the central Gaza Strip. • 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 four Palestinian civilians, including two children. • IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. • Israeli settlers broke into the Prophet Joseph Shrine in Nablus and launched a series of attacks in Hebron. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip Tel/Fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893 www.pchrgaza.org 1 Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the No. 8/2009 Occupied Palestinian Territory 19 – 25 February 2009 Summary Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (19-25 February 2009): Shooting: During the reporting period, a Palestinian child died of injuries sustained during the latest IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. The IOF also injured 17 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 8 children and a journalist, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, on 20 February, a Palestinian civilian was injured in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, when IOF troops moved into the village, following and firing at Palestinian children who allegedly threw stones at military vehicles. During the reporting period, 14 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, were injured when IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organised in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall. In the Gaza Strip, on 24 February, 'Abdullah Nabeel Sha'ban Esleem, 17, died of injuries he had sustained during the IOF offensive on the Gaza Strip. According to PCHR's documentation, Esleem was injured in his home on 15 January 2009 when IOF warplanes bombed a neighbouring house belonging to Eyad Siam in order to assassinate Sa'id Siam, a senior Hamas leader. The attacks killed Siam and nine others. Esleem had been receiving medical treatment in Egypt. On 19 February a Palestinian journalist was injured in Rafah when IOF warplanes bombed the Egyptian border, south of the town. On 24 February a Palestinian child was injured in Khuza'a village, east of Khan Yunis, when IOF fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who were near the remains of their destroyed homes. On 23 February, two members of the Palestinian resistance were injured during an IOF incursion into al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip. Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 35 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They arrested 42 Palestinian civilians, including six children. IOF also transformed offices of a local radio in Nablus and a house in al-Khader village near Bethlehem into military sites. During house raids, IOF damaged a number of houses. Additionally, an IOF military dog bit the ear and shoulder of a 98-year-old man in Tammoun village near Tubas. Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a blockade 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 over two years. The IOF siege and economic blockade of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a devastating 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. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip Tel/Fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893 www.pchrgaza.org 2 Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the No. 8/2009 Occupied Palestinian Territory 19 – 25 February 2009 • The majority of the civilian population lack access to drinking water. • Electricity is cut off for hundreds of thousands of Gazan civilians for around 8-12 hours a day, which has affected at least 500,000 students in various stages of education who are currently having exams. • The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) was repeatedly forced to suspend its humanitarian aid delivery program to at least 750,000 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip. • The Rafah International Crossing Point was opened for a few days to allow a number of patients who had received medical treatment abroad to return home to the Gaza Strip. • IOF have continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israel for medical treatment, trade or social visits. • IOF have imposed additional restrictions on international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers requiring access to the Gaza Strip. They have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian organizations from entering the Gaza Strip. • Health conditions in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated and all medical facilities have been affected, particularly medical equipment that is operated by electricity. Dozens of medicines have been unavailable. • The lives of premature babies have been endangered by power cuts that affect neonatal units run on electricity. • Living conditions for Palestinian civilians have deteriorated; unemployment and poverty levels have risen sharply. • At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights for over 17 months. 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 630 permanent 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 completed, 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. Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip Tel/Fax: +972 (0)8 282 4776 – 282 5893 www.pchrgaza.org 3 Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the No. 8/2009 Occupied Palestinian Territory 19 – 25 February 2009 • At least 65% of the main roads leading 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 roads throughout the West Bank that Palestinians are restricted from using. 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 street. • During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested four Palestinian civilians, including two children. Judaization of Jerusalem: IOF have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem to force them to leave the city. During the reporting period, the Israeli Municipality of Jerusalem ordered 88 Palestinian civilians living in al-Bustan quarter in Silwan village, south of the old town of Jerusalem, to evacuate their homes, which were to be demolished allegedly because they had been built without permits. According to the al-Bustan committee, 130 families – a total of 1,500 people of which 65% are children – live in these homes.