Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (30 June– 06 July 2011)

PCHR-Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue systematic attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

-Two Palestinians were killed by an Israeli air strike in the central Gaza Strip.
- A third Palestinian was wounded in the same attack.

· A Palestinian civilian died of a previous wound in the West Bank.

· Israeli warplanes attacked a number of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip.
- A store of fodders was bombarded and a number of civilian facilities were damaged.

· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
- Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear Gas inhalation.
- IOF arrested 4 international human rights defenders.

· Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip.
- A fishing boat was damaged.

· IOF conducted 32 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- IOF arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child.

· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF arrested two Palestinian civilians, at military checkpoints in the West Bank.

· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF cut 11 olive trees in Kufor al-Dik village, west of Salfit.
- IOF prevented Palestinian farmers from working on their lands near “Sousia” settlement, south of Hebron.
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Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (30 June – 06 July 2011):

Shooting:

During the reporting period, IOF killed two Palestinians and wounded a third one in the Gaza Strip. A Palestinian civilian also died of a previous wound in the West Bank.

On 05 July 2011, , Israeli warplanes fired at least one missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance who were at an olive field in the east of al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip, nearly 600 meters away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. As a result, two activists were killed by shrapnel throughout their bodies and a third one was wounded. The Israeli daily Yidiot Aharanot reported on its English website that “the Israeli Air Force targeted a Palestinian terrorist cell to the east of al-Maghazi, while its members were attempting to fire a projectile into Israel, killing two members of the cell and injuring a third one.”

During the reporting period, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the Gaza Strip in two separate incidents. In one of these attacks, a Palestinian fishing boat was damaged.

On 05 July 2011, Israeli warplanes fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance near a 1,000-squre-meter store of fodders belonging to Isma’il Helmi al-Najjar in the east of Gaza City. The missile hit the store and damaged it. Three activists were also lightly wounded. Additionally, a nearby tire workshop belonging to the Dughmosh family and a house belonging to Hafez ‘Aashour Dughmosh were damaged.

In the West Bank, on 01 July 2011, a Palestinian civilian died of wounds he had sustained by IOF last January. According to PCHR’s documentation, on 20 January 2011, the victim, who holds an Israeli identity card, was traveling in his car at Nabi Younis intersection, northeast of Hebron. Without prior warning, Israeli soldiers stationed at a checkpoint in the area fired at him. He was wounded by a bullet to the head. His car also turned upside down. He was seriously wounded, and was evacuated to Hadassa Hospital.

During the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall in the West Bank. As a result, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation. IOF also arrested 4 international human rights defenders.

Incursions:

During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 32 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child.

Restrictions on Movement:

Israel had 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

Israel has continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for over three years. The illegal Israeli-imposed closure 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.