Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

· A member of the Palestinian resistance was killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip.

· 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank.

· IOF continued to fire at Palestinian farmers and workers in border areas of the Gaza Strip.

· IOF continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.

· IOF conducted 15 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and a limited one into the Gaza Strip.

· IOF arrested 22 civilians, including 4 children, in the West Bank.

· Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

· Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.

· Israel has continued its settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.

· IOF seized a 7-donum[1] area of Palestinian land in the vicinity of the "Ramat Yishai" settlement outpost in the center of Hebron.

· Israeli settlers burnt two cars belonging to Palestinian civilians in Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. 

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (15 – 21 April 2010):

Shooting: During the reporting period, IOF killed a member of the Palestinian resistance and one civilian in the Gaza Strip, and wounded two civilians, including a child, in the West Bank.

On 16 April 2010, a member of the Palestinian resistance was killed in the Gaza Strip during armed clashes with Israeli troops that moved into al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. 

On 20 April 2010, a Palestinian worker was wounded when Israeli troops fired at a number of workers who were collecting bricks and construction aggregate in the northern Gaza Strip.

On 20 April 2010, Israeli gunboats fired at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. No casualties were reported.

On the same day, IOF fired at a number of Palestinian civilians and international solidarity activists who organized a peaceful protest against the establishment of a buffer zone along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. No casualties were reported.

In the West Bank, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by IOF in al-Far'a refugee camp, south of Tubas, and in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron.

IOF also used excessive force against peaceful protests organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders against the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank. 

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 15 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 22 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children. 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited incursion into the east of al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. 

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

Israel had continuously closed all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years. The Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, which has steadily tightened since June 2007, has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the Gaza Strip.  

· On Friday, 01 January 2010, IOF decided to close Nahal Ouz crossing permanently, and to allow the entry of fuels through Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing, southeast of Rafah, claiming security reasons. 

· 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 the population of the Gaza Strip is to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity supplies.

· Israel has continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years.

· Israel has not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas and energy fuel for Gaza Power Plant, 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.

· Israel had 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.

· Israel has imposed additional restrictions on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to 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 have mounted sharply.

· At least 800 Gazan prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived of family visitation for more than two and a half years. 

· IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

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 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 complete, the illegal Annexation Wall will stretch for 724 kilometers around the West Bank, further isolating the entire population. 350 kilometers of the Wall have 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 lead 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.

· During the reporting period, Israeli troop stationed at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman.

Settlement Activities: Israel has continued its settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.  

On 15 April 2010, IOF delivered notices to a number of Palestinian families in the Tal al-Rumaida neighborhood in central Hebron, announcing the seizure of 5 tracts of land near their houses, supposedly out of security considerations. The area of land, a total of 7 donums, belongs to the heirs of Mahmoud Khamis al-Saheb. 

On 16 April 2010, Israeli settlers burnt two cars belonging to Palestinian civilians in Jainsafout village, east of Qalqilya. 

On Wednesday, 21 April 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from "Ariel" settlement near Salfit threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles near Kufor Hares village, north of Salfit. No injuries were reported. 

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (15 – 21 April 2010)

1. Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip

Thursday, 15 April 2010

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Koubar village, northwest of Ramallah. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Khaldoun al-Barghouthi, 26, and arrested him.

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Taqqou' village, southeast of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian children:

1. Ma'ath 'Ali Sabbah, 17; and

2. Fadi Hashem Sabbah, 17.

· At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into al-Far'a refugee camp, south of Tubas. They raided and searched a number of houses. Israeli soldiers ordered Jalal Jamal Mubarak, 21, who was waiting near his house for a car to take him to work, to come over to them. Mubarak was afraid and ran away. Immediately, they fired at him. He was wounded by a gunshot to the right thigh. IOF then arrested him. They further arrested 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1. Isma'il Fayez 'Awadh, 18;

2. Nour Mohammed 'Olayan, 22;

3. 'Odai Hassan Tayeh, 20;

4. Hamza 'Abdullah 'Ouda, 18;

5. 'Omar Riad Khrais, 17; and

6. 'Emad Riad Khrais, 19.

· At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into 'Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1. Hamada Farouq Bahr al-Dam, 30;

2. Jihad Mahmoud Derbas, 20; and

3. Munjed 'Omar al-Shantir, 21.

Friday, 16 April 2010

· At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into al-Ma'sara village, south of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a house belonging to Mohammed Ahmed Braijiya, Coordinator of the Popular Committee against the Wall and Settlements in Bethlehem. They threatened to arrest him in case he continued organizing peaceful protests against the wall and settlement activities.

· At approximately 08:00, IOF moved nearly 200 meters into the east of al-Shoja'eya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. A number of Palestinian resistance activists exchanged fire with IOF. During the exchange of fire, a resistance activist, 23-year-old Mohammed Mohammed Mahmoud Eslim, was killed. IOF redeployed outside the area at approximately 11:30.

· At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into al-Walaja village, northwest of Bethlehem. They raided a house belonging to the family of Hatem al-Aa'raj, who had been detained by IOF. Dozens of people were in the house to express solidarity with the family. IOF arrested 3 of them, including a child:

1. Mo'tassem 'Omran Hajajla, 21;

2. Mohammed 'Omran Hajajla, 17; and

3. Rami Rafeeq Hajajla, 18.

Saturday, 17 April 2010

· At approximately 12:30, IOF moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. They surrounded the yard of the Zahrat al-Mada'en School before an assembly organized by the Solidarity Project in support of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the yard, which provoked Palestinian civilians in the area. Clashes erupted between Palestinian boys and Israeli troops, during which Yazan 'Emad Slaibi, 17, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head. In the afternoon, Israeli troops detained and violently beat 15-year-old Savri Ibrahim 'Awadh. He sustained bruises all over his body.

Sunday, 18 April 2010

· At approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-Doha village, west of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Mahmoud Khalil 'Izziya, 26.

· Also at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into al-'Azza refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned a number of Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

· Also at approximately 00:00, IOF moved into 'Aida refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of houses and summoned a number of Palestinian civilians for interrogation.

· At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Hawwara village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested Shadi Jihad al-Hawari, 21.

· At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into 'Askar refugee camp, northeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of houses, but no arrests were reported.

· At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into al-Thawri neighborhood in the old town of East Jerusalem. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

1. Tamer Nayef Jwaihan, 19;

2. :: Article nr. 65302 sent on 22-apr-2010 18:36 ECT