According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 25 Nov.- 02 Dec 2009, 6 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In addition, an Israeli settler used his car to run over the body of a wounded Palestinian in Hebron. During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 14 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and one into the Gaza Strip.
According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, during the week of 25 Nov.- 02 Dec 2009, 6 Palestinians were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In addition, an Israeli settler used his car to run over the body of a wounded Palestinian in Hebron. During the last week, Israeli forces conducted 14 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and one into the Gaza Strip.
Israeli attacks in the West Bank:
During the last week, Israeli forces abducted 17 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, during invasions into the West Bank. In addition, Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank abducted 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child.
The Israeli government approved the construction of 131 housing units, while Israeli forces issued military orders to demolish more houses in the West Bank.
At least 65% of the main roads that leads to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by Israeli forces (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 Israeli forces. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.
Palestinian civilians continue to be harassed by Israeli forces in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by Israeli forces.
Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip
On 27 November 2009, Israeli forces fired a missile at a number of activists of the Palestinian resistance in the northern Gaza Strip, wounding four.
Israeli naval troops have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing abducted a Palestinian civilian who was on his way to Jerusalem to receive medical treatment.
On Monday November 30th, at approximately 11:00, Israeli forces moved nearly 600 meters into the east of Jabalya town in the northern Gaza Strip. Until 18:30, they leveled areas of land which they had already razed.
Israel has continued to impose a siege on the Gaza Strip, preventing Palestinians from leaving, and keeping essential goods from entering. Poverty and unemployment rates stand at approximately 80% and 60% in the Gaza Strip.
Israel has 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.
Israel has 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.
Israeli Annexation Wall:
Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest of the construction of the Wall.
Following the Friday Prayer on 27 November 2009, dozens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders gathered in the center of Bil’in village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards the Wall and following altercations, threw stones at Israeli troops positioned in the area. Immediately, Israeli troops fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators. Dozens of demonstrators suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Israeli settlement activity:
Israel has continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 25 November 2009, Israeli forces moved into al-‘Aqaba village, northeast of Tubas. They handed out demolition orders for 3 houses.
On 26 November 2009, 5 armed Israeli settlers brought a tractor and worked a tract of land in Bab al-Ghars area in the east of Yanoun village, southeast of Nablus. The affected land is located nearly 1,500 meters away from ‘Gid’ounim’ settlement outpost to the east of the village. On the same day, Israeli forces moved into Tayaseer village, east of Tubas. They handed notices to Mahmoud Najeh Jaber and Jaber Najeh Jaber ordering stoppage of construction of their houses.
In spite of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims on 25 November 2008, concerning a cease of settlement construction in the West Bank, excluding Jerusalem, for 10 months, on 27 November 2009, the Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak approved the construction of 28 public buildings in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, to be completed by September 2010.
On 29 November 2009, Israeli forces dismantled two electricity towers that supply areas located to the southeast of Yatta village, south of Hebron, claiming that the towers were places in a banned zone. On the same day, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered continuing the construction of 29 housing units in ‘Kidar’ settlement, southeast of Jerusalem. Netanyahu’s office claimed that ‘the construction of those units had been approved before the decision to freeze settlement construction’ in Israeli settlements in the West Bank for 10 months.
On 30 November 2009, at least 50 Israeli settlers from ‘Yits’har’ settlement, escorted by Israeli forces, attacked a number of Palestinian farmers who were gathering olive trees that had been uprooted by settlers in al-Rummana area in the south of Bourin village, south of Nablus. Israeli forces forced the farmers away from the area and the settlers attempted to break into a house belonging to ‘Atallah ‘Abdul Rahman Soufan.
On 02 December 2009, the Israeli government approved the construction of 84 structures in Israeli settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported that the Israeli government approved the construction of those structures in spite of its official declaration of a freeze of settlement construction in the West Bank.
Recommendations to the international community:
Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations this week. The PCHR made a number of recommendations to the international community. Among these were a recommendation that the International Committee of the Red Cross increase its staff and activities in the Occupied Territories, including the facilitation of family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
In addition, the PCHR appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human rights in the Occupied Territories and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
For the full text of the report, click on the link below:
