[News] Palestinian Center for Human Rights - 2 Palestinians killed, 44 injured by Israeli forces

Fri Feb 6 11:11:11 EST 2009

PCHR Weekly Report: 2 Palestinians killed, 44 injured by Israeli forces
http://www.imemc.org/article/58802

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Friday February 06, 2009 10:52
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 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC News 
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According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, over the week 
of 29 Jan. - 04 Feb. 2009, Israeli forces killed 2 Palestinians, and 
another 2 Palestinians died of previous injuries. Forty four 
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 22 children, a pregnant 
woman, and an international human rights defender, were wounded by 
Israeli gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

Israeli forces carried out intensive air strikes on the border area 
between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, forcing local residents to evacuate 
the area. Also, Israeli forces conducted 28 incursions into 
Palestinian communities in the West Bank.

Israeli forces have continued to impose a total siege and have 
isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.

Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip:

In the Gaza Strip, on 2 February 2009, Israeli forces 
extra-judicially executed a Palestinian resistance fighter and 
wounded two others. In addition, two children in the vicinity were 
also injured in the attack. An Israeli drone fired a missile at the 
car in which the fighters were traveling.

On 29 January 2009, an Israeli forces drone fired a missile at a 
Hamas member who was riding a motorcycle near Nasser Hospital in Khan 
Yunis. He was injured in the attack, as were seventeen other civilian 
bystanders, including 11 school children and a pregnant woman.

During the reporting period, two Palestinians died of wounds 
sustained during the Israeli forces offensive on the Gaza Strip.

Israeli warplanes also launched a series of air strikes against 
targets in the Gaza Strip, including two sites of the 'Izziddin 
al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas, as well as the border area between the 
Gaza Strip and Egypt, a police station and a workshop.

Israeli forces have continued to close all border crossings to the 
Gaza Strip for more than two years. The Israeli forces 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.

1.5 million people are being denied their basic rights, including 
freedom of movement, and their rights to appropriate living 
conditions, work, health, education, food, medicines, water and electricity.

The main concern of the people living in the Gaza Strip is to obtain 
their basic needs of The majority of the civilian population lack 
access to safe drinking water. Electricity is cut off for hundreds of 
thousands of civilians from 8-12 hours daily. The UN Relief and Works 
Agency (UNRWA) has been repeatedly forced to suspend its humanitarian 
aid program for at least 750,000 Palestinian refugees in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli attacks in the West Bank:

In the West Bank, on 2 February 2009, Israeli forces shot dead a 
Palestinian civilian in Hebron, claiming that he fired at a military 
checkpoint.

On 29 January 2009, a man and a woman were wounded when Israeli 
forces moved into Beit Ummar village and opened fire 
indiscriminately. On 30 January 2009, Israeli forces fired at a 
Palestinian peaceful demonstration in Hebron. As a result, nine 
Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded. On 2 
February 2009, a Palestinian child was wounded when Israeli forces 
fired at Palestinian children who threw stones at military vehicles 
in Bil'in village, west of Ramallah.

During the reporting period, 10 Palestinian civilians, including two 
children, and an international human rights defender, were wounded 
when Israeli forces used force against peaceful demonstrations 
organized in protest at the construction of the Annexation Wall west 
of Ramallah.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 28 
military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. 
During those incursions, Israeli forces abducted 42 Palestinian 
civilians, including three children. Also, on Monday morning, 2 
February, Israeli forces abducted Ibrahim Fayez al-Tahal, 18, from 
Jenin, when he was on his way to Jordan through al-Karama 
International Crossing Point to receive medical treatment.

Israeli forces have continued to take measures aiming at the 
Judaization of Jerusalem. Troops demolished four civilian houses in 
al-'Eissawiya and Sho'fat. In addition, Israeli forces demolished 
commercial facilities in the Jabal al-Tour area.

Israeli Settlement activity:

Israeli forces have escalated arbitrary measures against Palestinian 
civilians in East Jerusalem, in order to force them to leave the 
city. During the reporting period, Israeli forces demolished four 
houses and a number of civilian facilities in Jerusalem. Israeli 
forces also declared the completion of works on the infrastructure of 
a settlement project known as "E1", and stated they would start to 
build Jewish settlement neighborhoods that can ensure geographical 
contiguity between the "Ma'ale Adumim" settlement bloc, east of 
Jerusalem and the areas of al-'Eissawiya, al-Za'im, Sheikh Jarrah and 
Jabal al-Tour.

Israeli settlers living in the West Bank have, in violation of 
international humanitarian law, continued to attack Palestinian 
civilians and property. On 3 February, a number of Palestinian 
civilians from Sa'ir village, northeast of Hebron, were violently 
beaten by Israeli forces and settlers, when these civilian attempted 
to confront Israeli forces leveling of their land. Israeli forces and 
Israeli settlers razed 50 donums of agricultural land planted with 
olive trees in al-'Odaisiya area in the southwest of Sa'ir village. 
In addition, Israeli forces confiscated three fuel tanks belonging to 
Taj Mohammed Karaja in Halhoul town, northeast of Hebron. They 
claimed the tanks are illegal. On 4 February, Israeli forces 
continued to raze large areas of Mas'ha village behind the Annexation 
Wall, west of Qalqilya, near "Eit Ephraim", "Sha'ri Tikva" and 
"Alkanah" settlements. According to local sources, the area of this 
land is estimated at 90 donums.

Israeli Annexation Wall:

Israeli forces have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside 
West Bank territory. 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 has already been 
constructed. Approximately 99% of the Wall has been constructed 
inside the West Bank itself, further confiscating Palestinian land.

During the reporting period, Israeli forces used force against 
peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and 
international and Israeli human rights defenders in protest at the 
construction of the Wall.

Following the Friday Prayer on 30 January 2009, scores of Palestinian 
civilians organized a peaceful demonstration in Bil'in village, west 
of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall. 
The demonstrators moved towards the Wall and threw stones at Israeli 
forces positioned in the area. Immediately, Israeli forces fired 
gunshots, rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas 
canisters at the demonstrators. As a result, two Palestinian 
civilians and two international journalists were wounded. Dozens of 
demonstrators also suffered from tear gas inhalation.

Also following the Friday Prayer on 30 January, dozens of Palestinian 
civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders 
organized a peaceful demonstration in protest at the construction of 
the Wall in Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah. They moved towards 
areas of land which are scheduled to be confiscated for the purpose 
of the construction of the Wall. Israeli forces fired rubber-coated 
metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the 
demonstrators. As a result, 10 Palestinian civilians, including two 
children, and a Swedish human rights defender, were wounded.

Recommendations to the International Community:

Due to the number and severity of Israeli human rights violations 
this week, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights made a number of 
recommendations to the international community. Among these were 
a  recommendation that the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth 
Geneva Convention convene a conference to take effective steps to 
ensure Israel's respect of the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian 
Territories and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.

The PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva 
Convention to comply with its legal obligations detailed in Article 
146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those responsible 
for grave breaches, namely war crimes.

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