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<font size=3>PCHR report on attacks by soldiers and settlers on farmers
in Hebron as well as shooting at demo <br>
<a href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5175" eudora="autourl">
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5175<br>
<br>
</a>29.04.09 - 18:00 <br><br>
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights reports on Israeli violations of
Palestinian human rights for the reporting period of 23 – 28 April
2009.<br><br>
Gaza City / PCHR - 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<br>
<br>
20 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children, were wounded by IOF
gunfire in the West Bank.<br>
<br>
A number of these civilians were wounded by Israeli settlers during a
joint attack with IOF. <br>
<br>
IOF conducted 28 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West
Bank.<br>
<br>
IOF arrested 32 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children. <br>
<br>
IOF halted technical preparations related to a reception site intended
for the Pope’s visit. <br>
<br>
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated
the Gaza Strip from the outside world.<br>
<br>
IOF imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian Christians
during Easter. <br>
<br>
IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5
Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.<br>
<br>
IOF have continued measures aimed at the changing the demographic
majority of east Jerusalem’s population.<br>
<br>
IOF started to establish a new settlement neighborhood in the al-Sawahra
area, southeast of Jerusalem. <br>
<br>
Media reports disclosed a plan to connect "Kidar" settlement
with "Ma'ale Adomim" settlement and annex 12,000 donums[1] of
Palestinian land.<br>
<br>
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli
settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and
property.<br>
<br>
IOF resumed the establishment of a settler road to the south of Hebron.
<br>
<br>
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the north and south of
the West Bank. <br>
<br>
<b>Summary<br>
</b> <br>
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law escalated in
the OPT during the reporting period (23 – 28 April 2009): <br>
<br>
Shooting: During the reporting period, 20 Palestinian civilians,
including 6 children, were wounded by IOF and Israeli settlers in the
West Bank. <br>
<br>
On 24 April 2009, 12 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were
wounded when Israeli settlers and IOF troops attacked 'Ourif village,
south of Nablus. This joint attack was the second of its kind in the West
Bank this April; IOF and Israeli settlers launched a similar attack on
Safa village, north of Hebron, on 08 April, in which 9 Palestinian
civilians were wounded.<br>
<br>
On 26 April 2009, an Israeli settler fired at a Palestinian child in
Madama village, south of Nablus. The child was seriously wounded by a
gunshot that entered the back and exited the chest. <br>
<br>
On the same day, a Palestinian civilian was wounded when IOF moved into
Rantis village, northwest of Ramallah, and opened fire indiscriminately.
<br>
<br>
Also on the same day, IOF troops positioned at Tarqoumia crossing,
southwest of Hebron, fired at an old Palestinian man, wounding him. <br>
<br>
During the reporting period, 5 Palestinian civilians, including two
children, were wounded when IOF used force against peaceful
demonstrations organized to protest the construction of the Annexation
Wall. <br>
<br>
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 28
military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF
arrested 32 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children. <br>
<br>
During the reporting period, IOF stormed the public yard opposite 'Aaida
refugee camp, north of Bethlehem. The yard was being readied in advance
of the Pope’s intended visit. IOF forced workers to stop technical and
construction preparations.<br>
<br>
On 24 April 2009, IOF conducted a joint operation with Israeli settlers
against 'Ourif village, south of Nablus. Both forces fired at Palestinian
civilians, wounding 12 of them. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
<b>Gaza Strip<br>
</b> <br>
IOF have closed all Gaza Strip border crossings for more than two years.
The IOF 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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
The main priority of the 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is
to obtain their basic needs of food, medicines, water and electricity
supplies. <br>
<br>
IOF have prevented the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza
Strip for more than two years. <br>
<br>
IOF have not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited
amounts of cooking gas, since 10 December 2008. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
IOF have 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.<br>
<br>
Poverty has reached approximately 80% and unemployment has increased to
approximately 60% in the Gaza Strip. <br>
<br>
IOF have continued to prevent the entry of spare parts intended for water
networks and sewage systems. Damages incurred to this sector are
estimated at US$ 6 million. <br>
<br>
IOF have imposed additional access restrictions on international
diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to the Gaza Strip. They
have prevented representatives of several international humanitarian
organizations from entering the Gaza Strip. <br>
<br>
The Palestinian civilian population’s living conditions have seriously
deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment have sharply mounted.
<br>
<br>
At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied
family visitation for more than 17 months. <br>
<br>
IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishers along the coast of the
Gaza Strip. <br>
<br>
<b>West Bank <br>
</b> <br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
There are approximately permanent 630 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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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).<br>
<br>
There are approximately 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. <br>
<br>
IOF continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful
protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
During the reporting period, IOF troops positioned at military
checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.<br>
<br>
The establishment of a majority Jewish demographic in Jerusalem: IOF have
escalated measures against Palestinian civilians in East Jerusalem
intended to force them to leave the city. IOF started the construction of
a new settlement neighborhood in Arab al-Sawahra area, southeast of
Jerusalem, for nationalist Jews. The Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported on
26 February 2009 that the construction of the new settlement neighborhood
started approximately one month ago on lands which the Israeli
Municipality of Jerusalem claim belong to it. The new settlement
neighborhood will be located in a Palestinian-populated area. During the
reporting period, a committee of the Israeli Ministry of Interior
recommended annexing approximately 12,000 donums of land to the
"Ma'ale Adomim" settlement, east of Jerusalem, and including
"Kidar" settlement – nearly 3 kilometers away from the
aforementioned settlement – in its boundaries. The Israeli Military Radio
reported on 25 April 2009 that this plan would increase the population of
"Ma'ale Adomim" settlement to 34,500 settlers. This plan
coincides with another plan revealed a few months ago, according to which
6,000 housing unit would be constructed in "Kidar" settlement
and its vicinity in order to create geographical contiguity with the
"Ma'ale Adomim" settlement. These plans would cut geographical
contiguity between the north and south of the West Bank and would isolate
Jerusalem completely from the Palestinian community, thus undermining the
establishment of a viable Palestinian State on lands occupied by Israel
since 1967.<br>
<br>
Settlement Activities: IOF have continued settlement activities in the
OPT in violation of international humanitarian law. Israeli settlers have
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 23 April 2009,
IOF resumed leveling areas of Palestinian land in Um al-Khair area near
"Carme'il" settlement, south of Hebron, to establish a new
settler road. The establishment of the new settler road would force 13
Palestinian families to leave the area. On the same day, Israeli settlers
armed with sharp tools chased Fawzi Mousa 'Awadh, 65, from Beit Uammar
village north of Hebron, and forced him to leave his land near "Kfar
Etzion" settlement. 'Awadh was able to escape from the area on his
tractor. Also on the same day, armed Israeli settlers attacked
Palestinian farmers in Jeet village, east of Qalqilya, and prevented them
from farming their land. They also attacked 5 houses in the village. IOF
troops escorted the settlers and did not stop such attacks. On 26 April
2009, Israeli settlers from "Bein Ain" settlement to the north
of Beit Uammar village north of Hebron, attacked two Palestinian farmers
while they were farming their land. The two farmers sustained bruises and
cuts.<br><br>
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (23 – 28 April
2009)<br><br>
<br><br>
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