- IOF killed 6 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip; a seventh Palestinian died of previous wounds.
- 3 of the victims, including a child, were killed when Israeli warplanes bombarded tunnel on the Egyptian border.
- 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
- IOF planes launched 7 air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.
- Two houses were completely destroyed and a third one was damaged.
- IOF conducted 23 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
- IOF arrested 16 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, in the West Bank.
- IOF naval troops have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Strip.
- Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the OPT and have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
- IOF troops positioned at military checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 9 Palestinian civilians.
- Israeli continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
- IOF forced a Palestinian family to demolish its home in East Jerusalem.
- IOF demolished 12 houses and 13 animal sheds in Tana area near Nablus.
- IOF razed 3 donums(1,000 m2 ) of agricultural land to the north of Hebron.
Summary
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (06 – 13 January 2010):
Shooting: During the reporting period, Israeli occupation forces killed 6 Palestinians, including a child, in the Gaza Strip. A seventh Palestinian died of previous wounds. Additionally, two Palestinian civilians were wounded.
On 08 January 2009, 3 Palestinian civilians, including one child, were killed, and two others were wounded when Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Another 6 civilians working in tunnels survived the attack as they crossed towards the Egyptian side of the border.
On 10 January 2010, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at 3 Palestinian resistance activists in Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip, killing them.
On 06 January 2010, a Palestinian resistance activist died of wounds he had sustained on the preceding day, when IOF attacked a number of resistance activists.
During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes launched 7 air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip. As a result of these strikes, 6 Palestinians were killed (see above), two houses were completely destroyed and another one was heavily damaged.
In the West Bank, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and a journalist, were wounded when IOF used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders, in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
Two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded by Israeli troops stationed at military checkpoints.
On 12 January 2010, two Palestinian children were wounded when Israeli troops fired at a number of children who demonstrated against them in Safa village, north of Hebron.
Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 23 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. IOF arrested 16, including 9 children. One of the detainees was Ibrahim Mustafa 'Amira, 43, coordinator of the Popular Committee Against the Wall in Ne'lin village, west of Ramallah.
Restrictions on Movement: Israel continued to impose a tightened blockade 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 two and a half years. The illegal 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.
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 1.5 million people living in the Gaza Strip is to fulfill 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 over two and a half years.
Israel has have not allowed fuel supplies into the Gaza Strip, excluding limited amounts of cooking gas, 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 to the Gaza Strip.
Israel has continued to close Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to Palestinian civilians wishing to travel to the West Bank and Israel for medical treatment, trade, or social visits.
Israel has continued to prevent the entry of spare parts for water networks and sewage systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.
IOF have 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 increased significantly.
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation for more than two years.
IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip’s coast.
West Bank
Israeli occupation forces 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 the 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.
Settlement Activities
Israel has continued settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
On 06 January 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from "Gilad" settlement, northeast of Qalqiliya, attacked two Palestinian farmers while they were farming their land located to the east of Ematin village. The settlers threw stones at the two farmers and violently beat them using sticks. The two farmers sustained bruises and cuts.
On 09 January 2010, at least 30 Israeli settlers from "Beit 'Ain" settlement to the north of Beit Ummar village north of Hebron attacked a number of Palestinian farmers who were farming their lands in the Abu al-Reesh Valley. The settlers threw stones at the farmers. No injuries were reported.
On 10 January 2010, IOF, accompanied by a number of bulldozers, moved into the Kherbat Tana area northeast of Nablus. They demolished the elementary school, 11 mud brick houses, 10 animal sheds, one greenhouse, and one tent. At least 120 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, became homeless.
Also on 10 January 2010, Israeli occupation authorities forced Khaled Yousef Abu Shousha to demolish his 35-square-meter house in al-Tour village near East Jerusalem. A notice was delivered to him on Thursday, 07 January 2010, ordering him to demolish his house within 24 hours.
On 11 January 2010, Israeli settlers from "Gilad" settlement, northeast of Qalqiliya, attacked a number of Palestinian farmers who were farming their lands. Two farmers were injured.
On 13 January 2010, IOF, citing security reasons, razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives belonging to the Abu Maria family in Safa village, north of Hebron.
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (06 – 13 January 2010)
The full report is available online at: html format pdf format
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