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Israeli Occupation Forces Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) and Continue to Impose a Total Blockade on the Gaza Strip

• 9 Palestinian civilians, including two children, were wounded by Israeli forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
• Israeli warplanes launched 8 strikes on the Gaza Strip.
• A factory, a workshop and a house were destroyed and a number of other civilian facilities were damaged.
• Israeli forces conducted 20 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
• Israeli forces arrested 19 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children.
• Israeli forces arrested 8 members of the Palestinian security services.
• Israel has continued to impose a total siege on the oPt and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
• Israel has continued settlement activities in the oPt and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
• Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilian vehicle traveling on the Nablus-Qalqilya road.

Summary
 
Israeli violations of international law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (19 – 24 November 2009):
 
Shooting: During the reporting period, 9 Palestinian civilians were wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. 
 
On 22 November 2009, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli warplanes attacked the Yebna area near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, targeting tunnels; two of the wounded sustained serious wounds.
 
In the West Bank, 3 Palestinian civilians were wounded when Israeli forces used force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli human rights defenders, to protest the construction of the Annexation Wall in the West Bank.
 
During the reporting period, Israeli warplanes launched 8 air strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.Six air strikes targeted tunnels along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, one targeted a workshop in the central Gaza Strip and one a factory in the northern Gaza Strip. 
 
Incursions: During the reporting period, Israeli forces conducted at least 20 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.Israeli forces arrested 19 Palestinians, including 3 children. Israeli forces also arrested 8 Palestinian security officers in the northern West Bank, but released them 24 hours later.
 
Restrictions on Movement: Israel has 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 has continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two years. The illegal Israeli-imposed blockade of the Gaza Strip, 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 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 years.
 
Israel has 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 home to the Gaza Strip.
 
Israel has 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.
 
Poverty and unemployment stand at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.
 
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.
 
Israel continues to impose 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.
 
Living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population have seriously deteriorated; levels of poverty and unemployment are among the highest in the world.
 
At least 900 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been denied family visitation rights for more than two years. 
 
Israeli forces have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip coast.
 
West Bank
 
Israeli 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.
 
Israeli forces 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 permanent 630 roadblocks, and 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 Israeli forces 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 has 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 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 Israeli forces. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.
 
Israeli forces continue to harass, and assault demonstrators who hold peaceful protests against the construction of the Annexation Wall.
 
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.
 
Settlement Activities: Israel has continued settlement activities in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law and Israeli settlers living have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.On 20 November 2009, a number of armed Israeli settlers from “Ma’oun” settlement, south of Hebron, attacked 4 Palestinian shepherds in Khellat Um Zaytouna area to the east of the settlement and prevented them from gazing animals in the area.They threw stones at the young shepherds whose ages ranges from 14 and 18.On the same day, Israeli settlers from “Carme’el” settlement, south of Hebron, attacked a tin-made house in Um al-Khair area, in which ‘Eida al-Hathalin, 56, who was attacked by the settlers last week, lives.They threw stones at the house in an attempt to force her to leave the area.The house was damaged.On 23 November 2009, Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the Nablus-Qalilya road.According to eyewitnesses, at least 25 settlers threw stones at Palestinian civilian vehicles traveling on the main road near “Havat Gilad” settlement outpost.A number of vehicles were damaged.

Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (19 – 24 November 2009)

The full report is available online at:
html format:
www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2008/25-11-2009.htm
pdf format:
www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2008/pdf/weekly%20report%2046-09.pdf

Public Document
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