This week, human rights violations perpetrated by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) included shooting at and killing Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian areas, house raids and arbitrary arrests. In violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, IOF have also continued to construct the ‘Annexation Wall’ inside the West Bank territory and to expand settlements, especially in Jerusalem and Hebron. They have also continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

Significantly, in the first attack of its kind since the Sharm al-Skeikh Summit, IOF employed aircrafts to attack members of the Palestinian resistance.

This week, five Palestinians, including a woman, were killed by IOF, and a number of civilians were injured.

In the West Bank, IOF killed two Palestinian civilians: a woman and a Palestinian worker:

On Thursday morning, 12 May 2005, Widad Mohammed Kamal al-Qa’oud al-Tamimi, 57, from Jerusalem, died from an injury she sustained when IOF severely beat her when they raided her brother’s house in Hebron.

On Monday morning, 16 May 2005, IOF positioned at al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, shot dead a Palestinian worker. They claimed that that he arrived at the checkpoint, and when Israeli soldiers ordered him to stop, he held a knife and moved towards them, so they shot him. The IOF further alleged that the soldiers “took necessary warning measures” but PCHR’s own investigations refute this allegation.

In the Gaza Strip, three Palestinians were killed:

On Monday, 16 May 2005, a Palestinian civilian from Rafah died from a wound he had sustained from the IOF two years ago.

On Wednesday, 18 May 2005, two members of Hamas were killed by IOF in two separate incidents in Rafah and Khan Yunis (southern Gaza Strip) when they attempted to fire at IOF. One of them was killed by an aerial attack as noted above.

This week, IOF conducted at least 20 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank:

During these incursions, IOF injured three Palestinian civilians, including a child, and arrested 25 others, including four children and a girl.

IOF also attacked a Palestinian civilian in ‘Assira village near Nablus, threatened to kill him and attempted to bury him alive.

In the Gaza Strip, the IOF also continued their military incursions during the reporting period:

IOF moved into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis, and raided Palestinian Flour Company. They used a worker as a human shield while searching the company.

On Sunday, 15 May 2005, a Palestinian child was wounded when IOF opened fire at Khan Yunis refugee camp.

IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank territory:

According to Israeli media sources, IOF will soon start the construction of a section of the Wall around “Ma’ale Admomi” east of Jerusalem. The construction of this section of the Wall will place the settlement, where 53,000 Israeli settlers live, in the boundaries of “Jerusalem Municipality.”

IOF confiscated 1400 donums of Palestinian land in the villages of Beit Hanina, al-Jeeb, Beir Nabala and Qalandya, north and northwest of Jerusalem for the purpose of the construction of the Wall. This section of the Wall will isolate the four villages. IOF have claimed that they would establish four gates to allow residents of these villages to reach their agricultural land which would be isolated on the Israeli side of the Wall. According to the maps, IOF will establish a number of roads and tunnels to link these villages with one another and then with Ramallah, to prevent Palestinian civilians from using settler roads.

On Monday, 16 May 2005, the Israeli High Court issued a ruling that violates international law and specifically findings of the International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on the legality of the West Bank Wall (July 2004). The High Court canceled temporary injunctions issued by the Court stopping the construction of a section of the Wall around the settlement of “Ariel” and “Emanuel” in the northern West Bank.

Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued with their campaign of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property:

On Thursday, 12 May 2005, four Israeli settlers severely beat an elderly Palestinian man. He sustained a fracture to the hand.

This week, Israeli settlers living in settlement posts in Hebron launched more attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. Israeli settlers also attacked Palestinian civilians in Yatta village, south of Hebron, injuring four of them, including three children.

On Monday, 16 May 2005, Israeli settlers razed 30 donums of Palestinian agricultural land in Kufor Qaddoum village near Qalqilya.

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT, including Jerusalem. On Sunday, 15 May 2005, IOF lifted a comprehensive closure that had been imposed on the OPT since Tuesday evening, 10 May 2005. Despite this, the IOF maintained a total siege imposed on the northern West Bank. This week, IOF positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 18 Palestinian civilians, including four children. On Tuesday evening, 17 May 2005, IOF positioned at a checkpoint fired at a Palestinian civilian, wounding him in the left foot.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF have continued to completely or partially close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of Palestinian civilians. On Wednesday, 18 May 2005, IOF closed al-Sayafa areas in the northern Gaza Strip and prohibited movement of Palestinian civilians to and from the area, excluding schoolchildren. This week, IOF arrested a Palestinian civilian at Rafah International Crossing Points and prevented two other civilians from traveling.

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Related Links

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights