PCHR weekly report: 4 killed, 11 injured during the past week
Friday July 27, 2007 07:19
by Saed Bannoura - 1 of International Middle East Media Center - IMEMC Editorial Group
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) has published its weekly report for the period covering July 19th to 25th, 2007. During the week-long period, four Palestinians were killed, another died of earlier injuries, and 11 Palestinians, including five children, were injured. 73 Palestinians were abducted by Israeli forces in 29 separate invasions of Palestinian areas during the week.
West Bank attacks
11 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and an elderly woman were injured in the West Bank by Israeli gunfire. On Friday, 20 July 2007, the Israeli army invaded Ein Beit El-Ma� refugee camp and fired rubber-coated metallic bullets at children and youth throwing stones at troops.
Five people were injured, including 3 children and an elderly woman. One of the injuries was serious. In addition, the Israeli troops used force against a peaceful demonstration organized in protest to the construction of the Annexation Wall in Bil�in village, west of Ramallah, injuring 6 demonstrators, including 2 children.
38 Palestinian civilians were abducted by Israeli troops in the West Bank this week. The PCHR fieldworker in Nablus recorded the following account of one of these abductions:
\\\"At about 2:00 on Friday, 20 July 2007, I woke up to the sound of sound charges detonated in my garden in the village of Zuwata, west of Nablus. I heard a loudspeaker calling for us to exit the house. My wife Wafa Samih El-Bustami (50), my daughter Wafa (22), and I went out of the house, and saw that it was surrounded from all sides. I was strip searched. They asked me about my sons; and I told them that they were in their grandfather�s house in the northern mountain.
\\\"They ordered me to ask my wife to go inside the house and bring all mobile phones, open windows and doors, turn on all lights, and to open all closets. She complied. And they confiscated all mobile phones. The soldiers threatened to raid the house and kill anyone they find inside. I told him to do whatever he likes. They did not raid the house; but ordered me to get into the jeep with them. They moved, and transferred me to another jeep after a while. They took me to Ein Beit El-Ma� refugee camp at about 2:30. I was kept inside the vehicle till about 7:30. Then an officer checked my ID; and ordered my release. The soldiers took me back to my house, where my wife told me that our son Shaher was arrested at his grandfather�s house. My nephew Fadel Maher Asqalan, a lawyer, arrived after half an hour and told me that my son and three of his friends were arrested: Mohammad Abu Jamous (25), Mohannad El-Jabi (28), and Mohammad Sharaf (25).\\\"
The Israli military has imposed a tightened siege on the West Bank this week. Troops have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities, including Nablus, Tulkarem, Jenin and Jericho. One Israeli doctor told the PCHR the following first-hand accountof the additional checkpoints around Jenin:
\\\"As in previous Saturdays, a delegation from Physicians for Human Rights � Israel headed to the village of Beit Qad, northeast of Jenin to organize a voluntary medical day for the besieged residents. There were 30 physicians, nurses, pharmacists, and others in the delegation. The delegation crossed the Ennab checkpoint and continued to Bazariaand to Selet El-Thaher. Near the Oraba � Ya�bud intersection, there was a temporary checkpoint of three army vehicles that stopped vehicles, resulting a long queue of cars. The medical convoy moved up to the army vehicles, who stopped them.
\\\"A representative went to the troops and explained to them the nature of the convoy and its work. The troops were not convinced and insisted that the area was closed since the redeployment in the end of 2005, and that no Israelis would be allowed to pass. After an hour and half the convoy took an alternative route through the Palestinian village of Sanour. However, there was another checkpoint; and the convoy took a third route. The convoy reached the village at about 13:30. Hundreds of patients who were waiting for the convoy lost hope and left before we arrived. When the convoy arrived there were only 100 patients who received treatment.\\\"
In another of the multiple additional closures this week, on Sunday, 22 July 2007, the Israeli army closed the Nablus � Jenin road section between Burqa and Selet El-Thaher, and prevented Palestinian vehicles from accessing that section. The closure coincided with a march by Israeli settlers to the evacuated settlement of Homesh. In addition, troops at Za�tara checkpoint used extremely slow security procedures against civilians and vehicles on Sunday.
Gaza Strip attacks:
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army killed 4 members of the Palestinian resistance in 2 incidents on Sunday, 22 July 2007. In the early morning, Israeli soldiers fired at 2 resistance activists north of Beit Lahia and prevented ambulances from rescuing them. They died of their wounds by bleeding.
And in the evening, Israeli soldiers killed 2 members of Al-Quds Battalions by firing a surface-to-surface missile at them in Beit Hanoun.
On the 22 and 24 July, the Israeli military committed two failed extra-judicial executions in Gaza City. In both attacks by Israeli planes, the rockets missed their targets. The first execution attempt took place against members of Al-Quds Battalions on Gaza�s coastal road. And the second attack was against a member of the same group near Al-Quds Open University in Gaza City. The rocket strayed and hit a residential building, causing extensive damage, but no injuries.
The Israeli military has imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli military closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. At least 6,000 Palestinians have been stuck in Egypt waiting to be allowed in the Gaza Strip. According to PCHR�s documentation, 16 Palestinians of those who are stuck in Egypt have died due to the deterioration in their health conditions.
The Israeli army has also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. Troops have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip have been prevented from traveling through this crossing. During the reporting period, the army reopened Kerem Shalom crossing, southeast of Rafah, and Sofa crossing, northeast of the town. Also, during the reporting period, Nahal Ouz crossing, east of Gaza City, which is deigned for the entry of fuels into the Gaza Strip, witnessed active movement.
The Wall:
The Israeli military continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside West Bank territory. During the reporting period, Israeli soldiers used force against a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians to protest the construction of the Wall in Bil�in village, west of Ramallah.
During that non-violent march, soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, and violently beat them. As a result, 6 demonstrators, including 2 children, were injured.
On Thursday, 17 July 2007, the Israeli army closed the iron gates in the Annexation Wall section west of El-Zawya, west of Salfit. They prevented farmers from reaching their land beyond the gate. Farmers informed PCHR�s fieldworker that their land is planted with trees, whose produce is threatened to expire if not picked, which would inflict significant material losses for them.
On Friday, 20 July 2007, the army closed the iron gates in the Annexation Wall section south of Marada in the north of Salfit. They prevented farmers from reaching their land beyond the gate. Farmers informed PCHR�s fieldworker that their land is planted with trees and are their primary source of income. It is noted that the Wall surrounds the whole village, save for one terminal controlled by an iron gate.
Attacks by Israeli Settlers:
Israeli settlers living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property over the last week. The PCHR Report documented six separate attacks by Israeli settlers on Palestinian property, including at least 500 ancient olive trees burned by settlers, a taxi damaged by rocks thrown at it by Israeli settlers, and four homes damaged by thrown rocks.
For full report, click on link.
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