PCHR weekly report: “Two Palestinians killed, seven wounded, as the army continues its violations”

Friday October 12, 2007 00:18 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC

The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (PCHR), based in Gaza, published its weekly report on the Israeli violations in the occupied Palestinian territories in the period between October 4 and October 10, 2007.

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During the reported period, Israeli troops shot and killed one Palestinian while another resident died of earlier wounds. Seventeen residents, including eight children, were wounded during the reported period.

The army carried 21 military invasions into the West Bank and abducted 34 residents. The total number of residents abducted since the beginning of this year arrived to 2091.

 Attacks in the Gaza Strip:

On Friday morning, October 5, troops shot and killed one resident near the border area between the Gaza Strip and Israel.

The PCHR stated that the resident, Tariq Abu Jari, 22, was carrying a knife as he approached an area close to the borders. Soldiers opened fire at him and he died after he was hit by several rounds of live ammunition. He was a member of the Presidential Guard units.

“According to the medical crew that evacuated the body to the hospital, the victim was carrying a knife. The victim’s motive to go to this area is unclear”, the PCHR reported.

 The Center stated that on October 10, the army carried three invasions into the Gaza Strip. The attacks were carried against areas in Rafah, Khan Younis and Beit Hanoun.

During the invasions, troops uprooted and bulldozed at least 100 Dunams of farmland and also destroyed some civilian facilities.

The army imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip, and closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians.

The army continued its closure over the Rafah border terminal, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip although Israel does not directly control the terminal, European observers remained unable to reach the crossing due to the Israeli restrictions.

 The crossing point has been completely closed since Hamas’ takeover of the Gaza Strip and the withdrawal of Palestinian security forces from the crossing point. There are approximately 6,000 Palestinians held at the Egyptian side of the border, awaiting to return to their homes in the Gaza Strip, the PCHR reported.

Most of the stranded residents have run out of money and are living on assistance. In addition, 19 of them have died in Egypt. The bodies were returned to Gaza through the Karm Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossing. In addition, thousands of travelers were allowed to return to the Gaza Strip through al-Ojah crossing, 8 kilometers southeast of Rafah. From there, they were transported to Erez Checkpoint to enter the Gaza Strip.  IOF have also closed commercial crossings, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. IOF have 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, the PCHR added.

Attacks in the West Bank:

On Sunday, October 7, one resident from the Jenin refugee camp, in Jenin city in the northern part of the West Bank, died from wounds sustained on August 25, 2007.

The resident was seriously injured when the army invaded the camp and assassinated two fighters; three residents, including the victim, were injured.

On October 4, two Palestinians were injured as the army invaded several areas in the occupied West Bank during the reported period.

Further restrictions on the movements of the Palestinian residents were imposed, and additional roadblock were installed in several West Bank areas, and in areas around Jerusalem

Also, three school children were injured on October 10, when the army invaded Qalqilia, in the northern part of the West Bank. Two other residents were injured when the army opened fire at a vehicle transporting a number of workers.

The siege imposed on the Palestinian territories was intensified and Jerusalem remained totally cut of the rest of the West Bank. More roadblocks were installed and more restrictions on movement were enforced, and four residents were kidnapped on a number of roadblocks.

The Wall, and attacks against nonviolent protests:

During the reported period, the Israeli army issued a military order annexing at least 1130 Dunams of Palestinian lands in Abu Dis and Al Sawahra Al Sharqiyya villages, near Jerusalem. The annexed lands will be used for the construction of the eastern section of the Wall and would cut off Jerusalem from the rest of the occupied West Bank.

On October 5, troops attacked Palestinian, Israeli and international peace activists who were carrying the weekly nonviolent protest against the Annexation Wall in Bil’in village, west of Ramallah.

Soldiers also installed barbed-wires, fire teargas canisters and sounds bombs. Three residents were injured after the army used excessive force against the peaceful protesters.

Settlements and settler attacks:

The PCHR reported that settlers living in the occupied West Bank, in violation to the international law, continued their attacks against the Palestinian residents and Israel continued to establish a settler-only road.

The Israeli government started establishing a settler-only road to link between Pisgat Ze’ev and Ramot settlements. Both settlements were built on Palestinian lands illegal annexed by the occupation.

The road is also meant to link the two settlements with a road leading to Tel Aviv. This project started 30 months ago; large areas of Palestinian lands were uprooted and a number of houses were demolished since then.

On Thursday, October 4, several settlers of Kiryat Arba’ settlement, in the southern West Bank city of Hebron, uprooted farmlands and cut at least 2 tons of grapes in a land belonging to a local resident.

On Monday, October 8, settlers of Qadumim settlement, east of the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, attacked several Palestinian vehicles driving on a main road leading to the city.

On Wednesday, October 10, settlers closed the main road which leads to several villages, southwest of Hebron.

Click the link for full PCHR Report

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