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Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
19 Oct. � 01 Nov. 2006
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) and Threaten to Expand Military Operations in the Gaza Strip
27 Palestinians, 11 of whom including 2 children and a woman are civilians, were killed by IOF.
16 of the victims, including 6 members of one same family, were killed by IOF in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun .
104 Palestinians, including 29 children and 4 women, were wounded by IOF.
IOF have continued to launch air strikes on houses and civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip; 4 houses were destroyed and a number of others were severely damaged.
IOF conducted 45 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 8 others into the Gaza Strip.
IOF have initiated a wide scale offensive on Beit Hanoun town.
IOF arrested 93 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children, in the West Bank, and one in the Gaza Strip.
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF arrested 7 Palestinian civilian at checkpoints in the West Bank
IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; Palestinian farmers have been denied access to their agricultural lands to cultivate olives.
Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers and prevented them from cultivating olives.
Summary
IOF have escalated attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property in the OPT. Israeli political and military officials have threatened to launch a wide scale military campaign on the Gaza Strip, unconcerned about the lives and property of Palestinian civilians.
Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (12 � 18 October 2006):
Killing: During the reported period, IOF killed 27 Palestinians, 11 of whom are civilians including two children and a woman, are civilians. Twenty three of the victims were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip. In addition, 104 Palestinians, including 29 children and 4 women, were wounded. This increase in the number of casualties in the Gaza Strip has followed orders by the Israeli Defense Minister Amir Perets to his army to expand military operations in the Gaza Strip allegedly to stop the armament of Palestinian organizations.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF killed 23 Palestinians, including two children, one woman and 6 members of one same family, and wounded 72 others, including 10 children and 4 women.
On 21 October 2006, a special unit of IOF killed a Palestinian civilian in al-Fukhari area in Khan Yunis for no apparent reason and without warning. They also obstructed his evacuation to the hospital. On 23 October 2006, the first day of the Eid al-Futur, IOF killed 6 members 8 Palestinians, including a woman, in Beit Hanoun town. Six of the victims were from the al-Shanbari family. In addition, 29 Palestinian were wounded by IOF. On 26 October 2006, IOF killed two Palestinians, including a child, and wounded 4 others during an incursion into �Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. On the same day, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian in the northern Gaza Strip, while he was hunting birds on his agricultural land. On 31 October 2006, IOF killed 3 members of the Palestinian resistance during an incursion into Khuza�a village, east of Khan Yunis. On 1 November 2006, IOF killed 5 members of the Palestinian resistance, one member of the Palestinian National Security Forces and one civilian during a wide scale offensive on Beit Hanoun town, which is still ongoing. Another civilian died from a heart attack when IOF soldiers raided his house. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by IOF in Beit Hanoun in less than 10 days increased to 16.
IOF also launched 3 air strikes on 3 houses in the Gaza Strip. As a result, 4 houses were destroyed and a number of other ones were severely damaged. IOF often warn residents of houses of their intention to attack them a very short time prior to the attack.
In the west Bank, IOF killed 4 Palestinian civilians, and wounded 32 others. On 22 October 2006, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wound 19 others, including 8 children, in al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. On 27 October 2006, IOF killed two Palestinian civilians and wounded a third one in al-Fara�a refugee camp, southeast of Jenin. On the same day, IOF killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded two of his brothers in al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. In addition, IOF wounded two children in Jenin refugee camp, 5 ones in Tulkarm and 3 ones in Hebron .
Incursions: During the reported period, IOF conducted at least 45 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank , during which they raided dozens of houses and arrested 93 Palestinian civilians, including 8 children. IOF also closed al-Huda Women Society in Ramallah, which provides social, humanitarian, educational and medical services.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted 8 military incursions into areas in the Gaza Strip. The widest of these incursions was into Beit Hanoun town on 1 November 2006. This incursion is still ongoing. During these incursions, IOF killed a number of Palestinians, razed at least 18 donums[1] of agricultural land, raided and searched houses, transformed a number of houses into military sites and arrested a Palestinian civilian. They also interrogated dozens of Palestinian civilians.
Restrictions on Movement: IOF have 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. http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2006/02-11-2006.htm - Continue
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