From PCHR

The publication of this report coincides with the first anniversary of Israel's offensive on the Gaza Strip (27 December 2008 – 18 January 2009).  Over the course of the offensive, Israeli occupation forces killed 1,419 Palestinians, and wounded over 5,300. The vast majority of those killed were civilians entitled to full protection and immunity from attack under international humanitarian law (1,167 protected persons, 82.2%); 326 were children, and 111 were women. This figure includes the 251 non-combatant civilian police officers killed during the offensive.

Today the Gaza Strip has been subject to 931 days of continuous illegal closure. This form of collective punishment, which indiscriminately affects each and every one of Gaza’s 1.5 million inhabitants, has resulted in a man-made and completely preventable humanitarian crisis. Over 80% of Gazan’s now depend on food aid, 80,000m³ of sewage is pumped into the sea every day, power cuts are frequent, and patients continue to die as they are denied access to necessary medical treatment.

Over the course of 42 years of occupation, Israeli occupation forces have consistently violated international law. These violations have been well documented and reported, yet despite a significant level of media and political attention, the international community has continued to grant Israel impunity, a fact recently illustrated by the international reaction to the publication of the Report of the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict (the "Goldstone Report"). This impunity, which has been a consistent feature of the occupation, has resulted in continuous and escalating violations of international law, and the denial and violation of Palestinian civilians fundamental human rights.

PCHR stress the urgent need for accountability. All those who violate international law must be investigated, tried and prosecuted in accordance with international standards. Victims’ rights to the equal protection of the law and an effective judicial remedy must be upheld.

The week report:

On Saturday morning, 26 December 2009, Israeli occupation forces killed 6 Palestinians in two separate attacks in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces employed excessive lethal force and killed 3 Palestinians, while in Nablus Israeli undercover units extra-judicially executed 3 members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades (the armed wing of Fatah movement).  The three victims in Nablus had been granted amnesty, in coordination with the Palestinian National Authority, and had been allowed to move freely and live normally.  Israeli occupation forces claimed that undercover units fired at the three victims "as they refused to surrender." However, investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) conclude that the three victims were executed in cold blood.  

During the reporting period, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a woman, were wounded by Israeli occupation forces in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.  A fifth Palestinian civilian was wounded by Israeli settlers.  Israeli occupation forces also 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 forces conducted at least 28 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  Israeli occupation forces arrested 26, including 8 children.  In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces conducted two limited incursions into the Gaza Strip, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.  

Israel has continued to impose a tightened closure 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.

The Zionist violations in the Gaza Strip

Israel has continued to close all border crossings to the Gaza Strip for more than two and a half years. The illegal Israeli-imposed siege of Gaza, 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 rates stand at approximately 80% and 60% respectively in the Gaza Strip.

·       Israel has continued to prevent the entry of spare parts form water networks and sewage systems. Losses incurred to this sector are estimated at US$ 6 million.

·       Israel has imposed 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 occupation forces have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the Gaza Strip coast.

The Zionist violations in theWest Bank

Israeli occupation 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 occupation 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 occupation 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 the Israeli occupation forces. These permits are extremely difficult to obtain.

·       IOF 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.

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.

During the reporting period, the Israeli government published invitations for bids to build hundreds of housing units in illegal Israeli settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.  The Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot reported on Monday, 28 December 2009, that the plan includes the construction of 692 housing units: 377 in "Neve Yacob"; 198 in "Pisgat Ze'ev" and 117 in "Har Homa" settlements. 

On 23 December 2009, Israeli occupation forces moved into Qasra village, southeast of Nablus.  They closed the eastern entrance of the village, and an Israeli bulldozer demolished a fuel station and a grocery shop.  Israeli forces claimed that Palestinian children had thrown stones at Israeli vehicles from the station.

On 24 December 2009, Israeli occupation forces notified Yasser Mohammed Eslaimiya, from Ethna village west of Hebron that a small house and a well belonging to him in the west of the village would be demolished.

Following the death of an Israeli settler on the Nablus-Tulkarm road on 24 December 2009, Israeli settlers launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. 

On 27 December 2009, an Israeli settler fired at a Palestinian woman while she was grazing sheep to the south of Hebron.  She was not hurt, but she fainted.  The Israeli police arrived at the area and took the woman to a police station to question her.

On 29 December 2009, a number of Israeli settlers fired at a Palestinian shepherd while he was grazing sheep to the south of Hebron.  He was wounded by a bullet to the shoulder.