During the reporting period, IOF wounded 6 Palestinians, including one child, in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip, on 20 February 2010, 3 activists of the Palestinian resistance were wounded by IOF in al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. 

During the reporting period, Israeli gunboats opened fire at Palestinian fishing boats in the northern Gaza Strip. Additionally, Israeli troops stationed at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at Palestinian civilians, but no casualties were reported.

In the West Bank, 3 Palestinian civilians, including one child, were wounded when Israeli troops fired at a civilian vehicle near Housan village, south of Bethlehem. 

IOF also used forced against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest of the construction of the Annexation Wall and settlement activities in the West Bank.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 21 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children. IOF also closed two civil associations in Beit Safafa village, south of Jerusalem. 

In the Gaza Strip, on 18 February 2010, IOF moved into al-Musaddar village in the central Gaza Strip. They demolished 3 houses and razed 17 donums of agricultural land. On 22 February 2010, IOF moved into the north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, and leveled areas of land, which they had previously razed. 

IOF have continued to enforce a tightened closure regime in the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

Gaza Strip

Israel has continuously closed 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 had continued to prevent the entry of raw construction materials into the Gaza Strip for over two and a half 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 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.

• Israel continues 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 additional restrictions on access of international diplomats, journalists and humanitarian workers to 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 have sharply mounted.

• Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails have been deprived for family visitation for more than two years. 

• IOF have continued to attack Palestinian fishermen along the coast of the Gaza Strip.

West Bank

IOF 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.

• IOF 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 630 permanent roadblocks, 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 IOF 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 have 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 lead to 18 Palestinian communities in the West Bank are closed or fully controlled by IOF (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 IOF. 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 IOF in Jerusalem, and across the West Bank, including being regularly stopped and searched in the streets by IOF.

Israel has continued its settlement activities and Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. On 18 February 2010, IOF moved into Eastern Barta'a village, southwest of Jenin. They handed demolition notices to owners of 9 houses and facilities, claiming that they had been built without licenses.

During the reporting period, the Israeli district committee for organization and construction in Jerusalem proposed a new settlement plan to construct 549 new housing units. According to the Israeli organization Ir Amim for an Equitable and Stable Jerusalem with an Agreed Political Future, the plan will be advertised soon, and according to it, the housing units will be built on a 153-donum area of land in Beit Safafa village, south of East Jerusalem. According to Israeli law, the public will have 60 days to challenge the plan. 

In its weekly meeting held on Sunday, 21 February 2010, the Israeli government endorsed the inclusion of the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron and Bilal Ben Rabah Mosque in Bethlehem on the list of Israeli archaeological sites. It also allocated more than US $ 1 million for "their maintenance and repair."  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu linked the decision with the policy of settlement expansion in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) by stating that: "Our existence as a state does not only depend on the army, but also on enhancing our knowledge, our national feeling, which we will convey to the next generation, and our connection to the homeland." Under the plan, 150 archaeological sites will be linked by a "historical biblical trail" in order to "educate the next generation about Jewish and Zionist history." 

On 20 February 2010, a number of Israeli settlers from "Kiryat Arba" settlement, southeast of Hebron, threw stones and empty bottles at Palestinian houses in the Wadi al-Haussain area. A Palestinian child was injured in the head.

On the same day, Israeli settlers from "Shilo" settlement, north of Ramallah, seized a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives. On 21 February 2010, at least 50 Israeli settlers broke into a synagogue in the north of Jericho allegedly to conduct religious rituals, without coordination with the Palestinian side, which is required as the synagogue is located in an area controlled by the Palestinian National Authority according to the Oslo Accords. Soon, IOF moved into the area in an attempt to evacuate the settlers.

On the same day, Israeli settlers moved into Kufol Hares village, north of Salfit. They performed Jewish prayers near monuments in the village. It is worth noting that IOF had moved into the village at 22:00 and closed its entrances. On 22 February 2010, Israeli settlers from "Yits'har" settlement uprooted 45 olive trees in Bourin village, south of Nablus. In the meantime, IOF moved into the village and imposed a curfew.