Israeli occupying Forces (IOF) have launched more attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This week, 7 Palestinians, 5 of whom were civilians, including a woman, were killed by Israeli troops. In addition, a number of Palestinian civilians were injured by the Israeli gunfire. Israeli troops also killed an Egyptian citizen in Rafah, near the Egyptian border. Human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included willful killings, incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling, land leveling and total closure imposed on Palestinian communities. Israeli troops also prevented hundreds of Palestinian civilian from participating in the funeral procession of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops killed 5 Palestinians, including 4 civilians. Four of the victims, including a woman, were killed during an Israeli military incursion into Sheikh ‘Ejlin neighborhood in Gaza City on 11 November 2004. The fifth victim died on 14 November 2004 from a previous wound he had sustained during the Israeli offensive on the northern Gaza Strip last month. On 11 November 2004, Israeli troops killed a man who was apparently Egyptian near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Israeli troops continued to shell Palestinian residential areas, especially in Rafah where 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were injured.

This week, Israeli troops conducted 4 incursions into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip. On 11 November 2004, Israeli troops moved into Sheikh ‘Ejlin neighborhood in Gaza City. They killed 4 Palestinians, arrested 2 civilians and razed at least 120 donums of agricultural land. On 13, 14 and 17 November 2004, Israeli troops moved into areas in the central Gaza Strip. They razed 252 donums of agricultural land and arrested a Palestinian child.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed 2 Palestinian civilians. On 11 November 2004, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian civilian during clashes in Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On 15 November 2004, Israeli troops killed a Palestinian civilian who lived in Israel at the eastern entrance of Qalqilya, when they opened fire at his car. This week, Israeli troops moved into various areas throughout the West Bank, injured a number of Palestinian civilians, and arrested dozens of others.

IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. This week, Israeli troops continued to raze areas of agricultural land in Deir al-‘Asal village, southwest of Hebron. They also completed the construction of a section of the wall between Dahiat al-Barid checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, and Qalandya checkpoint, south of Ramallah. These facts on the ground created by IOF have caused suffering for Palestinian civilians.

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. Despite Eid al-Futr, Israeli troops have continued to impose tightened siege on the Gaza Strip. They have imposed severe restrictions on internal movement. They have also continued to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip either partially or completely. These measures violate the Palestinian economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.

In the West Bank, Israeli troops imposed a comprehensive siege on the West Bank between Thursday morning, 11 November 2004, and Tuesday morning, 16 November 2004, following the declaration of President Arafat’s death to prevent Palestinian civilians from participating in his funeral procession. These restrictions remained effective during Eid al-Futr.

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