Palestinian Center for Human Rights 12 November 2004
Journalists were omnipresent at the Muqata’a, where several camerapersons took pictures of this crying Palestinian man, being comforted by a Palestinian Authority officer. (Maureen Clare Murphy)
Israeli occupying Forces (IOF) have launched more attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This week, 7 Palestinians, 6 of whom were civilians, including a child, were killed by Israeli troops. In addition, a number of Palestinian civilians were injured by the Israeli gunfire. Human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupying troops included willful and extra-judicial killings, incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling, land leveling and total closure imposed on Palestinian communities.
This week, Israeli troops conducted 4 incursions into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip. On 4 and 8 November 2004, Israeli troops moved into Rafah. They destroyed 6 houses, leaving 26 Palestinian civilians homeless, and razed at least 50 donums of agricultural land. on 9 November 2004, Israeli troops moved into Deir al-Balah and razed at least 20 donums of agricultural land. On 10 November 2004, Israeli troops moved into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, and razed at least 50 donums of agricultural land. This week, Israeli troops continued to fire at Palestinian residential areas, especially in Rafah and Khan Yunis. A number of Palestinian civilians were injured, including a patient who was receiving medical treatment at the hospital.
In the West Bank, 7 Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli troops. Four of the victims were extra-judicially killed by an undercover unit of Israeli troops in Jenin on 7 November 2004. A child was killed also in Jenin on 6 November 2004, when Israeli troops fired at a number of Palestinian children who threw stones at those troops. A sixth Palestinian was killed in ‘Allar village near Tulkram on 7 November 2004 as he exchanged fire with Israeli troops. The seventh Palestinian was killed when Israeli troops opened fire at markets and shops in Nablus on 9 November 2004. This week, Israeli troops moved into various areas throughout the West Bank, injured a number of Palestinian civilians, and arrested dozens of others. They also destroyed 3 houses in the context of retaliatory measures against families of Palestinian activists. In addition, Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians.
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. On Friday, 5 November 2004, Israeli troops handed new maps that show the new route of the wall to Palestinian farmers in Beit Sourik village, northwest of occupied Jerusalem. According to local sources, the new maps are not different from those Israeli troops had handed to farmers in April 2004, against which they appealed to the Israeli High Court, which issued a decision ordering Israeli troops to change the route of the wall around Jerusalem, including inside Beit Sourik village. Also on Friday, 5 November 2004, Israeli occupation authorities issued a military order prohibiting Palestinian civilians from construction on both sides of the wall near Tulkarm.
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. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops positioned at military checkpoints imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli troops have also continued to close most border crossings of the Gaza Strip. These measures have negative impacts on the Palestinian economic, social, cultural, political and civil rights. On 8 November 2004, they partially reopened Rafah Tinternational Crossing Point on the Egyptian border.
In the West Bank, Israeli troops have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and arrested some of them while crossing military checkpoints. This week, Israeli troops issued a military order, according to which Palestinian university students would be allowed to enter Nablus only on Saturdays and would be allowed to leave the city only on Wednesdays.
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