Weekly report on human rights violations

The vegetable market in Ramallah (Arjan El Fassed)


Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). Human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces included willful and extra-judicial killings, incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling and house demolitions. Israeli occupying forces have also continued construction of the “Annexation Wall” inside the West Bank and have continued to impose a tight siege on the oPt. This week, 13 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a child, a woman and 2 old men, were killed by Israeli troops.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli troops killed 9 Palestinians, including a woman, a child and a handicapped elderly. Seven of the victims, including the woman, were killed by Israeli troops in Beit Hanoun on 8 July 2004, in the context of the continuous Israeli offensive on the town. The handicapped elderly was killed when Israeli troops demolished his house over him in Khan Yunis on 12 July 2004. The child was killed while she was inside her house in Rafah, when Israeli troops opened fire at residential areas in the town on 10 July 2004.

Israeli occupying forces conducted 8 military incursions into Palestinian areas, 5 of which were into Khan Yunis. Israeli troops destroyed 75 houses, in which 684 people (102 families) lived, and razed 304 donums of agricultural land, mostly in al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. In Beit Hanoun, at least 2500 donums of agricultural land have been razed by Israeli troops in Beit Hanoun since the beginning of the Israeli offensive on the town.

In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians. Two of the victims were willfully killed by Israeli troops in Hebron and Qalqilya on 8 July 2004. A Palestinian was extra-judicially assassinated by Israeli troops in Jenin on 13 July 2004. The fourth victim was an old man who was run down by an Israeli settler in Bethlehem on 13 July 2004. Israeli troops also raided 2 charitable societies in Jenin and Qalqilya and closed them for 2 years. Israeli troops also arrested dozens of Palestinians throughout the West Bank. In addition, they destroyed 6 houses in retaliation against families of Palestinian activists.

Israeli occupying forces have continued construction of the annexation wall inside the West Bank, despite the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice. According to Israeli sources, there are new instructions with regard to the track of the wall to comply with the decision taken by the Israeli High Court, to construct the wall as close as possible to the 1967 border, not on the border itself, in violation of international law.

Israeli occupying forces 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 Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have continued to close most border crossings. A number of these crossings were partially reopened, but under severe restrictions. They have continued to impose a strict siege on Beit Hanoun. On Sunday morning, Israeli troops closed Rafah Terminal on the Egyptian border. In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.

To download the full report click here.

Related Links

  • BY TOPIC: Human Rights
  • BY TOPIC: Israel’s Apartheid Wall
  • Palestinian Center for Human Rights