In the past three days, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have killed 3 Palestinians in the West Bank. Two of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Bethlehem, whereas the third one was killed when IOF opened fire at a civilian car that was attempting to bypass Hawara checkpoint, south of Nablus. According to investigation conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:10 on Friday, 18 August 2006, IOF, supported by a helicopter, moved into al-‘Obaidiya village, east of Bethlehem, and imposed a curfew. They besieged a field on al-Hadadiya Mount, southeast of the village. They fired live bullets and flash bombs. Read more about 3 Palestinian civilians killed by IOF in the West Bank
In a couple of weeks, Palestinian children will start the school year - maybe. The Palestinian Authority (PA) Minister of Education, Dr. Nasser Al Shaer, was abducted by the Israeli army a few days ago and is in prison. Teachers and administrators have not been paid for months as a result of Israel’s withholding of tax revenues. As many as five PA ministers are in Israeli prisons currently, as is a third of the members of the Palestinian Legislative Council, including its speaker. The Palestinian population in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) is now thoroughly besieged, contained, infiltrated, sectioned off, isolated, locked up, controlled and manipulated by Israel. Read more about Lessons for Palestinian School Children
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have imposed a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip and there have been shortages of foodstuffs and fuels; IOF positioned at a various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 8 Palestinian civilians, including two girls. IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; they razed more areas of agricultural land in Qalqilya and used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration protesting the construction of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah. Israeli settlers have continued attacks against Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; settlers celebrated a Jewish wedding inside the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron. Read more about Weekly Report of Human Rights Violations
On June 1, The Committee of the Victims’ Families of October 2000 presented an appeal to the Supreme Court against Benzi Sau and Public Security Minster (former head of the Shabak) Avi Dichter. The appeal called to cancel the promotion of Benzi Sau for the post of Head of Operations to the Public Security Minister (considered high-ranking in the Public Security Ministry). Benzi Sau was one of the most prominent high-ranking officers on the scene during protests of the Arab minority in the October 2000 events, and particularly so in Umm el-Fahm. Read more about Public Security Minister Avi Dichter refuses Supreme Court recommendation to cancel promotion of Benzi Sau
During the War on Lebanon, the Israeli army installed rocket launching bases near Arab towns and villages in the north, in some cases only a few metres away. The Arab towns of Fassuta, Tarsheeha, and ‘Arab al-‘Aramshe were all subject to this deliberate military policy. These rocket launching bases are a serious threat to the residents of nearby towns and villages for a number of reasons. First, launching the rockets and firing is ongoing throughout the day and continues into the night. Second, there exists the possibility of misfiring which puts the lives of residents in danger. Read more about Israeli rocket launching bases and army training camps deliberately constructed near Arab towns and villages
The IOF policy of systematically destroying residential homes in the Gaza Strip continues unabated; two homes were destroyed yesterday and scores of adjacent houses severely damaged. 18 homes have now been targeted in this way since the IOF began informing Palestinians by telephone of the imminent shelling of their homes. According to Al Mezan field sources, on 14 August at approximately 11:20pm, IOF war planes fired a rocket at the two-storey house of Mohammed Joda Ma’rouf, in Jabalia town. The house was completely destroyed and 4 adjacent houses badly damaged. Read more about The systematic destruction of Palestinian homes
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed an elderly Palestinian and his son in Khan Yunis in the early morning hours of Wednesday, 16 August 2006, when an IOF plane leveled their house with a bomb. IOF did not give them sufficient time to evacuate the house; and they were killed during the evacuation. In addition, a second son and two neighbors were moderately injured by shrapnel. Read more about Elderly Palestinian and His Son Killed when IOF Bombard their House
PCHR strongly condemns the killing of three Palestinian civilians and the wounding of three others by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) that fired at a crowd of civilians in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. IOF used excessive and indiscriminate force against these civilians. A number of boys living in the area moved into the school through the same hole in the fence to take the rocket launcher left by the resistance activists to sell it as scrap,[1] but a number of residents of the area attempted to prevent them. As Palestinian civilians gathered, IOF fired a missile at these civilians, killing three of them Read more about Three Palestinian Civilians Killed and 3 Others Wounded in North Gaza
The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network (PNGO) applauds the decision of the Venezuelan people and government to withdraw the Venezuelan ambassador from Israel. On August 3, 2006, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez stated that he has withdrawn his country’s ambassador from Israel to show his ‘indignation’ over the military offensive in Lebanon. Chavez stated, “It really causes indignation to see how the state of Israel continues bombing, killing … with all of the power they have, with the support of the United States” regarding the Israeli assault on Lebanon. Read more about PNGO applauds Venezuela's decision to withdraw ambassador from Israel
