Jordan should immediately reopen its border to Palestinian refugees fleeing violence in Iraq, Human Rights Watch said today. The international community should assist Jordan by offering to resettle these Iraqi Palestinian refugees in third countries acceptable to them. On April 4, a group of 35 Iraqi Palestinians arrived at the border, fleing from Baghdad, adding to the 94 Iraqi Palestinians already stranded on the Iraqi side of the border. They have fled lethal violence and threats to their lives in Baghdad, where they have lived for decades. The refugees told Human Rights Watch that they fled after seeing scores of their compatriots killed in Baghdad in recent months. Read more about HRW: "Jordan should open its border to Palestinian refugees fleeing Iraq" 

Over a 36-hour period this weekend, the Gaza Strip witnessed the highest rate of fatalities than any other time since the implementation of the Israeli Disengagement Plan in September 2005. Following the extrajudicial killing of five Palestinians in Rafah, Israeli occupying forces committed two further executions in the Gaza Strip, killing 8 Palestinians. On Sunday mroning, a Palestinian civilian was killed as a result of continuous Israeli artillery shelling on the northern part of the Gaza Strip. This brings the total number of Palestinian casualties in the last two days to 14 and the number of injured to 30. Read more about Highest rate of Palestinians killed in Gaza since Israeli redeployment 

On April 7, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including a child. Israel intensified shelling of Palestinian populated areas with fighterjets, gunboats and tanks. Israel continues to impose a siege on the Gaza Strip. Israeli aircrafts launched three missiles at a civilian car in Muwasai, Rafah. The missiles hit the car when members of the Popular Resistance Committees were about to enter the car. One of them was accompanied by his two children, Bilal and Mohammed. He, his child and one of his bodyguards were killed immediately. Shrapnel from the missiles also killed two others members. Six others, including two children were injured. Read more about Israeli attacks on Gaza: Extrajudicial killings 

On Monday morning, 3 April 2006, Israeli occupying forces extra-judicially executed the leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, in Beit Sahour town in the West Bank. Another Palestinian was injured and arrested by Israeli occupying forces. This latest attack comes following decisions taken by the Israeli political and military establishments to continue to target Palestinian activists. Israeli occupying forces moved into Beit Sahour near Bethlehem, surrounded an apartment building, stormed in and opened fire. The blew open a door of one of the flats and killed Ra’ed Mohahmmed ‘Ebayat and wounded Ra’ed Suleiman al-Jawarish with two bullets in his shoulder and foot. Read more about Another extrajudicial execution: Israel assassinates leader of Aqsa Brigades 

This week Israeli occupying forces killed five Palestinians, including a child. Israeli forces carried out an extra-judicial execution. Israeli gunfire wounded at least 18 Palestinians. Israeli forces continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces conducted 27 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. At least 44 Palestinians, including four children, have been arrested by Israel. Israeli forces have turned six Palestinian homes into military sites. Israel continued to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Kalandia checkpoint has been turned into a border corssing. Israel continued to construct the Separation Wall in the West Bank. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

The Tel-Aviv Magistrate’s Court granted the appeal of residents of Sheikh sa’ed, in East Jerusalem , opposing the separation barrier, and cancelled the requisition orders that had been issued to build the barrier. The court’s appeals committee ruled that the planned route of the barrier would cause disproportionate harm to the daily lives of the residents, in part because it separates Sheik sa’ed from other neighborhoods of East Jerusalem . This is the first time that a court has voided a section of the separation barrier around Jerusalem . The appeal was filed by the Sheikh sa’ed Neighborhood Committee and five residents of the village, who were represented by attorney Ghiath Nasser. Read more about Section of separation barrier around Jerusalem ruled illegal - near Sheikh Sa'ed 

Panic has overtaken the Palestinian refugee community in Baghdad after more than one hundred families in the city have received death threats from groups calling them traitors. Many of the Palestinians, who have been living for years in Baghdad, are in a state of shock and panic and are taking the intimidation very seriously, UNHCR told journalists in Geneva on Friday. There are an estimated 34,000 Palestinians in Iraq, of whom 23,000 have been registered by UNHCR in Baghdad. The Palestinian refugees came to Iraq in three main waves - in 1948, in 1967 and in 1991. Palestinians have in the past few years faced evictions, threats and harassment. Read more about Death threats cause panic in Baghdad's Palestinian refugee community 

UNHCR is increasingly concerned about the situation of Palestinians in Baghdad. On Thursday, we heard from the Palestinian community in Baghdad that reportedly over 100 families had received written death threats and that many are in a state of shock and panic. This panic may spread and lead to more Palestinians fleeing Baghdad. They are feeling increasingly trapped, and for security reasons many have stopped going to work and have taken their children out of school. While Iraqis are also affected by the general insecurity in Iraq, Palestinians feel especially vulnerable and targetted as they were perceived to have been treated favourably by the previous regime. Read more about UNHCR increasingly concerned for Palestinians in Baghdad 

Sheikh Sa’ed is a neighborhood of the larger village of Sawahra. However, Sheikh Sa’ed is in West Bank, while the western part of Sawahra was annexed to East Jerusalem in 196. Israel planned to build the Separation Barrier between Sheikh Sa’ed and the rest of the village, which would cut off the neighborhood’s only access road to the outside world. The Tel-Aviv Magistrate’s Court voided this portion of the Separation Barrier, ruling that it would cause disproportionate harm to the daily lives of the neighborhood’s residents. The court rejected the state’s argument that the residents constituted a security threat. Read more about Israeli appeals court voids section of Wall in Jerusalem 

The Jordan-Iraqi border at Karama closed on Monday and remains so after 89 Palestinian refugees from Iraq, including 42 children, tried to enter Jordan, according to the UNs refugee agency in Amman, UNHCR. Yara Sharif, a senior public information assistant at UNHCR said the group of refugees reached the Jordanian border on Sunday and tried to enter, but were denied permission by the government, which said they did not have proper documents.The Jordan-Iraqi border at Karama closed on Monday and remains so after 89 Palestinian refugees from Iraq, including 42 children, tried to enter Jordan, according to the UNs refugee agency in Amman, UNHCR. Read more about Jordan-Iraq border closed, Palestinian refugees refused entry