Israeli forces committed two extra-judicial executions in less than 8 hours, leaving two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip dead and a third dead in the West Bank. This raises the total number of extra-judicial executions committed by IOF in the past two days to 4, killing 8 Palestinians. On Monday, Israeli forces fired an artillery shell at a civilian car in the Gaza Strip, killing two Palestinians. In the West Bank, an Israeli undercover unit moved into Nablus and surrounded a building in the Rafidya neighbourhood. Israeli forces opened fire on the building. When the Israeli forces withdrew, Palestinian medical personnel evacuated a body from the building. Read more about Israeli forces assassinate three Palestinians
On Sunday evening, 5 February 2006, Israeli Occupation Forces extra-judicially executed two members of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of Islamic Jihad, in Gaza City. This attack came less than 24 hours after a similar attack, also in Gaza City, which left 3 members of the Fatah movement dead. This escalation in violence represents a confirmation of the Israeli official statement vowing to continue to search for and target activists of Palestinian factions. on Sunday, 5 February 2006, IOF aircrafts launched two missiles at two civilian cars that were traveling near the Doula building in the densely populated al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast of Gaza City. Read more about Second attack in 24 hours: Israel assassinates two Palestinians in Gaza
On Sunday morning, 5 February 2006, Israeli forces extra-judicially executed three members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement. Israeli aircrafts attacked a car, in which two of the victims were traveling towards the hospital. They were evacuating a person who had been wounded, when Israeli aircrafts attacked a sports club in the densely populated Tal al-Hawa neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. The club was totally destroyed and one of its members, 30-year-old Hani Tal’at al-Qayed, was seriously wounded. When two members of the club offered to help and evacuate Qayed, their car was hit by a missile launched from an Israeli aircraft. The three men were immediately killed. Read more about Israeli air attack in Gaza kills three Palestinians
Most attention surrounding the 25 January 2006 election has focused upon the sweeping victory of Hamas at the polls, and with good reason. But there are other aspects to this year’s election that will also leave permanent impressions upon the future of Palestinian national activity. Among the 132 Palestinians who won seats in the Legislative Council, 15 of them are prisoners. 14 are imprisoned in Israeli jails, and one sits in a Palestinian administered jail in Jericho, with CIA and British Intelligence oversight. 11 of them are affiliated with Hamas, 3 with Fateh, and one with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Read more about A Parliament of Prisoners
This week, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians, including a mentally-handicapped child. At least 13 Palestinian civilians, including a child were wounded. Israeli forces conducted 27 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank. Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes and 53 civilians, including six children were arrested. Israeli forces transformed six Palestinian homes into military outpost. Israel continues to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli forces have imposed severe restrictions on movement. Despite international criticism, Israel continues to construct the Apartheid Wall. Israeli forces razed land in Hebron. Israeli settlers continue attacks on Palestinian civilians and property. Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes in Bethlehem. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
There is a risk that Palestinian children who grow up under violence will perceive their parents and adults as being unable to protect them. This psychological reaction is a direct threat to the relationship between a child and their parents. The impact of violence caused by the occupation on children can be life long. It can distort their outlook on life, which will not only influence their lives, but also those of future generations. For how long will the international community continue protecting Israel? What will it take before it finally shifts its attention to protecting Palestinian children? For those not intimately connected with the events in Palestine, it is almost impossible to imagine how the world has been able to turn a blind eye for so long to their pain and suffering. Read more about The ongoing betrayal of Palestinian children (2/2)
The Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories, dispossession of Palestinian land and properties and discriminatory policies in Israel have hit Palestinian children hard. Recent research of the Palestinian Counselling Centre (PCC) has conclusively established that the wall has had a profound negative impact on the mental health of Palestinian children1 and created a major obstacle to them obtaining an education.2 In this article, Adri Nieuwhof and Jeff Handmaker examine certain violations of children’s rights caused by the formation of the State of Israel and following Israel’s occupation since 1967 and further explore their social and psychological impacts on children. Read more about The ongoing betrayal of Palestinian children (1/2)
On Wednesday, 25 January 2006, Palestinians cast their ballots to elect representatives in the Palestinian Legislative Council. These were the second parliamentary elections in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) since the establishment of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in 1994. PCHR registered minor violations by candidate and party supporters. The most notable violation was the continuation of campaigning at the entrances and inside polling centers. In addition, private media outlets continued to broadcast campaign messages for candidates and contesting parties, especially for the largest two parties. Read more about Preliminary Assessment of Polling and Vote Count Processes from Monitors
Preliminary results of the monitoring process indicate that the elections were held in an organized and quiet manner throughout the Gaza Strip, reflecting high levels of organization and professionalism by the Central Elections Committee (CEC). Voting was transparent, as it was conducted in the presence of candidate and party representatives, local and international monitors, and local and international media. Throughout the day, the CEC cooperated completely with monitoring bodies, and dealt seriously with all comments presented by monitors. Closure minutes were prepared in the presence of candidate and party representatives and monitors. Then, the vote count started. Read more about Polls close in Palestinian elections
In the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, 24 January 2006, unidentified gunmen opened fire at Ahmad Yousef Abdel Jabbar Hassuna, 36, of Nablus, and killed him. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that, on Monday evening (23 January 2006), a group of gunmen carrying automatic rifles came to the victim’s house in Rafedeya neighborhood. They asked him to remove from his house’s wall a picture of PLC candidate Ghassan El-Shak’a; but he refused to comply with their demand. The gunmen left. At approximately 02:00 on Tuesday, ten unidentified gunmen came to the house and attempted to remove the picture. Their voices woke up Hassouna, who came out of his house carrying a pistol. The gunmen immediately opened fire at him, hitting him with a bullet in the head. Read more about Gunmen kill Fatah activist
