Ongoing violence and escalating poverty continue to have a detrimental affect on peoples’ lives and the lives of children in particular. Save the Children UK says that under current conditions the rights of children living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including their rights to survival, protection and to development, are being compromised. Children and their families have been cut off from accessing basic services such as health care facilities and schools. Read more about Rights of Palestinian children "compromised" 

An Israeli military attack in a Palestinian residential area in the central Gaza Strip conducted today, Sunday 7 March 2004, left dead 14 Palestinians, including four children, and more than 80 others, including 26 children, wounded. Israeli forces, including heavy military vehicles and aircraft, moved from the Netzarim settlement, southwards along Salah al Din Street to a point between Al-Nusseirat and Al-Bureij refugee camps.  Troops then moved from Salah Al Din Street west into Al-Nusseirat camp. Four children were killed and 26 children were wounded. Read more about Israeli forces kill 14 Palestinians and leave 80 wounded in refugee camps in Gaza  

This week Israeli forces killed 14 Palestinian civilians. In three extra-judicial executions Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinians. Israeli forces raided a number of Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In Beit Hanoun, Israeli forces demolished dozens of shops. Israeli forces raided homes and arbitrarily detained Palestinians. Despite worldwide criticism, Israel continues the construction of the Separation Wall and seized more Palestinian land for that purpose. Israeli forces demolished two Palestinian homes and have indiscriminately shelled Palestinian residential areas in which a number of Palestinians were wounded. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

Today, Israeli forces launched an attack on a car traveling south of Gaza City. Israeli jets fired a missile that hit the car, killing three and wounding two civilians who were walking in the street near the car as the missile struck. All three traveling in the car were reportedly members of the military wing of Hamas. Today’s extra-judicial execution is the third in five days. Four Palestinians have been killed in these three attacks. These assassinations are a grave breach of international humanitarian law. Israel’s policy of assassinations is widely condemned and these assassinations are considered war crimes. Read more about Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in extra-judicial execution 

As the International Court of Justice started oral hearings in The Hague, al-Haq published its legal research on Israel’s Annexation Wall. According to al-Haq, Palestine’s oldest human rights organisation, the primary purpose of the Wall is to annex large amounts of the West Bank, ensuring that most of the illegal settlements will be on the Israeli side. Al-Haq urges the international community to uphold its obligation to ensure respect for the Geneva Conventions and support the International Court. Read more about ICJ/The Wall: Replacing Politics With Law 

Israel’s Supreme Court has ordered a temporary halt of the construction of a security barrier in and around the West Bank. The court imposed a week-long suspension on a complex of fences northeast of Jerusalem where two Palestinians were killed last week, an elderly man died of a heart attack caused by tear gas inhalation and a fourth Palestinian is in intensive care with a bullet wound in his head. The hearing took place this morning and the Court will again hear the matter next Sunday. The judges issued an order to the IDF to cease work for seven days on all sites where bulldozers worked last week. Read more about Israeli High Court orders suspension of work on the Wall near Biddu and Beit Sourik 

An Israeli helicopter gunship launched a missile at a car with three Palestinians near al-Saftawi junction, north of Gaza city. The missile hit the car and destroyed it, killing three passengers and wounding 11 bystanders, including 3 children. A 7-year-old, was described as in critical condition.  A number of neighboring homes and shops were damaged. The three passengers were identified as Mohammed Jouda, Amin al-Dahdouh and Ayman al-Dahdouh. Extra-judicial killings cannot be reconciled with the Fourth Geneva Convention, which seek to protect the lives of protected person. Read more about Israeli forces kill 3 Palestinians in extra-judicial execution