Despite ongoing understandings between the Israeli and Palestinian sides on a ceasefire and the Palestinian commitment to these understandings, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) have launched more attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). This week, 8 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children and 2 mentally handicapped persons, were killed by IOF.

Human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included incursions into Palestinian areas, willful killing, indiscriminate shelling, land leveling and total closure imposed on Palestinian communities. IOF have also continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory.

In the Gaza Strip, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed by IOF, and a child died from a previous injury. On 27 and 28 January 2005, IOF killed 2 mentally handicapped Palestinian civilians near Israeli military checkpoints in Khan Yunis and Gaza. On 29 January 2005, a Palestinian child from Khan Yunis died from a previous injury he had sustained when IOF shelled residential areas in the town.

On 30 January 2005, an old man was killed by IOF near the Egyptian border, south of Rafah. On 31 January 2005, an 11-year-old Palestinian schoolchild was killed when IOF opened fire at her school in Rafah. Palestinian educational institutions have been frequently attacked by IOF, and PCHR has documented dozens of such attacks, which injured dozens of schoolchildren while they were at school. In two of such attacks in September and October 2004, 2 schoolchildren were killed by IOF in Khan Yunis refugee camp, when the two were sitting on their desks.

This week, IOF moved twice into al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, which has been under a strict siege since the beginning of the current Intifada. They raided houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians.

In the West Bank, on Thursday, 27 January 2005, IOF killed 2 Palestinian civilians, including a child, and a third Palestinian was killed when the tent where he was detained in Mageddo Prison inside Israel burnt. The two civilians were killed by the explosion of 2 mysterious objects believed to be have been left there by the IOF.

Furthermore, IOF also moved into various areas throughout the West Bank, injured a number of Palestinian civilians and arrested dozens of others. Israeli settlers living in the OPT in violation of international humanitarian law have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. IOF have continued to confiscate areas of Palestinian land for settlement activities.

IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank Territory. For this purpose, they expropriated 2362 donums[1] of Palestinian agricultural land in al-Jeeb village, northwest of Jerusalem. They also resumed land leveling in the east of al-Ram village, northeast of Jerusalem, and at the main road between al-Ram village and Dahiat al-Barid area, north of Jerusalem.

Contrary to Israeli claims, IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

In the Gaza Strip, IOF have continued to completely or partially close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip, and impose severe restrictions on the internal movement of Palestinian civilians. IOF have continued to prevent Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling through Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, even though the crossing point was re-opened on 1 February 2005.

In the West Bank, IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They also arrested a number of Palestinian civilians while traveling through military checkpoints. Furthermore, IOF have continued to impose a strict siege on Saida village, north of Tulkarm.

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