This morning, 7 June 2005, Israeli forces extra-judicially killed Muraweh Khaled Ekmayel, 30, from Qabatya village southeast of Jenin.  The victim was hit by several live bullets throughout the body after which the IOF bulldozed the house where he hid over him.  Israeli forces also killed an innocent bystander while they were shelling the house. According to eyewitnesses, he was killed while he was painting walls of a house near the Abu al-Rub’s home that had been surrounded by the Israeli army. Israeli forces wounded three civilians, including a child. They were all hit by live ammunition. Extra-judicial killings constitute a war crime. Read more about Israel resumes assassination of Palestinians 

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights stated today that the postponement of the parliamentary elections without the announcement of a new date causes damage to the democratic process in Palestine. According to a presidential decree issued on 8 January 2005, one day before the Palestinian presidential elections, by then interim President of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA), Rawhi Fattouh, the elections to the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) would be held on 17 July 2005.  However, holding the PLC elections was postponed after a new decree was issued by the elected Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on 3 June 2005. Read more about Rights group blasts delay parliamentary elections 

This week Israeli forces wounded a number of Palestinian civilians, including three children. Israeli forces conducted 16 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Houses were raided and 14 Palestinian civilians were arrested by Israeli forces in the West Bank. Israeli forces used a Palestinian civilian as a human shield while searching his house in al-Mughraqa village in the central Gaza Strip. Israeli forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have continued to close a number of roads and border crossings in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the current Intifada and IOF arrested 14 Palestinian civilians, including three children, at military checkpoints in the West Bank. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

This week, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including a woman, and wounded a number of civilians. Israeli forces perpetrated a number of human rights violations, including shooting at and killing Palestinian civilians, incursions into Palestinian areas, house raids and arbitrary arrests. In violation of international law, including international humanitarian law, Israel has also continued to construct the ‘Annexation Wall’ inside the West Bank territory and expanded settlements, especially in Jerusalem and Hebron. They have also continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

A Palestinian court ruled that the local elections in Rafah have to be repeated in a number of polling stations in the town. Since Sunday morning, 15 May 2005, Khan Yunis Preliminary Proceedings Court were considering an appeal submitted by candidates of the ‘Sincerity to al-Aqsa’ List of the Fatah movement in Rafah against results of the elections of the municipality of the town, held on 5 May 2005. The appeal was submitted following the declaration of official results of the elections by the Higher Committee for Local Elections on 9 May 2005. According to these results, the candidates of the ‘Reform and Change’ List of Hamas won 12 seats out of 15 of the local council of Rafah. Read more about Court orders repeat of local elections in Rafah 

This week, one Palestinian died from a previous wound inflicted by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). A number of Palestinian civilians were injured by IOF. IOF have continued to construct the ‘Annexation Wall in the West Bank; IOF fired at Palestinian civilians demonstrating in protest to the construction of the Wall. IOF beat Palestinian civilians whose land had been confiscated resulting in Palestinian pregnant woman miscarrying. IOF conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas. Palestinian houses were raided resulting in the arrest of 20 Palestinian civilians. Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank; Israeli settlers seized 18 donums in al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip and IOF seized at least 800 donums of land in Bethlehem and Nablus. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

This week, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in the West Bank, including two children. On Monday morning, Israeli forces killed killed Shafiq ‘Abdul Ghani, 34, in Saida village near Tulkarm. On 4 May 2005, Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian children from the ‘Aassi family in Beit Liqia village near Ramallah. The children were with a number of Palestinian civilians who were throwing stones at the Israeli forces. This week, Israeli forces conducted at least 16 military incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank, including the Palestinian controlled town of Tulkarm. The widest of these incursions was into Saida village near Tulkarm (resulting in the death of a Palestinian civilian) and into al-Fawar refugee camp near Hebron (resulting in the injury to seven Palestinian civilians). During other incursions, IOF injured 8 Palestinian civilians, including four children, and arrested 10 others. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

This week Israeli forces killed seven Palestinian civilians, including two children. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas. Houses were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians were arrested. Construction of the “Annexation Wall” in the West Bank has continued; more areas of Palestinian land were confiscated and 5 houses and a number of animal farms were destroyed for this purpose. Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the West Bank. Israeli forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT. Israeli forces have continued to close a number of roads since the beginning of the current Intifada, Israeli forces have continued to impose severe restrictions on travel at Rafah International Crossing Point. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations