Israeli violations of Palestinian Rights continues, DAIR Report

Israeli violations of Palestinian Rights, May 2006
Report of the Palestine Liberation Organization
Report of the Department of Arab and International Relations (DAIR)

The Palestinian National Dialogue

On the 25th May, the Palestinian National dialogue launched its sessions in Gaza and Ramallah at the same time, with the intention to reach a formula that might help the Palestinian people to find a way out of the current catastrophic situation. The dialogue that included all Palestinian political identities is hoped to save the Palestinian people and their national project that are now facing the most vicious Israeli imposed unilateral on ground steps.

The national reconciliation paper proposed by leaders of the major Palestinian groups in the Israeli jails forms the bases for the ongoing dialogue as it initiates a comprehensive political vision that acceptable by most parties.

In his speech before the meeting, President Mahmoud Abbas reaffirmed that the meeting had to conclude their sessions and consultations within ten days - according to his words, "time is running very fast and we don't have the luxury of going on talking indefinitely". He warned that the Israeli side is investing every minute to impose their unilateral plans – that would destroy all hopes to establish an independent viable Palestinian state within the 1967 territories.

A genuine applicable national dialogue would no doubt lead to national unity and to the establishment of a strong protective shield to the Palestinians and their national project in the foundation of their independent state with Jerusalem as its capital. This sacred goal required high standard of responsibility from the different parties involved, and a true well from their part to put the general and national concerns on top of the specific and individual interests of each of them, and most of all it need a firm stand against those who would take their differences and disputes out to the streets.

The dialogue must come to an agreement between the parties as soon as possible. Points of agreement should take into consideration the highest Palestinian national interests and aspirations in freedom and independence.

The clock works against us, and we demand a prompt
clear and specific dialogue away from sophistications, complexities and superiorities.

-Summary of the Israeli violations against Palestinian Human rights (May 2006)
-By the time that the Palestinians are almost facing a starvation due to the Israeli and the International society siege imposed on them; the IOF expanded its military invasions to the Occupied Palestinian territories and committed more war crimes.

-During May 2006, the IOF continued its incursions against the Palestinian areas:

*44 Palestinians, including 2 children, 12 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF;
*134 Palestinian civilians, 5 members of the International Solidarity movement(ISM) and 5 journalists were injured by IOF;

*229 Palestinian civilians were arrested by IOF;
*10 Palestinian houses were evacuated and transformed by IOF into military sites.
*1 house was demolished by IOF;
*55 olive & fig trees were uprooted;
*7 dunums were expropriated to construct the Apartheid Segregation Wall;

-During the period between 29/9/2000 and 31/5/2006, the IOF killed 4087 Palestinians; 792 of the martyrs were children, 273 were women, 348 were members of the Palestinian National Forces, 415 were assassinated in cold blood, 138 of the martyrs were ill and passed away on Israeli Military checkpoints, 58 were killed by Jewish settlers, 6 were foreign volunteers from the ISM, 9 of the martyrs were journalists and 220 are athletes.

-During the same period, 36,060 Palestinians were injured, 7500 were children and young men who were left with permanent disabilities. 40,000 Palestinians were detained Palestinians, 9400 are still in the Israeli jails. Total number of the affected Palestinian houses is 65,443; 7,682 of which were demolished leaving thousands of the Palestinian citizens with no shelter.

-Agricultural Substance is the main resource of living for the Palestinians; but the Israeli measurements affected it severely; by uprooting, burning and sweeping away more than a million tree. Since 29/3/2003, the IOF have expropriated more than 295,542 dunums; to construct new settlements, expand the old ones and build the Apartheid Segregation Wall.

-The IOF enhanced its policy of closures and checkpoints preventing the Palestinian workers from the movement between the Palestinian areas and the access to their jobs; due to this the unemployment Palestinians number increased to 272,000 and poverty is estimated to be extended to 72% of the Palestinian society.
**
1- Assassination in Cold Blood:

1/5/2006: The IOF killed the 41-years old female Palestinian civilian 'Itaf Azzalat, , in the city of Tulkarem and wounded her two daughters (Ahlam & Ansam Yossef).

4/5/2006: The IOF killed Mohammed Abu Mouhsen, 40-years old, from the city of Tubas; Abu Mouhsen was driving his taxi in the area of Wadi Al-Bathan checkpoint, along Nablus- Tubas main road.

5/5/2006: The Israeli army killed Mohammed Mustafa al Qutub in the city of
Nablus.

5/5/2006: The IOF extra-judicially killed 5 Palestinian civilians in an air raid to Rafah: Jum’ah Dughmush, Mahmoud Dughmush, Hamadeh Dughmush, Saeb Dughmush and Khaled Deeb Wakid.

7/5/2006: An Israeli tank shell hit the area where Hassan Al-Shafi'ee, 55-years old, and Mosa Sawarkeh, 60-years old, were planting the land; the both Palestinian were instantly killed.

12/5/2006: The IOF killed Raed Tubeileh, 28-years old, from the city of Nablus; Tubeileh was seriously wounded and evacuated by an ambulance but the IOF prevented the ambulance from continuing its way towards the hospital till the injured man died.

15/5/2006: During a raid into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin, the IOF killed : Elias Khairi Mohammed al-Ashqar, 26-year-old, Mo’tassem ‘Ali Baheej Ja’ar, 25-year-old, Tha’er Subhi Sadiq Hanaisha, 23-year-old, and his 21-year-old brother Mujahed and Jihad Kameel, 21-year-old. Ali Jabareen, 22-year-old, was shot dead, while he was on duty guarding the headquarters of the Palestinian General Intelligence Services,by the IOF inside the city of Jenin.

17/5/2006: During an IOF raid to the city of Nablus, the IOF killed Othman Sadakah, 26-year-old, and Mustafa Abdul Ghani, 22-year-old.

17/5/2006: The 73-year-old man, Mushref Al-Mubaslat, died of a heart attack in the city of Nablus; Al-Mubaslat was unable to reach the hospital because of the severe restrictions on movement the IOF is being imposing in the city.

20/5/2006: An IOF aircraft launched its missiles at a civilian car that was traveling in the city of Gaza. The Palestinian civilian Mohammed Al-Dahdouh ,25-year-old, who had been traveling in the car was instantly killed; another civilian car was hit causing the death of the grandmother Na'iemeh Amin, 50-year-old, the daughter Hanan Amin, 25-year-old,and her grandson Mohannad Amin, 5-year-old.

21/5/2006: The IOF killed Aysheh Abu Emsallam, 48-year-old, in Balata refugee camp /Nablus; Abu Emsallah was shot dead while looking outside of her house window.

23/5/2006: The IOF soldiers at Al-Sheikh Sa'ed checkpoint /Occupied Jerusalem beat to death the 51-year-old man Ahmed Mohesein from Abu Deis.

24/5/2006: The IOF invaded of Ramallah the killing 3 civilians and 1 Palestinian security officer: Aysar Jameel Abu ‘Arrah, a Palestinian National Security officer, Meelad ‘Atallah Abu Al- ‘Arayes, 20-year-old, Khaled Ja’far Yassin, 22-year-old, and Ghaleb Rabah; another 57 Palestinian civilians were injured.

24/5/2006: The Palestinian farmer Omer Abu Radeh, 43-year-old, was killed by an Israeli tank shell while working in his farm in Jabalia Refugee Camp /Gaza.

25/5/2006: Ala' Hujeir, 20-year-old, died of sustained wound; the IOF wounded Hujeir in April 2006.

25/5/2006: An Israeli tank shell hit Al-Kasim family house in Beit Lahia /Gaza; Mustafa Kasim, 19-year-old, Mohammed Kasim, 18-year-old, and Arafeh Sarandeh, 15-year-old, were instantly killed. Another 7 members of the family were injured.

30/5/2006: The IOF killed Mohammed Matar, 20-year-old, Yousef Al-Ma'zeh, 24-year-old, Abdul Rahman Abu Shanab, 27-year-old, and Sabri Abu Iqleeq, 23-year-old, in Al-Shati' Refugee Camp /Gaza Strip.

30/5/2006: The IOF opened its fire during an invasion to the town of Qabatieh /Jenin; Tareq Zakarneh, 24-year-old, was instantly killed.

30/5/2006: The IOF extra-judicially killed Osamah Al-Namari, 29-year-old, from the town of Anabta /Tulkarem.

30/5/2006: Hani Al-Saqqa, 24-year-old, was killed during an IOF invasion to Balata Refugee Camp /Nablus.
**
2-The Apartheid Segregation Wall (ASW)

1/5/2006: Tens of Palestinian civilians and international and Israeli solidarity activists participated in replanting 200 dunums, the IOA intend to confiscate, in the village of Om Salmoneh /Bethlehem.

4/5/2006: The IOF issued a military order to confiscate 7 dunums of land belonging to the town of Al-Samou' /Hebron to construct a military post.

7/5/2006: The IOF bulldozers uprooted 55 olive and fig trees, which were planted 50 years ago in the village of Rameen /Tulkarem.

7/5/2006: The Israeli Peace Block said: "The ASW is separating between members of the same family; students and teachers and their schools. It is the reason behind closing 3 of the Arab schools; besides transforming the neighborhood of Al-Ram into a big jail that used to be a vital place".

9/5/2006: The settlers of "Ariel" settlement /Nablus freed tens of wild pigs in the area between the city of Salfeet and the village of Iskaka in the West Bank; an attempt to ruin the agricultural crops and expose the Palestinians over there to danger. Another group of the pigs was released in May 16th.

10/5/2006: The settlers of "Rot Yashai" settling post inside the city of Hebron expropriated a dunum of land in Tal Al-Rameedeh area inside the old city of Hebron; the land belong to the Palestinian family "Abu Haikal".

11/5/2006: The IOF swept away 20 dunums from a farm planted with almond and olive trees in the town of Al-Kararah /Khan Younis.

12/5/2006: The IOF wounded Adeeba Suleiman Husni, 60-year-old, by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head; while chasing the demonstrators who were protesting to the construction of the Wall in Bal'ien village.

12/5/2006: About 500 Palestinian civilians and 60 international and Israeli solidarity activists organized a peaceful demonstration in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah, in protest to the construction of the Wall. IOF fired rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas canisters and sound bombs at the demonstrators. Nine demonstrators and a journalist were wounded; Jamal al-‘Aarouri, 40-year-old, a photographer from the local daily al-Ayyam, was wounded by a rubber coated metal bullet to the hand.

13/5/2006: About 1500 Palestinian civilian and international and Israeli solidarity activists organized a peaceful demonstration near the entrance of Dahiat al-Barid area, north of the occupied Jerusalem, in protest to the construction of the Wall in the area. IOF fired dozens of tear gas canisters at the demonstrators, violently beat a number of them and arrested a number of them.


13/5/2006: SFS burned a fire in Al Qanouni stone quarry near Huwwara checkpoint and burnt a number of barracks therein.
.

17/5/2006: The Israeli newspaper "Ha'aretz" affirmed that the IOF had finished the construction of 336 km of the ASW, 42% of the West Bank; ASW length is about 790 km and extends through the Palestinian Lands.

27/5/2006: SFS burnt 4 trucks belonging to Palestinian citizens from the town of Howara /Nablus; an IOF curfew was imposed on the town.
**
3- Israeli Checkpoints and Barriers:

1/5/2006: The Israeli army had assaulted and beaten Su’ad ‘Ilayyan Al-Madani, 65-year-old, in Al-Karantina neighborhood /Hebron, detained her, and prevented an ambulance from transporting the injured woman to hospital.

2/5/2005: The IOF soldiers positioned at the checkpoints in the Jordan valley are imposing a new regulation that allows certain people from the west bank only to enter the area – the regulation in known by "the ID and place of the original registration", which denies the access of Palestinian civilians and employees from the West Bank to the Jordan Valley.

2/5/2006: The IOF soldiers beat the 12-year-old disable boy Mohammed Karariyeh, in a flying checkpoint on the road between Jenin and Qalqilyeh

2/5/2006: The IOF soldiers detained tens of the Palestinian civilian cars in 'Arabeh valley on Jenin-Nablus road /Jenin; the Palestinians were forced to leave their cars and take off their clothes in order to be searched by the IOF soldiers.

2/5/2006: The IOF continued to close Al-Hamra checkpoint set up on the Jericho-Nablus road, denying civilian access, except for farmers holding Jericho-issued IDs; claiming that it is a military closed area.

8/5/2006: The IOF tightened its siege around the district of Salfit, set up 4 flying checkpoint on the entrances of the Palestinian villages Jam'een, Bidia and Brokeen; denying civilian access.

8/5/2006: The IOF set up a sudden flying checkpoint on the northern entrance of Tubas city /Jenin, stopped and searched the Palestinians civilian cars and detained the Palestinian civilians for many hours.

10/5/2006: The IOF soldiers detained a bus transforming 20 Palestinian children on their way to the kindergarten in the village of Al-Bathan for more than 4 hours.


15/5/2006: The IOF soldiers closed Za'tara checkpoint /Nablus and denied civilian access to the road to Ramallah city.

12/5/2006: The 42-year-old Palestinian Omar Al-Malhi passes away due to a heart attack on Shu'fat's Camp checkpoint /Occupied Jerusalem; the IOF soldiers prevented the ambulance from evacuating Al-Malhi to a hospital in the occupied Jerusalem.
**
4- Arrests and Jails

1/5/2005:Family of the female Palestinian prisoner Itaf E'layan blead to legal institutions International and Local human rights organizations to enforce pressure on the Israeli Government in order to release their daughter Itaf with her 19-month-old baby; Itaf has been detained as an administrative prisoner and the IOF renewed the sentence lately.

2/5/2006: The IOF arrested the 45-year-old Palestinian female Rakiyah Lubadah from the city of Nablus for the fourth time, in an attempt to practice pressure on her wanted son to the IOF in order to handle himself; an Israeli policy that is used always with the mothers of the wanted Palestinians to the IOF.

10/5/2006: The Negev jail administration forced 36 Palestinian prisoners to be searched naked in a humiliated way, claiming that the prisoners obtain prohibited materials.

10/5/2006: More 9000 Palestinian male and female prisoners in the Israeli Jails started a food strike, to protest on the isolation policy the IO jails Authorities are using with many Palestinian prisoners.

16/5/2006: The IOF arrested 760 Palestinian workers inside Israel, claiming that the Palestinians didn't obtain the required permissions to be and work in Israel.
**
5- House Demolition:

3/5/2006: The IOF issued two military orders to demolish a house belonging to Issa Al-Jabareen from the town of Sa'eer /Hebron and an agricultural kiosk belonging to Isma'il Al-Rajabi in Jabal Johar /Hebron.

9/5/2006: The IOA raided the town of Beit Hanina and demolished a 2- storey house belonging to two brothers from Al-Ja'bari family, claiming that it was built without the required license.

10/5/2006: The IOA handed a warning to demolish the house belonging to the Palestinian civilian Ratib Badawi, under the claim that the house was built without an Israeli building permission.

24/5/2006: The IOF bulldozers demolished a 150 meter square building belonging to Abdullah Abbas, a land wall and an under construction kiosk belonging to Mohammed Muheisen from the village of Al-Funduq /Qalqilyeh.

25/5/2006: The IOF demolished a garage for fixing cars and selling cars' parts belonging to Habis and Ayman Al-Alameh in the town of Beit Ommar /Hebron.
**

6- Violations against Education and Health Institutions

2/5/2006: The IOF invaded Beit Sahoor medical centre and the Deer Al-Roum Al-Catholic medical centre in the town of Beit Sahoor /Bethlehem; they ruined some of centers property.

2/5/2006: The IOF bulldozers demolished a part of Howwara Secondary school wall /Nablus, continued to close the dust road in front of the school to put more pressure on the students.

12/5/2006: The IOF soldiers positioned at ‘Atara checkpoint detained for two hours a civilian vehicle transporting Nour ad Din Taleb ‘Arar, an ill 2-month-old child, to Ramallah Public Hospital for medical treatment.

13/5/2006: SFS attacked the Palestinian students in Al-Shuhada' street and Wadi Al-Haseen neighborhood using spoiled eggs and empty glass bottles in the city of Hebron.

13/5/2006: The IOF raided the village of Sur Bahir as well as raided the offices of the Cultural Forum during the launching of a book fair entitled “Supporting Prophet Mohammed, peace be upon him”. The IOF also confiscated computers, cassettes, and books from the book fair.

13/5/2006: The IOF raided the village of ‘Anata /Occupied Jerusalem, raided the village’s Girls School, and fired tear gas grenades, injuring 1 female student after a tear gas grenade hit her in the head. The female student was transported to hospital for medical treatment.

27/5/2006: The IOF opened fire towards a Palestinian ambulance transporting to hospital a pregnant female civilian, Najah Al-Sadiq, who was in labour. The Israeli army also forced the ambulance to stop and the Al-Sadeq to step out the ambulance.
**
7-Religious Violations:

7/5/2006: The IOF closed the Ibrahimi Mosque in the Old city of Hebron, prevented the access of the Palestinian worshippers to the Mosque under the claim that the area around the Mosque in a closed military area.

14/5/2006: The IOF prevented Palestinian civilians under 30 years of age from accessing and performing prayers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in the old city of Hebron.

23/5/2006: The IOF invaded Anata Mosque / Occupied Jerusalem, detained and searched the worshippers.
**

8- Press:-

1/5/2006: The IOF soldiers beat the Palestinian journalists Hazem Badir and Abdul Hafeeth Al-Hashlamoon in the city of Hebron.

13/5/2006: The IOF soldiers on Eretz Checkpoint searched a female member of the ISM "Kareen Winger" from Switzerland, naked under the excuse of security reasons.

15/5/2006: The IOF injured the camera man of Associated Press Sameer Abu Al-Rub with a pullet in the back; Abu Al-Rub was covering an IOF invasion to the town of Qabatiyah /Jenin.

16/5/2006: The IOF detained the camera man of the Palestinian press agency "Wafa" Ahman Mizhir while doing his job in the city of Bethlehem.

30/5/2006: The journalist Yahia Al-Madhoun in Al-Shabab radio and the cameraman Mahmoud Al-Mabayed of Ramattan agency for news, were injured during covering the news in Gaza Strip.
**

9- After 58 years from the Palestinian Nakba, The refugee problem is still there

The 15th of May was a special day for the Palestinians in and outside Palestine, they commemorate the catastrophic 1948 war that scattered their lives and forced millions of them to live as refugees all over the region; memorials were held in order for the Palestinian generations "not to forget".

The1948 Palestinian catastrophe coincided with the ending of the British mandate on Palestine and the establishment of the state of Israel on the Palestinian soil. The Israeli state came to light accordingly with the UN resolution no. 181 that divided Palestine into two states- Israel and Palestine; the part of resolution regarding Israel was implemented immediately while the part on the Palestinian state is yet to be realized.

The Palestinian catastrophe is a black mark in the world's modern history; the majority of the Palestinians were expelled from their homeland- leaving their properties behind to scatter as refugees all over the region and to suffer all sorts of abuses and discriminations. Three quarters of Palestine was abducted at that time; 531 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed and removed from the map, and 85% of the population were driven away and were never allowed back to their homeland.

Number of the Palestinian refugees who were to leave Palestine in 1948 was estimated to about 750,000 persons, and in 1967 another 350,000 Palestinians were made refugees as a result of the Israeli "six days war" launched at the rest of Palestine that came to be known as the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza strip.

Statistics show that 5.1 million Palestinians are now living outside Palestine; 4.2 millions of them are distributed over 10 UNRWA camps in Syria and Jordan, 12 camps in Lebanon, 8 camps in Gaza strip and another 19 camps in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

Several Palestinian, Arab and International rational initiatives were launched during the six past decades to maintain the "right of all" in a dignified life in the area, but none of those initiatives had been interpreted on the ground.

However, the Israeli consecutive governments went on with its war against the Palestinians- without listening or reacting to any of the calls of the International community.

The Palestinians In the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, while commemorating the 1948 Nakba, are still suffering the worst human, political, and social conditions ever been imposed on them.

The figures that appear in this bulletin regarding the Palestinian martyrs, imprisoned, and injured are real although they might sound devastating; the massive abduction and sweeping of the Palestinian houses and fertile lands is another issue that can't be isolated from the Israeli vicious and violent ongoing policy to enlarge the Jewish settlements and to erect the separation wall on the Palestinian soil- regardless of the cost on the Palestinian people and on peace and security in the region.

Editor: Abdul Rasool Tom
Translator: Suha Al-Khatib

END