Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
· Israeli warplanes fired 9 missiles at a Palestinian resistance group and civilian targets, but no injuries were reported.
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Two camels died and a greenhouse was destroyed.
· A Palestinian civilian died out of his wounds in Khan Yunis, north of the Gaza Strip. He was wounded in the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada.
· A Palestinian was wounded and arrested by IOF at Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem.
· IOF have continued to use force against peaceful protests in the West Bank.
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Three civilians, including a paramedic, were wounded during al-Nabi Saleh weekly demonstration.
· IOF conducted 60 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
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IOF arrested 25 Palestinians, including a child and 2 women. -
Among those arrested by IOF, there were PLC Members Khaled Tafish and Abdul Jabbar Foqaha
· Israel has continued to impose a total closure on the OPT and has isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world.
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IOF arrested at least 3 Palestinians at military checkpoints in the West Bank. -
Dr. Aziz Dweik, PLC Speaker, was among those arrested at military checkpoints, and he was placed under administrative detention. -
A patient from the northern Gaza Strip was arrested at Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing while he was going to the West Bank for treatment.
· Israel has continued efforts to create a Jewish majority in East Jerusalem.
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IOF stormed ICRC's head office in Jerusalem and arrested PLC Member Toutah and former Minister Abu 'Arafa. -
IOF demolished a house and leaving 20 individuals homeless, and ordered the demolishing of another house.
· IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property.
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Nine stores were demolished in Jericho. -
IOF demolished a house and ordered the demolition of an under construction school and another three houses in Hebron. -
Hundreds of settlers stormed Joseph Tomb in Nablus.
Summary
IOF continued targeting the Palestinian Legislative Authority, as they arrested the Speaker of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC), Dr. Aziz Dweik, and PLC Member, Khaled Tafish, from the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated to Hamas movement. IOF also stormed the head office of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in East Jerusalem and arrested PLC Member Mohammed Toutah, from the Change and Reform Bloc affiliated to Hamas, and the former Minister of Jerusalem Affairs, Khaled Abu 'Arafa. PCHR believes that these actions are a continuation of targeting the elected PLC Members following the Palestinian legislative elections of 2006. PCHR views such detentions as a retaliatory act and a form of collective punishment prohibited under Article 33 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949.
Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (19 – 25 January 2012):