News from the Holy Land

Weekly Report:

On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

No. 01/2008 (27 Dec. 2007 02 Jan. 2008)

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

January 3, 2008

Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Continue Systematic Attacks against Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

18 Palestinians, including a pilgrim, were killed by IOF in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
5 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by IOF.
25 Palestinians, including 4 children and 2 women, were wounded by the IOF gunfire.
IOF conducted 30 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, and 4 into the Gaza Strip.
IOF arrested 35 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children.
IOF razed 160 donums of agricultural land in 'Abasan village near Khan Yunis.
IOF raided a hospital and a school in Hebron and the office of an NGO in East Jerusalem.
IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT.
IOF have isolated the Gaza Strip from the outside world and a humanitarian crisis has emerged.
2 Palestinian pilgrims died in Egypt when they were on their way back to the Gaza Strip.
IOF troops positioned at checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 3 Palestinian civilians.
IOF have continued settlement activities in the West Bank and Israeli settlers have continued to attacks Palestinian civilians and property.
A Palestinian civilian was run down to death by an Israeli settler.
Israeli settlers attacked 3 members of the Public Committee against the Annexation Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.

Summary

Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law continued in the OPT during the reporting period (27 December 2007 – 2 January 2008): ......................(Read the full article)

Number of victims of IOF siege of Gaza rises to 60 with death of infant

Palestinian Information Center

January 1, 2008

GAZA, (PIC)-- A 61-year-old cancer patient, a seriously ill woman and an infant died on Tuesday bringing the number of Palestinian patients who died in the Gaza Strip as a result of the Israeli oppressive siege to 60.

Medical sources said that the Palestinian infant Dua'a Habib from Gaza city and Safiyya Shahin from central Gaza Strip died at dawn Tuesday after long suffering from chronic diseases.

The 61-year-old Mohammed Khader, a cancer patient, was pronounced dead on Tuesday morning after being denied permission by the IOF troops besieging the Strip to receive treatment abroad.

Death is threatening a long list of seriously ill Palestinians in the Strip as a result of lack of proper medication and the travel ban.

The popular committee against the siege has warned of acceleration in the number of deaths in the Strip.

The health ministry in the PA caretaker government in Gaza said that the health condition in the Strip was passing through its worst stages as a result of the siege, noting that 600 to 700 patients usually ask for permission for treatment abroad each month while 250 to 300 patients need urgent treatment other than the 900 cancer and kidney failure patients.