Weekly Report On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

Summary: Israeli violations of international law and humanitarian law in the OPT continued during the reporting period (27 January – 02 February 2011)

Shooting: ● During the reporting period, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed and a third one was wounded by Israeli settlers in the West Bank. A Palestinian child was also wounded by IOF during peaceful protests against the construction of the annexation wall. In the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian child was killed by the explosion of a mysterious object apparently left by IOF. A Palestinian worker who was collecting scraps of construction materials was also wounded by IOF.

● In the West Bank, two Palestinian civilians, including a child, were killed and a third one was wounded by Israeli settler. An 18-year-old civilian was killed by an Israeli settler in Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus, on 27 January 2011. The victim was farming his land when the settlers shot him dead.

● The second victim, who is a 15-year-old child, was killed by Israeli settlers from "Beit Ain" settlement who broke into Safa village, north of Hebron, and fired at Palestinian civilians. Another civilian was also wounded.

● During the reporting period, IOF used excessive force to disperse peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to Israeli settlement activities and the construction of the annexation wall. As a result, a Palestinian child was wounded, and dozens of Palestinian civilians and international human rights defenders suffered from tear gas inhalation or sustained bruises.

● In the Gaza Strip, on 27 January 2011, a Palestinian child was killed the explosion of a mysterious object apparently left by IOF in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, nearly one kilometer away from the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The victim was grazing animals when the explosion occurred.

● On 31 January 2011, a Palestinian worker was wounded by Israeli soldiers in the northern Gaza Strip, when Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials.

● On 02 February 2011, Israeli warplanes bombarded a tunnel on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah.

Incursions: During the reporting period, IOF conducted at least 31 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, during which they arrested 23 Palestinian civilians, including a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council and 7 children.