Zionist Occupation Forces (ZOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

Funeral prayer for Mohammad Abu Reida (killed by occupation forces on Sep 8, 2006)

• Zionist Occupation Forces (ZOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)
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  11 Palestinians, including a child and a man and his on, were killed by ZOF.
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  5 of the victims were extra-judicially executed by ZOF in Rafah and Jenin.
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  67 Palestinian civilians, including 16 children and a woman, were wounded by the ZOF gunfire.
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  ZOF launched a series of air strikes on a number of houses in the Gaza Strip.
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  ZOF conducted 37 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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  ZOF arrested 39 Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
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  10 houses were destroyed by ZOF in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.
  ZOF raided an Islamic charitable society in Tubas.
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  6 houses were transformed by ZOF into military sites.
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  ZOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; ZOF have imposed a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip and there have been shortages of foodstuffs and fuels; and ZOF positioned at a various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 Palestinians, including Head of the Presidential Guard in Ramallah.
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  ZOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; they confiscated 152 donums of land in Bethlehem; and 467 olive trees located behind the Wall in Qalqilya were burnt.
  
  Summary
  
  As the international community has remained silent, ZOF have continued to wage a full scale offensive on the Palestinian people, especially in the Gaza Strip. During the reported period, ZOF have continued their attacks on Palestinian civilians and property.
  
  Zionist violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (31 August – 6 September 2006):
  
  Killing:
  
  During the reported period, ZOF killed 9 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. On 2 September 2006, ZOF killed a man and his son during an incursion into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. On 5 September 2006, ZOF extra-judicially executed 4 Palestinians in two separate attacks in Rafah. Three other Palestinians, including a child, were killed by ZOF in separate attacks, in which ZOF used excessive force. In addition, 51 Palestinians, including 12 children and a woman, were wounded by the ZOF gunfire.
  
  Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by ZOF in the Gaza Strip since 25 June 2006 has increased to 226, including 47 children and 12 women. In addition, 726 others, mostly civilians, including 196 children, 27 women, 4 paramedics and 4 journalists, have been wounded.
  
  ZOF also launched at least two air strikes on two houses in the Gaza Strip belonging to Palestinian resistance activists. These houses were destroyed, and a number of neighboring houses and civilian facilities were severely damaged. ZOF intelligence officers ordered owners of these houses by phone to evacuate their houses.
  
  In the West Bank, two Palestinians were killed by ZOF. On 31 August 2006, killed a Palestinian during an incursion in the old town of Nablus. The victim was described as the leader of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement, in the West Bank. On 6 September 2006, ZOF extra-judicially killed a member of the al-Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, in Jenin. In addition, 16 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children and two paramedics, were wounded by ZOF gunfire.
  
  Incursions:
  
  ZOF conducted at least 37 military incursions into Palestinian communities, during which they raided dozens of houses and arrested 39 Palestinian civilians. In addition, ZOF raided a charitable society in Tubas village, southeast of Jenin. ZOF conducted incursions into Beit Hanoun and Khuza’a village. They killed a number of Palestinian civilians, arrested 3 others, razed at least 50 donums of agricultural land and destroyed 6 houses completely and a number of others partially.
  
  Restrictions on Movement:
  
  ZOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Occupied East Al-Quds.
  
  In the Gaza Strip, ZOF have imposed a strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They have closed its border crossings as a form of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians. ZOF have closed Rafah International Crossing Point, even though they do not directly control it. They have prevented European observers working at the crossing point form reaching it. ZOF have closed commercial crossings of the Gaza Strip, especially al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. As a consequence, the economic situation inside the Gaza Strip has further deteriorated and many goods have been lacked in markets. During the reported period, ZOF partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) crossing. ZOF have also continued to close Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. In addition, ZOF have prevented Palestinian fishermen from fishing.
  
  In the West Bank, ZOF have tightened the siege imposed on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They have isolated Al-Quds from the rest of the West Bank. ZOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. ZOF have continued to separate between the north and south of the West Bank. During the reported period, ZOF positioned at various checkpoints around imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. During the reported period, ZOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank arrested 4 Palestinians, including Head of the Presidential Guard in Ramallah..
  
  Annexation Wall:
  
  ZOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank. During the reported period, ZOF issued a military order seizing 152 donums of land in Um Salmouna village, south of Bethlehem, to be used for “military purposes to establish a fence and a number of secure roads.” According to local sources, the seizures of land aims to construct a section of the Wall in the area, and establish a settler bypass road. On 2 September 2006, fire broke out on areas of agricultural land in Nabi Elias village, east of Qalqilya, which are isolated behind the wall. As a result, 467 trees were burnt. According to Palestinian farmers, the incident was an arson attack. ZOF also used force to disperse a peaceful demonstration organized by Palestinian civilians and international and Zionist peace activists in protest to the construction of the Wall in Bal’ein village, west of Ramallah.