IOF opens fire against Palestinian farmers with remote controlled machine guns

At aproximately 7.30 am, an international human rights observer alarmed by residents, witnessed another attack of the Israeli occupation forces against farmers. The Israelis were shooting from a watchtower on the Green Line, in the area between the villages Khouza'a and Faraheen, east of the City of Khan Younis. According to local Palestinians, the shooting was from a remote controlled machine gun, installed at the watch towers after the last massacres and was targeting farmers that were clearly beyond the 300 meters "buffer zone" that the Israelis are trying to impose.

www.farmingunderfire.blogspot.com

New Israeli incursion in southern Gaza Strip

According to Palestinian farmers, at least 2 Israeli tanks and 2 Israeli bulldozers entered Gaza Strip on Wednesday morning. At 10.30 they were seen in Abassan Jedida coming from Qerrara. They were leveling land near the Green Line. They passed in front of the villages of Faraheen, Khouza'a and Foukhari.

www.farmingunderfire.blogspot.com

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The Israeli military invades southern Gaza

Wednesday July 29, 2009 14:55 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News & Agencies

A number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded, on Wednesday morning, Al Qararra town on the southern borders of the Gaza Strip and Israel.

An Israeli tank in Gaza - File 2009

Witnesses said that bulldozers destroyed farm lands and uprooted farm lands as tanks opened fire at nearby homes, damage to the villagers' homes was reported but no injures.

Tanks and bulldozers have been invading border areas of the Gaza Strip on daily basses since the start of this week. On Tuesday midday Palestinian fighters clashed with the invading forces, no injures in both sides were reported.

Israeli tanks invades areas in Gaza

Tuesday July 28, 2009 18:11 by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

A number of Israeli tanks and bulldozers invaded on Tuesday midday areas in Gaza City close to the borders with Israeli.

An Israeli tank in Gaza

Witnesses reported that at least 18 tanks and 3 bulldozers rolled into the area, tanks opened fire at residents' homes as bulldozers uprooted trees and destroyed fame lands nearby, the witnesses added. No injures were reported during the attack.

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update from PCHR weekly report No. 30/2009 23 - 29 July 2009

Tuesday, 28 July 2009

At approximately 10:30, IOF moved nearly 100 meters into the east of Gaza City. They leveled areas of land, which they had already razed. No casualties were reported.

Farmers with white flags under Israeli fire 25/7/09

On the 25th of July 2009 Palestinian farmers went again to repair the damages caused by an Israeli incursion (21/7/09) at a water well in Abassan Jedida. This time they weren't accompanied by international human rights workers, but they had a lot of white flags. Despite that, they came under Israeli fire and were forced to withdraw.

You can hear one of the shots at 0:56

Israeli incursion in Abassan Jedida, Gaza Strip, 21/7/09

In the afternoon of the 21st of July 2009, 5 Israeli tanks and 2 armoured bulldozers of the Israeli occupation forces, invaded Gaza Strip. They headed towards Abassan Jedida village, shooting towards palestinian houses. According to PCHR there was at least one Palestinian civilian injured in his hand by shrapnel. The Israeli bulldozers leveled a previously damaged house and a water tank and caused severe damages to the irrigation infrastructure of Palestinian farmers

Repairing the Damage of Israeli army Incursion:

-ISM Gaza Strip

Thursday morning, 2 farmers from Abassan Jeddida (east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip), accompanied by 3 international human rights workers from the International Solidarity Movement, returned to the site of an Israeli military incursion 2 days earlier, to attempt to repair a water well damaged in the invasion. The farmers’ land in question sits roughly 400m from the Green Line.

On July 21st, 4 Israeli tanks and 2 Israeli military bulldozers invaded the area, having crossed over the Green Line, and wreaked considerable damage to the area, including re-visiting a house previously nearly-destroyed by the Israeli army to finish the task. The house is now a pile of rubble, as is the case with 100s of homes in the Israeli-imposed ‘buffer zone’ region along Gaza’s Green Line boundary.

Farmers examined the motor of the well, finding the parts destroyed and in need of replacement. In besieged Gaza, under a full siege which allows less than 40 items into the Strip, replacing the motor will prove difficult and expensive. If the farmers are lucky and able to repair the motor, it is hoped that no other damage done to the well will prevent its functioning.


Ten dunums (1 dunum=1000 square metres) of parsely and 27 dunums of chilli peppers depend on this water source. The two crops are already nearing maturity; the water is critical.


Palestinian farmers in the buffer zone continue to be collectively punished by the Israeli authorities’ arbitrary imposition of no-go zones, the Israeli army’s indiscriminate shooting at civilians in and beyond the ‘300m buffer zone’, the burning of cropland, and the destruction of such infrastructure as wells, irrigation piping, greenhouses, farming equipment and tractors.

PCHR report 16/7-22/7/2009: one Palestinian civilian killed, one injured buy IF

excerpt from PCHR weekly report No. 29/2009 (16 - 22 July 2009)
published on the 23rd of July 2009


Sunday, 19 July 2009

At approximately 18:30, Israeli military vehicles moved nearly 150 meters into the east of Gaza City. Israeli troops shot and arrested Ahmed Zuhair al-Semari, 22. Al-Semari was hit by a gunshot that entered the abdomen and exited the back. He was transferred to an Israeli hospital where he was pronounced dead at approximately 16:00 on Monday, 20 July 2009. The victim was mentally disabled.

Tuesday, 21 July 2009

Also at approximately 13:00, Israeli forces moved nearly 500 meters into 'Abassan village, east of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of Palestinian land, which they had already razed. During this operation, Israeli forces opened fire indiscriminately. As a result, Majed Majdi al-Farra, 20, was wounded by shrapnel to the right hand.

New IOF limited incursion into Beit Hanoun

22-7-2009

Al Mezan

At app. 9am on Wednesday 22 July 2009, 12 IOF armored vehicles entered the southeast of the town of Beit Hanoun, north of the Gaza Strip. Armored bulldozers leveled the land along the border fence amidst shooting. The force left the town at app. 5:30pm on the same day. No casualties or injuries were reported.

Farmers and ISM Human Rights Workers to Repair Damaged Well

Thursday 23rd July 2009 at 8am - Farmers from Abassan Jeddida (East of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip)and human rights workers from the International Solidarity movement will be repairing a damaged water well in Palestinian farmland. On Tuesday 21st July, four Israeli tanks and two bulldozers made an incursion into the area, and caused extensive damage. With international accompaniment, the farmer managed to assess the damage to the well on Wednesday.

Farmers & Internationals to Repair Aftermath of Israeli Incursion

Wednesday 22nd July 2009 at 8am - Farmers from Abassan Jeddida (East of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip)and international human rights workers will be accessing their land 400m from the border fence, in order to assess and repair damage caused by an Israeli military incursion. Four Israeli tanks and two bulldozers crossed the green line onto Palestinian farmland today. Reports indicate that their activities involved destroying a water-well and causing further extensive damage to a house which they had already rendered uninhabitable.