Sine the outbreak of the Al Aqsa Intifada / uprising on 28 September 2000, the Israeli occupation forces have systematically applied different collective punishments against the civilian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).
They aimed to intimidate Palestinians and end Palestinian resistance to the occupation of their land and to force them to abandon their political claims to freedom and self-determination.
The information Al Mezan has collected indicates that the IDF used extensive and lethal force against civilians when it was not necessary, targeted civil premises, demolished homes and cultivated land and restricted medical teams and ambulances.
Worse than that, the Israeli forces used heavy weaponry, including F16 warplanes, helicopter gunships, tanks and various kinds of missiles.
Additionally, they closed the OPTs completely by imposing a complete blockade around them and isolating towns, villages and refugee camps from each other.
On 29 March 2002, the Israeli forces escalated their aggression and launched an all-out war, according to the United Nations Secretary General Koffi Anan, on almost all of the Palestinian towns and refugee camps.
Since then, Israel has been perpetrating extensive grave breaches of the international humanitarian law.
The isolated Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip are examples of the Israeli collective punishment of Palestinian civilians.
Al Mezan has observed the Israeli abuses of Palestinians, human rights and collected substantial information from the victims, especially in Gaza.
The siege and destruction of residences and demolition of agricultural land are all crimes according to human rights laws.
Al Mezan believes it is important to publicize such violations.
This report depends on the professional, objective documentation of these violations in the town of Biet Lahia, which is located in the north of the Gaza Strip.
This report starts with a general background about Beit Lahia and the basic social and economic facilities and services in the town.
It also highlights the violations of human rights in the town.