Ref: 172/2003

 In another war crime perpetrated
against Palestinian civilians and property, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by tanks and helicopters, moved into Rafah refugee camp in the south
of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, 23 December 2003.  Israeli forces
have remained in the camp through the early afternoon, using intense shelling
and indiscriminate shooting to cover their actions.  The Rafah refugee
camp is one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip and attacks
by Israeli forces inevitably result in massive damage.  Already today, the
Israeli occupying army has killed 5 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, and
wounded over 27 others, including a number of women and children.  In
addition, 10 homes have been destroyed by explosive charges and armored Israeli
bulldozers.  The invasion has also resulted in massive damage to the
civilian infrastructure of the refugee camp and Israeli occupying forces have
imposed a curfew on the entire area.   PCHR is gravely concerned that
the continued intense presence of Israeli occupying forces will result in more
casualties among Palestinian civilians and greater damage to the civilian
infrastructure of Rafah refugee camp. 

 This recent
Israeli invasion is part of an Israeli military strategy implemented in Rafah
since the beginning of the current Intifada in September 2000.  In three
years Israeli occupying forces have destroyed over 800 Palestinian homes along
the Egyptian border south of Rafah.  Israeli authorities claim that this
massive destruction is conducted for security reasons.  However, PCHR’s
analysis of the facts on the ground strongly suggests that the Israeli
occupying forces are establishing a large “buffer zone” along the
border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.  All Palestinian structures along
the border have been demolished and the land has been leveled by Israeli bulldozers. 
Furthermore, Israeli occupying forces have constructed cement sniper towers and
an iron wall on Palestinian land inside the southern border. 

 According to
eyewitnesses in the Rafah refugee camp, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by
about 40 heavy military vehicles and 2 helicopters invaded the camp at
approximately 02:30 Tuesday morning.  Under the cover of intense shelling,
Israeli forces moved approximately 400m into Block L, Block O and Block N
adjacent to the Egyptian border.  Israeli soldiers have entered a number
of houses and transformed them into military posts.  Soldiers have
remained in these positions through the afternoon, using the houses to fire at
the area.  This morning, 2 Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli
gunfire while they were near their homes:

1.      Khalil Mohammed ‘Abdullah
al-Qassas, 50, hit by a live bullet in the chest; and

2.      ‘Ali Hassan al-Najjar, 22,
hit by a live bullet in the chest.

Soon after Israeli
occupying forces seized control over the camp, they started to destroy
Palestinian homes and civilian infrastructure.  PCHR’s field officers have
not been able to reach the area to check the damage, but there are reports
which indicate that at least 10 houses have been demolished. 

 After the initial
invasion, members of the Palestinian resistance clashed with Israeli occupying
forces.  During the clashes, an Israeli combat helicopter launched 2
missiles, killing Khamis Anwar al-Ra’ei, 21, with shrapnel throughout the
body. 

 Throughout the
day, Israeli occupying forces have continuously shelled the refugee camp from
various posts and military vehicles along the border.  This shelling has
been accompanied by indiscriminate shooting from Israeli military positions
resulting in the killing of 2 other Palestinian civilians:

1.      ‘Aa’ed Ibrahim al-Najjar,
hit by a live bullet in the chest; and

2.      Ahmed al-‘Abed al-Najjar,
32, hit by a live bullet in the head. 

One of the victims was
hit by a live bullet while he was at work near the gate of Rafah Border
Terminal, more than 2000m away from the refugee camp.  In addition, more
than 25 civilians, including 8 children and women, have been injured as a
result of the Israeli invasion.  There have been 7 cases of serious injury
reported thus far.  Additionally, PCHR’s field worker in Rafah reports
that ambulances have faced difficulties accessing the area and residents have
been forced to carry the wounded long distances to reach medical care.      
 

 In another
invasion today, Israeli occupation forces attacked areas in the central Gaza
Strip.  Following an armed clash between members of the Palestinian
resistance and Israeli soldiers on Monday evening, 22 December 2003, on
“Kissufim” settler road, southeast of Deir al-Balah, which left several
Palestinian resistance men and 2 Israeli soldiers dead, Israeli occupying
forces moved into Abu Sha’ar area in Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir
al-Balah.  This morning, Israeli forces destroyed 4 Palestinian homes in
the two villages leaving 13 Palestinian civilians homeless.  The houses
belong to the al-Sumairi, al-Zar and Eslaisel families.  Israeli occupying
forces have also razed 12 donums^[1] of
agricultural land planted with olives.  The Israeli occupying army has
maintained a presence in the area this afternoon, raising concerns that home
demolitions and property destruction will continue.

 PCHR strongly
condemns the war crimes carried out today in the Gaza Strip.  Such crimes
have been systematically and increasingly perpetrated by the Israeli government
and its occupying forces against Palestinian civilians and property.  PCHR
asserts that such retaliatory acts and collective punishment by Israeli
occupying forces against Palestinian civilians and property constitute war
crimes and grave breaches of international law and humanitarian law.  PCHR
believes that continued international silence serves only to encourage Israel
and its occupying forces to perpetrate more war crimes and other grave breaches
of the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 1949.  In light of the above, PCHR
calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop violations
of human rights perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.  PCHR also calls on the High Contracting Parties
to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfill their legal obligations to
ensure respect for the Convention and take concrete steps to stop grave
breaches of the Convention perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.  
        

^[1] 1 donum is equal to 1000 square meters.