Ref:
125/2003

Early
this morning, 2 Palestinian activists were extra-judicially executed by Israeli
occupying forces in the West Bank city of Hebron.

According
to PCHR’s field investigations and eyewitness reports, at approximately 02:00
on Thursday, 25 September 2003, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by 13
heavy vehicles, a number of military jeeps and 2 armored personnel
carriers,  moved into ‘Eissi neighborhood
in the west of Hebron. Israeli forces, covered by intense gunfire, advanced
towards nearby caves and surrounded a cave in which 3 allegedly wanted
Palestinians had taken shelter. Following an exchange of fire, 2 of the
Palestinians were killed:

1. Diab ‘Abdul Rahim ‘Abdul
Rahman al-Shuweiki, 30, the leader of al-Quds Brigade, the military wing of the
Islamic Jihad in Hebron; and

2. ‘Abdul Rahman ‘Abdul Aziz
al-Qeeq al-Talahmi, 27, the leader of al-Quds Brigade in Dura, a village
adjacent to Hebron

Al
Shuweiki’s younger brother, Jihad, 25, was wounded as Israeli soldiers opened
fire upon his surrender.

Israeli
occupying forces later blew up the caves and declared the area a closed military
zone, imposing a curfew before finally withdrawing at approximately 06:00.

In
another military operation early this morning, Israeli occupying forces
encroached 4 kilometers into block 1 of al-Bureij refugee camp in the central
Gaza Strip.  They claimed to be searching
for wanted Palestinian activists in the area. 
The incursion left 3 Palestinians dead, including a 3-year-old child who
died from a heart attack.  6 other civilians
were wounded, including a 13-year-old child.

According
to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 02:45, on Thursday, 25 September
2003, Israeli occupying forces reinforced by military vehicles, moved into
block 1 in al-Breij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.  Israeli forces advanced 4 kilometers into the
area from the nearby “Netzarim” settlement and surrounded the homes of 2
allegedly wanted Palestinians. The first house belongs to Nour ‘Abdul Qader
Saji’ Abu ‘Armaneh, 20 and was home to 9 people, while the second house belongs
to Faris Ibrahim Khalil Shaheen, 27.  Israeli occupying forces claim that both men
are activists of the Islamic Jihad movement.

Shaheen
and his family were not at home at the time of the incident, however Abu
‘Armaneh managed to escape from his house after it was surrounded by Israeli
occupying forces and fled to a neighboring house belonging to an uncle,
Hatem.  Israeli forces followed him and
surrounded his uncle’s house, but he managed to flee again to the home of
another uncle, Ashraf.  Israeli occupying
forces followed Abu ‘Armaneh and raided the second house, detaining 11
residents together in one room.  Abu
‘Armaneh was killed following an exchange of fire with Israeli soldiers on the
second floor of the house.

Israeli
occupying forces took both of Abu ‘Armaneh’s uncles to the Nahal ‘Ouz area for
interrogation.  Both men were assaulted
before they were released and are currently receiving medical attention.

During
the Israeli incursion into al-Bureij refugee camp, a number of Palestinians
confronted the Israeli occupying forces. 
The confrontation resulted in the killing of Mohammad Basheer Mohammad
‘Aqel, 25, from Nusseirat refugee camp. 
6 other Palestinians sustained various injuries. The incursion was
accompanied by heavy and indiscriminate shelling from Israeli helicopter
gunships, which damaged a number of electricity transmitters and severed the
flow of electricity to large portions of the southern Gaza Strip.

At
approximately 06:00, upon the withdrawal of Israeli occupying forces from the
refugee camp, medical sources declared that Lina Hassan Hamoudeh ‘Essa, 3, died
from a heart attack, after heavy Israeli shelling in the area.

In
light of the ongoing escalation of war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli
occupying forces against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT), PCHR reiterates its call for the international community,
particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to
take effective action to stop the rapid deterioration of the human rights
situation in the OPT.