Ref.,: 1/2001
This report covers violations
perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians in
the occupied Palestinian civilians during the period of December 28, 2000 –
January 3, 2001. This period witnessed a
significant escalation of violations perpetrated by the Israeli occupation
forces, despite the occupied Palestinian territories seeing a significant
decrease in mass clashes between Palestinian civilians and Israeli forces. During this period, the Israeli occupation
forces continued to resort to the use of lethal force and willful killing at
times when no threat was posed to the occupying forces. These forces also continued to commit
political assassinations against Palestinian political activists, the last of
which was the assassination of Dr. Thabet Thabet, Secretary of Fatah Movement
in Tulkarm, on December 31, 2000. During
the same period, the Israeli occupation forces and settlers killed six
Palestinians, including three civilians, one of whom was a 12-year-old child
who was killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell fired by the Israeli
occupation forces when the shell fell onto the roof of the house of his family
in Hebron on December 31, 2000. Among
the victims were two Palestinian security men who were killed by the Israeli
occupation forces in cold blood in Tulkarm on December 31, 2000, when there
were no clashes in the city. A third
Palestinian security man was killed when the Israeli occupation forces shelled
a post of the Palestinian National Security Forces in the east of Beit Hanoun
on December 28, 2000. During the same
period, the Israeli occupation forces continued to fire artillery shells and
heavy and medium bullets at Palestinian cities, which resulted in killing a
child, wounding a number of civilians and causing severe damage to houses and
civilian facilities in some cities in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation forces also continued
to sweep areas of agricultural land and to demolish houses and civilian
facilities, especially those near settlements and on the sides of roads used by
the Israeli occupation forces and settlers.
At
the beginning of the new year, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces toughened
the siege imposed on the occupied Palestinian territories. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak stated that
his army must prepare for a comprehensive war, that his forces would toughen
the siege in an unprecedented way and that he would allow the entry of only
basic necessary materials for humanitarian purposes. In effect, the Israeli occupation forces
closed Rafah Border Crossing on December 30, 2000. On January 1, 2001, these forces also closed
Gaza International Airport, Al-Karama Crossing between the West Bank and
Jordan, Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet and Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing. On the morning of Tuesday, January 2, 2001,
the Israeli occupation forces closed the two main roads between the
governorates of the Gaza Strip (Salah El-Din Street and the coastal road, which
was closed for the first time), and all alternative branch roads, isolating the
Gaza Strip and dividing it into three separate areas. Similar measures were taken in the West Bank
that divided it into dozens of separate areas.
1. Restrictions on Free
Movement
The
Israeli occupation forces have continued to impose a total siege on the
occupied Palestinian territories. In
addition to the prohibition of movement between the West Bank and the Gaza
Strip through Israel, the Israeli occupation forces toughened the internal
siege imposed on Palestinian cities, isolating these cities from one another
(in the Gaza Strip this took place on Tuesday, January 2, 2001). At the same time, large numbers of settlers
were present on bypass roads, shooting at Palestinian civilian cars and
throwing stones on Palestinian civilians. In recent developments concerning the total siege imposed by the Israeli
occupation forces on the occupied Palestinian territories, this siege has
included:
1) Preventing Travel Abroad
Since
Saturday, December 30, 2000, the Israeli occupation forces have closed Rafah
Border Crossing, preventing travel to Egypt. In the evening of Monday, January 1, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces
closed Gaza International Airport and Al-Karama Crossing between the West Bank
and Jordan. With these measures the
Israeli occupation force have completely prevented the travel of Palestinian
citizens abroad. In addition, these
forces continued to impose restrictions on the movement of Palestinian citizens
between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.
2) Closing Commercial
Crossings
Since
the evening of January 1, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces have closed
Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City. The Mentar (Karni) Outlet is devoted to
commercial exchange through Israeli territory. Now only the entry of basic necessary materials is allowed. These force have also continued to close Sofa
Crossing, near Rafah, and Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing in the north of the Gaza
Strip.
3) Restrictions on Internal
Movement
On
the morning of Tuesday, January 2, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces closed
the coastal road between Gaza City and the middle area of the Gaza Strip. While continuing to close Salah El-Din Street
(the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) and all
alternative roads, the Gaza Strip became separated into three completely
isolated areas: Rafah and Khan Yunis, the middle area, and Gaza City and the
northern area.
On the morning of Tuesday, January 2, 2001, Israeli
occupation forces positioned near Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, to the south
of Gaza City, prevented the passage of a Palestinian ambulance in which there
was a pregnant woman coming from a clinic in Deir El-Balah. The blocked patient was on the way to Shifa’
hospital in Gaza City. PCHR’s field
officer in the area reported that Mrs. Meriam A’amer El-Akhras, 30 years old,
was in serious condition and critically in need of a Caesarian operation that
cannot be performed in the middle area of the Gaza Strip due to the lack of
necessary medical equipment in nearby local clinics. The occupying forces also prevented the
passage of a Palestinian ambulance in which Rajab El-Sa’afin, 70 years old, and
Safeya El-Kurd, 70 years old, from Deir El-Balah, were traveling in order to
receive medical care at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported
that the occupying troops forced the ambulance to travel back to the middle
area, preventing its passage to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City.
On
January 3, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces prevented the entry of
Palestinian newspapers published in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, into
the Gaza Strip. The major daily
newspapers, Al-Quds, Al-Ayyam and Al-Hayat Al-Jadeeda, are
published in Jerusalem and Ramallah.
2. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians
In
the morning at approximately 7:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
shot dead Sabri Awadh Ibrahim Khader, 51 years old, from Jabalya, with a medium
caliber bullet to the right shoulder (below the neck). In his testimony to PCHR, an eyewitness – the
victim’s nephew – said that he was with his uncle and a number of their family
members working in a grove, about 700 meters away from a military position of the
Israeli occupation forces in Dogit settlement to the north of Beit Lahia, when
the shooting took place. At
approximately 7:20 (local time), the sound of an explosion was heard and two
minutes later the Israeli occupation forces positioned in the area of Dogit
settlement opened fire arbitrarily and intensively. Palestinian farmers were forced to flee to
nearby houses in order to take shelter from the shooting. The eyewitness added that his uncle was not
among those who escaped. When the eyewitness returned to his work place after
the shooting stopped, he found his uncle lying on the ground bleeding. The motionless farmer was evacuated to
hospital, but died as a result of the shooting.
Also
in the morning, at approximately 9:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces
positioned on Salah El-Din Street, near Al-Shuhada (Netzarim) junction, to the
south of Gaza City, opened fire on an UNRWA vehicle, while it was on its way to
Gaza City. The driver of the car, Ashraf
Weshah, survived, though the front right tire was hit by a live bullet.
In
the morning, at approximately 10:30 local time, an Israeli occupation soldier
shot at Jadallah El-Ja’bari, 32 years old, from Hebron, wounding him with two
live bullets in the leg. A videotape
filmed by an Associated Press cameraman showed the cruelty of the crime
committed by the Israeli occupation forces. The victim was passing through the market of the city when he was shot
from a very close distance. El-Ja’bari,
who works in the sanitation department for the municipality of Hebron, was
evacuated to Hadassa hospital in Jerusalem.
In
the morning, at approximately 7:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
opened fire on a number of Palestinian laborers waiting for security checks at
the gate of Erez industrial zone. As a
result, five of these laborers were wounded. In addition, a driver of an ambulance for the Health Work Committees was
wounded while he was offering help to one of the wounded. PCHR’s field officer in the northern area of
the Gaza Strip reported that the wounded were:
1) Alla’edddin Ahmed Khater,
23 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the left foot;
2) Oudeh Mahmoud Abu
Shehadeh, 22 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the left hand;
3) Sae’d Ja’far El-Harazin, 23 years old, from Al-Shojaeya
neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left knee;
4) Mohammed Mohammed Nasser,
23 years old, from Beit Hanoun, wounded with a live bullet in the left knee,
5) Yasser Abdullah
El-Rantisi, 21 years old, from Nusseirat, wounded with a live bullet in the
abdomen; and
6) Ibrahim Ahmed Shabat, 32
years old, from Beit Hanoun, an ambulance driver, wounded with a live bullet in
the right thigh while offering assistance to one of the wounded. He was wearing a special uniform designed to identify
medical staff when he was wounded.
Also
in the morning, at approximately 9:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces
positioned at the borderline to the east of Al-Boreij refugee camp shot at
Jerar Oudeh Mahmoud Abu Shehadeh, 20 years old, from Al-Maghazi refugee
camp. Abu Shehadeh was wounded in the
head by shrapnel from live bullets. PCHR’s field officer in the middle area of the Gaza Strip reported that
the area did not witness any clashes when the Israeli occupation forces shot at
Abu Shehadeh from a distance of more than 100 meters.
Also
in the morning, at approximately 9:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
asassinated the Secretary of Fatah Movement in Tulkarm, Dr. Thabet Thabet, 49
years old. Dr. Thabet was from the
village of Ramin and a resident of the city of Tulkarm. Dr. Thabet was in his car in front of his
house in the southwest of Tulkarm, when the Israeli occupation forces opened
fire on him from a distance of more than 250 meters. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli occupation troops
stationed a military truck at a junction leading to a military roadblock of the
Israeli occupation forces and suddenly opened fire on Dr. Thabet’s car when
there were no clashes in the area. Dr.
Thabet was wounded with several bullets in the chest and was evacuated to
Tulkarm hospital where he was pronounced dead at 10:00 local time.
This
crime is the first one against a Palestinian political organizational figure in
the past three months, and is regarded as a significant escalation of the
assassination policy adopted by the Israeli occupation forces against persons
whom these forces deem to be executive members of Palestinian organizations.
In
the evening, at approximately 19:30, settlers opened fire on a number of
Palestinian young men near the northern entrance of the village of Hazma to the
east of Jerusalem, killing Tahrir Suleiman Rezeq, 20 years old, with a live
bullet in the head.
Also
in the evening, at approximately 21:30 local time, the Israeli occupation
forces shot dead two members of the Palestinian National Security Forces
(Military Intelligence) in Tulkarm. Eyewitnesses said that Israeli occupation forces positioned in the west
of the city of Tulkarm opened fire on Mou’taz Mohammed Sae’id Serouji, 37 years
old; and Tariq Ibrahim Ahmed El-Qatto, 31 years old, killing the former with
live bullets in the head, the neck, the chest and the thighs, and the latter
with live bullets in the head, the back and the thighs.
In
the evening, at approximately 22:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces
positioned in the vicinity of Kfar Darom settlement shot at Oudeh Mahmoud Abu
Samra, wounding him with a live bullet in the left hand. Abu Samra was in front of his house, about
150 meters to the north of the mentioned settlement when he was shot.
In
the afternoon, at approximately 14:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
shot at Ahmed Abdullah El-Maghayzha, 24 years old, from Deir El-Balah, wounding
him with a live bullet in the left leg. El-Maghayzha said that he was on his way from Al-Qarara to his house, 30
meters to the north of the road leading to Kissufim Crossing on the
borderline. When he crossed the road
towards his house, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned on the roof of a
house they expropriated last November, shot at him, wounding him with a live
bullet in the left leg.
Also
in the evening, at approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces
positioned at the borderline in Rafah opened fire on a number of Palestinian
civilians, wounding three with shrapnel from bullets. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
the three were evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah. They are:
1) Jaber Ihasan El-Natour, 14
years old, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
2) Ahmed Mohammed Abu
A’rmaneh, 15 years old, wounded with shrapnel in the thigh; and
3) Mahmoud Hamdan Mo’ammar,
18 years old, wounded with shrapnel in the leg.
In
the afternoon, at approximately 15:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
opened fire on a post of the Palestinian National Security Forces, to the north
of Beit Hanoun in the north of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation forces also fired an artillery shell at the
mentioned post, killing a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces,
Mahmoud Ali Mahmoud Nusseir, 33 years old, from Beit Hanoun, with a direct hit
to the abdomen and chest.
3. Shelling of Residential
Neighborhoods
In the evening, at approximately 17:30 local time, the
Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium bullets
at residential neighborhoods in Hebron. This particular action targeted El-Sheikh, Bab El-Zawia and Be’r
El-Hommus neighborhoods and caused severe damage to Palestinian houses and
civilian facilities.
At
noon, armored vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces positioned at the
borderline in Rafah opened fire on Palestinian houses in Al-Barazil
neighborhood. PCHR’s field officer in
Rafah reported that they opened fire again at approximately 17:00 local
time. These attacks launched by the
Israeli occupation forces resulted in the wounding of a number of Palestinian
civilians with live bullets and shrapnel. The wounded were:
1) Munir Hussein El-Sedudi,
20 years old, wounded by a live bullet in the leg;
2) Hussein Talal Abu Sha’ar,
14 years old, wounded by a live bullet in the the arm;
3) Mohammed Sami El-Tawil, 25
years old, wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen;
4) Omar Fawzi Abu Hussein, 9
years old, wounded with shrapnel in the legs and the thighs (he was wounded at
approximately 12:00 local time and wounded again at approximately 17:00 local
time);
5) Ali Fawzi Abu Hussein, 15
years old, wounded in the back (he was wounded at approximately 12:00 local
time and wounded again at approximately 17:00 local time);
6) Mohammed Fawzi Abu
Hussein, 13 years old, wounded in the arms and the back (he was wounded at
approximately 12:00 local time and wounded again at approximately 17:00 local
time);
7) Wessam Abdel-Karim
EL-Shae’r, 19 years old, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
8) Ahmed Mohammed Abu
A’rmaneh, 15 years old, wounded with shrapnel in the head (he was also wounded
in the thigh on December 29, 2000);
9) Saleh Zuhair Hammad, 13
years old, wounded with shrapnel in the leg and the thigh; and
10) Ahmed Yusri Oweidha, 6
years old, wounded by a medium caliber bullet in the thigh.
At
night, at approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces positioned
at the junction leading to Gush Qatif settlement block (Al-Matahen junction)
shelled Palestinian houses 700 meters to the west of the junction. PCHR’s field officer reported that artillery
shells hit the following two houses:
1) The house of Jehad Abu
Madhi, a 200-square-meter, two-story house in which 10 people live, was hit by
two artillery shells that made holes in external walls; and
2) The house of Suleiman Abu
Nahia, a 170-square-meter, three-story house in which 17 people live, was hit
by an artillery shell that made a hole in a wall and damaged external walls.
Also
at night, at approximately 23:40, Israeli occupation forces positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim in the west of Khan Yunis shelled a number of
Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis. PCHR’s
field officer reported that three housing buildings owned by Al-Farra Company
were hit by artillery shells and heavy and medium bullets that caused severe
damage to external walls. This was the
second time these buildings were hit in less than 24 hours. These buildings are about 200 meters to the
east of the mentioned settlement.
At
night, at approximately 23:50 local time, the child Ma’ath Ahmed Abdullah Abu
Hadwan, 12 years old, was pronounced dead at Al-Ahli hospital in Hebron. The child was wounded earlier that day by
shrapnel from an artillery shell fired by the Isareli occupation forces. PCHR learned that during the afternoon the
child was in the house of his family in Haret El-Sheikh, which is in the center
of Hebron, when Israeli occupation forces positioned at the “Ramat Yitsai”
settlement center fired artillery shells and heavy and medium bullets at
Palestinian houses. An artillery shell
fell onto the house of Ahmed Abdullah Abu Hadwan, and its shrapnel wounded his
son Ma’ath in the head. The child was
evacuated to Al-Ahli hospital where he was pronounced dead later that day.
At
approximately midnight local time, Israeli occupation forces positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement in the west of Khan Yunis shelled
Palestinian housing buildings in Khan Yunis, causing severe damage to these
houses (see the housing buildings owned by Al-Farra Company above.)
In
the evening, at approximately 19:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces
positioned at the borderline in Rafah, near Salah El-Din Gate, fired artillery
shells and heavy and medium bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Barazil
neighborhood. As a result, Najeh
Abdel-Hadi Hassan Hamed, 26 years old, was wounded by shrapnel in the right
arm, and Ali Abu Jarad, 70 years old, was wounded by shrapnel in the right arm.
4. Leveling of Agricultural
Land
In the morning, at approximately 9:00, the
Israeli occupation forces started to level areas of agricultural land to the
south of Dogit settlement in the north of Beit Lahia in the northern area of
the Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field officer in
the northern area of the Gaza Strip reported that this particular action
included leveling:
1) a 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, and two
greenhouses, owned by Abu Ali El-Akka and farmed by Salah Khudeir;
2) a 40-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, owned by
Majed Arafat and farmed by Abu Ziad Abu Halima; and
3) a 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, owned by
the El-Essi family.
At
approximately the same time, the Israeli occupation forces started to level
areas of agricultural land to the east of Kfar Darom settlement in the middle
area of the Gaza Strip. These forces
leveled a 35-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds,
palms and vegetables, owned by brothers Khaled, Mohammed and Hassan Mahmoud
Sae’id, and Khaled Oudeh Sae’id. The
occupying forces also destroyed an irrigation network.
From
midnight until early in the morning, the Israeli occupation forces demolished
three Palestinian houses, 400 meters to the south of Kfar Darom
settlement. These forces demolished:
1) the house of Nasra Salem
Abu Meghasib, a 180-square-meter house in which two people used to live;
2) the house of Fatema Abu
Bakra, a 160-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house in which two people used to
live; and
3) the house of Intesar Abu
Bakra, a 140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house in which four people used to
live.
In
the evening, at approximately 17:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces
started to sweep areas of agricultural land near Morag settlement in the east
of Rafah. These areas are 600 meters to
the east of the junction on Rafah-Khan Yunis western road, leading to Morag settlement. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
the Israeli occupation forces swept a five-donum area of agricultural land
planted with vegetables and olives, owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Eshteiwi Dhuheir
and brothers.
The
Israeli occupation forces completely demolished the house of Anwar Humeid
Hamdan Qeshta, a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which seven people
used to live. These forces started to
demolish the house on the previous day. The house was on the southern side of the road branch of Rafah-Khan
Yunis western road, leading to Gush Qatif settlement block (Oraybeh road), 300
meters to the west of the junction on Rafah-Khan Yunis western road. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
the Israeli occupation forces also swept a 14-donum area of agricultural land
planted with vegetables, owned by the family, near the house. In addition, these forces destroyed an
irrigation network, an electricity network, an agricultural pool and
agricultural equipment. The Israeli
occupation forces also destroyed a well that was used in irrigating more than
150 donums of agricultural land. The
well was 90 meters to the west of the above-mentioned junction and owned by
Mousa Zayed Abu Jazar.
At
the same time, the Israeli occupation forces continued to put muddy shelters on
both sides of Oraybeh road. Bulldozers
of these forces transferred mud from leveled areas of agricultural land along
the road for this purpose. Trucks of the
Israeli occupation forces started to transport five caravans from Morag settlement
to a military post of these forces at the end of Oraybeh road, in the vicinity
of Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area in Rafah and Khan Yunis.
From
midnight until 11:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces leveled more
areas of agricultural land in Khan Yunis. This particular action included agricultural land and facilities in the
eastern area of the village of Al-Fokhari adjacent to the borderline. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported
that the Israeli occupation forces leveled:
1) A 30-donum area of land, 27 donums of which were planted with almonds,
olives and vegetables. The remainder of
the tract of land was devoted to farms of birds and sheep, stores of feed and
agricultural equipment. These were all
destroyed and birds and sheep were killed. In addition, an irrigation network, a water pump and agricultural toxic
pumps were destroyed. Bulldozers of the
Israeli occupation forces also destroyed approximately 200 bee cells on the
tract of land, owned by Taha Abdel-Azziz Mahmoud El-Zaqzouq.
2) A 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables and
almonds, owned by Hussein Mustafa Kaware’ and brothers. In addition, an irrigation network was
destroyed.
3) An eight-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, owned
by Ramadan Eshteiwi Attaya. In addition,
a room, a water motor and an irrigation network were destroyed.
4) A six-donum area of agricultural land planted with almonds, owned by
Mohammed Salim Ahmed Attaya.
5) A five-donum area of agricultural land planted with almonds, owned by
Mohammed Abel-Karim Al-Farra.
6) A seven-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by
Sae’b Al-Farra.
In the evening, at approximately 20:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces started to level areas of agricultural land in the northeast
of Beit Hanoun in the northern area of the Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported
that the Israeli occupation forces leveled areas of agricultural land adjacent
to the borderline as follows:
1) a 34-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Abdullah Basiouni Mohammed
Hussein and brothers;
2) a 24-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Hussein Abdel-Rahman Mohammed
Hamdan and brothers;
3) a 34-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Habib Mohammed Hassan Basiouni
and brothers;
4) a 12-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Nayef Mohammed Eid;
5) a nine-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Attaya Sweilem; and
6) a two-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Hammouda Sweilem.
*****
PCHR
reiterates its call for the international community to immediately intervene to
stop the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation
forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR calls in particular for:
1. Establishing without delay an independent commission of inquiry, in
accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1322 (2000), to carry out a
thorough and comprehensive investigation into the abuses and killings
perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians.
2. Convening a conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth
Geneva Convention of 1949 to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations
under the Convention.
3. Immediately providing international protection for Palestinian civilians
in the occupied Palestinian territories in the face of the killings and
criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces and groups of Jewish
settlers who move under the protection of these forces.
4. Use by the EU of effective political and economic measures with
reference to Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which calls
for the respect of human rights.
5. Providing humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people
whose living conditions are increasingly deteriorating because of the continued
total siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the entire occupied
Palestinian territories.
