Israeli Forces Perpetrate More Crimes
in the OPTs
· 6
Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli forces
· 3
of the victims killed by Israeli forces in extra-judicial assassination
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· 39
houses destroyed in Rafah and at least 485 Palestinian civilians have become
homeless
· 24
donums of agricultural land razed, and 16 houses destroyed in other areas in
the Gaza Strip
· Houses
were raided and dozens of Palestinians arrested
· 4
houses were destroyed in the West Bank in the context of collective punishment measures
against families of Palestinian activists
· Israeli
forces continued to shell Palestinian residential areas injuring a number of
Palestinian civilians
· Construction
of the “Annexation wall” in the West Bank continued and more areas of
Palestinian land seized
· Israeli
occupying forces have continued imposing their total siege on the OPTs
Introduction
Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more human
rights violations against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). Human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli
occupying forces included willful and extra-judicial killings, incursions into
Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling and house demolitions. Israeli
occupying forces have also continued construction of the “Annexation Wall”
inside the West Bank and have continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs. This week, 6 Palestinian civilians were
killed and at least 20 others were injured by Israeli forces.
In the Gaza Strip, 5 Palestinian civilians were
killed by Israeli troops. Three of the
victims were killed in another extra-judicial assassination perpetrated by
Israeli troops in Gaza City on 30 May 2004. A fourth victim was killed when Israeli troops opened fire at
agricultural areas in Deir al-Balah. The
fifth victim died from a previous injury he had sustained during the Israeli
offensive on Rafah.
This week, Israeli occupying forces conducted 12
military incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they destroyed 55
houses, including 39 in Rafah, rendering 560 Palestinian civilians (98
families) homeless. They also razed 24
donums of Palestinian agricultural land.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces launched a
series of attacks against Palestinian civilians, killing one of them in Qabatya
village, southeast of Jenin. Israeli
troops also demolished 4 houses in the context of collective punishment
measures against families of Palestinian activists. Israeli troops also arrested dozens of
Palestinians throughout the West Bank. In addition, Israeli settlers continued their
attacks against Palestinian civilians and their properties.
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction
of the “Annexation Wall” inside the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem. They razed more areas of Palestinian land and
started to construct some sections of the wall around Jerusalem. Israeli occupying authorities also issued a
military order seizing 5500 square meters of Palestinian land in Masha village,
west of Salfit, for the purpose of wall construction.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
tightened siege on the OPTs and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have
continued to close most border crossings. These crossings were partially reopened at the end of this week under
severe restrictions. In the West Bank,
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian
communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement
of Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces have also continued to prohibit
Palestinians who are under 45 from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, and
have isolated the city form the rest of the West Bank. They also closed the Ibrahimi mosque in
Hebron.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 27 May 2004
At approximately 01:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 350 meters into Palestinian areas located
to the northwest of “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of Deir
al-Balah. They destroyed 2 houses
completely and another one partially. They also destroyed 3 fences and a water tank.
At the same time, Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 300 meters to the north of al-Shuhada
junction, south of Gaza City. They
demolished 5 Palestinian houses belonging to the Abu Zaher family, opposite to
the campus of al-Aqsa University, which had been destroyed a few months
earlier. As a result, 24 people (5
families) have become homeless.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved into ‘Arraba village, south of Jenin. They arrested Huda ‘Abdullah al-‘Aarda, 27,
whose three brothers had been already arrested.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 500 meters into Gizan al-Najjar area in
the south of Khan Yunis. They demolished
a 150-square-meter house owned by ‘Abdullah ‘Abdul Wahab al-Najjar. They also razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed irrigation networks owned
by the al-Sha’er family. Approximately 3
hours later, Israeli troops blocked 2 branch roads leading to a number of
houses in the area. They also razed 12
donums of agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by the families
of al-Masri and al-Banna.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli
troops raided offices of al-Islah charitable society in Bethlehem. They arrested 3 Palestinians:
1. Salah Khaled al-Huraimi, 22;
2. Salah Khaled al-Huraimi, 27; and
3. Mohammed ‘Abdullah Da’amsa, 30.
At approximately 23:00, a number
of Israeli heavy military vehicles moved approximately 150 meters into Zo’rob
neighborhood in the southwest of Rafah. Israeli troops harassed residents of the area with megaphones. Tanks
then fired a number of shells at houses. Two houses, where 46 people (8 families) live, were partially destroyed,
but the families were not hurt.
Friday, 28 May 2004
At approximately 01:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved
approximately 200 meters into al-Brazil neighborhood in the south of Rafah,
adjacent to the Egyptian border. They
demolished a 200-square-meter house owned by Mohammed ‘Ayada al-Akhras, in
which 13 people lived. The family had
left the house during an Israeli offensive on the area on 19 May 2004.
In the early morning, Israeli occupying forces moved into Nablus, the
villages of Toura and Zinnab in the northern West Bank, and Hebron and the
neighboring al-Fawar refugee camp. They
arrested 19 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children.
At approximately 03:30, Israeli troops surrounded Hubaisha apartment
building in al-Makhfiya neighborhood in Nablus. They opened fire at the building and called on ‘Emad ‘Aziz ‘Akkouba, 22,
to surrender. Israeli forces brought
‘Aqqouba’s mother to the area and forced her to ask her son to surrender and at
approximately 10:00, ‘Aqqouba surrendered. Israeli troops then raided a number of houses and arrested 10 other
civilians.
At approximately 07:30, Israeli occupying forces moved approximately 500
meters into Wadi al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip. They razed 12 donums of Palestinian
agricultural land planted with olives belonging to the families of al-Zawara’a,
Abu ‘Otaiwi and Ghunaim.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli troops positioned in a military post
near “Tal Qatif” settlement, southwest of Deir al-Balah, opened fire
at Palestinian houses and agricultural lands in al-Birka area to the
north. A Palestinian farmer, Tayseer
Mohammed Suleiman ‘Awad, 30, was killed by a live bullet in the neck. He was cultivating corns approximately 500
meters away from the source of fire. Additionally, Hayat ‘Olayan Abu Haddaf, 33, from Khan Yunis, was wounded
by a live bullet in the neck, while she was traveling in a taxi in the center
of Deir al-Balah, approximately 2 kilometers away from the source of fire.
At noon, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into al-Shouka area near
Rafah Terminal on the Egyptian border. They razed 9 donums of agricultural land planted with olives owned by
the Abu Jarad family.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved
approximately 100 meters into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis, to the
south of a settler road leading to the “Gush Qatif” settlement
bloc. They bulldozed a number of tents,
tin-made homes and animal farms belonging to the families of Farawana, Darawsha
and Buriasa. Israeli troops also ordered
residents of the area to leave it. Around 95 people (25 families) live in the area in tents and tin-made
homes. PCHR submitted a petition on
behalf of these families to the Israeli High Court against the probable
demolition of their tents and homes.
At approximately 20:30, medical sources at Gaza European Hospital in
Khan Yunis declared that Ayman Khamis Hassanain, 25, from Rafah refugee camp,
died from an injury he had sustained on 20 May 2004, during the Israeli
offensive on Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah. According to PCHR’s documentation, Hassanain
was hit by a live bullet to the abdomen inside his house fired by an Israeli
sniper positioned atop of a house in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. He bled for at least an hour before an
ambulance was able to reach him. He was
evacuated to the hospital, where he received medical treatment until the time
of his death. This death has increased
the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli troops during their offensive on Rafah
from 13 to 24 May 2004 to 57.
Saturday, 29 May 2004
At approximately 04:30, 5
Israeli military jeeps moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin, and imposed a
curfew. Israeli troops raided and
searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinians: Anis Jaber Anis, 18;
and Ra’ed ‘Abdullah Shuqaifat, 19. At
approximately 16:00, a number of children gathered in the center of the village
and threw stones at Israeli military jeeps. Immediately, Israeli troops fired at the children and wounded 2:
1. Hamza Mahmoud Saleh Hamdan, 16,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen; and
2. Mahdi Naji Khalila, 16, wounded by a
live bullet in the abdomen.
Israeli occupying forces
demolished 25 houses in Rafah refugee camp, leaving more than 350 homeless and
injuring two Palestinians.
According to PCHR’s
investigations, at approximately 23:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles,
reinforced by helicopters, moved approximately 300 meters into Block J in Rafah
refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Under cover of intense
shelling, Israeli troops began to demolish a number of Palestinian houses,
without allowing residents to retrieve their possessions. By 05:00 on
Sunday, 30 May 2004, Israeli troops had demolished 23 houses completely and 2
others partially. As a result, 352 people (60 families) have been
rendered homeless. Israeli troops also destroyed 4 donums of agricultural
land, on which greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, 2 animal farms and a
shop owned by the Barhoum family. During
this incursion, a 60-year-old woman, Samiha Mohammed Sha’at, 60, and a doctor,
Ra’ed Isma’il Khalifa, 30, were injured. The doctor was injured when he
tried to offer medical help to residents in the area.
In the past two weeks,
Israeli troops destroyed 360 houses in Rafah town and refugee camp, killed 57
Palestinians and injured at least 200 others, during a series of military
incursions.
Sunday, 30 May 2004
At approximately 01:00,
Israeli occupying forces moved into Tulkarm refugee camp. They opened fire at Palestinian houses. At approximately 03:00, a heavy explosion was
heard on the main road in the camp. Suleiman
‘Aahed Mohammed Fawaz’a, 17, was injured. He was evacuated to Dr. Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm. According to medical sources, Fawaz’a was
seriously injured throughout the body. While he was receiving medical treatment, Israeli troops surrounded the
hospital and arrested him.
At approximately 04:40, 3
Israeli military jeeps moved into al-Ersal Street in Ramallah. Israeli troops forced a civilian car to stop
at the security gate near the Palestinian presidential compound. They searched the car and arrested 2
Palestinians: Ahmed Abu ‘Arram, 32; and Mahmoud ‘Awaisa, 29. At approximately 05:30, Israeli troops
stopped a Palestinian police car and arrested Kifah ‘Ouda, 27, a bodyguard of
Mr. Mahmoud ‘Abbas, Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO.
At approximately 09:35, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Gadid”
settlement, southwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian agricultural
areas to the east. A Palestinian farmer,
Ahmed Mohammed al-Sha’er, 44, was wounded by a live bullet in the left
arm.
At approximately 10:00, 15
Israeli military jeeps moved into Ramallah, opening fire indiscriminately. Israeli troops raided the Sharia’
Court and arrested Ahmed ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Mubarak, 41. Four Palestinian civilians were also wounded
by the Israeli gunfire:
1. Shadi Yousef Khouri, 30, from Ramallah,
hit by a live bullet to the chest;
2. Yousef Mohammed Yousef, 24, from Burqa
village east of Ramallah, hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head;
3. Kamal Mousa Sa’id, 35, from al-Jalazoun
refugee camp, hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head; and
4. Taha Suleiman Mas’oud, 12, from
al-Jalazoun refugee camp, hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the head.
Monday, 31 May 2004
At approximately 03:00, Israeli troops moved into al-Yamoun village,
west of Jenin, and arrested Faraj Talal Hamdiya, 18.
At approximately 03:30, Israeli troops moved into Salfit village, south
of Nablus, and arrested 2 Palestinians: Salim Mohammed Salim al-Masri, 24; and
‘Ammar ‘Abdul Rahim Eshtayeh, 24.
At the same time, Israeli troops moved into Yassouf village, south of
Nablus, and arrested 2 bothers: Hussam Nizam ‘Abdul Raziq, 22; and Samer Nizam ‘Abdul
Raziq, 17.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli troops arrested ‘Ali Khaled al-‘Amouri,
20, from al-Khader village, west of Bethlehem.
At approximately 11:00, Israeli troops moved into Yatta village, south
of Hebron, and arrested Mousa Khalil Ahmed Dababsa, 40.
At approximately 12:30, Israeli troops positioned at a military
checkpoint at the western entrance to al-Shuhada Street in the center of Hebron
stopped a number of Palestinian civilians. They forced these civilians to stand with their faces to the walls and
checked and humiliated them. A number of
these civilians protested and debated with an Israeli officer. Immediately, an Israeli soldier fired at
these civilians and wounded 2:
1. ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Mahmoud Hamdan, 20,
wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis; and
2. Jihad Mohammed Bader, 34, wounded by
shrapnel in the legs and the right thigh.
At approximately 21:30, 7 Israeli military jeeps moved into Balata
refugee camp, east of Nablus. Israeli
troops opened fire at houses and wounded 2 Palestinian civilians – a woman and
her granddaughter:
1. Fathiya ‘Aadel ‘Abdul Rahman Abu
Halima, 50, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg; and
2. Zeinab Bassam Mahmoud al-Houtari, 15,
wounded by 2 live bullets in the legs.
At approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces demolished 2
Palestinian houses belonging to the Sulaisel family in al-Qarara village to the
south of “Kissufim” settlement, north of Khan Yunis. The two houses were located in an area
controlled by Israeli troops, and their 14 residents (2 families) had already
left them for this reason. They were
among 11 houses PCHR was able to obtain a temporary injunction issued by the
Israeli High Court on 3 May 2004 stopping their demolition. On 14 May 2004, Israeli troops had also
demolished 5 other houses.
Tuesday,
1 June 2004
In the morning, Israeli occupying forces moved into the towns of
Qalqilya and Beit Sahour and the villages of ‘Asira, Far’oun, Qarawat Bani
Zaid, Deir Dibwan, ‘Ein Ybroud, Bal’ein and ‘Aaboud in the West Bank. They raided a number of houses and arrested
27 Palestinians, including a woman and a child (PCHR has a list of their names).
At approximately 14:00, Israeli troops positioned at the eastern border
of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian residential
areas in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. A Palestinian civilian, Ibrahim ‘Awad Ahmed Shahin, 20, was wounded by a
live bullet in the left leg. He was
around 900 meters away from the source of fire.
At approximately 15:30, Israeli troops positioned at the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah, opened fire at al-‘Aamria UNRWA elementary school in
Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, around 500 meters to the north. Two pupils were wounded inside their
classroom:
1. Mahmoud Nazmi Hammad, 10, seriously
wounded by a live bullet in the neck; and
2. Hisham Isma’il al-Habeel, 10, wounded
by shrapnel in the head.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by 2
helicopters, moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They surrounded ‘Abdul Basset Nazzal’s house
in the west of the village. They opened
fire at the house and called through megaphones on all those who were inside
the house to exit and surrender. A
number of Palestinian civilians gathered in the area and threw stones at
Israeli troops. Immediately, Israeli
troops opened fire at the stone throwers and passing civilians. Bilal ‘Omar Yousef Abu Zaid, 18, was
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head. He died from this wound while being evacuated to a hospital in
Jenin. According to eyewitnesses,
Israeli troops fired at the victim from a distance of 70-100 meters, when he
did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers. In addition, 5 civilians, including a woman
and her child, were wounded:
1. Shahd ‘Adnan Abu al-Rub, 5, wounded by
a live bullet in the shoulder;
2. ‘Abla Nayef Abu al-Rub, 25, wounded by
2 live bullets in the thighs;
3. Firas Hassan Abu al-Rub, 18, wounded by
a live bullet in the thigh;
4. ‘Abdullah Zakarna, 14, wounded by a
live bullet in the abdomen; and
5. Mo’men ‘Omar Abu Zaid, 25, wounded by a
live bullet in the left arm.
Before their withdrawal from the village, Israeli troops arrested Ja’far
Abu Hannana, 28, from ‘Arraba village, for allegedly being a member of al-Aqsa
Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Fatah movement.
At approximately 22:00, Israeli troops positioned at the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan
neighborhood in the west of Rafah. A
Palestinian woman, Islah Salah Ahmed, 30, was injured by shrapnel in the face,
while she was inside her house.
At
approximately 22:40, Israeli troops positioned in a military post near
“Tal Qatif” settlement, southwest of Deir al-Balah, fired at Mohammed
Joma’a Malhous, 19, wounding him with 2 live bullets in the hand and foot. The victim is mentally handicapped and was
around 250 meters away from the Israeli military post when he was shot. Israeli troops evacuated him to an Israeli
hospital.
Late at
night, Israeli occupying forces demolished 14 Palestinian houses in Qeshta
neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border.
According to
PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 23:30, Israeli troops, reinforced by
heavy military vehicles and helicopters, moved approximately 300 meters into
Qeshta neighborhood, under cover of intense shelling and then imposed a curfew
on the neighborhood. A number of Israeli
soldiers took position atop of houses and ordered residents of the neighborhood
to leave their houses, then interrogated around 20 of these residents. During this incursion, which continued until
Thursday morning, 3 June 2004, Israeli troops demolished 8 houses completely
and 6 others partially, rendering 135 people (20 families) homeless. They also destroyed 2 bird farms, 7 shops and
one civilian car and severely damaged the civilian infrastructure of the
neighborhood.
Wednesday,
2 June 2004
At
approximately 01:00, Israeli troops arrested Hisham Kamal al-Basha, 43, and
Yahia ‘Abdul Hadi, 19, from Nablus.
At the same
time, Israeli troops arrested 3 Palestinians from Balata refugee camp, east of
Nablus:
1. Radwan Khalil Joma’a, 28;
2. Eihab Mustafa Abu Lail, 23; and
3. Fadi Mahmoud al-Bahnasawi, 25.
At
approximately 04:00, Israeli troops arrested 4 Palestinians from Kufor al-Labad
village, east of Tulkarm:
1. ‘Abdul Hadi Na’im Kayed, 23;
2. Mohammed Zuhdi Abu Rashid, 22;
3. Mahmoud ‘Abdullah Sabha, 22; and
4. Majdi Bassam Hijazi, 22.
At
approximately 04:30, Israeli troops arrested Ahmed Isma’il Safi, 22, from ‘Ein
al-Sultan refugee camp, north of Jericho.
At
approximately 04:15, Israeli troops positioned in military posts in the
vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, shelled
the cemetery and al-Nimsawi neighborhood to the east. A number of live bullets hit the buildings of
Nasser Hospital, around 700 meters away from the source of fire. A Palestinian woman, Hejar Ahmed al-Jirjawi,
50, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet in the left hand as she was
receiving medical treatment in the hospital.
In the
evening, Israeli troops, who had already moved into Qeshta neighborhood, south
of Rafah, opened fire at residential areas in the town. Two Palestinian children were wounded:
1. ‘Alaa’ Samir al-Bashiti, 12, wounded by
a live bullet in the left arm; and
2. Maisara ‘Abdu Salem, 12, wounded by
shrapnel in the buttocks.
Extra-Judicial
Execution
In a continuation of the Israeli government policy of extra-judicial
execution, last night Israeli occupying forces launched an aerial attack on a
moving vehicle in Gaza city, leaving 3 Palestinians dead. Two of the
victims were alleged to be members of the Hamas movement. The third
victim was a civilian bystander killed whilst trying to offer help to the other
two victims. In addition, 9 civilians, including 2 children and a woman,
were injured.
According to preliminary investigations conducted by
PCHR, at approximately 00:20 on Sunday, 30 May 2004, an Israeli helicopter
gunship launched a missile at a motorcycle that was traveling along Salah
al-Din Street in the densely populated al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the southeast
of Gaza City. Two people were traveling on the motorcycle. The
missile struck the motorcycle, immediately killing them both. Less than 2
minutes later, the Israeli helicopter gunship launched a second missile at a
small group of Palestinian civilians who had gathered to retrieve the bodies of
those killed by the first missile. One of these civilians, Madi Ahmed
Madi, 18, from al-Zaytoun neighborhood, was killed, and 9 other civilians,
including 2 children and a woman, were injured. The two targeted victims
were later identified as:
1. Wa’el Talab Nassar, 38, from al-Zaytoun
neighborhood, who had been subject to a number of previous assassination
attempts by Israeli troops; and
2. Mohammed Mustafa Munib Sarsour, 33,
from al-Sabra neighborhood.
Collective Punishment against Families of Wanted
Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli
Targets
In violation of international humanitarian law, in
particular the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War of 1949, article 33 of which prohibits punishing any protected
person for “an offence he or she has not personally committed,” Israeli forces
took retaliatory measures against the families
of Palestinians Israel alleges have ordered, facilitated, or carried out
attacks against Israeli targets.
At approximately 01:00 on Thursday, 27 May 2004,
Israeli occupying forces moved into the old town of Nablus. They surrounded a 70-square-meter, 4-storey
house owned belonging to the family of Nayef Mustafa Abu Sharekh. They forced its 10 residents (2 families)
out. Then, they searched the house and
planted explosives inside. At
approximately 04:00, Israeli troops destroyed the house. They also arrested Abu Sharekh’s two
brothers: Ghassan, 18; and Fathi, 19. They claim that Abu Sharekh is the leader of the Martyr Abu Ali Mustafa
Brigade, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of
Palestine.
At the same time, Israeli troops surrounded a
75-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Ziad Sa’id Salama in the old
town. They forced its 7 residents
out. Then, they searched the house and
planted explosives inside. At
approximately 04:30, Israeli troops destroyed the house. The owner is the father of Sami Salama, who
was killed while carrying out an attack against Israeli troops at al-Hamra
checkpoint in the central Jordan Valley on 22 May 2004.
At approximately 02:00 on Monday, 31 May 2004,
Israeli occupying forces moved into Housan village, west of Bethlehem. They surrounded a 170-square-meter, 2-storey
house owned by Khaled Hussein ‘Olayan Hamamra. They forced its 15 residents out. Then, they planted explosives inside the house. At approximately 04:40, Israeli troops
destroyed the house. Hamamra is the
father of ‘Ezziddin Hamamra, 25, who has been detained by Israeli occupying
authorities.
At approximately 01:45 on Wednesday, 2 June 2004,
Israeli occupying forces moved into the northern quarter of Tulkram. They surrounded a 5-storey apartment
building, number 4 in a housing project. They raided a flat belonging to ‘Abdul Latif Mahdawi on the third floor
of the building and forced its 8 residents out. Then, Israeli troops planted explosives inside the flat and destroyed
it. As a result, 3 neighboring flats
were damaged. Mahdawi has been detained
by Israeli occupying forces for his resistance activities.
Continued Siege on the OPT
This week, Israeli occupying forces have continued to
impose a tightened siege on the OPTs and imposed severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a tightened siege on
the Gaza Strip for the 9th consecutive week. On Tuesday, 25 May 2004, Israeli forces
reopened Rafah Terminal, but imposed severe restrictions on travel, which has
sharply decreased the number of Palestinian travelers. Israeli forces have also continued to close
most border crossings of the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces imposed restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians at Abu Houli and al-Matahen checkpoints to the north of Khan
Yunis. They also imposed similar
restrictions at all entrances to Palestinian areas located near Israeli
settlements and prevented Palestinian civilians from moving freely.
On Saturday, 29 May 2004, Israeli troops held and searched dozens of
Palestinian vehicles in between.
At approximately 07:00 on Sunday, 30 May 2004, Israeli troops held and
searched dozens of Palestinian vehicles in between. Hundreds of vehicles were forced to wait at
the two checkpoints for 4 hours.
At approximately 09:00 on Monday, 31 May 2004, Israeli troops held and
searched dozens of Palestinian vehicles in between for 2 hours.
At approximately 03:00 on Tuesday, 1 June 2004, Israeli troops stopped a
truck that was traveling towards Khan Yunis. They arrested 3 Palestinians who were traveling in the truck. Two of them were identified as ‘Alaa’ Hamdan
‘Atiya Sha’ath, 29, from Khan Yunis; and Ahmed Hassan Hussein Sabbah, 29, from
Bani Suhaila.
At approximately 11:00 on the same day, Israeli troops closed the two
checkpoints and held and searched dozens of Palestinian vehicles in between
until the evening.
For the 9th consecutive week, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to close most border crossings between the Gaza Strip and Israel,
including al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing to the east of Gaza City. They have not allowed entry of goods into the
Gaza Strip, which has created a shortage of many goods in the Gaza Strip. According to Nabil Abu Faraj, director of the
crossing, Israeli forces allowed entry of small amounts of medicines for UNRWA
and some humanitarian aids for the ICRC. He stated that Palestinian goods had been blocked at the crossing for 40
days, so some of these goods damaged. It
is worth noting that when the crossing is open, 300-400 trucks loaded with
goods enter the Gaza Strip from Israel daily, and 80-100 move from the Gaza
Strip to the West Bank and Israel.
On Sunday, 30 May 2004, Israeli forces reopened Sofa crossing, northeast
of Rafah, following a 2-week closure, and allowed entry of construction raw
materials.
On Sunday, 23 May 2004, they reopened the Erez industrial zone for
owners of factories who are over 30 years old, sever restrictions on their
travel still apply.
In violation of the right of health, for two weeks, Israeli occupying
forces have imposed restrictions on access for Palestinian patients from the
Gaza Strip to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank to receive medical
care.
Although Israeli forces reopened Rafah Terminal on
Tuesday, 25 May 2004, they imposed severe restrictions on travel, sharply
decreasing the number of travelers. On
Friday, 28 May 2004, Israeli forces closed the terminal again. They reopened it on the following day under
the same severe restrictions. Hundreds
of Palestinian civilians wishing to travel back to the Gaza Strip have been
forced to wait at the Egyptian side of the terminal under severe
conditions. Since 18 April 2004, Israeli
occupying forces have continued to prohibit Palestinians between the ages of 15
and 35 from traveling through Rafah Terminal on the Egyptian border.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a strict siege on
al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip. They have continued to close
Tal al-Sultan checkpoint at the entrance to the area in Rafah and impose
restrictions on movement of Palestinian civilians through al-Tuffah checkpoint
at the entrance to the area in Khan Yunis. Israeli troops reopened
al-Tuffah checkpoint, but did not allow Palestinians whose ages are between 16
and 30 from crossing. At approximately
11:00, Israeli troops positioned at al-Tuffah checkpoint opened fire at
Palestinian civilians who were waiting to enter al-Mawasi area. They also held and interrogated Mohammed
Nazmi Hunaideq, 22, and Rafiq Ahmed Hunaideq, 21, both from Khan Yunis refugee
camp.
Israeli forces have also continued to impose a
tightened siege on al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip. In
the same context, Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians living in al-Ma’ni area
near “Kfar Darom” settlement in the central Gaza Strip.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. They imposed
curfews on a number of villages.
Jerusalem
For the 9th consecutive week, Israeli
occupying forces have continued to prohibit access of Palestinians who are
under 45 to al-Aqsa Mosque in the old town for the Friday prayers. Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza
Strip have been also denied access to the city without permits.
Hebron
Israeli occupying forces imposed more restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected more checkpoints around the city and checked and humiliated
Palestinian civilians. For the second consecutive
week, Israeli forces have continued to close the Ibrahimi mosque and impose a
curfew on the old town of Hebron.
Bethlehem
Israeli forces imposed more restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces harassed workers and denied them access to
Jerusalem. They forced these workers to
sign documents that prohibit them from entering Jerusalem.
Nablus
Israeli occupying forces imposed more restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. On Saturday, 29 May 2004, they closed all checkpoints around the
city. On Sunday, 30 May 2004, Israeli
troops positioned at Beit Fourik checkpoint, east of Nablus, prevented
Palestinian medical crews from traveling to villages located to the east of the
city. Israeli forces have also continued
to prevent Palestinians, who are under 35, from crossing military checkpoints
erected around the city.
Tulkarm
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected a number of temporary
checkpoints around the town. They
stopped Palestinian vehicles and checked passengers.
On Saturday, 29 May 2004, Israeli troops positioned
at al-Nowai’ema checkpint, north of Jericho, arrested Eyad Mahmoud Ermailat,
23, and Tha’er Mahmoud Ermailat, 20, both from Tulkarm.
On Tuesday, 1 June 2004, Israeli troops positioned at
al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, arrested Ibrahim Mohammed Hamed, 21,
and Sorour Ahmed Abu Zaina, 21, both from Tulkarm refugee camp.
Continued Construction of the “Annexation
Wall” in the West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction
of the “Annexation Wall” inside the West Bank, especially around
Jerusalem.
At the beginning of this week, Israeli occupying
forces issued a number of military orders seizing hundreds of donums of
Palestinian land in Shu’fat, ‘Anata and Hazma, east of Jerusalem, for the
purpose of the construction of the wall. The construction of the wall will separate Shu’fat refugee camp and the
villages of ‘Anata and Hazma from East Jerusalem, and at least 30000
Palestinians who have Jerusalemite identity cards will be living outside the
city.
On Tuesday morning, 1 June 2004, Israeli troops
started to erect signs that will indicating the course of the wall on al-Ram –
Qalandya road, north of Jerusalem. The
wall will divide Palestinian residential areas in al-Ram village. It will also isolate thousands of
Palestinians from Jerusalem and will deprive them of access to their work
places and educational institutions.
At the same time, Israeli military bulldozers
demolished a number of fences in al-Salam neighborhood near Shu’fat refugee
camp, east of Jerusalem, for the purpose of the construction of the wall in the
area.
Also on the same day, Israeli troops demolished an
under-construction house belonging to the ‘Alqam family in Hazma village, east
of Jerusalem, claiming that it had been built without a license. However, according to eyewitnesses, the house
was located on the track of the wall in the area.
On Friday, 28 May 2004, Israeli occupying forces
issued a military order seizing 5500 square meters of Palestinian agricultural
land belonging to the ‘Aamer family in Masha village, west of Salfit, located
behind the wall. These areas of land
constitute the source of income for around 60 families.
On Wednesday morning, 2 June 2004, Israeli troops
started to erect signs on land located to the west of al-Zawia village,
southeast of Qalqilya. They informed
residents of the area that the construction of the wall in their area would
start on Sunday, 6 June 2004. According
to local sources, the construction of the wall will isolate around 20000 donums
of land.
Also on Wednesday, Israeli bulldozers demolished 3
Palestinian houses in ‘Anata village, northeast of Jerusalem, claiming that
they had been built without licenses. The houses were located on the track of the wall in the area.
Israeli Settlement Activities and Attacks by Settlers
against Palestinian Civilians and Property
Israeli settlers who live in the OPTs, in violation
of international humanitarian law, have continued to attack Palestinian
civilians and their properties.
At approximately 17:30 on Friday, 28 May 2004, around
15 Israeli settlers, escorted by Israeli troops, moved from “Kiryat Arba”
settlement, east of Hebron, and attacked Palestinian houses in Wadi al-Husain
neighborhood using stones and empty bottles. A number of houses were damaged.
On Sunday morning, 30 May 2004, 3 Israeli settlers
moved from “Taqqou” settlement, southeast of Bethlehem, and severely
beat Khali Mustafa Safi Jibril, 55, from Taqqou village, who was grazing
animals near the aforementioned settlement. He sustained injuries and fractures throughout the body.
On the same day evening, a number of Israeli settlers
moved from settlements in the center of Hebron and launched a series of attacks
on Palestinian civilians and their properties in Tal al-Rumaida, al-Sahla and
Wadi al-Nasara neighborhoods and al-Shuhada Street using stones and empty
bottles. Those settlers were escorted by
Israeli troops.
On Monday morning, 31 May 2004, Israeli military
bulldozers started to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in Jinata
village, southeast of Bethlehem, for the purpose of the establishment of a
bypass settler road. The road will be 4
kilometers long and is expected to seize around 400 donums of land in the
village. It will also divide the village
into two separated parts.
On Wednesday, 2 June 2004, Israeli military
bulldozers razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in ‘Asala
village, east of Qalqilya, to establish roads in order to expand a settler
neighborhood located to the south of the neighboring “Alfe Menashe”
settlement. At least 50 donums of
Palestinian land belonging to the Suleiman family were razed for this
purpose.
*****
Recommendations to the International Community
1. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations under article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel’s respect for
the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. PCHR believes the conspiracy of silence
practiced by the international community has encouraged Israel to act as a
state above law and continue to violate international human rights and
humanitarian law.
2. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take
effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the OPTs and to
provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations
detailed in article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those
responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
4. PCHR recommends international civil
society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations
and NGOs to participate in the process of searching for Israeli war criminals
and to urge their governments to bring these war criminals to justice.
5. PCHR calls upon the European Union to
activate article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides
that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic
cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods
produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPTs.
6. PCHR calls upon European governments to
change their positions towards the Palestinian cause at UN bodies, particularly
the General Assembly, Security Council and Commission on Human Rights.
7. PCHR welcomes the UN General Assembly
resolution, which referred the issue of the Separation Wall inside the OPTs to
International Court of Justice to give a consultative opinion. It is anticipated that the Court will find
that the wall is illegal; PCHR expects the international community to take
action to enforce this judgement.
8. In recognition of ICRC as the guardian
of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase its staff
and activities in the OPTs, including for facilitating family visitations to
Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
9. PCHR appreciates the efforts of
international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar
associations, unions and NGOs, and urges them to continue their role in
pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human rights in the
OPTs and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
10. In light of the severe restrictions
imposed by the Israeli government and its occupying forces on access for
international organisations to the OPTs, PCHR calls upon European countries to apply
the same travel restrictions to Israeli citizens.
11. PCHR reiterates that any political
settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law cannot
lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question. Rather, such
an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability in the
region. Any peace agreement or process must be based on respect for
international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
“END”
Public
Document
**************************************
For more
information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 –
2825893
PCHR,
29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:[email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
