December 16, 2000
A 70-year-old Palestinian civilian killed by the Israeli occupation forces: Rafah shelled last night; More sweeping of agricultural land
A 70-year-old Palestinian civilian killed by the Israeli occupation forces: Rafah shelled last night; More sweeping of agricultural land

 

Press Release

A 70-year-old Palestinian civilian killed by the Israeli occupation forces:
Rafah shelled last night;
More sweeping of agricultural land

Ref: 203/2000
Date: December 16, 2000
Time: 12:30 GMT
           14:30 Palestine Time

This afternoon, Mohammed Fahed Ma ali, 70 years old, from Jenin, died from a wound with a live bullet in the chest shot by the Israeli occupation forces yesterday.  Ma ali used to work as a guard in a brick factory near the village of Ejjeh in Jenin.  According to initial information received by PCHR, Ma ali was shot by Israeli occupation forces passing through Jenin-Nablus last night at 22:00 local time.  He was evacuated to Jenin public hospital, where he underwent a surgical operation.  This afternoon, he was pronounced dead.

Yesterday evening, at approximately 20:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in a military post near Salah El-Din Gate on the borderline in Rafah, fired some artillery shells that hit two houses in Qeshta neighborhood, and a third one in Block O.   Residents of these houses were not there during the shelling.  Artillery shells also hit a number of commercial stores, some of which have been deserted since the outbreak of clashes.  In addition, electricity and telephone networks were hit, cutting these services to residential areas near Salah El-Din Gate.  PCHR s field officer in Rafah reported that Mohammed Sae id Seidam, 18 years old, was slightly wounded by shell shrapnel in the arm, when he was passing near the commercial stores shelled by the Israeli occupation forces.  He was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah.  PCHR s field officer in Rafah reported the following details about the shelling:
 1) The house of Mohammed Mahmoud Qeshta and brothers, a 200-square-meter, four-story house in which 20 people live, 150 meters to the north of the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, was hit on the fourth floor by an artillery shell.  Damage could not be checked as the owner is in Saudi Arabia for the treatment of his wife, who was wounded by shell shrapnel when the house was shelled in October.
 2) The house of Ahmed Sae id Qeshta, a 120-square-meter, two-story house in which 12 people live, 90 meters to the north of the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, was hit on the first floor by an artillery shell that penetrated a children s room, making a hole 20 centimeters in diameter.
 3) The house of Suleiman Qeshta, an under-construction, two-story house, 120 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, was hit on the second floor with five artillery shells that penetrated walls, making holes 20-30 centimeters in diameter.
 4) A commercial store, owned by Sae id Mahmoud Qeshta, 80 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, was hit by an artillery shell that penetrated a wall, making a hole 20 centimeters in diameter.  Artillery-shell shrapnel caused damage to grocery materials in the store.
 5) A commercial store, owned by Jaber Mustafa Jaber, 140 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, was hit by an artillery shell that penetrated a wall, making a hole 20 centimeters in diameter. Artillery- shell shrapnel caused damage to grocery materials in the store.
 6) A commercial store, owned by Salman Qeshta, 150 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces was hit by an artillery shell that penetrated a wall, making a hole 20 centimeters in diameter. Artillery-shell shrapnel caused damage to grocery materials in the store.
 7) Five shells hit a number of deserted commercial stores, 60 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces.  The shelling took place near Salah El-Din Gate.

More Sweeping and Demolition

Early this morning, the Israeli occupation forces swept areas of agricultural land on the eastern side of Rafah-Khan Yunis western road, to the south of the road leading to Morag settlement.  This sweeping included:
 1) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Arafat Zeidan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 2) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Mufid Zeidan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 3) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Fadi Zeidan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 4) The destruction of an agricultural pool, a store of agricultural equipment and two agricultural pumps, owned by the above-mentioned men, who are all brothers.
 5) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Taher Ramadan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 6) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Mazen Ramadan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 7) A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Zakaria Ramadan Meziad Dhuheir, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables was established.
 8) The destruction of an agricultural pool, a store of agricultural equipment, a water pump and two agricultural pumps, owned by the above brothers.  In addition, an electricity network was destroyed and a number of fruit trees planted between greenhouses were uprooted.  These are owned by the three men mentioned immediately above; they are brothers.
 9) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Ziad Mohammed Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 10) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Ziada Mohammed Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 11) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Salah Mohammed Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 12) The destruction of two rooms that were used as agricultural equipment stores, two irrigation pumps, an agricultural pump and an electricity generator.  In addition, some fruit trees planted between greenhouses were uprooted.  These are owned by the three men mentioned immediately above; they are brothers.
 13) A three-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Hussam Madhiouf Meziad Dhuheir, on which three greenhouses planted with vegetables were stored.  In addition, an agricultural pool, two agricultural pumps, a water pump, a store of agricultural equipment and a 300-square-meter bird farm were destroyed.
 14) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Nabil Madhiouf Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 15) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Rezeq Madhiouf Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 16) A two-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Wasfi Madhiouf Meziad Dhuheir, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.
 17) The destruction of an agricultural pool, an electricity generator and a water pump owned by the three men mentioned immediately above; they are brothers.
 18) A three-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Zuhair Dheifallah Meziad Dhuheir, on which three greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.  In addition, an agricultural pool, two water pumps and an agricultural pump were destroyed.

Yesterday evening, 21:00 23:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land on the northern side of the road branching from Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) leading to Gush Qatif settlement block in the west.
 

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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.
6. Use by the international community and relevant bodies, including ICRC, of necessary measures to ensure the access of medical supplies and equipment and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to deny entry of this material through Rafah Border Crossing (into the Gaza Strip).
 

End