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Press Release
A bloody day in the Occupied Palestinian Territories on the 53rd anniversary of Al-Nakba;
Four Palestinians are killed and more than one hundred are wounded
Ref: 26/2001
Date: May 15, 2001
Since this morning, the Occupied Palestinian Territories have witnesses a serious escalation in the use of excessive forces by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians, who have organized peaceful marches and activities on the 53rd anniversary of Al-Nakba – the uprooting and dispersion of the Palestinian people in 1948. PCHR’s field officers reported that the Israeli occupation forces fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets and sometimes artillery shells at demonstrators. Three Palestinian demonstrators were killed and more than one hundred, mostly children under 18 were wounded. Furthermore, a French journalist was wounded with a live bullet in the chest. In the morning, a fourth Palestinian was killed, when his car was hit with artillery shells and live bullets fired by the Israeli occupation forces to the east of Jabalya. Circumstances of the incident are not clear.
In the northern area of the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Erez industrial zone, opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating more than 100m away. Mohammed Jihad ‘Abed-Rabbu Abu Jasser, 17, from Jabalya refugee camp, was wounded with a live bullet in the heart and was pronounced dead in the afternoon at Al-‘Awda hospital in Jablaya. Furthermore, another 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded with live and rubber-coated metal bullets as follows:
1) Eyad Sa’id El-Bahri, 18, from Beit Lahia, wounded with two live bullets in the right arm and thigh;
2) Saber ‘Ali El-Ashqar, 18, from Jabalya refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in the right foot;
3) ‘Alla’ Saleh Ahmed, 18, from Beit Lahia, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;
4) Mahmoud Zeidan Abu Ramadan, 12, from Gaza City, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head; and
5) Khaled ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Moqayad, 12, from Jabalya refugee camp, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand.
Additionally, 8 Palestinian civilians suffered from suffocation due to tear gas inhalation.
In Gaza City, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the entrance of a settlement road south of Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of the city, fired live bullets and artillery shells at Palestinian civilians who had demonstrated since the morning, approximately 150m away. Twelve Palestinian civilians were wounded and were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. They are:
1) ‘Awadh ‘Ali Hussein El-‘Ejel, 16, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, seriously wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
2) Dhiab Khalil El-Mobayedh, 18, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the testis;
3) Mohammed ‘Atta Abu Wadi, 12, from Jabalya refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg;
4) Mohammed Baker Nweije’, 14, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
5) Mahmoud ‘Awadh Balah, 15, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;
6) Shaher Mohammed Dhaher, 16, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the back;
7) Mohammed Samir Shanioura, 16, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with shrapnel in the hands;
8) Ahmed Fathi Sobeh, 14, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
9) ‘Alla’ Husni Abu ‘Arabeya, 16, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the thigh;
10) Salem Ziad El-Hallaq, 16, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
11) Mohammed Bashir Sa’di Zahra, 19, from Al-Wehda area in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head; and
12) Ahmed El-‘Ejla, 17, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the face and the jaw.
Similar clashes erupted near a military site of the Israeli occupation forces at Al-Shuhada’ junction leading to Netzarim settlement. The Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators, wounding three as follows:
1) Ayman Jihad Mansour, 20, from Nusseirat refugee camp, wounded with shrapnel of live bullets in the head and the chest;
2) Hassan El-‘Aaidi, 20, from Nusseirat refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in the head; and
3) Salah El-Tawil, 12, from Nusseirat refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg.
In the middle area of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating near Kfar Darom settlement in the east of Deir El-Balah. Eleven Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Moghari, 13, wounded with a live bullet in the right foot;
2) Fares Mahmoud Abu El-‘Arraj, 11, wounded with a live bullet in the pelvis;
3) Hajer Baker Abu ‘Amra, 12, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg;
4) Ra’ed El-‘Attar, 25, wounded with a live bullet in the back;
5) ‘Ali ‘Abdel-Wahab Hejju, 36, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;
6) Sa’id Yousef El-Hanouti, 14, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
7) Ra’ed Fayadh Fayadh, 13, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;
8) Adham Kamal El-‘Aklouk, 17, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;
9) Mohammed Shawqi Madhi, 12, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg;
10) Mahmoud Ahmed El-‘Arini, 16, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg; and
11) Seif El-Din Ahmed Abu Horeiban, 16, wounded with a live bullet in the in the right foot.
Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Al-Tuffah roadblock to the west of Khan Yunis refugee camp, opened fire on Palestinian civilians who have demonstrated since the morning in the west area of Khan Yunis refugee camp. Eleven Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) Bilal Farid Abu ‘Akker, 7, critically wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
2) Amani Mohammed Saqer, 17, wounded with shrapnel in the right hand;
3) Hani Suleiman Abu ‘Oleyan, 20, wounded with a live bullet in left foot;
4) Mohammed Mahmoud El-Qarra, 15, wounded with a live bullet in the right knee;
5) Suleiman ‘Ali El-‘Aaraj, 16, wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
6) Nayef Suleiman Mohammed Barbakh, 10, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;
7) Khaled Mohammed El-Astal, 12, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
8) Faraj Yousef Abu Shab, 20, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;
9) Sami Manar Barbakh, 20, wounded with a live bullet in the left knee;
10) ‘Arafat Mohammed Abu Mustafa, 22, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh; and
11) Mohammed Hassan Boreis, 18, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh.
At noon, Palestinian civilians organized a peaceful demonstration at the entrance of Hares village in Salfit. Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators, wounding ‘Eissa Nayef ‘Abdel-Rahim Souf, 30, with a live bullet that entered the right shoulder and lung and settled in the spinal column. PCHR learned that Souf did not participate in the demonstration and he went to the entrance of the village to search for his nephews. Israeli soldiers stopped and shouted on him. Immediately, an Israeli soldier fired at him. The Israeli forces allowed evacuating him to hospital only half an hour later. He was evacuated to a clinic in the village, and from there he was transferred to the intensive care unit at Rafidya hospital in Nablus, where medical sources stated that he was paralyzed.
Also at noon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces positioned at demarcation lines in Hebron. Israeli occupation soldiers fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinian civilians, wounding:
1) Dhia’ Khairi Zalloum, 17, with a live bullet in the left hand;
2) Ahmed Sa’id Ed’eis, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
3) Muntasser Fares El-Natshesh, 10, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the face;
4) Muhannad Ahmed Muhareb ‘Adawi, 16, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
5) Mohammed Bassem Dhiab El-Harbawi, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in right hand;
6) Tariq Mohammed Nayef El-Shawabka, 17, with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the chest and the left hand;
7) Mohammed Sa’id Abu ‘Ayash, 16, with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the legs;
8) Fares ‘Eissa Jaradat, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left ear;
9) Nayef Kamel Abu Sharekh, 50, with two rubber-coated metal bullets in right hand and leg;
10) Feras Fares El-Qasrawi, 21, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh;
11) Maha ‘Abdel-Jawad Abu Meizar, with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the right shoulder;
12) Assil Amin Abu Rayan, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet right leg;
13) Khamis Mohammed Edkeik, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
14) Mohammed Hassan El-Sharif, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg;
15) Muzayan Njati Eskafai, 30, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
16) Mohammed Mahmoud El-Qashish, 15, a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg;
17) Barakat ‘Awni Zahda, 60, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
18) Saher Mohammed Taha El-Sharif, 21, wounded with shrapnel in the face and the yes;
19) Bashar Ibrahim Sultan, 21, wounded with a live bullet in the right knee;
20) Majdi ‘Abdel-Qader El-Masalmeh, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head; and
21) Mohammed Walid Mahmoud ‘Omar, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators at the southern entrance of Nablus. Four demonstrators were wounded as follows:
1) Hekmat Qadri ‘Anabtawi, 12, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;
2) Walla’ Marwan Hussein Hadhroun, 17, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg;
3) Mohammed Majed ‘Abdel-Hamid, 19, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg; and
4) Ibrahim ‘Abdel-Wahab Abu Harous, 26, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh.
Also in the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Jalama military roadblock in Jenin. The Israeli forces fired at Palestinian civilians, wounding Shadi Jaber Mustafa, 16, from Al-Yamoun village, with a live bullet in the right shoulder.
Clashes also erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces near Khadouri College in the west of Tulkarm. The Israeli forces fired rubber-coated metal bullets at Palestinian demonstrators, wounding 22 as follows:
1) Mo’tassem Fares Yousef, 13, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh;
2) Hazem Taleb Dhiab, 20, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
3) Mohammed Bassam Jitawi, 11, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
4) Tha’er Saleh El-A’raj, 13, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left armpit;
5) Mohammed Shukri El-Hamshari, 26, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
6) Fadi Fathi Mattar, 20, wounded with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the head and the back;
7) Mohammed Mouaffaq Te’ma, 20, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
8) ‘Ammar ‘Abdullah ‘Abdu, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
9) Tawfiq Kamel Melhem, 23, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
10) Ahmed Mohammed El-Farghali, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
11) ‘Abdel-Rahman ‘Aazem Haroun, 14, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
12) Mohammed ‘Aayesh Tayeh, 32, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand;
13) Ayman Nabil El-Tirawi, 20, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the face;
14) Mohammed Fathi ‘Allaria, 10, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
15) Saleh Mohammed Nassar, 27, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
16) Mohammed Hussam Hattab, 16, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot;
17) Zaher ‘Abdel-Rahman Daqqa, 25, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
18) Mohammed Ibrahim Tomeiri, 12, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand;
19) Zuhair ‘Aahed Tuneib, 23, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
20) Majed Ahmed ‘Abdullah, 30, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand;
21) Mohammed ‘Aahed ‘Anbas, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg; and
22) Fares Mahmoud Khalifa, 12, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh.
At approximately 15:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a Palestinian peaceful march that was moving towards the northern entrance Al-Bireh. Two Palestinian demonstrators were killed. They are:
1) Burhan Fahim El-Shakhshir, 22, from Al-Ram in the north of Jerusalem, killed with a live bullet that entered the neck and settled in the head; and
2) ‘Abdel-Jawad Khalil Qudeih Shehadeh, 20, from Gaza, a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service, killed with an explosive bullet in the head. PCHR learned that Shehadeh was in civilian uniform and was not armed. He participated in throwing stones at the Israeli occupation forces.
Furthermore, nine civilians were wounded. One of them was journalist Bernard Aguirre, correspondent of the French TF 1, who was wounded with a live bullet in the chest. Aguirre accused the Israeli occupation forces of targeting him deliberately.
In the afternoon, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the northern entrance of Bethlehem – the vicinity of Bilal Ben Rabah mosque – fired at a number of Palestinian children who were demonstrating in the area. Two children were wounded as follows:
1) Khader Mohammed El-Hih, 15, from Al-Doheisha refugee camp, wounded with shrapnel of a medium caliber bullet in the right shoulder; and
2) Mohammed Ahmed Abu ‘Eid, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh.
On a different level, at approximately 9:45 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border to the east of Jabalya, fired live bullets and artillery shells at a Palestinian civilian car that was approximately 200m to the west of the border. ‘Abdel-Hakim ‘Abdel-Jalil el-Mana’meh, 39, from ‘Aamer housing project in Jabalya was killed with shrapnel throughout the body. Moreover, Wa’el Talab Nassar, 26, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with shrapnel and live bullets in the legs. Circumstances of the incident are not clear.
PCHR condemns barbarian actions and the unjustifiable escalation in the use of excessive force by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian civilians, who organized peaceful marches. Palestinian civilians threw stones at the Israeli occupation forces from far distances without posing threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers.
PCHR reiterates its call on the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to immediately intervene in order to put an end to Israeli violations of the Convention, and to provide international protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
