Ref.,: 68/2003

Israeli occupying forces,
backed by helicopter gunships, have moved into the northern Gaza Strip town of
Beit Hanoun, killing 3 Palestinians, including one child, and injuring 5
others. Two children were among the wounded. They have also destroyed 4
Palestinian homes.  At the time of
writing, the Israeli military operation was still underway.  PCHR fears more casualties will occur amongst
Palestinian civilians, as Israeli occupying forces continue to shell the
town. 

According to information obtained by PCHR, at approximately 02:30 on
Thursday, 15 May 2003, dozens of Israeli military vehicles, including
bulldozers, backed by helicopter gunships and covered by intense gunfire, moved
approximately 2km into al-Zaytoun area in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit
Hanoun.   After they had seized control
over the area, Israeli soldiers mounted the roofs of a number of Palestinian
homes and transformed them into military sites, opening fire in all
directions.  Other Israeli troops
surrounded 4 Palestinian homes.  They
called on the residents of the homes and their neighbours to leave.  At approximately 04:45, Israeli forces planted
explosives in three of the houses and destroyed them.  Dozens of neighboring houses were also
severely damaged.  Israeli military
bulldozers demolished the fourth house. 

As a result of the
indiscriminate Israeli shelling, at approximately 07:00, a Palestinian child,
Mohammed Nabil Mohammed al-Za’anin, 14, was killed by a live bullet to the
head.  In addition, 5 Palestinians,
including two children, were injured. 

At approximately 08:00, a
number of Palestinian resistance men confronted the invading Israeli
forces.  Two resistance men were killed
in the clashes:

1. Khalil Mohammed Qarmout, 33, from Beit Lahia, hit by
a live bullet in the abdomen; and

2. Nidal Mohammed Ekrayem, 24, from al-Tuffah
neighborhood in Gaza city, hit by a live bullet which entered his back and
exited his chest. 

PCHR’s field worker in the
northern Gaza Strip reported that Palestinian ambulances and medical personnel
were prevented from immediately attending the wounded.  Residents of the area also told him by phone
that Israeli occupying forces were razing areas of Palestinian agricultural
land. 

PCHR is deeply concerned at
this latest in a series of large-scale Israeli military attacks on Palestinian civilians
and property, in violation of international law and humanitarian law. 
PCHR believes that the silence of the international community only serves to
encourage Israel and its occupying forces to carry out further attacks against
Palestinian civilians.  PCHR reminds the High Contracting Parties to the
Fourth Geneva Convention of their legal obligations under the Convention to
ensure respect for the Convention and take effective steps to stop violations
of human rights perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian
civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories