Ref:
92/2003

In
the most violent Israeli military operation since the beginning of a cease-fire
against Israeli targets declared by Palestinian resistance organizations, on
Friday morning, 8 August 2003, Israeli occupying forces killed 4 Palestinians
(two activists of Hamas movement and two civilians) in ‘Askar refugee camp,
east of Nablus, and destroyed a 4-storey apartment building. 

According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 03:45 on
Friday, 8 August 2003, 4 armored personnel carriers, 14 military jeeps, two
military bulldozers of Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with two helicopters,
moved into ‘Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus, from its northeastern
entrance.  Israeli occupying forces
reached al-Safa Street in the camp and surrounded a 4-storey apartment building
in an attempt to arrest two Palestinian activists of Ezziddin al-Qassam, the
military wing of Hamas movement.  At
approximately 04:15, Israeli occupying forces ordered residents of the building
through megaphones to leave it in 15 minutes. 
Then, an exchange of fire took place between Israeli occupying forces
and the two activists.  At approximately
05:45, in an excessive use of force and in disregard for the lives of
civilians, an Israeli helicopter gunship launched a missile at the third floor
of the building, where the activists were hiding.  The floor was totally destroyed. 

At
approximately 06:00, after the exchange of fire stopped, Israeli occupying
forces used a number of residents of the building as human shields and forced
them to enter the building to evacuate the bodies of the two activists.  Approximately 10 minutes later, they
evacuated one of the bodies.  The victim
was identified as Khamis Yousef Abu Salem, 30. 
Israeli occupying forces kept the body. 
At approximately 07:30, Israeli occupying forces planted explosives in
the building and destroyed it.  Then, an
Israeli military bulldozer moved towards ruins of the building and started to
level it, apparently to make sure that the other activist would not
survive.  When Israeli occupying forces
withdrew from the area, Palestinian civilians started searching for the other
activist.  They found his body at
approximately 10:00.  He was identified
as Fayez FarID Hamed al-Sader, 27.  The
body was evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.  According to medical sources, al-Sader was
hit by more than 10 live bullets throughout the body. 

At
approximately 11:00, while Israeli occupying forces were completing withdrawal
from the camp, they opened fire at Palestinian civilians who came out of homes
to check on what was happening.  A
Palestinian civilian, Mahmoud Tayseer al-Tak, 18, was seriously wounded by a
live bullet in the abdomen.  He was
evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in a civilian car, but all attempts made to save
his life failed and he was pronounced dead in the evening.  According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers
in a military jeep fired at al-Tak from a distance of 50-60m.  At the same time, Israeli occupying forces
fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians.  Dozens of civilians suffered from tear gas
inhalation, including Fawzi Ahmed Fawzi al-‘Alami, 41, who died at a
hospital. 

PCHR
strongly condemns this escalatory military operation by the Israeli authorities
and Israeli belligerent occupying forces. 
PCHR considers the raid, and subsequent attack on civilians resulting
from the raid, severely damaging to the current peace process.  By targeting members of the Hamas
organization, a group that has abided by 
the declared cease-fire for almost three months, Israeli forces seriously
undermine the sustainability of the current peace process in the region.  Furthermore, PCHR asserts that Israeli use of
force against civilians following the raid which resulted in two Palestinian
deaths, once again demonstrates Israel’s disregard for international law and
humanitarian law standards while operating in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.  Consequently, PCHR
reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva
Convention to fulfill their obligations under the Convention and ensure
protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.