Press Release

Are the occupied Palestinian territories becoming the new Kosovo?

Three children in Gaza and two young men killed in Bethlehem today

 Ref: 152/2000

Date: November 1, 2000

Time: 17:00 GMT

19:00 Palestine Time

Tension has spread throughout the occupied Palestinian territories after five martyrs were buried today. Since the morning, clashes have broken out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. These forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators, killing three children in the area of Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of the Gaza Strip, and one youth in clashes in Bethlehem. A youth also died this evening after he was wounded as a result of shelling of the village of Al-Khader near Bethlehem. The number of Palestinians who have been killed by the Israeli occupation forces since September 29, 2000 has increased to 144 martyrs, including 43 children, and more than 4,400 wounded, some of whom are in serious condition.

Since the morning, clashes have broken out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces in the area of Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet near an Israeli military post on a road between Netzarim junction and Karni Outlet used by Jewish settlers. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators. As a result, the child Mohammed Ibrahim Hajjaj, 15 years old, and the child Ahmed Suleiman Abu Tayeh, from the refugee camp of Al-Shati in Gaza, were killed with bullets in the head. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that at about 5:30 local time, the child Ibrahim Rezeq O’mar, 14 years old, from Al-Shati refugee camp, was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces with a live bullet in the chest. Additionally, 23 Palestinian civilians were wounded, five of them are in serious condition. They are:

1. Adli Ghassan Obeid, 21 years old, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, who was wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen and also suffered damage to the aorta. (Medical sources stated that he is in critical condition),
2. Rami Abu Hssira, 20 years old, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen,
3. Sami Khalil Erhim, 20 years old, from Al-Zaytoon neighborhood in Gaza, wounded with a live bullet in the chest,
4. Khaled Fuad Farahat, 10 years old, from the Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza, wounded with live bullets in the abdomen, and
5. Unidentified, wounded with a live bullet in the pelvis.

PCHR’s field officer in the area asserted that the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators from about a 150-meter distance. Snipers also participated in shooting using silencers. The long distance between the demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces proves that there is no danger that may threaten these forces and that shooting is aimed to kill.

In Khan Yunis, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Tuffah roadblock between Khan Yunis city and Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators wounding eight civilians with live ammunition. Among the wounded was Ahmed A’atef Mahdi (wounded in the eye). Additionally, eight Palestinian civilians were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets and dozens of civilians suffered from fainting and suffocation due to inhaling tear gas used by the Israeli occupation forces in the area.

In Rafah, clashes have broken out since the morning between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. The Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded five civilians with live ammunition, including Husni Ackila Abu Taha, 20 years old, who was wounded with a live bullet in the neck and was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that the Israeli occupation forces burst into areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and arrested the child A’bdel-A’ziz Ali Shahin, 12 years old, from Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah. PCHR has learned that the child was released this evening after the ICRC intervened.

In the vicinity of Kfar Darom settlement near Deir El-Balah, clashes broke out this afternoon between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. These forces opened fire and wounded one civilian with a live bullet in the abdomen. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that dozens of civilians suffered from fainting and suffocation due to inhaling tear gas used by the Israeli occupation in the area.

This afternoon, combat helicopters and tanks of the Israeli occupation forces shelled Tulkarm, Beit Jala, Beit Sahour, as well as the refugee camp of A’ida and the village of Al-Khader near Bethlehem. PCHR has learned that Shoe’ib Ghoneim, 27 years old, from the village of Al-Khader, died from a wound in the head with a medium caliber bullet shot by a combat helicopter of the Israeli occupation forces during the shelling of the village. Additionally, as a result of the shelling, 15 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the village of Al-Khader, a house was completely burnt in Beit Jala and a number of houses and civil facilities were severely damaged.

In Bethlehem, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces in the area of Solomon Pools. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators and killed Mohammed Mahmoud Al-Hroub, 27 years old, from the village of Dora near Hebron, a member of the Palestinian National Security Service.

Today, several areas in the West Bank witnessed clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. These forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded ten of them.

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1. There is a significant escalation of shooting at Palestinian demonstrators by the Israeli occupation forces targeting children, especially in the area of Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet. Today, three Palestinian children were killed there with live ammunition in the head and chest.
2. Forty-five Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition and eight wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets.
3. One of the wounded is in very critical condition and six, including a ten-year-old child, are in serious condition as they were wounded in the upper part of the body.
4. The Israeli occupation forces continued to close Gaza International Airport and to restrict the movement inside and outside the Gaza Strip.

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PCHR reiterates its call on 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. This is of significant importance in light of the continued escalation of the shelling of Palestinian cities and villages by the Israeli occupation forces using combat helicopters and tanks. Shelling has become a systematic policy adopted by the Israeli occupation forces in dealing with Palestinian civilians.
4. Use by the EU of effective political and economic means with reference to Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement which calls for the respect for 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 whole occupied Palestinian territories.

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