Press Release

Clashes continue in the occupied Palestinian territories:

More than 154 donums of land are swept in the Gaza Strip

Ref: 150/2000

Date: October 30, 2000

Time: 16:00 GMT

18:00 Palestine Time

For the 32^nd consecutive day, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to shoot at Palestinian civilians demonstrating in protest to the serious abuses and killings perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to reinforce their presence with more troops and armored vehicles on roads between Palestinian cities, at the entrances of these cities and at points of contact between areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and areas under the control of the Israeli occupation forces. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces’ bulldozers swept more agricultural and wooded land during the past 24 hours. They have swept 1001- donums of land in the Gaza Strip since September 29, 2000. The number of Palestinians who have been killed since September 29, 2000 has increased to 134. In addition, more than 4,000 Palestinians have been wounded, some of whom are in critical condition.

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, and near Tal Al-Sultan roadblock in the west of the town (separating it from Al-Mawasi). The Israeli occupation forces fired live ammunition and rockets at Palestinian demonstrators near Salah El-Din Gate and wounded 20 of them with live ammunition, including 12-year-old child Muna Abdullah Hamad who was hit with a splinter of a rocket in her eye. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that she was away from the area of clashes. At about 16:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces shot at an ambulance of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society on its way to evacuate one of the wounded near Salah El-Din Gate and no injuries were reported.

Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired rockets at Palestinian houses

near Salah El-Din Gate in Rafah causing severe damage. PCHR’s field officer reported that one rocket hit a house owned by Abdel-Salam Hassan Shaqfa, a second one hit a house owned by Naser El-Rae’I and a third one hit a commercial store owned by Awadh Barhoum. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that damage was limited to properties and no injuries among civilians were recorded.

Since yesterday evening until this afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces’ bulldozers swept large areas of agricultural land in Rafah near Morag settlement and near the Palestinian-Egyptian borders. They swept a 58-donum area of agricultural land to the southwest of Morag settlement owned by farmers of Dhoheir family. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that dozens of greenhouses, two farms of poultry and some guava trees were swept. The Israeli occupation forces demolished a 180-square meter house established on part of the land and owned by the Dhoheir family. Residents of the house were forcibly expelled from the house without being able to evacuate their furniture. The family estimated the loss at hundreds of thousands of dollars.

This afternoon, in Al-Salam neighborhood in the southeast of Rafah, the Israeli occupation forces’ bulldozers swept a strip of agricultural land adjacent to the Palestinian Egyptian borders 2km long and 30-50m wide planted with olives and almonds. The area of swept land is estimated at 80 donums and owned by the families of Qeshta, Al-Nahhal and Bahloul. The Israeli occupation forces swept also a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed two water reservoirs and a room established on the land. The swept land is in the southwest of Al-Salam neighborhood and owned by the Al-Shae’r family. In the same area, the Israeli occupation forces fired at two houses owned by Samir Abu El-Soud and Mohammed El-A’yyad, but no injuries were reported. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to reinforce their presence in the area with more troops and armored vehicles which portends more abuses against Palestinian civilians in Rafah.

Clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Karni Outlet on a road between Netzarim junction and Karni Outlet used by Jewish settlers. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the Israeli occupation forces fired live ammunition at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded 14 of them, six of whom are in critical condition. They are:

1. Alla’ Mahmoud El-Jaro, 23 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head,
2. Mohammed Rezeq El-Sersawi, 19 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the back which reached the chest,
3. Oleyan Faraj El-Khawar, 27 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the chest,
4. A’atef Suleiman El-Sousi, 25 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the back,
5. A’ayesh Nae’im Abu Ghaben, 16 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest, and
6. Unidentified, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen and liver.

Yesterday, the Israeli occupation forces swept a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives to the south of Karni Outlet and owned by the Al-Haj family. The Israeli occupation forces continued to close Salah El-Din Street, the main road between the north of the Gaza Strip and its south, at Netzarim junction and Karni Outlet. Only Jewish settlers are allowed to use this road.

In Khan Yunis, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near an Israeli military post to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis and near Al-Tuffah roadblock between Khan Yunis city and Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators wounding 15 civilians with live ammunition and five with rubber-coated metal bullets. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that five of the wounded are in critical condition. They are:

1. Muhammed Ahmed El-Sheikh Dheeb, 24 years old, wounded with a dum-dum bullet in the head and evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza,
2. Saleh Mahmoud Al-Najjar, 14 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest,
3. Mohammed Zou’rob, 19 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the mouth,
4. Eyad Abu Jame’e, 18 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest, and
5. Naji Wasfi Barbakh, 18 years old, wounded with a bullet in the abdomen.

Also in Khan Yunis, PCHR’s field officer reported that the Israeli occupation forces swept a ten-donum area of land at the entrance of a road leading from Salah El-Din Street to Kissufim crossing. The swept tract of land is owned by Khalaf Abu Hajjaj.

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 three Palestinian civilians with live ammunition.

PCHR learned that similar clashes broke out in several areas of the West Bank, especially in Tulkarm, Hebron and Ramallah. The Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded 30 of them with live ammunition. Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators in the town of Ya’bad near Jenin and killed brothers Bilal Rashad Salahat, 22 years old, and Hilal Rashad Salahat, 18 yeas old, with live bullets in the head.

1. There is a significant escalation of shooting at Palestinian demonstrators by the Israeli occupation forces with the aim to kill. Today, 52 Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition, including dum-dum bullets, five with rubber-coated metal bullets and a child with a splinter of a rocket.
2. Eleven of the wounded are in critical condition as they were wounded in the head, chest, back and abdomen. Four of these are children between 14 and 18 years of age.
3. Two of the wounded received a bullet in the back. This provides evidence of indiscriminate shooting or targeting with the aim to kill.
4. Rockets were used against residential buildings.
5. A 154-dunum area of agricultural land was swept and agricultural facilities and a house were destroyed.
6. The Israeli occupation forces reinforced their presence and restricted movement of people and means of transportation by closing roads.