Weekly Report on Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (07 August 2003)

Israeli Forces Continue Violations
of Human Rights in the OPT between 24 July – 6 August 2003

· 3
Palestinians, including a child, were killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank

· 1
Palestinian died from a wound he previously sustained by Israeli forces in the
Gaza Strip

· Indiscriminate
Israeli shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued

· Israeli
forces willfully fired at Palestinian civilians, wounding 5, including a woman

· Continued
Israeli restrictions on Palestinian civilians at friction points in the Gaza
Strip  

· Israeli
forces denied Palestinian farmers access to their agricultural lands

· The
siege of Palestinian communities in the West Bank and the partial siege of the
Gaza Strip continue

Introduction

Despite the sharp decrease in direct clashes, Israeli occupying forces continue
to conduct illegal actions and human rights violations against Palestinian
civilians, including firing at Palestinian civilians, collective punishment,
shelling of and incursions into Palestinian areas and arrests.  Israeli forces have also refused to redeploy troops from towns
and villages in the West Bank. Over the period covered by this report, 24 July
– 6 August 2003, 4 Palestinians, including a child, were killed and 5 others,
including a woman, were wounded by Israeli occupying forces. 

In 3 cases of apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying forces shot
dead three Palestinians, including a child. On 25 July 2003, Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian child and
wounded his sister near Jenin. The 2
children were traveling with their family in a civilian car, when Israeli
soldiers positioned at the entrance of Barta’a village fired at the car. On 3 August 2003, the Israeli police shot
dead a Palestinian civilian, while he was traveling in his car, approximately
700m south of Qalandya military checkpoint, north of Jerusalem. They claimed that he did not obey their
orders to stop. On 4 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces killed an activist of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the
military wing of the Fatah movement, near Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm,
claiming that he was on his way to plant a bomb in the area. According to Palestinian medical sources, he
was shot by several live bullets in the head and throughout the body. 

The Israeli government continues to ignore the illegality of settlements
under international law and the fact that they constitute a grave breach of the
Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, particularly article 147, focusing instead on
so-called “illegal settlement outposts.” Despite the fact that the Israeli
government undertook to dismantle a small number of these “outposts” and to
stop some settlement expansion, the so-called “Israeli Lands Administration”
published a tender in Israeli newspapers on Thursday, 31 July 2003, to establish
22 new housing units in “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis in the
Gaza Strip. The Israeli daily Yediot
Aharanot reported on its Arabic webpage that the tender was published in
Israeli newspapers. The advertisement
offers a 3-year contract to those who are interested in the tender, after which
the land can be monopolized for 98 years. This was the first tender to establish new housing units in Israeli
settlements in the Gaza Strip since 2001 and the proposed construction of the
new units will allow an additional 120 settlers to live in the aforementioned
settlement (current population: 1500). 

Palestinians living in areas adjacent to Israeli settlements and
military locations established on Palestinian lands in the Gaza Strip have
suffered from aggressive actions of Israeli forces, including shelling, house
raids and searches and curfews. Israeli
occupying forces have also maintained control over two Palestinian houses in
Gaza City and Deir al-Balah, and two buildings north of Khan Yunis. 

Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict siege on most of the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in the West Bank.  While
Israeli forces redeployed from the main roads in the Gaza Strip, they have
continued to restrict movement on these roads and at border crossings. Israeli
forces also continue to maintain the strict siege imposed on al-Mawasi area in
the southern Gaza Strip, where more than 8,000 Palestinians live, as well as
al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip. Rafah terminal, on the border with Egypt, has recently witnessed a
growing humanitarian crisis. Hundreds of Palestinian travelers are forced to
spend days on the Egyptian side of the crossing, waiting to be allowed by
Israeli occupying forces to enter the Gaza Strip. There are no facilities on the Egyptian side
of the terminal and travelers have been forced to sleep on the ground at night
and spend long hours in the sun during the day. The lack of basic sanitation
facilities in particular poses a serious health concern. 

Israeli occupying forces have also restricted the access of Palestinian
fishermen to the sea and Palestinian workers continue to face humiliating
measures at “Erez” (Beit Hanoun) crossing in the northern Gaza Strip on their
way to their work in Israel.  Israeli occupying forces have continued to
restrict the passage of goods through commercial crossings of the Gaza
Strip. 

In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict
siege on Palestinian communities, isolating them from one another. They have
restricted movement of Palestinians at military checkpoints. Palestinians under 35 cannot cross Israeli
military checkpoints without obtaining permits issued by the so-called “Israeli
Civil Administration.” In an attempt to
mislead the public, two weeks ago, Israeli occupying forces dismantled 3
military checkpoints in Ramallah and Bethlehem, while 147 other military
checkpoints remained on the ground. Israeli soldiers often fire at Palestinians traveling through these
checkpoints. 

In another misleading step, on Wednesday afternoon, 6 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces released 336 of the 7000 Palestinian prisoners in
Israeli jails. This number includes a
number of criminal prisoners and does not include long-term detainees, females
or ill prisoners. The periods of
detention of most of the released prisoners were expected to end within the
next few weeks.

In the meantime, Israeli occupying forces encroached into the West Bank
towns of Jenin, Tulkarm, Nablus and Jericho, and arrested dozens of
Palestinians, including 29 in Tulkarm and 14 in Jericho. On Wednesday morning, 6 August 2003, Israeli
occupying forces moved into the eastern part of Jericho and imposed a curfew. They raided houses and arrested 14
Palestinians. It is worth noting that
Jericho is the only town in the West Bank that has not been reoccupied by
Israeli occupying forces. The incursion
into Jericho is the first in the past two years. 

In spite of international criticism, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to establish the so-called “security fence” in the West Bank. According to local estimations, the fence is
expected to annex more than 13% of the West Bank to Israel. 

In a continuation of the Israeli attempts to Judaize Jerusalem, the
Israeli Minister of Internal Security Tsahi Hanegbi signed a decision of
Tuesday, 5 August 2003, to renew the closure of Orient House and 4 other
Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem by 6 months. Hanegbi claimed that the decisions aimed at
“preventing the Palestinian Authority from carrying out activities that
undermine the Israeli sovereignty in Jerusalem.”

Excessive Use of Force against Palestinian Civilians and Attacks on
Their Property 

Over the period covered by this report, Israeli
occupying forces fired at Palestinian civilians and shelled Palestinian
residential areas. 3 Palestinians,
including a 3-year-old child, were killed in the West Bank, and a fourth died
from a previous wound in the Gaza Strip. Following are details of these human rights violations:

In an apparent willful killing, on Friday afternoon,
25 July 2003, Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian child and wounded his
sister near Jenin. According to
information available to PCHR, at approximately 15:00, Mahmoud Sharif Jawdat
Qabaha, 3, was traveling with his father, sister, aunt and grandfather from
Ya’bad village to Barta’a village, west of Jenin in a civilian car, driven by
the grandfather. When they arrived at a
gate established by Israeli occupying forces at the northern entrance of the village
as part of the so-called “Security Wall,” Israeli soldiers ordered them to
stop, which they did. Immediately, an
Israeli soldier positioned on an armored personnel carrier opened fire at the
car. The 3-year-old child was killed by
a live bullet in the head and his sister, Su’ad, 5, was wounded by a live
bullet in the left hand. Israeli media
sources reported that Israeli military sources claimed that the incident
occurred by mistake. 

At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 27 July 2003,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a
bulldozer, moved approximately 100m into Zo’rob neighborhood near the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah. During this
90-minute incursion, Israeli occupying forces razed a greenhouse owned by
Mohammed Mahmoud Zo’rob and demolished a fence surrounding a 1-donum[1]
area of land owned by ‘Abdul Karim ‘Aashour Dhuhair. 

At approximately 11:30 on Tuesday, 29 July 2003,
Israeli occupying forces at a military location in Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest
of Rafah opened fire at Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. A number of houses were damaged, but no
casualties were reported. A few hours
later, Israeli occupying forces in a military location at the Egyptian border
south of Rafah opened fire at a number of Palestinian children playing near
their houses in Block J in Rafah refugee camp. No casualties were reported. 

At approximately 19:00 on the same day, Israeli
occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Nimsawi
neighborhood to the east. No casualties
were reported.

At approximately 06:45 on Wednesday, 30 July 2003,
Israeli soldiers in a tank positioned at the border with Israel, east of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at a number of Palestinian farmers on their way to their
agricultural lands in al-Fukhari area, forcing them to leave the area. 

At approximately 23:30 on Thursday, 31 July 2003,
medical sources at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah declared that
Rawhi Hammouda Ibrahim al-Hour, 47, from Khan Yunis, succumbed to a wound he
sustained by Israeli occupying forces two years ago. According to PCHR’s investigation, at
approximately 16:45 on Monday, 14 May 2001, a Palestinian gunman attempted to
throw a hand grenade at an Israeli military location near al-Matahen military
checkpoint, north of Khan Yunis. Immediately, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at him and at
Palestinian civilians and cars waiting at the checkpoint. The gunman and a civilian were killed, and 7
other civilians, including al-Hour, were wounded. Al-Hour was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the pelvis. He was evacuated
to a local hospital, but as he was in a serious condition, he was transferred to
an Egyptian hospital. On Tuesday, 29
July 2003, he came back from Egypt and was put in Nasser Hospital in Khan
Yunis. On the following day, he was
allowed to leave the hospital and receive regular medical treatment at Shifa’
Hospital in Gaza city. On Thursday, 31
July 2003, while he was in a visit to his mother in Nusseirat refugee camp in
the central Gaza Strip, his health condition deteriorated. He was evacuated to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital
in Deir al-Balah, but he died soon. 

At approximately 22:00 on Friday, 1 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces in “Gadid” settlement, southwest of Khan Yunis, opened
fire at Palestinian houses in the at the areas of Baten al-Samin and the
cemeteries to the east. No casualties
were reported, but Palestinian civilians were terrified. 

At approximately 21:00 on Saturday, 2 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve
Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in
Khan Yunis refugee camp to the east. No
casualties were reported, but Palestinian civilians were terrified. 

In another apparent willful killing, the Israeli
police shot dead a Palestinian civilian, while he was traveling in his car,
approximately 700m south of Qalandya military checkpoint, north of
Jerusalem. According to information
available to PCHR, at approximately 12:00, Suleiman Ahmed Abu Ghali, 27, from
al-Jeep village, southwest of Ramallah, was driving a civilian car that had an
Israeli registration number, transporting a number of Palestinian civilians
from Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, to al-Ram checkpoint to the
south. When he arrived near al-Qawasmi
fuel station at the main road, an Israeli police vehicles intercepted hi
sway. Abu Ghali was surprised and was
not able to stop his car on time, so it hit the police vehicle. Immediately, an Israeli policeman fired at
him, wounding him with two live bullets in the head and the neck. A number of
Palestinian civilians tried to offer him help, but Israeli policemen denied
their access to him. Later, the Israeli
police allowed people to evacuate him to hospital, but he succumbed to his
wound upon arrival there. Israeli media
sources reported according to Israeli sources that the Israeli police shot dead
a Palestinian who was driving his car near al-Ram checkpoint, north of
Jerusalem. Israeli police sources
claimed that policemen ordered him to stop, but he moved forwards and hit a
police vehicle, so policemen shot him and passing Palestinians evacuated him to
hospital.

At approximately 23:30 on Thursday, 31 July 2003,
medical sources at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah declared that
Rawhi Hammouda Ibrahim al-Hour, 47, from Khan Yunis, succumbed to a wound he
sustained by Israeli occupying forces two years ago. According to PCHR’s investigation, at
approximately 16:45 on Monday, 14 May 2001, a Palestinian gunman attempted to
throw a hand grenade at an Israeli military location near al-Matahen military
checkpoint, north of Khan Yunis. Immediately, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at him and at
Palestinian civilians and cars waiting at the checkpoint. The gunman and a civilian were killed, and 7
other civilians, including al-Hour, were wounded. Al-Hour was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the pelvis. He was evacuated
to a local hospital. Due to his serious
condition he was later transferred to an Egyptian hospital. On Tuesday, 29 July 2003, he came back from
Egypt and was put in Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. On the following day, he was allowed to leave
the hospital and receive regular medical treatment at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza
city. On Thursday, 31 July 2003, while
he was on a visit to his mother in the Nusseirat refugee camp in the central
Gaza Strip, his health condition deteriorated. He was evacuated to al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, but he
died soon after. 

At approximately 22:00 on Friday, 1 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces in the “Gadid” settlement, southwest of Khan Yunis,
opened fire at Palestinian houses in the areas of Baten al-Samin and the
cemeteries to the east. 

At approximately 21:00 on Saturday, 2 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve
Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in
Khan Yunis refugee camp to the east. 

In an apparent willful killing, the Israeli police
shot dead a Palestinian civilian, while he was traveling in his car,
approximately 700m south of Qalandya military checkpoint, north of
Jerusalem. According to information
available to PCHR, at approximately 12:00, Suleiman Ahmed Abu Ghali, 27, from
al-Jeep village, southwest of Ramallah, was driving a civilian car that had an
Israeli registration number, transporting a number of Palestinian civilians
from Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, to al-Ram checkpoint to the
south. When he arrived near al-Qawasmi
fuel station at the main road, Israeli police vehicles pulled in front of
him. Abu Ghali, surprised and unable to
stop his car on time, hit the police vehicle. Immediately, an Israeli policeman fired at him, wounding him with two
live bullets in the head and the neck. A number of Palestinian civilians tried
to offer him help, but Israeli policemen denied their access to him. Later, the Israeli police allowed people to
evacuate him to hospital, but he succumbed to his wound upon arrival
there. The Israeli media reported that
according to Israeli sources the police shot dead a Palestinian who failed to
stop near a checkpoint after the police ordered him to do so. 

On Monday morning, 4 August 2003, Israeli occupying
forces killed an activist of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of
Fatah movement, near Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm, claiming that he was on
his way to plant a bomb in the area. Israeli
media sources quoted Israeli military sources as claiming that Israeli soldiers
killed a Palestinian while he was planting a bomb in Far’oun village near
Tulkarm, and that the bomb was planted on the road leading to the village to
target Israeli forces in the area. No
eyewitnesses were in the area to confirm or deny the Israeli narrative. However, residents of the area said that
Palestinians use the aforementioned road early in the morning on their way from
the village to Tulkarm or from Tulkarm to Taybeh town to enter Israel in search
of jobs. They asserted that the place of
the incident is not a regular path for Israeli occupying forces and
settlers. Later, the victim was
identified as Nihad Rezeq Mohammed Qassem, 27, from al-Ras village, south of
Tulkarm. According to medical sources,
he was shot by several live bullets in the head and throughout the body. 

At approximately 09:00 on the same day, while a
Palestinian taxi was trying to enter Nablus from the east through an
agricultural road to avoid passing by an Israeli military checkpoint in the
area, an Israeli military jeep arrived at the area and chased the taxi. Soon, Israeli soldiers fired at the taxi
without warning. Two Palestinian
passengers were wounded:

1. Ahmed
Ibrahim ‘Eissa, 36, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the back; and

2. ‘Abdul
Salam Nayef ‘Eissa, 28, wounded by shrapnel in the head.

At approximately 17:00 on the same day, Israeli
occupying forces positioned east of Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, opened
fire at Palestinian houses in the camp. A Palestinian woman, Bassima Mahmoud Suleiman Hamama, 53, was wounded by
shrapnel in the chest. 

At the same time, Israeli heavy military vehicles
moved approximately 30m into Block J in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian
border. They opened fire at Palestinian
houses. They claimed that they
encroached into the area to destroy tunnels. They withdrew from the area at approximately 20:00. Shortly later, they again moved 70m into the
area. They opened fire at Palestinian
houses, damaging a number of them. 

In another attack by Israeli settlers against
Palestinian civilians, on Monday afternoon, 4 August 2003, an Israeli settler
fired at an old Palestinian man on Nablus-Ramallah road, wounding him with a
live bullet in the left leg. According
to information available to PCHR, at approximately 18:00, Hamdi Tayseer
Mohammed al-Khuffash, 75, from Marda village, north of Salfit, was at the
entrance of al-Lubban village, south of Nablus, waiting for a taxi to transport
him to his village. A civilian car that
had an Israeli registration number passed by the area. The driver slowed down, pointed his pistol at
al-Khuffash and fired a live bullet. Al-Khuffash was wounded in the left leg. Soon, 6 Israeli military jeeps and an ambulance arrived at the area and
closed it. According to sources of the
Palestine Red Crescent Society in Ramallah, an ambulance of the society passed
by the area and tried to offer help for al-Khuffash, but Israeli soldiers
denied it access to him, claiming that they offered him medical aid
themselves. Later, al-Khuffash was
evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. 

Continued Suffering of Palestinian Civilians Living
in Areas Located Near Israeli settlements and Military Locations

Palestinians living in areas adjacent to Israeli
settlements and military locations established on Palestinian lands, have
suffered from Israeli aggressive measures, including shelling, house raids and
searches and curfews. Following are
significant aspects of this suffering:

· Many
people evacuated their houses as they had been subject to frequent Israeli
shelling. They have not been able to go
back to their houses as it is difficult for them to reconstruct their houses
while Israeli occupying forces have continued to fire at them. 

· Palestinians
are not able to move in these areas after 21:00.

· They
move carefully inside their houses and cannot mount roofs to avoid being hurt
by Israeli gunfire. 

· They
have not been able to reach their agricultural land as Israeli occupying forces
fire at farmers who enter their lands. 

Following are violations of human rights perpetrated
by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians in these areas over
the period covered by this report:

At approximately 11:00 on Friday, 1 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces positioned in military locations in the vicinity of
“Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, called through megaphones on
Palestinian civilians to stay in their houses and not get close to the
electronic fence surrounding the settlement, or they would be fired at. The same happened at approximately 21:00 on
Sunday, 3 August 2003, to Palestinian civilians living in Abu Haddaf area in
al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis, which is located near “Kissufim” settler
road. 

At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 2 August 2003, 14
Israeli soldiers raided 4 houses belonging to the Sa’id family, a few meters
away from “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. They ordered more than 20 Palestinians living
in these houses to get out. They checked
the identity cards of males and interrogated them. Then, they searched the houses. Upon their withdrawal from the area, Israeli
soldiers threatened residents that their houses and agricultural land would be
destroyed if Israeli military locations were attacked by Palestinian resistance
men. 

At approximately 18:00 on Sunday, 3 August 2003,
Israeli occupying forces imposed a curfew on Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast
of Deir al-Balah, which is located near “Kissufim” settler road, until 06:00 on
the following day.

Restrictions on Freedom of Movement in the OPT

Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict siege on most of the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in the West Bank. While Israeli forces redeployed on the main
roads in the Gaza Strip, they have restricted movement at border crossings and
maintained the siege imposed on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip. They have also continued to close Rafah-Khan
Yunis western road and the part of Salah al-Din Street (the main road between
the north and south of the Gaza Strip), near “Kfar Darom” settlement in the
central Gaza Strip, Abu al-‘Ajin road between Wadi al-Salqa village in Deir
al-Balah and al-Qarara village in Khan Yunis. Israeli occupying forces have restricted movement of Palestinian
civilians living in al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian workers have faced extreme
difficulties on their way to their work places in Israel.[2]

Al-Mawasi Area in the Southern Gaza Strip

Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict siege on al-Mawasi
area in the southern Gaza Strip. The
siege has continued to have dire humanitarian consequences for the 8000 Al-Mawasi
residents and the wider community in Khan Younis and Rafah.  Mawasi
residents are also denied free movement inside the area and are subject to
attacks and harassment by Israeli soldiers and settlers in the area.

Since Friday, 25 July 2003, Israeli occupying forces imposed new
restrictions on the movement of al-Mawasi residents who already have magnetic
cards and special numbers they must travel with. Male residents under 16 and
over 25 can cross the al-Tuffah checkpoint to get in and out of the area
without prior notice, but those who are between 16 and 25 can cross the
checkpoint only upon coordination with the Israeli side. These conditions were applied also to Tal
al-Sultan checkpoint at the entrance of the area in Rafah. Futhermore, residents of these areas cannot
carry any objects across the checkpoints. Israeli occupying forces only allow entry of foodstuffs on Friday and
Saturday each week, and metal products on Tuesday of each week. Foodstuffs are transported to al-Tuffah
checkpoint in trucks, where they are then reloaded onto other trucks on the
other side of the checkpoint, which increases the cost of foodstuffs for the
extremely poor local population. 

Israeli occupying forces open the checkpoint from 09:00 to 13:00 and
from 15:00 to 17:00. People crossing the
checkpoint are subject to Israeli military restrictions and checking. On Tuesday, 5 August 2003, Israeli occupying
forces closed the checkpoint until 16:00, claiming that the were working on the
computer that checks magnetic cards. 

Restrictions at Israeli Military Checkpoints inside
the Gaza Strip

In contradiction of Israeli-Palestinian security
agreements, on 30 June 2003, Israeli occupying forces redeployed at al-Din
Street, and have continued to violate the rights of Palestinians to freedom of
movement. They often obstruct movement
of people at al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street, north
of Khan Yunis. They also force people to
wait at al-Shuhada (Netzarim) junction, south of Gaza city, to allow settler
car to move between “Netzarim” settlement and Karni crossing. They established an iron gate on Abu al-‘Ajin
road between al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis, and Wadi al-Salqa village
in the central Gaza Strip. 

At approximately 16:45 on Friday, 1 August 2003, Israeli occupying
forces closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints, denying movement of
Palestinians and their vehicles along Salah al-Din Street.  The
checkpoints were reopened two hours later.  

At approximately 10:00 on Tuesday, 5 August 2003, Israeli occupying
forces closed the two checkpoints. They
reopened them half an hour later. Approximately 3 hours later, they closed the two checkpoints again,
checked Palestinians and searched their vehicles. No arrests were reported. 

A Humanitarian Crisis at Rafah Terminal

A humanitarian crisis is developing at the Rafah terminal. 
Hundreds of Palestinian travelers are forced to spend days at the Egyptian side
of the crossing, waiting to be allowed by Israeli occupying forces to enter the
Gaza Strip.  There are no facilities at the Egyptian side of the terminal
and travelers are forced to spend long hours in the sun and sleep on the floor
outside.  The lack of basic sanitation facilities in particular poses a
serious health concern.  The Rafah terminal is the only exit and entry
point for Palestinians traveling abroad.  The Israeli authorities have
increased opening hours at the terminal to 14 hours a day, but completion of
security procedures is extremely slow. 

Israeli occupying forces have prevented hundreds of retail dealers from
traveling through the terminal, depriving them of their sources of income. 

Israeli occupying forces have obstructed the travel of patients.
According to a Palestinian ambulance driver, the procedures of transporting
patients through the terminal area very slow, without paying any consideration
to their health conditions. An
ambulance, which transports a patient, can enter the terminal only upon
coordination with the Israeli side. It
has to wait for long period, up to 6 hours sometimes. Then, it moves towards the joint Israeli-Palestinian
liaison point, where the driver is checked. The patient is then moved to another ambulance at the terminal. When his/her passport is stamped, he or she
is moved to an Egyptian ambulance that transport him/her to the Egyptian side
of the terminal. The same applies to
patients traveling back to the Gaza Strip. 

A number of Palestinian travelers are summoned to Israeli security
offices at the terminal for interrogation. On Friday, 1 August 2003, Jamal Yousef Mahmoud Abu al-Qumsan, 34, from
Jabalye refugee camp, was arrested by
Israeli occupying forces, while he was on his way back to the Gaza Strip. He was accompaning his child, who received
medical treatment in Egypt. The child
was allowed to cross the terminal in a Palestinian ambulance, but the father
remained in custody. On Monday, 4 August
2003, Israeli occupying forces arrested Ibrahim Mohammed al-Majaida, 30, from
Khan Yunis, while he was traveling to his wok abroad. 

Closure of Sofa Crossing

On Wednesday, 30 July 2003, Israeli occupying forces closed Sofa
crossing at the border with Israel, northeast of Rafah, for no apparent
reason. The crossing was reopened on the
following day. 

* * * * *

PCHR calls:

1. Upon the international community to
provide immediate and independent international protection for
the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to
the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene to take effective
measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, in accordance with their obligations under article 1 and article
146, to ensure respect for the Convention.

3. Upon the international community to
investigate and prosecute before international courts those believed to have
committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence,
expand its activities, and intensify its field operations throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.

5. Upon the European Union to activate
Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel
must respect human rights.

6. Upon the international community to
provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose
living conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of the continued
siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian
Territories.

“END”

Public
Document

**************************************

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information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 –
2825893

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