On
Tuesday morning, Israeli occupation forces entered Jenin and its refugee camp
(both under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority), described
as the deepest incursion in the city since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa
Intifada. Dozens of Israeli tanks and
military vehicles moved into the city, while tanks, combat helicopters and F-16
fighter jets intensively bombarded it. Palestinian civilians, gunmen, and security men confronted this wide incursion. A number of Palestinians were killed or
injured, while civilian and security facilities were severely damaged. At approximately 05:30 local time, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned north of Jenin refugee camp, fired live bullets
and three artillery shells at a number of Palestinian civilians who gathered
near an UNRWA school. Two Palestinian
civilians were killed:
1) Eyad Suleiman El-Masri,
20, from Jenin refugee camp, killed by shrapnel throughout the body; and
2) Ibrahim ‘Ali Fayed, 25,
from Jenin refugee camp, killed by shrapnel throughout the body.
On
Wednesday, September 12, 2001, Israeli occupation forces continued their
military campaign against Jenin and its refugee camp, maintaining a strict
siege on the city. Early in the morning,
they resumed shelling, targeting Al-Zaharneh neighborhood in the west of the
city. More than 90 artillery shells hit
Palestinian houses, causing severe damage.
Also
early in the morning, Muhannad Raja Abu El-Haija, 25, was killed by shrapnel
from an artillery shell in the head, when Israeli occupation forces shelled his
house in Jenin. In the meantime, Israeli
occupation forces moved towards the centre of the city from three directions,
the east, the west and the south. As a
result of the indiscriminate shelling by Israeli occupation forces, dozens of
Palestinians, including two journalists who were on duty, were injured.
Also
on Wednesday, Israeli combat helicopters opened fire from heavy machine guns on
a Palestinian car, in which Tha’er Muhsen Mhdawi, 28, from Al-Far’a refugee
camp, was travelling, killing him instantly with several heavy caliber
bullets. Mahdawi, an officer of the
Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Toubas, traveled in his car to
Tammoun village, after he received information that Israeli commando units
entered the village. Later, Lieutenant
Colonel Tawfiq Ibrahim Hussein Jaber, 42, from Qalqilya, and members of the
security service went to the scene of the incident. As soon as they arrived at the area, Israeli
combat helicopters opened fire from heavy machine guns on their car. Jaber and one of his colleagues, Shaher Ahmed
‘Abdel-Raziq Bani ‘Oudeh, 28, from Tammoun village, were killed instantly.
This
week, Israeli occupation forces carried out two assassinations, in which six Palestinians,
including a 14-year-old child, were killed, and 11 were injured.
On Wednesday morning,
September 12, 2001, at approximately 05:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, reinforced with tanks, and under the cover of combat helicopters, moved
into ‘Aarrabeh village, south of Nablus. They destroyed a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces. They moved towards the house of Sufian Ahmed
Tawfiq El-‘Aarda, 28, an Islamic Jihad activist. El-‘Aarda was on the second floor of the
house with two other Islamic Jihad activists, Wa’el Mutlaq ‘Assaf, 20, from
‘Arrabeh, and As’ad ‘Abdel-Rahman Abu Daqqa, 25, from ‘Attil village near
Tulkarm. Israeli forces opened fire from
heavy machine guns. El-‘Aarda was wounded
by two heavy caliber bullets in the head and the chest, and his colleagues were
killed. His family attempted to evacuate
him from the house via ambulance towards Tulkram. However, Israeli soldiers chased the
ambulance and arrested him. Later, Israeli
radio reported that he had died in custody.
Haitham El-‘Aarda, 31,
moved to the second floor after his brother had been evacuated, trying to offer
help to the other two victims. Israeli
soldiers killed him with two heavy caliber bullets in the chest and the
shoulder. An Israeli combat helicopter
attacked the house with two rockets, killing Balqis El-‘Aarda, 14.
This week, Israeli
occupation forces continued to fire at Palestinian civilians. On Saturday, September 8, 2001, a 15-year-old
child, Mohammed Samir Abu Lebdeh, from Rafah, was killed by a heavy caliber
bullet him in the abdomen fired by Israeli soldiers at the border with Egypt.
On Tuesday, September 11,
2001, Israeli occupation forces killed a Palestinian civilian and severely
injured another in a taxi east of Deir El-Balah. Mohammed Dhib Abu Shaqfa, 23, from Khan
Yunis, was killed by a live bullet in the head.
On Wednesday, September 12,
2001, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at Al-Mathen junction, north of
Khan Yunis, fired at a Palestinian taxi, killing ‘Aamer Hamdi Ziada, 21, from
Al-Maghazi refugee camp, with two live bullets in the chest and the shoulder,
and wounding two other passengers.
On Friday evening,
September 7, 2001, Khaled ‘Arafat El-Batch, 2½, was killed after he fell from
top of his house, while Jewish settlers and Israeli occupation forces were
attacking Palestinian civilians and houses in Al-Qazzazin neighborhood in
Hebron.
1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians
At approximately 15:00
local time, dozens of Palestinian young men and children threw stones at
Israeli occupation soldiers who besieged a Palestinian electric cable factory,
300m south of Al-Mentar Outlet, east of Gaza City. According to PCHR’s investigations, Israeli
soldiers opened fire without resorting to less lethal means. Four Palestinian civilians were wounded as
follows:
1) Mahmoud Riadh Habib, 18, from Al-Shojaeya
neighborhood in Gaza City, critically wounded by a live bullet in the head and
was evacuated to the intensive care unit at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City;
2) Mustafa Ahmed Madhi, 18, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood
in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the left upper arm;
3) ‘Abdel-Qader Khaled El-Harazin, 12, from Al-Zaytoun
neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by shrapnel in the left hand; and
4) Mahmoud Hmdi Khalifa, 14, from Gaza City, wounded by
shrapnel in the left hand.
At approximately 16:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at Al-Tuffah roadblock
between Khan Yunis and its Al-Mawasi area, opened fire on Palestinian houses in
the west of Khan Yunis refugee camp. Fatema Mohammed Teilakh, 52, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet
in the left leg, while she was on her way from Khan Yunis back to her house in
Al-Mawasi area.
Saturday, September 8, 2001
In the evening, a
15-year-old child was shot and killed by a heavy caliber bullet in the
abdomen. According to PCHR’s
investigations, the child was shot from a distance of approximately 300m. No clashes were reported in the area at the time. This incident brings the number of
Palestinian children under 18 killed by the Israeli occupation forces since the
outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada on September 29, 2001 to 151. Of these, 17 children have been killed in
Rafah by the Israeli occupation forces in similar circumstances.
According to PCHR’s
investigations and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, on Saturday, September 8, 2001,
at approximately 21:00 local time, a 15-year-old child, Mohammed Samir Abu
Lebdeh, from Block “O” in Rafah refugee camp, was on a branch road close to his
family’s house, approximately 300m north of the border with Egypt. Without any clashes having been reported in
the area, an Israeli sniper in a military site near Salah El-Din Gate at the
border fired a heavy caliber bullet at him, hitting him in the abdomen. The child was immediately evacuated to
Al-Joneina (Martyr Abu Yousef Al-Najjar) Hospital in Rafah, where he was soon
pronounced dead. According to medical
sources at the hospital, the child a heavy caliber bullet entered the right
side of the abdomen and exited the left side, rupturing his internal organs.
Monday, September 10, 2001
At approximately 18:00
local time, a 9-year-old child, ‘Abdel-Hamid Ismail Mahmoud, from Khan Yunis,
was wounded in the head by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired by Israeli
occupation soldiers. According to PCHR’s
investigations, the child was playing with his friends near their houses in
Al-Nemsawi neighborhood adjacent to “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan
Yunis. An Israeli military jeep inside
the settlement stopped and a soldier fired at the child.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001
At approximately 09:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at a military observation
tower south of Deir El-Balah, fired at a Palestinian civilian car that was
traveling from Khan Yunis towards Gaza City. The driver and an occupant were wounded as follows:
1) Mohammed Salim El-Mbaydha, 30, from Rafah, wounded by
shrapnel in the left foot; and
2) Rashed ‘Abdel-Majid El-Bilbeisi, 48, from Rafah, wounded
by a live bullet in the right foot.
They were evacuated to
Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir El-Balah.
In the afternoon, in a
similar incident, Israeli occupation forces killed one Palestinian civilian and
severely injured another as they were travelling in a taxi east of Deir
El-Balah. According to PCHR’s
investigations, at approximately 15:30 local time, a Palestinian taxi, a
Hyundai, was on its way from Gaza City towards Khan Yunis. Six passengers traveled in the taxi in
addition to its driver. Since Salah
El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) has
been closed by the Israeli occupation forces since the beginning of the
Intifada, the driver, like other drivers, took a branch road to the east of
“Kfar Darom” settlement. The road known
as “Abu El-‘Ajin” is under Israeli security control. A roadblock and an observation tower are
established on this road. The use of
this road has been limited to Jewish settlers since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa
Intifada.
In his testimony to PCHR, a
passenger in the said:
“When we passed by an
Israeli observation tower north of the greenhouses of “Kfar Darom” settlement,
east of Deir El-Balah, I heard an Israeli soldier shouting in Hebrew, which I
did not understand. The driver continued
driving the taxi. Suddenly, I heard
sounds of shooting. The driver
immediately stopped the car and I lay down to have shelter. The shooting continued. I heard cries coming from the back seat. Then, I saw the driver getting out of the
car, shouting at Israeli soldiers to cease fire, but they ignored him. The driver drove the car east and then north
towards a branch road leading to Al-Maghazi refugee camp. He stopped at a roadblock of the Palestinian
National Security Forces. I got out of
the car and saw the holes live bullets made into the body of the car. With assistance by members of the Palestinian
roadblock, we evacuated the two young men who were sitting on the back seat. They were injured. Two girls who were sitting on the middle seat
were crying.”
The two injured young men
were evacuated in a Palestinian security car to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in
Deir El-Balah, and from there they were transferred to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza
City. They were:
1) Mohammed Dhib Abu Shaqfa, 23, a university student
from Khan Yunis, injured by a live bullet in the head that led to his death
upon arrival at Shifa’ Hospital; and
2) Mohammed Sa’id Abu ‘Abdu, 22, from Khan Yunis,
injured by two live bullets in the abdomen and the left thigh.
At approximately 18:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned near Salah El-Din Gate at
the border with Egypt, opened fire on ‘Omar Ben Al-Khattab Street in
Rafah. Two children were wounded as
follows:
1) Mohammed Khalil Abu Lebda, 10, wounded by a live
bullet in the buttocks; and
2) Rawhi Riadh El-‘Azzazi, 13, wounded by shrapnel in
the chest.
Wednesday, September 12, 2001
In the second incident of
its kind in less than 24 hours, the Israeli occupation forces killed a
Palestinian civilian and injured two who were traveling in a taxi. According to PCHR’s investigations, at
approximately 08:00 local time, a Palestinian taxi was traveling from Gaza City
towards Khan Yunis. It had to cross an
Israeli roadblock at Al-Matahen junction. Three passengers in addition to the driver were traveling in the
taxi. In his testimony to PCHR, one of
the passengers, ‘Awadh Sha’ban Sa’id Abu Seif, 25, from Jabalya refugee camp,
said:
“I was sitting on the
middle seat of the car. My relative,
Radwan Mohammed Mustafa Abu Seif, 47, was sitting beside me. A third passenger was sitting on the front
seat near the driver. When we arrived at
Al-Matehn junction, the traffic light was red. Another car was traveling in front, waiting for the green sign. When the traffic light became green, the car
in front of us crossed the junction. Then our car moved forward. As
soon as we were opposite to the Israeli military observation tower at the
junction, we were surprised by intensive shooting at us from the tower. I discovered that I was injured in the
hand. The driver moved fast towards Khan
Yunis, escaping from gunfire.”
A passenger who was sitting
on the front seat near the driver, ‘Aamer Hamdi Ziada, 21, from Al-Maghazi
refugee camp, was killed by two live bullets in the chest and the left
shoulder. Sha’ban Abu Seif was injured
in the hand by a live bullet that cut the thumb, and Radwan Abu Seif was
injured by a live bullet in the left shoulder. The car was severely damaged.
At approximately 14:00
local time, a number of Palestinian young men and children demonstrated in
Al-Nemsawi neighborhood in Khan Yunis after the funeral of Martyr Mohammed Dhib
Abu Shaqfa. Palestinian demonstrators
threw stones at Israeli military sites in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim.” Israeli soldiers fired at demonstrators,
wounding five as follows:
1) Khaled ‘Abdel-Nasser El-Farra, 12, wounded by a live
bullet in the right foot;
2) Ahmed Ibrahim Abu Tayeh, 12, wounded by a live bullet
in the right hand;
3) Adham ‘Abed Zo’rob, 14, wounded by a live bullet in
the left foot;
4) Hamdi Jihad Barbakh, 16, wounded by a live bullet in
the left foot; and
5) Wahid Yassin Barbakh, 18, wounded by a live bullet in
the right thigh.
2. Shelling of, and
Incursions into Palestinian Cities and Residential Areas
At approximately 14:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with four tanks and two
bulldozers moved towards a Palestinian electric cable factory, approximately
300m south of Al-Mentar Outlet and 500m north of a military site of these
forces at the entrance of a settlement road, east of Gaza City, leading to the
Green Line. Soon, they besieged the
factory in an operation that lasted for approximately three hours. In the morning, the Israeli occupation forces
had also shelled the factory, severely damaging it. The 2,200 square-meter, three-story factory,
owned by Samih ‘Omar El-Haddad and Nasser ‘Othman Yassin, was one of the most
important industrial establishments in the Gaza Strip.
In the past ten months, the
factory has been subjected to shelling. In November 2000, Israeli bulldozers demolished parts of it and
destroyed an electric transmitter. On
July 29, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces again partially destroyed it.
At approximately 20:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border with Egypt,
south of Rafah, shelled a Palestinian residential area in the vicinity of Salah
El-Din Gate. Three Palestinian civilians
were injured as follows:
1) Salman ‘Ali Feseifes, 18, inured by shrapnel
throughout the body;
2) Ussama Mohammed El-Dam, 22, injured by shrapnel
throughout the body; and
3) Hamza Ismail Noufal, 51, injured by shrapnel in the
abdomen.
Saturday,
September 8, 2001
At
approximately 03:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with five
tanks, besieged the area surrounding the factory that had been destroyed on
Friday. They put highly explosive
materials into the remains of the factory and totally destroyed it. According to eyewitnesses, exploded parts and
equipment of the factory scattered over an area 500m in diameter.
According
to one of the factory’s owners, losses are estimated at more than US$ 1
million.
At
approximately 16:45 local time, two Israeli combat helicopters attacked the
offices of Fatah Movement in Ramallah with rockets. The offices, located in a seven-story housing
building, which also includes the offices of Ministry of Environment, was hit
by three rockets that completely destroyed it. A flat directly below the office was also damaged. A Palestinian civilian, Ussama Sadiq, 25, was
injured by shrapnel in the hand and the leg, while two other civilians were
suffering from shock. The offices had
been evacuated shortly before they were attacked.
At
approximately 21:10 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
border, east of Jabalaya in the northern Gaza Strip, fired an artillery shell
at Nassim Ahmed Abu ‘Aassi, 24, from Bani Suheila near Khan Yunis, killing
him. According to initial investigations
carried out by PCHR, the Israeli occupation forces used excessive force without
resorting to less lethal means. Abu
‘Aassi and another young man were trying to enter Israeli territories when
Israeli occupation soldiers fired an artillery shell at them. Abu ‘Aassi was instantly killed and his
colleague was injured by shrapnel in the chest from another artillery shell
fired by an Israeli occupation soldier. He was able to escape. On Sunday,
September 9, 2001, Abu ‘Aassi’s body was handed to the Palestinian side and was
transferred to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City. According to medical sources, he received shrapnel throughout the body,
especially in the abdomen, as he was directly hit by an artillery shell.
Sunday,
September 2, 2001
At approximately 01:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces positioned near Salah El-Din Gate at the
border with Egypt fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets
at Palestinian houses in Rafah refugee camp. The shelling continued up to 04:00 local time, and targeted Block “O”
area and Yebna neighborhood adjacent to the border. Some artillery shells hit places in
Al-Shaboura area, approximately 1,200-1,500m north of the border. Three artillery shells hit Martyrs Monument
in Al-Shaboura area, severely damaging it, and injuring Jihad Yousef ‘Afana,
with shrapnel while he was sitting there. An artillery shell hit the fence and water tanks of a 100-square-meter,
one-story house, in which three families live, owned by ‘Abdel-Hamid Hussein
‘Eissa Jom’a. Artillery shells also hit
an electric transmitter at ‘Omar Ben El-Khattab Street, cutting electricity
from the area. A number of houses in
Block “O” area and Yebna refugee camp, were severely damaged and three
civilians were injured as follows:
1) Ramzi Yousef El-Samhouri, 16, injured by shrapnel in
the right forearm;
2) Ahmed ‘Abdullah Abu Humeid, 20, injured by shrapnel
in the left eye; and
3) Salima Suleiman Abu Saleh, 50, injured by shrapnel in
the pelvis.
At approximately 02:40
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of “Gadid,”
“Gan Our” and “Neve Dekalim” settlements, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, Baten Al-Samin area and the
western part of Khan Yunis refugee camp. The shelling lasted for approximately one hour, during which a number of
Palestinian houses were severely damaged, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 04:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in “Tsheva” military site in
the northern Jordan Valley, opened fire with heavy and medium machine guns on
Tayasser school in Toubas. Walls,
windows, doors and the electricity were severely damaged.
At approximately 12:10
local time, two Israeli combat helicopters fired two rockets at a storehouse of
the Palestinian National Security Forces in Jericho. The rockets hit the warehouse, but no
casualties were reported.
At approximately 13:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned near Salah El-Din Gate at the
border with Egypt, opened fire from heavy, medium and light machine guns on
Palestinian neighborhoods in Rafah, for approximately five hours. Five Palestinian civilians, a woman and four
children, were injured as follows:
1) Aamena Nasrallah El-Sheikh ‘Eid, 60, injured by a
live bullet in the left foot while she was near her house in Al-Joneina
neighborhood, approximately 100m away from the source of fire;
2) Dalia Nasrallah ‘Aabed, 10, injured by shrapnel in
the head while she was in Al-Shaboura area, approximately 1,200-1,500m away
from the source of fire;
3) Mohammed Ahmed El-Karzoun, 11, injured by shrapnel in
the left knee while he was in Al-Brazil neighborhood, approximately 500m away
from the source of fire;
4) ‘Abdel-‘Aati Sa’id ‘Obeid, 18, injured by shrapnel in
the neck while he was in Block “O” area near Salah El-Din Gate; and
5) Ahmed ‘Abdel-Karim Hashem, 18, injured by shrapnel in
the head while he was in Block “O” area too.
They were all evacuated to
Al-Joneina Hospital in Rafah. A number
of houses were severely damaged. A
180-square-meter, two-story house, in which 19 people live in Al-Shaboura area,
owned by Jamal Mohammed Ahmed Ibrahim, received the most severe damage. It was hit by more than 50 live bullets,
although it is approximately 1,500m away from the source of fire.
In the afternoon, two
Israeli combat helicopters attacked two offices of the Fatah Movement in
Ramallah and Al-Bireh, completely destroying them and damaging a number of
nearby buildings and civilian facilities. At approximately 13:10 local time, two Israeli combat helicopters fired
two rockets at the office of Fatah in Ramallah, completely destroying it. Approximately five minutes later, the combat
helicopters fired two rockets at the Fatah office in Al-Bireh, totally
destroying it. No casualties were reported
since these offices had been evacuated shortly before the attacks took place. Some shops and houses were damaged.
At approximately 16:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned inside “Allon Morei”
settlement, east of Nablus, shelled a roadblock of the Palestinian National
Security Forces at the northern entrance of the city. It was totally destroyed, but no casualties
were reported.
At approximately 17:30
local time, two Israeli combat helicopters attacked a Palestinian police
station in Qabatya village near Jenin. Two rockets hit the station and destroyed it and a car of the
Palestinian Ministry of Education, but no casualties were reported.
Monday,
September 10, 2001
At
approximately 03:45 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned on hills
north of Tammoun village, east of Jenin, fired five artillery shells at a
dormitory of the Palestinian National Security Forces, approximately 900m
away. Nine security men were sleeping in
the dormitory. One of them, Fa’eq
‘Abdullah Abu Siam, 30, was killed, and four were injured as follows:
1) Raja Salem El-Jallad, 48,
from Nablus, seriously injured by shrapnel in the face;
2) S’oud Mohammed Saleh
Ghannam, 62, from Nablus, injured by shrapnel in the left hand;
3) Mohammed S’oud Mohammed
Ghannam, 20, from Nablus, injured by shrapnel in the upper part of the body;
and
4) Ahraf Hassan Abu Nada, 21,
from Nablus, injured by shrapnel in the left thigh.
At
approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with
tanks and military vehicles thrust 150m into the east of Wadi Al-Heria
neighborhood in Hebron. They opened fire
from heavy machine guns on Palestinian houses. Four Palestinians, including three security men were injured as follows:
1) Amin Hassan Edris, 28, a
civilian, injured by shrapnel throughout the body;
2) Shadi Talal Seder, 24, a
member of the Preventive Security Service, injured by shrapnel in the left
shoulder;
3) Nidal Abu Zahra, 25, a
policeman, injured by a live bullet in the foot; and
4) Amir Mahmoud Abu Tu’eima,
21, a policeman, injured by shrapnel throughout the body.
At
approximately 13:00 local time, a 14-year-old child, Wa’el Hussein ‘Abdel-‘Aal,
from Rafah, was injured by shrapnel in the head, the chest and the left arm
when Israeli occupation forces, positioned near Salah El-Din Gate at the border
with Egypt, shelled the city. PCHR’s
field officer in Rafah reported that the Israeli occupation forces used
artillery shells and heavy and medium machine guns to shell Palestinian houses
in Block “O” area and at ‘Omar Ben Al-Khattab Street. In similar circumstances, at approximately
19:00 local time, a 10-year-old child, Ahmed Subhi Abu Toyour, was injured by
shrapnel in the head.
At
approximately 15:15 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in
“Tsheva” military site in the northern Jordan Valley, opened fire from heavy,
medium and light machine guns on Palestinian houses in Tayaseer village in
Toubas. Fawzi Mahoud El-‘Einabousi, 25,
was injured by a live bullet in the shoulder, when he was near his house,
approximately 1,500m away from the source of fire.
At
approximately 20:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza City, shelled a site of the
Palestinian National Security Forces at the coastal road between Gaza City and
the southern Gaza Strip, approximately 600m north of the aforementioned
settlement. Later, Israeli occupation
forces, reinforced with four tanks and two bulldozers moved towards the site
and completely destroyed it. Then, they
withdrew from the area. During this
operation, Israeli gunboats fired flash bombs into the air.
At
approximately 21:40 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
border east of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire from heavy
machine guns on Palestinian areas west of the border. The gunfire lasted until 23:00 local time,
but no casualties were reported.
At
approximately 21:50 local time, Israeli occupation forces opened fire from
heavy machine guns on Palestinian areas in Jabalya adjacent to the eastern
border of the Gaza Strip. No casualties
were reported.
At
approximately 21:55 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of “Dogit” settlement, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip,
opened fire from heavy machine guns on nearby Palestinian farms. Gunfire lasted for approximately one hour,
but no casualties were reported.
At
approximately 22:05 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in a
military site south of “Erez” area in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire on a
site of the Palestinian National Security Forces, approximately 400m to the
south. No casualties were reported.
At
midnight, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of “Gadid” and
“Neve Dekalim” settlements, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire from heavy and
medium machine guns on Palestinian Houses in Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, Baten
Al-Samin area and the south and west of Khan Yunis refugee camp. A number of houses were severely damged.
Tuesday,
September 11, 2001
At
approximately 00:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned near
Salah El-Din Gate at the border with Egypt, opened fire on Palestinian houses
in Block “O” area in Rafah refugee camp. Three Palestinian young men were injured as follows:
1) Anis Mohammed Nasser,
injured by a live bullet in the left arm;
2) Eyad ‘Ali Joudeh, 24,
injured by shrapnel in the face; and
3) Ahmed ‘Atteya El-‘Azzazi,
21, injured by shrapnel in the left arm.
At
approximately 06:15 local time, Israeli occupation forces opened fire on
Palestinian farms in the east and north of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza
Strip. The gunfire lasted for half an
hour. No casualties were reported.
At
approximately 07:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned the
eastern border of the Gaza Strip east of Jablaya, opened fire from heavy
machine guns on Palestinian farms east of Martyrs Cemetery. No casualties amongst Palestinian farmers
were reported.
At
approximately 10:00 local time, two tanks of the Israeli occupation forces
moved towards the coastal road linking between Gaza City and the southern Gaza
Strip, west of “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza City. They closed the road and took position at a
site of the Palestinian National Security Forces that had been demolished on
the previous day. Approximately one hour
later, the Israeli forces withdrew and reopened the road.
On
Tuesday morning, the Israeli occupation forces initiated an incursion into
Jenin and its refugee camp, under full control of the Palestinian National
Authority, described as the widest in the city since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa
Intifada. Dozens of tanks and military
vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces moved into the city, while tanks,
combat helicopters and F-16 fighter jets intensively shelled it. Palestinian civilians, gunmen and security
men confronted this wide incursion. A
number of Palestinians were killed or injured, while civilian and security
facilities were severely damaged.
Israeli
occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and military vehicles, had strictly
besieged Jenin and its refugee camp since Monday evening, September 10,
2001. On Tuesday, at approximately 02:40
local time, tanks moved into the south of the city and destroyed a roadblock of
the Palestinian President’s Guard (Force 17), while intensively shelling Palestinian
residential areas. These forces thrust
approximately 4km into areas under full control of the Palestinian National
Authority and dug a wide trench into the street. Other units of the Israeli occupation forces,
reinforced with tanks, moved into the northwest of the city, after they had
shelled a roadblock of the Palestinian National Security Forces at Jenin-Haifa
road. They thrust approximately 1km into
areas under full control of the Palestinian National Authority. Other units of the Israeli occupation forces
moved into the west of the city and established a sand barricade at
Jenin-Bourqin road, closing the entrance to Jenin Refugee camp. Other units of the Israeli occupation forces
moved into the east of the city after they had destroyed a roadblock of the
Palestinian National Security Forces. They positioned near Al-Sa’dia and Al-Sweitat neighborhoods, while tanks
were positioned in Al-Jabriat arae, south of the refugee camp.
At
approximately 05:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned north of
Jenin refugee camp, fired live bullets and three artillery shells at a number
of Palestinian civilians who gathered near an UNRWA school. Two Palestinian civilians were killed as
follows:
1) Eyad Suleiman El-Masri,
20, from Jenin refugee camp, killed by shrapnel throughout the body; and
2) Ibrahim ‘Ali Fayed, 25,
from Jenin refugee camp, killed by shrapnel throughout the body.
Wednesday,
September 12, 2001
The
Israeli occupation continued to impose a strict siege on the city of
Jenin. Early in the morning, they
resumed shelling the city. Such
shelling, which lasted from 00:00 to 02:00 local time, targeted Al-Zaharneh
neighborhood in the west of the city. More than 90 artillery shells hit Palestinian houses, causing severe
damge.
Also
early in the morning, Muhannad Raja Abu El-Haija, 25, was killed by shrapnel
from an artillery shell in the head, when the Israeli occupation forces shelled
his house in Jenin. In the meanwhile,
the Israeli occupation forces moved into the city from three directions, the
east, the west and the south, towards the center of the city. They besieged the Palestinian governmental
compound, known as “Al-Muqata’a,” and destroyed it with dozens of bombs. They also put some bombs in a Palestinian
police station and left the area before they explode. They withdrew to the areas which they had
reoccupied on Tuesday.
As
a result of the indiscriminate shelling by the Israeli occupation forces,
dozens of Palestinians, including two journalists who were on duty, were
injured. The journalists are:
1) ‘Ali Sadiq El-Samoudi, 37,
from Jenin, correspondent of Al-Ayyam daily local newspaper, injured by
shrapnel in the legs; and
2) Seif Shawqi El-Dahla, 27,
from Jenin, correspondent of the Palestinian News Agency (Wafa), injured by
shrapnel in the abdomen, the pelvis and the thighs.
The
following were among those who were injured:
1) Nabil ‘Abdel-Rahman
Sabbah, 15, seriously injured by shrapnel in the head and the back;
2) Marah Mohammed Abu
Sirreya, ½, received burns in the face;
3) Eihab Ayman Esteitia, 10,
injured by shrapnel in the left leg;
4) Suha Sa’id Khamaysa, 14,
injured by shrapnel in the left foot;
5) Samer Mohammed Qarini, 16,
injured by shrapnel in the neck;
6) Lu’ai Amin Dhabaia, 16,
injured by shrapnel in the head;
7) Khalil Hassan Fadhala, 17,
injured by shrapnel in the back;
8) Mustafa Faisal Abu
Sirreya, 19, injured by shrapnel in the right leg;
9) ‘Omar ‘Adnan Nu’eirat, 21,
seriously injured by a medium caliber bullet in the back;
10) Ahmed Fathi Abu Baker, 19,
injured by shrapnel in the right leg;
11) Yousef Zuhair Gharib, 19,
injured by shrapnel in the shoulder;
12) Mohammed Ibrahim ‘Eid, 20,
injured by shrapnel throughout the body;
13) Fadhel Khaled Masharqa,
41, injured by shrapnel in the head;
14) Amjad ‘Abdel-Rahman
Zakarna, 19, inured by a live bullet in the left leg;
15) Amjad Faisal Abu Sirreya,
21, inured by two live bullets in the legs;
16) Muhannad ‘Eissa Wishahi,
19, injured by shrapnel in the head;
17) ‘Ali Mohammed ‘Oweis, 27,
injured by shrapnel in the right eye;
18) Mahmoud Ahmed El-Dik, 44,
injured by shrapnel in the head;
19) Rami Ahmed Abu Shahla, 19,
injured by shrapnel in the face;
20) Mohammed Ghazi Mahajna,
21, from Al-Taybeh, injured by shrapnel in the back and the left leg;
21) Mohammed Qassem Jaradat,
28, injured by shrapnel in the right leg;
22) Mohammed Hassan Abu
Rumeila, 29, injured by a live bullet in the left leg;
23) Mohammed ‘Abdel-Fattah
‘Aamoudi, 31, injured by shrapnel in the left knee;
24) Mohammed Mustafa ‘Arqawi,
23, injured by shrapnel in the left eye;
25) Hassan ‘Abdullah Abu
Sirreya, 24, received burns in the face;
26) Yasser Amin Nazzal, 27,
injured by a live bullet in the hand; and
27) Firas Mahmoud Abu
El-Haija, 21, injured by shrapnel in the left hand.
At
approximately 01:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of “Gadid” and “Neve Dekalim” settlements, west of Khan Yunis, opened
fire from heavy and medium machine guns on Al-Nemswai neighborhood and Bayten
Al-Samin area, a number of houses were damaged.
At
approximately 06:00 local time, Israeli combat helicopters opened fire from
heavy machine guns on a Palestinian car, in which Tha’er Muhsen Mhdawi, 28,
from Al-Far’a refugee camp, killing him instantly with several heavy caliber
bullets. Mahdawi, an officer of the
Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Toubas, traveled in his car to Tmmoun
village, after he received information that commando units of the Israeli
occupation forces entered the village. Later, Lieutenant Colonel Tawfiq Ibrahim Hussein Jaber, 42, from
Qalqilya, and members of the security service went to the place of the incident. As soon as they arrived at the area, Israeli
combat helicopters opened fire from heavy machine guns on their car. Jaber and one of his colleagues, Shaher Ahmed
‘Abdel-Raziq Bani ‘Oudeh, 28, from Tammoun village, were instantly killed. Then, the Israeli occupation forces moved
into Tammoun village and demolished the house of Martyr Mohammed Ahmed
Bisharat, 28, whom the Israeli occupation forces assassinated on July 1, 2001,
along with Walid Easmi Bisharat, 20, and Sameh Nouri Abu Huneish, 22, from Beit
Dajan village near Nablus. The Israeli
occupation forces also demolished a bridge at the entrance of Tammoun, the only
exit for Palestinians.
In
the meanwhile, Israeli combat helicopters fired two rockets at the house of
Fawaz Saleh Bani ‘Oudeh, totally destroying it. They also attacked the building of the Palestinian National Security
Forces with three rockets, totally destroying it. In addition, they fired a rocket at a
Palestinian civilian car that was traveling near Tammoun. The car was destroyed and its driver, ‘Aamer
Walid Abu ‘Erra, from Aqaba village, was seriously injured. Shelling of Tammoun village resulted in
injuries to 17 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
At
approximately 06:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with
tanks thrust approximately 50m into Block “J” area in Rafah refugee camp. They opened fire from heavy and light machine
guns on Palestinian houses. Yahia Hassan
El-Masri, 38, was seriously injured by a live bullet in the abdomen. He was evacuated to Al-Joneina Hospital in
Rafah.
At
approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces resumed shelling of
Jenin, using artillery shells and heavy machine guns. ‘Adila Hussein Zeidan, 38, was injured by a
heavy caliber bullet in the jaw, while she was in the kitchen of her house in
Al-Jabriat neighborhood.
3. Continued Assassinations
and Extra-Judicial Killings
This
week, Israeli occupation forces committed two new assassinations, in which six
Palestinians, including a 14-year-old child, were killed, and 11 were injured.
1) Riad Zuhdi El-Masri, 55, from Nablus, injured by
shrapnel throughout the body;
2) Saher Na’im Hussein El-Zughol, 31, from Tulkarm,
injured by shrapnel in the face; and
3) Malek Zuhdi Suleiman, 59, from Tulkarm, injured by
shrapnel in the face and the abdomen.
On Wednesday morning,
September 12, 2001, at approximately 05:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, reinforced with tanks, under an air cover by combat helicopters, moved
into ‘Aarrabeh village, south of Nablus. They destroyed a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces. They moved towards the house of Sufian Ahmed
Tawfiq El-‘Aarda, 28, an Islamic Jihad activist. El-‘Aarda was on the second floor of the
house with two other Islamic Jihad activists, Wa’el Mutlaq ‘Assaf, 20, from
‘Arrabeh, and As’ad ‘Abdel-Rahman Abu Daqqa, 25, from ‘Attil village near
Tulkarm. Israeli forces opened fire from
heavy machine guns on them. El-‘Aarda
was wounded by two heavy caliber bullets in the head and the chest, and his
colleagues were killed. His family
attempted to evacuate him from the house into an ambulance that was travelling
to Tulkram. However, Israeli soldiers
chased the ambulance and arrested him. Later, Israeli radio reported that he died.
Haitham El-‘Aarda, 31,
moved to the second floor after his brother had been evacuated, trying to offer
help to the other two victims. He was
killed by two heavy caliber bullets in the chest and the shoulder. When she heard cries of her brother, Balqis,
14, moved to the second floor to help him. Then, Israeli soldiers called on the family by loudspeakers to leave it. An Israeli combat helicopter attacked the
house with two rockets. Balqis was
killed, and two civilians, who came to offer help to the family, were injured
as follows:
1) Na’im Mohammed ‘Ezziddin, 28, injured by a heavy
caliber bullet in the shoulder; and
2) Ahmed Mustafa El-‘Aarda, 21, injured by shrapnel in
the back.
4. A Palestinian Child Killed in Hebron in an Attack by
Israeli Occupation Forces and Jewish Settlers
On Friday evening,
September 7, 2001, Khaled ‘Arafat El-Batch, 2½, was killed after he fell from
top of his house, while Jewish settlers and Israeli occupation forces were
attacking Palestinian civilians and houses in Al-Qazzazin neighborhood in
Hebron. In his testimony to the
Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
(LAW), the child’s sister said:
“At approximately 16:30 (local time), a group of Jewsih settlers
moved into the old market and started throwing stones at houses in Al-Qazzazin
neighborhood, in the presence of Israeli forces. Residents of the neighborhood responded by
throwing stones at settlers. Then,
Israeli soldiers intervened and fired tear gas at Palestinian houses. Among the attacking forces were members of
the previous South Lebanon Army that was collaborating with Israel. We could identify them as they spoke Lebanese
Arabic. Then, these forces raided the
houses. A number of my family members
were on top of the house. My brother
Khaled fell from the roof onto the street. My bother Ziad, 18, went to help him, but Israeli soldiers prevented and
detained him. Later, Khaled was
pronounced dead at hospital as a result of a fracture to the skull.”
5. Attacks on Palestinian
Land
On
Monday, September 10, 2001, at approximately 18:00 local time, Israeli
occupation forces started establishing cement foundations on a 30-donum area of
agricultural land east of “Kfar Darom” settlement that had bean leveled on
November 19, 2000. The owner is
‘Abdel-Qader ‘Abdel-Rahman Bashir. Reasons for this act are not known.
Meanwhile,
Israeli occupation forces were razing areas of agricultural land in Tal Reidan
in the Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis. PCHR’s
field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the Israeli forces razed:
1) A 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with guavas, owned by ‘Ali Mousa El-Astal; and
2) A 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with guavas and palms, owned by Hussein Mohammed El-Astal.
On
Wednesday morning, September 12, 2001, Israeli occupation forces thrust
approximately 600m into Palestinian agricultural land west of the eastern
border of the Gaza Strip and east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza Strip. They razed areas of agricultural land as
follows:
1) A 4-donum area of
agricultural land, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables stood, owned
by Ayman Salem Abu Sel’a, and they destroyed an agricultural pool and an
irrigation pump;
2) A 4-donum area of
agricultural land, on which a greenhouse planted with vegetables stood, owned
by Ismail Salameh Abu Sel’a;
3) A 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and olives, owned by ‘Oudeh Salameh Abu
Sel’a, and destroyed an irrigation network;
4) A 7-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mousa Rihan;
5) A 13-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and vegetables, owned by
Mohammed El-Zagha, and destroyed an irrigation network;
6) A 5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, owned by Abu Khaled Shabat;
and
7) A 3-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mohammed Rahmi El-Mutawaq, and
destroyed an agricultural pool.
On
Wednesday evening, Israeli occupation forces demolished a 150-meter-long fence
on land owned by Baker El-Rayes, south of Al-Shuhada junction, south of Gaza
City. The land is approximately 200m
away from an Israeli military site in the area.
6. Arrests by Israeli
Occupation Forces
This
week, Israeli occupation forces arrested many Palestinians. These arrests took place in the following
ways:
1) Arrests at international
border crossings, which are under the control of Israeli occupation forces.
2) Arrests at military
roadblocks on main and branch roads and at the entrances to Palestinian cities
and villages.
3) Arrests in Palestinian
towns and villages, often during house raids.
The
following table lists significant arrests that took place this week:
|
No. |
Name |
Age |
Place of Residence |
Date of
|
Manner of Arrest |
|
1. |
Sawsan |
14 |
Hebron |
September |
While |
|
2. |
‘Alla’ El-Din Hussein Jaber |
25 |
Rafah |
September |
At |
|
3. |
Eyad |
24 |
Al-Remal, |
September |
While |
|
4. |
Nihad |
18 |
Al-Remal, |
September |
While |
|
5. |
Fares |
21 |
Al-Remal, |
September |
While |
|
6. |
Sameh |
24 |
Jabalya |
September |
While |
|
7. |
‘Adnan |
40 |
Al-Shati, |
September |
While |
|
8. |
Mohammed |
18 |
Al-Shati, |
September |
While |
|
9. |
Haitham |
22 |
Al-Shati, |
September |
While |
|
10. |
Eihab |
19 |
Al-Shati, |
September |
During |
|
11. |
‘Alla’ |
23 |
Sheikh |
September |
While |
|
12. |
Mohammed |
25 |
Al-Remal, |
September |
While |
|
13. |
Jalal |
20 |
‘Arbouna, |
September |
Arrested |
|
14. |
Mohammed |
19 |
‘Arbouna, |
September |
Arrested |
|
15. |
Anwar |
20 |
‘Arbouna, |
September |
Arrested |
|
16. |
Yasser |
21 |
‘Arbouna, |
September |
Arrested |
|
17. |
Ahmed |
15 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
During |
|
18. |
Mohammed |
21 |
Rafah |
September |
At |
|
19. |
Samir |
44 |
Rafah |
September |
In |
|
20. |
Daoud |
27 |
Al-Ta’amra, |
September |
At |
|
21. |
Bassam |
25 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
22. |
Tha’er |
22 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
23. |
Mohammed |
27 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
24. |
Mohammed |
17 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
25. |
Mohammed |
23 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
26. |
Mohammed |
24 |
Ya’bad, |
September |
Taken |
|
27. |
Khader |
20 |
Beit |
September |
Taken |
|
28. |
MouSA |
20 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
29. |
‘Abdel-Raziq |
21 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
30. |
Khalifa |
20 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
31. |
Rami |
23 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
32. |
‘Abed |
20 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
33. |
Wa’el |
24 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
34. |
‘Eissa |
22 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
35. |
Munther |
21 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
36. |
Hammam |
19 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
37. |
‘Abdel-Karim |
25 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
38. |
‘Abdel-Mahdi |
23 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
|
39. |
Salem |
24 |
Hazma, |
September |
Taken |
****
PCHR calls:
1) Upon governmental delegations to the World Conference
Against Racism in Durban in South Africa to adopt crucial decisions condemning
practices by Israel and its belligerent occupation forces in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories, which can only be described as apartheid against the
Palestinian people.
2) Upon the international community to provide immediate
and independent international protection for the Palestinian people in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
3) Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth
Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene in order to take effective measures to
protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in
accordance with their obligations under article 1 to ensure the respect of the
Convention.
4) Upon the international community to investigate and
prosecute those believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories before international courts
5) Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its
activities, and intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.
6) Upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the
Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect
human rights.
7) Upon the international community to provide humanitarian and medical
assistance for the Palestinian people, whose living conditions are increasingly
deteriorating as a result of the continued siege imposed by the Israeli
occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.
For more information on the Al-Aqsa Intifada
see: www.pchrgaza.org
