The Bloodiest Week Since the Beginning of the Intifada

Israeli Occupying Forces Target Civilians, Medical Personnel
and Journalists

 

 

· 87 Palestinians, including 70 civilians,
killed by Israeli occupying forces, in addition to an Italian journalist;

 

· large-scale invasions of Palestinian
cities, villages and refugee camps, killing dozens of Palestinians and wounding
hundreds;

 

· three assassinations and 4 Palestinians,
including 5 children and a woman, killed;

 

· massive shelling of Palestinian cities,
villages and refugee camps;

 

· 4 Palestinian medical personnel killed
while on duty by Israeli occupying forces;

 

· some Palestinians bleed until death due
to obstructed access to emergency medical care by Israeli occupying forces;

 

· in an attempt to silence the press, an Italian
journalist killed and two wounded by Israeli occupying forces;

 

· hundreds of Palestinian civilians
arrested during incursions into Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps;

 

· a total siege on the OPT and many areas subjected to
curfew;

 

· a number of houses demolished and large areas of
agricultural land razed; and

 

· a Palestinian woman dies due to the obstruction of
her access to hospital.

 

 

Introduction

 

This report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories (OPT) in the period 7-13 March 2002. Israeli occupying forces launched an
unprecedented full-scale assault against Palestinian civilians and property
throughout the OPT using ground, air, and sea forces. According to PCHR’s documentation, this week,
87 Palestinians, including 70 civilians, and an Italian journalist were killed
and hundreds were wounded by Israeli occupying forces. 

 

The OPT witnessed the largest Israeli military
campaign against the OPT since the beginning of Al-Aqsa Intifada this
week. On 11 March, Israeli occupying
forces have invaded Ramallah and Al-Bireh in the West Bank and imposed a total curfew. They opened fire indiscriminately at people,
including medical personnel and journalists. Seven Palestinians and an Italian journalist were killed and dozens were
injured. 

 

As part of an all-out offensive against Palestinian refugee camps,
Israeli occupying forces mounted a major invasion of the Jabalya refugee camp
in the northern Gaza strip with tanks and helicopter gunships, killing 16
Palestinians and destroying a house and some workshops.

 

On 8 March, Israeli
occupying forces invaded Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, in the southern
Gaza strip, killing 16 Palestinians and wounding 8. According to PCHR’s investigations, an
Israeli force attacked Khuza’a village from the east and northeast. After assuming complete control over the
village, Israeli soldiers converted a number of houses into military outposts,
confining the inhabitants and firing indiscriminately from rooftops. Over the course of several hours, Israeli
forces killed 16 Palestinians in the village, 11 of them civilians.

 

At
the same time, Israeli occupying forces attacked Bethlehem governorate, using
tanks, armored personnel carriers and two combat helicopters. They killed eight Palestinians, including
seven civilians.

 

On 7 and 8 March, Israeli occupying forces invaded
Tulkarm and its refugee camps, killing 15 Palestinians, including two medical
personnel.

 

Israeli occupying forces also maintained their bombardment of civil and
security institutions throughout the OPT. On 11 March, an Israeli Apache helicopter gunship shelled an
air-conditioning shop located on the ground floor of the Deir Latin elementary
and preparatory school in the centre of al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza
city. The workshop was completely
destroyed, and one of the missiles destroyed a classroom in the school. Nearby houses and apartment buildings were
damaged.

 

On 12 March, Israeli Apache helicopter gunships shelled a metal factory
in Ma’en village, east of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Fire broke out due to the shelling, killing
four people and wounding one.

 

In a continuation of the policy of assassination and
extra-judicial killing formally adopted by the Israeli government, this week, Israeli
occupying forces committed three assassinations in Ramallah and Jenin and
Bethlehem in the West Bank. Four
Palestinians were killed.

 

In violation of international humanitarian law,
especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, in the last two weeks, Israeli
occupying forces targeted Palestinian ambulances. They also denied the access of the wounded to
emergency treatment leading to more deaths among Palestinians. Three Palestinian paramedics and a physician
were killed in three separated incidents in Tulkarm, Beit Lahia, and Bethlehem.

 

In an apparent willful killing, on 8 March, Israeli occupying forces
shot dead a 22-year-old Palestinian civilian in Beit Hanina in occupied
Jerusalem. 

 

Israeli occupying forces arrested hundreds of
Palestinian civilians in Tulkarm, Bethlehem and Ramallah in the West Bank and
in Wadi al-Salqa village in the Gaza Strip. They were taken to prison camps. 

 

Israeli occupying forces tightened the siege imposed
on the OPT. They divided the Gaza Strip
into four isolated zones and restricted the movement of Palestinian civilians
and goods, in violation of Palestinian economic and social rights. A Palestinian woman died in Qalqilya due to
the obstruction of her access to hospital by Israeli occupying forces at a
military roadblock.

 

This week, Israeli occupying demolished a number of
Palestinian houses and razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in
the Gaza Strip, especially in Al-Mawasi area in the south. 

 

 

 

 1. Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian National
Authority Controlled Areas

 

Thursday, 7 March 2002

 

As part of a war against Palestinian refugee camps,
Israeli occupying forces invaded and assumed control over Tulkarm and its two
refugee camps. They killed 9 Palestinians,
including two medical personnel (see the section of attacks on Palestinian
medical personnel) and arrested and interrogated about 800 people, most of whom
were released later. 

 

According to investigations carried out by LAW – the Palestinian Society for
the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment – early in the morning, an
elite Israeli unit
moved into Nour Shams refugee camp in the east of Tulkarm. They opened fire at Palestinians houses,
killing Akram Hassan Ghanayem, 30, with an artillery shell, and Husni Nayef Hussein
Khairallah, 32, with several live bullets in the chest and the right hand.

 

At approximately 02:30, approximately 120 Israeli
military vehicles supported by three combat helicopters invaded Tulkarm. They opened fire indiscriminately in all
directions. A number of Palestinian
security men and gunmen confronted the invading forces. Five Palestinians were killed:

1. Yousef
Mohammed Yousef Abu Shehada, 17, from Nour Shams refugee camp, killed by
shrapnel from an artillery shell in the face and the chest;

2. Muhannad
Amjad ‘Abdullah Abu Hilal, 17, from Tulkarm city, killed by several live
bullets in the chest;

3. Tariq Zakaria
Rafiq Abu Jamous, 18, from Tulkarm refugee camp, killed by several live bullets
throughout the body;

4. Walid Mousa
Ghanem, 25, from Tulkarm city, killed by a live bullet in the head; and

5. Shadi Tawfiq ‘Abbas, 20, from Tulkarm
refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in the head. 

 

In
addition, 32 Palestinians were injured. The invading Israeli forces also seized two UNRWA schools and a
commercial building transforming them into military outposts. 

 

At
approximately 19:00, two Israeli combat helicopters launched two air-to-surface
missiles at a Palestinian police station in Jabalya refugee camp, causing
severe damage and wounding 5 passing civilians:

1. Leila ‘Abed-Rabbu Saleh, 6;

2. Aaya Samir Darabeih, 10;

3. Ibrahim Rajab Al-Eskafi, 24;

4. Shadia Sabri Abu Zubeida, 18; and

5. Ussama Ibrahim Subeih, 28.

 

Friday, 8 March 2002

 

Early
in the morning, Israeli occupying forces invaded Khuza’a village, east of Khan
Yunis, in the southern Gaza strip, killing 16 Palestinians, including Brigadier
Ahmed Hassan Mufaraj, a senior Palestinian security official, and wounding 8
civilians.

 

According
to PCHR’s investigations, an Israeli force attacked Khuza’a village at
approximately 02:00 from the east and northeast. After assuming complete control over the
village, Israeli soldiers converted a number of houses into military outposts,
confining the inhabitants and firing indiscriminately from rooftops. Over the course of several hours, Israeli
forces killed 16 Palestinians in the village, 11 of them civilians.

 

Brigadier
Ahmed Hassan Mufaraj, commander of the Palestinian National Security Forces for
the southern Gaza strip, soon arrived at the scene to assess the
situation. He was shot in the thigh by
Israeli forces and bled to death. According to PCHR’s findings, ambulances attempting to reach the area
were fired upon by Israeli forces, preventing them from treating or evacuating
the wounded.  A PCHR fieldworker found
that two other Palestinians in the village also bled to death due to Israeli
attacks on Palestinian ambulances. Those
killed in Khuza’a were:

 1. Khalid Ibrahim Qudeih, 35, run over by a tank after being wounded by
Israeli forces;

 2. Khalil Zir’ei Qudeih, 33, shot in the stomach and left to bleed to death;

 3. Mahmoud Shehdeh Qudeih, 52, shot in the head and left to bleed to death;

 4. Moussa Mohammed al-Najjar, 47, shot in the head;

 5. Baker Hussein al-Najjar, 18, shot in the chest and stomach;

 6. Riyad Mohammed Abu Reda, 30, shot in the head;

 7. Ayman Ibrahim Abu Tayr, 27, shot in the chest;

 8. Marwan Salman Abu Mutlaq, 22, shot in the chest;

 9. Husam Shehdeh Abu Tayr, 22, shot in the head;

10. Ibrahim Yehiyeh Abu Daqqa, 23,
shot in the back;

11. Hamad Tawfiq Abu Reida, 27,
shot throughout the body;

12. Brigadier Ahmed Hassan Mufaraj,
commander of the National Security Forces for the southern Gaza strip, shot in
the leg and left to bleed to death;

13. Ashraf Salman al-Najjar, 33,
hit by a bullet in the stomach; a member of the Palestinian National Security
Forces;

14. ‘Aaref
Ramadan Herazallah, 36, hit by a bullet in the chest; a member of the National
Security Forces;

15. Riyad al-Qasaas, 43, killed by
shrapnel throughout the body; a member of the National Security Forces and a
bodyguard of Mufaraj;

16. Eihab Abdul-Karim al-Talatini,
26, killed by shrapnel throughout the body; a member of the National Security
Forces.

 

 In
addition, 8 Palestinians were wounded:

1. Isma’il Ibrahim Abu Sabha, 22,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh;

2. Naji Hussein Al-Najjar, 30,
seriously wounded by two live bullets in the abdomen;

3. Ja’far Khalil Kallan, 42,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen;

4. Mohammed Amin al-Shawaf, 16,
wounded by two live bullets in the left arm and the lower jaw;

5. ‘Omar
Mahmoud Abu Daqqa, 25, wounded by a live bullet in the feet;

6. ‘Ali
Salem ‘Arafat, 22, wounded by a live
bullet and shrapnel in the right hand and shoulder;

7. Bassam Sha’ban Abu Tu’eima, 23,
wounded by a live bullet in the right hand; and

8. ‘Omar
Khaled al-Agha, 26, wounded by a live bullet in the right shoulder. 

 

At
approximately 01:00, Israeli gunboats and combat helicopters bombarded an
outpost used by the Palestinian Marine Police in al-Sudaniyeh area, near Gaza
city. The shelling lasted until 03:00,
killing four people and wounding four. Those killed were:

1. Sa’id Yusef Shalayel, 26, a
paramedic from Jabalya, hit by shrapnel throughout the body, killed while
attempting to treat the wounded;

2. Abdel-Ra’uf Hassan Hussein Abu
‘Obeid, 33, from Jabalya, hit by shrapnel throughout the body (a bystander to
the attack);

3. Samer Wajih Yunis Judeh, 23,
hit by shrapnel throughout the body; a member of the Palestinian Marine Police;
and

4. Hani Radwan ‘Aashour, 28, from al-Zaytoun in Gaza City, shot in
the neck; a member of the Palestinian Marine Police.

 

Those
wounded were:

1. Mohammed Ghazi El-Hissi, 25, a
paramedic from Khan Yunis, critically wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;

2. Shadi Mustafa al-Deimi, 26,
from Sheikh Radwan in Gaza City, critically wounded by a live bullet in the
chest;

3. Samer Samih Sha’ban, 23, from
Jabalya, wounded by shrapnel in the left leg; and

4. Jalal Riadh Abu Touq, 22, from
Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body.

 

At
the same time, Israeli occupying forces attacked Bethlehem governorate, using
tanks, armored personnel carriers, and two combat helicopters. In the morning they assumed complete control
over Beit Jala town, ‘Aaida refugee camp, the main road in Bethlehem, Al-Duha
village and the vicinity of Al-Duheisha refugee camp. Seven Palestinians, including six civilians,
were killed:

1. Sa’ed So’ud ‘Eid, 21, from
Al-Duheisha refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in the chest;

2. Ibrahim Mohammed Ibrahim
al-Aa’raj, 37, from ‘Aaida refugee camp, killed by shrapnel in the head and the
limbs;

3. Suleiman Ibrahim al-Debes, 25,
from ‘Aaida
refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in the chest;

4. Huda Isma’il al-Khawaja, 35,
from ‘Aaida refugee camp, killed by shrapnel in the abdomen;

5. ‘Eissa
Zakaria Farjan, 22, from Al-Duheisha refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in
the chest;

6. Jad Mahmoud ‘Atallah Salem, 25, from Al-Duheisha refugee camp,
killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell that was fired at his car; and

7. ‘Emad
Mahdi al-Soufi, 23, from Gaza, killed by shrapnel in the head. 

 

Israeli
occupying forces continued their aggression on Tulkarm and its two refugee
camps. On Friday, six Palestinians,
including two civilians were killed:

1. Mohammed Ma’moun Fayez Abu
‘Ali, 10, killed by a live bullet in the heart;

2. ‘Aadel
Rebhi Mohammed Abu Safaqa, 31, from Tulkarm city, killed by a live bullet in
the left eye;

3. Khaled Nayef Khairallah, 37,
from Nour Shams refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in the heart;

4.  Ahmed Nasser Daoud Abu Tamam,
55, from Tulkarm refugee camp, killed by a live bullet in the back;

5. Ma’zouz ‘Abdel-Fattah
Al-Jaroushi, 37, from Tulkarm refugee camp, killed by shrapnel from an
artillery shell; and

6. Ziad ‘Abdel-Rahim
‘Ali Jarad, 37, from ‘Ezbat
Al-Jarad village, killed by several live bullets throughout the body. 

 

At
approximately 10:30, a pair of Israeli Apache helicopter gunships fired two
missiles at offices of the Palestinian National Security Forces and the civil
police in Khan Yunis, seriously damaging the two buildings, which had been
bombarded on previous occasions. General
Abdel-Razzaq al-Majaidi, head of the Palestinian National Security Forces, was
at the site during the attack, receiving condolences for the killing of
Mufraj. He and others present were not
hurt.

 

In the morning, five Israeli
military vehicles besieged Al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. At approximately 11:30, they opened fire
indiscriminately at Palestinian houses, killing 14-year-old Sayed Fayez Yousef
Abu Seifain, with a heavy caliber bullet in the chest. According to eyewitness, the child was in the
yard of his family’s house, when an Israeli tank, approximately 300m away, shot
him dead.

 

At approximately 20:00, an Israeli combat helicopter
launched three air-to-surface missiles at a police station in Jabalya refugee
camp. Two missiles hit the station
causing severe damage, while the third missile fell onto a small house
approximately 200m away from the police station, damaging it. The house, owned by Bahia ‘Abdel-Hadi ‘Awadh,
was empty. Six adjacent houses were
damaged and two children were wounded:

1. Yousef Naji Sarhan, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the
head and throughout the body; and

2. ‘Abdel-Karim Sami Abu El-‘Amrein, 9, wounded by
shrapnel in the head. 

 

At approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces
demolished a 170-square-meter, one-story house, in which 7 persons used to
live, owned by Khaled Ahmed Salman Abu ‘Obeid, northeast of the “Kfar Darom”
settlement in the east of Deir El-Balah. Residents of the house had evacuated it since 3 February due to frequent
shelling by Israeli occupying forces positioned in the aforementioned
settlement. 

 

Saturday, 9 March 2002

 

At approximately 01:30, Israeli military vehicles
moved approximately 200m into Al-Rabwat Al-Gharbia area in the northwest of
Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza strip, under the cover of intense gunfire. They demolished:

1. a
175-square-meter, under-construction house owned by ‘Abdel-Hakim Ahmed Al-Shanna;

2. a
175-square-meter, under-construction house owned by Mohammed Hashem Al-Majaidi;
and

3. a 1-donum
fuel station rented by ‘Eissa ‘Abdel-Rahim ‘Abdel-Hadi from the Ministry of Housing.

 

At approximately 20:40, five Israeli combat
helicopters launched 30 air-to-surface missiles at four roadblocks of the
Palestinian Presidential Guard (Force 17) at the seashore in the west of Gaza, leading
to the office of the Palestinian president. The roadblocks were totally destroyed and a number of adjacent houses
and civilian facilities were severely damaged, such as Beirut tower building
comprised of 24 flats, Zahrat Al-Mada’en tower building comprised of 56 flats,
Al-Fairuz tower building comprised of 40 flats, Zahrat Al-Mada’en tourist
village (Shalihat), and some houses. 

 

Israeli occupying forces continued their attacks on
Bethlehem, in the West Bank. They shot
dead Nidaa’ Suleiman al-‘Azza, 15, with a live bullet in the chest, and wounded
two other civilians. 

 

At approximately 21:00, Israeli occupying forces in a
military location south of Wadi Al-Salqa village, east of Deir El-Balah in the
central Gaza strip, fired four artillery shells at Palestinian houses in the
village. Then, they moved approximately
50m into the village with a military bulldozer. They demolished four houses out of 22 which had been threatened with
demolition on 19 February before a temporary order by the Israeli Supreme Court
in response to an appeal by PCHR halted the demolition of 16 of the houses:

1. a
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 8 persons used to live, owned
by ‘Abdullah Shehada El-Ma’ghaiza;

2. a
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 5 persons used to live, owned
by Mustafa ‘Abdullah El-Ma’ghaiza;

3. a
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 2 persons used to live, owned
by Ahmed ‘Abdullah El-Ma’ghaiza; and

4. a
70-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which one person used to live, owned
by Salah ‘Abdullah Shehada. 

 

At approximately 22:20, an Israeli combat helicopter
fired two missiles at a Palestinian police station in Sheikh Radwan
neighborhood in Gaza, damaging it. 

 

At midnight, Israeli military vehicles thrust approximately
1km into Al-Mughraqa area in the south of Gaza City. They destroyed a 200-square-meter, two-story
house and an adjacent 1-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Yahia
Al-Ghoul. Residents of the house left it
on 22 June 2001 after a member of the family, Bilal, 19, was killed by an
assassination attempt by Israeli occupying forces that targeted his father
Yahia. 

 

Sunday, 10 March 2002

 

At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces
thrust approximately 2km into Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood and the western
refugee camp in Rafah, in the southern Gaza strip. They completely seized the two areas under
the cover of intensive shelling that targeted Palestinian houses. This incursion continued until 05:30 during
which Israeli occupying forces raided 11 houses searching for wanted
Palestinians. They did not arrest
anyone, as they did not find any of the wanted. The incursion was expected, so all the want had already left the two
areas. Israeli occupying forces
destroyed a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces, 3 main roads and
a civilian car owned by Tariq Khaled El-Sheikh ‘Ali. They also shelled electricity transmitters,
leaving Rafah without electricity. 

 

At approximately 03:00, Israeli helicopters and
gunboats shelled the office of the Palestinian president (Al-Muntada) on the Gaza
seashore. A three-story adjacent
building, which was the old office of the president, was totally
destroyed. 

 

At approximately 06:30, an Israeli combat helicopter
fired two air-to-surface missiles at a site of the Palestinian General
Intelligence in Rafah. The site and
nearby houses were damaged, but no casualties were reported.

 

At approximately 15:00, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet
launched two missiles at a Palestinian police station in the west of Jabalya,
totally destroying it. 

 

At approximately 17:00, an Israeli combat helicopter
fired two missiles at a site of the Palestinian General Intelligence in
Bitounia in the west of Ramallah, damaging it and two adjacent houses.

 

At approximately 18:50, an Israeli F-16 fighter jet
launched a missile at a three-story office of the Palestinian president in
Rafidya neighborhood in Nablus, in the northern West Bank. The third floor of the building was totally
destroyed and adjacent houses and a school were damaged. 

 

At approximately 19:30, an Israeli combat helicopter
fired two missiles at a traffic police station in Jabalya in the northern Gaza
Strip, causing severe damage and wounding a policeman, Salah ‘Abdullah Joudeh, 25, with
shrapnel throughout the body. 

 

Monday, 11 March 2002

 

At approximately 02:30, 50 Israeli military vehicles
supported by combat helicopter moved into Qalqilya from three directions, under
the cover of intense shelling that targeted Palestinian houses and security
sites. They seized control of the whole city. Two Palestinians, a civilian and a security
officer, were killed:

1. ‘Aatef ‘Abdel-‘Aali al-Baiari, 52, killed
by a live bullet in the head; and

2. Yousef Khaled Yousef Al-Aqra’, 28, killed by shrapnel
from a missile fired by an Israeli combat helicopter at his house.

 

At approximately 07:00, Israeli military vehicles moved approximately
700m into the southeast of Al-Boreij refugee camp in the middle Gaza
Strip. They seized a site of the
Palestinian National Security Forces. Palestinians confronted the invading Israeli forces which opened fire at
them. Yahia Hamdan Al-Sa’id, 22, was
killed by a live bullet in the head, and two children were wounded:

 1. Mu’adh Wishah, 14, wounded by a live bullet in the left
shoulder; and

 2. Dhia’ Al-Khatib, 14, wounded by a live bullet in the left
thigh.

 

At approximately 12:00, Israeli tanks and bulldozers moved approximately
1200m into Abu Safia area in the east of Jabalya in the northern Gaza
Strip. They demolished four Palestinian
houses and razed 32 donums of Palestinian agricultural land without prior
warning. 

 

The following table shows houses that were demolished in the area:

 

 

The following table shows areas of agricultural land that were razed:

 

 

As part of an all-out offensive against Palestinian refugee camps,
Israeli occupying forces mounted a major invasion of the Jabalya refugee camp
in the northern Gaza strip with tanks and helicopter gunships, killing 16
Palestinians.

 

At approximately 22:10, at least 50 Israeli military vehicles and
helicopters attacked Jabalya refugee camp from three directions. Israeli forces entered the camp from the from
the Erez industrial zone, Salah al-Din road, and from the eastern border of the
Gaza strip. Israeli forces moved 3km
into Jabalya and killed 16 Palestinians, including a deaf man, two brothers,
and a man and his son. Israeli troops
also destroyed several workshops, factories, and houses. The operation lasted until 03:00 in the
following morning, when Israeli forces redeployed their forces to the main
entrance of the camp on Salah al-Din Street. At 05:00, Israeli forces withdrew from the area after a second attempt
to enter the camp was repelled by local resistance. They then took over an outpost used by the
Palestinian National Security Forces to the east of Jabalya and destroyed it.

 

According
to eyewitnesses, Israeli occupying forces mounted the roof of a house owned by
Ismail Salim and fired at houses 100m away. Abdul Rahman Mohammed Izz al-Din, 55, was hit by several bullets fired
by Israeli forces while standing in his house. When his son, Walid, went to help him,
he too, was killed by Israeli fire. According to eyewitnesses, a deaf man, Samir Sa’di Sababa, 45, was also
killed by Israeli occupying forces at the entrance of Jabalya.

 

The others killed were:

1. Mohammed Salem Abu Sakheila, 21, shot in the chest;

2. Hani Salem Abu Sakheila, 23, brother of Mohammed Salim, shot throughout
the body;

3. Eyad Ahmad Rajab ‘Eissa,
25, shot in the right eye;

4. Yousef Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan, 25, shot in the chest;

5. Fawzi Sabri Omar Abu Shammas, 20, shot in the neck;

6. Sa’ed Ahmad Hasuneh, 22, hit by shrapnel throughout the body;

7. Yaqub Abdul-Fatah ‘Oudeh,
25, shot in the chest;

8. Nabil Abu al-Qarei, 22, shot in the chest;

9. Majdi Abdul Mawthi al-Talouli, 25, shot in the head;

10. Hamoudeh Nijim, 22, hit by shrapnel throughout the body;

11. Mohammed Rushdi ‘Aqeilan,
25, shot in the head;

12. Ahmad Ismail Kafineh, 19, shot in the chest; and

13. Husam Hassan al-Barawi, 22, shot in the chest.

 

According
to a PCHR fieldworker, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a two-story apartment
building using explosives. On the ground
floor was a 300 square meter metal workshop owned by Nabil Mahmoud Tanira. The entire building was completely destroyed
and those nearby were damaged. Israeli
occupying forces claim that such factories and workshops are used to produce
mortars and rockets.

 

Israeli
forces also destroyed a 160-square-meter aluminum workshop owned by Yassin
al-Madhoun (previously bombarded by Israeli helicopters in January 2002),
located on the ground floor of a three-story apartment building owned by Musleh
Musbah al-Sultan. A store with machinery
for repairing tyres owned by Khalil Hussein Halawin was also destroyed.

 

Israeli occupying forces also maintained aerial bombardment against
civil institutions in the Gaza strip. At
approximately 21:00, an Israeli Apache helicopter gunship fired three missiles
at an air conditioning shop owned by Muhsen Salim ‘Aashour located on the
ground floor of the Deir Latin elementary and preparatory school in the centre
of al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza city. The workshop was completely destroyed, and one of the missiles destroyed
a classroom in the school. Nearby houses
and apartment buildings were damaged.

 

At approximately 23:25, in the largest incursion into
Palestinian National Authority controlled areas during the al-Aqsa Intifada,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with dozens of military vehicles and four
combat helicopters, moved into Ramallah and Al-Bireh in the West Bank from all
directions. They assumed control over
most of the two cities. They shelled
Palestinian houses. A number of
Palestinian security men and gunmen confronted the invading forces. Five Palestinian security men were killed:

1. Rami Mohammed ‘Azzam Bashir, 18, from Deir
al-Balah in the Gaza Strip, killed by shrapnel from an artillery shell
throughout the body;

2. Ziad Mahmoud
As’ad al-Barghouthi, 19, from Kubar village in Ramallah, killed by a live
bullet in the chest;

3. Firas Kazhem
al-Bitouni,26, from Bitounia, killed by three live bullets in the chest;

4. Adham ‘Ali Kamel al-Sheikh, 29,
from Gaza, killed by several live bullets in the head and the chest; and

5. ‘Alla’ Mustafa Malloukh, 20, from Qarawat Bani Zeid village
in Ramallah, killed by several live bullets in the abdomen. 

 

Israeli
occupying forces denied the access of ambulances to the victims, who bled for
hours. Israeli soldiers also mounted the
roofs of some houses and the hospital of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in
Al-Am’ari refugee camp. They besieged
Ramallah and Sheikh Zayed hospitals and prevented ambulances and medical
personnel from offering help to the wounded. At approximately 10:30, Israeli tanks shelled the hospital of Palestine
Red Crescent Society in Al-Bireh, causing severe damage and terrifying patients
and medical personnel. 

 

Tuesday, 12 March 2002

 

At approximately 00:30 this morning, Israeli military gunboats and
helicopters bombarded an outpost of the Palestinian Marine Police in Deir
al-Balah, in the centre of the Gaza strip. The sporadic shelling, which lasted over two hours, killed one of the
personnel at the outpost, Ahmed Hilal Ahmed, 25, after he was wounded by shrapnel
throughout the body. Four civilians
living near the outpost were also wounded:

 1. Akram Salim Baraka, 27, wounded by shrapnel in the back;

 2. ‘Ammar ‘Othamn Baraka, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the back;

 3. Salim Jaber Baraka, 53, wounded by shrapnel in the right
thigh and foot; and

 4. Su’ad Hassan Baraka, 49, wounded by shrapnel in the face.

 

At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces invaded Wadi al-Salqa
village, east of Deir al-Balah. After
they had assumed full control over the village, they imposed a curfew and
threatened to shoot any civilian exiting his home. They raided and searched house using police
dogs. They also ordered Palestinians
between 14 and 50 to gather in a mosque and arrested 17. They were released later after
interrogation. 

 

At approximately 11:30, two Israeli Apache helicopter gunships fired
four missiles at a metal factory owned by the Bashiti family in Ma’en village,
east of Khan Yunis, in the south of the Gaza Strip. Fire broke out due to the shelling, killing
four people inside, three from the same family:

1. Ahmad Juma’a al-Bashiti, 28,
burned to death;

2. Mohammed Juma’a al-Bashiti, 25,
brother of Ahmad burned to death;

3. Ra’fat Mahmoud al-Bashiti, 25,
cousin of the Ahmad and Mohammed, burned to death; and

4. Zuheir Hussein Kaware’, 25,
burned to death.

 

In addition, ‘Aadel Sa’id al-Najjar, 38, was wounded by shrapnel in
the left leg. 

 

At approximately 20:00, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations near the northern areas of Hebron opened fire at Palestinian
civilians in the area, killing Na’im Isma’il ‘Abdel-Hadi al-Thabania, 56, from
Tarqoumia village, west of Hebron, with an explosive live bullet in the head in
front of his children, while he was on his way home with his family in his
car. An ambulance was able to reach him
only 30 minutes later.

 

Wednesday, 13 March 2002

 

Early in the morning, Fua’d Subhi ‘Adili, 45, from
Ramallah, deputy commander of the Palestinian Presidential Guard (Force 17) in
Ramallah, was killed by several heavy caliber bullets in the abdomen, when
Israeli occupying forces in the vicinity of the Casablanca Hotel opened fire at
Palestinian security men at al-Sa’a square at the center of Ramallah. Ambulances were not able to reach him, so
local residents were forced to take him to hospital on foot. 

 

At approximately 09:30, Israeli tanks in Qaddoura
refugee camp in Ramallah opened fire at a number of Palestinian and foreign
journalists who were covering the Israeli aggression on Ramallah. An Italian freelance journalist, Rafeli Chirillo, was killed by several
medium caliber bullets in the chest and the abdomen. He was left bleeding for 30 minutes before
the eyes of Israeli soldiers who did not offer him help and denied the access
of ambulances to the area. Residents of
the refugee camp risked gunfire and evacuated him to hospital where he was soon
pronounced dead. Chirillo was wearing
clothes marked with a press badge and was holding a camera. 

 

2. Assassination and Extra-Judicial Killing

 

In a
continuation of the policy of assassination formally adopted by the Israeli
government, this week, Israeli occupying forces carried out three assassination
attempts, killing two Palestinians and wounding a third. 

 

At approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 7 March, an elite
Israeli unit reinforced with military vehicles and two helicopters raided the
Palestinian National Authority controlled Sirris village, east of Jenin. They attacked a Palestinian house apparently
to assassinate Mohammed Saleh Suleiman Yassin, 28, an activist of the Islamic
Jihad from ‘Aanin village near Jenin. They fired at its doors and windows. When Yassin attempted to get out of the house, an Israeli combat
helicopter fired at him. He was killed
by several live bullets. 

 

On Sunday morning, 10 March, Israeli occupying forces
carried out a failed assassination attempt against ‘Abdel-Karim Thabet ‘Oweis, a Fatah activist
from Jenin refugee camp and currently resident of Ramallah. Two Israeli combat helicopters fired two
missiles at a civilian car, totally destroying it. Samer Tahabet ‘Oweis, the brother of the
targeted person, who traveled in the car, was killed.

 

At 14:40 on the same day, an Israeli Apache gunship
fired a missile at a civilian car that was traveling on a branch road in Wadi
al-Hamas area on its way from Beit Sahour to Jabal al-Mukabber neighborhood,
south of Jerusalem. Two Palestinians
were killed:

1. Taleb Ussama Harmous, 22, from Beit Sahour, a student
at An-Najah National University; and

2. Ahmed Ibrahim ‘Aabda, 18, from Bethlehem. 

 

Israeli radio in Arabic quoted an Israeli military
spokesman as saying that an Israeli combat helicopter chased a car, in which
two Palestinian young men were traveling on their way to carry out a suicide
attack, and that the helicopter destroyed the car, killing the two young
men. 

 

3. Attacks on Palestinian Medical Personnel and
Institutions

 

In violation of international humanitarian law,
especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, Israeli occupying forces have targeted Palestinian
ambulances with increasing regularity during the al-Aqsa Intifada. They also denied the access of the wounded to
emergency treatment leading to more deaths among Palestinians. Israeli Arabic radio stated that Israeli occupying forces have
denied movement of Palestinian ambulances in Tulkarm “until a cease fire takes
place.” According to medical
sources in Tulkarm, an Israeli officer phoned Palestinian ambulance centers in
Tulkarm informing them that Israeli occupying forces would fire at any
ambulance moving in the area.

 

Thursday, 7 March 2002

 

At approximately 18:00, an Israeli tank at the western
entrance to Tulkarm opened fire at an UNRWA ambulance, which was traveling
approximately 100m away. An ambulance
officer, Kamal ‘Abdel-Rahman Salem, 35, from Tulkarm refugee camp, was killed
by a heavy caliber bullet in the abdomen.

 

At approximately 19:50, an Israeli tank opened fire
at an ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society in the east of
Tulkarm. The ambulance driver, Ibrahim
Mohammed As’ad, 38, from Nour Shams refugee camp, was killed by a heavy caliber
bullet in the head. In addition, Dr.
Nabhan Al-Jallad, director of emergency at the hospital of Palestine Red
Crescent Society in Tulkarm, was wounded by two live bullets in the feet.

 

Friday, 8 March 2002

 

In the morning, a Palestinian paramedic was killed in
Sudania area, west of Jabalya, when Israeli gunboats shelled a police station
(see the section on shelling). 

 

At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces that
invaded Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, fired at an ambulance of the
Palestine Red Crescent Society, which was moving towards the village to
evacuate the wounded. The ambulance was
hit by a live bullet, but no casualties were reported. The ambulance sought shelter behind a mosque.

 

At noon, an Israeli tank shot dead Dr. Ahmed Nu’man
‘Othman Subeih, 42, from Al-Kahder village in Bethlehem, director of Al-Yamama
Hospital, at close range. Dr. Subeih had
just exited the hospital after advance coordination with Israeli authorities to
bring medicines and medical personnel.

 

4. Shooting at Palestinian Civilians

 

Thursday, 7 March 2002

 

At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces at
the eastern entrance to Tulkarm refugee camp fired rubber-coated metal bullets
at a number of Palestinian children who were demonstrating in the area. Two children were wounded:

1. ‘Alla’ El-Din Ahmed Sharaka, 13, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
and

2. Khaled Wadi’
‘Abdel-Rahim, 11, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. 

 

Friday, 8 March 2002

 

Early in the morning, Israeli occupying forces raided
Salem village, east of Nablus. They
opened fire at Palestinian houses, killing Yahia Jamil Eshtayeh, 26, who was on
the balcony of his house, with three live bullets in the chest.

 

At noon, Israeli occupying forces in an armored
personnel carrier on Al-Ersal Street in Ramallah and snipers positioned on
roofs of houses in the area fired at a number of Palestinian
demonstrators. Two demonstrators and a
journalist were wounded:

1. Nassim
Hussein ‘Aqili, 15, from Bitounia, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the head;

2. Mansour
Yassin Salim, 20, from Al-Ram village, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet
in the head; and

3. Carlo
Hanzhal, 48, a cameraman of Nile Satellite Channel, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the neck.

 

Also at noon, after the funeral procession of a
number of Palestinians killed in Khuza’a village, Israeli occupying forces
positioned southwest of Khan Yunis western cemetery fired at a number of
Palestinian children who threw stones towards these forces. Three children were wounded:

1. Ra’fat
‘Abdel-Karim Zo’rob, 12, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;

2. Ahmed Khaled
Abu Rezeq, 11, wounded by two live bullets in the right ankle and the left leg;
and

3. Zkaria
Ibrahim Al-Ja’bir, 13, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg. 

 

In an apparent willful killing, in the afternoon a
special Israeli police unit shot dead 22-yea-old Mahmoud Sa’id ‘Abdel-Rahim
Salah, from Beit Wazan village, west of Nablus, in Beit Hanina area in occupied
Jerusalem. An Israeli policeman fired at
the victim’s head from a very close distance upon an order by the commander of
the Israeli police in Jerusalem, Mickey Levi. He was left to bleed to death.

 

According to information PCHR received from LAW, at
approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces and police stopped two
Palestinian young men in Beit Hanina area north of Jerusalem. Fifteen minutes later, they took one of them
in a military jeep towards an unknown destination. Then, three Israeli policemen pushed the
other young man down to the ground. They
cut his clothes, and one of them fired several live bullets from a very close
distance at the young man’s head. He was
left bleeding until death. The victim
was identified as Mahmoud Sa’id ‘Abdel-Rahim Salah, 22, from Beit Wazan village
west of Nablus. 

 

The Israeli Yediot Ahronoth newspaper said on its
Arabic web
page that the commander of the Israeli police in Jerusalem ordered the killing
of the young man, claiming that he resisted Israeli policemen when they
attempted to deactivate a bomb he was carrying.

 

According to Palestinian eyewitnesses “the young man died in
willful killing half an hour after his arrest.” According to Agence France Presse, around 12 Palestinians
witnessed the incident from their houses and said that Mahmoud Salah was
handcuffed when he was shot.

 

An eyewitness stated:

 

At 16:00 on Friday, 8 March 2002, I heard noise near
the apartment building in occupied Jerusalem where I live. I looked out through the window at the
adjacent road, which is only 8m away from the building. I saw an Israeli military jeep stooping two
young men. I knew one of them who was
Randi ‘Oudeh, from Beit Hanina area, but I could not identify the other young
man. I later knew that he was Mahmoud
Sa’id ‘Abdel-Rahim Salah. I saw Israeli
policemen pushing Mahmoud down on the abdomen. They handcuffed him, while Randi was taken by the military jeep to an
unknown destination. They cut Mahmoud’s
clothes. I did not see any bag with
Mahmoud. I heard Israeli policemen
interrogating him. They asked him about
his name and place of residence. I could
understand that he was from Nablus and his name is Mahmoud. Three Israeli policemen was surrounding the
young man who was laid onto the ground. One was putting his foot on the young man’s head, another was holding
his legs and a third one was sitting on the knee and pointing his gun towards
him. At 16:30, the third policeman fired
8 or 9 live bullets at the young man’s head. They left the area and the young man was bleeding. He was trying to move, but he could not as he
was handcuffed. Residents of the area
were not able to offer him help due to the curfew imposed by the Israeli
police. Half an hour later, the young
man was motionless. At approximately
17:20, Israeli policemen brought a robot which pulled a black belt from the
young man’s side. I was astonished as I
did not see that belt when Israeli policemen cut the young man’s clothes. When they moved the young man’s body upward,
I could notice that there was a large hole in the right side of his head which
was penetrated by live bullets. They
took his fingerprint and photographed him. Then, an Israeli ambulance evacuated the body from the area. 

 

At approximately 21:00, an Israeli military jeep
raided Dura Al-Qare’ village, northeast of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers threw a hand grenade at a
number of Palestinian young men in the street. Ahmed Rabah Fawaqa, 28, was wounded by shrapnel throughout the body. Two fingers of his right hand were
amputated. 

 

Saturday, 9 March 2002

 

At approximately 10:00, a number of Palestinian
civilians demonstrated at the entrances to Al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north
of Hebron. Israeli occupying forces on
an armored personnel carrier fired at the demonstrators, wounding ‘Abdel-Jabbar Sulatn Madhi,
58, with shrapnel in the feet.

 

At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces at
Qalandya checkpoint, north of Jerusalem, fired at Palestinian civilians in
Qalandya refugee camp. Rasmia Ghazi
Shaqala, 42, was wounded by a live bullet in the left foot. 

 

Sunday, 10 March,
2002

 

At noon, Israeli occupying forces shot dead
21-year-old Dhurgham ‘Ezzat Zakarna, from Qabatya village near Jenin while
he was crossing Jerusalem-Ramallah road, approximately 20m away from an Israeli
military roadblock at the northern entrance to occupied Jerusalem. They denied him access to an ambulance. They even fired tear gas canisters and sound
bombs at Palestinian civilians wounding Zarif al-Resheq, 45, from Al-Ram
village, with two sound bombs, and Tariq ‘Abdel-Jaber, correspondent
of the Egyptian Satellite Channel, with a sound bomb in the foot. Israeli occupying forces kept the body of the
victim on the ground until 18:00 when an Israeli ambulance took him to an
unknown destination. 

 

Also at noon, a number of Palestinian children demonstrated
at the entrance to Surra village, southwest of Nablus. They threw stones towards Israeli occupying
forces on a bypass road. Israeli
soldiers fired at the demonstrators, killing 15-year-old Mahmoud Tayseer
Ghannam, with a live bullet in the chest. 

Monday, 11 March
2002

 

At
approximately 10:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at Palestinian
civilians who were traveling on Dura-Yatta road in Hebron. Ayman Saleh Mohammed Mahanna, 19, from
Hebron, was killed by several live bullets throughout the body and two other
civilians were wounded.

 

Tuesday, 12 March
2002

 

At approximately 08:00, medical sources at Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron
announced that Ahmed Rawan ‘Abdel-Qader Isma’il al-Jabarini, 16, from Hebron,
succumbed to wounds sustained on 5 March after he was shot by Israeli occupying
forces that opened fire for no apparent reason at Palestinian houses.

 

In the evening, medical sources at Al-Maqassed Hospital in
Jerusalem announced that Mohammed ‘Abdel-Wahed al-Bakri, 43, from Sheikh Radwan
neighborhood in Gaza succumbed to wounds sustained on 26 February after he was
shot in the pelvis by Israeli occupying forces in the vicinity of Al-Mentar
crossing, east of Gaza.

 

5. A Palestinian Woman Dies Due the Obstruction of Her
Access to Hospital

 

In a
continuation of the policy of collective punishment against Palestinian
civilians, Israeli occupying forces tightened the siege imposed on the
OPT. This week, a Palestinian woman died
due to the obstruction by Israeli occupying forces of her access to
hospital. PCHR learnt that at
approximately 04:45 on Saturday, 9 March 2002, Rana ‘Aadel ‘Abdel-Rahim El-Jayousi, 18, from Kour village in Qalqilya,
died from a hemorrhage after delivery because Israeli occupying forces
obstructed her access to hospital. She
was evacuated in her husband’s car to hospital. However, Israeli occupying forces at a roadblock at the entrance to the
village denied their passage. Soon, she
died. Normally, traveling from the
village to hospital takes only five minutes. 

  

6. Curfew and Land Leveling in Al-Mawasi Area in the
Southern Gaza Strip

 

On Friday morning, 8 March, Israeli occupying forces
imposed a curfew on more than 15,000 Palestinians living in Al-Mawasi area in
the southern Gaza Strip. Farmers and
fishermen were not able to go to their work. PCHR was informed by residents of the area through telephone calls that
there was a shortage of food and medical services. Jewish settlers supported by Israeli
occupying forces seized the opportunity and razed large areas of Palestinian
agricultural land surrounding the road separating between the area and the
“Gush Qatif” settlement block. The
following table shows some of the areas of agricultural land that were razed
according to residents of the area:

 

 

 

7. Arrests 

 

This week, Israeli occupying forces arrested a number
of Palestinians. The arrests took place
in the following circumstances:

1- At international border crossings under the control
of Israeli occupying forces.

2- At Israeli military roadblocks and checkpoints on
main and branch roads at the entrances to Palestinian cities and villages.

3- Inside Palestinian towns and villages, often during
house raids.

4- During incursions into Palestinian National Authority
controlled areas.

 

Following are significant arrests that took place
this week:

 

Thursday, 7 March
2002

 

Israeli occupying forces raided Al-Maqassed Hospital
in occupied Jerusalem and arrested a physician, Hani Saleh, and a nurse, ‘Abdel-Salam ‘Edwan from inside the hospital. 

 

Sunday, 10 March
2002

 

Israeli occupying forces arrested Mustafa Ahmed
Ghanem, 36, and Ayman Farouq Dahila, from Shweika neighborhood in Tulkarm.

 

Monday, 11 March
2002

 

Israeli occupying forces raided Hazma village, east
of Jerusalem, and arrested four Palestinian civilians:

1. Hussein Mahmoud ‘Askar, 25;

2. Mousa Saleh Abu Hilu, 20;

3. Ahmed Suleiman Rezeq, 17; and

4. Fadi Ibrahim Abu Hilu, 24.

 

Besides, Israeli occupying forces arrested hundreds
of Palestinian civilians in the refugee camps of Tulkarm, Bethlehem and
Ramallah in the West Bank, and Wadi al-Salqa village in the Gaza Strip.

 

 

********

 

PCHR calls:

 

1- Upon governments that participated in the World
Conference against Racism in Durban in South Africa to adopt crucial decisions
condemning Israeli practices in the OPT, which amount to inhumane acts under
the crime of apartheid, as defined in international law.

 

2- Upon the international community to provide immediate
and independent international protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT.

 

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 OPT in accordance with their obligations
under Article 1.

 

4- Upon the international community to investigate and
prosecute before international courts, and in accordance with international
standards, those believed to have committed war crimes in the OPT.

 

5- Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its
activities, and intensify its field observations throughout the OPT.

 

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 continue to deteriorate as a result of the continued siege imposed
by Israeli occupying forces on the entire OPT.