Press Release

High Commissioner for Human Rights visits the occupied Palestinian territories:

Israeli occupation forces continue to perpetrate killings against Palestinian civilians and shell Palestinian cities

Ref: 161/2000

Date: November 10, 2000

Time: 17:30 GMT

19:30 Palestine Time

On the first day of the High Commissioner for Human Rights visit to the occupied Palestinian territories, the Israeli occupation forces have escalated their violations against Palestinian civilians throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. This raises questions concerning the silence of the international community and its failure to take immediate and practical steps in order to stop the killings and crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR raises the question of what price defenseless Palestinian civilians must pay before the international community moves to protect them from the violence and repression of the Israeli occupation forces.

Today witnessed bloody clashes during which two Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and a child in the West Bank were killed. The past 24 hours witnessed more shelling with rockets and heavy and medium bullets directed at residential areas. The Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian border between Rafah Border Crossing and the village of Al-Dehneya in the southeast of Rafah.

1. Shooting at Palestinian Demonstrators:

At about 13:45 local time, about 30 young men and children gathered about 100 meters away from a military post of the Israeli occupation forces in the area of Beit Hanoun (Erez) Checkpoint in the north of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation forces immediately started to shot at these demonstrators and killed Mohammed Ali Mohammed Hamed, 23 years old, from Jabalya, with a live bullet in the head. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that there was no expected escalation of clashes in the area in light of the small number of demonstrators who did not pose any threat to the Israeli occupation forces. He added that there was no justification for shooting at demonstrators except that there was a decision taken in advance by the Israeli occupation forces to intentionally shoot to kill.

This afternoon, in the area near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces which reinforced their presence in the area with tanks and jeeps. These forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators from a distance of about 150 meters, killing Ossama Samir Al-Jerjawi, 17 years old, from Al-Daraj neighborhood, with a live bullet in the chest, and wounding 12 civilians with live ammunition. Among the wounded are:

1. Ibrahim Heidar El-Bol, 16 years old, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the head – he lost his eye;
2. Rami Sae’id Harb, 20 years old, from El-Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
3. Khalil Ata Karira, 18 years old, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the chest.

Palestinian demonstrators gathered 300 meters to the southwest of an Israeli military post at Al-Shuhada’ junction (the junction leading to Netzarim settlement), where tanks and jeeps of the Israeli occupation forces were stationed on the branch road of the junction leading to Netzarim settlement to the west. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the Israeli occupation forces started to shoot at Palestinian demonstrators from a distance of about 150 meters, wounding one with live ammunition and another one with a rubber-coated metal bullet. He added that dozens of civilians, including two pregnant women in their homes, suffered from suffocation due to inhaling tear gas used intensively by the Israeli occupation forces against demonstrators and nearby houses. The two pregnant women were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza.

In the area near the borderline to the east of Al-Maghazi refugee camp in the middle of the Gaza Strip, clashes broke out this afternoon between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. These forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators from a distance of about 200 meters. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that one civilian was wounded with live ammunition.

In Khan Yunis, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Tuffah roadblock between Khan Yunis city and Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area, under the security control of the Israeli occupation forces. The Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded 16 civilians with live ammunition. Among the wounded are:

1. Ibrahim Oudeh Abu Mustafa, 17 years old, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
2. the child Gassan Khader Barbakh, 13 years old, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the back; and
3. Ahmed Abu Shahla, 16 years old, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen.

In Rafah, clashes broke out this afternoon between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border, and near Tal Al-Sultan roadblock in the west of the town, separating it from Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators, wounding two with live ammunition near Salah El-Din Gate.

In Jenin, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near a roadblock of the Israeli occupation forces known as “al-Jalama Roadblock.” The Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators and killed the child Ossama Mazen A’zzouqa, 15 years old, from Jenin, with two live bullets in the head and the heart. This horrible crime proves the continued escalation in the lethal use of force by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. This act is a violation of international humanitarian law and the principles of necessity and proportionality. Killing a child with two live bullets in the head and the heart is one of the most heinous aspects of the system of apartheid administered by the Israeli occupation troops. Military instructions and latent hatred permit them to kill Arabs in cold blood. No mercy is shown toward children who are for all intents and purposes unarmed and defenseless and not posing any threat to soldiers armed with the most lethal weapons.

Similar clashes broke out in several areas of the West Bank, especially in Hebron (the city of Hebron, Bani Nae’im, Al-Sammoua’ and the refugee camp of Al-Arroub), Qalqilya, Jenin and Salfit. PCHR learned that more than 10 Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition and about 20 with rubber-coated metal bullets. Among the wounded are:

1. Rashid Abed Oweinat, 22 years old, from Qalqilya, seriously wounded with a dum-dum bullet in the abdomen;
2. Ibrahim Saqer Nasser, 23 years old, from Qalqilya, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
3. Hani Abdullah Safi, 25 years old, from Jenin, seriously wounded in the head;
4. the child Ashraf Abu A’yyash, 14 years old, from Hebron, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the head; and
5. Ahmed Abdel-Qader Mahmoud Dar Saleh, 22 years old, from Kuful Hares, seriously wounded in the head.

1. Shelling of Civilian Buildings and Facilities:

This afternoon, the city of Ramallah was shelled. Three shells hit the Islamic School and the headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Local Government.

Last night, from midnight to 1:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces, from their military posts surrounding Gani Tal settlement in the northwest of Khan Yunis, fired shells at Palestinian residential areas opposite the settlement. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that four shells hit a house owned by Mustafa Olayyan El-Aqqad, in which 18 people live. The house was severely damaged. Residents of the house left it a few minutes before shelling took place. Another shell also hit a post of Force 17 (the President’s guards) and severely damaged it. Additionally, façades of dozens of houses were damaged by heavy and medium bullets shot by the Israeli occupation forces. PCHR’s field officer added that Mahmoud E’id El-Agha, 20 years old, was seriously wounded in the abdomen with a live bullet shot by the Israeli occupation forces when he was hit in front of his house. He was evacuated to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.

From midnight local time last night to 3:00 in the morning, the Israeli occupation forces fired shells and medium and heavy bullets at a number of houses in the refugee camp of Rafah, near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. PCHR’s field officer reported that these houses were severely damaged. The following damage was reported:

1. A house owned by Hussein Mohammed Abdel-Al, in which 14 people live, was hit with a shell and dozens of live bullets, which caused damage to the ceiling and destroyed furniture in the targeted room. Additionally, Khalil Hussein Abdel-Al, 28 years old was wounded from splinters of live ammunition when he was in one of the rooms of the targeted house.
2. A house owned by Jehad Hamdan Abdel-Al, in which seven people live, was hit with a shell. As a result, one of the columns of the house collapsed and the ceiling of the targeted room partially collapsed.

Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces on Eibal Mountain in Nablus fired shells and bullets at the city, causing severe damage to some houses. Additionally, Mrs. Boshra Ibrahim Hannoun, 55 years old, was wounded with a live bullet in the foot.

 

3. Wide-Range Sweeping of Land and House Demolition in the Gaza Strip:

The Israeli occupation forces resumed the sweeping of agricultural land in Rafah. These forces started such sweeping on November 8, 2000, when they swept more than 600 donums of agricultural land adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian border in the southeast of Rafah. Since yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces have swept more than 40 donums of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and vegetables in the same area. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that sweeping included:

1. a five-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and vegetables, owned by A’ayed Mohammed E’id Al-Romeilat;
2. a 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and vegetables, owned by Abdel-Azziz Mohammed El-Jaradat; and
3. a 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, owned by Nayef Al-Romeilat.

PCHR’s field officer added that, irrigation networks and electricity towers were leveled. The Israeli occupation forces have also closed all the branch roads surrounding the swept land since last Wednesday. As a result, seven families living in the area have been detained in their houses, as if they were in a mass prison, since yesterday evening. There are some fears concerning their living conditions and safety as a result of the imposed siege on the area.

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1. Establishing without delay an independent commission of inquiry, in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 1322 (2000), to carry out a thorough and comprehensive investigation into the abuses and killings perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians.
2. Visits to the occupied Palestinian territories by the special rapporteurs of the UN High Commission on Human Rights in order to investigate the blatant violations by the Israeli occupation forces.
3. Convening a conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention.
4. Immediately providing international protection for Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories in the face of the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces and groups of Jewish settlers who move under the protection of these forces.
5. Use by the EU of effective political and economic measures with reference to Article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement which calls for the respect of human rights.
6. Providing humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people whose living conditions are increasingly deteriorating because of the continued total siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the entire occupied Palestinian territories.

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