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Press Release

Israel launches massive ground, air, and sea attacks throughout the occupied West Bank and Gaza strip, killing 14 Palestinians

Date:    20 February 2002

Ref:      23/2002

Israeli occupation forces launched multiple attacks throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) this morning, killing at least 14 Palestinians, apparently in revenge for the killing of several Israeli occupation soldiers by armed Palestinians at a checkpoint near Ramallah in the West Bank several hours earlier.  Israeli occupation forces attacked positions of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) in the West Bank while Israeli helicopter gunships bombarded PNA institutions in civilian areas of Gaza city for nearly three hours

PCHR condemns Israel’s violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes, and cannot emphasise enough its concern over the rapid and dramatic deterioration in the human rights and humanitarian situation in the OPT over the past 48 hours.  PCHR also calls upon the international community to fulfill its moral and legal obligations to take immediate and concrete steps to provide Palestinian civilians in the OPT with the protections to which they are entitled under the Fourth Geneva Convention.

Israeli Assault on Nablus, 9 Palestinians killed

At approximately 02.00 today, an elite Israeli unit attacked a checkpoint manned by the Palestinian National Security Force (NSF) outside Nablus, in the northern West Bank, killing seven officers in an apparent willful killing:

1. Zahi Mahmoud Mohammed Zawatiyah, 26, from Zawateh village near Nablus
2. Awadh Mohammed Salim Balawna, 47, from Tulkarm
3. Hamad Khalil Mohammed al-Najjar, 26, from Khan Yunis
4. Fuad Yaqub Mohammed al-Shtayeh, 35, from Tel village near Nablus
5. Ghanim Tayseer Ahmad Burhum, 27, from Kufor Kudom village near Qalqilya
6. Mahmoud Abdel Karim al-Ashkar, 20, from Gaza
7. Zuheir Abdel Rahman Aqel, 24, from Spostiya village near Nablus

Soon thereafter, Israeli soldiers and tanks invaded Nablus from the south, moving 1km into the centre of the city and indiscriminately shooting at a number of houses.  Two Palestinians were killed and at least nine injured.  Those killed were:

1. Mohammed Abdullah Abu Mersal, 18, from Balata refugee camp near Nablus, shot in the chest while confronting the invading forces
2. Mohammed Ali Hussein Hashash, 19, from Balata, shot in the heart

Israeli forces, including tanks, also invaded Deir Sudan village, north of Ramallah and shelled an NSF checkpoint, killing one of the personnel present, Shuqayr Samara Riziq Samara, 40, from al-Zawiyah village near Salfit.  A colleague was injured in the leg.

Gaza under aerial and naval bombardment for 3 hours

At approximately 02.15, an Israeli gunboat attacked an outpost used by the Palestinian presidential guard (Force 17) in Gaza city from close range.  Four Force 17 personnel were killed and at least three were injured.  Those killed were:

1. Ibrahim Yusef Abdel Latif Abu Sharar, 27, from Eibed al-Rahman, Jabalya, hit by three live bullets in the chest
2. Mahmoud Imhanna Abdel Jawad `Aatallah (al-Abeeit), 23, from Deir al-Balah, hit by several live bullets in the chest
3. Ibrahim Mahmoud Ithiyab al-`Al, 38, from Gaza, hit by several bullets in the head and chest
4. Mahmoud Samih Mohammed al-Tittir, 22, from Gaza, hit by several live bullets in the head and chest

 The injured were evacuated to Shifa hospital in Gaza city.  They included:

1. Yusef Nabil al-‘Ajrami, 21, from Jabalya, critically injured in the chest
2. Wisam Saleh Abu Gaza, 30, from Gaza, critically injured in the chest
3. Mohammed Fuad ‘Abdin, 24, from Gaza, seriously wounded by gunshots in both legs

Half an hour later, Israeli military aircraft began to bombard PNA institutions located in residential neighbourhoods throughout Gaza city.  The widespread attacks destroyed these buildings and damaged tens of houses, schools, and businesses.

At 02.40, an Israeli F-16 fighter plane fired a missile at the General Directorate of the Palestinian Civil Police in the centre of Gaza city, completely destroying the third floor of a training building and severely damaging the first and second floors.  The missile also damaged nearby civilian establishments, including Gaza Joint Elementary School (run by UNRWA), al-Zaytoun male preparatory school, and al-Nour Centre for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Children.  Windows in these schools were destroyed, and a number of classrooms were seriously damaged.  In addition, the missile destroyed the windows and asbestos roof of the nearby house of Kemal Mohammed Abu Zayed, a guard at al-Zaytoun School.

At 02.50, Israeli helicopter gunships fired rockets and missiles at the Ansar Presidential Compound in the centre of Gaza city.  The barrage, consisting of at least 16 missiles or rockets, lasted until 5.45.  The helicopters destroyed a one-storey building 200m in area used by the Palestinian Marine Police, as well as 6 vehicles used by Force 17.  A number of windows and part of the roof of the nearby presidential palace were also destroyed.  A training centre used by Force 17 was also damaged.

At 05.20, Israeli helicopter gunships fired six rockets at the national security headquarters in Khan Yunis refugee camp, in the southern Gaza strip.  No casualties were reported.

Other Attacks

At 04.45, an Israeli helicopter gunship bombarded the Ramallah Governorate, close to the presidential headquarters, starting a fire in a storage room.  An NSF officer was seriously injured.

At 05.30, an Israeli helicopter fired two missiles at a checkpoint used by the NSF at the southern entrance of al-Bireh near Ramallah.  One of the officers on duty, Mohammed ‘Essam Abu Ramadhan, 55, from Gaza, lost his left leg in the attack.

At 06.00 Israeli soldiers opened fire at a Palestinian civilian car on its way from ‘Aroura village to Ramallah.  Ikram Abdul Rahman Husaib, 45, from ‘Aroura, was injured throughout the body and in the face.

PCHR reminds the international community that willful killings constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are thus war crimes.  PCHR strongly condemns violations of international humanitarian law by Israeli occupying forces and calls upon the international community to immediately fulfill its moral and legal obligations to ensure Israel’s respect for the Fourth Geneva Convention and end its 35-year occupation of the Gaza strip and West Bank (including east Jerusalem), as well as to provide immediate and effective international protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT.