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Press Release
Israeli forces kill 16 Palestinians in 48 hours in attacks across Occupied Palestinian Territories
Date: 04 March 2002
Ref: 28/2002
Israeli occupying forces have escalated attacks throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), killing at least 16 Palestinians, including 6 children, 2 women, and 4 members of the Palestinian security services in the past 48 hours. Scores of others have been injured. These attacks are unfolding in the context of last night’s Israeli cabinet meeting, in which the government of Ariel Sharon confirmed that it would escalate its attacks against Palestinian civilians and institutions of the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
At approximately 13.15 today, an Israeli tank located in “Psagot” settlement to the east of al-Bireh in the West Bank fired at a civilian car close to an UNRWA school in al-Amari in Ramallah governorate in an apparent attempt to assassinate Hussein Abu Kwaik, a Hamas activist. Abu Kwaik was not in the car at the time; instead, his wife was transporting three of their children as well as two children from another family from the school. All six passengers were killed:
Bushra Hussein Abu Kwaik, 38
Bara Hussein Abu Kwaik, 14
Aziza Hussein Abu Kwaik, 17
Mohammed Hussein Abu Kwaik, 8
Arafat Ibrahim al-Masri, 16
Shayma ‘Emad al-Masri, 7
In addition, a number of passing civilians were injured.
On 3 March, approximately 16 Israeli military vehicles invaded Block J area of Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza strip. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces moved 50m into the camp under the cover of intense shooting, prompting local residents to flee. Ibrahim Ali Barhoum, 42, was shot in the head by Israeli forces. Israeli occupying forces fired upon medical personnel who attempted to reach Barhoum, making it impossible to provide him with emergency treatment. Israeli soldiers also took up positions on the roofs of Palestinian homes in the area and fired at local residents who were attempting to flee, as well as at medical personnel. Two more Palestinians were killed:
Ahmed Yusef Himaid Sufi, 24, shot with a bullet in the head
Saber Fakhri Abu Libdeh, 28, a member of the Palestinians National Security Force, shot in the chest and head
Before their withdrawal from the area, Israeli occupying forces destroyed an outpost used by the National Security Force located near the border with Egypt. Also on the evening of 3 March, Israeli occupying forces closed the Rafah border crossing and closed several major roads in the Gaza strip, cutting the Gaza strip into three isolated zones, restricting internal freedom of movement for 1.2 million Palestinians.
At approximately 0400 today, Israeli occupying forces invaded Jenin city and its refugee camp while firing intensively with heavy weapons at Palestinian houses. At approximately 0950, Palestinian Amjad Mahmoud Ibrahim al-Fakhouri, 26, from Jenin governorate was killed by a heavy caliber bullet fired from an Israeli tank. Three other civilians were wounded. Approximately 2 hours later, an Israeli helicopter gunship opened fire on the refugee camp, killing two Palestinians:
Samira Mohammed Zubaydi, 55
Nasser Johari, 37
Ismah Kemal Ruzeh, 23, was seriously injured and declared clinically dead.
Medical sources at Rafidiyah Hospital in Nablus announced that Ahmed Fakhri Hassan Hashash, 15, from Balata refugee camp, succumbed to wounds sustained on 2 March after he was shot in the stomach by Israeli occupation forces during their invasion of the camp.
At 1430 on 3 March, Israeli tanks shelled an outpost used by the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service in Jenin and killed two of the personnel present, Khalid Sh’ayib Isweileh, 24, and Islam Sadiq Shawameh, 24. Three others were injured.
At 1230 on the same day, Israeli tanks located in “Psagot” settlement shelled an outpost used by Palestinian security services 100m from the headquarters of Palestinian President Yasser Arafat in Ramallah, killing one security officer, Zaki Aamer Zaki, 21, and injuring 18 bystanders.
At the time of this writing, Israeli occupation forces are razing Palestinian land east of Gaza city, between Netzarim junction and al-Mentar crossing. Detailed information is not yet available due to ongoing shooting by Israeli forces in the area.
PCHR is deeply concerned about escalating violations of international human rights standards and international humanitarian law, including war crimes, committed by Israeli occupation forces in the OPT. PCHR calls upon the High contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal obligation to secure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the OPT in order to protect Palestinians civilians. PCHR reiterates its call for the international community to break the conspiracy of silence and take immediate and concrete steps to protect the Palestinian people from violations by Israeli occupation forces.
