Press Release

Israeli occupation forces continue abuses against Palestinian civilians:

Houses and civilian facilities shelled or demolished and more land leveled

Ref: 173/2000

Date: November 18, 2000

Despite a significant reduction of clashes throughout the occupied Palestinian territories today, the Israeli occupation forces continued to shoot at Palestinians, wounding a number of civilians, especially in Rafah, Khan Yunis and Hebron. In the past 24 hours, the Israeli occupation forces shelled residential neighborhoods and civilian facilities, and swept more areas of agricultural land.

1. Shooting at Palestinian Civilians in the Areas of Clashes

In the area near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a retarded Palestinian child, wounding him with a live bullet in the leg. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the area did not witness significant clashes today and that the Israeli occupation forces shot at the child from a distance of more than 100 meters. The wounded 14-year-old child was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza, and has not yet been identified.

In Khan Yunis, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians, wounding nine with live ammunition, and another three with rubber-coated metal bullets. Among the wounded was Hussam Ahmed Hamdan, 25 years old, who was wounded with a live bullet, causing a cut in an artery of the leg.

In Rafah, clashes broke out between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian civilians who had demonstrated since the morning near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that four Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets shot by the Israeli occupation forces. Among the wounded was Ahmed Fathi Abdel-Wahhab, 17 years old, who was seriously wounded with a live bullet in the back. At about 17:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired three shells at Palestinian demonstrators, which hit façades of deserted stores opposite to a military outpost of the Israeli occupation forces. No injuries were reported.

In Hebron, Israeli occupation troops at the so-called “Beit Hadasa” settlement center shot at Palestinian civilians, who demonstrated at the center of the city this afternoon. As a result three Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition, and another four were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets.

The village of Jabe’ near Jenin, witnessed similar clashes this afternoon, during which two Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets and another two were wounded with rubber-coated metal bullets.

In addition, three Palestinian civilians who were wounded during the past 60 hours are still in critical condition and under treatment in the intensive care unit of Shifa’ hospital. They are:

1. Wae’l Tawfiq Al-Hato, 21 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the chest on November 17, 2000, in the area of Al-Mentar (Karni) outlet;
2. Majdi Ali A’abed, 15 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head on November 17, 2000, in the area of Al-Mentar (Karni) outlet; and
3. Ibrahim Abu Sa’da, 16 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Maghazi, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen on November 16, 2000, during clashes in the area of Netzarim settlement.

1. Shelling and Shooting at Houses

Yesterday, at about 20:30 local time, the Israeli occupation troops in a military post in Kfar Darom settlement fired shells and heavy and medium bullets at residential neighborhoods about 1.5 kilometers to the west of the mentioned settlement. PCHR’s field officer in the area, who visited the shelled area, reported that:

1. Three shells hit the house of Yousef Bashir, making large holes in the walls.
2. A shell hit the house of Hussein El-Louh, destroying the walls of two rooms.
3. Heavy bullets hit the house of Saber Al-Zorie’iy, wounding his two daughters, Manal, 16 years old, and Amani, 14 years old, with splinters of bullets in the head. Additionally, O’la A’tteya El-A’mmour, 16 years old, was wounded with splinters of bullets while she was near the mentioned house.
4. Heavy and medium bullets hit the house of Hadba Al-A’dini, making holes into the roof and walls.
5. A greenhouse planted with vegetables, owned by Badie’ Bashir, burned.
6. Water reservoirs on the roof of the house of Abed Rabbo Eqtifan were destroyed.

1. Sweeping of Agricultural Land and Settlement Expansion

From last midnight until this morning, the Israeli occupation forces resumed sweeping of agricultural land on both sides on the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that such sweeping, which started on November 15, 2000, included this time 50 donums of agricultural land planted with olives, two block factories and some other civilian facilities. It included sweeping and destroying of:

1. A five-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mohareb Ismail Abu Al-Qomboz. In addition, a pool and an irrigation network were destroyed.
2. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ibrahim Faraj. In addition, a well, a pool and an irrigation network were destroyed.
3. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Bassem Siam.
4. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mohammed O’beid. In addition, a pool and an irrigation network were destroyed.
5. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mahmoud Al-Harazin. In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.
6. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Fadhel Abu Dayyeh. In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.
7. A 3.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by the family of Abu A’rja.
8. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by the family of Al-Shawwa.
9. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by the family of Al-Gharabli.
10. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by the family of Al-Dahdouh.
11. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Kamal Hajjaj.
12. A seven-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mesbah Kashko. In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.
13. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Abdullah Salman.
14. A 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mohammed Selmi.
15. Five olive trees and a well owned by Nabi Al-Efranji.
16. A block factory established on two donums of land, owned by Mesbah Kashko. Equipment of the factory, more than 5,000 ready-for-sale blocks and raw materials were destroyed. Losses are estimated at more than US$ 25,000.
17. A block factory owned by Mohammed Yousef Malaka. Equipment of the factory, 25,000 ready-for-sale blocks and raw materials were destroyed. Losses are estimated at more than US$ 70,000.
18. A mechanic atelier for car maintenance, with all its equipment, owned by Mustafa Qaddoura Malaka. In addition, two cars owned by Malaka and Rebhi A’abed were destroyed.

1. Continued Reinforcements and Blocking of Roads

No changes have taken place concerning the reinforcement by the Israeli occupation forces of their presence throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. In the Gaza Strip, tanks and armored vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces are still stationed on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), near the roads leading to Gush Qatif settlement block and the settlements of Kfar Darom and Morag, and on the road leading to Kissufim Crossing in the east. Since the morning of Tuesday, November 11, 2000, the Israeli occupation forces have closed Salah El-Din Street near Kfar Darom settlement, preventing the movement of Palestinian citizens and transportation in both directions. The road is still closed. Palestinian citizens are forced to resort to a bypass road adjacent to the eastern border of Kfar Darom settlement, where large numbers of troops of the Israeli occupation forces are stationed. These occupying forces are obstructing Palestinian transportation. Passing along the road takes more than two hours due to the roadblocks of the Israeli occupation forces.

In Rafah, last Thursday, the Israeli occupation forces closed all branch roads of Salah El-Din Street leading to Rafah Border Crossing. This increases the suffering of residents of Rafah, and obstructs the access of farmers to their agricultural land near the Border Crossing on the Palestinian-Egyptian border

The Israeli occupation forces have continued to isolate Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area in the west of Rafah and Khan Yunis. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that Jerar Al-Qedwa School, the only school in Al-Mawasi of Khan Yunis in which 600 elementary and preparatory pupils have classes, has been closed for the fourth consecutive day because teachers from Khan Yunis have not been able to reach the area. PCHR’s field officer added that secondary stage students, residents of Al-Mawasi area, can go to school in Khan Yunis in the morning, but they cannot go back home until late in the day because the Israeli occupation troops at Al-Tuffah roadblock deny their access home until the evening.

The Israeli occupation forces have imposed a sea siege on the southern area of the Gaza Strip since November 10, 2000, preventing Palestinian fishermen from going out to sea. A number of fishermen stated that they have not been able to remove their nets from the sea since November 9, 2000. They believe that these nets will be damaged by the extended delay.

The Israeli occupation forces have kept up their actions of collective punishment by continuing to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories and by closing Gaza International Airport and Rafah Border Crossing.

***

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. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. 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.