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Press Release
Israeli occupation forces move into Rafah and Shu’fat, demolishing more than 30 houses and leaving approximately 350 Palestinians homeless
Ref: 37/2001
Date: July 10, 2001
On Monday night, July 9, 2001, Israeli occupation forces moved into the Block “O” area in Rafah, near Salah El-Din Gate on the border with Egypt. They demolished 19 Palestinian houses without any prior warning, leaving more than 250 people homeless. This escalation came approximately 12 hours after Israeli occupation forces concluded the demolition of 17 Palestinian houses in the eastern part of Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem, leaving more than 130 people homeless.
According to PCHR’s investigation, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with 11 tanks and 4 bulldozers, penetrated 100-200m into Block “O” area at approximately 00:00 local time. The area, near Salah El-Din Gate on the border with Egypt in Rafah refugee camp, is under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority. PCHR’s field officers reported that the encroachment lasted up to 04:00 local time on Tuesday, during which time the Israeli occupation forces completely demolished 18 houses and partially damaged one more. Israeli forces fired dozens of artillery shells and heavy- and medium-caliber bullets at Palestinian homes in the area, wounding six people. They were evacuated to Martyr Mohammed Yousef Al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah.
Panicked, residents had to abandon their homes with no opportunity to salvage furniture or personal belongings. The Israeli occupation forces destroyed the following houses:
No. |
Owner |
Area in square meters |
Number of roofs |
Number of residents |
Damage |
1. |
Mohammed Sa’di Mohammed Ziada |
180 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
24 |
Completely demolished |
2. |
Mohammed Musleh Mohammed Abu Lebda |
240 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
20 |
Completely demolished |
3. |
Jihad Hamdan ‘Abdel-Karim ‘Abdel-‘Aal |
120 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
7 |
Completely demolished |
4. |
Amina Shukri Mustafa El-Ra’ei |
200 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
15 |
Completely demolished |
5. |
Fathi Mohammed Musleh Abu Lebda |
120 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
9 |
Completely demolished |
6. |
Jihad Hassan ‘Abdel-Rahman Kalloub |
100 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
4 |
Completely demolished |
7. |
‘Ali Maher Hassan Abu Halawa |
150 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
10 |
Completely demolished |
8. |
Sa’ada Mohammed Ahmed Abu Halawa |
150 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
3 |
Completely demolished |
9. |
Sabri ‘Abdullah Mahmoud Abu Nahla |
200 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
12 |
Completely demolished |
10. |
Zaki Khamis Mohammed Abu Halawa |
140 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
11 |
Completely demolished |
11. |
Faraj Hassan ‘Ali Abu Halawa |
120 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
6 |
Completely demolished |
12. |
Ahmed Khamis Mohammed Abu Halawa |
90 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
6 |
Completely demolished |
13. |
Anwar Hassan ‘Abdel-Rahman Kalloub |
160 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
8 |
Completely demolished |
14. |
Fayez Ibrahim Suleiman Abu Taha |
300 |
1, asbestos and concrete –roofed |
23 |
Completely demolished |
15. |
Mufid Ibrahim Suleiman Abu Taha |
300 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
9 |
Completely demolished |
16. |
Ne’ma Ahmed Mohammed El-Yazouri |
250 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
16 |
Completely demolished |
17. |
Tamam Yousef Mustafa El-Jammal |
120 |
1, asbestos –roofed |
11 |
Completely demolished |
18. |
Mahmoud Mhammed Musleh Abu Lebda |
160 |
2 |
7 |
Completely demolished |
19. |
Hussein ‘Abdullah Mahmoud Abu Nahla |
200 |
1, concrete –roofed |
3 |
Partially demolished |
Four Palestinian civilians were among those wounded by the Israeli occupation forces:
1) Ra’ed Jamal Bahloul, 26, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg;
2) Jamal Mohammed Abu Taha, 30, wounded by a live bullet in the left arm;
3) Akram Harb ‘Aashour, 37, wounded by shrapnel in the right arm and the chest; and
4) Yasser Mahmoud El-Khatib, wounded by shrapnel in the arms.
On Sunday morning, Israeli occupation forces had moved into the eastern part of Shu’fat refugee camp in Jerusalem and demolished 17 Palestinian houses, leaving more than 120 people homeless. At approximately 07:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces imposed a strict siege on the area and started demolishing the Palestinian houses, which were approximately 200m east of “Pisgat Ziev” settlement. This action came less than 24 hours after the Israeli occupation authorities, as a preliminary step towards carrying out the demolition, warned 25 Palestinian families in Shu’fat refugee camp to stop building their houses, claiming that these houses had no building licenses. The demolition is part of a systematic policy adopted by Israeli occupation forces since 1967 of oppressing and expelling Palestinians from Jerusalem. Israeli occupation forces routinely claim that Palestinian houses are built without permission as a pretext for such demolitions. Yet it is almost impossible for Palestinians to obtain building permits under the criteria set by Israeli occupation forces.
PCHR strongly condemns the escalation in crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR reiterates its call on the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to take practical measures to ensure international protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and to stop war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces against them.