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 Press Release

Israeli occupation forces move into Rafah overnight, demolishing 15 houses and injuring over a dozen people

 Ref: 49/2001

Date: 28 August 2001

 Last night, Monday, August 27, 2001, Israeli occupation forces penetrated into areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority south of Rafah.  In this incursion, which lasted until 03:30 local time on Tuesday, 15 Palestinian houses, in which more than 140 civilians lived, were demolished, and 14 civilians were injured.

 According to PCHR’s investigation, on Monday, August 27, 2001, at approximately 23:30 local time, eight Israeli tanks and a bulldozer rolled into Block “O” area, adjacent to the border with Egypt, south of Rafah.  They thrust approximately 100m into the area, and moved 300m along the border.  In this area, they demolished 15 houses while firing a barrage of medium- and large-caliber bullets, as well as artillery shells.  Bloody clashes broke out between the invading forces and Palestinians, both civilians and militants.  These clashes extended to other areas along the border, especially near Salah El-Din Gate and in Al-Brazil and Al-Salam neighborhoods.  In these clashes, 14 Palestinian civilians were injured as follows:

1)     Najah Yousef Abu Shawish, 34, injured by shrapnel in the upper arm;

2)     Wassila Mahmoud Abu Shawish, 29, seriously injured by shrapnel in the abdomen and the left forearm;

3)      Mohammed Ahmed El-Hams, 23, injured by shrapnel in the right thigh;

4)      ‘Abdel-Rahim Ibrahim El-Hams, 18, injured by two live bullets in the right shoulder and foot;

5)       Daniel Kamel Mansour, seriously injured by a live bullet in the abdomen;

6)       Hassan ‘Awadh Abu ‘Aathreh, 40, injured by shrapnel in the head;7)      ‘Alla’ Khalil ‘Omar, 18, injured by shrapnel in the head;

8)      ‘Emad Ahmed Abu Hussein, 17, injured by shrapnel in the right shoulder;

9)       Mohammed Nayef Abu Jazar, 24, injured by shrapnel in the right thigh;

10)      Jawad ‘Abdullah El-Soufi, 29, injured by shrapnel in the left shoulder;

11)      Tamer Nasser Ziada, 19, a journalist, injured by shrapnel in the head;

12)      ‘Emad Ziad Abu Muhsen, 23, injured by shrapnel in the chest;

13)       Fuad Ahmed Salameh ‘Asfour, 22, seriously injured by a live bullet in the chest; and

14)       Lutfi Nayef Abu Jazar, 22, injured by a live bullet in the right thigh.

They were all evacuated to Al-Joneina Hospital in Rafah.  Tension and fear spread out in the city.

 The following houses were demolished:

PCHR is deeply concerned about the continued deterioration of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in light of continued escalation of war crimes by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians and property.  PCHR warns of further deterioration due to the failure of the international community and its agencies to take necessary steps to provide protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT.  PCHR reiterates its call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to meet their legal obligations under the Convention, through taking necessary steps to force Israel to apply the Convention in the OPT.