Press Release

Israeli occupation forces open fire on a secondary school in Hebron:

One student killed and another 10 wounded;

Israeli settler kills Palestinian child with his car;

A Palestinian child in Gaza dies from a previous wound;

Palestinian civilians resist land sweeping: Israeli occupation forces fire on them

Ref: 185/2000

Date: November 30, 2000

Time: 14:00GMT

16:00Palestine Time

With the Palestinian Intifada entering its third month, the Israeli occupation forces escalated their aggression against Palestinian civilians. This morning, these forces shot at students of Taqqou’ secondary school in Hebron, killing one student with a live bullet in the heart, and wounding another 10, two of whom were seriously wounded. Near Al-Mentar (Karni) Crossing, to the east of Gaza City, two children were wounded with live bullets in the head. This morning, in the village of Housan in Bethlehem, a settler intentionally killed a child by hitting him with his car. Yesterday evening, a child from Gaza died from a previous wound caused by a live bullet in the head on November 26, 2000. In the meantime, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to sweep agricultural land and to demolish civilian facilities throughout the Gaza Strip.

1. Shooting at Palestinian Civilians

This morning, at about 11:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Taqqou’ secondary school in the village of Taqqou’ in Hebron. As a result, the student Walid Mohammed Ahmed Hassan El-Badan, 17 years old, was killed with a live bullet in the heart. Additionally, another 10 students were wounded with live bullets, two of whom were seriously wounded. They are:

1. Ibrahim Nawawra, 17 years, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
2. Fathi Azziz El-Badan, 17 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen and another one in the left arm.

PCHR learned that clashes between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces broke out near the school. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire indiscriminately, killing El-Badan and wounding his colleagues, when they were near the school. In addition, a number of students suffered from fainting and suffocation due to inhaling tear gas used intensively by the Israeli occupation forces.

This morning, clashes broke out between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City. The Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian demonstrators, wounding two with live bullets in the head. The two were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City in serious to critical condition. They are:

1. Medhat Mohammed Subhi Jadallah, 17 years old, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, critically wounded with a live bullet in the forehead; and
2. Bassel Arafat Oleyan, 13 years old, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the head.

Yesterday evening, medical sources at Shifa’ hospital stated that the child Mohammed Mohammed El-Mashharawi, 14 years old, from Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, died from a previous wound with a live bullet in the head incurred when the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet on November 26, 2000. He was put in the intensive care unit of Shifa’ hospital until he died.

Yesterday evening, at about 22:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians in Al-Qarara when these civilians tried to head off the sweeping of their agricultural land and houses by these forces (see the section on sweeping below). As a result, three Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets and evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza. They are:

1. Mohammed Ahmed El-Eddini, 23 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the head that penetrated the lower jaw. He was put in the intensive care unit of the hospital;
2. Khaled Abdel-Karim Abu E’id, 27 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the neck; and
3. Mohammed Salem Abdel-Karim Abu E’id, 25 years old, slightly wounded with a live bullet in the head.

In his testimony to PCHR, Mohammed Abu E’id stated that the Israeli occupation forces shot from guns equipped with silencers, wounding him and another two civilians in the area. He added that the Israeli occupation forces prevented the entry of ambulances into the area to evacuate them, so residents of the area were forced to carry them for a distance of 400 meters to reach an ambulance.

Yesterday evening, at about 19:00, Israeli occupation troops, positioned in a military post in the vicinity of Gani Tal settlement, to the north of Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, opened fire on Palestinian civilians, wounding A’adel Talab Joudeh, 50 years old, with a live bullet in the foot. Joudeh was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. He was on his way home after praying in a nearby mosque when he was shot at from a distance of about 300 meters. This incident is the second of its kind in this area in less than 24 hours. In the first incident, two Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets in the thigh, on the evening of Tuesday, November 28, 2000, in similar conditions and when there were no clashes in the area.

Also yesterday in Khan Yunis, at about 19:00 local time, Israeli occupation troops fired sound bombs on the refugee camp of Khan Yunis from their position at Al-Tuffah roadblock, which separates Khan Yunis city from its Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area (which is under the control of the Israeli occupation forces). One of the bombs fell on the house of Muhsen Rajab El-Batsch, 300 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces, causing severe damage to the asbestos roof of the house. Debris from the weapon wounded his two daughters while they were in the house. They are:

1. Sara’ Muhsen El-Batsch, 11 years old, wounded in the head; and
2. Einas Muhsen El-Batsch, 16 years old, wounded in the shoulder.

The two were evacuated to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that sound bombs are used to terrify Palestinian civilians when there are no clashes in an area. Residents of the area assert that military posts of the Israeli occupation forces are permanent sources of threat to their lives and safety.

Yesterday afternoon, at about 15:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians while they were passing through one of the roadblocks of these forces on a road which Palestinian civilians resort to as an alternative to Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), which the Israeli occupation forces have continued to completely close. The alternative road branches from Salah El-Din Street to the east and then to the south in the vicinity of the eastern border of Kfar Darom settlement, before it goes to the west to Salah El-Din Street. The shooting wounded two Palestinian civilians with live bullets. They are:

1. Bassam Mohammed Sae’id, 15 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the thigh; and
2. Aae’d Mohammed Brei’m, wounded with a live bullet in the thigh.

In Bethlehem, this morning, the child Shadi Ahmed Zaou’l, 14 years old, from the village of Housan, was killed when a Jewish settler willfully hit him with his car. PCHR learned that the child Zaou’l was alongside Route 60 when a white GMC car driven by a Jewish settler suddenly deviated from its direction and hit him. The settler escaped, and the child died on the way to hospital.

        2.    Continued Sweeping of Agricultural Land

This morning, at about 4:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land on both sides of the road leading from Al-Shuhada junction on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) to Netzarim settlement in the west (south of Gaza City). PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the sweeping included:

1. A 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Shukri El-Saqqa.
2. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and citrus, owned by Mahmoud Sha’ban El-Helou.
3. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Abu Ibrahim El-Ashram.

In the north of Beit Lahia, PCHR’s field officer reported that this morning, the Israeli occupation forces completed the sweeping, which started three days ago, of agricultural land to the northwest of Dogit settlement. They swept 30 donums of agricultural land planted with citrus and olives, owned by Zuhdi Abu A’msheh.

Yesterday, at about 21:00, Israeli occupation troops reinforced with tanks and bulldozers started to sweep areas of agricultural land and to demolish houses to the southeast of Kfar Darom settlement, near the road branch of Salah El-Din Street and Kissufim Crossing (700 meters from Salah El-Din Street). PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the sweeping included:

1. A 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, owned by Mustafa Abu Gharaba.
2. A 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, owned by Salem Salameh Abu Gharaba.
3. A six-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms, owned by A’tteya Mohammed Suleiman Abu Zhaher. In addition, a store of agricultural equipment and a bird farm were demolished. Birds were killed
4. A one-donum area of agricultural land along with a greenhouse planted with vegetables, owned by Suleiman Atweh Abu E’id.

This morning, at about 3:00, the Israeli occupation forces swept areas of agricultural land on both sides of the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the sweeping lasted for four hours and included:

1. A 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Hassan Shuheiber.
2. A 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Najib Shuheiber.
3. A 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Oudeh El-Ghefari. In addition, a well was destroyed.
4. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Abed Murjan Abu Asser.
5. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Marwan El-Thalathini.
6. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Wasfi Doghmosh.
7. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Wajih El-Thalathini.
8. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ziad Barakat.
9. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ziad Hajji.
10. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Hamdi Hajji.
11. A five-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and vegetables, owned by Fawwaz Hajji. In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.
12. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Fahmi Siam.
13. A 2.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ahmed Abu Dayyeh.
14. A one-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mesbah Hajji.
15. A one-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by El-Abed Karim.
16. A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ezzat Hajji.
17. A one-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Khaled Quzaat.
18. A one-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Eissa Quzaat.
19. A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Abu Akram El-Serhi.
20. A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Jamal El-Serhi.
21. A one-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by a member of the Abu Serreyeh family.