Press Release   Israeli occupation forces willfully kill two Palestinian civilians: Residential neighborhoods in four cities shelled   Ref: 204/2000 Date: December 17, 2000 Time: GMT 13:00 Palestine Time 15:00  

Today at noon local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians in the area of Block “O” in Rafah, killing two Palestinian civilians and seriously wounding a third one.  PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that Israeli occupation forces positioned at a military post near Salah El-Din Gate on the borderline suddenly opened fire at a post of the Palestinian Security Forces (Military Intelligence), 50 meters to the north of the military post of the Israeli occupation forces.  Then, gunfire was exchanged between the Israeli occupation forces and a number of Palestinian security men in the targeted post.  Immediately, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians passing on the main road, 80 meters away from the military post of the Israeli occupation forces. This crime resulted in killing: 1)                     Eyad Mahmoud Daoud, 27 years old, who was hit by a live bullet in the abdomen that caused internal bleeding in the liver and the spleen; and 2)                     Ahmed Abdel-Jalil El-Qassas, 38 years old, who was hit by a live bullet in the back that exited the chest. In addition, Hetler Mahmoud Abu Lebdeh, 32 yeas old, was wounded with a live bullet in the shoulder that also caused a cut in an artery in the neck.  He was later evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City in serious condition.  According to an investigation by PCHR, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on the three Palestinian civilians in a willful manner and aiming to kill.  PCHR’s field officer in Rafah asserted that none of the Palestinian civilians participated in any actions against the Israeli occupation forces.  In addition, no armed Palestinians or security men were present in the area then.  According to eyewitnesses, Daoud was the first victim, as he fell to the ground after being wounded by a live bullet shot by Israeli occupation soldiers positioned in their military post at Salah El-Din Gate.  Immediately, Abu Lebdeh crossed the road to offer help to the wounded young man, but the Israeli occupation forces shot at him.  Abu Lebdeh was not wounded at this point.  Then, El-Qassas and Abu Lebdeh moved towards the wounded young man and started to pull him from the area of gunfire.  In the meantime, a number of Israeli occupation soldiers left their military post, moving a number of meters to the west.  When the two young men were in shooting range, the Israeli occupation forces shot at the two from a distance of about 80 meters.  The wounded men were evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah.  Two of them, Daoud and El-Qassas died, and Abu Lebdeh was in serious condition.  Abu Lebdeh was later moved to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City.  PCHR condemns this crime and willful killing committed by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians who were passing on the street and offering help to a wounded man.  This new crime proves the daily threat posed by military posts of the Israeli occupation forces to the lives and safety of Palestinian civilians, especially as these posts are in populated Palestinian areas or near residential neighborhoods.    Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods in Khan Yunis, Deir El-Balah, Beit Sahour and Hebron  Yesterday evening, at approximately 21:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells at Khan Yunis.  Eight artillery shells hit a number of houses in the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis.  PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the source of the shelling was a military post of the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Tuffah roadblock, separating Khan Yunis refugee camp from Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area, which is under the control of these forces.  The shelling caused the following damage: 1)                     The house of Suleiman Hussein Abu Louz, a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, was hit with two artillery shells, one of which penetrated a wall and the other of which hit the asbestos roof, making holes in the wall and roof 20 centimeters in diameter. 2)                     The house of Mohammed Ahmed Abu Obeida, a 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, was hit with an artillery shell that penetrated the asbestos roof, causing partial destruction of asbestos boards. 3)                     The house of Abdullah Abu Obeida, a 250-square-meter, four-story house, in which 18 people live, was hit with some artillery shells that penetrated walls, making holes 20 centimeters in diameter. 4)                     The house of A’adel Abu Obeida, a 130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 11 people live, was hit with an artillery shell that penetrated a wall, making a hole 20 centimeters in diameter. These houses, like other houses in the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, 150 meters away from military posts of the Israeli occupation forces, are shelled daily.  Their owners left them several weeks ago.  It is noticeable that continued shelling aims at completely destroying them in stages, in order to create new facts on the ground which will prevent owners of these houses from returning.  The Israeli occupation forces failed to break into this area, which is under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, to demolish houses with bulldozers.  In Deir El-Balah, yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium bullets at Palestinian houses, 150 meters to the west of Kfar Darom settlement.  PCHR’s field officer in the middle area of the Gaza Strip reported that the shelling lasted from 21:00 to 23:00 local time and came from military posts of the Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of Kfar Darom settlement.  The shelling resulted in the following damage: 1)                     The house of Khaled Omar El-Tawashi, a 180-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people live, was hit by four artillery shells that penetrated walls, making holes 20 centimeters in diameter. 2)                     The house of Suleiman Omar El-Tawashi, a 270-square-meter, one-story house, in which seven people live, was hit by an artillery shell and several heavy and medium bullets that made holes in walls. 3)                     The house of Mohammed Nemer Ali Bashir, a 200-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, was hit by three artillery shells that penetrated walls, making holes 20 centimeters in diameter.  Heavy and medium bullets destroyed a water storage tank on the roof. 4)                      The house of Ahmed Nemer Ali Bashir, a 200-square-meter, three-story house, in which four people live, was hit by five artillery shells that penetrated walls and destroyed a water storage tank on the roof. 5)                     The house of Morshed Nemer Bashir, a 180-square-meter, two-story house, which is not inhabited, was hit by three artillery shells that penetrated walls, making holes 20 centimeters in diameter.  A  water storage tank on the roof was destroyed. 6)                     The house of Samir Jaber Bashir, a two-story house, in which 20 people live, was hit by heavy and medium bullets that penetrated the fence and destroyed water storage tanks on the roof. 7)                     The house of Salem Fadhel Rabah, a 180-square-meter, one-story house, in which 10 people live, was hit by heavy and medium bullets that penetrated external walls. 8)                     A greenhouse planted with vegetables, owned by Ahmed Ismail Bahir, was hit by artillery shells that completely ruined it by destroying its iron bars.  Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired artllery shells and heavy and medium bullets at the city of Beit Sahour and Al-Zaytouna neighborhood in Hebron, causing damage to a number of houses.   ***  PCHR reiterates its call for the international community to immediately intervene to stop the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR calls in particular for:  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. 6.      Use by the international community and relevant bodies, including ICRC, of necessary measures to ensure the access of medical supplies and equipment and other humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to deny entry of this material through Rafah Border Crossing (into the Gaza Strip).  

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