Ref: 130/2003

Following a bombing carried out by a
Palestinian woman in Haifa on 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces
conducted a number of military operations against the Palestinian civilian
population in the Gaza Strip.  Overnight Israeli helicopter gunships launched
missiles at a Palestinian house in Gaza city and a civilian facility in
al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.  Israeli occupying forces
also intensified internal closures, separating the Gaza Strip into 4 isolated
zones. 

According to investigations
conducted by PCHR, at approximately 00:20 on Sunday, 5 October 2003, Israeli
helicopter gunships fired 2 missiles at a Palestinian house located near the
al-Yassamin building in Sheikh ‘Ejlin neighborhood in the south of Gaza
city.  The targeted house was uninhabited.  The house is owned by
Munza Qanita, who survived an assassination attempt carried out by Israeli
occupying forces last month in which two of his companions were killed. 
The targeted house was partially destroyed and a number of neighboring houses
were also damaged. 

Approximately 10 minutes later, 2
Israeli helicopter gunships fired 4 missiles at a garage in the densely
populated al-Boreij refugee camp in central Gaza Strip.  The garage and 3
cars were partially destroyed and 3 neighboring houses were slightly
damaged.  Shrapnel from the missiles also hit a main electricity
transmitter, cutting electricity supplies to the camp and nearby Nusseirat
refugee camp for several hours. 

Early Sunday morning, Israeli occupying
forces closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints located north of Khan Yunis
on Salah al-Din Street (the main road between the southern and central Gaza
Strip).   Israeli occupying forces then used bulldozers to damage a
section of the coastal road south of Gaza city, preventing travel between Gaza
city and the central areas of the Gaza Strip.  Later, Israeli occupying
forces also closed Salah al-Din Street between Rafah and Khan Yunis.  As a
result, the Gaza Strip is currently partitioned into 4 isolated zones. 
Israeli occupying forces also closed the border crossings with Egypt and
Israel.

 PCHR reiterates its
condemnation of Israeli military operations conducted against the Palestinian
civilian population in the OPTs.  PCHR believes that such operations
constitute violations of international humanitarian law, including war
crimes.  PCHR further asserts that the restrictions on freedom of movement
imposed by Israeli occupying forces throughout the OPTs also constitute
violations of economic, social and cultural rights.  PCHR calls upon the
international community to take immediate concrete steps to halt such
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. It further calls
upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to
fulfill their obligations under the Convention to ensure respect for the
Convention and to take effective measures to stop violations of the Convention
in the OPTs.