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Press Release
Israeli warplanes raid Palestinian cities once again
Ref: 47/2001
Date: 26 August 2001
In a dramatic escalation of the use of excessive force by Israeli occupation forces, Israeli warplanes early this morning fired rockets at a number of Palestinian security sites, while tanks and infantry units rolled into areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority while firing intensively. According to information gathered by PCHR, a number of Palestinian security buildings and facilities were severely damaged in these attacks, a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces was killed, and four civilians were injured. This escalation came shortly after Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border east of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, fired an artillery shell at a Palestinian child, killing him.
According to PCHR’s investigations, on Sunday, August 26, 2001, at approximately 05:00 local time, Israeli F-16 and F-15 fighter jets attacked the headquarters of the Palestinian police in Gaza City. Buildings of the civil police were hit by two rockets, one of which destroyed the building of the administrative affairs department while the other partially destroyed offices of riot control units. A number of nearby buildings were also damaged, including a meeting hall at the Palestine Red Crescent Society and a building of the Al-Azhar University campus. According to Palestinian security sources, each rocket weighed 2,500 pounds, and is stronger than the rockets used to attack the Palestinian police headquarters in Ramallah on August 10, 2001, and in Nablus on May 18, 2001.
At the same time, Israeli fighter jets shelled an outpost of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service at the entrance to Deir El-Balah in the middle of the Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the two-story outpost was totally destroyed, and three Palestinian security men were slightly injured. They received medical care at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir El-Balah.
At approximately 04:00 local time, Israeli fighter jets attacked the headquarters of Palestinian police in Salfit, in the West Bank. A rocket hit the building and totally destroyed it, but no casualties were reported.
Last night, at approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced by tanks and military vehicles, intruded into two areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority in Rafah. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that the incursion, which lasted until 02:30 local time, was from two directions. The first thrust came from the southeast (Rafah Border Crossing) and headed north towards Salah El-Din Street. Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with 8 tanks and two bulldozers, thrust approximately 2km into areas under the jurisdiction of the PNA. The second was from Morag settlement, north of Rafah. Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with 6 tanks, crossed Salah El-Din Street and thrust approximately 2km into Al-Fukhari area, northeast of Rafah, under the jurisdiction of the PNA. During the incursion, Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses, stores and civilian facilities, which were partially destroyed. Furthermore, the Israeli occupation forces bulldozed the headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Force (NSF) in Rafah and an NSF outpost at a branch of Salah El-Din Street leading to Sofa Crossing, east of Rafah. A member of the Palestinian National Security Forces, Staff Sergeant ‘Alla’ Salah Abu Bakra, 27, from Rafah, was killed by a live bullet in the head fired by Israeli occupation forces. In addition, two Palestinian civilians were injured. A 12-year-old-child, Yousef Hamdan Mu’ammar, was injured by a live bullet in the buttocks, and Ibrahim Mohammed ‘Arada, 23, was injured by shrapnel in the left shoulder. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah described the incursion as the widest since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada, and that the Israeli occupation forces reached all the way to the suburbs of Khan Yunis. At the same time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border with Egypt, shelled Palestinian houses in Rafah Refugee camp, severely damaging some of them. Two Palestinian civilians were injured:
1) Mohammed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Hassanein, 19, injured by shrapnel in the left hand; and
2) Hisham Kamal Abu Taha, 22, injured by shrapnel in the back.
Last night, at approximately 00:05 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the border, east of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, fired an artillery shell at a 14-year-old child, killing him. Circumstances of the incident are not yet clear, and the child, whose body was brought to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City, has not been identified.
This morning, at approximately 06:40 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned in a military site, west of “Dogit” settlement, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, fired at Khalil Mohammed Zayed, 60, seriously wounding him with a live bullet in the chest, without any prior warning. He was evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City. According to eyewitnesses, Zyed, a fisherman, was walking on the beach, opposite to the Israeli military site, when he was fired at without provocation.
PCHR strongly condemns the escalation of war crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces, and reiterates its call for the international community to immediately intervene to put an end to these crimes and to provide immediate international protection for the Palestinian people. This demand has become more urgent in light of repeated use of fighter jets and the most developed US weapons technology against Palestinian cities to destroy civilian and security targets.
