Press Release

Khan Yunis shelled and more areas of land leveled:

A member of the Palestinian Civil Defense dies from a previous wound with a live bullet fired by the Israeli occupation forces

  Ref: 208/2000 Date: December 23, 2000 Time: 13:00 GMT            15:00 Palestine Time  This morning, at approximately 7:00 local time, at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City, Nedal Hussein Abu O’un, 30 years old, from Rafah, died from a wound with a live bullet in the head on December 20, when the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a truck of the Palestinian civil defense, near Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, to the south of Gaza City.  In the mentioned attack by the Israeli occupation forces, Refa’t Faisal Abu Marzouq, 25 years old, from Rafah, was killed with a live bullet in the head, and Abu O’un was critically wounded with a live bullet in the head and was evacuated to the intensive care unit at Shifa’ hospital.  (For more details about the attack that was launched by the Israeli occupation forces on a truck of the Palestinian civil defense, see PCHR’s press release on December 20, 2000.)  Yesterday afternoon, in the village of Sae’ir in Hebron, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian demonstrators at the southern entrance of the village, killing Arafat Mohammed El-Jabarin, 17 years old, with a live bullet in the head.  On Thursday, Ahmed Fuad Awadh, 48 years old, from the village of Kherbet Jebara in Tulkarm, was killed with a live bullet in the head fired by the Israeli occupation forces.  Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on houses in the village, hitting Awadh when he got his head out of a window of his house.  

Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods in Khan Yunis  Yesterday evening, at approximately 22:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in military posts at Al-Tuffah roadblock and in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, fired some artillery shells and heavy and medium bullets at houses in Al-Nemsawi (Austrian) neighborhood, in the southwest of Khan Yunis.  Additionally, Israeli occupation forces positioned in the vicinity of Gani Tal settlement, to the northwest of Khan Yunis, houses in the area of Al-Satar Al-Gharbi, 700m away from these military posts.  PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the shelling lasted until this morning, 4:00 local time, and resulted in injuring five civilians and severely damaging a number of houses.  An artillery shell fell on the roof of a house in the west of the Refugee camp of Khan Yunis, owned by Ahmed Hassan Abu Namous, 30 years old.  As a result, Abu Namous was wounded with shrapnel in the left eye; his wife Munira, 28 years old, was wounded with shrapnel in the right thigh; their child Tareq, 5 years old, was wounded with shrapnel in the hand and the leg; and their child Karim, six months old, was wounded with shrapnel in the face.  In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Namous said that he and his family woke up at 23:00 (local time), hearing sounds of explosions.  They all gathered in one room.  At 00:30 (local time), an artillery shell penetrated the roof of his house, destroying its asbestos boards.  The artillery shell fell onto the room in which the family gathered, injuring all of them.  They were all evacuated to the hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Khan Yunis.  Another artillery shell hit the house of Kamel Abu Akker and penetrated the asbestos roof, injuring his child Noura, 11 months old, with shrapnel in the left hand.  She was evacuated to the hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Khan Yunis.  A number of houses, 150-700m away from military posts of the Israeli occupation forces were also hit as follows: 1)                     The house of A’adel Salim Abu Obeida, a 130-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  Yesterday evening, it was hit with more than ten artillery shells that partially destroyed walls and windows. 2)                     The house of Abdullah Abu Obeida, a 300-square-meter, four-story house, in which 18 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  Yesterday evening, it was hit with about 20 artillery shells that made large holes and cracked walls and concrete pillars. 3)                     The house of Hussein and Jehad Ahmed Abu Khureis, a 140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 21 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  Yesterday evening, it was hit with four artillery shells that made holes in walls, destroyed asbestos boards and damaged water saving tanks. 4)                     The house of Salman Mousa Abu Mousa, a 170-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 20 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  Yesterday evening, it was hit with three artillery shells that destroyed asbestos boards, and damaged walls. 5)                     The house of Jehad Khalil Abu Louz, a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 11 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  Yesterday evening, it was hit with three artillery shells that made holes in walls and destroyed asbestos boards. 6)                     The house of Suleiman Mohammed Abu Obeida, a 340-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 15 people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  This time, it was hit with six artillery shells that made holes in walls and destroyed asbestos boards. 7)                     The house of Amin Suleiman Abu Obeida, a 190-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live: It was hit several times in the past that its residents were forced to leave it.  This time, it was hit with three artillery shells that made holes in walls and destroyed asbestos boards. 8)                     The house of Ibrahim Ali Abu Awadh, a 120-square-meter, three-story house, in which 22 people live: It was hit with three artillery shells that made holes in walls.  Residents of the house sheltered at the ground floor during the shelling. 9)                     The house of Jawdat Mahmoud Kellab, a 170-square-meter, four-story house, in which 15 people live: It was hit with four artillery shells that made holes in walls and destroyed windows. Residents of the house sheltered at the ground floor during the shelling. In addition, more than 20 houses were hit with heavy and medium bullets and electricity was cut from the area.   More Sweeping and Demolition  Yesterday noon, the Israeli occupation forces swept areas of agricultural land to the northeast of Kfar Darom settlement.  The new sweeping lasted for four hours and included areas of agricultural land in Deir El-Balah, about 40m away from the northeastern borders of the mentioned settlement.  PCHR’s field officer in the middle area reported that the Israeli occupation forces swept:        1)         A seven-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ghanem El-Ma’ni.        2)         A three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ahmed El-Ma’ni.        3)         A one-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Mohammed El-Ma’ni, on which a greenhouse was planted with vegetables.        4)         A three-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Mohammed A’aref Baraka, on which three greenhouses were planted with vegetables.        5)         A 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with palms, fruits and vegetables, owned by Ahmed Khalil Abu Samra.  In addition, a well, a 26-square-meter pool, an irrigation pump and a 90-square-meter reception building were destroyed.        6)         A 120-square-meter house that was established on the immediately above-mentioned area of land, owned by the same citizen.    ***  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).

 “End”