Press Release

More shelling and more sweeping of agricultural land:

A Palestinian civilian from Khan Yunis dies from a previous wound with live bullets fired by the Israeli occupation forces on December 14, 2000

   Ref: 209/2000 Date: December 24, 2000 Time: 15:00 GMT            13:00 Palestine Time   Yesterday evening, at approximately 17:00 local time, at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis, Abdullah E’issa Abdullah Gannan, 40 years old, from Khan Yunis, died from a wound with live bullets fired by the Israeli occupation forces ten days ago.  On Thursday, December 14, 2000, at approximately 8:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a Palestinian taxi on its way from Rafah to Gaza City, killing its driver Hani Hussein Abu Bakra, 32 years old, from Rafah, and wounding three passengers.  The wounded were: 1)                     Abdullah E’issa Abdullah Gannan, 40 years old, from Khan Yunis, wounded with several live bullets in the chest and the abdomen; 2)                     Mohammed Ahmed Shurrab, 25 years old, from Khan Yunis, wounded with several live bullets in the lower jaw and the hands; and 3)                     Mousa Mohammed Abu Mustafa, 54 years old, wounded with two live bullets in the shoulder and the side. The Israeli occupation forces then took martyr Abu Bakra, the three wounded passengers and two other passengers, who were not wounded, to an unknown place.  Later, it was clear that the unwounded passengers and Mousa Abu Mustafa were taken to a military post of the Israeli occupation forces near Kissufim Crossing.  The three were released after several hours of interrogation, and the body of martyr Abu Bakra was handed over to the Palestinian side.  Gannan and Shurrab were evacuated to an Israeli hospital until they were transferred to the Palestinian National Authority on December 17, 2000, and Shurrab was moved to the hospital of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Khan Yunis and then to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City.  Abdullah Gannan was evacuated to the intensive care unit at Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis up to the moment he died.  (For detailed information about this incident, see PCHR’s press release on December 14, 2000.)  Yesterday, at approximately 21:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces positioned in the north of Kfar Darom settlement fired four artillery shells at Palestinian houses and a post of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Deir El-Balah.  As a result, two members of the Palestinian National Security Forces were wounded with shrapnel in the legs.  They are: 1)                     Salameh Suleiman El-Louh, 55 years old; and 2)                     Radhi Suleiman Abu A’mra, 20 years old.  In Hebron, yesterday afternoon, armed settlers and the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians during the funeral procession of martyr Arafat Mohammed El-Jabarin, 17 years old, who was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces on Friday in the village of Sae’ir.  PCHR learned that a number of armed settlers of Givat Arba joined Israeli occupation forces in shooting at Palestinian civilians near the bypass settlement road 60.  As a result, 12 Palestinian civilians were wounded, one of whom was in serious condition.  More Sweeping and Demolition  Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land in the area of Abu Houli, in the south of Deir El-Balah.  The new sweeping included areas of agricultural land to the northwest of the junction on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip) leading to Gush Qatif settlement block (Al-Matahen junction).  PCHR’s field officer in the middle area reported that the new sweeping aimed at establishing a new settlement road between Gush Qatif settlement block and Salah El-Din Street, opposite to the junction leading to Kissufim Crossing on the Green Line.  PCHR’s field officer added that 100 donums of agricultural land were swept as follows:        1)         A 40-donum area of agricultural land planted with almost-100-year-old sycamores, owned by Mohammed Al-Farra.        2)         A 60-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, guavas and vegetables, owned by Abdel- Qader Muttair Abu Houli and brothers.  In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.    ***  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”