Press Release

On the ninth day of the Israeli aggression:

The Israeli Occupation Forces continue shooting at Palestinian civilians

Ref: 121/2000

Date: October 7, 2000

Time: 13:00 GMT

On the ninth day of the Israeli aggression, the Israeli Occupation Forces continued shooting at Palestinian civilians. Today morning, Hesham Ahmed Meqbel, 45 years old from Gaza was shot dead by the Israeli Occupation Forces from inside Netzarim Settlement. He was evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital, but succumbed to his injury by a bullet in the abdomen. According to PCHR’s field officer at Netzarim area, the martyr Meqbel was passing by the area, when he was shot dead, and no clashes between Palestinian demonstrators were reported at the area then.

Today morning, Mohammed Khaled Awadh, 23 years old from Deir El-Hatab near Nablus, died from an injury in his kidneys yesterday. Yesterday evening, Rashad Ismail El-Najjar, 22 years old from Al-Maghazi, died at Shefa’ Hospital from his injury at Netzarim area yesterday noon. At the same hospital, the martyr Zuhair Rezeq Darabeih, 24 years old from Jabalya, who was shot dead yesterday was identified.

PCHR’s field officers informed about clashes at the area of Netzarim Settlement, and near Salah Eddin at the Egyptian borders in Rafah today afternoon. In these clashes, Rami Ayyash, 19 years old from Rafah, was shot in the head by the Israeli Occupation Forces and was evacuated to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis. In the West Bank, more than 20 people were injured in Hebron and Tulkarm, one of them is in a critical condition, after being shot by the Israeli Occupation Forces.

The number of Palestinian civilians who were killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces during the last nine days has increased to 76 martyrs, in addition to more than 2000 cases of injury. The list of martyrs has 20 martyrs who are under 18, including 6 children under 14. Among injured people, there are more than 10 cases of clinical death, including 4 children, and more than 10 cases of injury in the eyes. Sources at Palestinian Ministry of Health stated that more than 30 of the injured are still in critical conditions, and being treated at intensive care units at Palestinian hospitals in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and another number of them were transferred to hospitals in Egypt and Jordan.