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Ref: 119/2004

Date: 03  August 2004

Time: 13:00 GMT

PCHR Condemns ongoing IOF military operations in Beit Hanoun

 PCHR is gravely concerned about the serious consequences of the current Israeli military operation in the northern Gaza Strip, particularly in Beit Hanoun. 

 PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene.  PCHR further requests that they pressurize the Israeli occupying authorities to lift the siege imposed on the area for 35 days. 

 According to information available to PCHR, since the beginning of the Israeli military operation on 29 June 2004, 16 Palestinians, including 4 children and one woman, have been killed, and 119 others, including 57 children and 4 women, have been wounded.  Some of the wounded are in a serious condition.  The high number of casualties reflects excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians, including children. 

 Since the beginning of this offensive, Israeli occupying forces have destroyed many civilian properties and razed large areas of agricultural land in Beit Hanoun and neighboring areas.  According to preliminary estimations available to PCHR, Israeli occupying forces have razed at least 3800 donums of agricultural land mostly planted by citrus, olives and fruits, including nearly 1300 donums to the east of Jabalya and nearly 300 donums to the west of Beit Lahia.  This number does not include nearly 500 donums of agricultural land, which had been razed a few days before the beginning of the current operation.  Israeli occupying forces have also destroyed 15 houses completely and 280 others partially.  Attacks against civilian properties has also continued with the destruction of 4 brick factories, 2 concrete factories, 4 workshops, and 3 shops.  They have also damaged at least 8 factories in the industrial zone in the south of Beit Hanoun. 

 Palestinian education institutions in the town have not been immune to Israeli attacks.  PCHR’s field worker in the northern Gaza Strip reported that Israeli troops attacked 2 education institutions; they transformed a secondary school into a military post and damaged its contents, and seized a part of the college of agriculture of al-Azhar University and razed at least 7 donums of their agricultural land.  The college has been closed for more than one month. 

 In violation of the right to health, Israeli occupying forces attacked medical crews and ambulances.  As a result, 4 ambulances have been damaged.  Israeli troops also held a number of ambulances for several hours.  In addition, Israeli troops prevented ambulances, on a number of separate occasions, from reaching victims to evacuate them to hospitals.  Israeli occupying forces have continued to prevent ambulances form reaching the wounded and patients in the town without prior coordination, which often takes a long time.  A number of pregnant women have given birth inside houses. 

 The continuous Israeli onslaught on Beit Hanoun and neighboring areas is rapidly becoming a humanitarian disaster. Palestinian civilians have suffered from continuous deterioration in their living, economic, social and health conditions.  According to the latest information available to PCHR, Palestinian civilians in the town have been suffering an economic crisis and a shortage of some foodstuffs and fuels, as foodstuffs are entered into the town upon coordination with Israeli occupying forces.  UNRWA humanitarian crews have been subject to the Israeli gunfire while trying to provide residents of the town with food.  On 14 July 2004, a convoy of the UNRWA Commissioner General was fired at by Israeli troops, despite prior coordination with these troops to enter with food. 

 PCHR is particularly concerned with all attacks against Human Rights Defenders attempting to carry out their work, including against medical staff and humanitarian relief agencies.

 Since the Intifada began Beit Hanoun has been subjected to repeated offensives by Israeli occupying forces, which have killed dozens of Palestinian civilians and injured hundreds of others.  Israeli troops had also razed thousands of donums of agricultural land and destroyed hundreds of houses, shops and factories.  The previous offensive on Beit Hanoun took place in May and June 2003, and was characterized by a wide range of violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. 

 PCHR strongly condemns the Israeli offensive on Beit Hanoun and other Palestinian communities in the Gaza Strip.  PCHR asserts that the continued Israeli siege, shelling, land leveling, and excessive use of force constitute collective punishment, which is a breach of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva convention. 

 PCHR believes that this escalation in Israeli attacks is a product of the continuous failure of the international community to assume its responsibilities and fulfill its obligations under international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, towards the suffering of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts).

 PCHR calls upon the international community, at the levels of governments and organizations, to immediately intervene to stop Israeli war crimes.  PCHR calls also upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to ensure respect the Convention, and take concrete steps to provide protection for the Palestinian civilian population in the OPTs. 

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org