Press Release

  Rafah and Khan Yunis now endure partial isolation: Israeli occupation forces close Al-Shuhada’ junction and isolate the middle area; Occupation forces fire shells and heavy and medium bullets  

Ref: 189/2000

Date: December 4, 2000 Time: 14:00 GMT            16:00 Palestine Time  

In a new step to tighten its grip on Palestinian civilians, the Israeli occupation forces closed Al-Shuhada’ junction on Salah El-Din Street this morning, to the south of Gaza City.  With Salah El-Din Street closed near Kfar Darom settlement, the Gaza Strip has been transformed into three nearly isolated areas (the south, the middle and the north), in addition to the restrictions imposed on each area separately.  Although clashes between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces in the occupied Palestinian territories have significantly decreased in the last few days, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to perpetrate serious abuses against Palestinian civilians.  Last night, these forces shelled the refugee camp of Khan Yunis and Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, wounding a Palestinian civilian and severely damaging houses more than 200 meters away from military posts of these forces.  The past 24 hours witnessed the sweeping of more agricultural land and the demolition of civilian facilities in Rafah and Gaza.  Yesterday, a settler nearly committed a massacre when he opened fire on a number of Palestinian civilians in the village of Housan in Bethlehem.  He then escaped.  The Israeli occupation forces also shot at civilians, wounding 14 with live bullets.

Shooting at Palestinian Civilians  Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians in the village of Housan in Bethlehem, wounding 14 with live bullets, five of whom are in critical condition.  At about 18:00 local time, a Jewish settler shot at a crowd of Palestinian civilians on their way to pray in the mosque of the village, which is 10 meters away from a settler bypass road.  PCHR learned that the settler was driving a white GMC – the same characteristics as the car that willfully hit and killed the child Shadi Ahmed Za’oul, from the village of Housan on November 30, 2000.  After the shooting by the settler, tension and fear spread among Palestinian civilians.  Israeli occupation troops, positioned near the hospital, started to arbitrarily shoot live ammunition and tear gas canisters, wounding 14 Palestinian civilians with live ammunition.  In addition, dozens of Palestinian civilians suffered from fainting and suffocation due to inhaling tear gas.  PCHR learned the following Palestinian civilians were seriously wounded:        1)         Hassan Saleh Hamamra, 20 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen.        2)         Bilal Fakhri Hamamra, 19 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the neck.        3)         Sabri Ahmed Shousha, 27 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen.        4)         Rae’d Mohammed Hamamra, 24 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest.        5)         Morad Khalil Hamamra, 25 years old, wounded with two live bullets in the shoulder and the right leg.   PCHR condemns this aggression aimed at the lives and safety of Palestinian civilians on their way to the mosque.  PCHR considers this new aggression as more evidence of the crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces and settlers against Palestinian civilians.  The Israeli occupation forces continued what the settler initiated and shot at Palestinian civilians, instead of pursuing and apprehending the settler.  These forces also accepted the narrative of the settler who ran over the child Shadi Ahmed Za’oul, in which he claimed that the child was crossing the road; however, eyewitnesses stated that the settler steered the car in a way clearly indicating intent to run over the child.  Following the intentional collision with the child, the settler then escaped.  Israeli mass media stated that Israeli police withdrew the settler’s driving license for three months.   Shelling of Khan Yunis

 Last night, at midnight local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired shells and heavy and medium bullets at Al-Amal neighborhood and the refugee camp of Khan Yunis.  PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the sources of fire were a military post of the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Tuffah roadblock and another one to the west of Al-Amal neighborhood.  As a result of the shelling, Ahmed Abdel-Fattah Abu El-Sae’id, 27 years old, was wounded with shrapnel in the head.  PCHR’s field officer added that shells caused severe damage to a number of houses and a market as follows:

       1)         The house of Yahia Khalil Abu El-Sae’id in Al-Amal neighborhood, 200 meters away from a military post of the Israeli occupation forces, in which 10 people live – a shell fell on the roof causing severe damage.        2)         The house of Hussein Mekheimer in the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, 250 meters away from a military post of the Israeli occupation forces, in which 11 people live – the façade was hit with a shell that made a hole 20 centimeters in diameter in a wall and destroyed windows.        3)          The house of Atteya Abu Ammouna in the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, 250 meters away from a military post of the Israeli occupation forces, in which 11 people live – the house was hit with a shell that made a hole 20 centimeters in diameter in a wall and destroyed the asbestos roof and water tanks.        4)         A shell fell onto an asbestos-roofed market in Al-Amal neighborhood, partially destroying it.   Restrictions on Movement  This morning, at about 7:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces closed Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip).  PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that two tanks of the Israeli occupation forces were positioned at the junction, closing Salah El-Din Street.  Closing the junction, which is to the south of Gaza City, imposes restrictions on free movement between the middle area on one side and Gaza and the northern area on the other.  The only road that remains open for people who wish to move between the mentioned areas is the coastal road.  These restrictions are part of a series of measures that have been carried out by the Israeli occupation forces for a number of weeks.  These measures have included closing Salah El-Din Street near Kfar Darom settlement and restricting the movement between Rafah and Khan Yunis as well as between other areas of the Gaza Strip.     Early this morning, Israeli occupation troops reinforced their positions with a tank at the entrance of Khadija Bent Kowayled elementary school, to the north of Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, preventing the entry of 800 pupils.  Study was suspended.   Continued Sweeping of Agricultural Land

 Yesterday evening, at about 22:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land and demolished more agricultural facilities in the area of Oraybeh, to the west of Rafah, on both sides of the road branch of Rafah-Khan Yunis western road leading to Gush Qatif settlement block.  Areas of agricultural land were swept and agricultural facilities were demolished in the same area on November 26, 2000.  The sweeping and demolition included:

       1)         A four-donum area of agricultural land, owned by Humeid Hamdan Qeshta, on which greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.  In addition, a motorized sprinkler and an irrigation network were destroyed.        2)         A four-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, owned by Humeid Hamdan Qeshta.  In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.        3)         A two-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables, owned by Kamal Ahmed Suleiman El-Shae’r. In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.        4)         Two two-donum areas of agricultural land planted with olives, which were farmed by the above-mentioned citizen.        5)         A two-donum area of agricultural land on which greenhouses planted with vegetables were established.  The land was farmed by Mohammed Ahmed Suleiman El-Shae’r.  In addition, an irrigation network was destroyed.   Along the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, to the south of Gaza City, and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to sweep areas of agricultural land and to demolish civilian facilities.  Because of the heavy presence of the Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks,  which have closed the mentioned road and shot at any individual or any vehicle passing, PCHR’s field officer could not reach the affected area.  In a phone call with PCHR’s field officer, a resident of the area said that the sweeping came to within approximately 250 meters of his house.   ***   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”