Press Release

 The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression:

An 80- donum area of land is swept, and the Israeli occupation forces outposts are reinforced

Ref: 138/2000

Date: October 19, 2000

Time: 12:00 GMT

The Israeli occupation forces have continued reinforcing and fortifying their military outposts in the Gaza Strip, and their bulldozer have swept lands in the areas adjacent to these outposts, and along the bypass roads linking the settlements in the Gaza Strip with Israel.

This morning, the Israeli occupation forces imposed a strict military siege on the junction leading to Gush Qatif Settlement Block, known as Al-Matahen Junction. They stopped traffic along the main road linking between Khan Yunis and Gaza (Salah El-Din Street). PCHR’s field officer in the affected area reported that the Israeli occupation forces present at the above-mentioned junction swept some 44 donums (1donum = almost 1,000 squared meters) of agricultural land owned by the family of Al-Farra. Sweeping included a 20-donum area of land planted with orange to the east of the junction, a 5-donum area of land planted with orange to the west of the junction, and another 19-donum area of land planted with olive adjacent to the Israeli military outpost at the entrance of the road lading from the junction to Gush Qatif Settlement Block.

In the northern area of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces completed the process of sweeping about 35 donums of land along the main road near the military outpost in the area of Erez, which they started yesterday. This morning, they placed dozens of cement blocks along the mentioned road, and reinforced their troops and military vehicles.

Today, the Israeli occupation forces continued to fire at Palestinian civilians in several areas of the Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field officers reported that dozens of Palestinians were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets near the Israeli military outpost to the West of Khan Yunis, and near the area of Erez in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. Dozens of people, mostly children, were also hurt due to inhaling tear gas.

PCHR’s field officers reported also that dozens of Jewish settlers of the settlement of Neve’ Dekalim in Al-Mawasi area of Khan Yunis threw stones this morning towards two Palestinian school children mini-buses. This happened before the eyes of the Israeli occupation forces, which provide protection and support for Jewish settlers to continue their attacks against Palestinian civilians.