Press Release

The Israeli occupation forces continue their aggression:

Six Palestinian civilians killed by the Israeli occupation forces

 Ref: 176/2000

After a long and frightening night during which Palestinian civilians lived the climate of real war when helicopters and gunboats of the Israeli occupation forces shelled the cities of the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces once again escalated their blatant human rights violations against Palestinian civilians. Today, these forces shot at Palestinian civilians, killing two in Jenin and Tulkarm. In addition, a third Palestinian civilian from Sourif in Hebron died from a previous wound incurred on November 15, 2000. Field information from areas of clashes indicates that the Israeli occupation forces targeted the upper part of the body when shooting at Palestinian civilians with the intention to kill.

In Rafah, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian young men who had demonstrated since the morning near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border. As a result, eight Palestinian civilians were wounded, three of whom were seriously wounded in the upper part of the body. They are:

1. Farhoud Zannoun, 19 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the neck;
2. Nidhal Al-Heneidi, 19 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
3. A’ahed A’adel El-Bayyoumi, 17 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest.

In Khan Yunis, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians, who had demonstrated since the morning 100 meters away from Al-Tuffah roadblock, between the city and Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area. As a result, 18 Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition, mostly in the upper part of the body, and another three with rubber-coated metal bullets. Among the wounded children were:

1. Jawaher Bassam Sadeq, 15 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
2. Mohammed Hamada Sadeq, 14 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the back;
3. Hazem Jamal Abu Jalaleh, 15 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
4. Yousef Ahmed El-Qatran, 14 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
5. Ibrahim El-Masri, 14 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen

In the area to the southwest of Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), dozens of Palestinian young men and children demonstrated, beginning in the morning, more than 300 meters away from a military post of the Israeli occupation forces. Israeli occupation troops, reinforced with a tank and a number of jeeps, advanced on the branch road leading to Netzarim settlement in the west, and shot at Palestinian demonstrators 150 meters away to the south, wounding 13 with live bullets and another one with a rubber-coated metal bullet. Among the wounded were:

1. the child Mohammed Al-Rantisi, 13 years old, from the refugee camp of Nesseirat, wounded with a live bullet in the shoulder;
2. Mohammed Manar Hamad, 15 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Boreij, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
3. Ahmed Shobeir, 18 years old, from the refugee camp of Nesseirat,
4. Mohammed Abu Zbeideh, 17 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Boreij, wounded with a live bullet in the right foot;
5. E’mran Sae’id El-Jarbeh, 18 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Boreij, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
6. the child Mohammed Mahmoud El-Sous, 14 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Boreij, wounded with a live bullet in the chest; and
7. Abdel-Mou’ti Mohammed El-Mobasher, 12 years old, from the village of Al-Zawaideh, wounded with a live bullet in the pelvis.

In the area near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians, wounding six with live ammunition. Among the wounded were:

1. Sami Mohammed El-Sersawi. 15 years, from Al-Shojae’ya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
2. Saleh Mohammed Zeineh, 16 years old, from Al-Shojae’ya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
3. Zakaria Al-Khour, 18 years old, from Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head; and
4. Mohammed Fawzi El-Ghandour, 22 years old, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head.

In the village of Borqin in Jenin, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians, killing Mohammed Lutfi Massad, 25 years old, with a live bullet in the heart. The martyr is a brother of the martyr Mahmoud Lutfi Massad who was shot dead by the Israeli occupation forces on October 4, 2000. Eyewitnesses stated that the martyr was trying to offer help to his companion Alla’ Mohammed Abu Al-Heija, who was wounded with a live bullet in the foot, when the Israeli occupation forces shot at them, wounding Massad with a live bullet in the heart and Abu Al-Heija with another live bullet in the neck. The two continued to bleed for 20 minutes, without anyone being able to evacuate them because of the shooting by the Israeli occupation forces.

In the village of Sourif in Hebron, this evening, Hussein Mohammed Barade’ya died from a previous wound on November 15, 2000. PCHR learned that, about 6:00 local time on November 15, he was going with his colleagues to work, when an undercover unit of the Israeli occupation forces shot at them, wounding him critically. He was pronounced dead this evening.

In Tulkarm, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians who demonstrated in the southwestern part of the city, killing Yasser Taleb Nabtiti, 16 years old, with a live bullet in the chest, and wounding another two Palestinian civilians.

Yesterday, at about 18:00 local time, combat helicopters and gunboats of the Israeli occupation forces started to violently shell some cities and neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip. This shelling lasted for more than three hours and targeted a number of facilities and buildings in Gaza, Khan Yunis, Rafah, Beit Lahia and Jabalia.

In Gaza City, from 18:00 until 19:00 local time, combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation forces continuously shelled Gaza City. After this period, the shelling continued frequently until 21:00 local time. The shelling targeted a number of both civilian and security buildings and facilities. The shelling was as the following:

1. A shell fell on a lane 6 meters wide between two houses in the over-populated Al-Shati refugee camp, causing damage to the two houses and a number of nearby houses. A disaster was narrowly missed, as more than 60 Palestinian civilians live in the damaged houses, most of whom, especially children and the elderly, were overwhelmed by fear, anxiety, and nerves. Additionally, two children and a woman were injured with splinters of asbestos fragments, as a result of shelling the houses. They are:

1. the child Zhekrayat Suhail Fahmi Al-Hasani, 14 years old, injured in the head;
2. the child Maysa’ Fuad Nasman, 12 years old, injured in the head; and
3. Samira Younis Younis Awadh, 40 years old, injured in the abdomen.

1. Two shells hit a building of the Palestinian general prosecution in Al-Remal, one of which exploded causing severe damage to the building. In addition, a number of nearby houses were damaged, including the house of the Jordanian Ambassador to the Palestinian National Authority. The glass of some of the external windows in the area was broken.
2. A shell hit the building of the Palestinian Broadcasting Corporation (the second wave) in Al-Mentar area, causing severe damage to the building, and cutting broadcasting.
3. A shell hit a broadcasting station near Al-Azhar University, destroying it.
4. A building used as a headquarters for Fatah Movement was hit with seven shells, causing severe damage to the building.
5. Dozens of shells hit a number of buildings of Palestinian security services.

In Jabalya, at about 18:15 local time, combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation forces shelled a post of Force 17 (President’s guards) in the area of Al-Towam, causing severe damage to the post. In addition, 11 houses to the south of the post were damaged, as external walls were cracked, external windows were destroyed and asbestos roofs were knocked over.

At about 20:00 local time, a shell hit a 400-square-meter under-construction house to the north of the above-mentioned post in the area of Al-Towam, owned by Akram A’ayesh El-Saqqa, destroying its entrance and a part of its roof. External windows of another two houses in the area broke.

The combat helicopters of Israeli occupation forces also shelled a building of the marine police (Al-Sodaneya) near the sea in Beit Lahia. At about 20:30 local time, a shell fell near houses in the area of Al-Attatra, in the north of Beit Lahia, destroying external glass windows of two houses. The explosion terrified Palestinian civilians.

In Khan Yunis, at about 18:30 local time, combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation forces fired shells on houses near the area of Gizan Al-Najjar in the east of the city. A shell hit the house of Mohammed Hassan Rea’t Al-Najjar, and another two fell in front of the house. As a result, his wife, Adiba Abdel-Hamid Al-Najjar, 47 years old, and his children, Nour El-Huda, 17 years old, Iman, 16 years old, Ahmed, 14 years old, and Jumana, 12 years old, were slightly to moderately injured with splinters of a shell. A building of Force 17 (President’s guards) was also hit with more than eight shells and, as a result, was severely damaged.

In Deir El-Balah, the Israeli occupation forces shelled two posts of Force 17 (President’s guards) and the marine police near the sea, causing severe damage to the two posts.

In Rafah, yesterday evening, helicopters of the Israeli occupation forces shelled the headquarters of the police of the governorate, causing severe damage to one of its three buildings.

In Ramallah, the Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the southern entrance of the city, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at nearby Palestinian houses, including the house of Samit Ishaq, El-Razem, 32 years old, which is 20 meters away from the post of the Israeli occupation forces. As a result, El-Razem was seriously wounded with a bullet in the neck.

Yesterday morning, the Israeli occupation forces started to sweep large areas of agricultural land and to demolish houses and civilian facilities on the western side of Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), between Kfar Darom settlement and the junction leading to Kissufim Crossing. In addition to what was mentioned in the last press release, these particular actions included:

1. Demolishing a three-donum aluminum factory owned by the family of Al-Ja’farawi. Eyewitnesses said that at night, the Israeli occupation forces confiscated all equipment and raw materials of the factory, transferring them by trucks to an unknown location.
2. Demolishing four 160-square-meter houses owned by the family of Al-Ja’farawi.
3. Demolishing a 200-square-meter house owned by Hussein Abu Bakar.
4. Demolishing a 150-square-meter house owned by A’aida Al-Ja’farawi.
5. Demolishing a 120-square-meter house owned by Khaled Al-Husari.
6. Sweeping an 80-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and vegetables, owned by the family of Al-Ja’farawi.
7. Demolishing the fence of a house owned by Fadhel Hammouda.

No changes have taken place concerning the reinforcement by the Israeli occupation forces of their presence throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. In the Gaza Strip, tanks and armored vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces are still stationed on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), near the roads leading to Gush Qatif settlement block and the settlements of Kfar Darom and Morag, and on the road leading to Kissufim Crossing in the east. Since yesterday morning, the Israeli occupation forces have closed Salah El-Din Street dividing the Gaza Strip into three isolated parts; the south, the middle and the north. Yesterday, the Israeli occupation forces established a new military post to the west of the junction leading to Kissufim Crossing, on a tract of land owned by Abdel-Qader Al-Houli.

Also yesterday afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces completely closed Al-Tuffah roadblock between Khan Yunis City and Al-Mawasi area, prohibiting the movement of Palestinian civilians between the two areas.

In Rafah, all branch roads leading to Rafah Border Crossing have been closed since November 16, 2000. This increases the suffering of residents of Rafah and obstructs the access of farmers to their agricultural land near the Border Crossing on the

Palestinian-Egyptian border.

The Israeli occupation forces have continued to impose a sea siege on the southern area of the Gaza Strip since November 10, 2000, preventing Palestinian fishermen from going out to sea. A number of fishermen stated that they have not been able to remove their nets from the sea since November 9, 2000. They believe that these nets will be damaged by the extended delay.

The Israeli occupation forces have kept up their actions of collective punishment by continuing to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories and by closing Gaza International Airport and Rafah Border Crossing.

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.