Press Release

The Israeli occupation forces continue to kill Palestinian civilians:

Two children of Gaza and two youths of Hebron are killed today

 Ref: 142/2000

Date: October 22, 2000

Time: 15:30GMT

Since the morning, Palestinians have demonstrated throughout the occupied Palestinian territories in protest to the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to reinforce their presence in the occupied Palestinian territories with more troops and vehicles. They have established new military sites. The number of martyrs killed by the Israeli occupation forces has so far increased to 116, including 31 children under 18, and more than 3,200, more than one third of whom are children, have been wounded.

This morning, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on some children and boys who demonstrated near an Israeli military site in the area of Erez in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. The child Wae’l Mhmoud Emad, 13 years, was killed by the Israeli occupation forces. He received a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head from a 20- meter distance or less. Medical sources of Shifa’ hospital in Gaza stated that a rubber-coated metal bullet penetrated the child’s forehead and settled in his head. PCHR’s field officer in the mentioned area reported that 4 boys were wounded by live ammunition and 11 were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets. He added that dozens of boys were hurt due to inhaling tear gas which was used intensively by the Israeli occupation forces.

In the vicinity of the settlement of Kfar Darom, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on some boys demonstrated in the area. As a result the child Salah Fawzi Nejem, 15 years, from the refugee camp of Al-Maghazi was killed by a bullet in the heart, 5 were wounded by live ammunition and one by rubber-coated metal bullets. PCHR reported that the Israeli occupation forces placed a roadblock this afternoon on the main road linking between the north and south of the Gaza Strip (Salah El-Din Street), 20m away from a roadblock of the Palestinian security forces to the south of the settlement of Kfar Darom. He added that a tank and a military jeep of the Israeli occupation forces were at the roadblock, and Israeli soldiers were stopping and checking cars coming from the south towards Gaza city. It is worth mentioning that such a roadblock is the first of its kind since the redeployment of the Israeli occupation forces under the Interim Agreement in May 1994.

In Khan Yunis, 11 boys were wounded today by live ammunition and 13 were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets fired by the Israeli occupation forces at some boys demonstrated near an Israeli military outpost to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis. Additionally, dozens of children and boys were hurt due to inhaling tear gas used by these forces. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the Israeli occupation forces reinforced their presence in the area establishing a new military outpost 200 meters away to the east of a military roadblock of the Israeli occupation forces at the entrance of the eastern road between Salah El-Din Street and the borders (Kissufim crossing). Armored vehicles were also seen along the road between Al-Salqa valley and Al-Qarara to the east of Deir El-Balah.

In Hebrom, clashes broke out this afternoon between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces centered in the northern area of the city. The Israeli occupation forces responded firing live ammunition at demonstrators. As a result, Nae’l Ali Al-Zama’reh, 25 years, was killed by a bullet in the chest, and 5 were wounded by live ammunition fired by the Israeli occupation forces.

Other clashes broke out in Hebron after escorting the child Majed Al-Hawamdeh, from the village of Al-Sammou’, who was killed yesterday in clashes at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh, to his final resting – place. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on the Palestinians who demonstrated after the funeral and killed Emad Ismail Al-Hawamdeh, 23 years, from the village of Al-Sammou’ by a bullet in the heart.

PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community and the High Contracting Parties to Geneva Fourth Convention for immediate interventions to stop the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR calls for immediate providing international protection for Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territories, as it is the only way to prevent more deterioration of the situation.