Press Release

The Israeli occupation forces continue to reinforce their presence and to impose restrictions on the movement of people and transportation: A martyr at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh today and three martyrs in Hebron, Qalandya and Gaza yesterday afternoon

Ref: 187/2000

Date: December 2, 2000 Time: 14:00 GMT            16:00 Palestine Time  

The past 24 hours witnessed a significant escalation of lethal use of force by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians, despite the significant decrease of mass clashes in the occupied Palestinian territories.  This afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians demonstrating near City Inn, in the north of Al-Bireh.  As a result, a young man from Bitonya was killed with a live bullet while he was working in an under-construction building near the area of clashes.  Yesterday afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians demonstrating near the refugee camp of Qalandya.  As a result, the Israeli occupation forces shot dead a Palestinian man with an exploding live bullet in the abdomen.  Yesterday evening, in the village of Al-Sammoua’ in Hebron, a Palestinian man was shot dead with a live bullet in the heart by the Israeli occupation forces.  Also yesterday evening, a 17-year-old Palestinian from Gaza died from a previous wound with a live bullet in the head shot by the Israeli occupation forces on November 30, 2000.  The number of Palestinians killed by the Israeli occupation forces since September 29, 2000, up to this morning, has increased to 259, including 89 children.

    1.      Shooting at Palestinian Civilians  This afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians demonstrating at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh (near City Inn).  As a result, Shehadeh El-Ja’farawi, 27 years old, from Bitonya was killed with a live bullet.  El-Ja’farawi was not participating in any clashes.  He was shot while working in an under-construction building near the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.  At Shifa’ hospital in Gaza, yesterday evening, Medhat Mohammed Subhi Jadallah, 17 years old, from Al-Shati refugee camp, died from a wound caused by a live bullet in the head on November 30, 2000, when the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians demonstrating near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City.  In the refugee camp of Qalandya, to the north of Jerusalem, Yassin Ibrahim Mohamed Shehadeh, 23 years old, was killed with an exploding live bullet in the abdomen, when the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians demonstrating at the entrance of the refugee camp.  In the village of Al-Sammoua’, yesterday afternoon, Hanza Nadi Suleiman Al-Hassis, 27 years old, was killed with a live bullet in the heart, when the Israeli occupation forces shot at a number of Palestinian civilians demonstrating at the southern entrance of the village.   2.      Continued Military Reinforcements and Blocking of Roads inside the Gaza Strip  Despite the significant reduction in clashes between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces, these forces have continued to reinforce their presence on the main roads and at the entrances of cities, restricting the movement of Palestinian civilians.  In the Gaza Strip, tanks and armored vehicles of the Israeli occupation forces are still positioned on the main junctions on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip).  These forces have continued to close the road near Kfar Darom settlement, along with a number of branch and agricultural roads coming off of this road.  As a result, the Gaza Strip has been split into isolated areas.  Palestinian civilians face difficulties when moving between the southern areas (Rafah and Khan Yunis) and the middle and northern areas.  The Israeli occupation forces allow such movement only through an alternative branch road that bypasses Kfar Darom settlement. Passage is permitted for two hours in the morning (10:00-12:00 local time) and two hours in the afternoon (16:00-18:00 local time).  PCHR’s field officers report that the alternative road suffers from traffic jams Palestinian civilians have never before faced in their movement inside the Gaza Strip.  They added that more than 7,000 people, including women, old people and children, have been forced to walk for three kilometers when traveling from Rafah and Khan Yunis to Gaza City.   The Israeli occupation forces have kept up their measures of collective punishment.  Rafah Border Crossing is still closed.  On November 28, 2000, the Israeli occupation forces allowed entry into the Gaza Strip, but the crossing is still closed to those who want to travel abroad.  Yesterday, the Israeli occupation forces reopened Gaza International Airport, but with new work conditions and hours, including:        1)         Work hours limited from 9:00 to 15:00 local time.        2)         Privileges granted to VIPs of categories B and C are canceled.        3)         Privileges of the staff of Palestinian airplanes are canceled.        4)         Continued security checking of vehicles.  The new measure requires that vehicles be escorted by tanks of the Israeli occupation forces.  PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that this morning the Israeli occupation forces demolished a part of the Airport fence in order to facilitate the entry and exit of tanks.   ***   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”