Press Release  

The Israeli occupation forces shell Khan Yunis:

A martyr in Al-Doheisha

Ref: 196/2000

Date: December 10, 2000 Time: 13:00 GMT            15:00 Palestine Time  On the 52^nd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to commit grave abuses against Palestinian civilians.

 This morning, at approximately 9:30, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Walid Abdel-Fattah El-Majdalawi, 24 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Nusseirat, wounding him with a live bullet in the head nearly killed him.  According to PCHR’s investigation, the shooting was willful with the aim to kill the mentioned young man while he was repairing windows in Al-Mazra’a school adjacent to a military post of the Israeli occupation forces in the western side of Kfar Darom settlement.  The Israeli occupation forces shot dead, in similar conditions on December 2, 2000, Shehadeh Mousa El-Ja’fari, 27 years old, from the town of Bitonia, with bullets in the neck and the chest.

 This morning, at approximately 11:00 local time, a tank of the Israeli occupation forces positioned on the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, to the south of Gaza City, and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet to the east of Gaza City, fired an artillery shell at a Palestinian civilian truck (Volvo), that was crossing the road.  The truck was directly hit.  The driver Samir Rajab El-Harazin, 42 years old, miraculously survived, while the truck was completely burned.  In his testimony to PCHR, the driver said that he suddenly heard the loud sound of an explosion and glass from the truck shattered.  He got out of the truck and lay down.  He added that he heard sounds of intensive shooting and saw his truck burning. Eyewitnesses said that the attack was without reason and that the Israeli occupation forces positioned on the mentioned road shot at any vehicle or person crossing the area.

 At approximately noon today, the Israeli occupation forces positioned at Tal El-Sultan roadblock, separating the city of Rafah from its Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area, fired a sound bomb at a number of pupils, residents of Al-Mawasi, who were on their way home from their schools in the city of Rafah.  As a result, the child Safa’ Ibrahim Abu Shallouf, 10 years old, was injured in the face.  She was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah.

 Last night, at approximately midnight, the Israeli occupation forces shot dead Mahmoud Yousef El-Moghrabi, 24 years old, from the refugee camp of Al-Doheisha.  The incident took place while El-Moghrabi was walking in the area of Tallita in Beit Jala, under the control of the Palestinian National Authority, adjacent to bypass road 60, where the Israeli occupation forces are heavily present.  Eyewitnesses in the area said that the area was not witnessing any clashes when the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on the young man.  These forces took the body of the martyr El-Moghrabi to an unknown location.  The body has not been handed over to the martyr’s family as of yet.

 Shelling of Khan Yunis

Last night, at approximately 22:20 local time, the Israeli occupation forces positioned at Al-Tuffah roadblock, in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement and to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, fired 20 artillery shells at houses in the refugee camp.  Then, these forces shot heavy and medium bullets at houses.  The shooting lasted until 00:30.  As a result, Hassan Mohammed Salman Abu Namous, 60 years old, was wounded with shrapnel from a shell that fell on his 140-square-meter house, in which 12 people live.  In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Namous said that while he was in his room he heard explosions, the source of which was a military post of the Israeli occupation forces, 150 meters away from his house.  A shell fell onto the asbestos roof, wounding him in the face.  Abu Namous left the house with his wife and children.  Neighbors evacuated him to Nasser hospital in Khan Younis.  Tension and fear spread among Palestinian civilians who left their houses in order to escape from the shelling.

 The shooting and shelling caused severe damage to a number of houses as follows:

1)                     The house of Hussein Ahmed Khoreis, a 140-square-meter house, in which 21 people live: the asbestos roof was destroyed and holes made in walls.

2)                     The house of Salman Mousa Abu Mousa, a 170-square-meter house, in which 21 people live: the asbestos roof was destroyed and holes made in walls.

3)                     The house of Safeya Mosallam Zayed Abu Obeida, a 170-square-meter house, in which three people live: the asbestos roof and windows were destroyed and holes made in walls.

4)                     The house of Khaled Ali Mohammed Abu Louz, a 200-square-meter house, in which 11 people live: the asbestos roof and windows were destroyed and holes made in walls.

5)                     The house of A’adel Ali Abu Obeida, a 130-square-meter house, in which 10 people live: the asbestos roof and windows were destroyed and holes made in walls.

 More sweeping of agricultural land  This morning, the Israeli occupation forces swept more areas of agricultural land 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.  PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the sweeping included: 1)                     A five-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus, owned by Hammad Ahel.  In addition, a well was destroyed. 2)                     Continuing the sweeping of a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Ali A’yyad. 3)                      Continuing the sweeping of a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Yousef El-Serhi.   ***   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”

  For more information on Al-Aqsa Intifada see: www.pchrgaza.org