· 27 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, including three children and three handicapped, killed by Israeli
occupation forces
· Israeli incursions into Hebron
and Qalqilya leave 11 Palestinians dead
· Ongoing Israeli military siege
on the Church of the Nativity
· Indiscriminate shelling of
Rafah and Khan Yunis kills 6 Palestinians
· Israeli forces run over three
Palestinians, including a handicapped young man
· Continued Israeli attempts to
hide war crimes committed in Jenin refugee camp before the arrival of UN
Fact-Finding Mission
Introduction
This report covers human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli
occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in the period
25 April – 1 May 2002. According to PCHR’s documentation and field
observations, Israeli occupation forces continued invasions into Palestinian
areas, killing a number of Palestinians and destroying public and private
property. This week, 27 Palestinians,
mostly civilians, including three children and three handicapped people, were
killed by Israeli occupation forces.
Since 29 March, Israeli occupation forces have launched an unprecedented
all-out offensive on the West Bank cities. They have also carried out
incursions in Palestinian cities and villages in the Gaza Strip under the cover
of intense shelling, killing a number of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli government has also continued
attempts to undermine efforts to reveal facts about war crimes committed by
Israeli occupation forces in Jenin refugee camp. First, it declared that it would not
cooperate with the UN Fact-Finding Mission, then it expressed its opposition to
the composition of the mission. It
called for adding personnel to the mission, before demanding impunity for any
of its officers and soldiers who would testify before the members of the
mission. The Israeli government also
demanded to see the mission’s final report 48 hours before its presentation to
the UN Security Council. In the end, the
Israeli government decided not to receive the mission.
While the Israeli government continued to refuse to implement UN
Security Council Resolutions 1402 and 1405 which call for an Israeli withdrawal
from PNA-controlled areas, Israeli occupation forces invaded more Palestinian
areas, especially in Hebron and Qalqilya, killing 11 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, and wounding more than 20. They also arrested dozens of Palestinians and destroyed public and
private properties.
Israeli occupation forces have maintained a strict siege on the Church
of the Nativity, insisting that those inside the church must surrender. Israeli forces arrested a number of those who
decided to leave the church. They also
fired at the church, killing a Palestinian.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces shelled and
invaded PNA-controlled areas, especially in Rafah, killing four Palestinian
civilians, including a 2-year-old infant and a handicapped young man, whom an
Israeli tank ran over. A number of Palestinian
civilians were also wounded and a number of houses were severely damaged by
Israeli shelling.
Israeli occupation forces have maintained the total
siege imposed on the OPT in a collective punishment for the Palestinian
people. Israeli forces have separated
Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons and imposing a curfew on
several Palestinian areas in the West Bank. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces have divided the strip into
three isolated zones for several weeks. They have denied access of
students to their schools and universities and employees to their work places,
violating their economic, social and cultural rights. This week, Israeli forces tightened the
internal siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, and many Palestinian civilians were
forced to spend nights at Israeli military roadblocks, waiting to be allowed to
travel between the north and south of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli Offensive on West
Bank Cities
On Thursday morning, 25 April, five Israeli tanks and
seven armored personnel carriers, supported by two helicopters, invaded Be’r
al-Mahjar neighborhood in the northwest of Hebron, in the West Bank.
Palestinian gunmen and security officers confronted the invading Israeli
forces. Ahmed Tawfiq Bashir, 24, a member of the presidential guard (Force 17)
from Gaza, was killed and three other Palestinians were wounded:
1. Samer Abu Sharekh, 25, wounded
by a live bullet in the right thigh;
2. Nasser Abu ‘Eisha, 28, wounded by a live bullet in the left
foot; and
3. Hamza Qafisha, 25, wounded by
shrapnel in the feet.
Israeli forces also arrested five Palestinians from one
family, including three brothers.
At approximately 04:25 on the same day, Israeli
occupation forces invaded al-Shioukh village, east of Hebron. They destroyed a facility and a tower of the
Palestinian Telecommunication Company, which used to serve the east and south
of Hebron. Services for 1100 telephone
subscribers and 10000 mobile phone subscribers was cut. Losses were estimated at approximately $US 1
million.
In the aftermath of an attack by Palestinians on the
“Adura” settler colony, west of Hebron, on Saturday morning, 27 April, Israeli
occupation forces carried out retaliatory attacks on Palestinian areas. At approximately 10:30, three Israeli
military helicopters airdropped infantry on the western hills of Hebron. Those units, reinforced by two helicopters,
invaded Taffuh village, west of Hebron. They searched Palestinian agricultural land in the area. A Palestinian, Tariq Rasmi Doufash, 20, was
killed and Israeli forces took his body to an unknown destination. Israeli forces imposed a curfew on Taffuh
village and seized control over two Palestinian houses and transformed them
into military positions. Residents of
the two houses were detained in one room. Israeli forces also detained 21 Palestinians in the yard of a brick
factory, forced them to take their clothes off the upper part of the body,
handcuffed and blindfolded them. The 21
Palestinians were detained until the following morning.
On Monday morning, 29 April, Israeli occupation forces
invaded and seized complete control over Hebron. According to investigations carried out by
LAW – the Palestinian Society for the
Protection of Human Rights and the Environment – at approximately 03:00, around
300 Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers, dozens of jeeps, and five
combat helicopters invaded and seized complete control over the PNA-controlled
portion of Hebron. Israeli forces fired
artillery shells, live bullets of various caliber, and surface-to-surface missiles
at the city. Some Palestinian resistance
and security men confronted the invading Israeli forces. Eight Palestinians, including two brothers
were killed.
At approximately 04:45, Israeli combat helicopters fired
four missiles at a house, owned by ‘Abdul Majid Shahin, in al-Hawuz
neighborhood, in which some Palestinian fighters had shought shelter. Three armed men inside the house and two
others outside were killed
1. Amjad Yasser Katba, 25, killed
by shrapnel throughout the body;
2. Munther ‘Ezziddin Katba, 22, killed by shrapnel throughout
the body;
3. Akram Najm al-Din al-Hamuri,
22, killed by shrapnel throughout the body;
4. Raja’ei Abu Shami, 30, killed
by shrapnel throughout the body; and
5. Ashraf Yasser Shahin, 24,
killed by several heavy caliber bullets throughout the body.
When they heard sounds of explosions, Ibrahim Yasser
Shahin, 27, and Nader `Omran Shahin, 30, hurried to search for the wounded to
offer them help. While they were trying
to offer help to the wounded, an Israeli combat helicopter launched a missile,
killing the two.
A member of the Palestinian National Security Force,
Hassan Mohammed `Oudeh, 26, from Jabalya refugee camp in the
northern Gaza Strip, was killed when Israeli occupation forces shelled a
Palestinian roadblock.
During the Israeli incursion into Hebron, 20
Palestinians were wounded. One of the
wounded, Dr. Ibrahim al-Salaima, 40, received a heavy caliber bullet in the
abdomen while offering medical help to a Palestinian who was wounded near his
house in al-Hawuz neighborhood. Israeli
forces also arrested three of the wounded, who were bleeding, while some people
were offering them medical help in a mosque:
1. `Omar Kherwat Nasser al-Din, 28;
2. Htem al-Jamal, 28; and
3. Yasser Abu Turki, 25.
Israeli forces shelled three of the main electricity
transmitters in the city, completely cutting electricity from the city. They also seized control over 20 houses and
apartment buildings and four schools and transformed them into military
positions.
Using loudspeakers, Israeli forces forbade any movement
of ambulances and threatened to fire at them. They also refused to allow the evacuation of bodies of five Palestinians
until 10:30, when the ICRC intervened to allow their evacuation. Israeli tanks also surrounded al-Ahli and
‘Aalia hospitals and closed all roads leading to them.
Israeli forces damaged and seized control over civil and
security centres of the PNA and arrested at least 80 Palestinians. A number of houses in the city were also
damaged by Israeli shelling and attacks.
At approximately 12:30, Israeli occupation forces raided
offices of al-Horeya radio station and al-Mustaqbal Television and destroyed
their equipment after they had forced residents of the building to leave.
At approximately 03:00 on Friday, 26 April, 20 Israeli
tanks and dozens of armored personnel carriers and military jeeps, supported by
helicopters, invaded Qalqilya, moving to the city centre. A number of Palestinian fighters confronted
the invading Israeli forces, who were firing intensely. Ra’ed Mousa Nazzal, 34, was killed by several
live bullets throughout the body. Israeli forces raided houses in the town and arrested dozens of
Palestinians, mostly security men.
On Monday morning, an Israeli army sniper positioned on
a building near the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem fired at 29-year-old
Nidal Isma’il ‘Ebayyat, from Bethlehem, who had been blocked inside the church
for four weeks, killing him with a live bullet in the chest. ‘Ebayyat was a member of al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades of Fatah Movement.
Shelling of and Encroachment into Palestinian
Areas
At approximately 01:00, an Israeli infantry unit,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 1000m into
Palestinian areas in the east of Deir al-Balah. Three members of the Palestinian National Security Force were sleeping
under an umbrella in a bird farm in the area, owned by Maher al-‘Akluk. The three security men were:
1. Ibrahim Mustafa ‘Aabdin,
53;
2. ‘Omar Suleiman Shehada, 22; and
3. Shadi Ibrahim Meziad, 20.
Soon, Israeli forces demolished the eastern fence of the
farm, under the cover of intense shelling. The three security men and the owner of the farm and his son tried to
leave the area, but Israeli forces fired at them. ‘Aabdin was wounded by a live bullet in the
shoulder, Abu Shehada was wounded by a live bullet in the jaw, and Meziad was
wounded by a live bullet in the right knee. The owner of the farm, his son, Shehada and Meziad were able to escape,
while ‘Aabdin remained in the place. An
Israeli tank moved towards him and ran over him, killing him. PCHR’s field worker in the middle area of the
Gaza Strip reported that medical sources asserted that a tank ran over ‘Aabdin
and that he only received a live bullet in the shoulder. Equipment of the farm was destroyed and all
the birds were killed by Israeli shelling. Israeli forces withdrew from the area at 03:00. They claimed that four Palestinians attempted
to enter “Kfar Darom” settlement, east of Deir al-Balah, through greenhouses,
and that Israeli forces killed them and were in possession of the bodies. Contrary to normal procedure, however, the
PNA was not informed that any Palestinian bodies were in possession of the
Israeli army. According to eyewitnesses,
the area did not witness any shooting during or before the Israeli incursion.
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupation forces in a
military location near Salah al-Din Gate on the Egyptian border, south of
Rafah, shelled Palestinian houses near the gate. The shelling continued sporadically until
05:00. Electricity was cut from the
area, as an electricity transmitter was damaged by Israeli shelling. A number of houses, whose residents had
already left due to repeated Israeli shelling, were further damaged.
Also in the morning, Israeli occupation forces razed a
10-donum area of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives, palms and
peppers, owned by Mohammed Saleh al-Seiqali and brothers. The land is located near the road linking
between “Morag” settlement and the “Gush Qatif”
settlement bloc, south of Khan Yunis. On
the following day, Israeli forces surrounded the land with barbed wire,
apparently to annex it to “Morag” settlement.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli occupation forces at the
Egyptian border, south of Rafah, again shelled Palestinian houses near Salah
al-Din Gate. Four Palestinian children
were wounded:
1. Taha Mustafa Jaber, 11, wounded
by shrapnel in the face;
2. Hammad Mousa Fuju, 13, wounded
by shrapnel throughout the body;
3. Bilal ‘Ali Abu Qura, 14, wounded by shrapnel in the head;
and
4. Ahmed Riad Abu She’ira, 15,
wounded by shrapnel in the face.
At approximately 20:00, Israeli occupation forces in the
vicinity of “Slao” settlement, southwest of Rafah,
shelled Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. Three Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Mohammed Ahmed Hamdan al-Sufi,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the back;
2. ‘Abdul ‘Azziz Fayez ‘Ali Subeh,
11, wounded by shrapnel in the head; and
3. Mazen Mahmoud Farahat, 35,
wounded by a live bullet in the neck.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupation forces in a military location
near Salah al-Din Gate at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, shelled at
Palestinian houses near the gate. Three
Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Ahmed Khaled
Hijazi, 18, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
2. Hani Mohammed
al-Atrash, 19, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh; and
3. Ahmed Bakri
Abu ‘Amra, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the right elbow.
Israeli occupation forces
again shelled the same area at approximately 15:00, wounding an old woman,
Jundia Mohammed Abu Suleiman, 80, with a live bullet in the left leg.
In the afternoon, Israeli
occupation forces positioned atop of al-Ja’bari and al-Qawasmi buildings at the
southern entrance of Hebron shelled Ra’s al-Joura, Be’r al-Mahjar and al-Seir
neighborhoods in the north of the city. Three Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Jihad Mustafa Abu Sil, 12, from al-‘Arrub refugee
camp, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh:
2. Fathi Subhi Abu Hamdia, 33, from Hebron, seriously
wounded by a live bullet in the neck; and
3. Suleiman Mohammed al-Hammuri, 45, wounded by shrapnel
in the head.
At approximately 04:00,
medical sources in a hospital in Jordan announced that 55-year-old Sa’da ‘Abdul
Latif Nejem, from Jenin refugee camp, succumbed to a wound she received on
Monday, 4 March, when Israeli combat helicopters shelled the refugee camp. Nejem was then critically wounded by a live
bullet in the head. She was evacuated to
Rafidya Hospital in Nablus and from there she was transferred to a Jordanian
hospital for she was in critical condition. Nejem is the mother of Khaled Nejem who was killed by Israeli occupation
forces on Friday, 1 March.
At approximately 08:30,
Israeli occupation forces positioned at the northern entrance of Hebron opened
fire at Palestinian schoolchildren. Ussama Mohammed Mahmoud Jabarin, 14, from Sa’ir village, was wounded by
a medium caliber bullet in the head. For one hour, Israeli forces prevented
ambulances from evacuating him to hospital. At approximately 11:40, he was pronounced dead.
At approximately 19:00,
Israeli occupation forces in a military location at the entrance to al-Mawasi
area, west of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan
neighborhood. Wisam ‘Abdul Hafezh al-Derbi, 10,
was wounded by a live bullet in the face while at home.
At approximately 20:00,
Israeli tanks positioned at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, shelled Rafah
refugee camp. Tayseer Ahmed Barhum, 16,
was wounded by shrapnel in the right leg.
In an apparent willful
killing, Israeli occupation forces shot dead Mohammed ‘Ali Hassan Abu Gharaba,
33, from Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir Balah, after they had moved
approximately 600m into the village coming from the eastern border of the Gaza
Strip. An eyewitness who accompanied Abu
Gharaba stated:
“At approximately 23:00 on
Monday, 29 April, 2002, I was with Mohammed coming back home from his family
forum in the north of Wadi al-Salqa village. While we were walking on the road leading to a solid waste treatment
facility in the east, I saw a number of Israeli soldiers who were approximately
400m away from us. Suddenly, they opened
fire at us. Mohammed fell onto the
ground and I lay on the ground and crept towards agricultural land in the area. I looked back and saw two Israeli soldiers
moving towards Mohammed. They fired at
him from a distance of less than 100m and then left the area. I told his family about the incident. Soon, one of his relatives called an
ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, which came to the area
soon. Mohammed was evacuated to al-Aqsa
Martyrs Hospital.”
According to medical
sources at the hospital, Abu Gharaba was brought to the hospital dead. He received a live bullet in the head from a
close distance. He also received other live
bullets in several parts of the body.
At approximately 09:30, an Israeli tank moved from al-Tuffah checkpoint,
west of Khan Yunis, and took position at the edge of Khan Yunis refugee
camp. The Israeli forces opened fire at
Palestinian civilians and their houses. Muhareb ‘Ali Ahmed Abu Sahlul, 65, was critically wounded by a live
bullet in the pelvis, while he was in a shop approximately 300m away. He was pronounced dead at 12:00. At
approximately 11:30, Israeli forces shelled the same area again, killing Khader
‘Oleyan Huneideq, 24, with a live bullet in the abdomen.
At approximately 20:30,
Israeli occupation forces moved approximately 100m into al-Mughraqa area, south
of Gaza, and opened fire at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian child, Mohammed Jihad Abu Middain, 3, was wounded by a
live bullet in the right thigh while at home.
At approximately 21:00,
Israeli tanks stationed at the Egyptian border fired at houses in the Block O
area of Rafah refugee camp. One of the
shells hit the house of Hani Abdel Jawad Hamza Abu Libda, setting it on fire. The house, which is 280 square meters and
covered by an asbestos roof, was damaged; the room of Abu Libda’s ister, Fayza,
36,caught fire. Fayza suffered burns in
the arm and was taken to Yusuf Najjar hospital in Rafah for treatment before
being transferred to Nasser Hopistal in Khan Yunis, where she is still being
treated. Abu Libda was injured when
trying to put out the fire.
At 23:00, after an
explosion in an Israeli tank near Rafah border crossing, Israeli occupation
forces moved approximately 300m into al-Shouka neighborhood, approximately 500m
away from the border, in the east of Rafah, under the cover of intense
shelling. Four artillery shells hit two
houses of the Shalluf family, killing 2-year-old Huda Mohammed Mus’ad Shalluf,
and causing severe damage. In addition,
seven members of the family were wounded and another member of the family,
Samir Hamdan Shalluf, 30, was arrested. After Israeli forces withdrew from the area, the body of 23-year-old
‘Abdullah Hamdan Shalluf, deaf and dumb, was discovered in the street. The body was distorted, as Israeli tanks had
ran over him. Two houses were damaged:
1. Two artillery shells hit a 200-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 13 persons live, owned by Khalil Salem Zeidan
Shalluf, destroying two rooms and the kitchen and cracking walls.
2. Two artillery shells hit a 300-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which four persons live, owned by Mohammed Mus’ad
Shalluf, killing his daughter, destroying two rooms and cracking walls.
Those wounded were:
1. Kamal Khalil Shalluf, 19, wounded by shrapnel in the
left arm, thigh and leg;
2. Mustafa Mus’ad Shalluf, 27, wounded by shrapnel in
the face and arms;Mohammed Mus’ad Shalluf, 24, wounded by shrapnel throughout
the body;
3. Musallam Zeidan Shalluf, 44, wounded by shrapnel in
the left thigh;
4. Salim Zeidan Shalluf, 54, wounded by shrapnel in the
right thigh;
5. Mas’uda ‘Oleyan Shalluf, 20, seriously wounded by
shrapnel in the buttockes and the right knee; and
6. ‘Aasia ‘Atteya Shalluf, 50, wounded
by shrapnel in the limbs.
In the morning, Israeli
occupation forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately
300m into Block “J” in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Israeli forces raided two houses and arrested
three Palestinians. They also mounted
roofs of the two houses and opened fire indiscriminately, killing two
Palestinian civilians and wounding three.
According to PCHR’s
investigation, at approximately 01:00, Israeli occupation soldiers raided a
200-square-meter, two-story house owned by Faluji ‘Oudeh Faluji al-Agha and
took position on its roof. An Israeli
bulldozer destroyed one of the house’s pillars. At the same time, other Israeli soldiers raided a 140-square-meter,
three-story house, owned by Sa’id Mohammed Hammad Barhum, and detained its 22
residents in its rooms. They also
arrested three members of the family:
1. Mohammed Sa’id Mohammed Barhum, 36, a taxi driver;
2. Rashad Sa’id Mohammed Barhum, a vegetable seller; and
3. Ahmed Sa’id Mohammed Barhum, 22, a taxi driver.
Israeli snipers mounted the
roofs of the two houses and opened fire at the area, killing two Palestinian
civilians:
1. Ahmed Mustafa Abu Khatla, 21, killed by a heavy
caliber bullet in the head; and
2. Bilal ‘Abdul Sattar al-Derbi, 22,
killed by a live bullet in the abdomen.
Three other civilians were
also wounded:
1. Hassan Hussein Abu Jazar, 55, critically wounded by a
live bullet in the head;
2. Ahmed Fathi ‘Othman, 18, wounded by
shrapnel in the left elbow; and
3. Ahmed Mousa Barhum, 13, wounded by a live bullet in
the left thigh.
At approximately 01:30,
Israeli occupation forces in a military location at the entrance to al-Mawasi
area opened fire at Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. A Palestinian civilians, ‘Abed Rabbu Mohammed
Abu al-‘Ouf, 17, was seriously wounded by several live bullets in the pelvis
and the right arm.
At approximately 15:30, an
Israeli tank and four military jeeps moved from a military location at
al-Matahen junction, north of Khan Yunis, approximately 1km along Salah al-Din
Street – the main road linking between the south and north of the Gaza Strip – into the north of al-Qarara
village in Khan Yunis. They chased some
Palestinian security men who evacuated their sites. Then, Israeli forces moved back to al-Matahen
junction. According to eyewitnesses,
Israeli forces stopped and searched a number of cars that were traveling from
Khan Yunis towards the north. Two hours
later, Israeli forces stopped a civilian car 50m away from their military
location at al-Matahen junction. They
arrested five Palestinian who were traveling in the car from Khan Yunis to
Gaza. Then, Israeli forces destroyed the
car, claiming that the five Palestinians were wanted and that they found
explosives in the car.
At approximately 08:00,
Israeli occupation forces fired at some Palestinian civilians from Sa’ir
village, east of Hebron, while they were attempting to enter the city through
Beit ‘Ainun road. Shawqi Taleb al-Shalalda,
34, was wounded by a live bullet and shrapnel in the right thigh.
In an excessive use of
force, in the morning, Israeli occupation forces shot dead a handicapped
Palestinian young man. According to
PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 03:00, sounds of shooting were heard
coming from “Elli Sinai” settlement, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza
Strip. Later, an Israeli military
spokesman claimed that Israeli forces killed a Palestinian who attempted to
enter the settlement. At approximately
10:00, an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society went to the area to
search for him. Medical personnel
discovered the body of a young man approximately 800m southeast of the
settlement. The young man was later
identified as Mohammed Samir Smeh al-Debes, 19, blind and mentally handicapped,
from Jabalya refugee camp. According to
medical sources, he was hit by several live bullets throughout the body. He had no weapons or sharp tools.
In the morning, ‘Abdul Ltif
al-Sayed Suleiman al-Masri, 34, from Gaza, was pronounced dead in an Israeli
hospital from a wound he received earlier in April. According to PCHR’s investigation, al-Masri
was wounded by several live bullets in the abdomen and limbs on 12 April, while
he was on his way to work in the industrial zone adjacent to Beit Hanoun (Erez)
crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli forces opened fire indiscriminately at Palestinian laborers
after an exchange of fire between Israeli forces and a Palestinian gunman. Al-Masri and two other laborers who were
wounded were evacuated in an Israeli helicopter to an Israeli hospital.
At approximately 14:30,
Israeli occupation forces on a bypass settler road east of Nablus fired at some
Palestinian civilians who were traveling from Nablus to Salem village. Two civilians were wounded:
1. Daoud Hamed Eshtayeh, 35, wounded by two live bullets
in the legs; and
2. Bassel ‘Awni Eshtayeh, 37, wounded
by two live bullets in the legs.
At approximately 14:00,
Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, fired at a number
of Palestinian children who were near their houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp,
approximately 150m away from the settlement. Mohammed ‘Ali Shallula, 14, was wounded by a live bullet in the left
foot.
At approximately 12:00,
Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of “Elli Sinai” settlement, north of Beit Lahia, opened fire at
Palestinian farms, approximately 1000m southeast of the settlement. Samaher Mohammed Ghaben, 23, from Beit Lahia,
was wounded by a live bullet in the right leg, while she was helping her
husband in cultivating strawberries on their agricultural land.
In an apparent willful
killing, in the morning, Israeli occupation forces at a military road block,
east of Nour Shams refugee camp, shot dead ‘Abdul ‘Azziz ‘Abdul Hamid Ibrahim
Samara, 50, from Tulkarm, with several live bullets. They forced a Palestinian ambulance driver to
act as a human shield, checking the body for explosives.
According to investigations
carried out by LAW, at approximately 06:00, an ambulance of the Palestine Red
Crescent Society arrived at the aforementioned roadblock, traveling from
Tulkarm to ‘Anabta village, to evacuate a woman in labour to hospital. Israeli soldiers forced the driver to stop
the ambulance 100m away from the roadblock and forced medical personnel to get
out of it and take their clothes off. Other soldiers checked them and took the driver to the east of the
roadblock. They pointed at a body that
was on the ground and ordered the driver to check whether there was an
explosive belt on the body. When the
driver reached the body, he discovered that the body was for a man who was hit
by several live bullets. He also found a
cassette recorder and some cassettes. At
approximately 08:00, the ICRC told Palestine Red Crescent Society to evacuate
the body. The same medical staff went to
the area. An Israeli officer told then
that whoever comes to this area at 03:00 must be crazy, apparently indicating
that the victim was shot at that time. The victim suffered from nervous disturbances and he repeatedly received
psychiatric treatment.
On Wednesday afternoon, 1 May, 7-year-old Fadi Hassan
al-‘Ajluni, from Hebron, was killed and his father was seriously injured when
an Israeli military vehicle deliberately hit their car in Wadi al-Qadi area in
Hebron.
At approximately 12:00, Hassan al-‘Ajluni went to the
market of the city to buy food. His
child Fadi was accompanying him. While
they were traveling in their car on the main road in Wadi al-Qadi area in the
south of Hebron, an Israeli heavy military vehicle chased the car and
deliberately hit it. The child was
killed and his father was seriously injured.
Also on Wednesday afternoon, 10-year-old ‘Abed Khaled
Isma’il, from Artas village in Bethlehem, was killed as a result of an
explosion of a mysterious object, believed to be left behind by Israeli occupation
forces. The child’s two brothers were
also wounded: Nidal, 12, seriously wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and
Nour, 14, wounded by shrapnel in the feet.
According to investigation carried out by LAW, at
approximately 14:30, while the three children were playing on Artas-Bethlehem
road, a mysterious object believed to be left behind by Israeli occupation
forces, exploded near a Palestinian police station. One child was killed and two others were wounded.
Israeli occupation forces apparently left the object during their offensive on
the area at beginning of April. Israeli
forces do not use this road as it is narrow and does not allow passage of heavy
military vehicles. Circumstantial
evidence suggests that it was unlikely to have been planted by Palestinian
fighters.
This week, Israeli occupation forces arrested a number
of Palestinians. The arrests took place
in the following circumstances:
1. At international border
crossings, under the control of Israeli occupation forces.
2. At Israeli military roadblocks
on main and branch roads at the entrances to Palestinian cities and villages.
3. In Palestinian towns and
villages, often during house raids.
4. During incursions into
Palestinian controlled area.
The following are significant arrests that took place
this week:
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupation forces moved
into Seilat al-Zhaher village, south of Jenin. They raided houses, stole money and jewelry and arrested six
Palestinians:
1. Ziad Nemer al-Zubeidi, 29;
2. Jihad Nemer al-Zubeidi, 28;
3. Majed Yousef ‘Ateya, 23;
4. Maher Yousef ‘Atteya, 20;
5. Amjad Faze’ Hantuli, 28; and
6. ‘Adnan Khalil Malalha, 28.
In the evening, Israeli occupation forces stopped a
Palestinian taxi at the entrance of Jericho and searched it. They arrested Bilal Ahmed Kahder, 27, who was
traveling in the taxi and beat the other occupants.
In the morning, Israeli occupation forces moved into
Jayus village in Qalqilya, and arrested two Palestinians:
1. Amjad ‘Abdullah, 28, mentally
handicapped; and
2. Fadi Mithqal Jaber, 22.
At approximately 01:45, Israeli occupation forces moved
into Seilat al-Harthia village, west of Jenin. They raided Palestinian houses and arrested seven Palestinians:
1. Ahmed ‘Ezzat Jaradat, 55;
2. Ra’ed Younis Jaradat, 20;
3. Talha’Abdullah ‘Eissa Shawahna,
22;
4. ‘Alla’ Talal Zayoud, 23;
5. Sadiq al-‘Obeidi, 25;
6. Munther Yousef Jaradat, 22; and
7. Ahmed Yousef Jaradat, 35.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupation forces at a
temporary roadblock at ‘Azzoun
junction in Qalqilya arrested Amjad ‘Ezzat ‘Afifa, 25, from ‘Azzoun village,
while he was on his way to an-Najah National University in Nablus where he
studies.
In the morning, Israeli occupation forces moved into طAzzoun village, east of Qalqilya, an arrested two
Palestinians:
1. Bassel Rashed Shubeita, 25; and
2. ‘Ali Bassem Hussein, 27.
*****
PCHR calls:
1. Upon the international
community to provide immediate and independent international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene in order to take
effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, in accordance with their obligations under Article 1, to ensure
the respect of the Convention.
3. Upon the international
community to investigate and prosecute those believed to have committed war
crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before international courts.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its
presence, expand its activities, and intensify its field observations
throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to
activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides
that Israel must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international
community to provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian
people, whose living conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of
the continued siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied
Palestinian Territories.
“End”