Continued Israeli War Crimes in the OPT and the International Community
Remains Silent
· 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and an
old woman, killed by Israeli forces
· A series of Israeli incursions into Palestinian
areas, and shelling of residential areas
· A failed assassination attempt in Gaza
· Continued Israeli retaliatory campaign against
families of wanted Palestinians and those who have carried out armed attacks
against Israeli targets
· Israeli forces use Palestinian civilians as human shields
during military operations
· A number of Palestinians arrested
· Continued strict siege of the Occupied Palestinian
Territories
Introduction
This week, Israeli
occupying forces have perpetrated more human rights violations against
Palestinian civilians, including willful killings, shelling of, and incursions
into Palestinian areas and agricultural land leveling. Between the 28th
of November and the 3th of December 2002, 7 Palestinian civilians,
including 2 children and an old woman were killed by Israeli forces.
During the week, the Gaza
Strip was subjected to various kinds of attacks by Israeli forces. On Saturday night, 30 November 2002, two
Palestinian civilians were killed and 20 people wounded when Israeli forces
late at night moved into Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. During the
incursion they also demolished three houses. The body of one of the victims, a 70-year-old man, was discovered in the
morning among the ruins of his house that was destroyed by Israeli forces. The
other victim was a 32-year-old man who was traveling home in his car when he
for no apparent reason was shot dead by Israeli forces. These Israeli measures are a continuation of the policies of
retaliatory collective punishment adopted by the Israeli government against
families of Palestinian activists. In a
similar incident, Israeli forces destroyed two Palestinian houses in Jenin on
Friday, 29 November 2002.
In the West Bank, Israeli
occupying forces have maintained complete control over, and imposed curfew on:
Hebron, Bethlehem, Nablus and Tulkarm, and encroached into Ramallah, Jenin and
Qalqilya. They have also raided houses
and arrested many Palestinians.
During the week, the
southern Gaza Strip towns of Rafah and Khan Yunis were subjected to
indiscriminate shelling by Israeli forces in military locations in the vicinity
of settlements surrounding the two towns. A number of Palestinian civilians were wounded and a number of houses
damaged. In Deir al-Balah, Israeli
forces razed more areas of Palestinian agricultural land.
Also, the Israeli forces
have carried out a number of apparent willful killings that have left 5
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children and an old woman, dead, in addition
to the two who were killed in the Israeli invasion of Beit Lahia. On Saturday, 30 November 2002, Israeli forces
at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Gaza City, shot dead a
17-year-old Palestinian boy while he was walking with his friends, more than
1km away.
On Monday, 2 December 2002,
Israeli forces carried out three apparent willful killings. In the morning, they shot dead an 18-year-old
Palestinian civilian in Jenin. At noon,
they shot dead a 19-year-old Palestinian civilian in Tulkarm. In the afternoon, they shot dead a
Palestinian worker, when they fired at a number of Palestinian workers at Beit
Hanoun crossing, who were on their way home. In addition, 11 workers were
wounded.
On Tuesday, 3 December
2002, Israeli soldiers at the northern entrance of al-Bireh shot dead a
95-year-old Palestinian woman and wounded another 41-year-old woman.
In a continuation of the
policy of extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli
political and military establishments against Palestinian activists, the
Israeli occupying forces carried out a failed assassination attempt that
targeted a commander of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Jabalya in
the northern Gaza Strip. The commander,
his guard and a passing child were wounded.
Israeli forces have
maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing the
Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian areas,
transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian civilians’ economic,
social and cultural rights. They have
also imposed curfew on several different areas. In the West Bank, a Palestinian civilian, who suffered from a heart
attack, died as Israeli forces obstructed his evacuation to hospital.
The Shelling of, and
Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
Thursday, 28 November 2002
At approximately 05:00,
Israeli forces moved approximately 200m into Abu Haddaf area in al-Qarara
village, north of Khan Yunis. They
raided and searched three houses owned by ‘Abed Rabbu Sa’id Abu Haddaf, Salem
‘Abdullah Abu Haddaf and Khaled Salman Abu Hajjaj. Israeli soldiers arrested Ahmed and Salah
Salem ‘Obeiallah Abu Haddaf, 22 and 20 respectively. Both are university
students.
At approximately 14:45,
Israeli occupying forces positioned at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah,
opened fire at Palestinian houses in Block L in Rafah refugee camp. Wajdi ‘Omar al-Hams, 11, was wounded by a
live bullet in the right thigh.
Friday, 29 November 2002
At approximately 01:30,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve
Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, shelled Palestinian houses in
Khan Yunis refugee camp. Two Palestinian
civilians were wounded:
1. Mohammed Ahmed Abu Khudair, 25, wounded by shrapnel
in the right hand; and
2. Tayseer Mohammed al-Najjar, 27, wounded by shrapnel
in the right hand.
PCHR’s field worker in the
area reports that the two civilians were wounded while they were inside their
houses, approximately 50m away from the source of fire. In addition, a number of houses were damaged.
At approximately 02:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 200m into Abu Haddaf area in al-Qarara
village, north of Khan Yunis. They
raided nine houses owned by the Abu Haddaf family and forced their residents
out. Then, they used one resident of
each house as human shields to search the houses. By the end of the search,
which continued until 05:00, Israeli soldiers had arrested 13
Palestinians. They were all taken to an
Israeli military location in the east of the Gaza Strip, where they were
interrogated. The detainees were then
released, except for 3 who remains in custody:
1. Saleh Sa’id ‘Abed Rabbu Abu Haddaf, 24, an employee;
2. Nazhmi Hammad Saleh Abu Haddaf, 20, a university
student; and
3. Nazhmi Salem ‘Obeidallah Abu Haddaf, 26, a member of
the Palestinian National Security Force.
At approximately 21:15,
Israeli occupying forces in a military location in Tal Zo’rob area in the
southwest of Rafah opened fire at Palestinian houses in ‘Ali Ben Abi Taleb
Street adjacent to Zo’rob square. A
Palestinian woman, Najwan Sa’id Dahliz, 20, was wounded by shrapnel in the
face, while she was located close to her house.
At approximately 14:00,
Israeli occupying force, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved
approximately 200m into Gizan Abu Rashwan area in the southwest of Khan
Yunis. An Israeli military bulldozer
destroyed a well and razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land:
1. It destroyed a well and demolished two rooms that
stood on a 60-sqaure-meter area of land owned by Ahmed Subhi Mansour
Zo’rob.
2. It razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted
with olives and onions, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Ahmed
Subhi Mansour Zo’rob.
3. It razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and onions, and destroyed an irrigation network and a
16-square-meter store owned by Ibrahim Subhi Mansour Zo’rob.
4. It razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land, on
which a greenhouse planted with tomatoes stood, and destroyed an irrigation
network owned by Faten ‘Abdul Rahman Zo’rob.
At approximately 20:30,
Israeli occupying forces in a military location near “Erez”
industrial zone, north of Beit Hanoun, opened fire at Palestinian residential
areas in the town. Mohammed Ibrahim
Yousef ‘Awadh, 16, was wounded by a live bullet in the right foot. The PCHR field worker in the area reports
that ‘Awadh was wounded while he was walking in the street, approximately 1500m
away from the source of fire.
At the same time, Israeli
occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Kfar Darom”
settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at Palestinian residential
areas in Deir al-Balah and its refugee camp. A Palestinian woman, Salha Mohammed al-‘Arqan, 45, was wounded by a live
bullet in the right foot, while she was praying in her house in Deir al-Balah
refugee camp, approximately 4km away from the source of fire.
Saturday, 30 November 2002
At
approximately 07:10, Israeli occupying forces in military locations and on
tanks at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses
in the nearby al-Salam neighborhood. A
Palestinian civilian, ‘Aatef Hussein ‘Abdul ‘Aal, 31, was wounded by a live
bullet in the left arm.
At approximately 20:30,
Israeli soldiers on a tank positioned near an Israeli military location at the
entrance of the al-Mawasi area in the west of Rafah opened fire at Palestinian
houses in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Khalil Ibrahim Baroud, 29, wounded by shrapnel in the
right leg; and
2. Rami Hassan Abu Sulaima, 25, wounded by shrapnel in
the left thigh.
At approximately 22:00,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations and on tanks at the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Block L in Rafah
refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian, Ahmed
Yousef Abu ‘Obeid, 30, was wounded by shrapnel in the back.
Late at night, two
Palestinian civilians were killed and 20 people wounded when Israeli forces
late last night moved in to Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. During the
incursion they also demolished three houses. The body of one of the victims, a 70-year-old man, was discovered on the following morning among the ruins of his house
that was destroyed by Israeli forces. The other victim was a 32-year-old man
who was traveling home in his car when he for no apparent reason was shot dead
by Israeli forces.
According to PCHR’s
investigation, at approximately 22:30, Israeli forces, reinforced with tanks,
bulldozers and combat helicopters, and covered by intense shelling, invaded the
northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. They surrounded three houses owned by families of three Palestinians who
have carried out attacks against Israeli targets. Without prior warning, Israeli soldiers
called on the residents through loudspeakers to leave and then they destroyed
the houses. These Israeli measures are a
continuation of the policies of retaliatory collective punishment adopted by
the Israeli government against families of Palestinian activists (for more details
see the section on the Israeli retaliatory campaign against families of wanted
Palestinians and those who have carried out armed attacks against Israeli
targets).
One of the houses that were
destroyed was owned by ‘Aashour ‘Abdul Malik D’ib, 70, who suffered from
hearing difficulties. D’ib was still in his room on the third floor of the
house when the Israeli forces destroyed the house, suggesting that he didn’t
hear the Israeli soldiers order to leave the house. Rescue teams discovered his body under the
ruins of his house in the morning. His family managed to escape the house.
The PCHR fieldworker in the
area reported that more than 30 houses were severely damaged and a number of
civilian cars destroyed during the incursion. Israeli forces raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two
Palestinians:
1. Mazen Khaled ‘Abdul ‘Azhim Hammouda, 28; and
2. Mu’ayad Jamil Khaled Hammouda, 22.
The three-hour Israeli
incursion ended at approximately 01:30 on Sunday, as Israeli occupying forces
began to withdraw to their military locations in “Dogit” settlement,
established on the land of Beit Lahia, which has been occupied since 1967. Meanwhile, 32-year-old Mahmoud Saleh Mohammed
al-Na’rani was traveling in his car towards his house in al-Nada housing
compound, east of Beit Lahia. When he
passed by Beit Lahia, Israeli soldiers opened fire at his car for no apparent
reason. He was killed by several live
bullets throughout the body. In
addition, 14 Palestinian civilians, including 9 children, were wounded by the
Israeli shelling:
1. Mohammed Jamil Shamia, 13, wounded by shrapnel in the
head;
2. Walid Hamdi al-Masri, 12, wounded by shrapnel in the
head;
3. Murad Maher al-Barrawi, 17, wounded by shrapnel in
the head;
4. Ahmed Anwar ‘Aziz, 12, wounded by a live bullet in
the left foot;
5. Anwar Anwar ‘Aziz, 10, wounded by shrapnel in the
face;
6. Israa’ Anwar ‘Aziz, 11, wounded by shrapnel in the
face;
7. Eyad Hassan al-Najjar, 27, wounded by shrapnel in the
face;
8. Mohammed Zayed ‘Oukal, 27, wounded by shrapnel in the
head;
9. Jihan ‘Aadel Abu Shouqa, 35, wounded by shrapnel in
the head;
10. ‘Emad Ahmed Rayan, 19, wounded by shrapnel in the
left foot;
11. Ra’ed Salah al-‘Ajouri, 21, wounded by shrapnel in
the head;
12. Mustafa Rayan, 20, wounded by a live bullet in the
right leg;
13. Wa’el Ba’lousha, 21, wounded by shrapnel in the right
hand; and
14. ‘Ali Mousa al-Debes, 31, wounded by shrapnel in the
left hand.
Sunday, 1 December 2002
At approximately 12:00,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved
approximately 200m into al-Mughraqa village, south of Gaza City. They razed more areas of Palestinian
agricultural land and destroyed agricultural facilities additional to those
that were razed and destroyed on Thursday, 28 November 2002:
1. They razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land
planted with citrus, olives and palms and destroyed parts of a car owned by
heirs of Ahmed ‘Abdul Qader Yahia Hamdan.
2. They destroyed a well owned by Hussein ‘Abdul Wahab
Abu Leila.
3. They destroyed a well and a 100-square-meter,
iron-roofed hall owned by ‘Ata al-Hilu.
4. They destroyed a 30-square-meter room owned by ‘Eid
Salem Abu Leila.
At approximately 14:30,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations and on tanks at the Egyptian
border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses and agricultural land
in al-Shouka neighborhood. A Palestinian
farmer, ‘Abada Mohammed Abu Jarad, 29, was wounded by two live bullets in the
legs. PCHR’s field worker in Rafah
reported that Abu Jarad was wounded while he was working in his fields.
Monday, 2 December 2002
At
approximately 02:00, around 20 Israeli soldiers accompanied by two military
jeeps moved approximately 600m into al-Birka area in the south of Deir
al-Balah. Israeli soldiers raided and
searched a number of houses. Then, they
arrested two Palestinians:
1. Khaled Ghanem al-‘Er, 35, unemployed; and
2. Suleiman Hamed al-‘Er, 20, a university student.
At approximately 08:40, an
Israeli undercover unit stole into al-Masarwa neighborhood at the edge of the
old town of Jenin, in two civilian cars with Palestinian registration numbers,
in an attempt to arrest two Palestinians wanted by the Israeli forces for being
members of the Islamic Jihad. An Israeli
military unit also moved into the area to reinforce the undercover unit. Israeli forces took position at the western
and eastern entrances of the old town and imposed a curfew on the town. At approximately 09:30, while school children
were on their way back home after the curfew had been imposed. A number of them
gathered near the Israeli forces and threw stones towards them. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire at
the stone throwers. Mo’taz Kamal
Mohammed ‘Ouda, 18, was critically wounded by a live bullet that entered the
right shoulder and hit the heart. He
succumbed to his wound upon arrival at hospital. In addition, 21, including 16 children, a
48-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, were wounded, two of them
critically.
In a similar incident,
Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian and wounded seven
others in Tulkarm. According to information
available to PCHR, at approximately 15:05, an Israeli undercover unit stole
into the eastern part of Tulkarm in a truck with a Palestinian registration
plate. The truck stopped near al-Shahed
Restaurant and members of the undercover unit, who were masked and in military
uniform, got out. They broke into the
restaurant while firing indiscriminately at passing Palestinian civilians. Jamal Nader Yahia, 30, was wounded by shrapnel
from live bullets in the head and the right hand. Later, a number of Palestinian civilians
gathered in the area and threw stones at the Israeli unit. Immediately, Israeli heavy military vehicles
and jeeps moved into the town and imposed siege on the area. They opened fire indiscriminately, wounding
six Palestinian civilians who didn’t participate in the stone throwing. At approximately 15:30, a number of
Palestinian gunmen arrived at the area and an exchange of fire erupted between
the two sides. When Maher “Mohammed
Ramez” Fawzi Saqallah, 19, attempted to see what was going on by looking around
the corner of a road in the area, an Israeli sniper shot him dead with a live
bullet in the head. According to
eyewitnesses, Saqallah was not armed and did not throw stones at the Israeli
forces.
Tuesday, 3 December 2002
In the morning, Israeli
occupying forces fired two Fletchette shells at two Palestinian civilians
without prior warning, wounding them seriously. According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 07:45, Mohammed
Sa’id Mohammed al-Sweis, 27, from Gaza City, and his brother Nihad, 13, were
walking on a sandy road approximately 800m away from the border with Israel
east of Gaza City. Israeli soldiers at
the border fired a Fletchette shell at the two brothers, who did not pose any
threat to the lives of those soldiers. The two were wounded. The elder
brother fell to the ground, while his brother was able to escape from the area
to inform his family, but Israeli soldiers fired another shell that hit
him. The elder brother were lying on the
ground bleeding for more than an hour, before his brother Ramadan and two
friends were able to reach the area. They took clothes off their upper parts of the body and moved forward
the wounded with their hands in the air in order to be allowed by Israeli
soldiers to offer help to the wounded. The two brothers were evacuated to hospital. The elder brother was wounded by shrapnel
throughout the body, while his brother was wounded by shrapnel in the legs and
the left side.
At approximately 23:15,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with three heavy military vehicles, moved
approximately 600m into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. An Israeli military bulldozer then demolished
a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed site of the Palestinian National Security
Force. It also leveled areas of
Palestinian agricultural land that had already been razed by Israeli
forces.
At approximately 15:00,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Gani
Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, shelled Palestinian houses in
al-Amal neighborhood in the west of the town. An Israeli mobile observation tower in the settlement and a tank
positioned approximately 100m away also opened fire at the neighborhood. Three Palestinian civilians, including a
child, were wounded:
1. Mustafa Rawhi Mahmoud Abu ‘Abdu, 10, wounded by
shrapnel in the abdomen;
2. Shadi Ahmed Madhi, 29, wounded by shrapnel in the
back; and
3. ‘Emad Mahmoud Tayem Abu Laban, 32, wounded by a live
bullet in the left thigh.
Saturday, 30 November 2002
At approximately 09:30,
Israeli occupying forces at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Gaza
City, fired for no apparent reason at 17-year-old Hatem Rezeq Saleh al-‘Ejla,
from al-Shoja’eya neighborhood in Gaza, who was having a picnic with two of his
friends approximately 1200m away from the border. Al-‘Ejla was critically
wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen, while his friends were able to
escape. He was evacuated to a nearby hospital
and then to Shifa’ Hospital but he succumbed to his wound.
Sunday, 1 December 2002
In the afternoon, Israeli
soldiers at a military checkpoint near Abu Houli junction on Salah al-Din
Street, the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip, fired at a
civilian car, in which ‘Abdul Muhsen al-Astal and his wife Miriam Yousef
Mohammed al-Astal, 27, were traveling towards Khan Yunis, shortly after it had
crossed the checkpoint. The wife was
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the back. Soon, Israeli soldiers called through loudspeakers on al-Astal to stop
and move back. He informed them that his
wife was wounded and they allowed them to leave 5 minutes later. The wife was moved to the intensive care unit
at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. According to medical sources, the wife was wounded by an explosive live
bullet whose shrapnel spread out in the intestines and the spinal column. A PCHR field worker reported that the area
was completely quiet and the checkpoint was open when Israeli soldiers fired at
the car.
Monday, 2 December 2002
In an apparent willful
killing, Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian worker and wounded
nine others near Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip, while they
were on their way home.
According to PCHR’s
investigation, at approximately 15:30, Israeli soldiers in a military location,
south of “Erez” industrial zone and east of “Nissanit” settlement, opened fire
at thousands of Palestinian workers while they were in the passage of workers
at Beit Hanoun crossing on their way home. One of the workers, Khaled ‘Abdul Ghani Mohammed Nasser, 35, from Beit
Hanoun, was shot dead by a live bullet that entered the back and exited the
chest. In addition, 11 workers were
wounded:
1. Manar Sa’id
Wadi, 50, from Kahn Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the face and the neck;
2. Riadh
Mohammed al-‘Aamoudi, 40, from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the chest and
the abdomen;
3. Khaled
‘Abdullah al-Tubji, 36, from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the right foot;
4. Mustafa
‘Abdullah Hijazi, 41, from Bani Suhaila village in Khan Yunis, wounded by
shrapnel in the chest and the right thigh;
5. Marwan
‘Abdullah Hijazi, 30, from Bani Suhaila village in Khan Yunis, wounded by
shrapnel in the neck and the thighs;
6. Ghassan
‘Abdullah Hijazi, 35, from Bani Suhaila village in Khan Yunis, wounded by
shrapnel in the abdomen, the thighs and the nose;
7. Ziad Jamil
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, 35, from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the right eye
and he lost it;
8. Ra’fat jamil
Mahmoud al-Mabhouh, 37, from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the head;
9. Salman
Mohammed Abu Daraj, 41, from Khan Yunis, wounded by shrapnel in the left thigh
and forearm, the abdomen and the lower jaw;
10. Salman
Qaudeih, 41, from Khan Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in the right knee; and
11. Saleh
Mohammed Saleh, 25, from Jabalya, wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh.
The incident took place
after Palestinian gunmen fired a mortar at “Nissanit” settlement adjacent to
Beit Hanoun crossing.
Tuesday, 3 December 2002
At approximately 11:45,
while many civilian cars were trying to enter Ramallah and al-Bireh through
their northern entrances, after the curfew imposed on the two towns had been
lifted, Israeli soldiers in three military jeeps positioned at the northern
entrance of al-Bireh opened fire at those cars. An old woman, Fatma Mohammed ‘Eid al-Harahsha, 95, from ‘Atara village,
north of Ramallah, was shot by a live bullet in the heart. She succumbed to her wound on the way to
hospital. Another woman, Kifaya Ra’fat
Yousef, 41, was wounded by a live bullet in the left side.
Collective Punishment Measures
against Families of Wanted Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed
Attacks against Israeli Targets
In violation of international humanitarian law which
prohibits collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures
against families of Palestinians who have carried attacks against Israeli
targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and those wanted by the Israeli
forces.
At
approximately 06:30 on Friday, 29 November 2002, the Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved into Jalboun village in
Jenin. They surrounded the house of
Mohammed Ragheb Abu al-Rub. They
arrested three of the owner’s sons: Habes, 30; Ragheb, 28; and Ibrahim,
20. Then, they forced the 9 residents of
the 130-square-meter house out and destroyed it. Abu al-Rub is the father of Yousef Abu
al-Rub, 22, who participated in an armed attack in Bissan on 28 November 2002.
Later,
Israeli forces moved to the house of Mohammed ‘Awadh Abu al-Rub. They raided the house and arrested two of the
owner’s sons: Zuhdi, 26, and Khaled, 24. They forced the 8 residents out of the 120-square-meter house and
destroyed it. Abu al-Rub is the father
of ‘Omar Abu al-Rub, 19, who participated in an armed attack in Bissan on 28
November 2002.
After having destroyed the
two houses, Israeli forces arrested three other Palestinians and took them to
an unknown destination.
At approximately 22:30 on
Saturday, 30 November 2002, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with tanks,
bulldozers and combat helicopters, and covered by intense shelling, invaded the
northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia. They surrounded three houses owned by families of three Palestinians,
one of whom carried out an attack against Israeli targets while the other two
are wanted by Israeli forces. Without
prior warning, Israeli soldiers called on the residents through loudspeakers to
leave and then they destroyed the houses:
1. They destroyed a 190-square-meter house, where 4
families counting 16 persons lived, owned by Hamdi al-Masri, the father of
Jihad al-Masri who carried out an attack against “Dogit” settlement
in the northern Gaza Strip last year.
2. They destroyed a 480-square-meter, 3-story house,
where 6 families counting 30 persons lived, owned by Mohammed and Jamil Khaled
‘Abdul ‘Azhim Hammouda. The latter is
the father of Ahmed Hammouda who is allegedly wanted by Israeli occupying
forces.
3. They destroyed a 200-square-meter, 5-story house,
where 9 families counting 56 persons lived, owned by ‘Aashour ‘Abdul Malek
Salem D’ib, the father of Hisham D’ib who is allegedly wanted by Israeli
occupying forces. The owner was killed
in his home when the Israeli forces demolished the house without making sure
that all residents had left.
In a continuation of the
policy of extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli
political and military establishments against Palestinian activists, the
Israeli occupying forces this week carried out a failed assassination attempt
that targeted a commander of the military wing of the Islamic Jihad in Jabalya
in the northern Gaza Strip. The
commander, his guard and a passing child were wounded.
According to PCHR’s
investigation, at approximately 14:40 on Sunday, 1 December 2002, two Israeli
combat helicopters that were flying over Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip
launched a missile at a civilian car, a Peugeot 504, that was traveling near
al-Je’el fuel station, east of Jablaya. The missile hit the car directly and destroying it. The three men who were traveling in the car
were able to jump out of before the missile hit. Two of them were lightly wounded by shrapnel. A passing child, ‘Emad Silmi al-Barqawi, 14,
was also lightly wounded by shrapnel in the chest, the abdomen and the
legs. Later, the Islamic Jihad declared
that a commander of its military wing was traveling in the car, without giving
details about the identities of the men.
Continued Siege
Israeli forces have
maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing
Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian areas,
transforming them into cantons, and have imposed curfews on some areas,
violating Palestinian civilians’ economic, social and cultural rights. The Gaza Strip is still partitioned into
three isolated zones.
At approximately 09:00 on
Friday, 29 November 2002, Israeli forces closed al-Tuffah checkpoint separating
Khan Yunis from its al-Mawasi area. Dozens of people were not able to get home and were forced to spend the
night with relatives and friends in Khan Younis. The checkpoint was reopened on Monday, 2
December 2002 according to strict conditions imposed recently by Israeli
forces, which include a strict check of people and that anyone who wants to
cross the checkpoint must be at least 40.
This week, Israeli forces
have regularly closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoints on Salah
al-Din Street, the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip,
disregarding the sacredness of the month of Ramadan. On Friday and Saturday, 29 and 30 November
2002, Israeli forces closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoints. They reopened the two checkpoints 2 hours
later. They searched a number of cars
randomly. Israeli soldiers searched cars
and checked the identity cards of the passengers. Israeli soldiers also fired at Palestinian
civilians who were waiting at the checkpoints, but no casualties were reported.
Israeli forces again closed the two checkpoints on the following day morning
and cars were searched.
At approximately 14:15 on
Sunday, 1 December 2002, Israeli soldiers at Abu Houli checkpoint, south of
Deir al-Balah, fired three explosive live bullets at a civilian car, wounding a
Palestinian woman seriously (see Shooting at Palestinian Civilians
above).
At approximately 13:00 on
Monday, 2 December 2002, Israeli forces closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli
military checkpoints. They reopened the
two checkpoints 4 hours later. They searched
a number of cars randomly and Israeli soldiers checked the identity cards of
passengers. Ten Palestinians were
arrested.
In the West Bank, Israeli
occupying have imposed a curfew on most Palestinian towns and villages. Israeli forces have lifted the curfew imposed
on Nablus since 20 June 2002 for very short periods. Tulkarm has been also under curfew for 41
days. During that period it has become
clear, that Israeli soldiers don’t hesitate to open fire at Palestinian
civilians when they challenge curfews and leave their houses to buy basic food
products.
On Monday morning, 2
December 2002, Hassan Shihada Qersh, 75, from al-Shayah neighborhood near
al-‘Eizaria village in occupied East-Jerusalem died from a heart attack, as
Israeli occupying forces obstructed his evacuation to hospital. Israeli forces prevented his neighbors from
taking him to a nearby hospital and denied the access of an ambulance to the
area on time. Earlier, on Friday
morning, 29 November 2002, Israeli forces put cement blocks at the entrance of
al-Sahayah neighborhood where Qersh and 10 other families live, restricting
movement of those people.
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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.
