Introduction

 

This
report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories from May 31 to June 6, 2001. During this period, the Israeli occupation forces continued to use
excessive force against Palestinian civilians. Such actions contradict statements made by the Israeli government
regarding a cease-fire, which began on Tuesday, May 22 2001. This week witnessed a serious increase in
attacks carried out by settlers under full protection of the Israeli occupation
forces against Palestinian civilians and property, while the Occupied
Palestinian Territories were under a total siege. According to PCHR’s field observations,
Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians and property during the period
covered by this report included:

 

1) Tough restrictions on movement of
persons and goods, canceling partial facilitation, including closing all border
crossing, restricting movement between Palestinian cities and villages,
isolating Palestinian areas from one another, and preventing access by sea to
the Gaza Strip;

2) An increase in armed attacks by
settlers against Palestinian civilians and property;

3) The continuation of the policy of
assassinating Palestinian activists;

4) Shooting at Palestinian civilians
who presented no threat to the lives of Israeli occupation soldiers;

5) Shelling of Palestinian houses
and civilians facilities;

6) Encroachment by Israeli
occupation forces into areas under the full control of the Palestinian National
Authority;

7) Razing of areas of Palestinian
agricultural land near settlements and along the border of the Gaza Strip by
the Israeli occupation forces;

8) Continuation of arrests that
targeted Palestinian civilians, and the deployment of undercover units to carry
out such arrests;

9) Israeli fighter jets continued to
fly over Palestinian areas, terrifying Palestinians.

 

During the week, four Palestinian civilians,
including two children, were killed and more than 40 were wounded. On Thursday, May 31, 2001, Israeli occupation
soldiers shot dead Ahmed Saleh El-Khatib, 17, from Hazma village to the east of
Jerusalem, with a live bullet in the chest. On the same day, an 11-year-old child, Khalil Na’im ‘Affaneh, was died
from serious injuries he sustained on April 30, 2001, when an explosion
occurred in a house close to PCHR’s offices in Gaza City.

On Sunday, June 3, 2001, settlers opened fire on a
Palestinian truck that was traveling on a bypass road in Ramallah. The driver lost control of the truck, and it
collided with an electricity pylon and turned overturned. Of the three brothers who were traveling in
the truck, two were killed and the third was seriously injured. The two dead were: ‘Aayed Mahmoud Mohammed
Abu ‘Eideh, 37, and Ziad Mahmoud Mohammed Abu ‘Eideh, 30. Their brother, Zeidan, 28, was seriously
injured.

 

Nassim Nasser Warsh Agha, 19, from Beit Lahia in
the northern area of the Gaza Strip, is still receiving medical care at the
intensive care unit in Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah. Warsg Agha was seriously wounded with a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head fired by Israeli occupation soldiers
during clashes at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh on Tuesday, June 5, 2001.

 

The
Israeli occupation forces continued to shell Palestinian houses and civilian
facilities, particularly in Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza, Jenin and Nablus. On Monday, June 4, 2001, Rafah refugee camp
came under intensive shelling by the Israeli occupation forces. More than 20 Palestinian civilians, including
a medic, were injured and 20 homes, which housed approximately 230 people live,
were severely damaged.

1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians

 

Thursday,
May 31, 2001

 

At
approximately 18:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a
number of Palestinian civilians in Hazma village to the east of Jerusalem. A Palestinian civilian was killed and another
was seriously wounded. According to
eyewitnesses, an Israeli military jeep, with four Israeli soldier carrying M-16
guns standing nearby, was positioned at Hazma road leading to Jaba’ village in
the north. When the soldiers saw a
number of Palestinian boys approaching, they climbed into their jeep and opened
fire on the youths without prior warning. Ahmed Saleh Salem El-Khatib, 17, was killed by a live bullet in the
head, and Mohammed Salem Mohammed Subeih, 17, was seriously wounded with a live
bullet also in the head. El-Khatib
continued to bleed for more than 15 minutes before people were able to evacuate
him in a civilian car to the entrance of Qalandya refugee camp, where an ambulance
of the Palestine Red Crescent Society was waiting.

 

Friday,
June 1, 2001

 

After
Friday prayers, a number of Palestinian young men and children demonstrated at
Al-Mentar area to the east of Gaza City. Clashes erupted between them and Israeli occupation forces positioned at
the entrance of a settlement road leading to the Green Line. The clashes lasted until approximately 18:00
local time. Israeli soldiers fired at
demonstrators from a distance of more than 150m. Four demonstrators were wounded. One of the wounded stated that he had not
heard the shot that hit him, thereby indicating that the Israeli forces may
have used guns fitted with silencers. According to PCHR’s investigation, the demonstrators had not posed a
threat to the lives of the soldiers and the soldiers had not employed any less
lethal means to disperse the demonstrators before resorting directly to the use
of tear gas and live fire. The wounded
were:

1) Bassem Ramadan ‘Aabed, 17,
from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood, seriously wounded by a live bullet that entered
the chest and settled in the kidney;

2) Mohammed Mousa Jundia, 13,
from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood, wounded in the pelvis by a live bullet;

3) Hussam Hassan El-Helu, 27,
from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, wounded in the left thigh by a live bullet; and

4) Mustafa Hassan El-Kurd,
17, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza, wounded by a live bullet in the left
leg.

 

At approximately 13:00
local time, Palestinian civilians in Deir Estia village near Salfit organized a
peaceful demonstration in cooperation with Israeli peace groups, in protest at
Israeli aggression against their village. When the demonstrators arrived at the western entrance to the village,
troops of the Israeli occupation forces were already assembled ready to
disperse the demonstration by force. Initially the soldiers fired tear gas
canisters and rubber-coated metal bullets. In reaction a number of demonstrators threw stones at the Israeli
soldiers who then opened fire, seriously wounding Mohammed Ismail Yousef
El-Khatib, 18, with a live bullet that entered the abdomen and settled in the
spinal column. PCHR learnt that the
Israeli forces obstructed the evacuation of El-Khatib for one hour. After one hour, the Israeli forces withdrew
from the area and people were able to evacuate El-Khatib to Al-Ittihad hospital
in Nablus.

 

In the afternoon, after
settlers roistered in the occupied part of Hebron, clashes erupted between
Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces at Al-Karantina
Street. Israeli soldiers fired
rubber-coated metal bullets indiscriminately. Iman Mousa Abu ‘Ajamia, 22, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the right shoulder, and Ussama Ahmed Wazwaz, 44, wounded with a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the hand.

 

Saturday, June 2, 2001

 

 

At approximately 6:45
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a number of Palestinian
civilians who were attempting to cross a roadblock established by the Israeli
forces at the southern entrance to Surda village near Ramallah. Two were wounded as follows:

1) ‘Alla’ ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Mohye
El-Din El-Khatib, 26, from Al-Jalazoun refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet
in the left knee; and

2) Ibrahim Hassan ‘Abdullah
El-Asmar, 60, also from Al-Jalazoun refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in
the left thigh.

 

Sunday, May 27, 2001

 

In the morning, a Palestinian
escaped an assassination attempt by the Israeli occupation forces. At approximately 09:15 local time, Mohammed
Suleiman Besharat, 25, from Tammoun village in Jenin, was traveling in his car
along a street in the east of Tammoun village which is under the full control
of the Palestinian National Authority. A
bomb exploded at a distance of approximately 5m from his car. He was unharmed. According to eyewitnesses, an Israeli
occupation force helicopter was flying over the area at the time, indicating
that a bomb may have been detonated by remote control.

 

Tuesday, June 5, 2001

 

In the morning, Israeli
occupation soldiers fired at a number of Bir Zeit University students while
they were on their way from Ramallah and Al-Bireh to their university, wounding
one student. The university students
were going to their university in Bir Zeit village to the west of Ranmallah,
but they were surprised by the establishment of a roadblock of the Israeli
occupation forces at the entrance to Surda village on Ramallah-Bir Zeit
road. Israeli soldier prevented students
from proceeding to their university. According to eyewitnesses, students protested against this measure by
the Israeli occupation forces, especially since it came at the time of final
term exams. In response, Israeli occupation soldiers fired live ammunition,
rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at the students. One student, Raji El-Nejma, 20, was wounded
with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand, and a number of students
fainted due to tear gas inhalation.

 

At approximately 10:00
local, an Israeli occupation unit attempted to break into areas under full PNA
control in Hebron, from the western entrance to the city at bypass road
(35). Israeli occupation soldiers opened
fire at a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces, wounding Staff
Sergeant Sharif Ismail El-Tawil, 20, with a live bullet in the left thigh.

 

At approximately 12:30
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired at a number of Palestinian
children who were demonstrating near demarcation lines at the center of
Hebron. A bystander, Ahmed Shehdeh
Dandis, 50, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen.

 

At approximately 15:30
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the northern entrance to
Al-Bireh, opened fire on a Palestinian peaceful march. The march which was progressing from the
center of Ramallah towards an Israeli military roadblock, was held to
commemorate the 24^th anniversary of the occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip by Israel in
1967. Nassim Nasser Warsh Agha, 19, from
Beit Lahia in the northern area of the Gaza Strip, was hit by a rubber-coated
bullet in the head, breaking open his skull. According to medical sources, he is in a critical condition. El-Agha, a Palestinian policeman, was shot
from a distance of 15m. He was
participating in the peaceful march in civilian uniform and was unarmed.

 

At approximately 17:00
local time, the Israeli occupation forces broke into Zeita village near Tulkarm
and fired at a number of Palestinian young men and children who clashed with
them. The incident lasted until 18:00
local time, during which a 15-year-old child, Nasser Jaber Mar’ei Shuqeiru, was
wounded with a live bullet in the left leg, and his brother Amir, 21, was
wounded with a live bullet in the right foot.

 

Wednesday, June 6, 2001

 

After a series of attacks
on Palestinian houses and schools in Al-Sawia and Al-Lubban Al-Sharqi villages
near Nablus by settlers in the morning,[1]
clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces
which fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas
canisters. A number of Palestinian
civilians were wounded, and the Israeli occupation forces refused ambulances
entry to the two villages to evacuate the wounded. The following people were wounded in the
incident:

1) Hassan Mohammed ‘Oweis,
23, from Al-Sawia village, wounded with a live bullet in the thigh;

2) Mohammed Darwish, 23, from
Al-Sawia village, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand;

3) Muyassar Abu Ras, 40, from
Al-Sawia village, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;

4) Nasfat Abu Kafina, 19,
from Al-Sawia village, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;

5) Shawkat Jasser Sa’id, 23,
from Al-Sawia viallage, wounded with a tear gas canister in the head; and

6) Salah Mohammed Hassan, 25,
from Al-Lubban Al-Sharqi village, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen.

 

At approximately 10:00
local time, Ahmed Salah ‘Awadh, 16, from Rafah, was wounded with a live bullet
in the left leg, when he was passing by Al-Barazil neighborhood near the border
with Egypt south of Rafah. According to
PCHR’s investigation, Israeli occupation soldiers in a tank passing at the border
fired at ‘Awadh although there had been no clashes in the area. ‘Awadh was evacuated to Mohammed Yousef
Al-Najjar (Al-Joneina) hospital in Rafah.

 

2. Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods and the Use
of F-16 Fighter Jets

 

Thursday, May 31, 2001

 

A
10-year-old child, Khalil Na’im ‘Afaneh, was pronounced dead at Shifa’ hospital
in Gaza City, from a serious injury he received more than one month ago. A massive explosion had occurred on Monday,
April 30, 2001, in a house close to PCHR’s offices in ‘Omar Al-Mukhtar Street
in Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City. As a result of the blast, two Palestinian civilians were killed and
three were injured, including the child ‘Afaneh who was passing by the
area. The house was completely destroyed
and PCHR’s offices were severely damaged.

 

Saturday, June 2, 2001

 

At approximately 01:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in Al-Zababdeh military site
“Bezeq,” fired three artillery shells at a site of the Palestinian presidential
guard (Force 17) located at the western entrance to Qabatya village in Jenin,
approximately 900m away. Then, a unit of
the Israeli occupation forces raided the site and entered approximately 50m
inside areas under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority,
firing indiscriminately at Palestinian houses.  Fadi El-Kilani, 25, from Ya’bad village, a
member of Force 17, sustained shrapnel injuries to the head.

 

At approximately 23:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Gani Tal
settlement to the northwest of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in Al-Satar Al-Gharbi
area in the northwest of Khan Yunis, to the east of the aforementioned
settlement. Such shelling sporadically
lasted for one hour and damaged a number of farms and two under-construction
houses. The damaged houses were:

 

 

Monday, June 4, 2001

 

In the aftermath of a fire
exchange with a number of Palestinian militants, Israeli occupation forces,
positioned at the border with Egypt south of Rafah, fired artillery shells and
heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Block “J” area in
Rafah refugee camp. As a result, 22
Palestinians, mostly civilians, were wounded while fleeing their houses. They were all evacuated to Martyr Mohammed
Yousef Al-Najjar (Al-Joneina) hospital in Rafah, where medical sources stated
that a number of them were in a serious condition. Among the wounded was Hamed Subhi El-Hams,
42, from Rafah, an UNRWA ambulance driver, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
right hand while he was offering help to the wounded. Additionally, the windows of the ambulance
shattered when the vehicle was hit by live bullets. The other wounded were:

1) Khaled Zahran El-Tantawi,
19, wounded with a live bullet in the head and evacuated to the intensive care
unit at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;

2) Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahman
El-Kurdi, 18, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder and
evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;

3) Murid Salem El-Akhras, 19,
wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder and the chest and evacuated to
Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis and then to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;

4) Ramzi ‘Ali ‘Aashour, 22,
wounded with shrapnel in the head and the chest;

5) Ahmed Ismail El-Faramawi,
20, wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;

6) Shadi ‘Omar ‘Awaja, 19,
wounded with shrapnel in the back;

7) As’ad Suleiman Sh’at, 26,
wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;

8) ‘Abdel-Majid Fayez
Rashwan, 25, wounded with shrapnel in the left eye;

9) Shadi ‘Ali El-Wawi, 17,
wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;

10) Biha’ El-Din Sadeq
El-Khatib, 21, wounded with shrapnel in the right elbow;

11) Rajab Mohammed Bureika,
16, wounded with shrapnel in the chest;

12) Ra’ed ‘Atteya Barhoum, 17,
wounded with shrapnel in the chest;

13) Hamada ‘Abdel-Fattah Abu
Shawish, 17, wounded with shrapnel in the face;

14) Eyad Mahmoud Abu Zuhri,
24, wounded with shrapnel that which severed an artery in the right thigh, and
was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;

15) Mohammed Jaber Abu Jazar,
16, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;

16) Ziad Mohammed El-‘Aaloul,
20, wounded with a live bullet in the left leg;

17) ‘Odai Fadel Barhoum, 12,
wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder;

18) kamel Ahmed Abu ‘Eiadeh,
15, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;

19) ‘Abdel-Wadoud ‘Awadh
Barbakh, 35, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;

20) Rateb Hamed Siam, 14,
wounded with shrapnel in the left thigh; and

21) Mahmoud Khalil Sa’d, 19,
wounded with shrapnel in the right arm.

 

PCHR’s field officer in
Rafah reported that a number of houses in Rafah refugee camp were severely
damaged and that an artillery shell hit a store of foodstuffs owned by ‘Aayesh
Mohammed Ahmed Abu Taha. Damage to
property was as follows:

 

 

At approximately 21:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at ‘Eibal Mount to the north
of Nablus, fired an artillery shell at ‘Assira village to the north of the
city. One shell hit the house of Jamil
Daoud Jawabreh El-Shouli, which had been recently rented by the Fatah
Movement. The house was completely
destroyed. A nearby house, in which 24
people lived, was also severely damaged. PCHR learnt that the area did had not witnessed any clashes prior to the
attack. It was also stated that members
of the Fatah Movement had been due to hold a meeting in the house approximately
15 minutes later.

 

 

Tuesday, June 5, 2001

 

At approximately 00:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Al-Tuffah
roadblock and Neve Dekalim settlement to the west of Khan Yunis, fired
artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in
the western part of Khan Yunis refugee camp. The shelling lasted for more than one hour. It began again at approximately 03:00 local
time. Artillery shells hit two houses
whose residents had vacated during the past months, while another two shells
fell at Al-Bahar (the sea) Street. Residents of Khan Yunis said that they woke up hearing sounds of
explosions and saw white smoke emitting from the shells. The shelling caused damage to the following
houses:

 

 

At approximately 03:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at hills surrounding “Allon
More” settlement together with Israeli soldiers who were brought to the area of
El-Seirafi park near Al-Batahan valley to the north of Nablus, fired artillery
shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the east
of Nablus. A number of houses were
damaged and a Palestinian civilian broke
his leg when he tried to escape from the area.

 

3. Land Leveling and House
Demolition

 

Sunday, June 3, 2001

 

At approximately 10:00
local time, settlers from Kfar Darom settlement in the east of Deir El-Balah in
the middle area of the Gaza Strip, who are under the full protection of the
Israeli occupation forces, put iron bars stabled on concrete bases around
tracts of Palestinian agricultural land to the west of the aforementioned
settlement. PCHR repotted that the area
of surrounded land was approximately 29 donums. This action is seens as a preliminary step towards annexing the area to
the settlement. The following table
details the tracts of land that were fenced:

 

Monday, June 4, 2001

 

The Israeli occupation
forces started to level land and dig trenches approximately 20m inside the
eastern border of the Gaza Strip to the east of Beit Hanoun. PCHR’s field officer in the northern area of
the Gaza Strip reported that such actions were continuing. A trench 2m deep, 10m wide and approximately
300m long was dug. Similar actions took
place last week to the east of Gaza City.

 

4. Other Attacks and Arrests by the Israeli Occupation
Forces

 

Saturday, June 2, 2001

 

At approximately 08:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces arrested a member of the Palestinian presidential guard
(Force 17), ‘Abdullah Yousef Zayoud, 30, from Seilat Al-Haretheya village near
Jenin. Zayoud was traveling by a taxi
from his village to Jenin when an undercover unit of the Israeli occupation
forces travelling in a civilian car intercepted and arrested him.

 

Monday, June 4, 2001

 

At approximately 02:00 local time, the Israeli occupation
forces broke into Deir El-Ghusoun village near Tulkarm and arrested Majed Ahmed
Na’im Badran, 25, from his house.

 

Tuesday, June 5, 2001

 

At approximately 08:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces arrested Majdi Ibrahim Mahmoud ‘Alawneh, 40, from Al-Jaba’
village near Jenin. ‘Alawneh was on his
way home back from work in Nablus, when he was stopped at a military roadblock
of the Israeli occupation forces on Jenin-Nablus road.

 

At midnight, the Israeli occupation forces broke
into Housan village near Bethlehem and arrested two Palestinian civilians,
Ramzi Rebhi Hamada, 24, and ‘Abdel-Hakim Ismail ‘Abdel-Sabour, 19. The two were taken to a military site of the
Israeli occupation forces in “Kfar Etsion” settlement.

 

Wednesday, June 6, 2001

 

In the morning, an undercover unit of the Israeli
occupation forces arrested Ahmed Husni Shibani, 30, from ‘Arrabeh village near
Jenin. Shibani was traveling in his car
near a junction leading to his village, when a civilian car with a Palestinian number-plate, carrying Israeli
soldiers in civilian clothes, intercepted his way. The soldiers forced Shibani to stop his car
at which point they arrested him. He was
beaten during this arrest.

 

At approximately 10:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces arrested two Palestinian children, Khader Ziad Sultan, 13,
and Beha’ ‘Abdel-Hafezh El-Za’tari, 15, in the center of Hebron and took them
to an unknown destination. This occurred
after a number of Palestinian children confronted settlers who attacked Palestinian
civilians in Tal Al-Romeida neighborhood.

 

At approximately 14:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces arrested Faisal ‘Alla’ El-Talhami, 18, when he tried to
confront settlers who attacked Palestinian civilians in the eastern part of
Hebron.

 

5. Attacks by Settlers
against Palestinian Civilians

 

Thursday, May 31, 2001

 

At approximately 15:00 local time, settlers from
“Eitamar” settlement to the east of Nablus threw stones at Palestinian
civilians passing at a bypass road between Hawara military site, to the south
of the city, and “Allon More’” settlement, to the east of the city. Rafiq Ahmed ‘Othman, 45, from Deir El-Hatab
village near Nablus, was hit with a stone in the head cracking his skull and
causing a hemorrhage in the cerebrum. He
was evacuated to a specialized hospital in Nablus. ‘Othman was travelling by taxi along the
aforementioned bypass road after the Israeli occupation forces closed the main
road between the cities of Ramallah and Nablus, when he was hit with a stone
from a distance of approximately 10m. Additionally, Ayman ‘Affif Salem Hanani, from Beit Dajan viallage near
Nablus, was injured in the right shoulder and arm when the windscreen of his
car was shattered by thrown stones.

 

At approximately 16:00 local time, settlers of
“Shavi Shomron” settlement opened fire on a Palestinian civilian car that was
traveling at Tulkarm-Nablus road, to the east of Deir Sharaf village. Daoud Fares Yousef El-Hassan, 47, from Deir
Sharaf village, was wounded with a live bullet in the right hand.

 

Friday, June 1, 2001

 

At approximately midnight, a settler fired at Mazen
Lutfi El-Joulani, 34, from Shoufat refugee camp in Jerusalem, a father of three
children, wounding him with a live bullet in the head. El-Joulani was sitting in front of a café in
Shoufat refugee camp when a settler fired at him. The settler was seen escaping in his car to
“Pisgat Z’eiv” settlement, approximately 300m away from the incident. El-Joulani was taken to the Israeli Hadassa
hospital where he was pronounced dead on Sunday, June 3, 2001. His family gave permission for his organs to
be donated to save five patients, without any discrimination on grounds of nationality or religion. According to Reuters, El-Joulani’s heart was
transplanted to an Israeli citizen, Yigal Cohen. 

 

In the afternoon, settlers from “Metsiv Shilo”
established on Palestinian land in Jaloud village to the southeast of Nablus,
set fire to Palestinian farms. Approximately 150 donums of agricultural land, owned by Fawzi Ibrahim
El-Hajj ‘Abed, was destroyed.

 

Settlers from “Ged’oun” settlement to the southeast
of Nablus also set fire to Palestinian land in Beit Fourik village. Approximately 45 donums of Palestinian
agricultural land planted with olives was destroyed. Fire spread to areas close to the
aforementioned settlement. Israeli fire
engines hastened to the area to put out the fire next to the settlement without
paying any attention to Palestinian areas. Settlers also prevented Palestinians from putting out fires that
destroyed their land.

 

Sunday, June 3, 2001

 

In the morning, settlers opened fire on a
Palestinian truck that was traveling on a bypass road in Ramallah. The driver lost control of the truck, and it
collided with an electricity pylon and overturned. Three brothers were traveling by the truck,
two of them, ‘Aayed Mahmoud Mohammed Abu ‘Eideh, 37, and Ziad Mahmoud Mohammed
Abu ‘Eideh, 30, were killed and the third, Zeidan, 28, was seriously
injured. In his testimony to the
Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
(LAW), Zeidan Abu ‘Eideh siad that at approximately 05:00 (local time), he and
his two brothers left their house in Deir Dibwan village in a truck which he
drove. When they arrived at agricultural
lands at Sheikh ‘Ammar road to the east of Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces
prevented them from passing. So, they
decided to resort to a bypass road between “Ofra” settlement and
Jerusalem. When they arrived at the
junction of Burqa village, which leads to “Beit Eil” settlement, a number of
Israeli occupation soldiers were positioned at a military roadblock there. There were also a number of settlers were
standing at the side of the road. The
settlers opened fire on the truck, and it collided with an electricity tower
and turned up side down. Bothers,
‘Aayed, father of 8 children, and Ziad, father of 7 children, were killed
instantly, while Ziad, father of a 6-month-old infant, was seriously
injured. Immediately, the Israeli
occupation forces towed the truck away and kept it in “Beit Eil” .

 

At approximately 09:00 local time, a number of
armed settlers raided the headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Religious
Endowments in Hebron. They occupied it,
destroying furniture and terrifying its employees. The Israeli occupation forces made no attempt
to intervene.

 

Wednesday, June 6, 2001

 

At approximately 07:00 local time, large groups of
settlers attacked Al-Sawia village, which had been under curfew imposed by the
Israeli occupation forces since 21:00 local time the previous day.  They opened fire on Palestinian houses,
terrifying Palestinian civilians. Two
hours later, settlers raided some houses, breaking their windows, doors and
furniture. They also set fire to some
houses and farms. These settler attacks,
which took place with the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, resulted
in the destruction of three Palestinian houses, making their 31 residents
homeless. Settlers also broke windows,
doors and furniture of another five houses.

 

Later, settlers attacked three Palestinian schools
on the Ramallah-Nablus road. They broke
windows and doors of the three schools and set fire to two of them, a secondary
school and an elementary school. According to eyewitnesses, the Israeli occupation forces prevented the
Palestinian civil defense men from entering the area to put out the fires. 

 

In the aftermath of these attacks, clashes erupted
between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces, which fired
live ammunition and tear gas canisters, wounding a number of civilians.[2]

 

At approximately 14:00 local time, a number of
settlers from Kharsina settlement attacked Palestinian civilians and houses in
Khellat Al-Dabe’ area in Hebron. ‘Abdel-Hafezh Taj El-Din, 80, sustained multiple injuries.

****

PCHR calls upon the international community:

 

1) To provide immediate international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories;

2) To ensure that the ICRC enhance its presence, expand
its activities and intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.

3) To ensure that the High Contracting Parties to the
Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 reconvene in order to take effective measures
to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

4) To prosecute those believed to have committed war
criminals before international courts.

5) To ensure that the European Union activate Article 2
of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must
respect human rights.

6) To ensure that the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories and that the Resolution
adopted by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in April 2001 is implemented.

7) To provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian
people whose living conditions are increasingly deteriorating as a result of
the continued siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the entire
occupied Palestinian territories.

 

For
more information on the Al-Aqsa Intifada see:

www.pchrgaza.org