Unprecedented Level of Aggression in
the OPTs against the Civilians
The Outcome of 10 Days of the
Israeli Offensive on the Northern Gaza Strip
· 74 Palestinians have been killed, including 37 civilians, 23
of whom are children, and least 300 others have been injured.
· 2 brothers, a man and his son, an elderly man and a deaf
young man are among the victims.
· 10 of the victims are children who were hit by artillery
shells and their bodies were cut into pieces.
· 70% of the victims were killed in or near to Jabalya refugee
camp.
· At least 50 houses were destroyed and dozens of other houses
were damaged, and at least 300 donums[1] of agricultural land were razed.
· A number of schools, a mosque, a kindergarten, a historical
site, a number of civilian facilities and the civilian infrastructure were
destroyed.
· A tightened siege on the area and access to humanitarian
services has been denied.
· Many civilians were not able to participate in the funeral
processions of their children who were killed by Israeli troops.
The Outcomes of the Last Week in the Whole of the OPTs
• 76 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 24 children,
were killed by Israeli troops.
· 64
of the victims were killed during the Israeli offensive on the northern Gaza
Strip.
· 4
of the victims were extra-judicially executed by Israeli troops in Gaza.
· Israeli
troops conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip.
· 16
houses were destroyed and 72 donums of agricultural land were razed in the Gaza
Strip
· Houses
were raided and dozens of Palestinian civilians were arrested
· Continued
shelling of residential areas and civilian facilities; 2 Palestinian civilians
were killed and a number of others were injured
· Israeli
helicopter gunships destroyed 2 civilian facilities in Gaza
· Construction
of the “Annexation wall” in the West Bank has continued
· Israeli
troops have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs; the Gaza Strip has
been divided into 3 separate zones; a shortage of basic foodstuffs and fuels in
the southern Gaza Strip; Israeli troops at military checkpoints fired at
Palestinian civilians and arrested a number of civilians while crossing
military checkpoints
Introduction
Israeli occupying troops have escalated their attacks
on Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPTs),
especially in the Gaza Strip. This week,
76 Palestinians, including 64 from the northern Gaza Strip, were killed by
Israeli troops. These attacks recall the
Israeli comprehensive offensive on the West Bank in the 2002 spring, in which
hundreds of Palestinians were killed or injured. Human rights violations
perpetrated by Israeli troops included willful and extra-judicial executions,
incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling, land leveling and
total closure imposed on Palestinian communities.
For the 2nd consecutive week, Israeli
troops have launched a wide scale offensive on the northern Gaza Strip. During the period covered by this report, 64
Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this
latest offensive until Thursday morning, 7 October 2004 has mounted to 74,
including 37 civilians, 23 of whom were children. Two of the victims were
brothers and a third victim was deaf. In addition, at least 300 others, mostly
civilians, including at least 100 children, have been injured, and a number of
them have been rendered permanently disabled. Israeli troops have also
continued to destroy houses, agricultural land, civilian facilities and historical
sites. At least 50 houses have been destroyed and 140 others have been
damaged. In addition 4 UNRWA schools, a kindergarten, a mosque, a historical
site and a number of civilian facilities were destroyed. Large areas in the
northern Gaza Strip have been isolated, while Israeli troops have seized a
number of buildings, transforming their roofs into military sites. In the
meantime, electricity and water supplies have been cut from these
areas. These areas also suffer from a shortage of foodstuffs, especially
milk. Israeli troops have prevented humanitarian agencies into Jabalya refugee
camp and neighboring areas, excluding the ICRC, whose role has been very
limited.
Many Palestinian civilians, especially in Jablaya
refugee camp, were seen carrying their belongings and leaving their houses, due
to the Israeli shelling and the presence of members of the Palestinian
resistance who are always targeted by heavy Israeli weapons. These scenes are
reminiscent of the forcible migration of 1949. Israeli troops have also used Palestinian civilians as human shields in
military operations, endangering their lives.
This latest offensive by Israeli occupying troops has
been characterized by excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, as
they have attacked civilian communities with missiles and shells. Since
the beginning of this latest offensive, 34 Palestinian civilians, including 21
children, have been killed. Eight of the
children were killed together in Jabalya refugee camp on the third day of the offensive,
when Israeli troops fired artillery shells at them. These facts refute the
claims of Moshe Ya’lon, the Israeli military chief of staff, that all of those
who have been killed are militants.
Israeli occupying troops have been positioned a few
meters away from Jabalya refugee camp, which is one of the most densely
populated areas in the world, where approximately 120,000 people live in an
area of less than 2 square kilometers. Consequently, most of the deaths
(52 Palestinians) have been in the camp, and many houses have been destroyed.
The Israeli offensive on Jabalya refugee camp is reminiscent off the Israeli
offensive on Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank in the spring of 2002, when
Israeli troops killed 49 Palestinians in a few days, injured dozens of others
and destroyed many houses as they used excessive force inside the camp.
Israeli troops have also used disproportionate and
indiscriminate force against members of the Palestinian resistance as many of
these were killed when they were not engaged in fighting.
Statements by Israeli political and military
officials that this military campaign could continue for weeks not a few days
raise serious concerns for the lives and properties of Palestinian
civilians. Such statements also provide further evidence of the policy of
collective punishment, which has been systematically practiced against the
Palestinian people. The Israeli declared war on UNRWA is an
intentional policy that aims at preventing the organization for providing humanitarian
assistance to the affected areas. In
addition, the US support for the Israeli government and its occupying forces,
transforms perpetrator into a victim, encourages this government to escalate
its aggression against Palestinian civilians. The failure of the international
community to stop the Israeli attacks only serves to encourage Israel and its
occupying forces to further violate international human rights instruments,
particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.
This week, 8 Palestinian civilians were killed by
Israeli troops in other areas in the Gaza Strip. Four of the victims were
extra-judicially killed by Israeli on 2 and 5 October 2004. On 2 October 2004, an elderly Palestinian
civilian was killed by the Israeli shelling on residential areas in Rafah, and
a child from Khan Yunis died from a wound he had sustained in July. On 4 October 2004, a 4-year-old Palestinian
child was killed when Israeli troops shelled residential areas in Khuza’a
village near Khan Yunis. On 5 October 2004, Israeli troops shot dead a
13-year-old child in Rafah, when she got close to an Israeli military post for
unknown reasons.
This week, Israeli troops conducted 8 incursions into
Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip. In
an incursion into al-Satar al-Gharbi area in Khan Yunis on 5 October 2004,
Israeli troops destroyed 9th houses and razed 52 donums of
agricultural land. In the other
incursions, Israeli troops destroyed 6 houses and razed 23 donums of
agricultural land. Israeli troops have also continued to shell Palestinian
residential areas. Israeli helicopter gunships also destroyed 2 civilian
facilities in Gaza City.
In the West Bank, Israeli troops killed 4
Palestinians, including a child, and a woman died from a previous injury. On 4 October 2004, an undercover unit of
Israeli occupying troops shot dead 2 Palestinians in Ramallah. On 5 October 2004, Israeli troops killed a
Palestinian in Hebron. On 6 October
2004, Israeli troops shot dead a 16-year-old child in Saida village near
Tulkarm. On 4 October 2004, an elderly
woman from Hares village in Nablus died from an injury she had sustained 2
months ago. In addition, Israeli troops launched a series of attacks against
Palestinian civilians and their properties. They moved into various areas throughout
the West Bank, injured a number of Palestinian civilians, mostly children, and
arrested dozens of others.
Israeli troops have continued to construct the
annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. This week, this construction
took place mainly in East Jerusalem and Hebron. Israeli troops have continued to construct a section of the wall in the
middle of Ramallah – Jerusalem Street. This section of the wall will isolate
al-Ram village. It will also annex Atarot industrial zone to the Israeli territories.
Israeli troops have continued to impose a tightened
siege on the OPTs and have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
They have divided the Gaza Strip into 3 separate zones by closing the coastal
road between Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip, and isolated several parts
of the northern Gaza Strip. They have also continued to close most border
crossings of the Gaza Strip. The closure of internal roads in the Gaza Strip
has obstructed activities of international humanitarian agencies, especially
UNRWA. In the West Bank, Israeli troops have continued to impose a strict siege
on Palestinian communities. They have continued to impose a tightened
siege on Hebron for the 5th consecutive week. They have also imposed
severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and arrested some
of them while crossing military checkpoints. Israeli troops also imposed
curfews on a number of Palestinian communities.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Israeli Offensive on the Northern Gaza Strip
Israeli troops have continued their attacks on
Palestinian civilians in the northern Gaza Strip since Tuesday, 28 September
2004, in disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. They have caused
dozens of casualties among Palestinian civilians and have largely destroyed
civilian facilities. During the period
covered by this report, 64 Palestinians were killed by Israeli troops. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since
the beginning of this latest offensive has mounted to 74, including 34
civilians, 21 of whom were children. In addition, at least 300 others,
mostly civilians, including at least 100 children, have been injured, and a
number of them have been rendered permanently disabled. In addition, large
areas in the northern Gaza Strip have been isolated, while Israeli troops have
seized a number of buildings, transforming their roofs into military sites. In
the meantime, electricity and water supplies have been cut from these
areas.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, On
Thursday morning, 30 September 2004, Israeli troops moved towards Jabalya
refugee camp. They were positioned in Block 2. They seized a number
of houses and transformed their roofs into military sites. Israeli troops
partially demolished a number of houses and destroyed fences of a number of
UNRWA schools. The Israeli military operation expanded to include Block 4
in the camp. Israeli troops shelled the area intensively. Since the
morning, clashes have erupted between Israeli troops and members of the
Palestinian resistance. Six members of the resistance have been killed in
these clashes:
1. Ra’fat
Rafiq Jadallah, 25;
2. Sufian
Shafiq Abu al-Jedian, 33;
3. Hamza
Ahmed, 29;
4. Mohammed
al-Masri, 29;
5. Mohammed
‘Abdul Karim al-Ja’beer, 19; and
6. Hazem
Hussein Farajallah, 24.
At approximately 11:50 on Thursday, Israeli troops
positioned in Qulaibu hill opened fire at a number of Palestinian civilians in
the east of Beit Lahia. One Palestinian civilian, Mohammed Yousef
al-Habel, 65, was killed by a live bullet in the chest, when he was sitting in
front of his shop. At noon, Israeli troops continued to shell Palestinian
residential areas. Two Palestinian civilians, including a child were
killed:
1. Mohammed
Khaled Reehan, 15, hit by a live bullet to the heart; and
2. ‘Aatef
Jamal Rajab al-Ashqar, 27, from Beit Lahia, hit by a live bullet to the
head.
At approximately 16:20 on Thursday, an Israeli tank
fired a shell for no apparent reason at a number of Palestinian children near
an UNRWA school in Jabalya refugee camp. Ten Palestinian civilians,
including 7 children, were killed:
1. Mahmoud
Mohammed Abu al-Jedian, 23;
2. Mohammed
Khaled Raihan, 14;
3. Ziad
‘Alaa’ Shams, 14;
4. Mohammed
Ra’fat al-Reefi, 17;
5. Mo’taz
‘Abdul Malek al-Bakri, 17;
6. Nidal
Sa’id al-Beeshawi, 16;
7. Sultan
Sa’id al-Beeshawi, 14;
8. Mahmoud
Mo’een al-Madhoun, 20;
9. Ahmed
‘Adnan al-Bora’ei, 16; and
10. An unidentified child.
In addition, 25 civilians were injured by shrapnel
from the shell.
At approximately 21:35 on the same day, a mysterious
explosion occurred near al-Ribat mosque in Beit Lahia, which left dead 3
members of the Palestinian resistance:
1. Eyad
Zaqqout, 30;
2. Jadallah
Abu Sukhaila, 27; and
3. Meqbel
Hazin, 25.
As a result of the Israeli indiscriminate shelling,
which continued from 14:00 to 17:00 on Thursday, 3 Palestinian children and 3
members of the Palestinian resistance were killed:
1. Diaa’
al-Din Ahmed al-Kahlout, 17;
2. Yahia
Akram Hammad, 16;
3. Tamer
‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu Eshkayan, 14;
4. Mohammed
Jamil al-Ustath, 25;
5. ‘Arafat
Bilal Yassin, 24; and
6. Mohammed
Mahmoud Abu Hassira.
At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 1 October 2004, an
Israeli tank fired a shell at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
near al-Bashir mosque in the east of Tal al-Za’tar area. Two members of the
resistance were killed: Jihad Mahmoud Abu al-Jabeen, 26; and Mustafa Hamash,
27, and 3 others were seriously injured.
On Friday morning, medical sources at Shifa Hospital
in Gaza City declared that Ibrahim ‘Ali ‘Asaliya, 29, died from an injury he
had sustained by the Israeli shelling on the previous day.
At noon, an Israeli tank fired a shell at a number of
members of the Palestinian resistance near al-Sikka Street in Jabalya refugee
camp. Two members of the resistance were killed: Nidal ‘Omar Matar, 29; and
Wassim Mustafa al-Nateel, 18; and a third one was seriously injured.
At approximately 15:30 on Friday, Israeli troops positioned
at al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp fired a number of
artillery shells for no apparent reason at Palestinian houses in Block 4 in the
camp. A number of houses were severely damaged, but no casualties were
reported.
At approximately 19:00 on the same day, medical
sources at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City declared that Hani Sa’id Mushtaha, 17,
died from an injury that he had sustained from Israeli troops at al-Sikka
Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp on Wednesday, 29 September
2004. Mushtaha was hit by a live bullet to the head.
At approximately 21:00 on the same day, an Israeli
helicopter gunship fired a missile at a member of the Palestinian resistance
near al-‘Awda Hospital in Tal al-Za’tar area. He was instantly killed and
a number of civilian bystanders were injured. The victim was later
identified as Ibrahim Mahmoud Abu al-Qumsan, 21, from Jabalya refugee camp.
Israeli troops continued to shell densely populated areas, injuring 10 other
civilians and severely damaging a number of schools.
In the early morning of Saturday, 2 October 2004,
Israeli troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and helicopters, moved
into al-Sikka and Sultan ‘Abdul Hamid streets in the west of Beit
Hanoun. Under the cover of indiscriminate shooting, they seized control
over the area and transformed a number of houses into military posts after
having expelled residents of these houses. Thus, Israeli troops have
isolated the northern Gaza Strip from surrounding areas and isolated towns from
one another.
At approximately 01:20 on Saturday, an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
near al-Bashir mosque in Tal al-Za’tar area. Two members of the
resistance and a civilian bystander were instantly killed:
1. Fathi
‘Abdul Rahman ‘Afana, 26, a member of the resistance;
2. ‘Eid
Mohammed ‘Afana, 39, a member of the resistance; and
3. Ibrahim
Hassan Hamdan, 46, a civilian bystander.
At noon, medical sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza
City declared that Waheed Talal ‘Abdul Rahman, 23, from Tal al-Za’tar area,
died from an injury that he had sustained on Friday morning, when an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
near al-Bashir mosque in Tal al-Za’tar area.
At approximately 17:00 on Saturday, an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of the Palestinian resistance near
Sha’sha’a area in the east of Tal al-Za’tar. One member of the
resistance, Yasser Mohammed Abu Ghubait, 20, from Jabalya refugee camp, was
instantly killed.
At approximately 00:30 on Sunday, 3 October 2004, at
least 10 Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into Tal al-Za’tar in
Jabalya. They demolished at least 2 houses completely and 10 others
partially. They also demolished a kindergarten in the area.
At approximately 02:00, Israeli troops fired an
artillery shell at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance near UNRWA
schools in the southeast of Jabalya refugee camp. Two members of the
resistance were killed:
1. Rani
Akram Quddas, 22; and
2. Musbah
Hussein al-Zinati, 20, both from Jabalya refugee camp.
At approximately 06:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops fired another shell at the same area. One member of the
Palestinian resistance, Mohammed Ibrahim al-Sherafi, 22, from Jabalya refugee
camp, was killed. His body was discovered in the area 2 hours
later.
At noon, Israeli troops shot dead Ra’ed Suleiman Abu
Wawi, 36, from Tal al-Za’tar area, with a live bullet in the head, when he was
on the roof of his house. PCHR’s field worker in the northern Gaza Strip
reported that the victim was deaf and dumb, and that his house is nearly 150
meters away from the source of fire.
At approximately 13:40 on the same day, an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
at Zimmu Street in Beit Hanoun. One member of the resistance, Fadi Fareed
al-Za’aneen, 23, was killed, and another member was seriously injured.
At approximately 15:40 on the same day, an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
in Block 4 in Jabalya refugee camp. One member of the resistance, Maher
Jameel Zaqqout, 26, was killed.
At approximately 16:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops fired at Saber Ibrahim ‘Asaliya, 14, from ‘Abed Rabbu area in the east
of Jabalya, as he was trying to leave the area. The child was wounded by
a live bullet in the back. He was evacuated to Shifa Hospital in Gaza
City, but medical efforts to save his life failed and he was pronounced dead
one hour later.
At approximately 17:00 on the same day, medical
sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that 13-year-old Mohammed D’iab
al-Najjar died from a wound he had sustained by the Israeli shelling against
Jabalya refugee camp on 1 October 2004. He was hit by a live bullet to
the head.
At approximately 18:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops positioned to the east of al-Sikka Street near Jabalya refugee camp
opened fire at Palestinian houses in Block 4 in the camp. A Palestinian
child, 14-year-old Nidal Muhsen al-Madhoun, was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the heart, when he was near his house. He died shortly after he
had been evacuated to the hospital.
On Monday morning, 4 October 2004, Israeli troops
expanded their incursion into the towns of Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia under the
cover of indiscriminate shooting.
At approximately 03:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops fired 2 artillery shells at a number of members of the Palestinian
resistance in al-Manshiya area in Beit Lahia. Four members of the
resistance were killed:
1. Fares ‘Omar
al-Habel, 21;
2. Romel
Mohammed al-Barrawi, 20;
3. Isma’il
Ibrahim Shihda, 21; and
4. Mohammed
Saber al-Baba, 23.
Ambulances were able to evacuate bodies of 3 of the
victims, while the fourth victim’s body remained in the area until 07:30.
At approximately 06:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops positioned at al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp fired
at Mohammed Mousa al-Hissi, 27, when he was in a street in the camp, wounding
him with a live bullet in the chest. Ambulances were able to reach him
only 20 minutes later, but he was dead.
At approximately 11:30 on the same day, Israeli
troops positioned at al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp shot
dead Ramzi Shihda Hasaballah, 21, when he was in a street in the camp, with a
live bullet in the chest.
At approximately 14:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops positioned at al-Sikka Street to the east of Jabalya refugee camp opened
fire at Palestinian houses in the area. A Palestinian child, 15-year-old Islam Maher Dwaidar, was killed by a
live bullet in the heart when she was inside her house.
At approximately 21:30 on the same day, Israeli
troops positioned at al-Sikka Street fired a number of artillery shells at Riad
al-Saleheen area to the east of Block 2 in Jabalya refugee camp. A Palestinian civilians, Wafi Salem ‘Asaliya,
30, was killed by shrapnel throughout the body, and 8 other civilians were
injured, two of whom were in a serious condition. According to eyewitnesses, ambulances were
not able to reach the area for one hour due to intensive Israeli gunfire.
At approximately 23:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops opened fire at Palestinian houses in Jabalya refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Abdullah Nadi
Dardouna, 24, was killed by a live bullet in the chest.
On Tuesday morning, 5 October 2004, medical sources
at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that Hussam Mohammed al-Ras, 24, from
Gaza City, died from an injury he had sustained on the previous day evening,
when Israeli troops fired an artillery shell at Riad al-Salheen area in the
east of Jabalya refugee camp. The victim
was apparently a member of the Palestinian resistance.
At approximately 21:35 on the same day, an Israeli
aircraft fired a missile at a number of members of the Palestinian resistance
in Block 5 in Jabalya refugee camp. Two
members of the resistance, who are brothers, were killed:
1. Mousa
‘Abdul Hai Darwish, 24; and
2. Hassan
‘Abdul Hai Darwish, 30, from Beit Lahia.
At approximately 00:30 on Wednesday, 6 October 2004,
Israeli troops positioned near the directorate of education in Beit Lahia fired
an artillery shell at Ghazi Jaber ‘Obaid’s house to the west of Sheikh Zayed
project. The shell hit the 4th
floor of the house, and its shrapnel injured ‘Obaid, his wife and their 8
children.
At approximately 01:00 on the same day, Israeli
troops fired an artillery shell at a residential area in the center of Beit
Lahia. A Palestinian child, 17-year-old
‘Abdullah Hussein Qamhan, was killed when he was at the door of his house. Ambulances were not able to reach the area
for one hour due to the intense Israeli gunfire.
At approximately 02:30, Israeli troops expanded their
offensive as a number of Israeli military vehicles moved towards al-Maslakh
(the butchery), north of Jabalya refugee camp, and Beit Lahia housing
project. During their movement, Israeli
troops fired an artillery shell at a house belonging to Hamdan Baraka ‘Obaid,
50, killing him and his son Hammouda, 22. Other Israeli troops moved from Tal Qulaibu area towards Tal al-Za’tar
area and took position to the north of al-‘Awda Hospital. It is worth noting that the hospital was
subject to repeated Israeli shelling, and was consequently severely
damaged.
According to information available to PCHR, Israeli
troops have totally destroyed at least 60 houses and seriously damaged dozens
of others since the beginning of this latest offensive on the northern Gaza
Strip. They have also razed at least 100 donums of agricultural land, and
destroyed a mosque and the fence of a Roman historical site.
PCHR’s field worker in the northern Gaza Strip
reported that he received several phone calls from Palestinian civilians living
at al-Sikka Street, east of Jabalya, in Beit Hanoun’s agricultural areas and in
al-Nada housing project in Beit Lahia, during which they informed him about the
deterioration in the humanitarian situation in these areas, caused by the lack
of water, electricity and basic foodstuffs. In addition, there are a number
of patients in these areas who have not been able to reach hospitals.
PCHR’s field workers reported also that a number of families in Jabalya refugee
camp have not been able to participate in the funeral procession of members of
these family who had been killed by Israeli troops due to the tightened siege
imposed by Israeli troops on parts of the camp. Israeli troops have also
fired at ambulances, which try to offer medical aid to the wounded, and have
continued to prohibit the entry of medical and humanitarian aids into the areas
they had already seized, especially parts of Jabalya refugee camp.
Thursday, 30 September 2004
At approximately 00:10, an Israeli helicopter gunship
fired a missile at a large container that serves as an office for al-Ansar Charitable Society in al-Nasser
neighborhood in Gaza City. The container
was severely damaged, but no casualties were reported. It is worth noting that the headquarters of the
society had been destroyed by Israeli troops a few months ago, so the society
operated from the container.
At approximately 03:00, Israeli troops positioned in
military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of
Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian child, Jihad Younis Hunaideq,
4, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet in the head, when she was inside
her house.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli troops, reinforced by
heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved nearly 400 meters into
Heker al-Jame’ area in the southeast of Deir al-Balah. They destroyed a 1.5-donum greenhouse owned
by ‘Allam ‘Ata al-Lahham, 30 beehives and an irrigation network.
At approximately 16:15, Israeli troops positioned
along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at residential areas in
the town. Three Palestinian civilians,
including a child, were wounded:
1. ‘Emad
‘Aatef Abu al-Sa’id, 12, wounded by a live bullet in the right hand, when he
was on the roof of his house in al-Shaboura refugee camp;
2. Hazem
Ahmed Hijazi, 18, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg, when he was near
Rafah Terminal; and
3. Ahmed
al-‘Abed al-Hams, 21, wounded by a live bullet in the eye, when he was in Tal
al-Sultan neighborhood.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli troops, reinforced by
heavy military vehicles, moved nearly 30 meters into ‘Oraiba area in the
northwest of Rafah. They destroyed 2
houses belonging to the families of al-Hashash and Abu Samhadana.
In the hours of the day, Israeli troops moved into
Qalandya refugee camp near Ramallah; Faqqou’a and al-Yamoun villages near
Jenin; ‘Azzoun village near Qalqilya; Nablus; and Hebron and the neighboring
Dura village. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 16 Palestinians, including a number of brothers
and a girl and her father.
Friday, 1 October 2004
At approximately 08:00,
Israeli troops positioned in a military post in Tal Zo’rob area in the
southwest of Rafah opened fire at Palestinian houses in Zo’rob
neighborhood. The Israeli gunfire
continued sporadically until 11:00. A
woman and a child were wounded:
1. Amal
Sa’id Zo’rob, 27, wounded by shrapnel in the head; and
2. Mousa
Hamad Abu Jazar, 8, wounded by a live bullet in the right hand.
At approximately 14:40,
Israeli troops positioned along the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened
fire at Palestinian houses near Gaza International Airport. A Palestinian child, 10-year-old Mohammed
Akram Abu Taqiya, was wounded by a live bullet in the right forearm.
At approximately 19:30,
Israeli helicopter gunships fired 2 missiles at a workshop owned by Mohammed
Hijazi in al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City. The workshop was severely damaged and a neighboring house was lightly
damaged.
Saturday,
2 October 2004
At approximately 05:00, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of the “Gush
Qatif” settlement bloc, northwest of Rafah, opened fire at ‘Orabia area to
the southeast. An elderly Palestinian
civilian, Mahmoud Mohammed al-Hashash, 62, was killed by a live bullet in the
abdomen when he was sleeping in an iron-made room annexed to his house.
At approximately 08:00, a number of
Palestinian schoolchildren gathered and threw stones at Israeli troops
positioned in the vicinity of “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of
Deir al-Balah. Immediately, Israeli
troops fired at the children, wounding 4.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli
troops moved nearly 300 meters into al-Satar al-Gharbi area in the northwest of
Khan Yunis. They opened fire at
Palestinian houses in the area. Some
live bullets hit an elementary school in the area. According to the director of the school, he
was forced to evacuate the school, in which 942 children have classes, as they
were extremely scared.
At approximately 10:40, Israeli
troops broke into the campus of Hebron University in the north of Hebron. They checked the identity of dozens of
students and arrested 3 of them.
At approximately 11:20, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis
refuge camp and al-Nimswai neighborhood. Two Palestinian civilians were injured:
1. Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader al-Mughrabi, 11, injured by shrapnel
in the back; and
2. ‘Omar Mohammed al-Qouqa, 43, injured by shrapnel in the back
and the ear.
At noon, dozens of Palestinian
schoolchildren demonstrated in various areas of Hebron in protest to the
Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. They threw stones at Israeli troops. Immediately, Israeli troops fired at the children, wounding 7. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops
fired at 2 children from a close distance as they were able to escape from
theses troops. The two children were
first arrested and severely beaten by Israeli troops.
At approximately 15:30, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian child, 11-year-old Ahmed ‘Omar
‘Othman, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet in the right arm.
At approximately 16:30, Israeli
troops moved nearly 200 meters into Abu Haddaf area in al-Qarara village,
northeast of Khan Yunis. They raided and
searched a number of houses. They
arrested and interrogated Ahmed Joma’a al-Sumairi, 39, but released him later.
Also at approximately 16:30, Israeli
troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved nearly 300 meters into
‘Oraiba area in the northwest of Rafah. They called through megaphones on residents of a number of houses to
vacate them as they would be demolished. Israeli troops also opened fire at houses and agricultural area. A Palestinian woman, Ameena Farhan
al-Hashash, 22, who is in the 6th month of her pregnancy, was
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head. During this incursion, which continued until 19:00, Israeli troops
demolished 4 houses belonging to the al-Hashash family, rendering 25 people (5
families) homeless.
At approximately 18:00, medical
sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza City declared that a Palestinian child,
Mahmoud Tharwat Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader, 12, from Khan Yunis, died from a wound
he had sustained by Israeli troops at the end of last July. According to PCHR’s documentation, at
approximately 13:45 on Friday, 30 July 2004, Israeli troops positioned in
military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of
Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian civilians who gathered on sand dunes
near the settlement and threw stone at those troops. Six civilians,
including 3 children, were wounded. One of them, Mohammed Mahmoud
Khalfallah, 15, died one hour later from a wound he sustained in the head. Another child, 12-year-old Mahmoud Tharwat
Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head. He received medical attention in Israeli
hospitals and Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. The victim’s sister, 12-year-old Rana, was killed by Israeli troops in
1992 during the first Palestinian Intifada.
At approximately 21:45, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
and “Gadid” settlements, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at
Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp, al-Nimsawi neighborhood and
Baten al-Samin area. A Palestinian
civilian, Mohammed Hussein Husni Safi, 24, was injured by shrapnel in the left
arm, when he was near his house in Baten al-Samin area.
At approximately 23:00, Israeli
troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved nearly 500 meters into
Baten al-Samin area in the southwest of Khan Yunis. Under the cover of intense gunfire, they
started to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land. By 03:00 on the following day, they had razed
14 donums of agricultural land planted with citrus and olives, on which 4
greenhouses stood, belonging to the families of al-Sha’er and al-Bashiti.
In the hours of the day, Israeli
troops moved into Artas and Abu Nujaim villages near Bethlehem; Beit Ummar
village near Hebron; and Toura village near Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 10 Palestinians.
Sunday,
3 October 2004
At
approximately 11:00, Israeli troops positioned in military posts between
“Gani Tal” and “Neve Dekalim” settlements, west of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Anmal neighborhood and Khan
Yunis refugee camp. Two schoolchildren
were wounded:
1. Fidaa’
Jawad Hamdan, 14, wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the right foot; and
2. Jamal
Basem al-Qedra, 5, wounded by a live bullet in the back.
At
approximately 15:00, Israeli troops positioned in military posts in the
vicinity of “Gan Aur” settlement, southwest of Khan Yunis, opened
fire at Palestinian houses in Gizan Abu Rashwan area to the east. A Palestinian civilian, Jihad Hamad al-Sane’,
18, from Rafah, who was in a visit to a relative, was wounded by a live bullet
in the right foot.
At
approximately 16:00, Israeli troops positioned in military posts in the
vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement and al-Tuffah checkpoint, west
of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp and
al-Nimsawi neighborhood. Two Palestinian
civilians were wounded:
1. Nizar
Ahmed Abu Sahloul, 39, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot; and
2. Khaled
Ahmed Mohammed al-Souso, 43, injured by shrapnel in the face.
At
approximately 19:00, Israeli troops on tanks positioned in the vicinity of
“Gush Qatif” settlement bloc, northwest of Rafah, opened fire at
Palestinian houses in Bader area in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of
Rafah. A Palestinian civilian, Mohamemd
Khamis al-Ra’ei, 50, was wounded by a live bullet in the back.
Monday, 4 October
2004
In the morning, medical
sources at an Israeli hospital declared that an elderly Palestinian woman,
Lam’eya Qassem ‘Abdul Ghani Kulaib, 70, from Hares village, southwest of
Nablus, died from a previous injury she had sustained in July. According to PCHR’s documentation, at
approximately 22:00 on Thursday, 22 July 2004, 3 Israeli military jeeps moved
into Hares village, southwest of Nablus. Israeli troops opened fire at Palestinian houses. The aforementioned woman was seriously wounded
by a live bullet in the abdomen when she was sitting in front of her
house. She was first evacuated to
Rafidya Hospital in Nablus, and as she was in a serious condition, she was
transferred to an Israeli hospital.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli
troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis
refugee camp and al-Nimsawi neighborhood. Five Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a child, were injured:
1. Najah
Zaki ‘Ali al-Shawa, 35, seriously wounded by a live bullet the entered the
right shoulder and settled in the chest causing an acute hemorrhage;
2. Mohammed
Samir Ahmed, 17, injured by shrapnel in the left hand;
3. Samir
Hassan Ahmed, 49, injured by shrapnel in the back;
4. Fadi
Hamad Abu Rahhal, 23, injured by shrapnel in the right hand; and
5. Hassan
Joma’a Mohammed Abu Nemer, 90, injured by shrapnel in the right hand.
At approximately 13:00, Israeli
troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved
from the eastern border of the Gaza Strip nearly 70 meters into Khuza’a
village, east of Khan Yunis. They opened
fire indiscriminately at Palestinian houses and agricultural areas. A Palestinian child, 4-year-old Lu’ai Ayman
Mohammed al-Najjar, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head when he
was playing near his family home, nearly 400 meters away from the source of
fire. He died on the way to the
hospital.
At approximately 16:10,
Israeli troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Neve
Dekalim” settlement and al-Tuffah checkpoint, west of Khan Yunis, opened
fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp and al-Nimsawi
neighborhood. A Palestinian woman, Nahla
Mohammed Khalafallah, 27, was wounded by a live bullet in the left foot, when
she was inside her house in al-Nimsawi neighborhood.
At approximately 21:45, an
undercover unit of Israeli troops disguised in civilian clothes and traveling
in a civilian car that has a Palestinian registration moved into Ramallah. The car stopped nearly 50 meters away from
Ramallah church. In the meantime, a
Palestinian civilian car stopped nearly 20 meters away from the church, and 2
persons got out of it and entered a shop opposite to the church. Immediately, members of the undercover unit
got out of their car and ordered the two persons to surrender. A third person, who accompanied the two
persons in the car, fired at members of the Israeli undercover unit, who opened
fire at the two persons and their colleague. The two persons who were at the
shop were killed: Fawaz Mashour Mohammed Fahana, 28, hit by several live
bullets in the shoulder and the back; and Ibrahim Ahmed Nasser al-Tawai’a, 35,
hit by several live bullets in the back, and their colleague, Meziad Sawafta,
27, from Tubas village near Jenin, was wounded in the feet and was arrested by
Israeli troops. More Israeli troops were
brought to the area to cover the withdrawal of the undercover unit. They arrested the shop’s owner and his
son.
In the hours of the day,
Israeli troops moved into the villages of D’innaba and Saida near Tulkarm;
Ramallah and the neighboring Beit Leqia village; al-Duhaisha refugee camp and
al-Duha village near Bethlehem; and Hebron and the neighboring al-Fawar refugee
camp. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 13 Palestinians.
Tuesday, 5 October
2004
At approximately 02:30,
Israeli troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and helicopters, moved
nearly 300 meters into al-Rabwat al-Gharbiya area in the north west of Khan
Yunis. Under the cover of indiscriminate shelling,
they surrounded 9 houses and forced their residents out. They interrogated these residents and took 4
of them to the neighboring “Gani Tal” settlement. They searched the 9 houses. Then, Israeli troops started to demolish a
number of houses and raze areas of agricultural land. At approximately 07:00, an Israeli helicopter
gunship fired a missile at an animal cart near al-Zahraa’ mosque in the
area. The cart was destroyed and the animal
was killed. At approximately 03:00 on
Wednesday, 6 October 2004, Israeli troops destroyed a 400-square-meter,
2-storey house owned by Ibrahim Mohammed Hijazi, in which 25 people (4
families) live, claiming that a tunnel was found under the house. Also during this incursion, Israeli troops 6
houses completely, rendering 82 people (18 families) homeless, and 2 other
houses partially. These houses belong to
the families of al-‘Adini, Saqer, al-Buhairi, al-Astal, al-‘Azzazi, Abu Tu’aima
and al-‘Abeed. Israeli troops also razed
52 donums of agricultural land planted with olives and vegetables, and
destroyed an irrigation network, a well, an agricultural pool and 2 animal
farms. These areas of land belong to the
families of al-Astal and al-Agha. As a result
of the Israeli shelling and gunfire, 3 Palestinian civilians, including a
child, were wounded:
1. Mahmoud
‘Omar al-Astal, 38, wounded by a live bullet in the right shoulder;
2. Yahia
‘Abdul Majid al-Astal, 8, wounded by shrapnel in the right hand; and
3. Akram
‘Abdul Rahim al-Astal, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen.
At approximately 03:00,
Israeli troops moved into Kherbat al-Dawara area in the south of Sa’ir village,
northeast of Hebron. At approximately
03:30, sounds of intense gunfire were heard in the area. At approximately 07:00, local residents saw a
body on the ground surrounded by Israeli troops. At approximately 08:00, the body was
transferred to an unknown destination. The victim was later identified as Mousa Mohammed Hamed Jabarin, 45, from
Sa’ir village. According to local
residents, they heard sounds of an exchange of fire between Jabarin and Israeli
troops. Jabarin was allegedly wanted by
Israeli occupation authorities for being a member of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades,
the military wing of Fatah movement.
At approximately 03:30,
Israeli troops moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They imposed a curfew on the village and
ordered male residents whose ages are between 15 and 30 to gather in a public
yard. They interrogated these young men
and arrested at least 60 to complete the interrogation. During this incursion, Israeli troops fired
at houses. A Palestinian child,
14-year-old Mo’tassem Mohammed Kumayel, was injured by shrapnel in the
head.
In the morning, in an apparent
willful killing, Israeli troops killed a 13-year-old Palestinian schoolchild
when she was, for no apparent reason, near an Israeli military post in
Rafah.
According to preliminary investigations
conducted by PCHR, at approximately 06:30, 13-year-old Iman Samir al-Hams went
to her school in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood, nearly 500 meters to the north of
an Israeli military post in Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah. Before the beginning of classes, the child
got out of her school with her bag on her shoulders and went towards the
aforementioned Israeli military post for no apparent reason. When she got close to the gate of the post,
Israeli troops opened fire at her. The
child escaped towards her school. However, 3 Israeli soldiers chased her. They opened fire at her. The
child fell onto the ground as she was hit by live bullets. The soldiers moved towards her and took her
bag and fired at it. They left her bleed
in the area. One hour later, Israeli
troops allowed a Palestinian ambulance to transport the child who was
dead. The child was taken to a hospital
in Rafah. According to medical sources,
the child was hit by at least 15 live bullets in the upper part of the body.
At approximately 07:30,
Israeli troops positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Netser
Hazani” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian
houses in al-Qarara village. An elderly
Palestinian civilian, ‘Abdullah ‘Othman Sidqi al-‘Abadla, 73, was wounded by a
live bullet in the chest, when he was inside his house.
Wednesday, 6
October 2004
In the early morning, an
undercover unit of Israeli occupying troops in civilian clothes moved into
Saida village, north of Tulkarm. Israeli
troops raided 2 houses, one of which is uninhabited and the other is inhabited
by an old woman, the troops then hid inside. A few hours later, while a number of Palestinian schoolchildren were
going to their schools, they threw stones at the two houses as they knew that
Israeli troops were hiding inside. Immediately, Israeli troops opened fire at the children, killing
16-year-old Mohammed Rasem Rashid Raddad with several live bullets in the
abdomen and the armpit. Soon, 6 Israeli
military jeeps arrived at the area and transported the undercover unit.
At approximately 10:00,
Israeli troops, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved into Palestinian
agricultural areas located to the south of “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast
of Deir al-Balah. They razed 8 donums of
agricultural land belonging to the families of al-Falleet, Shahin and Abu
Mughassib, and destroyed 3 animal farms. They also partially demolished a house.
Extra-Judicial Execution
In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial execution
officially adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments, this
week, Israeli troops carried out 3 extra-judicial assassination attempts. One of these attempts failed, but the other
two attempts left 4 Palestinians dead.
According to PCHR’s preliminary investigations, on
the first attempt, at approximately 18:00 on Saturday, 2 October 2004, an
Israeli aircraft fired 2 missiles at a civilian car, a white Mitsubishi, in
which 2 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of
Hamas, were traveling. The car was traveling near Fattouh fuel station at
Salah al-Din Street in the northeast of Gaza City, which is a densely populated
area. One of the missiles struck the car directly and burnt it, killing the two
passengers. The other missile hit a shop of car parts, totally destroying it
and severely damaging a number of neighboring stores. In addition, 4
civilian bystanders, including a 14-year-old child, were injured by shrapnel
from the missiles. The victims were later identified as:
1. Mahdi
Jamal Mushtaha, 30, from al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City; and
2. Khaled
Ramadan al-‘Amreeti, 28, from al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.
According to PCHR’s
investigations on the second attempt, at approximately 00:10 on Monday, 4
October 2004, an Israeli aircraft fired 2 missiles at 2 members of the
‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, who were walking near
al-Tawfiq mosque in al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza City. The two were injured by shrapnel from the
missiles. A woman, Ra’eda ‘Abdul Hadi Habeeb,
20, was also injured by shrapnel when she was inside her house.
According to PCHR’s
investigations on the third attempt, at approximately 17:40 on Tuesday, 5
October 2004, an Israeli aircraft fired a missile at a civilian car, a white
Subaru, that was traveling in ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Street in the center of Gaza
City, which is a densely populated area. The missile struck and burnt the car. Two Palestinians who were traveling in the car were killed:
1. Bashir
Khalil al-Dabash, 42, from al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City; and
2. Zarif
Yousef al-‘Are’ir, 30, from al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City.
The two are members of the
Islamic Jihad. Three passing civilians
were also injured.
Continued Siege on the OPTs
This week, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPTs and imposed severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
This week, Israeli occupying troops have
imposed a very tightened siege on the Gaza Strip. They have divided the Gaza Strip into 3
separate zones by closing the coastal road between Gaza City and the central
Gaza Strip, and at al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoints on Salah
al-Din Street, the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israeli occupying troops have
continued to close all border crossings of the Gaza Strip either partially or
completely.
Since the beginning of their offensive
on the northern Gaza Strip on 28 September 2004, Israeli occupying troops have
seized control over several Palestinian communities in the area. They have also seized a number of buildings
and transformed their roofs into military posts. Electricity has been also cut from these areas. As a result of these measures, daily
activities in the area have been paralyzed. Access to food and medical services has also been obstructed by Israeli
troops.
As a result of the Israeli closure
measures imposed throughout the Gaza Strip, local markets have suffered a
shortage of basic foodstuffs and fuels, the educational process has been
suspended, and access to medical services has been extremely difficult. For example, on Sunday, 3 October 2004, Israeli
troops obstructed the transportation of a Palestinian child, who was killed by
these troops, from Shifa Hospital in Gaza City to Nasser Hospital in Khan
Yunis. These measures have also obstructed the work of international
humanitarian agencies, such as UNRWA, which issued a press release stating that
the Israeli military operation obstructed many of the UNRWA operations,
including the distribution of foodstuffs[2].
Israeli troops positioned on the coastal
road between Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian
civilians who moved between Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip along the
beach on foot. A Palestinian child,
15-year-old Lu’ai Mohammed Dughmosh, was wounded by a live bullet in the left
foot.
At approximately 16:00 on Monday, 4
October 2004, Israeli troops opened al-Matahen and Abu Houli checkpoints on
Salah al-Din Street and the coastal road. They re-closed them at 19:00.
Israeli troops have continued to impose a strict
siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip. They have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians to and
from the area. Israeli troops have
closed al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to the area since Thursday morning,
23 September 2004. They have also continued
to prevent female Palestinians whose ages are between 16 and 25, and male ones
whose ages are between 16 and 30 from crossing al-Tuffah checkpoint, when it is
open, without prior coordination.
Israeli troops have also continued to impose a
tightened siege on al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip. They have
also imposed severe restrictions of the movement of Palestinian farmers. In the same context, Israeli troops have
continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian
civilians living in al-Ma’ni area near “Kfar Darom” settlement in the central
Gaza Strip.
Israeli troops have continued to close
Erez crossing in the northern Gaza Strip for the fourth consecutive week. Even though Israeli occupying troops
partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing to the east of Gaza
City, they have imposed severe restrictions on the flow of goods through the two
crossing. As result, the Palestinian
market has lacked several basic goods. On 3 October 2004, Israeli troops reopened Sofa crossing, northeast of
Rafah, and allowed the entry of construction raw materials.
Israeli troops have continued to impose severe
restrictions on traveling through Rafah Terminal, which has been the only
outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world since 14 February 2001, when
Israeli occupying forces destroyed the runway of Gaza International
Airport. The number of
Palestinians allowed to travel through the terminal daily is very limited. As a result, many patients who are badly in
need of special medical treatment abroad have not been able to travel. On Saturday morning, 2 October 2004, Israeli
troops closed the terminal for no apparent reason. This closure continued for one day. Israeli troops have continued to prevent
Palestinians whose ages are between 16 and 35 from traveling through the
terminal since 16 April 2004, although they claimed that they cancelled this policy
on the 9 August 2004.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying troops have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians.
Jerusalem
Israeli troops imposed more restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. On
Friday morning, 1 October 2004, Israeli troops prevented Palestinians who are
under 40 from reaching al-Aqsa Mosque in the old town for the Friday
prayer. On Monday, 4 October 2004,
Israeli troops declared the city a closed military zone until the end of the
week. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli
troops erected more checkpoints on the main and branch roads leading to the
city.
Ramallah
Israeli troops imposed more restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians, especially at Na’leen checkpoint, west of
the town. They forced these civilians to
wait for long hours before allowing them to cross the checkpoint.
Hebron
For the 5th consecutive week, Israeli
troops have continued to impose a tightened siege on Hebron. They have isolated the town from its
surroundings. They chased Palestinian
civilians who attempted to travel to and from the town. Israeli troops also imposed restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians inside the town. They stopped and checked dozens of Palestinian
civilians in various areas in the town. On Sunday morning, 3 October 2004, Israeli troops closed the Ibrahimi
mosque to Muslims. This closure
continued for 2 days.
Nablus
Israeli troops started to close military checkpoints
around the city at 17:00 everyday. These
checkpoints are opened at 06:00 everyday. This time limit obstructs the daily activities of Palestinian civilians,
especially university students and employees.
Tulkarm
Israeli troops erected a number of temporary
checkpoints on the main roads. They have
also continued to close al-Kafriyat checkpoint, south of the town and ‘Ennab
gate on Nablus –Tulkarm road in the face of cars, but allowed Palestinian
civilians to cross the checkpoint and the gate on foot.
Jenin
On Thursday morning, 30 September 2004, Israeli
troops declared the northern and central Jordan Valley areas closed military
zones. They closed the iron gate located
to the east of Tayaseer village, east of Jenin. They also imposed a tightened
siege on Palestinian communities in the area. In addition, Israeli troops decided to prevent Palestinian vehicles from
traveling on road (90) near Jordan River.
Curfews
On Saturday, 2 October 2004, Israeli troops imposed a
strict curfew on the old town and the center of Hebron.
On Tuesday, 5 October 2004, Israeli troops imposed a
curfew on Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They closed all of its entrances with sand barriers.
Arrests at Military Checkpoints
On Thursday evening, 30 September 2004, Israeli
troops positioned at a temporary checkpoint at the entrance to Jeet village,
east of Qalqilya, arrested Hani Sa’id Mahmoud Sukkar, 18, from the village.
On Friday morning, 1 October 2004, Israeli troops
erected a checkpoint to the east of Tubas village near Jenin. They arrested 5 Palestinians and took the car
in which the five were traveling.
On Saturday morning, 2 October 2004, Israeli troops
erected a checkpoint in Tunisia Street in the west of Nablus. They arrested 2 Palestinians: Ameer Talal Abu
al-So’ud, 24; and his brother Ashraf, 27.
On Tuesday morning, 5 October 2004, Israeli troops
positioned at Qalandya checkpoint, south of Ramallh, arrested Mahmoud Basem
Fayadh, 23, from Deir al-Ghosoun village, north of Tulkarm, while he was
traveling to Bir Zeit University.
Continued Construction of the Annexation Wall
Israeli troops have continued to construct the
annexation wall inside the West Bank territory, especially in East Jerusalem
and Hebron.
Israeli troops intensified continued construction the
section of the wall extending from Qalandya checkpoint, south of Ramallah, and
Dahiat al-Barid checkpoint, north of east of Jerusalem. They have divided the main road linking
between the two checkpoints into two sections, an eastern one and a western
one, thus separating between al-Ram village and Dahiat al-Barid on one hand and
a number of NGOs and educational institutions on the other hand. The construction of this section of the wall
will cause extreme difficulties for Palestinian civilians in their movement. Israeli troops started to raze areas of
Palestinian land in ‘Ayad area to the east of al-Ram village to establish a new
settler road between “Neve Ya’qoub” and “Adam” settlements,
northeast of Jerusalem. The
establishment of the new road will hinder the natural growth of Palestinian
communities in the area.
On Monday morning, 4 October 2004, Israeli troops
started to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the west of Shwaika
village, north of Tulkarm. According to
eyewitnesses, Israeli troops uprooted at least 120 olives trees belonging to
the families of Na’aloh and Abu ‘Aaisha.
For the purpose of the construction of a section of
the wall in Hebron, on Monday afternoon, 4 October 2004, Israeli troops started
to raze large areas of Paletsinian agricultural land in Sourif village,
northwest of Hebron. They have uprooted
at least 200 olive trees. On Tuesday
morning, 5 October 2004, Israeli troops prevented Palestinian farmers from
reaching their agricultural land.
Settlement Activities and Settlers’ Attacks on
Palestinian Civilians and Properties
Israeli troops have pursued settlement activities in
the OPTs and settlers who live in the OPTs in violation of international
humanitarian law have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and their
properties.
At approximately 11:30 on Sunday, 3 October 2004, an
Israeli civilian car that was traveling fast ran down a Palestinian woman,
Ibtissam Bder Ghaith, 42, from Hebron, when she was crossing bypass road 35
near Hebron. The driver escaped without
offering her any help. Then, Israeli
troops positioned at a military checkpoint in the area stopped an ambulance of
Palestine Red Crescent Society, which evacuated the woman to a hospital in
Hebron. According to medical sources,
she sustained a serious fracture in the pelvis and suffered from an acute
hemorrhage. As she was in a serious
condition, she was transferred to a hospital in Jerusalem.
*****
Recommendations
to the International Community
1. PCHR
calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to
fulfill their legal and moral obligations under article 1 of the Convention to
ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the occupied Palestinian Territory. PCHR calls on the international community to
immediately “ensure respect” for the Convention.
2. PCHR
calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to
convene a conference to take effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the
Convention in the OPTs and to provide immediate protection for Palestinian
civilians.
3. PCHR
calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to
comply with its legal obligations detailed in article 146 of the Convention to
search for and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches.
4. PCHR
recommends international civil society organizations, including human rights
organizations, bar associations and NGOs to participate in the process of
searching for Israeli war criminals and to urge their governments to bring
these people to justice.
5. PCHR
calls upon the European Union to activate article 2 of the Euro-Israel
Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights as
a precondition for economic cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to
prohibit import of goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPTs. PCHR
also requests the application of the EU Guidelines on Arms Sales and requests
that EU Missions and Embassies in Israel and the OPTss press the Israeli
government to apply and implement in full the recently agreed EU Guidelines on
Human Rights Defenders. PCHR further
requests of the EU donor states to claim compensation for the damage done by Israeli
troops to projects funded by the EU or its member states.
6. PCHR
calls upon European governments to change their positions towards the
Palestinian cause at UN bodies, particularly the General Assembly, Security
Council and Commission on Human Rights.
7. PCHR
requests that the international community follow the advisory opinion of the
ICJ when it called on the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention,
through the UNGA and UNSC, to take effective measures to stop the construction
of the annexation wall in the West Bank.
8. In
recognition of ICRC as the guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls
upon the ICRC to increase its staff and activities in the OPTs, including for
facilitating family visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
9. PCHR
appreciates the efforts of international civil society, including human rights
organizations, bar associations, trade unions and NGOs, and urges them to
continue their role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect
for human rights in the OPTs and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
10. In light of the severe restrictions
imposed by the Israeli government and its occupying forces on access of
international solidarity groups to the OPTs, PCHR calls upon European countries
to deal the same way with Israeli citizens.
11. PCHR reiterates that any political
settlement not based on international human rights law and humanitarian law
cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of the Palestinian question.
Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further suffering and instability
in the region. Any peace agreement or process must be based on respect for
international law, including international human rights and humanitarian law.
“END”
Public
Document
**************************************
For more
information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 –
2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail:[email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
[1] 1 donum is
equal to 1000 square meters.
[2] See UN Press Release UN Agencies say that
Current Violence is Pushing Gaza
into a Humanitarian Crises. Available at http://www.un.org/unrwa/news/releases/pr-2004/crisis_05oct.pdf
.
