Israeli Forces Continue to
Perpetrate Crimes in the OPTs
· 10
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 4 children, killed by Israeli forces
· 2
of the victims were killed in an extra-judicial assassination
· 1
of the victims was run over by an Israeli settler vehicle
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· Houses
were raided and a number of Palestinians were arrested
· 28
houses in Rafah, Khan Yunis and Deir al-Balah were destroyed
· More
than 150 donums[1]
of agricultural land were razed in the Gaza Strip
· 120
donums of agricultural land were confiscated in Deir al-Balah for Israeli
settlement activities
· Construction
of the “separation wall” in the West Bank continued
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued and a number of Palestinian
civilians were injured
· Israeli
occupying forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
violate the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). Human rights violations included the use of
extra-judicial assassinations and willful killings. Throughout the week,
Israeli occupying forces also conducted incursions into Palestinian areas; shot
at Palestinian civilians, including children; indiscriminately shelled
residential areas; demolished houses; and leveled agricultural land.
Israeli occupying forces have also continued construction of the “separation
wall” inside the West Bank and have continued to impose a tight siege on the
OPTs. This week, 10 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 4 children, were
killed by Israeli occupying forces.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted
11 military incursions into Palestinian areas, particularly in Deir al-Balah,
Khan Yunis and Rafah. During these
incursions, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 28 houses, leaving dozens of
Palestinian civilians homeless, and razed more than 150 donums of agricultural
land. They also confiscated approximately 120 donums of agricultural land
for settlement activities. This week, Israeli occupying forces raided
Palestinian houses in Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. During
one of the raids, Israeli forces arrested an entire family. They later released
the women and children, but kept the males in custody.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces conducted
a series of incursions into Palestinian communities, especially Nablus. This
week, 10 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 4 children, were killed by
Israeli forces. 7 of the victims were
killed during a wide scale Israeli military operation in Nablus. 2 of the victims
were killed in an extra-judicial assassination. According to medical sources, the 2 were also attacked by dogs brought
by Israeli soldiers. During the Israeli
military operation into the old town of Nablus, 4 Palestinian houses and a
kindergarten were totally destroyed and 5 other houses and a historic castle
were partially destroyed. This destruction violated the right to adequate
housing of 69 people (14 families) and the right to education of hundreds of
children. Israeli occupying forces also arrested dozens of allegedly wanted Palestinians.
A 10th Palestinian from Jerusalem was killed after being run over by
an Israeli settler vehicle near Qalandya military checkpoint, north of
Jerusalem.
Despite the fact that the International Court of
Justice is preparing to consider the case of the “separation wall” in
accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution adopted on 8 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction of the wall. This week,
they closed a number of gates established along the wall, denying the right to
freedom of movement of thousands of Palestinian civilians. They also opened
fire at peaceful marches organized by international and Israeli peace activists
in protest against the construction of the wall.
In addition, Israeli occupying forces have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces
have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities and restrict
the movement of Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military has also
maintained the closure of a number of main and branch roads in the Gaza Strip
by Israeli soldiers stationed at military checkpoints. Such restrictions on the
freedom of movement are in contravention of international human rights law to which
Israel is a state party, including the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians between the north and
south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupying forces positioned at the Abu
Houli and al-Matahen checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street, the main road between
the north and south of the Gaza Strip, continued to obstruct the movement of
Palestinian civilians. These two checkpoints are only open for a maximum
of a few hours each day and have become notorious for instances of humiliation
and harassment by Israeli soldiers.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West
Bank. They imposed a tightened siege on
Nablus and neighboring refugee camps and villages, and imposed a curfew for
several days. They also imposed a curfew on Beit Ummar village, north of
Hebron, and al-Khader village, west of Bethlehem.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 1 January 2004
At approximately 01:30, an Israeli occupying forces
infantry unit moved approximately 300m into al-Qarara village, northwest of
Khan Yunis. They raided ‘Abdul Hadi
‘Abdul ‘Aal ‘Abdullah al-‘Abadla’s house and detained the residents (2 elderly
Palestinians, a woman and her 2 child, one of whom suffers from a heart
disease) in 1 room. Israeli soldiers raided the 3-storey house, broke the windows,
forced holes into the walls to fire into the surrounding area and a number of
soldiers were positioned on top of the house. At approximately 10:00, a number
of Palestinian civilians gathered and tried to approach the house to check on
the residents, particularly the ill infant. As they approached the door,
Israeli soldiers began to fire live ammunition and tear gas. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Obaid Sami Sha’at,
18, was wounded by a live bullet in the right foot. 2 hours later, Israeli soldiers forced Kifaya
‘Abdul Rahman al-‘Abadla, 30, to call on the people gathering around the house
to move away. PCHR submitted a complaint to the Israeli military legal advisor in
an attempt to ensure the safety of the family, particularly the ill infant. In
his response, the Israeli military legal advisor claimed that the Israeli
military was searching for Palestinian gunmen in the area and would withdraw
when the operation came to an end.
At approximately 15:00, more Israeli forces were sent
to the area and razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land, before
withdrawing at 17:00:
1. They
razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and palms owned
by the heirs of Yahia ‘Abdul ‘Aal ‘Abdullah al-‘Abadla.
2. They
razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and palms owned
by the heirs of Sa’id ‘Abdul ‘Aal ‘Abdullah al-‘Abadla.
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into al-Junaidi Mount area in Hebron. They destroyed the fences of a number of gardens and houses in the area.
A Palestinian child, Mohammed Subhi al-Fakhouri, 13, was injured in the head
and the face by shards of glass from windows in his family home due to nearby
explosions. Israeli occupying forces destroyed 2 fences. In addition, the windows
and doors of 5 houses belonging to Yasser Rashid al-Junaidi, Nouran Mohammed
al-Junaidi, Jawad Zidan al-Junaidi, Subhi Rushdi al-Fakhouri and Maher al
Qawasmi, were damaged.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces,
accompanied by a bulldozer, moved approximately 150m into Sheikh ‘Ejlin
neighborhood in the southwest of Gaza City. They leveled hills of sand,
approximately 150m from a newly established Israeli military location near
“Netzarim” settlement. PCHR’s
field worker in Gaza City reported that Israeli troops established a sand
barrier, which could indicate plans to establish a new military post in the
area.
At the same time, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 6 bulldozers, moved
approximately 300m into Abu Sha’ar area in Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of
Deir al-Balah. They remained in the area until Sunday evening, 4 January 2004,
during which time they demolished 8 Palestinian houses and razed approximately
12 donums of agricultural land:
1. They
totally demolished a 250-square-meter, iron-roofed house owned by Mohammed
Tawfiq Hassan al-Kurd, in which 7 people lived.
2. They
totally demolished a 150-square-meter, iron-roofed house owned by Khadija
Tawfiq Hassan Abu Nusair, in which 3 people lived.
3. They
totally demolished a 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Ghalia
Salman Suleiman Abu Sha’ar, in which 1 person lived.
4. They
totally demolished n house, under-construction, owned by Ibrahim Yousef Hassan
Abu Sha’ar.
5. They
totally demolished a 50-square-meter, iron-roofed house owned by ‘Abul Rahman
‘Otaiwa Abu Sha’ar, in which 5 people lived.
6. They
partially demolished a 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by
‘Abdullah Joma’a Rezeq Abu Sha’ar, in which 5 people live.
7. They
partially demolished a 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Hammad
‘Abdul Raziq Abu Sha’ar, in which 10 people live.
8. They
partially demolished a 180-square-meter house owned by Mohammed ‘Awad Ibrahim
al-Sumairi, in which 4 people live.
9. They
razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with palms and destroyed an
irrigation network owned by ‘Otaiwa Abu Sha’ar.
10. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms and olives and destroyed a 150-meter-long
water pipeline owned by Salem ‘Abdul Raziq ‘Otaiwa Abu Sha’ar.
11. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms and olives owned by ‘Abdul Hamid ‘Otaiwa
Abu Sha’ar.
12. They razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Ibrahim Yousef Hassan Abu
Sha’ar.
13. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives and palms and destroyed an irrigation
network, a 150-meter-long water pipeline, an iron gate and barbed-wire fence
owned by ‘Atallah ‘Ali Abu Sha’ar.
14. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms and olives and destroyed an irrigation
network, an iron gate and a barbed-wire fence owned by Ibrajim ‘Atallah Abu
Sha’ar.
15. They razed a 900-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with olives, palms and figs owned by Ghalia Salman
Suleiman Abu Sha’ar.
16. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Bashir Ahmed Ibrahim al-Sumairi.
17. They razed a 750-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Younis Ahmed al-Sumairi.
18. They razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with olives and palms and destroyed a 400-meter-long
stone fence Aamena ‘Atallah ‘Ali Abu Sha’ar.
19. They razed a 3-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, guavas, palms and pomegranates and
destroyed a 500-meter-long fence owned by ‘Aabdullah Hassan Tawfiq al-Kurd.
20. They razed a 300-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Khadija Tawfiq Hassan
Abu Nusair.
21. They demolished a 100-square-meter
Palestinian National Security Force post.
22. They demolished 12 iron-roofed bird and
animal pens owned by the Abu Sha’ar family, killing a number of birds and
animals.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli soldiers fired at a
number of Palestinian civilians who broke the curfew imposed on Balata refugee
camp, east of Nablus. Rami Mohammed Saleh Rawajba, 20, from Roujib village,
east of Nablus, was injured by shrapnel in the right shoulder. Later, a number
of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at Israeli military jeeps
that were patrolling in the refugee camp. One of the jeeps moved towards the children and ran over 14-years-old
‘Abdul Rahman Mohammed Ahmed Sallam. The child sustained serious fractures.
At approximately 21:00, Israeli medical sources
declared that a Palestinian child, Mohammed Jaber Sa’id, 16, from Ussarin
village, southeast of Nablus, died from an injury he had sustained that
morning.
According to PCHR’s investigations, early in the
morning, Israeli occupying forces moved into Ussarin village, southeast of
Nablus and opened fire at Palestinian residential areas. The child was
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the chest, while he was with a number of
his friends in a street in the village. He was evacuated by an Israeli
ambulance to Bellinson Hospital in Israel, but was pronounced dead by the
evening.
Friday, 2 January 2004
At approximately 01:30, 7 Israeli military jeeps and
an armored personnel carrier moved into Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron,
and imposed a curfew. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested
6 Palestinians:
1. Ahmed
Khalil Abu Maria, 37;
2. ‘Aayesh
Khalil Abu Maria, 30;
3. Mohammed
‘Ayad ‘Awad, 39;
4. Mohammed
Sadiq Abu Maria, 38;
5. Wa’el
Mohammed Ekhleel, 28; and
6. Rami
Fahmi Bahar, 20.
In his testimony to PCHR, Jamal Khalil Abu Maria, 41,
stated that Israeli soldiers forced the families of his 2 brothers, Ahmed and
‘Aayesh (14 people), to evacuate their homes and searched the houses. They also
beat Ahmed in front of his family, claiming that they found a copybook belonging
to one of his daughters, narrating the story of ‘Ezziddin al-Qassam (a
well-known figure in Palestinian history, who led a struggle against the
British Mandate).
At noon, Israeli occupying forces at al-Karama Terminal
on the Jordanian border arrested Mohammed ‘Allam Suleiman al-Qudsi, 22, from
Tulkarm, while he and his mother were on their way to Jordan. According to his
brother, he was not wanted nor had he ever been arrested by Israeli occupying
forces.
At approximately 13:00, after the Friday prayers, a
number of Palestinian children and young men gathered near al-Shuhada Square in
the center of Nablus. They threw stones at Israeli military vehicles in the
area and Israeli soldiers immediately opened fire at them, wounding 6
Palestinian civilians:
1. Majdi
Mohammed ‘Abed Killab, 21, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh;
2. Bashar
Mo’ayad Mamdouh Qanadilu, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
neck;
3. ‘Abdul
Hamid Mousa ‘Abdul Hamid al-Nemer, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet
in the side;
4. ‘Alaa’
Saif Mohammed Basiouni, 17, wounded by 2 rubber-coated metal bullets in the
chest and the left hand;
5. Mohammed
Saleh Fahmi Rihan, 17, wounded by 2 rubber-coated metal bullets in the left
side and leg; and
6. Mahmoud
Nour al-Din Qanadilu, 33, wounded by 3 rubber-coated metal bullets in the
abdomen, the pelvis and the left leg.
At approximately 23:00, an Israeli occupying forces
infantry unit, accompanied by a dog, moved approximately 100m into al-Ja’farawi
area in Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah. They raided Salem
Mohammed Bureik Abu Mughassib’s house. They held the 11 residents of the house, including 4 women and 2
children, in 1 room and searched the house using the dog. They then handcuffed
and blindfolded the entire family. According to the mother, Israeli soldiers
took them all to a neighboring house belonging to Nafez Abu Nahia, which has
been seized by Israeli occupying forces since the beginning of the current
Intifada. At approximately 01:00 on
Saturday, 3 January 2003, the entire family was taken in a military vehicle to
“Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. According to the
mother, Israeli soldiers interrogated and beat her sons. At approximately 12:00
on Saturday, Israeli soldiers released the 4 women and 2 children handcuffed and
blindfolded near their house. The owner and his 4 sons: Fathi, 24; Mohammed,
22; Sami, 21; and Ibrahim, 18, remained in Israeli custody.
Saturday, 3 January 2004
At approximately 01:00, an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved into the southern part of Tulkarm in an Israeli
registered civilian car and arrested 2 Palestinians:
1. Hikmat
Sami Abu Safaqa, 24; and
2. ‘Abdullah
Mohammed al-Jallad, 23.
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Jenin and raided and searched Sa’id Shehada’s house in the eastern
part of the town, arresting his sons, Walid, 19 and Bahaa’, 22.
Throughout the day, Israeli occupying forces killed 4
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. A number of others were also
injured when Israeli forces used excessive force against Palestinian
demonstrators. These recent killings came in the context of a continuing
Israeli military operation in Nablus dubbed “Static Water”. This operation
officially began on Thursday, 25 December 2003; however, the operation comes
directly on the heels of previous incursions into Nablus. On Wednesday, 24
December 2003, the Israeli army temporarily withdrew from the city but launched
the renewed attacks only one day later.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitness
testimonies, at approximately 09:00, a number of Palestinian children gathered
on Schools Street in the Sheikh Musallam neighborhood in the east of Nablus’
old town. The children climbed onto the roof of a building in the area
and threw stones towards Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, the
soldiers opened fire at the children. Other Israeli soldiers positioned
on the roofs of nearby buildings also opened fire. One of the children, Amjad
Bilal Nabil al-Masri, 15, was wounded by a live bullet in the chest.
According to eyewitnesses, a sniper positioned on the roof of a school in the
area fired at the child from a distance of approximately 50 meters. The
child was left bleeding for 15 minutes before medical personnel were able to
attend him. When the medical personnel finally reached al-Masri, he was pronounced
dead.
At approximately 09:30 on the same day, a number of
Palestinian children gathered at al-Shuhada Square in the center of the city
and threw stones at Israeli occupying forces. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers opened fire at the children, killing 17-year-old ‘Aamer Kazem Kamel
‘Arafat with a live bullet to the chest. According to eyewitnesses, the
child was shot by Israeli soldiers positioned on the roof of the neighboring
al-Kindi School.
At approximately 10:20 on the same day, Israeli
soldiers in tanks positioned on Granada Street in the center of the city,
opened fire at a number of Palestinian demonstrators. Rawhi Hazem Rawhi
Shuman, 26, was wounded by a live bullet in the chest and died on the way to
the hospital.
At approximately 13:30, during the funeral procession
of the aforementioned victims, an Israeli armored personnel carrier and 2
military jeeps moved towards the participants while they were on their way
towards Nablus’ western cemetery. Israeli soldiers then opened fire at the
funeral from the vehicles. 3 Palestinian civilians were seriously wounded
and 1 was killed:
1. Mohammed
Qais Isma’il al-Masri, hit by a live bullet in the head and died at Rafidya
Hospital at approximately 18:30;
2. Nasser
Hamdan Hussein Abu Samra, 17, from Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus, hit by
a live bullet in the left thigh;
3. Mohammed
Nayef Ahmed Abu Rezeq, 21, from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, hit by a
live bullet in the left thigh;
4. Ussama
Nayef Zaki ‘Eissa, 20, from Nablus, hit by a live bullet in the right eye.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 2 bulldozers, moved
approximately 150m into the east of al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza
Strip. During this military incursion which continued until the evening, they
razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land and destroyed a number of
agricultural facilities:
1. They
razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Mohammed
‘Abdullah Hassan Abu Khousa.
2. They
razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by the heirs
of ‘Abdullah Hassan Abu Khousa.
3. They
razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by the heirs
of ‘Atiya ‘Abed Rabbu Abu Khousa.
4. They
destroyed a well, a 24-square-meter room, a water pump, 2 iron-roofed rooms and
a toilette owned by the heirs of ‘Omar ‘Abdul Karim Abu Jalal.
5. They
destroyed a well, a 30-square-meter room, a water pump and 3 iron-roofed rooms
owned by the heirs of ‘Abdullah Hassan Abu Khousa and partners.
At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 3 bulldozers, moved
approximately 150m into al-Qarara village near “Kissufim” settler road,
northeast of Khan Yunis. Israeli troops were deployed into Abu Zaher
neighborhood and called upon the residents of the neighborhood through
megaphones to leave their homes. Israeli troops then arrested 3 Palestinians:
1. Bader
Ahmed Mohammed Abu Zaher, 18;
2. Khaled
Salman Abu Zaher, 18; and
3. Hussam
Younis Musallam Abu Zaher, 18.
In the meantime, Israeli armored military bulldozers
demolished 5 Palestinian houses and razed 23 donums of agricultural land:
1. They
totally demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Saleh
Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 8 people lives.
2. They
totally demolished a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Omar
Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 8 people lives.
3. They
partially demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Hammad
Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 7 people live.
4. They
partially demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Nassim
Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 5 people live.
5. They
partially demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Salah
Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 12 people live.
6. They
razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an
irrigation network owned by Younis Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher.
7. They
razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an
irrigation network owned by ‘Omar Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher.
8. They
razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an
irrigation network owned by Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher.
9. They
razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an
irrigation network owned by ‘Aziza Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher.
10. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by ‘Aaisha Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher.
Sunday, 4 January 2004
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Qalqilya and imposed a curfew and raided and searched a number of
Palestinian houses. Ahmed Mustafa Zaid Wahdan informed one of PCHR’s field
workers that he was awoken by a noise near his house and noticed the presence
of Israeli troops around his and his brother’s house. Israeli soldiers ordered
the 2 brothers to open the doors and forced the families out. Israeli soldiers
attempted to beat Mustafa ‘Aazem Wahdan, 27, when he refused their order for
his wife to accompany them while searching the family’s house. Upon their
withdrawal, Israeli troops arrested Salah ‘Aazem Mustafa Zaid, 17. At the same
time, Israeli troops arrested Wajdi Ahmed Mohammed Barham, 18. PCHR is concerned that Israeli occupying
forces may deport Barham to Jordan as he does not have a Palestinian identity card.
At the same time, an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved into Kfar Saba neighborhood in the southwest of
Qalqilya. Israeli soldiers arrested 3
Palestinians:
1. Wa’el
‘Ali ‘Abdul Rahim Abu Qamar, 26;
2. Mohammed
Ibrahim Tawfiq Mosa’ed, 23; and
3. Islam
Tayseer Khalil ‘Arbas, 24.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved
approximately 150m into al-Qarara village near “Kissufim” settler
road, northeast of Khan Yunis. They leveled areas of agricultural land, which had
been razed on the previous day. They also transferred the ruins of houses they
destroyed in the area into a valley used to drain rainwater. As a result, there
is now the danger that in the event of rain, other houses in the area will be
flooded, as there is no drainage system. This occurred last year, after Israeli
troops filled the same valley, and it was only emptied following coordination
through the Palestinian liaison.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli soldiers in a
military jeep that was patrolling in the streets of Beit Ummar village, north
of Hebron, fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the mosque of the village and
neighboring houses. 2 Palestinian women
were wounded:
1. Fathia
Fakhri ‘Awad, 42, hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the upper arm; and
2. Su’ad
Mustafa ‘Abdul Mo’ti Abu Maria, 37, hit by a rubber-coated metal bullet to the
left thigh, while she was carrying her child towards a clinic in the
village.
At approximately 20:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 300m into al-Shouka
neighborhood in the southeast of Rafah. They raided and searched 2 empty houses
belonging to the families of Abu Shousha and Abu Sunaida, claiming they were
searching for tunnels. They then temporarily withdrew from the area, but returned
again on Monday evening, 5 January 2004, and destroyed the 2 houses, damaging 7
neighboring houses. In addition, Israeli military bulldozers demolished 2 other
houses. They also razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives
and destroyed 2 greenhouses planted with vegetables owned by Jaber Mohammed
Saleh Abu Shousha. Israeli occupying forces returned to the area again on Tuesday
morning, 6 January 2004 and totally destroyed a house that had been damaged the
previous day. Following are the details of houses that were either destroyed or
damaged during this Israeli military operation:
1. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Etaf Kahder Abu Shousha, in
which 7 people lived, was totally destroyed.
2. A
60-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Sultana Jaddou’ Abu Sunaida, in
which 1 person lived, was totally destroyed.
3. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Kawthar Mohammed Saleh Abu
Shousha, in which 3 people lived, was totally demolished.
4. A
120-square-meter house owned by Fathi ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Jarad, in which 5 people
lived, was totally demolished.
5. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Ayada Mohammed Jarad, in
which 9 people live, was partially destroyed.
6. A
120-square-meter house owned by Zaki Salim Jarad, in which 4 people live, was
partially destroyed.
7. A
120-square-meter house owned by Jaber Mohammed Saleh Abu Shousha, in which 3
people live, was partially demolished.
8. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Saleh Mohammed Saleh Abu
Shousha, in which 7 people live, was partially destroyed.
9. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Daifallah Mohammed Abu
Shousha, in which 11 people live, was partially destroyed.
10. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Subhi Salim Suleiman Jarad, in which 6 people live, was
partially destroyed.
11. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Sufian Mohammed Saleh Abu Jarad, in which 5 people live, was
partially destroyed.
Monday, 5 January 2004
Early in the morning, medical sources at Ramallah
Hospital declared that Maher Taher ‘Abbas Jaber, 27, from Jerusalem, died from
an injury he had sustained the previous evening, after being run over by an
Israeli settler vehicle.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitness
testimonies, at approximately 17:30 on Sunday, 4 January 2004, while Jaber was standing
with other Palestinian civilians on the roadside on Ramallah-Jerusalem Street,
south of Qalandya military checkpoint, an Israeli registered car driven by an
Israeli settler drove towards him, hitting him deliberately. The settler then
fled the area. A number of Palestinian civilians who were in the area hurried
towards Jaber and he was evacuated to Ramallah Hospital. According to medical
sources, Jaber sustained serious injuries to the head and body. Efforts to save
his life failed and he was pronounced dead on Monday morning. 2 other civilians
were also injured in this attack: Mohammed Mousa Jaber, suffered from an
internal hemorrhage; and Ahmed Mousa Jaber, who sustained fractures to the
pelvis.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 4 bulldozers, moved
approximately 200m into al-Qarara village near “Kissufim” settler road,
northeast of Khan Yunis. They demolished 6 Palestinian houses, razed 46 donums
of agricultural land and destroyed a number of civilian facilities:
1. They
totally demolished a 160-square-meter house owned by Ziad Swailem ‘Ali Abu Sabet,
in which 6 people lived.
2. They
totally demolished a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Yousef
Mohammed Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 9 people lived.
3. They
totally demolished a 110-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Omar
Ahmed Mohammed Abu Zaher, in which 6 people lived.
4. They
totally demolished a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Ibrahim
Younis Musallam Abu Zaher, in which 6 people lived.
5. They
partially demolished a 140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Ahmed
Mohammed Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 9 people live.
6. They
partially demolished a 110-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by
Suleiman Salem Hammad Abu Zaher, in which 8 people live.
7. They
razed a 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Swailem
‘Ali Salem Abu Sabet.
8. They
razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Baker,
‘Awni and Muhsen Salman ‘Ali Abu Sabet.
9. They
razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Yousef
Mohammed Hammad Abu Zaher.
10. They razed a 3-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Suleiman Salem Hammad Abu
Zaher.
11. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Ziad Salem Hammad Abu Zaher.
12. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Nasser ‘Atiya Abu Zaher.
13. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Jaber Muneefi ‘Abdullah Abu
Zaher.
14. They demolished a room owned by Yousef
Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher and killed a number of birds.
15. They demolished a room owned by Fathi
Ahmed Abu Zaher and killed a number of birds.
16. They demolished an animal farm owned by
Suleiman Hammad Abu Zaher and killed 4 animals.
17. They demolished an animal farm owned by
‘Omar Musallam Hammad Abu Zaher and killed 2 animals.
In the afternoon, Israeli
occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian child and injured another, when the
forces opened fire at a number of Palestinian children who were demonstrating
at the southern entrance of ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of
Nablus.
According to PCHR’s
investigations, at approximately 16:15, a number of Palestinian children
gathered at the southern entrance of ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of
Nbalus. They threw stones at an Israeli military jeep that was patrolling in
the area. Israeli soldiers got out of
the jeep, so the children moved back towards a medical center, approximately
70m away from the entrance to the refugee camp. Without warning, Israeli
soldiers opened fire at the children. Taj al-Din ‘Abdul Karim Mohammed Saif,
16, was instantly killed by a live bullet in the chest and ‘Emad ‘Essam Ahmed
Sidq, 14, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen. According to
eyewitnesses, the children did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli
soldiers.
At approximately 16:30,
Israeli occupying forces, accompanied by 2 military vehicles, moved into Abu
Sha’ar area in Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. They surrounded
2 Palestinian houses with barbed-wire:
1. 1-storey
house owned by ‘Awad ‘Aayesh Rzeq al-Sumairi, in which 12 people live; and
2. 1-storey,
asbestos-roofed uninhabited house owned by Aamena ‘Atallah Abu Sha’ar.
According to eyewitnesses, Israeli
troops have not permitted the residents of the first house to leave and there
is a shortage of water and food.
Tuesday, 6 January 2004
Early in the morning, Israeli occupying forces
redeployed to surround Nablus, after they had moved into the city on Thursday,
25 December 2003, and maintained the strict siege imposed on the city. PCHR’s
field worker in Nablus noted the destruction caused by Israeli occupying forces
during their presence inside the old town:
1. A
100- square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Jamal Yousef Helmi al-Kakhan, in
which 4 people lived, was totally demolished.
2. An
80- square-meter house owned by ‘Abdul Rahman Fayez al-Kakhan, in which 6
people lived was totally demolished. Their house had been partially demolished
by Israeli occupying forces during an Israeli military incursion in April 2002.
3. A
300 square-meter, 2-storey house owned by the Ghanem family, in which 26 people
(5 families) lived, was totally demolished.
4. A
300 square-meter house owned by ‘Abdullah Mohammed al-Shu’abi, in which 2
people lived, was totally demolished. This house was built in the place of a
house which was destroyed over its residents during an Israeli incursion in
April 2002.
5. A
600 square-meter house, which includes a kindergarten, owned by the ‘Abdul Hadi
family, was partially destroyed and the kindergarten was totally
demolished.
6. A
house owned by Samer Ibrahim Nasser Nassar, in which 5 people live, was
destroyed internally after Israeli troops had seized the house and forced the
family out on 27 December 2003.
7. The
second floor of a 100- square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Rebhi Helmi
al-Kakhan, in which 6 people live, was destroyed internally.
8. A
120 square-meter house owned by Ma’moun Badi’ ‘Abdul Hadi, in which 6 people
live, was internally destroyed after Israeli troops seized the house and forced
the family to leave.
9. A
250 square-meter house owned by Ayman Badi’ ‘Abdul Hadi, in which 8 people
live, was internally destroyed after Israeli troops seized the house and forced
the family to leave.
10. A 100 square-meter house owned by
Mo’ein Badi’ ‘Abdul Hadi, in which 6 people live, was internally destroyed after
Israeli troops seized the house and forced the family to leave.
At approximately 02:30, an Israeli
occupying forces infantry unit moved approximately 300m into al-Ja’farawi area
in Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. Israeli soldiers blew up
the door of a house owned by Nusair Mohammed Nusair al-Shawi, 53, without
warning. They then forced the 15 residents of the house to leave. Israeli
soldiers raided and searched the house using a dog. An hour later, Israeli
soldiers arrested Nusair’s 3 sons: Yasser, 28; Mohammed, 23; and Hani, 20.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved from the eastern border of the Gaza Strip approximately
200m into Deir al-Balah and razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land:
1. They
razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with almonds, palms and pomegranates
owned by Yousef Suleiman Abu Gharaba.
2. They
razed a 500-square-meter area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by
Ibrahim ‘Ali Silmi Sa’id.
At the same time, Israeli occupying
forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 3 bulldozers, moved
approximately 500m into Abu Houli area in the south of Deir al-Balah. This incursion continued until Wednesday
evening, 7 January 2004, during which time Israeli occupying forces razed areas
of Palestinian agricultural land and destroyed a number of agricultural
facilities:
1. They
razed a 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and olives and
destroyed a well owned by ‘Abdul Qader Mutair Hussein Abu Houli and his
brothers.
2. They
razed a 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with palms and olives owned
by Jihad Mohammed Mahmoud Madi.
3. They
razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and pomegranates
and destroyed an 8-meter-long fence owned by Sufian ‘Abdul Salam
al-Bashiti.
4. They
razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and guavas owned
by Salem Daoud Qaddoura.
At the same time, Israeli occupying
forces surrounded about 120 donums of Palestinian agricultural land in Wadi
al-Salqa village near “Kissufim” settler road, southeast of Deir al-Balah,
owned by the families of al-Sumairi and Abu Sha’ar, with barbed-wire. These
areas include 2 Palestinian houses owned by ‘Awadh ‘Aayesh al-Sumairi and Aamena
‘Atallah Abu Sha’ar, which were fenced by barbed-wire on the previous day.
Wednesday, 7 January 2004
Early in the morning,
Hisham Ahmed ‘Abdul Fattah Kharwaish, 21, from Tulkarm refugee camp, was killed
when he and other members of the Palestinian resistance clashed with Israeli
occupying forces who had moved into the refugee camp. Israeli soldiers denied
access of ambulances to Kharwaish and he bled to death.
According to PCHR’s
investigations and eyewitness testimonies, at approximately 23:00 on Tuesday, 6
January 2004, Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers moved into al-Hamam
area in Tulkarm refugee camp. Soon,
clashes erupted between members of the Palestinian resistance and Israeli
troops. At approximately 01:00 on Wednesday, members of the Palestinian
resistance retreated and attempted to leave the camp. During the retreat,
Israeli soldiers who had seized ‘Aabdullah al-Sharqawi’s house opened fire at
them. Kharwaish was wounded by a live bullet in the head. His colleagues were able to move him away
from the area. They called for an ambulance, but Israeli troops denied the
ambulances access to the refugee camp. As a result, Kharwaish bled to death.
The victim’s brother, Hani, was killed by Israeli occupying forces on 6 June
2003. Israeli occupying forces have kept Hani’s body, refusing to hand it over
to Palestinian authorities.
At approximately 03:00, 15
Israeli military vehicles moved into Jenin town and refugee camp, raiding and a
searching a number of Palestinian houses. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers arrested 5 Palestinians,
including a journalist:
1. D’ib
Hourani, 28, a correspondent with the Lebanese al-Manar Satellite Channel;
2. Muntasser
Abu Ghalioun, 28;
3. Zaid
Kharioush, 31;
4. Fakhri
Hawil, 42; and
5. Khalil
Wishahi, 35.
At approximately 11:30, an
infantry unit of Israeli occupying forces moved 500m into agricultural areas
east of Jabalya in the Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers moved towards 3 Palestinian children who were hunting
birds in the area and arrested them:
1. ‘Abdul
Karim Mohammed Abu Jabal, 13;
2. ‘Ali
Talal Abu Raya, 15; and
3. Ahmed
Mahmoud ‘Awadh, 15.
Extra-Judicial
Assassination
In a continuation of the
policy of extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli
political and security establishments, Israeli occupying forces committed
another extra-judicial assassination on Wednesday, 7 January 2004. This recent
attack left dead an allegedly wanted Palestinian and another Palestinian.
Apparently the first victim was hiding in the house of the second man.
According to PCHR’s
investigations and eyewitness testimonies, at approximately 03:00, 20 Israeli
military vehicles surrounded 4 houses in Street 15 in the Rafidya neighborhood
of Nablus. The houses belong to the
families of al-Qassas, Hijab, Zahran and al-‘Aassi. Israeli troops used megaphones to call on the
residents to evacuate their homes and gather in the main street. Then, Israeli
heavy military vehicles began to shell al-Qassas’ house. The shelling continued for 20 minutes and
then Israeli soldiers accompanied by dogs broke into the house. After the
soldiers entered the house, residents of the area heard ‘Abdul ‘Afou Nasouh
Mustafa al-Qassas, 29, from Nablus, denying knowledge of the whereabouts of a
particular individual whom the Israeli soldiers were inquiring about. At approximately 05:00, Israeli troops
withdrew from the area. Residents of the
area found 2 bodies in the garden of al-‘Aassi’s garden, adjacent to al-Qassas’
house. One of the bodies was of
al-Qassas, who was hit by a live bullet to the head, while the other was of
Ibrahim Radwan al-Atari, 32, from Deir Sharaf village, northwest of
Nablus. Al-‘Atari, who had been
allegedly wanted by Israeli occupying forces for 3 years for being a member of
the military wing of Fatah movement, was hit by several live bullets throughout
the body. He was married and a father of 4 children. Al-Qassas was not involved
in political activities and the circumstances of his killing indicate that he
was willfully killed by Israeli soldiers. According to medical sources, the
bodies of the victims were distorted, apparently after being attacked by dogs. The
same sources stated that al-Qassas was killed by a pistol at close range.
Continued Siege on the OPT
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
severe restrictions on movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and
the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities and restrict movement of Palestinian
civilians in the Gaza Strip. They have also maintained the closure of a
number of main and branch roads in the Gaza Strip by Israeli soldiers stationed
at Israeli military checkpoints. Such restrictions on freedom of movement
are in contravention of international human rights law to which Israel is a
state party, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights.
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians between the north and
south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupying forces positioned at the Abu
Houli and al-Matahen checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street, the main road between
the north and south of the Gaza Strip, continued to obstruct the movement of
Palestinian civilians. These checkpoints, which are only open for a maximum of
a few hours each day, have become notorious for acts of humiliation and
harassment by Israeli soldiers.
On Saturday morning and afternoon, 3 January 2004,
Israeli occupying forces closed the two checkpoints and held many Palestinian
vehicles in between. They forced a number of vehicles to move into an
enclosed area for searching. Israeli occupying forces closed the two checkpoints
again on Sunday and Monday, 4 and 5 January 2004, and held and searched a number
of Palestinian vehicles. Hundreds of Palestinian vehicles were forced to
wait for hours at the two checkpoints.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
restrictions on travel through Rafah Terminal on the Egyptian border, which,
since the beginning of the current Intifada, has been the only border crossing
available to Gaza residents. The terminal is open between 09:00 and
18:00, and only 6 Palestinian employees are allowed to work at the
terminal. The number of Palestinians traveling through the terminal is
about 300-400 a day. These travelers are subject to humiliation and
prolonged travel procedures. The Israeli intelligence also summons a
number of travelers for interrogation and arrests are frequent. Many people
are also denied travel permission for no apparent reason. Furthermore,
Palestinian travelers are often forced to spend the night on the Egyptian side
of the terminal waiting to be allowed to cross into the Gaza Strip.
On Sunday, 4 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
slightly eased the conditions for allowing access of Palestinian workers to
their work places in Israel. Palestinian
workers over 28 years old are now allowed to work in Israel. This amends the old regulations which granted
work permits only to those over 35 years of age. However, other conditions stipulating that
any worker wish to work in Israel must be married and have a valid work permit
have remained effective. Travel of
Palestinian workers to their work places in Israel takes many hours due to the
severe checking procedures at Beit Hanoun crossing. The Beit Hanoun crossing is the only
available crossing for workers from the Gaza Strip. The number of Palestinian workers who are
effectively able to go to their work places in Israel daily is 13000, contrary
to claims by Israeli occupying forces that they allow 30000 Palestinian workers
to Israel daily.
Israeli occupying forces have also maintained the
siege imposed on the al-Sayafa area between “Dogit” and “Elli
Sinai” settlements in the northern Gaza Strip, and on al-Mawasi area in
the southern Gaza Strip. They have also continued to impose restrictions
on movement of Palestinians at the outlets of the two areas.
Palestinians living in areas adjacent to Israeli
settlements and military locations are subject to nightly shelling and house
raids. Many of these areas are almost
completely isolated from other Palestinian regions. Most of these areas, especially the areas
adjacent to “Kissufim” settler road between al-Qarara and Wadi al-Salqa
villages in the central Gaza Strip, are subject to regular night-time
curfews.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank. They imposed a tightened siege on Nablus and
neighboring refugee camps and villages, and imposed a curfew for several days
this week. They also imposed a curfew on
Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, and al-Khader village, west of
Bethlehem.
Nablus
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
impose a tightened siege and a curfew on Nablus and its neighboring refugee
camps and villages. They have continued
to close all military checkpoints around the city and denied movement of
Palestinian civilians to and from the area since Thursday, 25 December 2003.
They have also prohibited access of ambulances and foodstuffs to the
city. Daily life inside Nablus has been
completely paralyzed due to Israeli military measures.
Jenin
At the beginning of this week, Israeli occupying
forces tightened the siege imposed on the town. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers at al-Hamra military
checkpoint in the central Jordan Valley between the north and south of the West
Bank, imposed restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and forced
them to wait for long hours at the checkpoint.
Tulkarm
This week, Israeli occupying forces tightened the
siege imposed on Tulkarm and its neighboring refugee camps and villages. They closed al-Kafriyat military checkpoint,
south of the town, and denied movement of Palestinian civilians. They also closed the iron-gate at the
southern entrance of Baqa al-Sharqia village, north of the town. Israeli military patrols were also deployed
along the Tulkarm-Nablus road.
Qalqilya
Israeli occupying forces closed the eastern entrance
of the town. Israeli occupying soldiers
were also deployed along the Qalqilya-Nablus road. Israeli troops erected an additional military
checkpoint at the northern entrance to ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. It is worth noting that the “separation wall”
has surrounded the town.
Hebron
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron. On Friday morning, 2 January 2004, Israeli
occupying forces moved into the village and blocked its entrances. They also dug trenches in the streets of the
village. As a result, the civilian
infrastructure of the village is damaged.
Bethlehem
On Thursday evening, 1 January 2004, Israeli
occupying forces imposed a curfew on al-Khader village, west of Bethlehem. According to eyewitnesses, dozens of Israeli
occupying soldiers were deployed in the village. The soldiers raided a number of Palestinian
houses. They also forces Palestinian
residents of 10 homes in the cemetery area to evacuate their houses. The residents were held in an old building
for several hours as a punitive measure, after stones were thrown at Israeli
military vehicles in the area.
*****
PCHR calls:
1. Upon the international community to
provide immediate and independent international protection for
the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to
the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene to take effective
measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, in accordance with their obligations under article 1 and article
146.
3. Upon the international community to
investigate and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches perpetrated in
the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence,
expand its activities, and intensify its field operations throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to activate
Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel
must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international community to
provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose
living conditions are continuing to deteriorate as a result of the continued
siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
“END”
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:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
