Israeli
Occupying Forces Impose a Comprehensive Siege of the OPT and Continue to
Perpetrate Violations of Human Rights
· 6
Palestinians, including 1 child and 1 elderly man killed by Israeli forces
· 2
of the victims killed in extra-judicial assassination in Tulkarm
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· Israeli
forces moved into Jenin and carried out retaliatory attacks against Palestinian
civilian and property
· Hundreds
of donums[1] of
Palestinian agricultural land were razed in the Gaza Strip
· 5
houses were demolished in Rafah
· Houses
were raided and a number of Palestinian civilians were arrested
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued and a house and civilian
facility in Gaza City and al-Boreij refugee camp were attacked by missiles
· 3
houses were destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the continued campaign of
retaliation against the families of wanted Palestinians and those who allegedly
carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets
· Continued use of Palestinian civilians as
human shields in Israeli military operations
· The
Israeli Minister of Defense decided to intensify the construction of the
“separation wall”
· The
Gaza Strip was portioned into 4 isolated zones
· Palestinian
communities in the West Bank were separated from one another
· Palestinian
vehicles were prohibited from traveling on the main roads in the West Bank
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces have escalated
violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories (OPT), including extra-judicial and willful killings,
indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, incursions into Palestinian
areas, house demolitions, land leveling and arrests. They have also imposed a comprehensive siege
on the OPT. This escalation follows a
bombing carried out by a Palestinian in Haifa on Saturday, 4 October 2003. The
US has voiced support for Israel’s recent escalation of repressive tactics,
while the international community has remained silent. This week, 6 Palestinians, including a child
and an old man, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.
Following the bombing in Haifa carried out by a
Palestinian woman from Jenin, on Sunday morning, 5 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces moved into Jenin and its refugee camp and imposed a
curfew. During their operations in the
town and the refugee camp, Israeli occupying forces destroyed two Palestinian
houses, including one belonging to the family of the girl who carried out the
bombing. They also raided dozens of
Palestinian houses and public facilities. Normal life in the town and the refugee camp has been paralyzed due to Israeli
military operations.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted
7 incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they demolished a number of
houses and razed large areas of agricultural land. On Sunday, 5 October 2003, Israeli occupying
forces moved into Palestinian areas located between Rafah and Khan Yunis. In 3 days, they razed large areas of
Palestinian agricultural land estimated at about 400 donums, and destroyed the
electricity and water networks of these areas. They also fired at Palestinian civilians traveling between Rafah and
Khan Yunis causing at least 7 civilian casualties. This week, Israeli occupying forces
demolished 5 houses in Rafah, as part of a larger operation aimed at creating a
buffer zone along the Egyptian border, south of the town.
In violation of international humanitarian law, in
particular the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War of 1949, article 33 of which prohibits punishing any protected
person for “an offence he or she has not personally committed,” Israeli forces
continued to take retaliatory measures against the families of Palestinians
Israel alleges have ordered, facilitated, or carried out attacks against
Israeli targets. In this context, they
destroyed 3 Palestinian houses in Jenin and Deir al-Balah.
In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial
assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli political and security
establishments, on 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces perpetrated another
extra-judicial assassination in Tulkarm in the West Bank. The attack left dead a member of al-Aqsa
Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, as well as a 9-year-old child.
This week, Israeli occupying forces shelled
Palestinian residential areas in the southern Gaza Strip. On Thursday, 2 October 2003, a child and an
elderly man were killed when Israeli occupying forces shelled Palestinian
residential areas in Khan Yunis and Rafah.
On Sunday, 5 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces
used excessive force, in shooting dead a Palestinian civilian while he was
attempting to cross Palestinian territory between Khan Yunis and Rafah.
On Tuesday, 7 October 2003, the Israeli Defense
Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered Israeli contractors to intensify construction of
the “separation wall” being built on Palestinian land in the West Bank. Mofaz claimed that the goal is to prevent
infiltration of Palestinian gunmen into Israel. However, this week Israeli occupying forces have denied access of
Palestinian farmers to their agricultural lands, which are located west of the
“separation wall”. As a result,
Palestinian farmers whose land is cut off by the wall have been unable to
cultivate their crops.
Since Friday evening, 3 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces have imposed a comprehensive closure on the OPT. They have closed all border crossings with
Israel, Egypt and Jordan. The small
number of Palestinian workers who have permits to work in Israel have been
denied access. Israeli occupying forces
also declared that they would prevent Palestinian vehicles from traveling on
the main roads linking between Palestinian communities. They have closed
military checkpoints erected at entrances to these communities and denied
movement of Palestinian civilians into and out of the areas.
Additionally, Israeli occupying forces have imposed a
total internal and external closure on the Gaza Strip since Sunday, 5 October
2003. All main internal roads have been
closed, segregating the Gaza Strip into four isolated zones. All external access routes to Israel and
Egypt have also been closed.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 2 October 2003
At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 2 bulldozers and 2 helicopters,
moved approximately 100m into ‘Abu ‘Oraif Street to the west of “Kfar Darom”
settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. Under cover of intense shelling, the bulldozers demolished a house
belonging to the family of an allegedly wanted Palestinian (see below). They also razed areas of Palestinian
agricultural land and destroyed some civilian property:
1. They razed a 5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, palms and figs owned by Darwish ‘Ouda
‘Oraif Abu Munifa.
2. They razed a 4-donum area of agricultural
land planted with palms owned by ‘Oraif ‘Ouda ‘Oraif Abu Munifa.
3. They destroyed a 31-meter-long fence
surrounding a tract of land owned by ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Nasser al-Louh.
4. They destroyed a 5-meter-long fence
surrounding a kindergarten owned by Fthallah ‘Ouda Abu Munifa.
5. They damaged a tractor owned by Hassan
Suleiman Abu ‘Amra.
6. They damaged a tractor owned by
Mohammed Yousef Abu ‘Amra.
In addition, the electricity transmitter for the area
was damaged by indiscriminate Israeli shelling, cutting off electricity.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli military bulldozers
started to level areas of land in al-Bowaira area in the east of Hebron to
establish a settler road, approximately 300m long and 10m wide, to link
al-Bowaira main road and settler road no. 60 to serve “Kharsina” settlement,
east of Hebron. The Israeli operation affected 120 donums of Palestinian land
and according to Palestinian farmers whose lands were razed the Israeli
military bulldozers uprooted dozens of olive and almond trees. Construction of
the road stopped temporarily during the evening of the following day and was
resumed again on Sunday, 5 October 2003. The 120 donum area of land affected
belongs to the Jaber, al-Talhami and Abu Karsh families. It is worth noting
that Israeli settlers of “Kharsina” settlement fenced off dozens of donums of
land in the area, denying Palestinian access to their property.
In the morning, an 18-month-old Palestinian infant
was killed when Israeli occupying forces indiscriminately shelled Palestinian
residential areas in Khan Yunis.
According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately
07:45, 18-month-old Moustafa ‘Abdul Qader Isma’il al-Badrasawi, was following
his father up the stairs to the roof of his home in the al-Amal neighborhood in
the west of Khan Yunis, when Israeli occupying forces in a military location
between “Gani Tal” and “Neve Dekalim” settlements, west of Khan Yunis, opened
fire at Palestinian houses in al-Amal neighborhood and Khan Yunis refugee camp. The infant was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the neck. Immediately, his father evacuated him to the nearby
Palestine Red Crescent Society hospital. Due to the severity of his condition,
he was transferred to Shifa Hospital in Gaza City, but efforts to save his life
failed and the following morning he was pronounced dead.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by 2 tanks and a military bulldozer, moved approximately 100m into
al-Brazil neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border.
Under cover of intense gunfire, the bulldozer partially demolished a house
owned by Nazmi and Mohammed ‘Eyada al-Akhras. 2 families (24 people) used to
live in the house, but evacuated it several months ago after it was repeatedly
shelled by Israeli occupying forces.
In the evening, an elderly Palestinian man was killed
and 3 other elderly civilians were wounded when Israeli occupying forces opened
fire at Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
20:30, Israeli soldiers in a military jeep patrolling around “Slav” settlement,
west of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses and streets in Canada area in
Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. 4 elderly Palestinian
civilians were wounded while near their houses, approximately 800m away from
the source of fire. They were evacuated to Martyr Mohammed Yousef al-Najjar
Hospital in Rafah. 1 of the wounded,
Salim Mohammed Yousef al-Bayoumi, 62, died on the way to hospital. Al-Bayoumi
was hit by a live bullet in the back, which exited the chest. The other wounded
civilians were:
1. Fathia ‘Abdul Hadi al-Tartouri, 60,
wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder;
2. Ibrahim ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-Tartouri, 55,
wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder; and
3. Ne’ma Mohammed al-Khatib, 60, wounded
by shrapnel from live bullets in the head and the right shoulder.
According to eyewitnesses, the area was completely
quiet when Israeli soldiers opened fire.
Friday, 3 October 2003
At approximately 07:30, Israeli soldiers in a
military location in Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah opened fire at
Palestinian houses in Zo’rob neighborhood. Several live bullets hit a 300-square-meter, 3-storey house, in which 6 people
live, owned by Mohammed Suleiman Mousa Hijazi, a member of the Palestinian
Legislative Council. 1 of the rooms
caught fire, damaging the furniture.
In the morning, Israeli occupying forces opened fire
inside a café on the main road of the Palestinian controlled Qabatya village,
southeast of Jenin, wounding 3 Palestinian civilians inside. 2 of the wounded were café employees and were
arrested together with 28 other civilians, all of whom were taken to the “Mabi
Dotan” detention center. 25 of the detainees were released in the evening, whereas
the other 5, including the 2 workers, were kept in custody. Israeli occupying
forces claimed that the attack targeted a number of wanted Palestinians. The 2 workers who were wounded and arrested
are:
1. Mahmoud Mohammed Zakarna, 19, wounded
by a live bullet in the neck; and
2. Anwar ‘Awadh Yousef Khuzamia, 35,
wounded by a live bullet in the face
The third wounded civilian is Basem ‘Ouda Saba’na,
30, who was injured by a live bullet in the left shoulder and evacuated in a
civilian car to Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm.
In his testimony to PCHR on the attack, Nasser Fahed
Mohammed Zakarna, 30, said:
“At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 3 October 2003, I
left my shop which is located on the same street as the cafe. I walked towards
my friend’s car to get a battery for my mobile phone. When I reached to get the battery, I felt a
gun being pointed at my back. I heard a voice in Hebrew ordering me to raise my
hands up and I did so. I looked around
and I could see an Israeli military jeep parked near my friend’s car and
another parked 5 meters away. Israeli soldiers walked towards a café,
approximately 10 meters away. They broke into the café and opened fire and
around 5 minutes later, an Israeli military force of 8 military jeeps and 3
armored personnel carriers surrounded the area. Soon, I saw Israeli soldiers leaving the café with 2 persons; Zakarna,
who was wounded in the neck, and Khuzamia, who was wounded in the face. Israeli soldiers held the 2 near me for a few
minutes and then an Israeli military jeep took them to an unknown
destination. About 15 minutes later,
Israeli forces withdrew from the area and I saw some young men carrying
Saba’na, who was wounded in the left shoulder.”
At approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by a tank and a military bulldozer, moved approximately 100m into
the east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. They razed a
3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Jamal Hassan
Yousef Abu Shanab.
Saturday, 4 October 2003
At approximately 02:00, Sa’id Mohammed Suleiman, 42,
from ‘Ejja village, south of Jenin, died from a previous injury he had
sustained by Israeli occupying forces earlier this year. According to PCHR’s
documentation, Israeli soldiers positioned near “Tarsila” settlement
established on the lands of ‘Ejja village, fired at Suleiman while he was
walking near the settlement, wounding him by a live bullet in the spinal
column. He was evacuated to an Israeli
hospital, where he received medical attention under an Israeli military escort,
before Israeli occupying forces were convinced that he was mentally
handicapped. He was then transferred to Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm
and was later discharged and returned to his home.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by a tank and a military bulldozer, moved approximately 100m into
Zo’rob neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border. The
bulldozer partially demolished a 150-square-meter, uninhabited house owned by
‘Abed Rabbu Salman Salim Barhoum.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli occupying forces at
military locations and tanks positioned along the Egyptian border, south of
Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Block L in Rafah refugee camp. A
Palestinian civilian, Rezeq ‘Abdul ‘Aziz al-‘Absi, 56, was wounded by a live
bullet in the back. At the same time,
Israeli occupying forces positioned in a military location near Rafah Terminal
opened fire at nearby Palestinian residential areas, wounding Subhi Salim Abu
Jarad, 28 by shrapnel from a live bullet in the left hand.
Sunday, 5 October 2003
Following a bombing carried out by a Palestinian
woman in Haifa on 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces conducted a number
of military operations against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza
Strip. Overnight, Israeli
helicopter gunships launched
missiles at a Palestinian house in Gaza City and a civilian facility in
al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 00:20 on Sunday, 5 October 2003, Israeli helicopter gunships
fired 2 missiles at a Palestinian house located near the al-Yassamin building
in Sheikh ‘Ejlin neighborhood in the south of Gaza City. The targeted house was uninhabited. The house is owned by Munza Qanita, who
survived an assassination attempt carried out by Israeli occupying forces last
month in which 2 of his companions were killed. The targeted house was
partially destroyed and a number of neighboring houses were also damaged.
Approximately 10 minutes later, 2 Israeli helicopter
gunships fired 4 missiles at a garage in the densely populated al-Boreij
refugee camp in central Gaza Strip. The
210-square-meter garage and 3 cars were partially destroyed, along with 5
neighboring houses. Later, Israeli occupying forces claimed that a number of
allegedly wanted Palestinians were hiding in the garage. Shrapnel from the
missiles also hit a main electricity transmitter, cutting electricity supplies
to the camp and nearby Nusseirat refugee camp for several hours.
Details of the houses damaged by the Israeli attack
on al-Boreij refugee camp:
1. A 150-square-meter, iron-roofed house
owned by Ghanem Ibrahim Shahin;
2. A 250-square-meter, 2-storey house owned
by Murshed Mohammed Shahin, in which 16 people live;
3. A 60-square-meter, iron-roofed house
owned by Mohammed Ahmed Shahin, in which 3 people live;
4. A 200-square-meter, 2-storey house
owned by Majed Mohammed Karwat, in which 6 people live; and
5. A 100-square-meter, iron-roofed house
owned by Khaled ‘Abdullah Abu ‘Oraiban, in which 9 people live.
After having separated Rafah and Khan Yunis in the
southern Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces escalated assaults against
Palestinian civilians and property in the areas adjacent to the Morag and Sofa
roads. These assaults left dead a 26-year-old Palestinian civilian and injured
5 others, 1 seriously. In addition,
Israeli military bulldozers razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural
land. PCHR’s field workers were unable
to reach the affected area, due to the Israeli military presence in the area,
but residents of the area told PCHR’s field workers by telephone that Israeli
occupying forces had razed approximately 400 donums of agricultural land. Residents of the area suffered from shortages
of food, water and electricity supplies.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 08:30, 8 Israeli tanks moved 3km to the east of “Morag”
settlement, south of Khan Yunis. They
took position on Salah al-Din Street, which links between Rafah and Khan Yunis,
and separated the 2 towns. A number of
Israeli soldiers took position on the roof of a 4-storey house owned by the
heirs of Ibrahim Hussein al-‘Omour, after forcing the residents to vacate the
premises. Israeli heavy military vehicles then blocked Salah al-Din Street with
sand barriers and trees they had already uprooted. Israeli soldiers fired live
ammunition and tear gas at Palestinian civilians who gathered on both sides of
the street, while a number of children and students threw stones at the Israeli
military vehicles. Salah Mustafa al-Maniarawi, 19, from Rafah, was wounded by a
live bullet in the face.
Later, more Israeli tanks and military bulldozers
moved from “Morag” settlement and razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural
land and destroyed a number of greenhouses and shops on both sides of the road
linking “Morag” settlement in the west with Salah al-Din Street in the east. In
the meantime, Israeli soldiers indiscriminately opened fire in the area.
Also in the morning, Israeli military bulldozers
leveled approximately 100 donums of Palestinian land in the south of
al-Zahiriya village, south of Hebron. PCHR’s field worker in Hebron reported that the affected areas are
located to the east of “Sinsana” settlement and are part of a larger area
(approximately 500 donums) which had been razed by Israeli occupying forces and
settlers last year to be annexed to the aforementioned settlement. This area of
land belongs to the al-Sho’ur family.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces
positioned at “Morag” junction on the western Rafah – Khan Yunis road, which
has been closed since the beginning of the current Intifada, opened fire at
Palestinian houses and farms in Musabbeh area in the north of Rafah. As a result, 11-year-old Iman Rebhi Abu Jazar
was wounded by a live bullet in the right foot, while she was returning home
from school.
In the evening Israeli occupying forces shot dead a
Palestinian civilian while he was trying to cross from Khan Yunis towards
Rafah.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 16:40, Sa’id Hussein Abu ‘Azzoum, 26, was riding an animal cart
when he, along with 2 women tried to cross “Morag” road in al-‘Atatra area
towards Rafah. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers opened fire and Abu ‘Azzoum was wounded by 2 live bullets in the
abdomen and the right hand. The women were not injured. Abu ‘Azzoum remained in
the area and no one was able to reach him for some time as Israeli soldiers
fired on anyone who tried to approach the area. Later, a group of women were able to reach him and carried him to houses
located south of the road. He was then rushed to hospital in an ambulance, but was
later pronounced dead.
Monday, 6 October 2003
At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved approximately 100m into Gizan al-Najjar area in the south of Khan
Yunis. On entering the area, an Israeli
military bulldozer demolished a 200-square-meter, iron-roofed, empty bird farm
owned by Yasser Yousef al-Banna.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli heavy military
vehicles, including 3 bulldozers, moved from the Sofa crossing on the boarder
of Israel, southeast of Khan Yunis, and took position along the road that links
Salah al-Din Street with the Sofa crossing. They closed all branch roads between Rafah and Khan Yunis. A number of Israeli soldiers took position
atop of a building in the area from which they began to fire at anyone who
entered the area. In the meantime,
Israeli occupying forces razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land on both
sides of the road linking the “Morag” settlement in the west and Salah al-Din
Street to the east. They also razed
areas of Palestinian agricultural land on both sides of the road linking Salah
al-Din Street in the west, and Sofa crossing in the east. PCHR representatives was unable to travel to
the area due to the frequent use of indiscriminate fire by Israeli soldiers,
however, according to residents of the area whom PCHR phoned, Israeli occupying
forces razed at least 400 donums of agricultural land along these roads.
During these land leveling operations, Israeli
soldiers fired at Palestinian civilians who were attempting to cross the road
to reach their homes in Rafah or Khan Yunis on their way back from work. As a result, 4 Palestinian civilians were
wounded:
1. Ibrahim Hamad Hamdan Qeshta, 38, from
Rafah, wounded by shrapnel from live bullets in the right foot and the left
leg;
2. Midhat Daifallah al-Masri, 20, from
Khan Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in both feet;
3. Ahmed Jebara Qaware’, 21, from Khan
Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot; and
4. Sabri Khaled Salama al-Shami, 46, from
Khan Yunis, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head.
PCHR’s field workers reported that al-Shami was
wounded while he was attempting to cross the road linking Salah al-Din Street
and the Sofa crossing, to return to his home in Khan Yunis. He was evacuated to Martyr Mohammed Yousef
al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. As he was
in a serious condition, doctors decided to transfer him to Shifa Hospital in
Gaza city, but Israeli occupying forces denied passage of the ambulance that
attempted to evacuated him. After
coordinating the passage of the ambulance with Israeli authorities, the
ambulance attempted to exit the area for the second time. The ambulance was again obstructed for
several hours by Israeli occupying forces. These delays caused further deterioration to al-Shami’s condition.
At approximately 12:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved
approximately 100m into al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent
to the Egyptian border. They demolished
3 Palestinian houses:
1. They totally demolished a
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Salah Suleiman D’ib, in which
13 people lived.
2. They totally demolished a
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed uninhabited house owned by Zuhair Isma’il
al-Hams.
3. They partially demolished a
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Atiya Fusaifes, in which 8
people live.
Tuesday, 7 October 2003
In the morning, Israeli occupying forces raided 2
schools in Housan village, west of Bethlehem. PCHR’s field workers reported that at approximately 10:00, 2 Israeli
military jeeps stopped near a secondary school and an elementary school in the
Housan village. Immediately, 6 Israeli
soldiers got out of jeeps and broke into the two schools. They moved through classrooms pointing their
guns at teachers and students. They
severely beat a student, Islam Mohammed D’ib, 15, and a teacher, Subhi ‘Abdul
Fattah Najajra, 35, who protested against the beating of the student. They then withdrew from the area.
Wednesday, 8 October 2003
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Bir Zeit village, north of Ramallah, and imposed a curfew. At approximately 08:30, they raided a number
of Palestinian houses in the center of the village and forced a number of young
men out. At approximately 09:00, a
number of Israeli soldiers in the area began to fire at these young men, three
of which were wounded:
1. ‘Aamer Wa’el Isma’il, 21, wounded by a
live bullet in the left leg;
2. Bashar Mohammed Hussein, 23, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg; and
3. Firas Taher Hussein, 20, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli soldiers positioned
at the “Morag” junction on Salah al-Din Street between Rafah and Khan Yunis,
and tanks positioned along the road linking the “Morag” settlement and Salah
al-Din Street opened fire at Palestinian civilians on Salah al-Din Street and
at farms and houses in the al-Manara neighborhood in the south of Khan
Yunis. Two Palestinian civilians were
wounded:
1. Mohammed Yousef ‘Ouf al-‘Aqqad, 2,
wounded by a live bullet in the back while at home; and
2. Fadi Mohammed Mustafa Abu Rahak, 22,
wounded by 2 live bullets in the thighs, while he was on his way to Rafah.
In the morning, dozens of Israeli settlers in Hebron
launched a series of attacks on Palestinian houses in the Wadi al-Nasara and
al-Kassara areas in the south of the town near “Kiryat Arba” settlement. According to eyewitnesses, about 50 Israeli
settlers threw stones and bottles at Palestinian houses and terrified
Palestinian civilians. Israeli occupying forces did not intervene in or
investigate the attack.
At approximately 18:00, Israeli soldiers positioned
in observation towers near the gate established at the southern entrance to
Qalqilya, fired at a number of Palestinian children who were playing in the
area. ‘Ali ‘Abdullah Hadraj, 13, was
wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the head.
At approximately 19:45, Israeli soldiers in a
military location in the vicinity of “Netser Hazani” settlement, northwest of
Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Qarara village. ‘Emad Ahmed Abu ‘Aassi, 12, was wounded by
shrapnel from a live bullet in the right thigh.
Extra-Judicial Assassination
On 4 October 2003, In a continuation of the policy of
extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli political and
security establishments, Israeli occupying forces perpetrated another
extra-judicial assassination in the West Bank town and refugee camp of Tulkarm.
The attack left dead a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military
wing of Fatah, as well as a 9-year-old child.
According to investigations carried out by PCHR, at
approximately 16:45 on Saturday, 4 October 2003, an Israeli military undercover
unit infiltrated Tulkarm refugee camp in 4 civilian cars with Palestinian
registration numbers. As they approached
the Ashraf Hamam car wash near an UNRWA school, they opened fire at a civilian
car – a black Citroen. When the car
stopped, 2 Israeli armored personnel carriers and 7 military jeeps arrived on
the scene and a number of Israeli soldiers got out of the jeeps and moved
towards the targeted car, arresting one of the passengers, before withdrawing
from the area. The attack left dead
9-year-old Mohammed Ayman Burhan Barahma, who was hit by a live bullet in the
head. According to eyewitnesses, Mohammed was shot while crossing the street
near the targeted car. An hour later,
Israeli occupying forces admitted responsibility for the attack and stated that
the undercover unit had killed 19-year-old Sarhan Burhan Hussein Sarhan, whom
they accused of carrying out an armed attack a year ago against “Mitser
Kibutz,” which resulted in 5 deaths.
Collective Punishment against Families of Wanted
Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli
Targets
In violation of international humanitarian law, in
particular the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War of 1949, article 33 of which prohibits punishing any protected
person for “an offence he or she has not personally committed,” Israeli forces
took retaliatory measures against the families of Palestinians Israel alleges
have ordered, facilitated, or carried out attacks against Israeli targets.
At approximately 01:00 on Thursday, 2 October 2003,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 2
bulldozers, and 2 helicopters, moved approximately 100m into ‘Abu ‘Oraif Street
to the west of the “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. The incursion was accompanied by intense
shelling. Israeli soldiers raided a
190-square-meter, iron-roofed house owned by Mohammed ‘Abdullah Abu Meghassib,
40. They blew up its door and broke into
it. When they discovered that Abu
Meghassib was not there, they used his daughter, Ibtissam, 17, as a human
shield as they searched the house. Abu
Meghassib’s wife stated that Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and sound
bombs in each room they searched. Then,
Israeli soldiers forced the 7 residents of the house onto the street without
allowing them to evacuate any of their belongings. An Israeli military bulldozer moved towards
the house and totally demolished it. The
bulldozer also razed areas of agricultural land and destroyed other civilian
property in the area.
At approximately 04:00 on Sunday, 5 October 2003,
about 30 Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into the northern West Bank town
of Jenin. They surrounded a
120-square-meter house owned by Tayseer ‘Abdul Malek Jaradat in the al-Marah
neighborhood, east of the town. Israeli
soldiers broke into, and searched the house. They planted explosives inside the house and forced its 7 residents
out. At approximately 05:00, they
destroyed the house. The destruction of
the house took place less than one day after the owner’s daughter, Hanadi, had
carried out a bombing in a restaurant in Haifa inside the Green Line.
At approximately 06:00 on the same day, an Israeli
military force of 2 armored personnel carriers and 8 military jeeps moved into
Zabbouba village, west of Jenin. They
surrounded a 150-square-meter house owned by Amjad Ahmed ‘Eissa ‘Obaidi. They forced his wife and 3 children out of
the house. Then, Israeli intelligence
officers, who accompanied the Israeli soldiers, interrogated the wife on the
location of her husband. They claimed
that he had sent Hanadi Jardat to carry out the bombing in Haifa, and
threatened to kill him. In the meantime,
a number of Israeli soldiers planted explosives inside the house. At approximately 07:30, they destroyed the
house.
At approximately 16:00 on Wednesday, 8 October 2003,
Israeli occupying forces moved into Zabbouba village, west of Jenin and
arrested Kamilia Mahmoud ‘Obaidi, 26, the wife of Amjad ‘Obaidi. She is the mother of 3 children under the age
of 7. This arrest is seen as a means by which to force her husband to surrender
to Israeli forces, as he is allegedly wanted by Israeli authorities.
Continued Construction of the “Separation Wall”
inside the West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to construct
the “separation wall” in the territory of the West Bank after the Israeli
government had approved its second phase, which would extend from “Alkanah”
settlement in the north to “Ofar” detention center in the south, southwest of
Ramallah. In the meantime, Israeli
occupying forces have continued construction of the separation wall in the
surrounding areas of occupied Jerusalem. During a meeting with Israeli military commanders on Tuesday, 7 October
2003, the Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz ordered intensified construction
of the “separation wall.”
Israeli occupying forces denied or restricted access
of Palestinian farmers to their agricultural land. According to a report published by the
Palestinian Ministry of Agriculture in May 2003, the olive production would
decrease by 2200 tons per annum, fruit production would decrease by 50 tons per
annum, and vegetable production would decrease by 100000 tons per annum in the
next years, due to the uprooting of Palestinian trees and razing of crops by Israeli
occupying forces. According to the same
report, about 10000 animals would lose their grazing areas. Hundreds of greenhouses and bird and animal
farms have also been destroyed. All of
this destruction will lead to even more severe and accumulative damage to the
Palestinian economy. The report did not
mention losses resulting from denial of access of Palestinian farmers to their
agricultural lands, a policy which prevents farmers from cultivating their
crops.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to level
Palestinian lands for the purpose of constructing the “separation wall.” On Monday morning, 6 October 2003, Israeli
military bulldozers razed dozens of donums of Palestinian agricultural land in
the southeast of Far’oun village, south of Tulkarm. These areas of agricultural land belong to
the families of ‘Atair and Abu Darana.
PCHR’s field worker in Hebron reported that Israeli
military officers and engineers were active in the district to clear the areas
where the “separation wall” would cross. On 13 January 2003, Israeli occupying forces handed notifications to 17
Palestinian families in al-Burj and Beit Marsan villages that their houses
would be demolished, claiming that these house are located outside the border
of the Green Line. According to PCHR’s
investigations, some of these houses were constructed before 1948, some 36
years ago and others 20 years ago. The average area of each house is 100-150
square meters, and 7-12 persons live in each. These houses are owned by Nabil Shaker Ahmed Amru, Khalaf Shaker Ahmed
‘Amru, Hafez Shaker Ahmed ‘Amru, Khalil Yousef Zare’ ‘Amru, Yousef Zare’ Khalil
‘Amru, Ziad Yousef Zare’ ‘Amru, Mohammed Yousef Zare’ ‘Amru, Salem Salam ‘Omran
‘Amru, Badawi Ibrahim ‘Amru and ‘Ali ‘Abdul Fattah Edhaidel, from Beit Marsam
village, and Kayed Mahmoud Khubaib ‘Awawda, Hussein Ahmed Khalil ‘Awawda,
Mohammed Hussein ‘Awawda, Mahmoud Salem Tubaish, Salem Hassan Tubaish, Nayef
Mohammed ‘Awawda and Ibrahim Musllam Talahma, from al-Burj village.
According to preliminarily plans approved by Israeli
officials, the tract of the “separation wall” in the Hebron district will lead
to the isolation of 533000 donums of land from the rest of Hebron, which
constitute 48.32% of the total area of the district. The tract of the “separation wall” in Hebron
will go 500m-20km into the territory of the occupied West Bank, swallowing
large areas of Hebron district, even inside the town itself, such as the old
town and the southeastern parts. It will
also annex ‘Ethna village and some small villages located around the town. This will cause the isolation and
fragmentation of Palestinian communities in the West Bank. The “separation wall” will isolate
approximately 85,000 Palestinians west of it, in addition to approximately
30,000 in the old town and the southeastern parts of Hebron.
Continued Siege on the OPTs
Since Friday evening, 3 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces have continued to impose a comprehensive closure on the OPT.
They have closed all border crossings with Israel, Egypt and Jordan and have
denied access to the already limited number of Palestinian workers who have
permits to work in Israel.
Israeli occupying forces imposed a total internal and external closure
on the Gaza Strip from early morning on Sunday, 5 October 2003 and all main
internal roads were closed, segregating the Gaza Strip into 4 isolated zones,
in addition to the closure of the external access routes to Israel and Egypt.
Israeli tanks, bulldozers and troops moved approximately 3km from
“Morag” settlement, and were concentrated along the southern section of the
main internal road, Salah al-Din Street, thereby cutting off all traffic
between Rafah and Khan Younis. Israeli soldiers raided a Palestinian house
located on Salah al-Din Street and took up position on the roof, from which
they opened fire on Palestinians in the street below. As a result of the intense deployment of
Israeli occupying forces between Rafah and Khan Yunis residents of al-‘Atatra,
al-Nasser and al-Fukhari areas have not been able to get to their places of
work, universities or schools. They have also faced extreme difficulties in
evacuating patients to hospitals. Land leveling conducted by Israeli occupying
forces in these areas has damaged water and electricity networks and PCHR has
received a number of phone calls from residents pleading for international
intervention to end their suffering that has resulted from the closures, as
well as shortages of food and other necessities. Many patients from Rafah have
not been able to reach the European Gaza Hospital in Khan Yunis due to
restrictions imposed by Israeli occupying forces on the movement of Palestinian
civilians between the 2 towns.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces closed military checkpoints
erected at the entrances of Palestinian communities. PCHR’s field workers
reported that on Sunday afternoon, 5 October 2003, Israeli soldiers at those
checkpoints denied access of thousands of Palestinian civilians to their
homes.
Occupied Jerusalem
Since Sunday morning, 5 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces have
maintained a tight siege imposed on the city. They erected more roadblocks on
the main roads restricting the residents’ movement and closed all roads leading
to the western part of the city. PCHR’s field workers reported that Israeli
occupying forces blocked one of the entrances to ‘Eissawia village with sand
barriers.
Bethlehem
On Saturday morning, 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces closed the
military checkpoint on Wadi al-Nar road, which links the south with north of
the West Bank. Thousands of Palestinian
civilians, including students and workers, were forced to wait in long queues
and were not allowed to cross the checkpoint. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli occupying have tightened the siege imposed
on the Bethlehem area. On Sunday morning, Israeli forces closed “Gilo”
checkpoint, north of Bethlehem and restricted the movement of Palestinian
civilians at a military checkpoint near Beit Sahafa village, to the northwest
of the town.
Ramallah
Israeli occupying forces have tightened the siege imposed on the
southwestern villages of Ramallah and have denied residents of these villages
the right to freedom of movement. On Sunday afternoon, 5 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces closed Qalandya military checkpoint as part of the measures to
impose a comprehensive closure on the OPT.
Nablus
On Sunday afternoon, 5 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces closed all
military checkpoints erected at the entrances to the city. They denied a large number of Palestinian
civilians access to their homes. PCHR’s field workers reported that on
Saturday, 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces obstructed the passage of a
group from Medicins Sans Frontieres to Til village, southwest of Nablus for 4
hours. Consequently, about 100 Palestinian patients were deprived of receiving
medical attention on that day.
Jenin
Since Thursday morning, 2
October 2003, Israeli occupying forces have closed all roads leading to the
town and isolated it from the rest of the West Bank. This week, Israeli occupying forces
repeatedly moved into the town and the refugee camp, imposing curfews. On
Saturday, 4 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces closed the gates at the
entrance to the central and northern Jordan Valley. These gates are the sole
outlet to Jordan for Palestinians living in the northern West Bank.
Tulkarm
On Saturday, 4 October 2003,
Israeli occupying forces closed al-Kafriyat military checkpoint, south of the
town, isolating it from southern villages. Israeli forces deployed near the checkpoint and chased Palestinian
civilians on mountains, hills and farms, detaining some for several hours.
Israeli soldiers closed the southern and northern entrances to Kherbat Jebara
village, south of the town, as well as the gates of Baqa and Nazlat ‘Eissa
villages, north of the town. They denied Palestinian farmers access to their
agricultural land to cultivate olives, claiming that their lands are located
west of the “separation wall” and also denied Palestinian farmers from Shwiaka
area access to their agricultural land which is located near the wall. Israeli occupying forces closed Beit
Leed-Ramin road, east of Tulkarm and erected a roadblock there.
Hebron
Since Wednesday morning, 8 October 2003, Israeli occupying
forces have replaced a number of roadblocks and sand barriers at the entrances
to the town with iron gates. PCHR’s field worker in Hebron reported that
Israeli occupying forces established 2 iron gates at the entrance linking
bypass road number 60 with Halhoul, and at the entrance to Sa’ir village. They also added more cement blocks in Beit
‘Ainoun area at the eastern entrance to Hebron. Israeli forces closed Beit Kahel-Hebron road and erected roadblocks in
al-Fahes and Qalqas areas in the south of the town. On the same day evening, Israeli occupying
forces destroyed parts of the road linking Hebron with Dura village and erected
2 roadblocks on the road. Israeli
occupying forces have denied Palestinian civilians passage through those gates
and roadblocks.
*****
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, to ensure respect for the Convention.
3. Upon the international community to
investigate and prosecute before international courts those believed to have
committed war crimes 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:[email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
