· 10 Palestinians, including 8 civilians, killed by Israeli occupying forces
· Continued Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas
in the West Bank
· Israeli forces commit an assassination in Gaza
killing 2 Palestinians
· Israeli forces demolish 8 houses and raze large areas
of Palestinian agricultural land in the Gaza Strip
· Continued strict siege on the OPT and a Palestinian
patient dies at an Israeli military checkpoint
· Many Palestinians arrested
Israeli occupying forces has continued to perpetrate flagrant violations
of human rights against Palestinian civilians and their property in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), using all kinds of weapons. They have imposed a strict siege on more than
3.5 million Palestinians. This week,
Israeli occupying forces invaded large areas of Palestinian land in the West
Bank and the Gaza Strip. 10 Palestinians, including 8 civilians, were killed by
Israeli occupying forces during the last week.
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles have
maintained direct control over most of the Palestinian National Authority
controlled areas. They have imposed a curfew on Palestinian areas for several
days, especially in Nablus, Tulkarm, Qalqilya and Bethlehem. They shelled and raided houses and arrested
and fired at passing Palestinians civilians. Israeli occupying forces very
often raid Palestinian villages, under their security control.
In a continuation of the assassination policy officially adopted by the
Israeli government against Palestinian activists and political leaders, on
Thursday, 4 July, Israeli occupying forces assassinated two Palestinians,
through planting a bomb in their car. Israeli occupying forces claimed that one of them was the leader of
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Gaza.
In two apparent willful killings, Israeli occupying forces shot dead
three Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. On Friday, 5 July, an undercover unit of Israeli occupying forces shot
dead a Palestinian civilian in Gizan Abu Rashwan area in Khan Yunis. On Saturday, 6 July, Israeli occupying forces
in military locations in the vicinity of “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza
City, for no apparent reason, fired at a civilian car in which a Palestinian
family was traveling from Gaza towards Khan Yunis. A woman and her two-year-old child were
killed. According to PCHR’s
investigation, in the two incidents, Israeli occupying forces opened fire for
no apparent reason, since the two areas did not witness any clashes.
This week, Israeli occupying forces razed large areas of Palestinian
agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, especially in the villages of ‘Abasan and
Khuza’a near Khan Yunis, and in Gaza City. On 9 and 10 July, Israeli occupying forces, covered by intense shelling,
moved into Rafah refugee camp, and demolished 8 houses. Two Palestinian civilians were also wounded
by live ammunition.
Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege
imposed on the OPT in a collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have separated
Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons.
Thousands of employees and laborers have been denied access to their work
places, thousands of patients have been denied access to medical care and
thousands of students have been deprived of attending their final exams. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces
have maintained a strict siege on al-Mawasi area, isolating it from the rest of
the strip. This week, a Palestinian
patient died as Israeli occupying forces at military checkpoint near Nablus
obstructed his access to hospital
This report covers Israeli violations against
Palestinian civilians in the OPT during the period 4-10 July 2002.
At approximately 17:00,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with two armored military bulldozers,
moved approximately 300m into al-Farahin area in ‘Abasan village, east of
Khan Yunis. The bulldozers demolished a site of the Palestinian
National Security Force. They also razed
areas of Palestinian agricultural land and demolished agricultural facilities:
1. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and a 50-meter-long tier of prickly pears owned by Ibrahim
Salman Abu Daqqa.
2. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with wheat owned by Eyad ‘Abdul Hai Ibrahim.
3. They demolished a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
houses, and destroyed a well that used to serve dozens of donums of
agricultural land and some houses in the area, owned by Ibrahim ‘Abdul Rahman
Shahin and brothers.
At approximately 19:00,
Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by indiscriminate shooting, moved
approximately 800m into al-Sanati area in Khuza’a village, east of Khan
Yunis. They razed areas of Palestinian
agricultural land:
1. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives, and destroyed two 40-square-meter rooms, an agricultural
pool and an irrigation network owned by Nahedh ‘Abdullah Qudeih.
2. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives, and destroyed a 40-square-meter room and an agricultural
pool.
3. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an agricultural pool owned by Mohammed Hamdan
Qudeih.
4. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Mohammed
Salman Qudeih.
5. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by ‘Abdul Hadi al-‘Abed Qudeih.
Israeli military bulldozers
also demolished a site of the Palestinian National Security Force and an
appended 60-square-meter mosque.
At approximately 22:00, a
special unit of Israeli occupying forces stole into al-Kharaba area,
approximately 2km north of “Morag” settlement, south of Khan Yunis. They deployed on agricultural land in the
area. Israeli soldiers had different
colors on their faces. They stopped some
young Palestinian men who were on their way back home from a nearby
mosque. They ordered the young men to
lie on the ground and handcuffed and beat them up severely. Three hours later, Israeli soldiers released
all the men excluding Jihad Naser Eslayeh whom they took to “Morag” settlement
upon their withdrawal from the area.
At approximately 13:00,
Israeli occupying forces, accompanied by an armored military bulldozer, moved
approximately 300m into Palestinian agricultural land west of Salah al-Din
Street (the main road between the north and south of the Gaza Strip), south of
Gaza City. They razed 3-donums of
agricultural land:
1. They razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land
planted with citrus owned by Zuhair al-‘Alami.
2. They razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land
planted with citrus owned by Zakaria al-Sharif.
In an apparent willful
killing, an undercover unit of Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian
civilian near his house in Khan Yunis. According to PCHR’s investigation and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at
approximately 23:45, an undercover unit of Israeli occupying forces coming from
“Gan Aur” settlement stole approximately 800m into Gizan Abu Rashwan area in
the south of Khan Yunis. Meanwhile,
Khamis Fahmi Shurrab, 47, was sitting with his son Firas, 20, and one of his
friends, near their house located on a tract of their land. Then, Israeli soldiers started cutting the
fence surrounding the tract of land. Shurrab heard sounds of strange movements in the area, so he and his son
turn a light on to check what was going on. Immediately, the son saw Israeli soldiers so he lay on the ground. When the father shouted: “Who is there,”
Israeli soldiers fired at him and his son. The father was killed by three live bullets in the head, the chest and
the foot. Then, Israeli soldiers moved
forward towards the main road between Rafah and Khan Yunis where a tank was
waiting for them. Israeli occupying
forces in the vicinity of “Morag” settlement opened fire at the area,
apparently to cover the withdrawal of the special unit.
In the morning, Israeli
occupying forces lifted the curfew imposed on Ramallah and al-Bireh. Soon, Palestinian civilians left their houses
to buy food. At approximately 08:00, Palestinian
civilians were surprised by the
coming of a number of Israeli tanks and armored personnel carriers to al-Manara
Square in the center of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas at passing
civilians, and re-imposed the curfew. An
old Palestinian civilian, Jureis Sama’an Daoud al-Dalo, 72, died from tear gas
inhalation.
At approximately 06:00,
Israeli occupying forces moved approximately 600m into Sheikh ‘Ejlin area west of “Netzarim”
settlement, south of Gaza City. They
destroyed a well, two rooms and an agricultural store owned by Shehada and
Joma’a Ahmed ‘Awad. Then, Israeli
armored military bulldozers leveled areas of Palestinian agricultural land that
were razed two weeks earlier.
At the same time, an
Israeli tank moved approximately 300m into the north of Beit Lahia in the
northern Gaza Strip. The tank moved
towards the house of Hassan ‘Aarafat ‘Abdul Dayem and destroyed his car. In the meantime, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Elli Sinai” settlement opened fire at the area damaging the
same house.
In the morning, Israeli
tanks and armored personnel carriers fired at Palestinian civilians who were
trying to enter or leave Nablus when the curfew imposed on the city by Israeli
forces was temporarily lifted. A
Palestinian civilian, Ibrahim Mustafa Qassem al-Mabruk, 32, from al’Ein refugee
camp, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the neck.
At approximately 14:30, a
Palestinian child, Shukri Fa’eq al-Haji Daoud, 8, from Qalqilya, succumbed to a
wound he sustained by Israeli occupying forces on Thursday, 27 June. Daoud was seriously wounded by a live bullet
in the head when Israeli occupying forces, invading Qalqilya, opened fire at
Palestinian houses in the center of the town. Two other children were also wounded.
At approximately 08:00,
Israeli occupying forces broke into a house in Rafidya neighborhood in
Nablus. They arrested three Palestinian
policemen:
1. Samer Lufi al-Nasser, 26, from Deir Sharaf village;
2. Hassan ‘Essam al-Fuqaha, 24, from
Deir Sharaf village; and
3. Sa’id Mohammed Murjan, 23, from Kufor Qallil
village.
Then, Israeli forces
destroyed the house.
At approximately 14:10,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim”
settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at al-Nimswai neighborhood, east of
the settlement. A number of houses were
damaged, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 22:30,
Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Gani Tal”
settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, shelled al-Rabwat area and al-Amal
neighborhood. Two artillery shells hit a
greenhouse planted with vegetables owned by Dhib al-Astal, destroying it. No casualties were reported.
At approximately 01:00, some Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by
intense shelling, moved approximately 100m into Block J in Rafah refugee camp,
adjacent to the Egyptian border south of Rafah. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded and a Palestinian policeman was
arrested. Israeli armored military
bulldozers demolished six Palestinian houses:
1. A 250-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 8 persons used to live, owned by Bekhit Jazzaa’
Jaddou’ al-Soufi;
2. A 150-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 10 persons used to live, owned by Saqer Jazzaa’
Jaddou’ al-Soufi;
3. A 150-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 9 persons used to live, owned by Nihad Jazzaa’
Jaddou’ al-Soufi;
4. A 80-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 4 persons used to live, owned by Fu’ad Jazzaa’
Jaddou’ al-Soufi;
5. A 150-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 persons used to live, owned by Rowaida
Khalil Joma’a al-Soufi; and
6. A 300-square-meter,
house under construction owned by Sami Hassan Khalil al-Masri.
Those wounded were:
1. Hashem Yousef al-Haji Yousef, seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the head; and
2. Mohammed ‘Abdul Majid al-Mughari, 15, wounded by shrapnel in
the head.
Israeli occupying forces also arrested Mohammed Sa’ad Ahmed al-Banna,
24, a policeman, at his house.
Wednesday, 10 July 2002
At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations
in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire
at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. A 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house,
owned by Khalil Mohammed Jaber Abu Shammala, was damaged by live bullets that
hit the sitting room burning some furniture. A number of other houses were also damaged.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved
approximately 100m into Rafah refugee camp adjacent to the Egyptian
border. They demolished two Palestinian
houses partially:
1. A 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 15 persons
live, owned by Hussam Mahmoud Mohammed al-Sha’er; and
2. A 100-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 persons
live, owned by Hamad Hammad Mohammed al-Sha’er.
Israeli occupying forces also raided the house of Hamad Hammad
al-Sha’er, 50, and arrested him and his son Sa’id, 19. They also raided the house of ‘Aayesh Salam
al-Sha’er and arrested his son Mohammed, 19.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with four
tanks and two armored military bulldozers, moved approximately 300m into
Palestinian agricultural land west of a settler road between al-Mentar crossing
and al-Shuhada’ junction, south of Gaza City. They razed areas of agricultural land:
1. They razed a 20-donum area of agricultural land out of 120
donums, 100 of which had been already razed, planted with olives, and destroyed
an irrigation network owned by Nemer, Sa’ad, Amin and Nasser Mohammed
Shuheiber.
2. They razed a 18-donum area of agricultural land out of 100
donums, 80 of which had been already razed, planted with olives, and destroyed
an irrigation network owned by ‘Ouda Sa’ad ‘Aashour al-Ghefari.
3. They razed a 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with
olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by ‘Omar, Musbah and Khader
‘Abed Rabbu Abu Jarad.
4. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land out of 7
donums, 4 of which had been already razed, planted with olives and citrus.
5. They razed a 28-donum area of agricultural land planted with
olives owned by Bader Younis Sabra.
6. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with
vegetables owned by Tayseer Sha’ban
Judeidi.
At approximately 11:30, a number of Israeli military jeeps moved into
‘Askar refugee camp, east of Nablus. They ordered Palestinian civilians through loudspeakers to get back to
their houses, claiming that the curfew imposed on the refugee camp was not
lifted. A number of Palestinian boys and
young men threw stones at the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers opened fire at the
stone throwers, and Israeli tanks surrounding the refugee camp opened fire at
houses. A Palestinian civilian, Rami
‘Ouda Qatash, 19, was killed by a heavy caliber bullet in the chest.
In a continuation of the
assassination policy officially adopted by the Israeli government against
Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Thursday, 4 July, Israeli
occupying forces assassinated two Palestinians in Gaza City. According to PCHR’s investigation, at
approximately 21:00, a heavy explosion occurred in al-Thawra Street, branch of
al-Nasser Street, in Gaza City. Palestinians hurried to the area to check what happened. They found a civilian car, white Mercedes,
approximately 150m north of Shifa’ Hospital, burning. They saw parts of the body of one passenger
on the ground, while the body of another passenger was still in the car. The two passengers were identified as:
1. Jihad Isma’il al-‘Aamarin, 46, an from al-Zaytoun
neighborhood, an officer of the Palestinian Public Security Service; and
2. Wa’el Jawad al-Namara, 33, al-‘Amarin’s nephew, an
officer of the Preventive Security Service.
According to eyewitnesses,
the car targeted by the explosion was a taxi owned by al-‘Amarin. The person who used to work as its driver disappeared immediately
after the explosion occurred. It is
believed that he escaped to an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip. According to field investigation, a bomb was
planted under the front seat of the car. Palestinian sources accused Israeli occupying forces of responsibility
for the explosion, which targeted al-‘Amarin. Israeli occupying forces claim
that al-‘Amarin was the leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Gaza. Israeli occupying forces have often used
bombs to assassinate a number of Palestinian activists. During this Intiafada, this method was first
used by Israeli occupying forces to assassinate Ibrahim Bani ‘Ouda in Nablus on
23 November 2000.
At approximately 17:15,
Israeli occupying forces positioned on a settler road between al-Mentar
crossing and al-Shuhada’ junction, south of Gaza City, fired at a number of
young Palestinian men who were throwing stones towards those forces. One of the men, Tala’at Ziad Faraj Abu ‘Asser, 22, from al-Shojaeya neighborhood,
was wounded by a live bullet in the chest.
At approximately 20:30,
Israeli occupying forces moved into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians and
their houses, wounding Khaled Hassan Hanani, 16, with a live bullet the left
side of his body. Then, they raided
houses and arrested 4 children:
1. Nassim Mousa Hanani, 15;
2. ‘Abdullah Radwan Khatatba,
16;
3. Salam Mahmoud Khatatba, 16; and
4. Mohammed Hilal Khatatba, 16.
In an apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying forces, in the
morning, shot dead a Palestinian woman and her child at the coastal road south
of Gaza City.
According to PCHR’s
investigation and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at approximately 05:45, while
Randa Khaled Isma’il al-Hindi, 42, accompanied by her five children, including
her 2-year-old child Anwar Mohammed al-Hindi, and her two daughters-in-law,
were traveling from Gaza to Khan Yunis in a civilian car after a wedding
party. While driving on the coastal road
south of Gaza City, near the junction leading to “Netzarim” settlement,
approximately 700m to the east, Israeli occupying forces fired at their
car. After they crossed the junction,
those who were traveling in the car started crying: “Anwar has died”. The driver traveled fast to an emergency
medical center in Deir al-Balah. Anwar
and her mother were dead, and Narjes Fa’eq Khalil al-Hindi, 20, was wounded by
shrapnel in back. According to medical
sources, the child was shot by an explosive live bullet in the head, and the
mother was shot by a live bullet in the neck. An Israeli military spokesman first denied responsibility for the
incident, but he later admitted responsibility, claiming that smog covered the
area, that Israeli soldiers suspected the car, and that the mother and her
child were killed by mistake.
At
approximately 17:00, Israeli occupying soldiers in a military jeep fired from a
close distance at two Palestinian civilians who were sitting in front of a shop
owned by one of them at the entrance to Housan village, west of Bethlehem. The two were seriously wounded:
1. Mahmoud
Hassouna Shousha, 35, from Housan village, wounded by a live bullet in the
head; and
2. Murad Hussein ‘Eissa, 21, from al-Khader
village, also wounded by a live bullet in the head.
Monday, 8 July 2002
In the afternoon, Israeli
occupying forces positioned at Surda military checkpoint, north of Ramallah,
fired at Palestinian civilians who were on their way back to their villages from Ramallah after a
curfew was re-imposed on the town. A
pregnant woman, Suhair ‘Aadel Qadaha, 18, was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the head.
At approximately 02:30, the emergency department of Palestine Red
Crescent Society in Jenin was informed that there was a wounded young man in
al-Baten area, east of al-Yamun village west of Jenin. Immediately, an ambulance drove towards the
area, where they found the body of a young man near a civilian car. The ambulance took the man to hospital. According to medical sources, the man was hit
by a live bullet in the left thigh, and he apparently bled to death without being
offered any medical aid. According to an
eyewitness, he heard sounds of Israeli military vehicles passing the area. Then, Israeli occupying forces fired at a
civilian car that was traveling on the main road. The victim was identified as Mu’ammar Qassem
Mohammed Daraghma, 28, from Tubas town in the northern Jordan Valley.
At approximately 14:30, a
young Palestinian man fired from a gun at a patrol of so-called “Israeli Border
Guards” in the Old City of Jerusalem and escaped towards al-Zahera Gate. The Israeli soldiers fired back at the man
but hit and shot dead an old Palestinian man, Mahmoud Mohammed Bashir, 72, with
several live bullets instead. A
spokesman of the “Border Guards” claimed that the old man was killed by the
young man, but according to eyewitnesses, the pistol fell from the hands of the
young man while escaping. Israeli
soldiers fired at al-Zahera Gate, where the old man was coming from towards his
house in Jabal al-Mukabber area.
At approximately 10:00 on
Wednesday, 10 July, Zuhair Tawfiq ‘Awad, 60, from Salfit Salfit, suffered from a heart
attack. Immediately, his family took him
to Salfit Hospital, where the doctors decided to move him to Rafidya Hospital
in Nablus as he was in a serious condition. At approximately 10:45, an ambulance took him towards Nablus. At approximately 11:00, the ambulance arrived
at Hawara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, but Israeli occupying forces
didn’t allow it to pass before 13:00. At
approximately 13:10, the ambulance arrived at the hospital, but the patient was
already dead.
*****
PCHR
Calls:
1. Upon the international community to provide immediate and independent
international protection for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949
to reconvene in order to take effective measures to protect Palestinian
civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance with their obligations
under Article 1, to ensure the respect of the Convention.
3. Upon the international community to investigate and prosecute those
believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
before international courts.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its activities, and
intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli
Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international community to provide humanitarian and medical
assistance for the Palestinian people, whose living conditions are continuing
to deteriorate as a result of the continued siege imposed by Israeli occupation
forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.