Israeli Forces escalate war crimes in
the OPT
· 2 Palestinian
civilians were killed in the West Bank by Israeli forces
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas
· Agricultural
land was razed in the Gaza Strip
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued
· Palestinian
civilians were arrested in the West Bank
· Continued
siege on Palestinian communities and Israeli forces at military checkpoints
fired at Palestinian civilians
Introduction
Despite the sharp decrease in violent clashes following the declaration
of a 3-month truce by Palestinian resistance organizations, Israeli occupying
forces have continued to conduct human rights violations against Palestinian
civilians, including unlawful killings, collective punishment, shelling of and
incursions into Palestinian areas, land leveling and arrests. This week, 3-9 July 2003, 2 Palestinian civilians were
killed and 5 others were wounded by Israeli occupying forces.
Israeli occupying forces shot dead 2 Palestinian
civilians in the West Bank and wounded 5 others in a number of incidents in
both the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On
Thursday, 3 July 2003, Israeli occupying forces shot dead Mohammed Shawar
al-Nees, 32, from Qalqilya, allegedly wanted by Israel, and wounded and
arrested another Palestinian. On
Wednesday, 9 July 2003, Israeli occupying forces shot dead Eyad Mohammed
Shalayesh, 27, from Bourqin village, west of Jenin, and seriously wounded his
wife, during an Israeli military raid on the family’s house.
This week, Israeli occupying forces conducted a
series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip, this week, Israeli
occupying forces conducted 5 incursions into Palestinian areas, during which
they razed more than 120 donums[1] of
agricultural land, especially in Rafah.
Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict
siege on large areas of the OPT. While
they have slightly eased the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip, they have
tightened the siege imposed on the West Bank.
Excessive Use of Force against Palestinian Civilians
This week, Israeli occupying forces shot dead 2
Palestinian civilians and wounded 5 others in various incidents in the West
Bank and Gaza Strip
On Thursday morning, 3 July 2003, Israeli occupying
forces shot dead a Palestinian allegedly wanted by Israel, and wounded another
in the northern West Bank town of Qalqilya.
According to information available to PCHR, an
undercover unit of Israeli occupying forces moved into Qalqilya. Israeli soldiers surrounded the house of
Ibrahim Asa’ad Yassin, who was in the house with his colleague, Mohammed Shawar
Mohammed al-Nees. A number of Israeli
military vehicles arrived at the area to support the undercover unit. Al-Nees and Yassin attempted to escape
through the window, but Israeli soldiers opened fire at them from a distance of
5-meters. Al-Nees was wounded by 3 live
bullets in the chest, the right side and the left thigh. He died within minutes. Yassin was wounded by 2 live bullets in the
thigh. Israeli forces denied access for
ambulances to the area. As they withdrew
from the area, Israeli forces arrested Yassin and took him to an unknown
destination.
At approximately 09:00 on the same day, Israeli soldiers in a military
jeep near al-Matahen military checkpoint, north of Khan Yunis, fired at
Palestinian civilians and cars waiting at the checkpoint, which had recently
closed. A Palestinian civilian, Ziad
Mousa Hussein, 30, from Rafah, was wounded by a live bullet in the right foot.
At approximately 22:00 on Saturday, 5 July 2003,
Israeli occupying forces stationed in military locations in the “Kfar Darom”
settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at al-Mahatta area,
approximately 400m to the north. A number
of Palestinian houses were damaged, but no casualties were reported.
At approximately 15:30 on Monday, 7 July 2003,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved
approximately 200m into Block J in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian
border. They leveled the ruins of
Palestinian houses which had already been demolished in previous Israeli
military operations. A group of
Palestinian boys gathered and threw stones at the Israeli military
vehicles. Immediately, Israeli forces opened
fire with live bullets and tear gas. A
Palestinian civilian, Yousef Fathi al-Hams, 19, was wounded by a live bullet in
the left leg.
In the evening, Israeli occupying forces fired at a civilian car in the
western neighborhood of Tulkarm, wounding a Palestinian civilian.
According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 07:30,
Ayman Mowaffaq al-Qarout, 20, from Tulkarm, was driving a civilian jeep on the
main road in the western neighborhood of the town. He noticed 2 Israeli military jeeps chasing
him, so he attempted to escape. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fired at him. He was wounded by a live bullet in right
thigh. He stopped the jeep. Israeli soldiers approached and checked his
identity card. They left him bleeding
without offering him medical assistance and then left the area. A Palestinian ambulance evacuated him to
hospital.
At approximately 17:30 on Tuesday, 8 July 2003,
Israeli soldiers in a military jeep positioned in the north of “Morag”
settlement, south of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses and farms in
Gizan al-Najjar area. No casualties were
reported.
On Wednesday morning, 9 July 2003, Israeli occupying
forces shot dead a Palestinian and wounded his wife in Bourqin village, west of
Jenin.
According to information available to PCHR, at
approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces moved into Bourqin village, west
of Jenin. They surrounded the house of
Mohammed Shalayel and called on its residents through megaphones to leave the
house. Then, Israeli soldiers broke into
the house and mounted its roof, in an attempt to arrest the owner’s son, Fadi,
22. Another son, Eyad, 27, who lives
approximately 30m away, heard screams coming from his father’s house. He and his wife, Kholoud, 27, hurried to
their balcony. Immediately, Israeli
soldiers on the roof of the father’s house opened fire at the Eyad and Kholoud. Eyad was killed by 2 live bullets in the neck
and the hand, while his wife was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head. As they withdrew from the area, Israeli
occupying forces arrested Fadi Shalayel and took him to an unknown
destination.
Destruction of Palestinian Civilian Property
At approximately 01:30 on Thursday, 3 July 2003,
Israeli occupying forces moved approximately 200m into al-Satar al-Gharbi area
in the northwest of Khan Yunis. They set
up a barbwire barricade from the east of the house of Mousa Suleiman Abu
‘Owaili through his agricultural land, which was razed by Israeli forces on 20
June 2003, and then extend to the south to cut off the main road. Consequently, the house and 4 other houses
have been brought under the de facto control of the “Gani Tal” settlement. The 50 residents of these homes have faced
extreme difficulties in moving into, out of, and around the area.
At approximately 11:00 on the same day, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a
bulldozer, moved approximately 400m into Palestinian agricultural land north of
“Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural
land:
1. They
razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Ahmed
Mohammed al-‘Azaiza.
2. They
razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hammad
Mohammed al-Gharb.
3. They
razed a 300-square-meter area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by
‘Eid ‘Ali Darwish.
4. They
razed a 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Khalil
Rabi’ Swaidan.
At approximately 15:00, on Saturday, 5 July 2003, 6
Israeli heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately
500m into Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah. They continued the operation until 19:00:
1. They
razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land, including greenhouses planted with
vegetables, uprooted 40 palm trees and destroyed a well, 3 storage rooms, an
agricultural pool, 3 water pumps and an irrigation network all owned by Yahia
Shehda Zo’rob.
2. They
razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an
agricultural pool, an irrigation network and some agricultural equipment owned
by Ziad Shehda Zo’rob.
3. They
razed a 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with fruits, olives and
citrus, and destroyed an irrigation network, an agricultural pool and some
agricultural equipment owned by Sa’id Shehda Zo’rob.
At approximately 12:00 on Thursday, 8 July 2003, 6 Israeli
heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 500m into
Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah. The operation continued until 20:00, during which time they razed about
100 donums of Palestinian agricultural land owned by the Zo’rob family. PCHR’s field worker in Rafah reported that the
area was planted with palms and citrus, and there were a number of greenhouses on
the land. Israeli forces also destroyed
the irrigation network servicing the fields. According to eyewitnesses, there had been no clashes or other incidents
in the area before Israeli forces razed this land.
Restrictions on Freedom of Movement in the OPT
Although Israeli military sources announced a decrease in “warnings of imminent
armed attacks” by Palestinian resistance organizations, who had declared a
3-month truce, Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict siege on most
of the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in the West Bank. While Israeli forces partially redeployed on
the main roads in the Gaza Strip, they have continued to restrict movement at
border crossings and maintained the siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern
Gaza Strip. They have also continued to
close the Rafah-Khan Yunis western road and part of Salah al-Din Street near
“Kfar Darom” settlement in the central Gaza Strip.
Military Checkpoints inside the Gaza Strip
At approximately 07:30 on Thursday, 3 July 2003, Israeli occupying
forces closed al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoints on Salah al-Din
Street. An Israeli military jeep stopped
in the middle of the road, blocking Palestinian traffic. Passage was denied for more than 5 hours,
during which time Israeli soldiers opened fire sporadically at Palestinian
civilians in their vehicles nearby. Israeli occupying forces had partially redeployed on the road on 30 June
2003, after an Israeli-Palestinian security agreement.
On Tuesday evening, 8 July 2003, Israeli occupying forces placed an iron
gate and barbwire on Abu al-‘Ajin road, a branch road linking between Wadi
al-Salqa village in the central Gaza Strip an al-Qarara village, north of Khan
Yunis. The road has been closed since
the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada.
Al-Mawasi Area in the Southern Gaza Strip
Israeli measures at al-Tuffah and Tal al-Sultan military checkpoints isolating
al-Mawasi area from the rest of the Gaza Strip have not been eased. Conditions on passage through Al-Tuffah
checkpoint between al-Mawasi area and Khan Yunis continue; the checkpoint is
open only from 09:00 to 13:00, and from 14:00 to 17:00; Israeli forces continue
to restrict passage across the checkpoint to groups of 5; males under 35 and
females under 25 are not permitted to cross the checkpoint; and only those who fulfill
the above conditions and have magnetic cards issued by Israeli military
authorities are permitted to cross. Palestinian civilians attempting to pass through the checkpoint continue
to be subject to harassment and ill treatment.
Israeli forces opened Tal al-Sultan military checkpoint between
al-Mawasi area and Rafah for only one hour in the morning. Palestinian civilians are therefore, forced
to come back to the area through al-Tuffah checkpoint in Khan Yunis. Conditions of entry at Tal al-Sultan
checkpoint are similar to those at al-Tuffah checkpoint.
Al-Sayafa Area in the Northern Gaza Strip
The situation in al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip has further
deteriorated although Israeli forces were partially redeployed in the general area
on 30 June 2003 and Palestinian security forces were able to return to their
previous locations. Thirty Palestinian
families living in the area face extreme difficulties in moving into and out of
the area due to Israeli military measures, which include:
1. A limited number of Palestinians,
either residents of the area or farmers who have agricultural lands in the
area, have been allowed to enter the area, according to a list that drawn up by
Israeli occupying forces.
2. Palestinian civilians on this list are
allowed to enter or exit the area only from 07:00 to 09:00 and from 14:00 to
17:00.
3. Palestinian civilians in the area face
difficulties in movement due to the lack of paved roads and denial of access
for vehicles.
4. People living in the area lack basic
services, including electricity.
5. Ambulances are not permitted
uncoordinated access to the area.
6. Basic foodstuffs, animal feeds and
fuels are allowed into the area only on Monday and Thursday at the stated gate
opening times.
7. Palestinian farmers are restricted in
transporting produce out of the area and in bringing in materials to maintain
and repair equipment.
8. Farmers whose agricultural lands were
razed are not permitted to re-cultivate their lands.
Border Crossings
Rafah Terminal
Rafah terminal is the only external exit for the Gaza Strip; all other exits
have been closed to most Palestinians since the beginning of the current
Intifada. Opening hours are restricted
to a maximum of 8 hours a day, and passage through the terminal is subject to
severe delays. The Terminal is often
subject to arbitrary and prolonged closures.
“Erez” (Beit Hanoun) Crossing
The crossing was reopened for a limited number of Palestinian workers on
30 June 2003. The number of Palestinian
workers allowed entry into Israel has decreased to 1162 from Pre-Intifada
levels of more than 30,000. Workers continue
to report being subject to arbitrary and prolonged delays in passage and to be
harassment and ill treatment during so-called security checks.
Karni Commercial Crossing
Since the beginning of this week, Israeli occupying forces have been
establishing new observation points at the crossing. The crossing is currently operating at only
30% of its normal capacity and Israeli occupying forces have allowed the
transportation of only 5% of Palestinian products through the crossing into
Israel. They have also denied entry of
metal and chemical products into the Gaza Strip, and have prevented Palestinian
trucks from entering the crossing area. Goods must be off loaded, carried across the checkpoint and reloaded on
trucks on the other side.
* * * * *
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, or to have ordered to be 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
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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
