The Bloodiest and Most
Disastrous Week Since the Beginning of the Intifada:
· Hundreds of Palestinians killed
and thousands wounded in full-scale Israeli offensive on the OPT
· Thousands of Palestinians
detained in massive arrest campaigns
· Large-scale destruction of
houses; forced migration of hundreds of families
· Attacks on medical personnel
and hospitals and arrests of the wounded
· Declaration of West Bank cities
as “closed military areas” and denial of entry of journalists
· A curfew on West Bank cities
and a strict siege on the OPT
· ICRC limits its activities due
to Israeli attacks
Introduction
This report covers human rights violations perpetrated
by Israeli occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in
the period 4-10 April 2002. Since
29 March 2002, Israeli occupation forces have launched an unprecedented all-out
offensive on the West Bank cities. This
week is the bloodiest week since the beginning of al-Aqsa Intifada in September
2000. For the 13th
consecutive day, Israeli occupation forces have launched a full-scale offensive
on the West Bank. They have arrested
thousands of Palestinians in mass round-ups reminiscent of those carried out in
Europe during World War II. For four
consecutive days, Israel F-16 fighter jets, combat helicopters, tanks bombarded
Jenin refugee camp and Nablus and its refugee camps, causing hundreds of
casualties among Palestinians and destroying dozens of houses with their
residents inside. Because Israeli forces
have declared these areas to be “closed military zones,” preventing the access
of journalists, it has been impossible to determine the exact scope and nature
of Israeli actions.
Dozens of Israeli tanks and seven combat helicopters
have intensely bombarded the densely populated Jenin refugee camp. Israeli bulldozers have totally demolished
dozens of houses in the refugee camp.
According to sources of the Palestinian Society for the Protection of
Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), Israeli forces have launched 250
missiles and tank shells at the refugee camp, in which 13000 people live on an
area of less than 1 square kilometer.
According to local and medical sources, at least 200 Palestinians have
been killed and hundreds have been wounded.
Some of the wounded have bled in the streets and inside houses while
Israeli forces have prevented ambulances from entering the city. Some residents of the refugee camp who were
able to speak to the media said there were many bodies inside houses and in the
rubble of demolished buildings. On
Sunday, 7 April, Israeli occupation forces forced approximately 150 Palestinian
civilians to gather in al-Dmaj quarter and executed two young men before the
eyes of their families. According to
sources of LAW and appeals from inside the refugee camp, food, medicines and
water were running low, and some people were forced to drink sewage water. Jenin Hospital has warned of a public health
disaster in the refugee camp.
In the old city of Nablus, some of whose buildings are
3000 years old, Israeli occupation forces forced Palestinians out of their
houses and gathered them in a school.
They arrested around 1000 Palestinians and took them to a detention camp
in Hawara, south of the city. Israeli
forces also broke into a mosque, which served as a field hospital, and arrested
all the wounded inside. At the time of
this writing, Israeli occupation forces are intensely shelling the old city,
where bodies of those killed remain unburied.
Electricity, water, and communication links have been cut. Israeli forces have denied journalists access
to the city in an attempt to conceal their activities. They also broke into the campus of al-Najah
National University and transformed it into a military position. According to medical sources in the city,
bodies of 59 Palestinians have been brought to hospitals so far.
Israeli occupation forces also invaded several villages
near Ramallah, Hebron and Jenin. They
seized control over these villages and killed or arrested many
Palestinians. In their offensive on
Tubas, Israeli forces shot six Palestinians dead from a very close
distance. In Arrbeh village, Israeli
forces killed a Palestinian farmer and his two wives.
In Bethlehem, Israeli occupation forces have maintained
a strict siege on the Church of Nativity and three other churches. On 5 April, Israeli forces intensely shelled
the Church to force 250 Palestinians seeking refuge inside, to surrender. The bell ringer of the Church was killed by
Israeli gunfire.
In Ramallah, Israeli occupation forces have maintained
the siege on the compound of PNA President Yasser Arafat. They lift the curfew imposed on the city
every three days for few hours. This
week, seven Palestinians were killed in the city and bodies of a number of
Palestinians killed last week were discovered.
In attempt to mislead the international community, the
Israeli government declared that it withdrew its forces from the cities of
Tulkarm and Qalqilya in the northern West Bank.
However, Israeli occupation forces are still imposing a very strict siege
on the two cities.
In violation of international humanitarian law,
especially the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, Israeli occupation forces
attacked medical personnel, including those of the International Committee of
the Red Cross (ICRC), and denied them access to the wounded, especially in
Jenin and Nablus. They also raided a
number of hospitals. In the aftermath of
repeated Israeli attacks on its personnel and vehicles, the ICRC issued a
statement on 5 April announcing that it would limit its activities in the
aftermath of repeated Israeli attacks, including shootings at ICRC ambulances
in Nablus by Israeli soldiers and the destruction of two vehicles by Israeli
tanks in Tulkarm.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces shelled and
invaded Palestinian residential areas. On 6 April, Israeli
occupation forces subjected a neighborhood in Rafah, on the border between the
Gaza strip and Egypt, to indiscriminate heavy machine gun fire. Three Palestinian civilians, including two
children, were killed and a number of civilians were wounded in the attack,
which occurred for no apparent reason.
Israeli forces also razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land
and demolished a number of houses. They
raided some houses in Rafah and Beit Lahia and damaged them. Israeli forces also indiscriminately fired at
Palestinian civilians, especially at military roadblocks, wounding 22,
including seven children.
This week, Israeli forces maintained the total siege
imposed on the OPT. Israeli forces
separated Palestinian areas, transforming them into Bantustans. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupation forces
divided the strip into four isolated zones.
They have also maintained a strict siege on al-Mawasi area in Khan
Yunis.
Israeli forces also arrested many Palestinian civilians
during house raids.
The Offensive on West Bank Cities
Since 29 March, Israeli occupation
forces have conducted an unprecedented all-out offensive throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
Israeli troops on 29 March invaded Ramallah and imposed a complete
curfew on the city. The Israeli
offensive has expanded to include other cities in the West Bank. The most dire situation was in Nablus and
Jenin.
Israeli occupation forces repeatedly attempted to break
into Jenin refugee camp. They resorted
to tanks, helicopter gunships, and heavy machine guns to shell the refugee
camp. Palestinian resistance fighters
confronted the invading Israeli forces.
On 4 April, four Palestinians were killed:
1. Rabi’ Ahmed Jalamna, 22;
2. Ahmed
Hussein Abu al-Haija, 24;
3. Nidhal Husni Abu al-Haija, 22;
and
4. Walid Ibrahim Sa’id, 22.
Israeli occupation forces attacked Palestinian medical
personnel and establishments. On Friday,
5 April, Israeli occupation forces intensely shelled Jenin Hospital, causing
severe damage to its oxygen unit and laboratory. In the morning, Israeli forces shelled
al-Razi Hospital and Jenin Hospital, completely disrupting work at the two
hospitals. Field workers of the
Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
(LAW) reported that medical personnel of al-Razi Hospital were not able to
offer help to seven Palestinians who were wounded by Israeli occupation forces
approximately 100m away. A Palestinian
civilian was able to evacuate the body of one of them after he had died. The victim was still unidentified. An Israeli tank fired an artillery shell at
an ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society that came to the area. The ambulance was totally destroyed.
Also in the morning, Israeli occupation forces intensely
shelled Jenin refugee camp. According to
eyewitnesses, a number of Palestinians were wounded and ambulances were denied
entry into the refugee camp to evacuate them.
Israeli forces also warned through loudspeakers that they would fire at
any ambulances that tried to move into the city or the refugee camp.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli occupation forces
shelled al-Razi Mosque in Jenin, totally destroying it.
On Saturday, 6 April, Israeli occupation forces resumed
attempts to break into Jenin refugee camp, after commander the Israeli chief of
general staff General Shaul Mofaz personally assumed command of the operation,
according Israeli media sources. Between
Friday evening and Saturday morning, a number of Palestinians were killed. Ambulances were not able to evacuate their
bodies. One of those killed was Munther
Mohammed Amin al-Haj, 24, a policeman from Jalqamous village.
On Saturday evening, six Palestinians were killed:
1. Tariq ‘Ammar Darwish, 27;
2. Elham ‘Ali al-Disouqi, 42;
3. Hassan al-Qaloud, 25, a member
of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service;
4. Walid al-Sa’di, 23;
5. ‘Atteya Abu Rumeila, 40;
6. Tariq Darawsha, 29, a member of
the Palestinian National Security Force; and
7. Mhmoud Ahmed Tawlba, 30.
Ambulances were able to evacuate 30 of the wounded to
Jenin Hospital. An Israeli tank fired a
shell at an ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, totally destroying
it.
According to Dr, Mohammed Abu Ghali, director of Jenin
Hospital, three ambulances moved at approximately 18:00 on Saturday, 6 April,
towards Jenin refugee camp, to evacuate the wounded, upon coordination between
the ICRC and Israeli occupation forces.
As soon as the ambulances approached the refugee camp, Israeli forces
opened fire at them.
At approximately 10:00 on Sunday, 7 April, Israeli
soldiers forced approximately 150 Palestinian civilians to gather in al-Damaj
quarter at the edge of Jenin refugee camp.
Then, Israeli forces extra-judicially executed two young men before the
eyes of their families:
1. Waddah Fathi al-Shalabi, 32;
and
2. ‘Abdulkarim Yousef al-Sa’di,
23.
LAW was able to acquire the names of five other
Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces:
1. Samer Jaradat, 25;
2. Fadi Abu ‘Erra, 25;
3. Mustafa ‘Azzam al-Shalabi, 32;
4. Munir Wishahi, 27; and
5. Mohammed al-Hamed, 30.
At approximately 18:00 on Saturday, 6 April,
approximately 50 Israeli tanks and armoured personnel carriers invaded Qabatya
village in Jenin district, under the cover of intense shelling. They seized complete control over the
village. A Palestinian, ‘Abdulfattah
‘Abdulmajed Abu al-Rub, 40, was killed by a live bullet in the head, and seven
others were wounded.
At approximately 17:00 on Wednesday, 10 April, Israeli
occupation forces positioned on rooftops in al-Marah neighborhood in Jenin shot
dead ‘Amid ‘Azmi al-Yamuni, 20, with a live bullet in the chest, while he was
inside his house.
On Thursday, 4 April, Israeli occupation forces
intensely shelled Balata and ‘Askar refugee camps and the old city of Nablus,
using tanks and helicopter gunships. At
least six Palestinians were killed:
1. Mahmoud Rawhi al-‘Akka, 42,
from Nablus, hit by a heavy caliber bullet in the head while at home;
2. Ra’ed Fattuh, 26, from Balata
refugee camp, hit by shrapnel from a missile launched by a helicopter gunship;
3. Samir Abu al-Leil, 20, from
Balata refugee camp, hit by shrapnel from a missile launched by a helicopter
gunship;
4. Maher ‘Amira, 24, from Balata
refugee camp, hit by shrapnel from a missile launched by a helicopter gunship;
5. Nasser Kharma, an officer of
the Palestinian National Security Force from Nablus; and
6. Ramzi Darwaza, from Nablus.
In addition, Qassem Abu Hamdan was seriously wounded and
ambulances were not able to evacuate him to hospital.
On Friday and Saturday, 5 and 6 April, Israeli
occupation forces intensely shelled Balata and ‘Askar refugee camps and the old
city of Nablus, using tanks and helicopter gunships. A number of Palestinians were killed, five of
whom were identified as:
1. Mohammed Ghandur, 26, from
‘Askar refugee camp;
2. Ahmed Quza’, 24, from Balata
refugee camp;
3. Yasser al-Kouni, from Nablus;
4. Jihad Tayem, from Balata
refugee camp;
5. Suleiman Tashtush, from
Nablus.
Israeli
occupation forces have prevented journalists from covering human rights
violations perpetrated against Palestinians.
They detained several Reuters reporters in a flat in a commercial
building in the centre of Nablus.
Israeli forces also stormed the campus of al-Najah
National University and transformed it into a military position.
Israeli occupation forces intensely shelled Nablus and
its four refugee camps, using tanks and helicopter gunships. LAW reported that Israeli forces warned
people through loudspeakers to evacuate their houses before destroying them.
Israeli occupation forces have also denied access of
ambulances to the wounded. According to
Dr. Saber Rajab of the Palestinian Union of Medical Relief Committees, the
number of Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces in Nablus and its
refugee camps until noon on Sunday, 7 April was over 30. He asserted that Israeli forces threatened
medical personnel, fired at them and prohibited their movement. Some medical personnel were detained for
several hours and were checked and humiliated by Israeli forces, which also
checked the wounded; consequently some of the wounded died. Some of the Palestinians killed by Israeli
occupation forces were identified as:
1. Samir Abu Mahyoub, 20, from
Balata refugee camp;
2. Nidal ‘Ebayat, 22;
3. Kamal Salman al-Mallah, 37,
from Nablus;
4. Yasser al-Shawish, 30, from
Nablus;
5. ‘Essam al-Daramalli, 24, from
Nablus;
6. ‘Essam Shikku, 27, from Nablus;
7. ‘Emad Mousa al-Haj Ahmed;
8. Zahi Freitekh, 24, from Nablus;
9. Yousef Abu Zeid, 39, from
Balata refugee camp;
10. Hani al-Shalabi, 40, from
Balata refugee camp;
11. Eyad Abu al-Rub, from Qabatya
village;
12. Kamal Abu Shihab, from Nablus;
13. Nasser al-‘Assali, from Nablus;
14. Amjad al-Qatuni, from ‘Ein Beit
al-Maa’ refugee camp;
15. Majed Sawafta, from Tubas;
16. Mu’aiad Jamil, from Nablus;
17. Eyad Qamhawi, from Nablus;
18. Nidal al-Faqih, from Nablus;
19. Khalil al-‘Arbudi, from Nablus;
20. Um Taher Abu Shalbak, from
Nablus;
21. Majed Saleh Yousef al-Qanna,
32, from Kufor Qalil;
22. Mahmoud al-Qanna, 30, from
Kufor Qalil;
23. ‘Abdullah ‘Attili, from Nablus;
24. Nasser Abu al-So’ud, from
Nablus;
25. Eyad Karsou’, from Nablus;
26. Bassem Zaghlul, from Nablus;
27. Nidal Abu ‘Oudeh, from Nablus;
and
28. Ahmed al-Tabbuq, 32, from
Nablus.
At approximately 15:00 on Sunday, 7 April, an Israeli
combat helicopter shelled a bakery in al-Yassamina quarter in the old city of
Nablus. Six Palestinians, still
unidentified, were killed.
On Tuesday, 9 April, Israeli occupation forces continued
their offensive on Nablus and its refugee camps. Twelve Palestinians were killed in the old
city, one of whom was identified as Rezeq ‘Abdulrahman Baker, 40, from
Gaza. Two Palestinian civilians were
also killed in ‘Askar refugee camp:
1. Hafezh Sabra, 60, hit by a tank
shell;
2. Amjad Ahmed ‘Aabda, 11, hit by
a tank shell.
On Wednesday morning, 10 April, several bodies of
Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces were brought to hospitals of
Nablus:
1. Rebhi Haddad, 49, from Nablus;
2. Colonel Yousef Humeidan, 50,
from Nablus;
3. Bilal Dha’ini, 22, from Nablus;
4. Rasha Freitekh, from Nablus;
5. Rebhi al-Lulu, from Nablus;
6. Kamal ‘Awad, from Nablus;
7. Mahmoud al-‘Ali, from Nablus;
8. Maher al-Kharraz, from Nablus;
9. Rawhi ‘Awada, from Nablus;
10. Mahmoud al-‘Amad; from Nablus;
11. Wa’el Freitekh, from Nablus;
12. Salam Ja’bur, from Nablus;
13. Ra’ed Hajji, from Nablus;
14. ‘Essam Sa’d, from Nablus;
15. Nidal al-Kushi, from Nablus;
16. Yasser al-Qishawi, from Nablus;
and
17. Suna Hafezh Sabra, 26, from
‘Askar refugee camp.
At approximately 11:00 on Saturday, 6 April, Israeli
occupation forces positioned on roofs of some houses in Um al-Sharayet
neighborhood opened fire at houses. A
Palestinian civilian, Sharif Khaled al-‘Umari, 55, was killed by a live bullet
in the head while on the balcony of his house.
At approximately 17:00 on the same day, Israeli
occupation forces positioned in the vicinity of the compound of the Palestinian
presidency shelled the office of President Yasser Arafat. Four guards were wounded, one of whom was in
serious condition. According to the
Palestinian Red Crescent Society, an ambulance of the society moved towards the
compound at approximately 19:00, upon coordination between the ICRC and Israeli
occupation forces to evacuate the guard, who was seriously wounded. During the evacuation, Israeli forces brought
an Israeli television crew to photograph the evacuation in an attempt to
mislead international public opinion and distract attention from the hundreds
of attacks on medical personnel and establishments and dozens of cases in which
wounded Palestinians were left to bleed to death. After the drove the television crew departed,
Israeli forces arrested the wounded guard and took him while still bleeding to
Beit El detention camp.
In the evening of the same day, 10-year-old ‘Esara’
Ghaleb ‘Othman, was evacuated to hospital in serious condition. According to investigation carried out by
LAW, the child was wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen at 15:00 on the
previous day, when Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian civilians who
went shopping after the curfew was lifted for few hours. Neither her family nor medical personnel were
able to evacuate her to hospital until Saturday evening due to Israeli
restrictions on the movement of ambulances.
At approximately 02:30 on Sunday, 7 April, 25 Israeli
tanks and armored personnel carriers, supported by a helicopter, invaded Beit
Rima village, northwest of Ramallah.
When they seized complete control over the village, they raided houses
and arrested 23 Palestinians.
On the same day, Israeli occupation forces also invaded
the villages of Deir al-Sudan and ‘Aarura, northwest of Ramallah. They imposed a curfew on the two
villages. They raided houses and
arrested a number of Palestinian civilians.
On Monday morning, 8 April, medical personnel of the
Palestine Red Crescent Society discovered bodies of two Palestinians who were
killed by Israeli occupation forces on Friday, 29 March, the first day of the
Israeli offensive on Ramallah. They were
identified as Azhar al-‘Aameria, 34, from Jenin, hit by an artillery shell; and
Ahmed al-Masri, 21, from Gaza, hit by a heavy caliber bullet in the head; both
were members of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service.
At approximately 18:00 on the same day, Israeli
occupation forces invaded the villages of ‘Ebwin and ‘Ajjul in Ramallah
district. A number of Palestinian
resistance fighters confronted the invading Israeli forces. Sahin Mohammed Sahwil, 25, bled to death
after he was wounded by a live bullet in the side.
At approximately 18:30, Kamal ‘Abdulhadi Badran, 30, was
killed by two live bullets in the head and the chest fired by an Israeli
sniper. Badran was on his way home when
the curfew was re-imposed after it was lifted for few hours.
In the evening, medical sources at Ramallah Hospital
announced that 22-year-old ‘Ezziddin Taher Hassan succumbed to a wound in the
head he sustained by Israeli occupation forces on the first day of the Israeli
offensive on Ramallah, 29 March.
On Wednesday morning, 10 April, the ICRC personnel
discovered the body o Mohammed Abu Tima in the kitchen of the presidential
compound. His colleagues, who were
arrested by Israeli forces, told the ICRC that Abu Tima was killed by Israeli
forces on 29 March.
At noon, medical sources at Ramallah Hospital announced
that 28-year-old Manal Sami Ibrahim succumbed to a wound in the chest inflicted
by Israeli occupation forces while she was on the balcony of her house.
At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupation forces shot
dead ‘Aatef Mousa Qandil, 24, mentally handicapped, for no apparent reason,
while he was walking near the Arab Bank.
Israeli occupation forces have maintained the siege on
the Church of Nativity, three other churches, and a dormitory of priests and
nuns of the Orthodox Church. On Friday,
5 April, Israeli forces sporadically shelled the Church of Nativity to force
250 Palestinians seeking refuge inside to surrender. The bell ringer of the Church, Samir Ibrahim
Salman, 42, was killed by Israeli fire.
Israeli forces also destroyed the southern gate of the Church and a number
of Israeli soldiers moved into its southern yard.
On Sunday, 7 April, the body of a member of the
Palestinian National Security Force was discovered. He was hit by several live bullets and is
still unidentified.
On Monday morning, 8 April, Israeli occupation forces
surrounding the Church of Nativity opened fire at the Church. Fire broke out in a room of a priest. People inside the Church rushed to extinguish
fire. Israeli forces fired at them,
killing 23-year-old Khaled Mousa Abu Siam with a live bullet in the head.
At approximately 18:00 on Wednesday, 10 April, Israeli
occupation forces on the Jerusalem-Hebron road in Bethlehem shot dead ‘Ali
Kahlil Mohammed Faraj, 60, with a live bullet in the chest.
At approximately 10:00 on Friday, 5 April, 20 Israeli
tanks, supported by helicopter gunships, invaded Tubas town in Jenin district,
under the cover of intense shelling.
Dima Qassem Sawafta, 13, was killed by a live bullet in the chest while
at home, and 20 other Palestinian civilians were wounded. Ambulances were not able to evacuate the
wounded as they were targeted by Israeli gunfire.
At approximately 18:00 on Saturday, 6 April, Israeli
occupation forces willfully killed six Palestinians seeking shelter in a house
during the Israeli offensive on the town.
According to LAW’s field worker, the six victims sought refuge in a
house in al-Sawafta neighborhood, in the northwest of Tubas. A special unit of Israeli forces, reinforced
with 14 tanks and four combat helicopters, shelled the house. At approximately 18:00, Israeli forces moved
into the house and killed all those who were inside from a very close
distance. The six victims were shot in
their heads. They are:
1. Qais ‘Edwan Abu Jaber, 27, from
Siris village, former chairman of the student union of al-Najah National
University;
2. Ashraf Hamza Dharaghma, 29,
from Tubas;
3. Munqeth Mohammed Sa’id Sawafta,
25, form Tubas;
4. Majdi Mohammed Salim, 28, from
Balata refugee camp;
5. Sa’ed Hussein Ahmed ‘Awad, 31,
from Rafah; and
6. Mohammed Ahmed Tawfiq Kumail,
28, from Qabatya village.
At approximately 01:00 on Saturday, 6 April, Israeli
occupation forces invaded Yatta village, south of Hebron, under the cover of
intense shelling that targeted houses of the village. Two Palestinian civilians, Nader Jamil
al-Haddar, 29, and Jamal Hamada Qara’in, 20, were killed.
At approximately 14:30 on the same day, Israeli
occupation forces moved into al-Fawar refugee camp in Hebron. They opened fire at Palestinians houses. A Palestinian child, Rubin Jamil al-Khadur,
14, was killed by a live bullet in the heart, and eight other civilians were
wounded, including one who was in critical condition.
In the evening of the same day, Israeli occupation
forces opened fire at houses in Yatta village.
Eleven Palestinian civilians were wounded, including two who were in
serious condition.
At approximately 03:00 on Tuesday, 9 April, Israeli
occupation forces invaded Dura town, southwest of Hebron. They opened fire at houses, killing three
Palestinian civilians:
1. Nayef Salem Sayed Ahmed, 35;
2. ‘Aaref Mahmoud Sayed Ahmed, 32;
and
3. ‘Abdulqader Khalil Dudin, 25.
According
to Mayor of Dura Mohammed Mousa Abu ‘Atwan, the first two were wounded at
approximately 06:00. Israeli occupation
forces prevented ambulances from evacuating them to hospital. They bled until 11:00 when they died. The third was killed by Israeli forces near
the building of the municipality at approximately 07:00.
At approximately 18:00 on Thursday, 4 April, Mohammed
Bashir al-‘Aaidi, 23, from Rafah, a member of the Palestinian National Security
Force, was killed by several live bullets throughout the body fired by Israeli
occupation forces. Israeli forces
prevented ambulances from evacuating him to hospital, causing him to bleed to
death.
At approximately 12:00, an undercover Israeli unit moved
into the Municipality neighborhood in Hebron.
They surrounded the house of Hazem Qafisha and opened fire at him. He was able to escape. Israeli forces demolished the five-story
house. Two Palestinian civilians were
wounded:
1. Na’im Qafisha, 20, Hazem’s brother,
wounded by a live bullet in the thigh; and
2. Ahmed Qafisha, wounded by two
live bullets in the left thigh.
At approximately 21:00, Israeli
occupation forces moved into Um al-Dalia, the Municipality and Wadi al-Hareya
neighborhoods in Hebron. They shelled
Palestinian houses, using tanks, helicopter gunships and heavy machine
guns. Two Palestinian civilians were
wounded:
1. Hussein ‘Adnan Abu Hamdia, 10,
wounded by a heavy caliber bullet in the left leg; and
2. Mohammed Fannun, 15, wounded by
shrapnel in the back.
At approximately 06:00, three Israeli heavy military
vehicles moved approximately 150m into al-Ja’farawi area, east of Deir
al-Balah. They razed a tract of
agricultural land and demolished two houses:
1. They razed a five-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms, olives and guavas, and destroyed a
greenhouse planted with vegetables, an agricultural pool, a well, two stores
and a water motor, owned by Salama Nasrallah Abu ‘Amra.
2. They demolished a
130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which three families comprised of
15 persons used to live, owned by Fathi Salama Abu ‘Amra.
3. They demolished a
130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which three families comprised of
13 persons used to live, owned by Salama Nasrallah Abu ‘Amra.
Residents of the two houses were not able to evacuate
their property as Israeli forces threatened to fire at them.
Israeli occupation forces
subjected a Palestinian refugee camp in the southern Gaza strip to
indiscriminate heavy machine gun fire.
Three Palestinian civilians, including two children, were killed and a
number of civilians were wounded in the attack, which occurred for no apparent
reason.
At
approximately 16:00, Israeli occupation forces began firing on Tel al-Sultan
neighborhood in the west of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip without any
clashes or violence reported in the area at the time. The shooting lasting until 18:30. PCHR’s field worker in Rafah reported that
the Israeli fire came from three directions: from three Israeli heavy military
vehicles positioned at the border with Egypt; from the al-Mawasi roadblock,
west of Tal al-Sultan neighborhood; and from a military location in Tel Zo’rob
area at the Egyptian border. Three Palestinian civilians, including two children,
were killed:
1. Sumaiah Najeh ‘Abdulhadi Hassan, 6, was killed by a
live bullet in the head while she was traveling in a civilian car with her
pregnant mother, Manar Samih Rashid al-Qiq, 26, who was wounded by shrapnel in
the nose, and her grandfather, Samih Rashid al-Qiq, 51, who was also wounded by
a live bullet in the right shoulder, on their way from the centre of Rafah to
Tel al-Sultan neighborhood.
2. Salwa Khaled Dahliz, 10, was killed by a heavy
caliber bullet in the head while she was near her family’s house, opposite to
the Israeli military location in Tal Zo’rob area.
3. Shadi Fawzi Abu Ghali, 20, was killed by a live
bullet in the head while he was in the street. A number of houses in the
neighborhood were severely damaged.
In
addition, 7 other Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Kifah Fu’ad al-Qadhi, 9,
wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen;
2. Mohammed Ahmed Shahin, 4,
wounded by shrapnel in the left thigh;
3. Tahrir ‘Omar Fuju, 12, wounded
by a live bullet in the left thigh;
4. Ahmed ‘Abdelhamid Fuju, 14,
wounded by a live bullet in the left arm;
5. Bilal Ramadan al-Hamaida, 17,
wounded by a live bullet in the left arm;
6. Ziad Yousef abu ‘Elwan, 19,
wounded by shrapnel in the head; and
7. Leila ‘Essam Abu Sulaima, 22,
wounded by shrapnel in the left arm.
At approximately 20:15, Israeli occupation forces in a
military location in Tal Zo’rob area at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah,
opened fire at Block J in Rafah refugee camp, approximately 1500m away. A Palestinian civilian, Sami Suleiman Sha’at,
42, was wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh, and a number of houses were
damaged.
At approximately 07:00, Israeli occupation forced,
reinforced with a bulldozer, moved approximately 150m into the south of Khan
Yunis. They razed an 18-donum area of
Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives and lemons owned by the heirs
of Jom’a Hamdan al-Masri.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli
occupation forces in the vicinity of “Dogit” settlement, north of Beit Lahia in
the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian houses and farms in
al-Sayafa area, which has been under a strict siege for several months. Several hours later, Israeli forces called
through loudspeakers on the 69 residents of the area to gather in a yard near
the entrance of the area, and detained them in cold weather until 09:00 on the
following day. PCHR’s field worker in
the northern Gaza Strip reported that Israeli forces searched and damaged
houses. They also razed around 70 donums
of Palestinian agricultural land:
1. They razed a 35-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and fruits and destroyed an irrigation
network owned by Fares Jaber al-Ghoul.
2. They razed a 10-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and guavas and destroyed an irrigation
network and agricultural equipment owned by Mousa Mahmoud Jaber al-Ghoul.
3. They razed a 5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with fruits and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Jaber Mahmoud Jaber al-Ghoul.
4. They razed a 7-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and guavas and destroyed an irrigation
network owned by Muyassar Mahmoud Jaber al-Ghoul.
5. They severely damaged a
14-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables and corns and
destroyed an irrigation network owned by Mohammed ‘Abdelhai Ma’ruf.
6. They destroyed a well owned by
Ya’qub Mahdi.
7. They destroyed a well owned by
Yousef al-Shanti.
At approximately 01:00, seven Israeli heavy military
vehicles moved approximately 100m into al-Salam neighborhood adjacent to the
Egyptian border in the south of Rafah, under the cover of intense
shelling. The incursion continued up to
03:00, during which a Palestinian civilian, Helmi Mansour al-Sha’er, 44, was
wounded by shrapnel in the face. Israeli
forces demolished a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 8 persons
used to live, owned by Mohammed Hassan Abu Shawish. They destroyed electricity and water networks
in the neighborhood. They also raided a
number of houses.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupation forces in a
tank in “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza City, for no apparent reason fired
an artillery shell at Palestinian houses in al-Mughraqa area, approximately
400m away. A water motor, owned by Nasser
Hassan ‘Azzam and his brothers, was destroyed, cutting water from their
houses.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupation forces moved
more than 1500m into the northeast of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza
Strip. Four bulldozers escorted by tanks
razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land and established sand
barriers. The operation continued up to
03:00 on the following day. Following
are details of the destruction of Palestinian agricultural land by Israeli
forces:
1. They razed a 15-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Ahmed Yousef Shurrab.
2. They razed a 15-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Fadel Yousef Shurrab.
3. They razed a 10-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Mohammed Yousef Shurrab.
4. They razed a 15-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Walid Yousef Shurrab.
5. They razed a 10-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Hassan Yousef Shurrab.
6. They razed a 5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Eihab Khaled Shurrab.
7. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by the heirs of Ahmed Helmi al-Basha.
8. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Yousef Mohammed al-Safadi.
9. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Abu Khaled al-Nakhala.
10. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and
destroyed an irrigation network owned by Mohammed Ahmed Jarada.
11. They destroyed 250 beehives owned by Tawfiq ‘Abdulrahman Wahdan.
12. They destroyed 50 beehives owned by Eyad ‘Abdullah Wahdan.
At approximately 20:30, Yousef Salman Sueliman Mahanna,
28, was killed by several live bullets in the chest, the abdomen and the pelvis
in an ambush by an undercover unit of Israeli occupation forces in al-Qarara
village, north of Khan Yunis. According
to eyewitnesses, Mahanna, a member of the Palestinian National Security Force,
was in a site used by the force, 500m south of al-‘Ajin junction. He went with his colleagues to a nearby
grocery store. Suddenly, an undercover
unit of Israeli occupation forces opened fire at them from a nearby citrus
farm. Mahanna was wounded, but his
colleagues were able to escape. Two
civilians, Sami ‘Abdelrahman al-Farra, 42, and Mahmoud Salem al-Farra, 32, who
were on their way home attempted to offer help to Mahanna, but Israeli forces
fired at them. The former was wounded by
a live bullet in the head, while the latter was wounded by shrapnel in the
hands, so they were forced to leave the area.
Then, more than 10 Israeli tanks, supported by two helicopters, moved
into the area, under the cover of intense shelling. Several ambulances came to the area and
attempted to evacuate Mahanna, but Israeli forces fired at them. Mahanna remained in the area until midnight,
when an ambulance was allowed to evacuate him upon the intervention of the
ICRC. Then, Israeli forces withdrew from
the area. During their incursion into
the area, Israeli tanks damaged a tract of agricultural land owned by Nasser
Ahmed al-Sumeiri and ‘Abdelrahim Salem al-Sumeiri.
At approximately 13:00, Israeli occupation soldiers in a
military jeep in al-Ja’farawi area in the east of Deir al-Balah in the central
Gaza strip fired at Zeinab ‘Abdulsalam al-Fallit, 45, for no apparent reason,
seriously wounding her with two live bullets in the chest and the right foot.
Also in the afternoon, Israeli occupation forces in the
vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, fired at Palestinian
civilians who were participating in the funeral of ‘Ali Abu Rezeq who was
killed by Israeli forces. Three
civilians were wounded:
1. Dhabab Mahmoud al-Razi, 1½,
wounded by a live bullet in the back while playing near his family’s house;
2. Mohammed Fakhri al-Qassas, 14,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right eye; and
3. Ahmed Mustafa al-Baz, 23,
wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh.
At approximately 07:00, Israeli occupation forces in the
vicinity of Tel al-Sultan roadblock in the west of Rafah fired at two
Palestinian laborers who were on their way to their work in a settlement in
al-Mawasi area in Rafah. The two were
wounded:
1. Mahmoud ‘Abdelsalam Shaqfa, 20,
wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the face; and
2. Yasser Hassan al-Sufi, 31,
wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh.
As part of their attacks against Palestinian fishermen,
at approximately 16:00, Israeli naval forces in a gunboat fired at a
Palestinian fishing boat that were sailing near Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza
Strip. Two Palestinian fishermen were
wounded:
1. Lu’ai Jom’a Zayed, 20, from
Beit Lahia, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot; and
2. Ahmed Isma’il Zayed, 18, from
Beit Lahia, wounded by a live bullet in the right arm.
At approximately 19:00, ‘Omran Hussein ‘Abdullah
al-‘Oudeh, 26, from Deir ‘Ammar village in Ramallah district, was killed by a
live bullet in the head. Al-‘Oudeh had
earlier evacuated a sick relative of his to hospital. When he was on his way back to his village,
Israeli occupation forces at ‘Ein ‘Arik roadblock shot him dead for no apparent
reason.
At approximately 11:10, Israeli occupation soldiers in a
tank positioned near “Elli Sinai” settlement, north of Beit Lahia in the
northern Gaza Strip, fired at some Palestinian farmers who were farming their
lands. A farmer, Ra’ed Hassan Sa’da, 24,
was wounded by a live bullet in the back.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli occupation forces at a
military roadblock at al-Shuhada’ junction, south of Gaza City,
indiscriminately opened fire Palestinian cars that were waiting to cross the
roadblock. Dunia Ra’fat Shahin, 11, was
wounded by a live bullet in the left hand, while she was playing in the yard of
her family’s house, approximately 300m away from the roadblock.
At approximately 22:00, intense shooting was heard in
the east of ‘Arrabeh village in Jenin.
At midnight, an Israeli combat helicopter shelled an animal farm in the
same area. Villagers rushed to the area
to check what happened. They found that
‘Eid Yousef Jardan, 67, and his son Ahmed, 26, were wounded by shrapnel. Jardan told them that his son Mohammed, 37,
left the area two hours earlier.
Villagers searched for him in the farm.
They found him and his two wives, Amal Hardan, 33, pregnant in the seventh
month, and Jamila Hardan, 34, killed approximately 200m away from the farm. They were hit by live bullets in the head and
neck. According to eyewitness, they saw
undercover units of Israeli occupation forces moving into the village in the
evening, indicating that Israeli forces willfully killed the man and his two
wives.
On Wednesday morning, 10 April, Israeli occupation
forces assassinated Akram Sedqi al-Atrash Abu Sneineh, 28, from Hebron. According to an investigation carried out by
LAW, Israeli occupation forces came to al-‘Abaher area in the south of Dura
village, at approximately 15:00. They
shelled a house owned by Fawaz and Fayez Mohammed ‘Amru. The two were not in the house. Soon, Israeli forces brought an old man, a
neighbor of the two brothers, and ordered him to extinguish a fire that had
broke out on the upper part of the body of a young man. Israeli forces claimed that the young man
fired at them from inside the house.
Israeli forces continued to shell the house. Then, they demolished it with a
bulldozer. The body of the young man
remained on the ground until 09:00, when an ambulance evacuated him. According to eyewitnesses, the young man was
blind. Israeli forces claimed that he
was a leader of Ezziddin al-Qassam Brigades of Hamas in Hebron.
In a failed assassination attempt that apparently
targeted an activist of the Islamic Jihad, on Saturday, 6 April, two Israeli
combat helicopters launched two missiles at a civilian car that stopped near a
mosque in Hebron. The car was totally
destroyed. The activist survived the attack,
but eight passing civilians were wounded, one of whom was in serious condition.
This week, Israeli occupation forces arrested a number
of Palestinians. The
arrests took place in the following circumstances:
1. At international border crossings,
under the control of Israeli occupation forces.
2. At Israeli military roadblocks
on main and branch roads at the entrances to Palestinian cities and villages.
3. In Palestinian towns and
villages, often during house raids.
4. During incursions into Palestinian
controlled areas.
The following are significant arrests that took place
this week:
On Thursday, 4 April, Israeli occupation forces raided
the house of Salem Mohammed Abu ‘Eyada in Johor al-Dik area, southeast of Gaza,
and arrested his two sons Jihad, 35, and Talal, 33, after they asked for the
surrender of his other son Yasser.
On Saturday morning, Israeli occupation forces imposed a
curfew on al-Barid neighborhood in the north of Jerusalem. They besieged the house of Afnan ‘Abdehafizh
al-Ja’ouni. They ordered her and her
daughter to leave the house. Then, they
broke into the house and arrested her nephew Sahadi Mohammed Raja’ei
al-Shurafa, 25. They also arrested Lu’ai
Ibrahim ‘Oudeh, 22, from his neighboring house.
*****
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.
