This
report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT) from June 7–13, 2001. During this period, the Israeli occupation forces and Jewish settlers
continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property. The Israeli occupation forces also continued
to impose its total siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Such actions contradict statements made by
the Israeli government regarding its cease-fire, which began on Tuesday, May
22, 2001.
During
this period, the Israeli occupation forces shot at Palestinian civilians and
shelled Palestinian residential areas. On Saturday, June 9, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces fired four
shells containing tiny metal Flechette arrows at a Palestinian residential
area. Located just south of Gaza City,
the area is home to Bedouin families living in tents. As a result of the shelling, three
Palestinian women were killed. They are:
1) Nasra Salem Hafezh El-Malalha, 65, from multiple
shrapnel wounds;
2) Hekmat ‘Attallah El-Malalha, 17, the first victim’s
daughter, from multiple shrapnel wounds; and
3) Selmia ‘Omar Ghanem El-Malalha, 37, the two victims’
relative, from multiple shrapnel wounds.
There
were no reports of violence in the area prior to the shelling. Later, the Israeli occupation forces reported
that the shelling that killed the three women was a mistake. According to medical sources at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza
City, to which the injured and the dead were transported, the wounds were
created by dart-like shrapnel 3cm long and 3mm in width. According to PCHR’s on-going investigations,
such artillery shells, which have come to be known as “dart-like shells,” have
been frequently used by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian
civilians.
Sunday, June 10, 2001, late at
night, Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Kurdi, 18, from Rafah, was pronounced dead
from an injury he previously sustained when Israeli occupation forces,
positioned at the Egyptian border south of Rafah, fired artillery shells and
heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Block “J” area in
Rafah refugee camp.
On
Monday, June 11, 2001, Nassim Nasser Warsh Agha, 19, from Beit Lahia, in the
north of the Gaza Strip, was pronounced dead at Sheikh Zayed hospital in
Ramallah, from an injury he previously sustained from the Israeli occupation
forces at the northern entrance to Al-Bireh.
Settlers
and Jewish extremists escalated their attacks against Palestinian
civilians. On Sunday, June 10, 2001,
Jamil Qassem Mohammed El-Turk, 47, from Kufor EL-Dik village near Salfit, was
killed after he was severely beaten by Jewish extremists while he was working
on a farm in Tamra, inside the Green Line.
On
Wednesday, June 13, 2001, settlers opened fire on a Palestinian truck traveling
on a bypass road near Jerusalem. The
driver, ‘Awni ‘Abdel-Ra’ouf ‘Ali El-Haddad, 42, from Hebron, was killed, and
three other civilians were wounded.
During
the same period, the Israeli occupation forces continued to impose a total
siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, having a disastrous impact on
the economic and social situation of Palestinians. Under this siege, a Palestinian patient,
Sabri Amin Mahmoud, 41, from Al-Ras village, southeast of Tulkarm, died on Sunday,
June 10, 2001, after the Israeli occupation forces obstructed his access to
hospital.[1]
According
to PCHR’s field observations, Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians
and property during the period covered by this report included:
1) Severe restrictions on the
movement of persons and goods, canceling partial facilitation, including
closing all border crossings, restricting movement between Palestinian cities
and villages, isolating Palestinian areas from one another, and preventing
access by sea to the Gaza Strip;
2) An increase in armed attacks by
settlers against Palestinian civilians and property;
3) The continuation of the policy of
assassinating Palestinian activists, and the deployment of undercover units to
carry out such assassinations;
4) Shootings at Palestinian
civilians who posed no threat to the lives of Israeli occupation soldiers;
5) Shelling of Palestinian houses
and civilian facilities, and the use of shells containing tiny metal Flechette
arrows;
6) Razing of areas of Palestinian
agricultural land;
7) Continuation of arrests that targeted
Palestinian civilians.
1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians
Thursday,
June 7, 2001
At
approximately 10:00 local time, Bir Zeit University students organized a
peaceful march that moved from the university towards a roadblock of the
Israeli occupation forces near Sarda village at Ramallah-Bir Zeit road, in
protest of the continued closure of the road by the Israeli forces. As soon as the march arrived at the
roadblock, at approximately 10:30 local time, Israeli soldiers fired
rubber-coated metal bullets at students, wounding two of them:
1) Nasser Jihad ‘Eid, 20, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet in the face; and
2) Muhannad Ya’qoubi, 20, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right shoulder.
Israeli
soldiers also fired at a Palestinian journalist, Rebhi El-Kubari, 33, from
Ramallah, a correspondent of a local television station. He was wounded with four rubber-coated metal
bullets, three in the right leg and one in the left shoulder.
At
approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, in tanks positioned
at the border with Egypt south of Rafah, fired at a number of Palestinian
civilians near houses next to the border. Two civilians were injured as follows:
1) Ibrahim Mohammed Abu Dhebaa’, 19,
injured by shrapnel in the right arm; and
2) Na’el Ahmed Abu Taha, 25, injured
by shrapnel in the head.
At
approximately 17:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, west of Khan Yunis, fired live ammunition
and tear gas canisters at a number of Palestinian children who were
demonstrating approximately 150m away. Ahmed Mohammed Zo;rob, 17, was injured with shrapnel from a live bullet
in the left foot, and some children suffered from suffocation due to tear gas
inhalation.
After Friday prayers, a peaceful march moved from
the centre of Khan Yunis towards al-Tuffah roadblock to the west of the city,
in protest of practices by the Israeli occupation forces against the
Palestinian people. As soon as the march
came close to the aforementioned roadblock, Israeli occupation soldiers fired
live ammunition and tear gas canisters at protesters. Three Palestinian civilians were wounded with
live ammunition, and dozens suffered from respiratory problems due to tear gas
inhalation. The wounded were:
1) Ra’ed Hamed Abu Touha, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg;
2) ‘Aadel Medlah Sa’ada, 40, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot; and
3) ‘Essam El-Sharif, 18, wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the
right thigh.
At
the same time, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli
occupation forces near demarcation lines in Hebron. Israeli soldiers fired live and rubber-coated
metal bullets at civilians, wounding:
1) Fadi Ismail Jaddou’ El-Jamal, 18, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in
the right arm;
2) Mohammed Hussein El-‘Ajlouni, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in
the left hand; and
3) Ref’at Mohammed Abu Munshar, 19, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in
the abdomen.
At
approximately 18:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, fired at Mohammed Walid Mahmoud Hamdan,
18, from Khan Yunis refugee camp, wounding him seriously with a live bullet in
the abdomen. He was evacuated to Shifa’
hospital in Gaza City for treatment. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that Hamdan was wounded when
he was near the fence of the aforementioned settlement. There were no reports of violence in the area
prior to the shooting.
At
approximately 19:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at a
military site on the Israeli side of the eastern border of the Gaza Strip,
south of Al-Mentar (Karni ) Outlet, opened fire on a number of Palestinian
civilians, approximately 400m away, who were watching land leveling by Israeli
bulldozers. Two civilians were wounded
as follows:
1) Majed ‘Aayesh Abu Jabal, 25, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City,
wounded by two live bullets in the right leg and the left forearm; and
2) Mohammed Frajallah El-‘Omrani, 22, from AlShojaeya neighborhood in Gaza
City, wounded by two live bullets in the chest and the abdomen.
At
approximately 10:30 local time, a number of Palestinian civilians, mostly Bir
Zeit University students, organized a peaceful march that moved from near Best
Eastern Hotel in Al-Bireh towards a roadblock of the Israeli occupation forces
near Sarda village, at Ramallah-Bir Zeit road. Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at a crossroads of Ramallah-Bir Zeit
Road and a settlement road, opened fire on the march. Seventeen Palestinian civilians from the
cities of Ramallah and Al-Bireh, including a journalist, were wounded as
follows:
1) Firas Tannina, a correspondent of Al-Ayyam daily local newspaper,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
2) E’tidal ‘Abdel-Ghani Ismail, 30, wounded by a live bullet in the left
leg;
3) Ebaa’ ‘Omar Faraj El-Barghouthi, 23, wounded by two rubber-coated metal
bullets in the right thigh;
4) Tashil Khalil Shehadeh ‘Arqoub, 36, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the back;
5) Tariq Mazen ‘Oudetallah, 21, wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets
in the abdomen and the right hand;
6) Eyad El-Najjar, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;
7) Ismail Mustafa, 19, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left
hand;
8) Ahmed Abu Shahin, 21, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
left shoulder;
9) Mohammed Jabbour, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
left foot;
10) Tariq Abu Shaqra, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
right hand;
11) ‘Alla’ El-Din Bani ‘Oudeh, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet
in the right hand;
12) ‘Ali Salim ‘Abdel-Rahman Abu Zawawi, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the back;
13) mahmoud ‘Abdel-Qader Abu Rujeila, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the left leg;
14) Mousa Mohammed Shukoukani, 24, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet
in the chin;
15) Ahmed ‘Ali Taha, 77, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
head;
16) Nidal ‘Abdel-Latif Geith, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in
the mouth that broke five teeth; and
17) Zeid Ismail ‘Oudeh, 18, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.
In
the evening, Nassim Nasser Warsh Agha, 19, from Beit Lahia in the north of the
Gaza Strip, was pronounced dead at Sheikh Zayed hospital in Ramallah, from an
injury previously inflicted by the Israeli occupation forces. Warsh Agha was wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the head, fired by Israeli soldiers from a distance of
approximately 15m, during clashes at the northern entrance to Al-Bireh on
Tuesday, June 5, 2001. He had been in
the intensive care unit at Sheikh Zayed Hospital. According to medical sources, a rubber-coated
metal bullet entered the left side of the victim’s head and broke the skull,
and parts of the brain exited out of the head. Warsh Agha was a policeman, but he was wearing civilian clothes and was
not armed when he was wounded.
At
approximately 18:00 local time, a number of Palestinian children demonstrated
to the north of Al-Amal neighborhood in the west of Khan Yunis. Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, fired live
ammunition and tear gas canisters at demonstrators. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yuns reported
that children did not pose any threat to the Israeli forces since they were
approximately 150m away from these forces. Three children were wounded as follows:
1) Ziad Sa’id El-Ghandour, 8, wounded by a live bullet in the left hand;
2) ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Fayez El-Shamali, 10, wounded by four live bullets in the
thighs, the jaw and the right hand; and
3) Hamed ‘Essam El-Rantisi, 15, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the
pelvis.
2. Shelling of Residential
Neighborhoods and the Use of F-16 Fighter Jets
At approximately 00:30 local time, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, west
of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at
Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. As a result of such shelling, which continued sporadically until 03:00
local time, facades of a number of houses that had been frequently shelled
during Al-Aqsa Intifada, were damaged.
Three Palestinian women from
a single family were killed, and two other civilians were wounded by shrapnel
from an artillery shell fired by the Israeli forces on 9 June 2001. According to an investigation conducted by a PCHR field officer, the Israeli occupation
forces fired a number of artillery shells at a Palestinian residential area in
the south of Gaza City, where Bedouin families are living in tents. There were no reported clashes in the area at
the time of the shelling. This incident
indicates that the pattern of shelling of Palestinian residential areas by the
Israeli occupation forces has not ceased in spite of Israeli government
statements to the contrary.
A PCHR investigation
revealed that at approximately 23:00 local time on Saturday, June 9, 2001,
Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Netzarim settlement,
south of Gaza City, fired four artillery shells at tents housing Palestinian
Bedouin families located approximately 2km north of the settlement. According to eyewitnesses, this was an
unprovoked attack on a civilian residential area.
One artillery shell
exploded near where four women of the El-Malalha family were sitting. Three of the women were killed:
4) Nasra Salem
Hafezh El-Malalha, 65, from multiple shrapnel wounds;
5) Hekmat
‘Attallah El-Malalha, 17, the first victim’s daughter, from multiple shrapnel
wounds; and
6) Selmia ‘Omar
Ghanem El-Malalha, 37, the two victims’ relative, from multiple shrapnel
wounds.
Hekmat ‘Attallah El-Malalha
and Selmia ‘Omar Ghanem El-Malalha died instantly. Nasra Salem Hafezh
El-Malalha was pronounced dead early this morning. The fourth woman, Nasra Salem Hussein
El-Malalha, 65, sustained shrapnel wounds to the back and the chest.
A second artillery shell
exploded near Hussein Mohammed Hussein El-Atram, a 28-year-old disabled
civilian, while he was making his way towards a tent near his own. Hussein Mohammed Hussein El-Atram sustained a
shrapnel injury in the right thigh.
A third artillery shell
exploded near a flock of animals owned by Mohammed Hussein El-Atram and Hassan
Salem El-Hawari. Thirteen sheep, a camel
and a donkey were killed.
A fourth artillery shell
exploded in an open area. No casualties
were reported.
According to medical
sources at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City, to which the dead and injured were
taken, the wounds sustained were created by dart-like shrapnel 3cm long and 3mm
in width. According to PCHR’s on-going
investigations, such artillery shells, containing tiny, metal Flechette arrows,
have been frequently used by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian
civilians. Such shells were first used
by the Israeli occupation forces in the Gaza Strip on March 2, 2001 near
Al-Shuhada’ junction to the south of Gaza City, killing Mustafa Hmadan El-Ramlawi,
42, from Al-Boreij refugee camp. On
March 10, 2001, Ziad Sa’id ‘Ayyad, 23, from Gaza City, was killed with one of
these shells at the road connecting Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of
Gaza City, and Al-Shuhada’ junction, to the south of the city. These shells were also used in shelling
Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis and Rafah in three occasions at least (on
April 28 and May 29, 2001 in Khan Yunis, and on May 23, 2001 in Rafah) and
injured dozens of Palestinian civilians.
At
approximately 12:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in
“Halmish” settlement to the northwest of Ramallah, fired heavy and medium
caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in Nabi Saleh village,
approximately 800m away. Four sheep
belonging to Mohammed ‘Abdel-Nabi Hamada El-Shalaldeh were killed. Palestinian civilians were also terrified.
Late
at night, Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Kurdi, 18, from Rafah was pronounced dead
from a previous injury he received when Israeli occupation forces, positioned
at the border with Egypt south of Rafah, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Block “J” area in Rafah refugee
camp. El-Kurdi was then seriously
wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder. He was evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza
City, and from there, he was transferred to the Israeli Ekhlilov Hospital,
where he stayed until he succumbed to his injury late at night.[2]
At
approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers in tanks fired
heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian civilians in Beit Rima village
near Ramallah. Houses approximately
1,500m away were hit, and three Palestinian civilians from a single family were
injured as follows:
1) Zuhour Yousef Ahmed ‘Aqel, 61, injured by shrapnel from a heavy caliber
bullet in the left leg;
2) Samar ‘Abdel-Mou’ti Mohammed ‘Aqel, 19, injured by shrapnel in the right
leg; and
3) Mohammed ‘Abdel-Mou’ti Mohammed ‘Aqel, 15, injured by shrapnel in the
right hand.
Monday,
June 11, 2001
At
approximately 15:00 local time, a bomb exploded in the car of ‘Emad Mahmoud Abu
Dhiab, 24, from Tulkarm refugee camp, while he was driving it. He was seriously injured. Abu Dhiab, a political activist of the
Islamic Jihad, drove his car, which he had stopped approximately 50m away from
his house in Muraba’at Hannoun neighborhood in Tulkarm refugee camp, for
several meters before it exploded. Abu
Dhiab was seriously injured in the head, the neck, the face and several parts
of the body. Additionally, a passing
civilian, Mahmoud Abu Sayat, 19, was inured with shrapnel in the head. The car, a red 1988-made Peugeot, was
completely destroyed. The blast was
apparently planned by the Israeli occupation forces in an assassination attempt
against Dhiab.
At
approximately 01:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of Al-Tuffah roadblock and Neve Dekalim settlement to the west of Khan
Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at
Palestinian houses in the western part of Khan Yunis refugee camp. A number of houses that had been shelled
during the past months received more damage.
At
midnight, the Israeli occupation forces shelled a fuel station of Yousef
Bahloul company, located in Al-Salam neighborhood in the southeast of
Rafah. The Israeli forces fired three
artillery shells containing tiny, metal Flechette arrows that dispersed over a
residential area adjacent to the aforementioned fuel station. Three Palestinian civilians, who were
approximately 150-200m to the north of the fuel station, were injured as
follows:
1) Tariq Sami Jamal El-Tawil, injured by shrapnel in the feet, the legs and
the reproductive system;
2) Rawdha Mohammed Shahin, 47, injured by shrapnel in the arms and the
feet; and
3) ‘Abdel-Halim Mahmoud Badawi, 21, injured by shrapnel in the arms and the
feet.
According
to eyewitnesses, fire broke out in a storage tank of domestic gas. Fire engines of the Palestinian civil defense
were able to put the fire out in one hour. The fuel station, which had been frequently shelled by the Israeli
occupation forces, was severely damaged.
At
approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of “Gadid” and “Neve Dekalim” settlements to the west of Khan Yunis,
fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Baten
Al-Samin area and Zo’rob neighborhood in Khan Yunis. Mohammed Ahmed Sallam, 40, was injured with
shrapnel in the right leg, and several houses were damaged.
3. Land Leveling and House Demolition
At
approximately 18:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces started to build
a barbwire fence 450m long, extending from the northeast of “Dogit” settlement
and “Elli Sinai” settlement. PCHR’s
field officer in the northern Gaza Strip reported that the fence, which was
stapled with iron bars, was established near tracts of land in the north of
Beit Lahia, which were razed during past months, owned by the families of
Khudier and El-Mughrabi, apparently to isolate Palestinian houses and
agricultural land between the two settlements from their surroundings. He added that the Israeli forces left a small
gap in the fence to enable 12 Palestinian families living in the area to reach
their houses and farms. During past
months, the Israeli forces closed all roads leading to the area, so residents
of the area paved alternative roads. There are fears that such action might be a preliminary step towards
annexing the area to the two settlements.
For
the second consecutive day, the Israeli occupation forces had continued to
fence large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the north of Al-Qarara
village near Khan Yunis with barbwire. The area of land that had been fenced is 400
donums, near Al-Matahen junction on Salah El-Din Street (the main road between
the north and south of the Gaza Strip). PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the fenced land was
leveled by the Israeli occupation forces, which also demolished 20 houses in
the area last October.
PCHR’s
field officer in Gaza City reported that the Israeli occupation forces were
leveling areas of Palestinian agricultural land, which were previously razed,
adjacent to the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, between Al-Mentar (Karni)
Outlet and Al-Shuhada’(Martyrs) cemetery. The Israeli occupation forces were also leveling areas of Palestinian
agricultural land on the two sides of a settlement road between Al-Shuhada’
(Netzarim) junction, to the south of Gaza City, and the border, to the east of
Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer added
that the Israeli occupation forces started to establish a new military site at
the end of the aforementioned settlement road, and to level 4 donums of land.
The
Israeli occupation forces continued to dig land along the border to the east of
Beit Hanounin in the northern Gaza Strip. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that such action took place
approximately 40m away from the border inside the Gaza Strip. He added that the Israeli forces were digging
tunnels and trenches, 10m wide and approximately 2m deep.
At
approximately 22:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces established a
fence of barbwires, 1,000m long, along the northern side of a road branch of
Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, leading to Netzarim settlement to the south of
Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza
City reported that the fence was approximately 70m away from the road and
crossed a tract of land owned by Taleb Harazallah, which was previously
razed. He added that establishing the
fence apparently aimed at preventing the access of Palestinians to the road.
4. A Patient Dies at a Military Roadblock
On the
morning of Sunday, June 10, 2001, Sbri Amin Mahmoud, 41, from Al-Ras village to
the southeast of Tulkarm, died after the Israeli occupation forces obstructed
his access to the National Hospital in Nablus. Mahmoud, who suffered from renal failure, left his village at
approximately 04:30 local time in a taxi, traveling to the National Hospital in
Nablus to receive treatment. Since all
main and branch roads between Nablus and Tulkarm were closed, under the total
siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on Palestinian areas, the taxi
driver was forced to resort to an alternative road that took more time. Mahmoud died before reaching hospital. According to medical sources at the National
Hospital in Nablus, since Mahmoud was not able to arrive at the hospital in
time, the level of potassium in his blood increased and led to his death.
This
incident was the second of its kind in four days. On Wednesday, June 6, 2001, ‘Abdel-Hamid
Nemer Eslaimeh, 45, from Ethna village near Hebron, died after the Israeli
occupation forces obstructed his evacuation to hospital. At approximately 19:30 local time, an
ambulance of the Palestine Red Crescent Society transported Eslaimeh to a
hospital in Hebron after he suffered from severe pains in the chest. Since all entrances to Hebron were closed
with military roadblocks, concrete blocks or rocks, the ambulance was not able to
arrive at the hospital. After several
failed attempts to enter the city, another ambulance was called. A medical staff took the patient from the
first ambulance on foot to the other ambulance, which stopped at the other side of the road. It is noteworthy that traveling in a car from
the victim’s house to hospital normally takes only 10 minutes.
According
to PCHR’s documentation, 15 Palestinian patients have died since September 29,
2001, after the Israeli occupation forces obstructed their evacuation to
hospitals.
4. Other Attacks and Arrests
by the Israeli Occupation Forces
At 09:30
local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested ‘Aamer Hussein El-Sharbati,
20, from Hebron, while he was selling vegetables.
At 13:30 local
time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Walid Hamdan Salman El-Farroukh,
26, from his house in Bein’Aynoun village near Hebron.
At 22:00
local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Majed Mohammed Abu Subeih,
27, from his house in the Old City of Hebron.
At 22:20
local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Zahi Faisal Halalani, 30,
from Al-Zhaherya village near Hebron.
Friday,
June 8, 2001
At
approximately 22:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Samer
‘Abdel-Majid Abu Mayalla, 17, from Hebron, while he was going home.
At 15:30
local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Ishaq Shu’eib Mahaqa, 30,
from the center of Hebron.
In the
afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Mohammed Jamil Abu Salah, 20,
from Jenin, in the aftermath of demonstrations organized by Palestinian men in
the eastern part of the city.
Saturday,
June 9, 2001
The
Israeli occupation forces arrested Ghassan ‘Abdel-Majid El-Battat, 35, from
Al-Zhahereya village near Hebron, a driver of a garbage truck of Al-Zhahereya
Municipality, while he was on duty.
Sunday,
June 10, 2001
At
approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
entrance of Nabi Saleh village near Ramallah, arrested Na’el Mahmoud El-Tamimi,
18, and Hassan Ibrahim El-Tamimi, 17, residents of the village.
At
approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at a
military roadblock on Ramallah-Bir Zeit road, arrested Yasser Jawadat El-‘Omar,
from Qarawat Bani Zaid near Ramallah.
At
approximately 15:30, Ra’ed Ibrahim El-Barghouthi, 27, from Kufor ‘Ein near
Ramallah, was arrested by the Israeli occupation forces at the same roadblock.
Monday,
June 11, 2001
In the
afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Hashem Fayeq Yousef ‘Ali, 35,
and Marawn ‘Aaref “Ahmed Sa’id” ‘Ali, 33, both from Kufor Qaddoum village near
Qalqilya, while they were working in “Qidoumim” settlement near their village.
Tuesday,
June 12, 2001
At
approximately 12:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested Ghanem
Mahmoud Salem Dardas, 32, from Gaza City, at Rafah border crossing, while he
was on his way back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Dradas had left the Gaza Strip two weeks ago
to accompany his bother who was going to undergo a surgery in an Egyptian
hospital. Then, Israeli security
interrogators at Rafah border crossing interrogated him, but allowed him to
travel. When he came back from Egypt, he
was arrested.
At
approximately 15:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces arrested a
13-year-old child, Hammam Yousef Abu Haneya, from Hawara village near
Nablus. The child was playing near the
entrance to his village, when Israeli soldiers arrested him and detained him in
a concentration camp in Hawara. He was
released several hours later.
At
midnight, Israeli occupation soldiers raided a number of Palestinian houses in
Al-Jeftlek village near Jericho. They
arrested Mahmoud Saleh Zbeidat, 22, and his brother Jasser, 20.
5. Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians
At approximately 14:00
local time, settlers attacked Mohammed Saber Ibrahim Turukman, 20, from Ya’bad
village in Jenin. Turukman was on his
way home when two settlers got out of their car near a bypass road leading to
“Dutan” settlement and started to beat him. He was injured throughout the body.
In the
afternoon, the body of Jamil Qassem Mohammed El-Turk, 47, from Kufor EL-Dik
village near Salfit, was brought to the UNRWA hospital in Qalqilya. El-Turk was severely beaten by extremist Jews
while he was working on a farm in Tamra inside the Green Line. His family was informed about his death by a
phone call by Israeli police on Thursday, June 7, 2001. According to medical sources at the UNRWA
hospital, the victim was exposed to severe physical violence that caused four
breaks in the skull, and several breaks, injuries and bruises throughout the
body. The Israeli occupation forces
issued permits to his family to go to the forensic medicine institute in Abu
Kabir to receive his body, but the administration of the institute refused to
give them a copy of the results of the autopsy under an order by Israeli
police.
Wednesday,
June 13, 2001
At
approximately 21:30 local time, settlers opened fire on a Palestinian truck
traveling on a bypass road near Jerusalem. The driver was killed and three other civilians were wounded. The truck was traveling from Hebron to
Ramallah through a bypass road when a settler car traveled past it near ‘Anata
village to the east of Jerusalem. Settlers opened fire on the truck, killing its driver ‘Awni
‘Abdel-Ra’ouf ‘Ali El-Haddad, 42, father of 7 children, with several live
bullets, and wounding ‘Awwad ‘Abdel-Jawad Abu Mayala, 50, and his sons Taher,
20, and Ahmed, 23. All the victims were
from Hebron.
****
PCHR calls upon the
international community:
1) To provide immediate international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories;
2) To ensure that the ICRC enhances its presence,
expands its activities and intensifies its field observations throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
3) To ensure that the High Contracting Parties to the
Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 reconvene in order to take effective measures
to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
4) To prosecute those believed to have committed war
criminals before international courts.
5) To ensure that the European Union activates Article 2
of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must
respect human rights.
6) To ensure that the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories and that the Resolution
adopted by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in April 2001 is implemented.
7) To provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian
people whose living conditions are increasingly deteriorating as a result of
the continued siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the entire
occupied Palestinian territories.
For more information on the Al-Aqsa Intifada
see:
