Introduction

 

This report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories (OPT) from August 9-15, 2001. According to PCHR’s investigations, during this
week, Israeli occupation forces and settlers escalated their attacks against
Palestinian civilians and property. These attacks included:

1) Continued assassinations and extra-judicial killings against
Palestinians;

2) Continued shooting at Palestinian civilians who
continued their protests throughout the OPT;

3) Shooting at Palestinian civilians and civilian cars
without any clashes taking place;

4) Continued shelling of Palestinian civilian and
security facilities by tanks and warplanes;

5) More incursions into areas under the jurisdiction of
the Palestinian National Authority;

6) Attacks against Palestinian national institutions in
Jerusalem and the appropriation of the Orient House;

7) More arrests that targeted Palestinians;

8) Continued attacks by settlers under full protection
of the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians; and

9) Continued siege on the OPT and closure of Rafah
Border Crossing.[1]

 

Despite increasing
international criticism, Israeli occupation forces continued to carry out a
policy of liquidating those whom the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon
considers “Intifada activists.” This
week witnessed two new extra-judicial killings that resulted in the death of
two Palestinian civilians.

 

On Monday, August 13,
2001, an undercover unit of the Israeli occupation forces assassinated Nasser
Ismail Zeidia, 22, from Qalandya refugee camp near Jerusalem. According to eyewitnesses, members of the
undercover unit, who were travelling in an Israeli civilian car, chased Zeidia
in his car, while shooting at him.

 

In the second incident,
‘Emad Suleiman Mahmoud (El-Dik) Abu Sneineh, 27, from Hebron, father of three
children, was killed. On Wednesday,
August 15, 2001, Abu Sneineh was killed by an Israeli undercover unit while he
was in front of his house.

 

On Friday, August 10, 2001, clashes erupted between
Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli occupation forces, positioned at a
settlement road linking between Al-Shuahda’ junction and Al-Mentar (Karni)
Outlet, east of Gaza City. Israeli
occupation soldiers fired from machine guns equipped with silencers at
Palestinian demonstrators. In these
clashes, which lasted until the evening, Maher Mohammed Mohammed ‘Aafaneh, 27,
from ‘Aasqoula neighborhood in Gaza City, was killed by a live bullet in the
right side, and Mohammed Ramadan El-Saqqa, 17, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in
Gaza City, was killed by a live bullet in the abdomen.

 

On Sunday, August 12,
2001, Israeli occupation forces indiscriminately shelled Palestinian houses in
Hebon. The shelling lasted for more than
5 hours, during which a 9-year-old child, Sabrin ‘Abdel-Karim Jreiwi Abu
Sneineh, was killed by a medium caliber bullet in the head. 

 

For the second time, since
the start of Al-Aqsa Intifada, the Israeli occupation forces have used F-16
fighter jets to shell Palestinian targets in Ramallah on Friday, August 10,
2001.

 

The Israeli occupation forces continued to
penetrate into areas under full control of the Palestinian National Authority
and to shell Palestinian residential areas. On Monday, August 13, 2001, Israeli troops broke into Jenin in a
wide-ranged aggression against the city.

 

The Israeli occupation forces have taken over
Orient House, the symbol of the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, since
Friday, August 10, 2001, in a campaign against Palestinian national
institutions in Jerusalem and its suburbs.

 

 

1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians

 

Thursday,
August 9, 2001

 

At
approximately 18:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at a
military observation tower in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement west of
Khan Yunis, fired at a number of Palestinian children who were playing near the
municipal park southwest of Khan Yunis,
approximately 200m away. A 14-year-old
child, Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Zaher, was wounded by a live bullet in the left
thigh. PCHR’s field officer in Khan
Yunis reported that the area had not witnessed any clashes.

 

Friday,
August 10, 2001

 

At approximately 14:30 local time, clashes erupted
between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli occupation forces, positioned at
a settlement road linking between Al-Shuahda’ junction and Al-Mentar (Karni)
Outlet, east of Gaza City. Israeli
occupation soldiers fired from machine guns equipped with silencers at
Palestinian demonstrators. In these
clashes, which lasted until the evening, Maher Mohammed Mohammed ‘Aafaneh, 27,
from ‘Aasqoula neighborhood in Gaza City, was killed by a live bullet in the
right side, and Mohammed Ramadan El-Saqqa, 17, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in
Gaza City, was killed by a live bullet in the abdomen.

 

According to eyewitnesses, a number of Palestinian
civilians demonstrated approximately 100m away from Israeli occupation forces
positioned at the settlement road. Two
Israeli military jeeps moved 30-50m forward and Israeli soldiers fired at
demonstrators from the jeeps. Sounds of
shooting could sometimes be heard and in other times Israeli soldiers fired
from guns equipped with silencers. El-Saqqa was his by a live bullet 15 minutes after clashes had
erupted. He was wounded without sounds of
shooting having been heard. He died as
soon as he arrived at hospital. ‘Afaneh
was wounded by a live bullet, approximately 30m away from the jeeps, at
approximately 18:00 local time. An
Israeli soldier was seen pointing his gun at him and sounds of shooting were
heard. He was evacuated to Shifa’
Hospital in Gaza City in critical condition. He succumbed to his wound at approximately 23:30 local time. In addition, four Palestinian demonstrators
were wounded:

1) Hani Nasser Saleh, 18, from Al-Nasser neighborhood in
Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the left forearm;

2) Mohammed Bashir ‘Ayad, 18, from Al-Shojaeya
neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the neck;

3) ‘Azmi Sami ‘Oleyan, 18, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in
Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder; and

4) Hani Mohammed El-Sakani, 17, from Al-Tuffah
neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the left ankle.

 

Saturday, August 11, 2001

 

At approximately 11:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned near Al-Shuhada’ junction,
south of Gaza City, fired at a civilian car, in which a Palestinian cameraman
working for a Japanese television channel was traveling. The car was hit with several live bullets,
but the cameraman, ‘Abdel-Salam Mohammed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Shehadeh, 40, from Gaza
City, was not hurt. In his testimony to
PCHR, Shehadeh said he was traveling with a Japanese journalist, Digua
Nubishar, in a car that had the Japanese flag and a clear press sign. They stopped the car approximately 700m north
of the junction. Although Shehadah
warned the Japanese journalist that the area was very dangerous due to fire
from Israeli soldiers, the Japanese journalist decided to get out of the car
and walk towards the Israeli occupation forces, while Shehadeh remained in the
car. Immediately, Israeli occupation
soldiers opened fire. Live bullets hit
the car and Shehadaeh was forced to move it back, losing contact with the
Japanese journalist. Later, it was
discovered that the Japanese journalist was not hurt.

 

At approximately 14:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at Surda roadblock on the
Ramallah-Bir Zeit road, fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who were
trying to cross the roadblock on foot, going back to their homes. Nasser ‘Abdel-Rahman ‘Oudeh Shoufa, 25, from
Rammoun village, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right
thigh.

 

At approximately 19:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned in “Slao” settlement west
of Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah, fired at a number of Palestinian
children who were playing near Canada well, approximately 300m away. A 10-year-old child, ‘Ezziddin Riad Abu
She’ira, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet in the right thigh.

 

At approximately 19:30
local time, an 8-year-old child, Ahmed Ibrahim Shaqfa, was injured by shrapnel
from a live bullet in the left thigh. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that the child was injured when
he was near his family’s house in Block “O” area in Rafah. Israeli occupation forces, positioned at
Salah El-Din Gate on the Egyptian border south of Rafah, fired at Palestinian
houses in the area, approximately 500m away. This was in response to hand grenades thrown at a military site of the
Israeli occupation forces at the border.

 

Sunday, August 12, 2001

 

At approximately 11:30
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired at a Palestinian civilian car, in
which Maher Ismail Mohammed Abu Daqqa, 40, from Bani Suhaila village near Khan
Yunis, was traveling with his two children. Abu Daqqa was wounded by a live bullet in the left knee. Abu Daqqa had already stopped at a military
roadblock of the Israeli occupation forces south of Deir El-Balah (Abu Houli
roadblock) when suddenly he was fired at. In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Daqqa said:

 

“At approximately 11:30 (local time), on Sunday, August 12,
2001, I was traveling in may car, a Peugeot Thunder, from Gaza City to Khan
Yunis, accompanied by my sons, ‘Omar, 16, and Majed, 14. When we arrived at the Israeli military
roadblock at Abu Houli junction, south of Deir El-Blah, the color of the
traffic lights was red, so I had to atop until being allowed to pass. Then, I saw an Israeli soldier in a cement
observation tower pointing his gun at me. I heard something hitting the car. My sons cried and moved their heads down. I felt a burning sensation in my left knee. I shouted on the soldier, telling him that I
was wounded, but he did not stop shooting. I do not know the reason of this. Approximately 20 minutes later, the soldier allowed us to pass, but I
was not able to drive the car. A taxi
stopped near us and two people came and carried me to the taxi with my
sons. We traveled to the military
roadblock at Al-Matahen junction, north of Khan Yunis, but we were allowed to
pass only 20 minutes later. We went to
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, where I discovered that I was wounded by a live
bullet that fractured my left knee.”

 

Monday, August 13, 2001

 

In the afternoon, Israeli
occupation soldiers, positioned at the entrance to a settlement road linking
between Al-Shuhada’ junction and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, east of Gaza City,
fired at a number of young Palestinian men and children, who were demonstrating
approximately 150m away. Five
demonstrators were wounded as follows:

1) Ra’fat Mohammed Ra’fat Abu
‘Aassi, 15, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet
in the abdomen;

2) Lu’ai Zaki El-Eghwani, 14,
from Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the left arm;

3) Sa’di Salameh Habib, 15,
from Al-Shojaeya neighborhhod in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the
left leg;

4) Hamadan Ayoub Ziada, 18,
from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a live bullet in the
right thigh; and

5) Mohammed Fawzi
El-‘Aamoudi, 17, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen.

 

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

 

In the afternoon, clashes
erupted between a number of young Palestinian men and Israeli occupation
forces, positioned at demarcation lines in Hebron. Israeli occupation soldiers fired at
demonstrators, wounding five:

1) Anas Kamal Mustafa
Masalma, 22, wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis;

2) Murad Mohammed Hureibat,
23, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot;

3) Rami ‘Abdel-Rahim
El-Sa’afin, 20, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the neck;

4) Malek Hani Shabana, 12,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh; and

5) Salem ‘Abed Masalma, 14,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back.

 

At approximately 19:00
local time, Ussama ‘Ali Hamash, 16, from Khan Yunis, was wounded in the abdomen
by a live bullet fired by Israeli occupation forces from a military site in the
vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported
that Hamash was wounded when he was throwing stones along with some children at
the aforementioned site. According to
medical sources at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, he was in moderate to serious
condition.

 

2. Shelling of Residential
Areas

 

Friday, August 10, 2001

 

At approximately 01:40 local time, F-16 fighter jets of
the Israeli occupation forces raided the headquarters of Palestinian police in
Al-Tirah area in Ramallah. In the
attack, the second by Israeli F-16s since the start of the Al-Aqsa intifada,
the headquarters was hit with two rockets that destroyed it, while a third
rocket did not explode. Dozens of houses
and civilian cars in the area were also damaged.

 

Saturday, August 4, 2001

 

At approximately 23:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at Salah El-Din Gate on the
Egyptian border south of Rafah, shelled Palestinian houses near the
border. The shelling lasted until 02:00
local time on the following day, during which more than 30 artillery shells
were fired at these houses. The houses
were already damaged from previous shelling. No casualties were reported, since residents of these houses had already
evacuated them due to frequent shelling.

 

Sunday, August 12, 2001

 

At approximately 04:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Abu Sneineh, Al-Takrouri and
Bab Al-Zawia neighborhoods in Hebron. A
number of houses and shops were severely damaged.

 

At approximately 17:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces again shelled the same neighborhoods, in
addition to Qaytoun, Al-Sheikh and Khellat Hadour neighborhoods and Faisal
Street. Such indiscriminate shelling
lasted for more than 5 hours, during which a 9-year-old child, Sabrin
‘Abdel-Karim Jreiwi Abu Sneineh, was killed by a medium caliber bullet in the
head. PCHR was informed that the child
was on the roof of her family’s house when she was fired at by Israeli
soldiers. The house is in the eastern
part of Abu Sneineh neighborhood, which has been under curfew for two weeks.

 

Moreover, four Palestinian
civilians were injured:

1) Samir Hashem El-Sharif,
44, seriously injured by two live bullets and shrapnel from an artillery shell
in the back and the right shoulder;

2) Haitham Jaber Abu Mayala,
11, injured by a live bullet in the left hand;

3) Nabih Khader Sammouh, 17,
injured by shrapnel from an artillery shell in the right thigh; and

4) Mohammed Zharif El-Zaru,
35, injured by shrapnel from an artillery shell in the right leg.

 

In addition, a number of
houses were severely damaged and two civilian cars were destroyed. A clinic in Al-Krantina neighborhood was also
damaged.

 

 

 

Monday, August 13, 2001

 

At approximately 21:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of “Homesh”
settlement, northwest of Nablus, fired medium caliber bullets at Palestinian
houses in Seilat Al-Zhaher village, southwest of Jenin. Two Palestinian civilians were seriously
injured as follows:

1) Fathi ‘Abdel-Fattah
‘Atteya, 50, injured by a medium caliber bullet in the neck; and

2) ‘Abdel-Mun’em Seddiq
Rahhal, 45, injured by a medium caliber bullet in the shoulder.

 

In addition, a number of
Palestinian houses were severely damaged.

 

At around midnight,
Israeli occupation forces fired an artillery shell from a tank, positioned
approximately 300m away from Grand Park Hotel in Ramallah, at a Palestinian
civilian car, stopped at a Palestinian roadblock in Al-Masioun area in
Ramallah, in which a member of Force 17 (the Palestinian President’s Guard),
Mohammed Khamis Ebrash, 22, from Al-Am’ari refugee camp, was traveling. The shell hit the front of the car, and the
Palestinian security man was seriously injured in the head and throughout the
body. He was evacuated to Sheikh Zayed
Hospital in Ramallah. 

 

Tuesday, August 14, 2001

 

At approximately 05:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in “Gilo” settlement and its
vicinity, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at
Palestinian houses in Beit Jala. Mohammed Hussein ‘Abdel-Latif, 45, from Battir village near Bethlehem,
was injured by a live bullet in the shoulder, and his brother and mother were
injured by shrapnel. The three were
traveling in their private car when they were fired at by the Israeli
occupation forces.

 

Wednesday, August 15, 2001

 

At approximately 21:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the main road between
Hebron and Dura and Zhahereya villages and in Al-Majnouna military site,
shelled Palestinian houses in Al-Tabaqa, Kharsa, Rajm Abu Hilal and Hnini
villages. A site of Force 17 (the
Palestinian Presidential Guard) was destroyed, and three civilians, including a
13-year-old child, were injured.

 

 3. Continued Assassinations
and Extra-Judicial Killings

 

Despite increasing
international criticism, Israeli occupation forces continued to carry out a
policy of liquidating those whom the Israeli government of Ariel Sharon
considers “Intifada activists.” This
week witnessed two new extra-judicial killings that resulted in the death of
two Palestinian civilians.

 

On Monday, August 13,
2001, at approximately 16:30 local time, an undercover unit of the Israeli
occupation forces assassinated Nasser Ismail Zeidia, 22, from Qalandya refugee
camp near Jerusalem. The incident took
place near a military site of the Israeli occupation forces in Kufor ‘Aqab at
Ramallah-Jerusalem road, north of the refugee camp. According to eyewitnesses, members of the
undercover unit, who were travelling in an Israeli civilian car, chased Zeidia
in his car, while shooting at him. They
continued shooting even after the car had stopped. Then, an Israeli car arrived at the
area. Two persons in plainclothes got
out of it and pulled the driver out of the car, while pointing their guns at
him. The driver was bleeding and moving. Then, a military vehicle of the Israeli
occupation forces arrived at the area and took him to an unknown destination.

 

In the second incident,
‘Emad Suleiman Mahmoud (El-Dik) Abu Sneineh, 27, from Hebron, father of three
children, was killed. On Wednesday,
August 15, 2001, at approximately 07:30 local time, Abu Sneineh stopped his
car, a white Mazda, in front of his house in Um Al-Dalia neighborhood, south of
Hebron. When he was about to get out of
the car, an undercover unit of the Israeli occupation forces fired at him from
a distance of approximately 100m, killing him with five live bullets. According to eyewitnesses, members of the
undercover unit were in a white Mercedes 711 truck that stopped approximately
100m away from Abu Sneineh’s car and willfully fired at him. The car of the murderers escaped to a
location of the Israeli liaison forces.

 

According to medical
sources at ‘Aalia Hospital, Abu Sneineh was hit by five bullets, one in the
left eye, three in the chest and one in the right thigh.

 

Abu Sneineh’s house is in
an area under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority in
Hebron. It is approximately 500m away
from demarcation lines in the city. Abu
Sneineh was a smith and was known as a Fatah activist in Hebron.

 

 4. Israeli Occupation Forces
Appropriate Orient House and Continue Their Agression Against Jerusalem

 

Israeli occupation forces
have maintained the closure of Orient House, the unofficial headquarters of the
PLO in Jerusalem and the symbol of a Palestinian political presence in the
occupied city. They had already taken a
series of political measures against the Orient House and a number of
Palestinian institutions in Jerusalem and its suburbs, putatively in response
to a suicide bombing in a restaurant in West Jerusalem on Thursday afternoon,
August 9, 2001.

 

On Friday, August 10,
2001, at approximately 02:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces imposed
a strict siege on all the roads leading to the Orient House in the middle of
occupied Jerusalem. Then, they broke the
gates of the building and beat two of its guards. Israeli soldiers entered the building and
tore down the Palestinian flag, replacing it with the Israeli flag. They searched the building and confiscated
some documents related to the city and its Palestinian citizens. They also confiscated the equipment of the
building. 

 

This escalation, which is
unjustifiable by any security necessity, is part of a new campaign waged by the
Israeli government against the Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, continuing an
Israeli policy of Judaization and ethnic cleansing against Palestinian civilians
and institutions in the holy city. This
measure was taken upon a decision by the Israeli Internal Security Minister,
Uzi Landau, to close the Orient House and all its branches in Jerusalem sine
die. The following branches of the
Orient House were closed:

1) The Planning Department;

2) Prisoners’ Care
Institution;

3) Relief and Reconstruction
Committee;

4) Small Projects Development
Center; and

5) The High Council of
Tourism.

 

The aggression against
Orient House coincided with similar measures against some Palestinian national
institutions. The Israeli occupation
forces raided the Arab Child House and Hind Husseini College. They forced approximately 100 students with
their supervisors to stay in one room until 04:00 local time. They also imposed a siege on Al-Nuzha
building, which houses the following Palestinian NGOs:

1) The Childhood Unit of the
Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment
(LAW);

2) Complaint Office;

3) Land Research Center of
the Arab Studies Society;

4) Al-Qassaba Theater; and

5) Al-Nuzha Theater.

 

They also closed the
Chamber of Commerce in Jerusalem and the Palestinian Prisoner Forum.

 

At approximately 02:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces broke into ‘Eizaria village east of
Jerusalem and appropriated the building of the Governorate of Jerusalem. They tore down the Palestinian flag,
replacing it with the Israeli flag. They
also destroyed a Palestinian police station and appropriated the building of
the Palestinian Ministry of Religious Endowments in the village.

 

At the same time, the
Israeli occupation forces broke into Abu Dis village east of Jerusalem. They imposed curfew on the two villages and
waged arbitrary arrest campaigns against Palestinian civilians.

 

 5. Continued Encroachments,
Land Leveling and Civilian Facilities Demolition

 

Thursday, August 9, 2001

 

At approximately 15:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and military
vehicles, broke into Al-Mughraqa area, south of “Netzarim’ settlement, south of
Gaza City. They intruded approximately
600m into areas under the jurisdiction, while firing intensively at Palestinian
houses. 

 

At approximately 17:00
local time, an Israeli tank raided a 28-square-meter, two-story house, in which
four families comprised of 28 persons live, owned by Mohammed Mustafa
El-Qassas. It destroyed two pillars of
the first floor. It also destroyed a
water line that serves a number of Palestinian houses in the area.

 

At approximately 16:30
local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks, broke into the
sothern part of Tulkarm. They intruded
approximately 300m into areas under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian
National Authority, while firing artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber
bullets at Palestinian houses. These
forces had already shelled a roadblock of the Palestinian National Security
Forces at the southern entrance to the city. A Palestinian police car was destroyed and its driver Mohammed Hassouna,
a policeman, was able to escape unharmed. Furthermore, two civilian cars and a number of houses were severely
damaged.

 

Friday, August 10, 2001

 

At approximately 01:45
local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and bulldozers,
intruded approximately 1,200m into area under the jurisdiction of the
Palestinian National Authority east of Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza City reported
that they destroyed Site 24 of the Palestinian Border Forces. The site had previously been shelled by the
Israeli occupation forces. This incident
was the second of its kind in less than 24 hours. In the first incident, the Israeli occupation
forces thrust approximately 200m into areas under the jurisdiction of the
Palestinian National Authority and withdrew 20 minutes later.

 

Sunday, August 12, 2001

 

At approximately 11:00
local time, two tanks and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupation forces moved
from their military sites at Al-Matahen junction, towards Palestinian houses
east of Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the north and south of the
Gaza Strip) in Al-Qarara village north of Khan Yunis. They intruded approximately 150m into areas
under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority and demolished a
240-square-meter, two-story house owned by Ibrahim Ibrahim ‘Aabdin. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported
that the Israeli occupation forces also razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with palms and citrus, owned by the same
citizen. Moreover, the Israeli
occupation forces destroyed electricity towers in the area, leaving more than 50
Palestinian houses without electricity.

 

Monday, August 13, 2001

 

At approximately midnight,
Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and bulldozers penetrated into
Jenin, under the full control of the Palestinian National Authority. The incursion was described as the widest
military operation having been carried by the Israeli occupation forces inside
areas under the jurisdiction of the PNA since the start of Al-Aqsa Intifada on
September 29, 2000. With intensive
shelling, tanks and bulldozers moved into the western part of Jenin, through
the Jenin-Haifa road, towards the center of the city. Other Israeli units, reinforced with tanks,
moved into the northern part of the city, through the Jenin-Nazareth road,
while firing from heavy machine guns at Palestinian houses. Some other troops attempted to break into the
eastern part of the city. They moved
towards a roadblock of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Sweitat
neighborhood and shelled it. The Israeli
occupation forces attempted to break into Jenin refugee camp and Qabatya
village, under the jurisdiction of the PNA.

 

Israeli helicopters flew
over Jenin, while military sites of the Israeli occupation forces northeastern
of the city fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at the
city. Palestinian civilians who woke up
to the sounds of shelling and shooting and were extremely terrified.

 

On the following day,
Tuesday, August 14, 2001, at approximately 04:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces withdrew from Jenin after they destroyed public property and
electricity and telephone networks. Dozens of houses were severely damaged. They also destroyed a building
comprised of a 17-square-meter mosque, four 600-square-meter offices, three
600-square-meter stores, a 500-square-meter meeting hall and seven
bedrooms. The Israeli occupation forces
also destroyed the gate of the governorate.

 

This incursion coincided
with a similar incursion into southern Rafah. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that at approximately 01:00 local
time, three Israeli tanks and a bulldozer moved from Rafah Border Crossing and
thrust approximately 500m into Salah El-Din Street (the main road between the
north and south of the Gaza Strip). They
fired intensively at Palestinian security sites and the bulldozer demolished
some facilities and leveled areas of land. This included:

1) The gate of Rfah Border
Crossing;

2) An under-construction
building designed for senior visitors; and

3) A 60-square-meter store,
owned by ‘Eid ‘Ayada ‘Oudeh El-Nahhal

 

 

 6. Arrests by the Israeli
Occupation Forces

 

This week, Israeli
occupation forces arrested 16 Palestinians. These arrests took place in the following ways:

1) Arrests at international
border crossings, which are under control of Israeli occupation forces.

2) Arrests at military
roadblocks on main and branch roads and at the entrances to Palestinian cities
and villages.

3) Arrests in Palestinian
towns and villages, often during house raids.

 

The following table lists
significant arrests that took place this week:

 

 

7. Attacks by Settlers
against Palestinian Civilians and Property

 

Thursday, August 9, 2001

 

At approximately 15:00 local time, a number of
Jewish settlers from “Avraham Avino” settlement in Hebron raided the house of
‘Aaref Bader. They appropriated some of
its rooms and mounted the roof, throwing stones at a nearby house, owned by
‘Affifa Mohammed Yousef El-Sharbati. At
approximately 22:00 local time, they fired at El-Sharbati’s house to terrify
the family. According to El-Sharbati,
the Israeli occupation forces did not intervene to stop the settlers.

 

At approximately 16:30 local time, a number of
Jewish settlers in Hebron threw incendiary material inside a Palestinian house,
owned by Fadhel Mohammed Abu Mayala, 50. A room was completely burnt, and a 18-day-old infant, Shireen Abu
Mayala, and a 7-year-old child, Yousef Jamal Taha, suffered from
suffocation. The two were moved to
hospital. Settlers also threw stones at
the house, injuring the owner’s daughter, Howaida, 18, in the forehead.

 

At approximately midnight, a number of Jewish
settlers in Hebron threw incendiary material inside a room in a Palestinian
house, owned by ‘Ezziddin Nour El-Din El-Sharbati, and set fire to it; the
family was able to put out fire.

 

Saturday, August 11, 2001

 

At approximately 01:00 local time, Jewish settlers
again attacked the house of ‘Affifa El-Sharbati, throwing a huge stone at the
house. It nearly struck Mohammed
El-Sharbati, 21, the owner’s brother, while he was going to the toilet. 

 

At approximately 14:00 local time, a number of
armed Jewish settlers attacked the southeastern part of Al-Masharqa
neighborhood in Hebron. They beat some
Palestinian civilians and attacked cars and houses with stones and iron
bars. Three civilians suffered from
bruises. They are:

1) Taghrid Hisham El-Ja’bari, 25;

2) Ghada Hisham El-Ja’bari, 22; and

3) ‘Abdel-Hafezh Jaber, 90.

 

At approximately 16:00 local time, Jewish settlers
attacked Palestinian civilians in Hebron. Three Palestinian civilians, including journalist Nayef Dhiab
El-Hashlamon, 40, suffered from bruises.

 

At approximately 17:00 local time, Jewish settlers
beat ‘Eissa Hussein El-Shalalda, 40, from Sa’ir village, east of Hebron, while
he was on his way back from Hebron to his village. He suffered from bruises throughout the body.

 

Sunday, August 12, 2001

 

At approximately 01:30 local time, Jewish settlers,
under protection of the Israeli occupation forces, attacked Palestinian
civilians and property in Hebron. Two
civilians were injured as follows:

1) Mohammed Hamed Abu ‘Eisha, 70,
injured in the head and the leg; and

2) Radhi Hamed Abu ‘Eisha, 50,
injured throughout the body.

 

A number of Palestinian houses were also damaged.

 

****

 

PCHR calls upon the international community:

 

1) To provide immediate and independent 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, in
accordance with their obligations under article 1 to ensure the respect of the
Convention;

4) To investigate and prosecute those believed to have
committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories 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 visits the Occupied Palestinian Territories and that the Resolution
adopted by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in April 2001 be 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.