Israeli Forces Continue to
Perpetrate Crimes in the OPTs
· 3
Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli occupying forces
· 1
of the victims was killed in an extra-judicial assassination
· British
peace activist died from an injury he sustained by Israeli troops in Rafah nine
months ago
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· Houses
were raided and a number of Palestinians were arrested
· Continued
use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in Israeli military operations
· 9
houses in Rafah refugee camp were destroyed
· Construction
of the “separation wall” in the West Bank has continued and more areas of
Palestinian land were seized
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued; a Palestinian civilian was
killed and a number of others were injured
· A
Palestinian house in Hebron was destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the
continuing campaign of retaliation against the families of Palestinians accused
of involvement in attacks against Israeli targets
· In
violation of the right to freedom of religion, Israeli occupying forces
prevented 386 pilgrims from the Gaza Strip from traveling to Saudi Arabia to
attend the Hajj
· Israeli
occupying forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs; a number
of Palestinian civilians were arrested at military checkpoints and border
crossings and a curfew was imposed on a number of Palestinian communities in
the West Bank
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
violate the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs) carrying out various violations, including extra-judicial
assassinations and willful killings. Throughout the week, Israeli
occupying forces also conducted incursions into Palestinian areas; shot at
Palestinian civilians, including children; indiscriminately shelled residential
areas and demolished houses; and leveled agricultural land. Israeli occupying
forces have also continued construction of the “separation wall” inside the
West Bank and have continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs. This week, 3
Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli occupying forces. 1 of the victims
was killed in another extra-judicial assassination. A number of other civilians
were also wounded. A British peace
activist was also pronounced dead, nine months after being shot in the head by
Israeli occupying forces in Rafah refugee camp.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted
3 military incursions into Rafah refugee camp and Wadi al-Salqa village. On 12 and 13 January 2004, Israeli occupying
forces moved into Rafah refugee camp and demolished 9 houses, 3 of them
completely and 2 shops. In addition, 3 Palestinian civilians were injured by
the Israeli gunfire and the electricity and water networks were severely
damaged. Israeli occupying forces also moved into Wadi al-Salqa village,
southeast of Deir al-Balah, where they raided and searched a number of houses
and forced the residents out. They also used a Palestinian civilian as a human
shield while searching the houses and upon withdrawing from the village, they
arrested 2 Palestinians.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to shell
Palestinian residential areas, especially in Rafah and Khan Yunis in the south
of the Gaza Strip. This week, a Palestinian civilian from Rafah was killed by
Israeli shelling while he was inside his house. A number of other civilians
were also injured.
On Tuesday, 13 January 2004, medical sources at a UK
hospital declared that British peace activist, Thomas Peter Hurndall, 22, had
succumbed to an injury he sustained in April last year in Rafah refugee camp.
Hurndall was shot in the forehead by Israeli forces while attempting to remove
young Palestinian children from the line of fire.
For the 3rd consecutive week in the West
Bank, Israeli occupying forces have continued to conduct incursions into Nablus
and neighboring refugee camps and villages. During these incursions, Israeli
troops arrested a number of allegedly wanted Palestinians. They have also
imposed a curfew on the city and neighboring refugee camps since Thursday, 25
December 2003. Palestinian civilians are only able to leave their houses when
Israeli troops temporarily withdraw from the centre of the city. In a military
incursion into Bita village, south of Nablus, Israeli troops shot a Palestinian
civilian and refused to provide him with medical assistance. The victim died
from his wound. This week, Israeli occupying forces began a wide scale military
operation against Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps in the north of the West
Bank. They raided and searched many Palestinian houses and interrogated
Palestinian males. During the
interrogations, Israeli forces drew marks on the hands of those Palestinians
who had been questioned.
In a continuation of the
policy of extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli
political and security establishments, on Thursday, 8 January 2004, Israeli
occupying forces committed another extra-judicial assassination, which left dead
a Palestinian activist from Jaba’ village in Jenin. They claimed that he attempted to escape when
they moved to arrest him. However, according to eyewitnesses, the soldiers
immediately fired at the victim, without any prior warning or any attempts to apprehend
him.
In violation of article 33 of the Geneva Convention
Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949, which
prohibits punishing any protected person for “an offence he or she has not
personally committed,” Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against the families
of Palestinians Israel alleges have ordered, facilitated, or carried out
attacks against Israeli targets. In blatant disregard for the lives of
Palestinian civilians, on Monday morning, 12 January 2004, Israeli occupying
forces destroyed a house in Yatta village, south of Hebron. Israeli troops
first shelled the house, claiming that a relative of the owner was hiding
inside. They then destroyed the house and arrested the owner, along with his
father and one of his brothers.
Despite the fact that the International Court of
Justice is preparing to consider the case of the “separation wall” in
accordance with the UN General Assembly Resolution adopted on 8 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction of the wall. PCHR’s field
workers reported that construction is continuing in numerous areas from the
Jordan Valley in the north, to Hebron in the south. Since Sunday, 11 January 2004, the
construction company hired by Israeli authorities to construct the section of
the “Separation Wall” surrounding Jerusalem began to work 24 hours per day in
the hopes of completing the construction in 6 months. The length of this
section of the wall is expected to be 76km, 25km of which have already been constructed.
The exact path of the wall around Jerusalem has not been decided; however, it
is expected to incorporate “Ma’ale Adomim” settlement, which means moving 15km
to the east of the areas under the authority of the Municipality of West
Jerusalem.
In addition, Israeli occupying forces have continued
to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the
Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces
have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities and restrict
the movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli troops have also maintained
the closure of a number of main and branch roads in the Gaza Strip by stationing
Israeli soldiers at Israeli military checkpoints. Such restrictions on freedom
of movement are in contravention of international human rights law to which
Israel is a state party, including the International Covenant on Economic,
Social and Cultural Rights. This week,
Israeli occupying forces arrested a number of Palestinian civilians at Rafah
Terminal on the Egyptian border, which has been the only outlet for
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to the outside world since the beginning of
the current Intifada.
In the
context of collective punishment measures against Palestinian civilians,
Israeli occupying forces prohibited 386 of a total of 6210 pilgrims from the
Gaza Strip, from traveling to Saudi Arabia to attend the Hajj through Rafah
Terminal. This denial of access to the
Islamic holy sites in Saudi Arabia represents a clear violation of the right to
freedom of religion, as enshrined in Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights, as well as numerous other provisions of international human
rights and humanitarian law.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank.
They have continued to impose a tightened siege on Nablus and neighboring
refugee camps and villages for the 3rd consecutive week, denying
Palestinian civilians, including medical personnel and patients, the right to
freedom of movement. On Sunday, 11 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
further restricted the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected more
military checkpoints and infantry units were deployed on dirt roads, which are
often used by Palestinian civilians as an alternative to main roads. Israeli
troops held hundreds of civilians for long hours, before forcing them to travel
back to their areas. These restrictions on freedom of movement were not limited
to Nablus, as other cities, towns and villages in the West Bank were faced with
similar measures. Israeli occupying
forces also imposed curfews on some areas. This week, Israeli troops positioned
at military checkpoints arrested a number of Palestinians, claiming that they
are wanted by Israeli occupying authorities.
Shelling
of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian
Civilians and Property
Thursday, 8 January 2004
At approximately 00:30, Israeli soldiers positioned
at military locations in the vicinity of “Gush Qatif” settlement block, west of
Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood,
approximately 500m to the east. A Palestinian civilian, Mahmoud Ibrahim ‘Ouda
al-Kurd, 44, left his living-room to move to bedroom, where he thought he would
be safer from the Israeli gunfire, but he was hit by a live bullet in the head.
His family immediately called for an ambulance, and he was evacuated to Martyr
Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah. He later died at the hospital.
At approximately 02:30, Israeli occupying forces
moved into ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, west of Nablus, and imposed a
curfew. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2
Palestinians:
1. Rubin
Lutfi Qatouni, 26; and
2. Amjad
‘Ali Abu ‘Eisha, 24.
At approximately 03:30, 3 Israeli military jeeps
moved into Iraq Bourin village, south of Nablus. They raided and searched a
house belong to Mohammed Hamad Faraj Qadous, 41, and arrested him.
Friday, 9 January 2004
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Qabatya village, south of Jenin. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinians:
1. Mohammed
Najib Abu Wa’er, 20; and
2. Mohammed
Salim Hanaisha, 21.
At approximately 21:00, Israeli occupying forces,
positioned in military posts in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement,
northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Amal
neighborhood to the south. A Palestinian child, Yassmin ‘Abdul Hamid al-Masri,
14, was injured by shrapnel in the back, while she was inside her house,
approximately 600m away from the source of fire.
Saturday, 10 January 2004
At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles and accompanied by 2 dogs, moved
approximately 800m into Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. They
raided 4 Palestinian houses belonging to the Abu Mughassib family and forced
the 46 residents to leave the houses, despite the cold temperatures. They then
searched the houses using the dogs. According to residents of the houses,
Israeli soldiers used Hamad Salama Abu Mughassib, 50, as a human shield when
moving from house to house. Following 3 hours of searching, Israeli soldiers
confiscated 2 mobile phones and arrested 3 residents of the houses, 1 of whom
was released an hour later, while the other 2 remained in custody:
1. Anis
‘Abdul Qader ‘Abdullah Abu Mughassib, 30, a policeman; and
2. Ayman
Hamad Salama Abu Mughassib, 27, a laborer.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Sheikh Musallam area in the old town of Nablus. They raided and
searched a house belonging to the family of Rami Khalil Abu Rabi’, 27, a guard
of An-Najah National University in Nablus. They then arrested him.
At approximately 06:00, an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved into Kufor ‘Ein village, northwest of Ramallah, using a
Palestinian registered civilian car. Israeli soldiers surrounded a house
belonging to the family of Midhat Mahmoud al-Barghouthi, 19. The undercover
unit was soon reinforced by 7 Israeli military jeeps. Israeli soldiers threw concussion grenades
(sound bombs) into the house, damaging the house. Upon withdrawal, Israeli
occupying forces arrested al-Barghouthi.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. They opened fire at Palestinian
houses and in the camp’s market. 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children,
were wounded:
1. Sameh
Riad Amin Qamhia, 13, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the chest;
2. Ibrahim
Darwish Abu ‘Ayash, 14, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right
knee;
3. Hatem
Jihad ‘Abdul Salam Abu Rajab, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in
the back; and
4. ‘Emad
Mahmoud ‘Abdullah Asmar, 22, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
abdomen.
At the same time, Israeli soldiers positioned at
military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian, Sa’id Saleh Abu
Shammala, 17, was wounded by shrapnel in the right hand.
At approximately 18:00, 3 Israeli military jeeps
moved into Beit Rima village, northwest of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers opened
fire at Palestinian houses and passing civilians. Rami Tahseen Subhi al-Rimawi,
16, was wounded by 2 rubber-coated metal bullets in the head and the right
leg.
At approximately 20:00, Israeli soldiers positioned
in military posts in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Rabwat, al-Katiba and
al-‘Araishia neighborhoods. A Palestinian civilian, Sharif Mansour Wafi, 31,
was wounded by shrapnel in the face, while he was in al-Katiba neighborhood,
approximately 1km away from the source of fire.
Sunday, 11 January 2004
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin. They raided and searched a number
of houses. Before their withdrawal from the village a few hours later, Israeli
troops arrested 5 Palestinians:
1. Munir
Amin Sammar, 22;
2. ‘Ammar
Mohammed Sammar, 23;
3. Badi’
Salim Nawahda, 25;
4. Mashour
Mohammed ‘Abahra, 21; and
5. Mahmoud
Fahim Furaihat, 18.
In the morning, in an excessive use of force, Israeli
occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian during an incursion into Bita
village, southeast of Nablus. He was
left bleeding for 30 minutes before he died.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitness
testimonies, at approximately 05:00, 7 Israeli military jeeps moved into Bita
village, southeast of Nablus. They raided and searched a number of Palestinian
houses. At approximately 07:00, a number
of Palestinian boys gathered in the center of the village and threw stones at
the military jeeps. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at the boys, wounding
18-year-old Fu’ad Kamel ‘Omar Jarwan with a live bullet in the abdomen. A
number of Palestinian civilians tried to offer him help, but Israeli soldiers
opened fire and prevented anyone from attending him. At approximately 07:30, a
Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance was allowed to attend to him, but he
had already died. His body was removed to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus. Israeli soldiers at Hawara military
checkpoint, south of Nablus, obstructed the ambulance’s passage for 15 minutes.
At approximately 15:00, 2 Israeli military jeeps
moved into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus, and imposed a curfew. A number of Palestinian children gathered in
the center of the village and threw stones towards the military jeeps. Immediately,
Israeli soldiers fired at the children, wounding 2:
1. Mohammed
Layeq Taher Abu Hait, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg; and
2. Rabi’
Wa’el Ahmed ‘Edwan, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
face.
Monday, 12 January 2004
At approximately 01:30, Israeli occupying forces
moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinians,
including 2 brothers:
1. ‘Enaya
‘Abdul Halim Hussein, 35, a member of the Palestinian General Intelligence;
2. Fathi
‘Abdul Halim Hussein, 30, a policeman; and
3. Fathi
Hassan Ahmed ‘Edwan, 40.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces
raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Kayed Hassan Haroun, 24,
in the old town of Nablus, and arrested him.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Koubar village, north of Ramallah. They opened fire at Palestinian houses. Israeli troops raided and searched ‘Omar al-Barghouthi’s house. Then, they arrested his wife, Suhair
al-Barghouthi, 42. She is the mother of
5 children. The hudband and his son
‘Aasef had been already detained by Israeli occupying forces.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by dozens of military vehicles, moved into Tulkarm refugee
camp. They opened fire at Palestinian
houses and imposed a curfew. They raided
dozens of Palestinian houses and forced men living in the refugee camp to
gather in the yards of UNRWA schools. Israeli intelligence officers interrogated these men. Dozens of men were also taken to the
headquarters of the Israeli intelligence, west of Tulkarm, to pursue
interrogation. Israeli occupying forces
arrested 15 of these men. In addition, 4
Palestinian civilians, including 2 women, were wounded by Israeli gunfire:
1. Tariq
‘Othman Khaled Qawzah, 24, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg, causing
bone fractures;
2. Rudaina
Asa’ad Muraweh al-Sheikh Yousef, 22, wounded by a live bullet in the right
foot;
3. Sumaya
Ibrahim Sabah Sha’ban, 30, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh; and
4. Jamal
‘Atiya Raja Zayet, 43, wounded by shrapnel in the left eye.
At approximately 14:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 200m into Block O in
Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. This incursion continued until 20:00 and was
accompanied by indiscriminate shelling from Israeli heavy military
vehicles. 3 Palestinian civilians, including
2 children, were injured:
1. Ibrahim
Khalil al-Basiouni, 17, injured by shrapnel in the face;
2. Amin
‘Abdul Karim Hashem, 20, injured by shrapnel in the head; and
3. ‘Abdul
Karim ‘Ali Jouda, 15, injured by shrapnel in the left shoulder.
The electricity and water networks of the area were
severely damaged by the Israeli shelling. Israeli armored military bulldozers also demolished 6 Palestinian houses
and 2 shops:
1. They
totally demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed uninhabited house owned
by Fatema Abu Jazar.
2. They
partially demolished a 120-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by ‘Emad Ahmed
Sa’ad al-Din Abu Humaid, in which 14 people (4 families) live.
3. They
partially demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by
Ibtrahim Hassan Hudaihed, in which 1 person lives.
4. They
partially demolished an 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Hassan
Ahmed Mohammed Daoud, in which 6 people (2 families) live.
5. They
partially demolished a 140-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by ‘Aatef Nayef
Jaber al-Qutati, in which 25 people (5 families) live.
6. They
partially demolished a 150-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by ‘Ali ‘Abdul
Jalil Mohammed al-Ghoul, in which 11 people (4 families) live.
7. They
totally demolished a 60-square-meter shop of car parts owned by ‘Aadel Nayef
al-Qutati.
8. They
totally demolished a 60-square-meter shop of animal feeds owned by Eyad Ziad
al-Qutati.
At approximately 20:00, 7 military jeeps and 2
armored personnel carriers of Israeli occupying forces moved into ‘Anabta
village, east of Tulkarm. They raided
and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinians, including 2
brothers:
1. Karim
‘Abdul Rahman Najib al-‘Oun, 23;
2. Nabil
‘Abdul Rahman Najib al-‘Oun, 26; and
3. Amjad
Hassan Barakat, 24.
Tuesday, 13 January 2004
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops raided and searched a number
of houses and arrested 3 Palestinians, including one father and son pair:
1. Eihab
Mansour Khalilia, 19;
2. ‘Omar
Mohammed ‘Alawna, 55; and
3. Ahmed
‘Omar Mohammed ‘Alawna, 20.
At the same time, Israeli occupying forces moved into
Bourqin village, west of Jenin. They
raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 6 Palestinians:
1. Rami
Talal Khallouf, 19;
2. Mohammed
al-Sa’di, 21;
3. Mohammed
Hamdan, 20;
4. Qassem
‘Antar, 25;
5. Mohammed
Hammad, 23; and
6. Bilal
Hammad, 24.
At approximately 03:30, Israeli occupying forces
moved into the Northern ‘Assira village, north of Nablus. They surrounded the house of Mohammed Asa’ad
Sawalha, 46, and arrested his son, ‘Ataef, 19, a sophomore in the college of
engineering at al-Najah National University in Nablus.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Tarqoumia village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Ziad Hamad
al-Fatafta, 32, and arrested him.
At noon, an undercover unit of Israeli occupying
forces moved into Salfit town. The
Israeli unit was wearing civilian clothes and traveling in a civilian car with
Palestinian registration plates, south of Nablus. The Israeli soldiers surrounded the Emergency
Hospital in the center of the town and arrested 2 Palestinians:
1. Jasser
‘Abdul Mon’em al-Dik, 27; and
2. Firas
Fathi Salim, 23.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli soldiers positioned
in a military post to the north of al-Tuffah military checkpoint, west of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. Eyad Farouq al-Tah, 30, a member of the
Palestinian National Security Force, was wounded by a live bullet in the right
foot. PCHR’s field worker in Khan Yunis
reported that al-Tah was wounded while he was on-duty in the Sea Street,
approximately 250m away from the source of fire. His colleagues and a number of civilians
hurried to offer him help. Israeli
soldiers continued to fire at the area. 5 civilians, including 2 of al-Tah’s colleagues, were wounded:
1. Ra’ed
‘Abdullah Barakat, 30, a member of the Palestinian National Security Force,
wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis;
2. Hassan
Ghanem Abu al-‘Arraj, 45, a member of the Palestinian National Security Force,
wounded by shrapnel in the right hand and sustained bruises;
3. ‘Aadel
Nahed Khalil al-Najjar, 14, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
4. Mahmoud
‘Omar Joma’a Hamed, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot; and
5. Riad
‘Abdu ‘Abdul Qader Siam, 19, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 200m into Block O in
Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. This incursion continued until 17:00, during
which Israeli armored military bulldozers demolished 3 Palestinian houses:
1. They
totally demolished a 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Salem
‘Abdul Hamid Mohammed Abu Taha, in which 14 people (3 families) lived;
2. They
totally demolished a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Emad
Mohammed Hamad Abu ‘Anza, in which 12 people (3 families) lived;
3. They
partially demolished a 170-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Isma’il
Hamed Hamdan Abu Lebda, in which 15 people (2 families) live.
At approximately 17:30, the overflow of al-Salqa
Valley resulted in the blockade of the road leading to Abu Zaher area in
al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. PCHR warned that such overflow might load houses in the area with water,
as Israeli occupying forces has closed the valley since 4 January 2004. Later, water sneaked into 2 houses that were
partially destroyed by Israeli troops on Saturday, 3 January 2004:
1. An
asbestos-roofed house owned by Hammad Suleiman Abu Zaher, in which 7 people
live;
2. An
asbestos-roofed house owned by Nassim Suleiman Abu Zaher, in which 5 people
live.
At approximately 23:30, the Palestinian liaison was
able to coordinate the vacation of residents of the two houses to a more secure
place.
At approximately 19:45, medical
sources at a British hospital declared that British peace activist, Thomas Hurndall,
22, died from an injury he sustained after being shot by Israeli forces last
year in Rafah refugee camp. Tom had been in a vegetative state since the
shooting in April of last year and died in London, after developing pneumonia.
According to PCHR’s
investigations, on Friday 11 April 2003, Israeli snipers positioned at the
Egyptian border, south of Rafah, fired at Thomas Hurndall, 22, when he
attempted to move Palestinian children out of the way of Israeli gunfire.
Hurndall was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the forehead. He was evacuated to an Israeli hospital and
then transferred to a British hospital, where he remained until the time of his
death. It is worth noting that on 16 March 2003, Israeli occupying forces
killed Rachel Corrie, a US citizen and member of the International Solidarity Movement,
when she was attempting to stop Israeli military bulldozers from demolishing
Palestinian houses in Rafah.
Wednesday, 14 January 2004
At approximately 02:45,
Israeli occupying forces moved into Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus and opened
fire at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian woman, Badria Muraweh ‘Aamer, 50, was
seriously wounded by 3 live bullets in the chest, right hand and leg. PCHR’s field worker in Nablus reported that
she was wounded while performing the afternoon prayers in her house. The Mayor
of Nablus attempted to evacuate her to a hospital in Nablus in his private car,
but Israeli troops at a military checkpoint at the entrance of the village
denied him passage. A Palestine Red Crescent Society ambulance transported her
from the checkpoints and she was transferred to an Israeli hospital.
Extra-Judicial
Assassination
In a continuation of the
policy of extra-judicial assassinations officially adopted by the Israeli
political and security establishments, on Thursday, 8 January 2004, Israeli
occupying forces committed another extra-judicial assassination, killing an allegedly
wanted Palestinian. Israeli forces
claimed that he attempted to escape when they moved to arrest him. However, according to eyewitnesses, Israeli
forces fired at the victim without any prior warning or any attempts to
apprehend him.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitness
testimonies, at approximately 02:45 on Thursday, Asa’ad Saleh Khalil Khalilia,
31, from Jaba’ village, south of Jenin, was walking near the entrance to the
town. When he approached the Palestinian Civil Defense building, a Palestinian
registration civilian car passed near him and immediately 3 passengers in
civilian clothing opened fire at him. He
was instantly killed by several live bullets. Residents of the area called for an ambulance and the victim’s body was
removed to Dr. Khalil Suleiman Hospital in Jenin. According to medical sources,
the victim was hit by 21 live bullets throughout the body. Israeli occupying
forces claimed that the victim was an activist of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the
military wing of Fatah movement, in Jenin.
Collective Punishment against Families of Wanted
Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli
Targets
In violation of international humanitarian law, in
particular the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War of 1949, article 33 of which prohibits punishing any protected
person for “an offence he or she has not personally committed,” Israeli forces
took retaliatory measures against the families of Palestinians Israel alleges to have
ordered, facilitated, or carried out attacks against Israeli targets.
In disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians,
on Monday morning, 12 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a house
belonging to the family of Mahmoud Khalil al-Nawaja’a, 32, in Yatta village,
south of Hebron. Israeli troops first
shelled the house as they thought that ‘Eissa al-Nawaja’a, 32, a relative of
the owner, was hiding inside. Then, they
destroyed the house and arrested the owner, along with his father and one of
his brothers.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitness
testimonies, at approximately 04:30 on Monday, 11 Israeli military vehicles
moved into Khuraisa area in the northeast of Yatta village, south of Hebron. Israeli troops surrounded a 180-square-meter,
2-storey house owned by Mahmoud Khalil al-Nawaja’a. They called on the 9 residents of the house,
including 4 children, through megaphones to get out of the house and they
did. Five minutes later, Israeli troops
called on ‘Eissa al-Nawaja’a to surrender, whom they claimed was hiding inside
the house, and then shelled the house. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops shelled the house sporadically
for more than 2 hours, which caused the house to be partially damaged. Afterwards, Israeli troops brought a military
bulldozer to the area and demolished the house. They then searched under the
ruins of the house until 11:00, but they did not find anyone.
Continued Construction of the “Separation
Wall”
On Friday morning, 9 January 2004, Israelis resumed
leveling and destroying Palestinian land near the “Kharsina”
settlement, northeast of Hebron for the continued development of the
infrastructure of the “Separation Wall” around Israeli settlements
established on Palestinian land in Hebron. This operation continued until
Monday evening, 12 January 2004, during which Israeli troops razed 24 donums of
Palestinian agricultural land, uprooted 95 olive, gage, and almond trees, and
destroyed a number of retaining walls in Bani Salim and al-Bowaira
neighborhood, southwest of the aforementioned settlement. The destroyed area of land belong to Khalifa
‘Abed Da’na, ‘Abdul Hafez Younis Da’na, Mohammed Mahmoud Jaber and the families
of Sultan and al-Ja’bari.
Also on Friday morning, 9 January 2004, Israeli
military bulldozers began digging a trench that would extend from the Jordan
River in the east, to the northern edges of the villages of Bardala and ‘Ein
al-Baida, north of Tubas, to the west. The trench would lay the foundations for the construction of the “Separation
Wall” in the area. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops started to
establish a road in the Qo’eina area, north of Bradala village, to construct a
part of the wall in the area. Israeli
troops’ aim is to isolate the two villages, which are located in the northern
Jordan Valley and established a number of military observation points equipped
with developed observation equipment. Such Israeli military measures would deprive Palestinian shepherds from
grazing their animals on the foot of mountains and neighboring areas.
On Saturday, 10 January 2004, officers of the
so-called “High Organization Council” of the “Israeli Civil
Administration”, the civil wing of Israeli occupying forces, handed two
written orders to ‘Abdul Wadoud and ‘Abdul Bari Mousa Abu Shamsia to stop the
construction of their houses in the al-Baqa’a area, northeast of Hebron, near
“Kharsina” settlement. Israeli
occupying forces have continued to raze Palestinian land in the area to
construct the “Separation Wall.”
In Qalqilya, hundreds of Palestinians in the villages
of ‘Azzoun ‘Atma, Ras ‘Atiya, Magharet al-Daba’a and Wad al-Rasha have been
denied access to their agricultural lands, which have become isolated to the
west the “Separation Wall.” Israeli occupying forces have also denied Palestinians living in the
villages to the west of the wall from accessing their agricultural land located
to the east of the wall. Residents of
these villages have been subject to harassment by Israeli soldiers positioned
at gates established along the wall. These villages now resemble a jail area and have been deprived of water
supplies. Israeli soldiers do not allow any
Palestinian living outside of ‘Azzoun ‘Atma village to enter the village. It is worth noting that 2000 Palestinians live
in the ‘Azzoun ‘Atma village, 500 live in Ras ‘Atiya village and 600 live in
the villages of Magharet al-Daba’a and Wad al-Rasha.
Continued Siege on the OPT
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip
and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities and restrict movement of Palestinian
civilians in the Gaza Strip. They have also maintained the closure of a
number of main and branch roads in the Gaza Strip by Israeli soldiers stationed
at Israeli military checkpoints. Such restrictions on freedom of movement
are in contravention of international human rights law to which Israel is a
state party, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and
Cultural Rights.
Israeli occupying forces positioned at the Abu Houli
and al-Matahen checkpoints on Salah al-Din Street, the main road between the
north and south of the Gaza Strip, continued to obstruct movement of
Palestinian civilians. The two checkpoints, which are open for a maximum
of a few hours each day, have become notorious for acts of humiliation and harassment
by Israeli soldiers.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
severe restrictions on travel through Rafah Terminal on the Egyptian border,
which has been the only outlet that the Gaza Strip has to the outside world
since the beginning of the current Intifada. The terminal is opened
between 09:00 and 18:00, and only 6 Palestinian employees are allowed to work
at the terminal. The number of Palestinians traveling through the
terminal is about 300-400 a day. Palestinian travelers are subject to
humiliation and prolonged travel procedures. A number of travelers is
also denied travel permission for no apparent reason. Furthermore, many Palestinian
travelers are often forced to spend the night on the Egyptian side of the
terminal waiting permission to cross into the Gaza Strip. The Israeli intelligence also summons a
number of travelers for interrogation and arrests are frequent. This week, Israeli occupying forces arrested
6 Palestinian travelers as follows:
On Thursday, 8 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
arrested Mohammed Talal Mohammed Abu Sha’ira, 20, from Rafah, a student at the
Islamic University in Gaza city, when he attempted to travel to Saudi Arabia to
spend the midterm holiday with his family.
On Friday, 9 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
arrested 2 Palestinians who were returning to the Gaza Strip from Egypt:
1. Mohammed
Fayez Mohammed Abu Taha, 22, from Rafah, who took his child to Egypt to receive
medical care; and
2. Na’el
Fathi Mahmoud al-Nadim, 25, form Gaza City.
On Sunday, 11 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
arrested 2 Palestinian travelers who were on their way to Egypt:
1. Mahmoud
Ahmed ‘Abdullah al-Natour, 22; and
2. Ra’fat
Mohammed Yousef Sha’ban, 23.
On Tuesday, 13 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
arrested Radi Manar Barbakh, 21, from Khan Yunis, while he was on his way back
to the Gaza Strip from Egypt.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank, especially in the
north.
For the 3rd consecutive week, Israelis
have continued to impose a tightened siege on Nablus. They have closed all military checkpoints at
the entrances of the city and denied movement to Palestinians, including
medical personnel, patients and ambulances. PCHR’s field worker in Nablus reported that Israeli troops positioned at
Beit Eiba and al-Naqoura military checkpoints, northwest of the city, Hawara,
‘Awarta and Za’tara military checkpoints, south of the city, Beit Fourik
military checkpoint, east of the city, and Surra military checkpoint, west of
the city, denied movement of Palestinian civilians for the 3rd
consecutive week. They also erected more
military checkpoints inside the city itself. On Sunday, 11 January 2004, Israeli troops positioned at Za’atra
military checkpoint held hundreds of Palestinian civilians for more than 5
hours. They also held hundreds of
Palestinian civilians at Beit Eiba military checkpoint for several hours and
forced them to travel back to their areas.
Israeli occupying forces have tightened the siege
imposed on Salfit district. According to
eyewitnesses, since 08:00 on Sunday, 11 January 2004, Israeli occupying forces
have reinforced their presence on “Trans-Samaria” road and prohibited
Palestinian vehicles from traveling on it. On the same day, Israeli troops held a number of Palestinian buses at
Hares crossroads, northwest of Salfit, until the evening and then forced them
to return. Israeli troops closed the
northern entrance to Salfit near Yasouf village and denied movement of
Palestinian civilians to and from the town. They also continue to close the entrances to the villages of Hares and
Kufol Hares. In addition, Israeli troops
established sand barriers near a military checkpoint near Qarawat Bani Hassan
village on the road leading to Bedia village. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops closed Deir Ballout military
checkpoint and denied travel from and to Ramallah and neighboring villages. They also imposed a curfew on ‘Azzoun
village.
Since Thursday morning, 8 January 2004, Israeli
occupying forces have tightened the siege imposed on Tulkarm. They erected more military checkpoints on the
main roads leading to the town and complicated the checking procedures at the
iron-gate established on the “Separation Wall” to the north of the
town. This gate connects between the
town and neighboring villages, especially Baqa al-Sharqia. Israeli troops positioned at al-Kafriyat
military checkpoint, south of the town, have imposed more restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli patrols were also deployed on Tulkarm-Nablus road opposite to
Nour Shams refugee camp and al-Salam neighborhoods. Israeli soldiers provoked Palestinian
civilians and fired live ammunition and sound bombs at Palestinian properties
at the entrances of Tulkarm and Nour Shams refugee camps.
This week, Israeli occupying forces used military
checkpoints to arrest allegedly wanted Palestinians.
On Saturday morning, 10 January 2004, Israeli troops
positioned at Surra military checkpoint, southwest of Nablus, arrested ‘Arafat
Majed Mohammed Turabi, 25, from Surra village, a student at al-Quds Open
University in Nablus.
Also on Saturday morning, Israeli troops positioned
at Hawara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested Bashar Mahmoud
al-Rayan, 21, from Nablus.
At approximately 11:00, Israeli troops positioned at
al-Kafriyat military checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, arrested Samer Baker
‘Atallah, 29; and Mo’taz Hamza Hamza ‘Atallah, 28, both from Beit Lid village,
east of Tulkarm, while they were on their way from their village towards
Tulkarm.
At approximately 11:15 on Saturday, Israeli troops
positioned at a temporary checkpoint that was suddenly erected at the entrance
to Beit Lid village, east of Tulkarm, arrested Husni ‘Adnan Hamdan, 28, from
Bala’a village, northeast of Tulkarm.
At approximately 06:00 on Sunday, 11 January 2004,
Israeli troops positioned at Nazlat ‘Eissa military checkpoint, north of
Tulkarm, arrested ‘Abdul Basset Hassan Abu Jilda, 23, from Nazlat ‘Eissa
village, while on his way to his workplace in Tulkarm.
On Tuesday morning, 13 January 2004, Israeli troops
positioned at a military checkpoint at the southern entrance to Hebron arrested
Maher Jibril Mohammed Roumi, 21, from Yatta village.
At noon on the same day, Israeli troops that erected
a temporary military checkpoint at the entrance to Salem village, east of
Nablus, arrested Rami Nihad Yousef Eshtayeh, 30, from Salem village, and Rami
Suleiman Ghanem, 26, from Tulkarm.
This week, Israeli occupying forces obstructed the
movement of Palestinian medical personnel. PCHR’s field worker in Nablus reported that on Thursday, 8 January 2004,
medical personnel from the Palestinian Union of Medical Care Committees, a
group which included a physician, a nurse, a health counselor, and an
obstetrician, moved in an ambulance from Nablus to the clinic in Amatin
village, west of the city. When they
arrived at Beit Eiba military checkpoint, Israeli troops positioned at the
checkpoint allowed the health counselor and the obstetrician to cross the
checkpoint, while denying passage to the physician and the nurse. The ambulance driver attempted to negotiate
with Israeli troops, but they insisted that Nablus was a closed military zone and
only two medical personnel are allowed to pass.
On Sunday morning, 11 January 2004, two medical
personnel from the Palestinian Union of Medical Care Committees moved from
Nablus towards two medical centers in ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya, and Southern
‘Assira, south of Nablus. When they
arrived at Hawara military checkpoint, south of Nablus, they were held along
with ambulances of other medical institutions by Israeli troops for more than
three hours, and then forced to travel back to the city. According to the
medical personnel, Israeli troops positioned at the checkpoint harassed
patients and passing civilians traveling to and from Nablus.
*****
PCHR calls:
1. Upon the international community to
provide immediate and independent international protection for
the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to
the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene to take effective
measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,
in accordance with their obligations under article 1 and article 146.
3. Upon the international community to
investigate and prosecute those responsible for grave breaches perpetrated in
the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence,
expand its activities, and intensify its field operations throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to activate
Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel
must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international community to
provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose
living conditions are deteriorating as a result of the continued siege imposed
by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.
“END”
Public Document
**************************************
For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on
+972 8 2824776 – 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail:[email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
