Israeli
Occupying Forces Continue to Perpetrate Violations of Human Rights in the OPTs
· 10
Palestinians, including 3 children, killed by Israeli forces
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· Israeli
forces moved into Rafah refugee camp, killed 8 Palestinians and destroyed 170
houses
· Israeli
forces moved into Qalqilya and Tulkarm and imposed a curfew
· Continued
arbitrary arrests and detentions
· More
areas of agricultural land were razed in the Gaza Strip
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued
· A
house in Nablus was destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the continued
campaign of retaliation against the families of Palestinians accused of
involvement in attacks against Israeli targets
· Israeli
forces ordered the transfer of 18 Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza
Strip
· Continued
siege on the OPTs
· Continued
construction of the “separation wall”
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces have escalated
violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories (OPTa), including extra-judicial and willful killings,
indiscriminate shelling of residential areas, incursions into Palestinian
areas, house demolitions, land leveling, unlawful transfers, and arbitrary arrests
and detentions. They have also imposed a
comprehensive siege on the OPT. This
week, 10 Palestinians, including 3 children, were killed by Israeli occupying
forces.
On Friday morning, 10 October 2003, Israeli occupying
forces conducted a large scale incursion into the Rafah refugee camp, adjacent
to the Egyptian border in the southern Gaza Strip. Under cover of intense
shelling and gunfire from tanks and helicopters, Israeli forces invaded the area
which is one of the most densely populated in the Gaza Strip. During this incursion, which lasted for two
days, 8 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children, were killed and
56 others were wounded, including 20 seriously. Israeli occupying forces
destroyed 170 Palestinian houses, a number of civilian facilities and civilian
infrastructure in the area. More than
2000 Palestinians, mostly children and women, have been rendered homeless. This number is added to hundreds of families
whose homes were destroyed in the same area by Israeli occupying forces in
previous incursions.
Two days after they had withdrawn from Rafah refugee
camp, Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Brazil and al-Salam neighborhoods
in Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border. At time of writing, one Palestinian has been killed and 10 others,
including 6 children, have been wounded by Israeli shelling. Israeli forces also arrested 3 Palestinians, demolished
a number of houses and razed areas of agricultural land. They have also damaged the infrastructure in
the two neighborhoods.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces moved into
Qalqilya and Tulkarm. They also moved
into Nablus and arrested a number of Palestinians. Israeli forces have continued to impose a curfew
on Jenin and its refugee camp for the 11th consecutive day (see
PCHR’s press release issued on 11 October 2003), on Qalqilya for the 5th
consecutive day, on parts of Hebron for the 4th consecutive day and
on Tulkarm and its refugee camp for the 2nd day.
On 15 October 2003, in an apparent willful killing,
Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Tulkarm. They claimed that he did not obey orders to
stop. Israeli soldiers did not offer him
any medical assistance and delayed access for an ambulance for about an hour,
during which time he died.
Further confirming Israel as “a state above
law,” the United States used its veto on Wednesday, 15 October 2003, to
oppose a UN Security Council resolution that calls upon Israel to stop
construction of the “separation wall.” The United States was the only state that
rejected the resolution. Four other
states; Bulgaria, Cameron, Germany and the United Kingdom; abstained. The resolution stated that the construction
of a fence inside the OPTs is illegal and violates international law. The resolution further called for the
immediate cessation of construction. The
resolution further stated that “the UN Security Council rejects the
settlement activities in the OPTs and any confiscation of land that may affect
sources of income.” PCHR is
concerned that this the US veto serves to encourage Israel to perpetrate further
violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including war
crimes, in the OPTs.
In addition to restrictions imposed by Israeli
occupying forces against Palestinian civilians as a result of the construction
of the “separation wall” in the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces
have maintained a total siege on the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including
occupied Jerusalem. Israeli occupying
forces imposed a total internal and external closure on the Gaza Strip from
early morning on Sunday, 5 October 2003. All main internal roads were closed, segregating the Gaza Strip into 4
isolated zones. In the West Bank,
Israeli occupying forces have declared some areas closed military zones.
This week, there were a series of attacks on medical
personnel and facilities by the Israeli occupying forces and restrictions on
movement of ambulances.
In violation of the prohibition on collective
punishment, Israeli forces continued to take retaliatory measures against the
families of Palestinians they allege were involved in attacks against Israeli
targets. In this context, they destroyed
a Palestinian house in Nablus.
On Tuesday, 14 October 2003, Major General Moshe Kaplinsky, GOC of the
Central Command of the Israeli Occupying Forces, issued a military order
transferring 15 Palestinians, who were being held in administrative detention, from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday
morning, 14 October 2003, Israeli Occupying Forces transported a further three
Palestinian detainees to the Erez military compound under a similar
procedure. All 18 are currently detained in Erez pending an appeal
against the transfer order.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 9 October 2003
At approximately 02:00, an Israeli military force of
3 armored personnel carriers and 7 military jeeps moved into ‘Eing Beit al-Maa’
refugee camp and imposed a curfew. Soon
after, they raided and searched a number of houses under the pretext of
searching for allegedly wanted Palestinians. At approximately 07:00, a number of Palestinian children gathered at the
western entrance to the camp and threw stones at the Israeli military
vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers
opened fire at the children, wounding 4:
1. Fadi Ahmed Jamal Quraini, 13, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen;
2. Ahmed Salama ‘Abdul Fattah Kafouf, 15,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg;
3. Yasar Bassam Hamdan, 14, wounded by a
live bullet in the left leg; and
4. Fateh ‘Omar Mohammed Ashqar, 14,
wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the left leg.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved
approximately 400m into ‘Oraiba area in the northwest of Rafah. They demolished an 80-square-meter house
owned by Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed Dahliz and also leveled areas of Palestinian
agricultural land, which they had already razed.
At approximately 20:00, 3 Israeli military jeeps and
a military bulldozer moved from a military location at the entrance to Surra
village, southwest of Nablus, into the village. They blocked a dirt road linking between the village and Til
village. As the Israeli forces withdrew
from the village, a number of Palestinian children and young men gathered and
threw stones towards the vehicles. Israeli soldiers immediately fired at the
stone throwers, wounding 2:
1. Hassan ‘Abdul Halim ‘Abdul Qader
Turabi, 13, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head; and
2. Khader Fathi Hafez Turabi, 22, wounded
by shrapnel from a live bullet in the mouth.
Friday, 10 October 2003
Israeli Military Operation in Rafah
Early in the morning, Israeli occupying forces
conducted a large scale incursion into the Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the
Egyptian border in the southern Gaza Strip. Under cover of intense shelling and
gunfire from tanks and helicopters, Israeli forces invaded the area, one of the
most densely populated in the Gaza Strip. During the 2-day incursion, 8 Palestinians were killed, including 3
children, and 53 were wounded; 20 seriously. Women, children and elderly people
were among the casualties. In an unprecedented escalation of the destruction of
civilian property, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 170 Palestinian houses, a
number of civilian facilities and aspects of the civilian infrastructure in the
area. The incursion left more than 2000 Palestinians, mostly children and
women, homeless, adding to the hundreds of families that have been made
homeless in similar operations in Rafah throughout the current Intifada.
This latest attack is part of a wider strategy which
has already resulted in the destruction of hundreds of houses adjacent to the
Egyptian border, justified by Israeli authorities for ‘security’ reasons.
However, the facts on the ground prove that these demolitions are part of a
strategic policy to clear a large area of Palestinian land near the border with
Egypt to facilitate a wide buffer zone to increase Israeli military control in
the area. Israeli forces plan to establish a 120m-wide highway (referred to as
Philadelphia Road), linking the Negev Desert (inside the Green Line) and
Israeli settlements built on the Gaza coastline to the west of Rafah. Israeli forces have also begun the construction
of a concrete and metal wall parallel to the border with Egypt on land cleared
of Palestinian homes in similar demolition operations.
According to
information collected by PCHR, at approximately midnight on 00:00, Friday 10
October, 2003, more than 80 Israeli tanks, accompanied by military bulldozers
and helicopters, moved approximately 300 meters into Blocks L and J of the Rafah
refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Under cover of heavy shelling by
the tanks and helicopters, Israeli forces raided and took over 8 buildings in
the area, including al-Amal Rehabilitation Center, using them as military
posts. Israeli bulldozers completely demolished 90 houses and partially
demolished 80 others, and destroyed various buildings and aspects of the
civilian infrastructure. 7 civilian
vehicles and a concrete factory were also destroyed and a mosque and the
al-Amal Rehabilitation Center were damaged. Residents of the area told PCHR’s field workers that most of the
demolitions began while the families were still inside their homes.
Soon after
Israeli forces moved into the area, clashes broke out between members of the
Palestinian resistance and Israeli forces, during which time 3 armed
Palestinians were killed. 5 other Palestinians, including 3 children, were
killed as a result of indiscriminate shelling and shooting from tanks and
helicopters into the densely populated area. 53 civilians were injured,
including 19 children, 6 women and 6 elderly people. PCHR’s field worker
reported that the 6 elderly people were injured when an Israeli helicopter
fired a missile at around 04:20 towards a group of houses and a Palestinian
woman and her daughter were forced to wait for 3 hours for medical assistance
after they were injured while in their home.
During the
attack, Palestinian ambulances were fired at while attempting to evacuate the
wounded and a medic, Raja’ Salah ‘Omar, 30, was reportedly shot in the back. Ambulances and medical teams faced severe
difficulties in evacuating the injured to hospitals in other areas of the Gaza
Strip, due to the severe closures imposed on the entire OPT.
The 8
Palestinians killed have been identified as:
1. Mohammed
Ahmed Younis ‘Abdul Wahab, 23, hit by a live bullet in the abdomen;
2. Nader
“Ahmed Fu’ad” Abu Taha, 23, hit by a live bullet in the chest;
3. Ibrahim
Ahmed al-Qurainawi, 8, hit by a live bullet in the abdomen;
4. ‘Alaa’
No’man Mansour, 33, hit by a live bullet in the abdomen;
5. Sami
Talal Salah, 15, hit by shrapnel from an artillery shell in the head;
6. Mabrouk
Mohammed Jouda, 15, hit by shrapnel from an artillery shell;
7. ‘Atwa
Yousef Abu Muhsen, 20, hit by a live bullet in the head; and
8. Zaki
Yahia al-Sharif, 19, hit by a live bullet in the head.
Note:
PCHR has complete lists of the injured and the houses and lands that were
destroyed.
At
approximately 16:00, a number of Palestinian civilians in Jenin left their
houses to buy basic foodstuffs and other necessities, when an armored personnel
carrier and an Israeli military jeep, drove into the center of the town.
Israeli forces had been in the town since Sunday, 5 October 2003. Without
warning, Israeli soldiers on the armored personnel carrier opened fire at the
civilians, seriously wounding 15-year-old Rashed ‘Abdullah Abu Sirriya with a
medium caliber bullet in the left thigh.
At
approximately 16:10, Israeli occupying forces moved approximately 400m into the
northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun and destroyed a well owned by the heirs
of Tawfiq ‘Abdul Hadi Hamad. The well had recently been repaired after Israeli
forces had destroyed it on a previous occasion.
At
approximately 17:45, 4 Israeli military jeeps moved into Beit Fourik village,
east of Nablus. Soon after, a number of
Palestinian boys gathered in the center of the village and threw stones towards
the jeeps. Immediately, Israeli soldiers got out of their jeeps and fired at
the boys, wounding 2:
1. Mazen
‘Ali ‘Abdul Rahman Haj Mohammed, 17, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the
right side; and
2. ‘Arafat
Fawzi Mohammed Abu Hait, 15, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh.
Saturday, 11 October 2003
At approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into the east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun and
destroyed 3 wells owned by:
1. Mohammed Saqer al-Da’our;
2. Mohammed Hassan al-Zwaidi and ‘Abdul
‘Aziz Mohammed al-Zwaidi; and
3. Mohammed ‘Abdul Ra’ouf ‘Okasha.
According to Ramadan Abu Na’im, 2 months ago, USAID,
the organization authorized by the Beit Hanoun Municipality to oversee the
reconstruction of the destroyed wells, had obtained Israeli approval to
reconstruct them after they were provided with the necessary data. Although laborers and engineers working on
the project came under Israeli gunfire on more than one occasion, they were
able to reconstruct and repair 8 wells, approximately 300m west of the border
of the Gaza Strip with Israel, to the east and north of Beit Hanoun. The
reconstruction of each well costs US$ 40,000.
Sunday, 12 October 2003
At approximately 06:00, Israeli soldiers positioned
in military locations in the vicinity of “Kfar Darom” settlement, southeast of
Deir al-Balah, opened fire at Palestinian houses, 200m to the west of the
settlement. No casualties were reported,
but 7 houses were damaged.
At approximately 15:00, after Israeli forces killed
an armed Palestinian near “Morag” settlement, south of Khan Yunis, Israeli
occupying forces, accompanied by 2 tanks and a military bulldozer, moved approximately
200m into Gizan al-Najjar area in the south of Khan Yunis. Under cover of intense shelling, they
destroyed a cow farm and razed an area of agricultural land:
1. They destroyed a 500-square-meter,
iron-roofed cow farm owned by Khalil Mohammed al-Najjar.
2. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables owned by Hanzal Ahmed al-Sha’er.
They also destroyed the electricity network for the
area.
At approximately 18:30, Israeli occupying forces
positioned in military locations in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement,
northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses to the south and
east of the settlement. A Palestinian child, Najat Asa’ad Husni al-‘Arian, 4,
was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder, while she was
playing with other children near her family’s house in al-Katiba neighborhood,
approximately 1km away from the source of fire.
Monday, 13 October 2003
At approximately 00:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, including 2 bulldozers, moved
approximately 400m into Palestinian areas located to the west of “Kfar Darom”
settlement, southeast of Deir al-Balah. Under cover of intense shelling, they demolished 2 houses and razed
areas of agricultural land:
1. They demolished a 70-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house owned by Ibrahim ‘Abdul Rahman Hussein Bashir, in which 2
people lived. They also destroyed a
140-meter-long fence, 2 water motors and 2 water tanks and uprooted 11 olive
trees.
2. They demolished a 70-square-meter,
asbestos-roofed house owned by Subhia ‘Atiya Hassan Abu Muneefi, in which 4
people lived.
3. They razed a 2.5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms, figs and olives, and destroyed a car
owned by ‘Oraif ‘Ouda ‘Oraif Abu Muneefi.
4. They razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with palms, figs and olives owned by Yahia ‘Abdul
Rahman Bashir.
5. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms, figs and olives owned by ‘Ali Mohammed
‘Ali Abu Qassem.
6. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms, figs and olives and an 18-square-meter
agricultural store owned by ‘Ali ‘Erfan Abu Muneefi.
7. They razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with palms, figs and olives and destroyed a
35-meter-long fence owned by Ahmed Mahmoud ‘Ali al-Zurai’ei.
8. They razed a 750-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mousa Jarad ‘Abed Rabbu Mousa.
9. They razed a 500-square-meter area of
agricultural land planted with palms and destroyed 3 gas pumps, an air pump, an
electricity network and a 20-meter-long fence owned by the ‘Akkila Fuel
Company.
10. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with guavas and olives and destroyed a well, 4
agricultural stores and a 400-meter-long fence.
11. They destroyed a 500-square-meter
factory of greenhouses, a 500-square-meter agricultural nursery, demolished 2
bird farms and killed 15 sheep owned by Mahmoud ‘Ouda Ahmed Abu Samra.
12. They destroyed a 25-meter-long fence
owned by Nawaf ‘Abdul ‘Azim Jaber Abu ‘Owaimer.
13. They destroyed a 10-meter-long fence
and an iron gate owned by Saher ‘Abdul Karim Suleiman al-Atrash.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli tanks positioned at
the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, indiscriminately fired tank-mounted
machine guns in the direction of Palestinian houses in Block L of Rafah refugee
camp. Israeli occupying forces continued shooting in sporadic bursts until
22:00, wounding 3 Palestinian civilians:
1. Mohammed ‘Ali al-Jazzar, 70, wounded by
shrapnel in the chest;
2. Mohammed Kayed al-Batneeji, 15, wounded
by shrapnel in the right arm and the left thigh; and
3. Ahmed Mohammed al-Batneeji, 16, wounded
by shrapnel in the head and the chest.
Tuesday, 14 October 2003
At approximately 02:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles and combat helicopters, moved into
al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian
border. Under cover of indiscriminate
shelling by tanks and helicopter gunships, Israeli forces raided and searched
some of the houses in the area, and used a number of houses as military posts,
from which they opened fire into the neighborhood. During the operation,
Israeli occupying forces arrested 3 Palestinians:
1. Suleiman Mousa al-Satari, 42;
2. Wassim Suleiman al-Satari, 20; and
3. Mousa Ibrahim al-Satari, 28.
As a result of indiscriminate shelling by Israeli
tanks, 4 Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. ‘Ammar Lutfi Abu Sha’ar, 13, wounded by
shrapnel in the head;
2. Mishat ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Abu Mor, 16,
wounded by 2 live bullets in the right hand;
3. Mohammed Na’im Barakat, 20, seriously
wounded by a live bullet in the back; and
4. Ikram Tawfiq al-Liddawi, 19, critically
wounded by a live bullet in the head.
At the time of writing, Israeli occupying forces have
not withdrawn from al-Salam neighborhood. Israeli occupying forces in al-Salam
have destroyed a number of houses, razed areas of agricultural land, and
damaged the infrastructure of the area.
At approximately 08:15, 2 armored personnel carriers
and 3 military jeeps moved into Nablus through its eastern entrance, and began
to fire indiscriminately at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian civilian, Ahmed
Yousef ‘Eissa Abu al-‘Ez, 33, from ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp, was wounded
by a live bullet in the left thigh.
At approximately 10:30, an Israeli tank, 3 armored
personnel carriers and 6 military jeeps moved into Tulkarm and imposed a curfew
on the town and refugee camp and opened fire at houses and streets. 7 Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Ibrahim Na’el Dumairi, 47, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand;
2. Ziad ‘Omar Bisharat, 34, wounded by a
live bullet in the pelvis;
3. Tariq Mohammed Fayeq ‘Abdullah, 20,
wounded by shrapnel in the right hand;
4. Mohammed Salim Ahmed Khader, 28,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
5. Hazem ‘Omar Hamadu Bulaidi, 26, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right handd;
6. Samer Jaber al-Naji, 25, wounded by a
live bullet in the chest; and
7. Sarhan ‘Omar ‘Ali Sarhan, 13, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the face.
In the evening, Israeli occupying force arrested 4
activists from the International Solidarity Movement (ISM) in Tulkarm:
1. Rade Salin, 25, an American citizen;
2. Dalin Wessen Blade, 26, an American
citizen;
3. Roy Ratklif, 61, a British citizen; and
4. Daf Daini, 26, a British citizen.
At approximately 23:00, 4 Israeli military jeeps and
2 armored personnel carriers moved into al-Karantina neighborhood in the
southwest of Hebron. They surrounded the house of Rashad Sabri al-Tawil, 60,
forcibly entered and searched the house and arrested the owner’s daughter,
Ikram, 24.
Wednesday, 15 October 2003
At approximately 01:30, Israeli occupying forces
moved into al-Sammou’ village, south of Hebron. They raided and searched a
number of houses and arrested 2 Palestinians:
1. Suleiman ‘Eissa Mohammed al-Mahariq,
52; and
2. Hatem Mohammed ‘Eissa al-Mahariq,
40. Hatem al-Maharig sustained fractures
to his arms and bruises to his body during the raid. Eyewitnesses reported that he was beaten by
Israeli soldiers.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces
raided and searched the house of Mohammed Ayoub al-Natsha, 29, on al-Salam
Street, Hebron, before arresting al-Natsha.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli soldiers on tanks
positioned south of Khan Yunis on the road between the Sofa crossing and Salah
al-Din street, opened fire at Palestinian houses and farms in al-Faukhari area
to the north. A Palestinian woman,
Fattouma Harb Yousef al-Najjar, 61, was wounded by a live bullet in the right
thigh.
At approximately 11:00, after 3 American private
security personnel were killed by a bomb near the Hammouda fuel station at the
eastern entrance to the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahia, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced by 22 tanks and 4 military bulldozers, moved
approximately 2km into Beit Hanoun. They
took up position near the industrial zone of Beit Hanoun, approximately 100m
away from the aforementioned fuel station. Israeli forces opened fire at
Palestinian civilians as they withdrew towards the border with Israel 4 hours
later. 5 Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Younis Abu ‘Ouda, 18, from Beit Hanoun,
wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
2. Mohammed Abu Dan, 12, from Jabalya
refugee camp, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
3. Ahmed Abu Eshkian, 12, from Jabalya
refugee camp, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
4. Sameer al-Husari, 42, from Gaza city,
wounded by a live bullet in the left foot; and
5. Salman Nabhan, 37, wounded by a live
bullet in the right leg.
At approximately 14:30, Israeli occupying forces that
had moved into Tulkarm on the preceding day opened fire at Ramzi Mohammed
‘Abdul Karim ‘Atiya, 22, wounding him seriously by a live bullet in the
neck. Israeli forces claimed that ‘Atiya
intended to throw a home-made explosive at them but eyewitnesses report that
the area was completely quiet.
In the afternoon, in an apparent willful killing,
Israeli soldiers shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Tulkarm, claiming that he
did not obey orders to stop. Israeli soldiers refused the injured person any
medical assistance and denied access to an ambulance waiting to evacuate him
for approximately one hour. During this
time the injured man bled to death.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 15:00, Bilal Fahim Suleiman Zaidan, 32, from Ramin village, east
of Tulkarm, was driving his car on a dirt road between Ramin and the nearby
‘Anabta village, when he came across an Israeli military vehicle positioned at
the end of the dirt road. He was forced to take this route because of a gate
established by Israeli occupying forces blocking the Nablus-Tulkarm road. While he was attempting to turn his car back,
apparently to avoid being harassed by Israeli soldiers, the soldiers opened
fire at him. He was wounded by several live bullets, in a clear example of
excessive use of force. When a Palestinian Red Crescent Society ambulance
attempted to reach the victim, Israeli soldiers denied the medical personnel
access until 16:00. By the time the
ambulance was finally given access to the scene of the shooting, the victim had
died of his wounds. His body was then
removed to a hospital in Tulkarm. According to medical sources, the victim was hit by 2 live bullets in
the chest and a third bullet in the right leg.
At approximately 16:00, Israeli soldiers fired at
10-year-old ‘Abdul Halim Khalil ‘Abed Rabbu, from Tulkarm, wounding him with a
live bullet in the chest. According to eyewitnesses, the child was playing near
his house when he was shot.
In the third incursion into Rafah this week, at
night, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by dozens of heavy military
vehicles and supported by helicopters, moved into al-Brazil neighborhood under
the cover of darkness. Al-Brazil is in
the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Accompanied by intense shelling, Israeli
forces raided some residences and confiscated a number of houses for use as
military posts, from which they fired at any moving object in the area. Then, Israeli forces demolished a number of
houses and razed areas of agricultural land under the pretext of searching for
tunnels. PCHR’s field workers have not
yet been able to reach the area, due the presence of large amounts of Israeli
occupying forces. However, residents of
the area report via telephone that Israeli occupying forces have severely
damaged the civilian infrastructure of al-Brazil neighborhood.
During this incursion, members of the Palestinian
resistance and the National Security Force clashed with Israeli forces. A member of the National Security Force,
Walid Mohammed Younis ‘Abdul Wahab, 37, was killed by a live bullet to the
chest. As a result of indiscriminate
shelling by Israeli forces, 6 Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Mousa ‘Abdul Fattah Fusaifes, 12,
wounded by a live bullet in the neck;
2. Khaled Barham Barbakh, 21, wounded by a
live bullet in the right leg;
3. Hamed Mousa al-Rantissi, 16, wounded by
a live bullet in the right arm;
4. Mohammed Midhat Abu Jazar, 12, wounded
by a live bullet in the right leg;
5. Wissam ‘Abdul Karim Abu Libda, 24,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the right leg; and
6. Marwan Ibrahim Mousa, 17, wounded by
shrapnel I the left knee.
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
have ordered, facilitated, or carried out attacks against Israeli targets.
At approximately 01:00 on Friday, 10 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced by 5 armored personnel carriers and 9 military
jeeps and accompanied by an ambulance, moved into ‘Ourif village, south of
Nablus, and imposed a curfew. They
surrounded a 100-square-meter, 2-storey house owned by Mustafa Ahmed Mustafa
al-Safadi. They forced the 9 residents
of the house, including 5 children, and 5 families living in neighboring houses
out of their homes. Israeli soldiers
moved the families approximately 500m away from the house. In the meantime, a number of Israeli soldiers
planted explosives inside the al-Safadi residence. At approximately 03:00, they destroyed the
house. The owner is the father of Ahmed
al-Safadi, 17, who carried out a bombing against a site of the Israeli military
liaison at the entrance to Tulkarm. The
bombing occurred a few hours before the destruction of his family’s home.
Restrictions on Freedom of Movement of Medical
Personnel and Ambulances and Attacks on Medical Facilities
This week, Israeli occupying forces launched a series
of attacks on Palestinian medical personnel and facilities, protected under the
Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War
of 1949. Israeli forces also restricted the movement of ambulances through
military checkpoints.
On Thursday morning, 9 October 2003, Israeli soldiers
positioned at a military checkpoint at ‘Anata crossroads, east of Jerusalem,
denied passage of a Palestinian medical delegation, including 35 physicians, who
were traveling to Ramallah, and forced them to travel back to Bethlehem, where
they had come from.
On the same day, Israeli soldiers positioned at Baga
al-Sharqia gate, along the Israeli separation wall built on Palestinian land
north of Tulkarm, held a Palestinian Ministry of Health ambulance for 4 hours,
before turning it back. The ambulance was loaded with medicine for a medical
center in Baqa al-Sharqia village. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers stopped the ambulance and
forced its medical personnel out while they searched the vehicle using
dogs. A tire of the vehicle was also
punctured during the search. Israeli
soldiers held the ambulance at the gate for 4 hours before forcing it to travel
back to the hospital. It is worth noting
that this village is located between the “separation wall” and the Green
Line. Israeli occupying forces
established a gate at its entrance, but this gate has been closed for 2
weeks.
At approximately 17:00 on Monday, 13 October 2003,
Israeli occupying forces raided a medical center in Halhoul village, north of
Hebron. They arrested a patient who was
waiting to be checked by doctors. According to Dr. Nasser Abu Yousef, director of the medical center, a
number of Israeli military jeeps raided the building while many patients were
waiting to receive medical treatment. The raid severely impacted the ability of medical personnel to do their
job and made it impossible to maintain the necessary atmosphere for medical
work.
Continued Construction of the “Separation Wall”
inside the West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to construct
the “separation wall” on Palestinian territory in the West Bank. On Friday, 10
October 2003, Israeli occupying forces handed a military order to the
inhabitants of Kherbat Jebara village, south of Tulkarm, prohibiting them
access to their agricultural lands without prior Israeli permission. The military order provided that:
“Contingence areas inside the fence shall be seized
for security and military purposes. Those who wish to enter Kherbat Jebara or lands located behind the fence
or bring workers to these lands must obtain permission after proving their
ownership of these lands, excluding children under 16 who can be registered in
their fathers’ permits. Also, residents
of Kherbat Jebara must obtain permission to be able to reach and leave their
places of residence and must prove that they have lived there for at least 2
years. This order shall enter into force
upon its receipt by residents of the village.”
Israeli occupying forces have continued to maintain a
closure of the gates established along the “separation wall” in the north of
the West Bank. They have denied access
for Palestinian farmers to their agricultural lands, which have become isolated
on the western side of the wall. Israeli
occupying forces have denied access for about 70 Palestinian farmers from
Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya, to their homes, which they had left 11
days ago to tend their agricultural lands. Their agricultural lands are now located between the “separation wall”
and the Green Line.
According to information gathered by PCHR, on Sunday
morning, 5 October 2003, about 30 families from Jayous village went to their
agricultural lands through a gate established at the “separation wall” to
cultivate vegetables and fruits. When
they wanted to return back to their homes in the evening, Israeli soldiers
positioned at the aforementioned gate refused to allow them passage, so they
were forced to spend the night on their agricultural lands. The families have made daily attempts to pass
through the gate to get home but Israeli soldiers have so far only permitted
the women and children to pass through. About 70 farmers have continued to be held between the “separation wall”
and the Green Line. In a phone call, one
of the farmers told PCHR’s field worker that the farmers were running out of
food and have been forced to eat their crops. The farmer added that representatives of the ICRC were able to reach
them on Saturday, 11 October 2003, and provided them with some foodstuffs.
Since the beginning of the olive harvest in early
October, Israeli occupying forces have denied access for thousands of
Palestinian farmers from Jenin, Tulkarm and Qalqilya to their olive groves
through gates constructed along the “separation wall.” These continuing arbitrary measures are
endangering the olive harvest and, thus, the primary source of income for many
Palestinian families in these areas.
In the same context, Israeli occupying forces have
denied access for the residents of ‘Azzoun and Nabi Elias villages, east of
Qalqilya, to their agricultural lands, which have also become trapped behind
the “separation wall.” According to
these residents, Israeli occupying forces have incorporated any access route to
their agricultural lands. Israeli
occupying forces have also not incorporated any access route along the section
of the “separation wall” extending from the eastern entrance to Qalqilya to
Jayous village. Thus Palestinian farmers
have not been able to reach their agricultural lands located behind the wall in
this area. The length of this section of
the “separation wall” is more than 10km.
In addition, about 10,000 residents of Baqa
al-Sharqia, Nazlat ‘Eissa and Nazlat Abu Nar villages, north of Tulkarm, have
been confined to their villages since 3 October 2003, when Israeli occupying
forces closed all gates in the wall around these villages. Israeli occupying forces have also denied
access for teachers living outside to schools in the village, disrupting
education. Residents of the village are
experiencing shortages of foodstuffs, milk and animal feeds. The three villages are located between the
“separation wall” and the Green Line.
Israeli occupying forces have established 8 gates in
wall in the Tulkarm district. They claim
that these gates were established to facilitate movement of Palestinians,
however Israeli occupying forces often close these gates for several days,
denying passage of Palestinians, including the sick and school children. These gates are located at the entrances to
the villages of Qiffin, Baqa al-Sharqia, Deir al-Ghosoun and Shwaika villages,
north of Tulkarm, and Artah, Far’oun, Kherbat Jebara and Kufor Jammal, south of
the town.
Continued Siege on the OPTs
Israeli occupying forces have continued to severely
restrict movement of Palestinians within the Gaza Strip and the West Bank,
including Jerusalem. Israeli occupying
forces imposed a total internal and external closure on the Gaza Strip from
early morning on Sunday, 5 October 2003 and all main internal roads were
closed, segregating the Gaza Strip into 4 isolated zones. In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces
have declared some areas closed military zones, including the Jordan
Valley. They have also used excessive
force against Palestinian civilians attempting to cross checkpoints. As a consequence, access to education, to
work and to health care services has been severely restricted for many
thousands of Palestinians in the OPT.
The Gaza Strip
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on the Gaza Strip. They
have maintained a closure of the main and branch roads, segregating the strip
into 4 isolated zones. They have
continued to close the Morag/Sofa junction between Rafah and Khan Yunis, and
the al-Matahen and Abu Houli junctions between Khan Yunis and the central Gaza
Strip, both on Salah al-Din Street (the main road between the north and south
of the Gaza Strip), and again on the costal road between the central and northern
Gaza Strip. Israeli occupying forces
have opened these roads for only up to 3
hours daily. This closure has severely
disrupted education and health services, work and other commercial
activities. Israeli occupying forces
have also closed border crossings with Israel.
As a result of the deployment of Israeli troops
between Rafah and Khan Yunis, residents of al-Salam, al-Nasser and al-Fukhari
areas have been denied access to education, work, and health services. Israeli
soldiers stationed in this area routinely open fire at any moving object.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have maintained a closure of military
checkpoints and erected roaming checkpoints on other roads.
Occupied Jerusalem
Israeli occupying forces have maintained a tight
siege on the city. They erected more roadblocks on the main roads further restricting
residents’ movement and closed all roads leading to the western part of the
city. They have also isolated the city
from the rest of the West Bank. Many
patients from the West Bank have been denied access to hospitals in the
city.
Ramallah
Israeli occupying forces have tightened the siege
imposed on Ramallah and al-Bireh. They
have maintained a closure of the Qalandya checkpoint, south of Ramallah, for
the 10th consecutive day. Since Thursday morning, 9 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces have
maintained closure of the Surda checkpoint, north of Ramallah, denying passage
of thousands of Palestinians, including students of Bir Zeit University. On Saturday, 11 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces used excessive force against hundreds of Palestinian civilians
who gathered near Surda checkpoint waiting to be allowed to cross it. Israeli soldiers beat a number of these
civilians. Israeli soldiers positioned
at ‘Atara checkpoint, north of Ramallah, denied passage of Palestinian
civilians. This checkpoint is locaated
on the road linking Ramallah and the north of the West Bank, and between the
northern and northwestern villages of Ramallah. Since Thursday, 9 October 2003, Israeli occupying forces have imposed a
strict siege on the entrances to Bir Zeit University and denied access for
thousands of students and professors to the university. They have also continued to impose a curfew
on the villages of Abu Shukhaidem, al-Mazara’a al-Gharbia and Bir Zeit and
al-Jalazoun refugee camp.
Bethlehem and Hebron
Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict
siege on Bethlehem and Hebron, denying Palestinian civilians their right to
freedom of movement. Israeli occupying
forces had refused to allow the entry of gas supplies for medical and domestic
uses into Bethlehem and Hebron for 12 consecutive days. They permitted the entry of some gas supplies
on Monday, 13 October 2003. Fuels
supplies ran out on 9 October 2003. Israeli occupying forces claimed that this measure was taken for
“security” reasons. However, Israeli
military officers reportedly openly stated that the entry of gas supplies would
be conditioned on a halt to deals between Palestinian traders and the
Palestinian Petrol Corporation. Some
ambulances were forced to go to a fuel station in Kfar Etzion area, north of
Hebron, to obtain fuel.
Israeli occupying forces have also further tightened
the siege imposed on the villages and refugee camps located near the two
towns. They have closed checkpoints and
roads leading to the two towns. On 11,
12 and 13 October 2003, Israeli soldiers checked dozens of Palestinian
civilians at the northwestern and eastern entrances to Hebron, and before
forcing them to return to their villages.
On Sunday morning, 12 October 2003, Israeli occupying
forces imposed a curfew on the southern and central neighbourhoods of
Hebron. On the same day, they closed the
Ibrahimi Mosque to Palestinians, but permitted access for Israeli
settlers. The mosque was reopened to
Palestinian worshippers the following evening.
On Wednesday morning, 15 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces set up a barbwire barricade at the western entrance to Beit
Jala town and al-Khader village, denying access for Palestinians to land to the
west of Bethlehem.
Nablus
Israeli occupying forces have continued to restrict
movement of Palestinian civilians, including patients, through military
checkpoints. Israeli soldiers positioned
at Beit Fourik checkpoint, east of Nablus, denied passage of trucks loaded with
vegetables and foodstuffs. They also denied
access for water trucks to Rujib village, east of Nablus. On 1 October 2003, Israeli military
bulldozers destroyed the main road leading to this village, and its water
network. As a result the villagers have been suffering increasing drinking
water shortages.
Jenin
Israeli occupying forces have
closed all roads leading to the Jordan valley. They have threatened to open fire at Palestinians using these
roads. The closure included al-Hamra
Street, Tayaseer Street, al-Jiftlek Street, al-Boqaia’a Street and route no.
90.
Tulkarm
Israeli occupying forces have
continued to isolate the town from its neighbouring villages. They have also
tightened the siege imposed on al-Kafriyar area, south of the town, and
reinforced their presence on roads to the south and east of the town. Israeli occupying forces have closed ‘Ennab
gate on the Tulkarm-Nablus road and denied movement of Palestinian civilians on
the road. They have also closed the two
gates established at the entrances to Baqa al-Sharqia and Nazlat ‘Eissa
villages, denying passage of Palestinian civilians.
Qalqilya
Israeli occupying forces have maintained a closure of
the main entrance of the town for 12 consecutive days. They have prevented Palestinian civilians
from traveling to and from the town. On Saturday, 11 October 2003, Israeli
occupying forces imposed a curfew on the villages of Beit Amin, Sneeria,
‘Azzoun and ‘Attma.
*****
PCHR calls:
1. Upon the international community to
provide immediate and independent international protection for
the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon the High Contracting Parties to
the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene to take effective
measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, in accordance with their obligations under article 1 and article
146, to ensure respect for the Convention.
3. Upon the international community to
investigate and prosecute before international courts those believed to have
committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence,
expand its activities, and intensify its field operations throughout the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.
5. Upon the European Union to activate
Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel
must respect human rights.
6. Upon the international community to
provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people, whose
living conditions continue to deteriorate as a result of the continued movement
restrictions 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
