Continued Israeli Violations in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories This Week

 

· An assassination in Tulkarm;

 

· In an unprecedented attack, Israeli forces destroy 99
houses and render 41 completely uninhabitable in Rafah, leaving hundreds of
families homeless;

 

· Under the
policy of ethnic cleansing,
“Jerusalem
Municipality” demolishes 9 Palestinian houses in Al-‘Eisawia village;

 

· An unprecedented, strict siege remains in place on
the OPT;

 

· Israeli forces attack Palestinian laborers;

 

· Dozens of Palestinians arrested;

 

· Continued shelling of Palestinian residential areas,
injuring dozens of civilians; and

 

· Palestinian fishermen arrested in Gaza.

 

 

Introduction

 

 

This report covers
human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in the period 10-16 January 2002. Despite a near-halt in Palestinian resistance
operations in the OPT, Israeli forces continued their violations against
Palestinian civilians. They fired at
peaceful demonstrations which do not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli
soldiers and shelled and encroached into Palestinian residential areas without
any apparent provocation.

 

Israeli
assaults take place under international silence that encourages the Sharon
government and Israeli occupation forces to perpetrate more violations,
including war crimes, against the Palestinian people. The latest assault was the large-scale
destruction of dozens of houses adjacent to the Egyptian border in Rafah, in
the context of a systematic policy aimed at establishing a “buffer zone” along
the border emptied of its inhabitants. Israeli violations take place under political cover provided by the
US. US Secretary of State Colin Powell
went as far as to suggest to reporters that the house demolitions were an act
of self-defense.

 

According to PCHR’s
documentation, on Thursday morning, 10 January, Israeli occupation forces
thrust into Block “O” area in Rafah refugee camp in the cold weather and under
the cover of intensive shelling, in a large-scale operation considered the
widest incursion the Gaza Strip has been subjected to since the outbreak of the
Intifada. Fifty-nine houses were
demolished completely and one partially, leaving more than 750 people homeless. Women and children were seen escaping under
heavy rain leaving their property behind, fearing for their lives under the
intensive Israeli shelling. On Saturday
morning, 12 January, Israeli occupation forces moved into Block “J” area in
Rafah refugee camp. They exploded a
large bomb in the area. Forty
Palestinian houses were destroyed and dozens were severely damaged, leaving
more than 850 people homeless. Additionally, 8 Palestinian civilians were injured.

 

Israeli
forces also entirely destroyed the runway of Gaza International Airport, in violation
of international law. The destruction of
civilian facilities is prohibited even in time of war by the Fourth Geneva
Convention.

 

In
a continuation of Israel’s assassination policy, killed a Fateh activist near
his house in Tulkarm.

 

This week, Israeli
forces raided and searched many Palestinian houses. Dozens of Palestinians were arrested and
interrogated.

 

Despite Israeli claims
that the siege imposed on the OPT was “eased,” Israeli forces tightened the
siege and erected roadblocks and checkpoints on main and branch roads in the
West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

 

 

1. A New Assassination

 

In a continuation of the policy of assassination and
extra-judicial killing formally adopted by the Israeli government, the Israeli
forces committed a new assassination. An
activist of Fatah Movement in Tulkarm, Ra’ed Mohammed Sa’id El-Karmi, 27, was
killed on Monday morning, 14 January 2002. Israeli forces accuse El-Karmi of being a leader of Al-Aqsa Martyrs
Brigades of Fatah.

 

According to investigation carried out by LAW – the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human
Rights and the Environment, at approximately 10:45
on Monday, a
heavy explosion occurred in the Cemetery Street in the eastern part of
Tulkarm. After having heard the sound of
the explosion, people hurried to the area where they found El-Karmi’s
body. In his testimony to LAW, an
eyewitness said:

 

At approximately 10:45 on
Monday, 14 January 2002, I was sitting in the balcony of my house in the
eastern part of Tulkarm. Suddenly, I
heard the sound of a heavy explosion. I
looked at the place from which the sound came and saw black smoke rising. I hurried to the place of the explosion,
where I saw the body of a young man on the ground. I identified him as Ra’ed El-Karmi. There was a hole in the sidewalk of the
street, where a bomb was apparently planted, and the body of El-Karmi was
approximately 3m away. At the same time
I saw an Israeli MK plane flying over the area. I saw that plane three days ago also.

 

El-Karmi had survived a previous assassination
attempt on 6 September 2001. Two Israeli
combat helicopter fired three rockets at a car in which El-Karmi and two other
young men, ‘Omar Mohammed Subeh, 22,
and Mustafa ‘Aahed ‘Anbas, 19, were traveling. El-Karmi survived with shrapnel injuries in the left eye, while the
other young men were killed.

 

2. Shelling of, and Incursions into Palestinian
Residential and Controlled Areas

 

Thursday, 10
January 2002

 

At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupation forces
encroached into Block O area in Rafah refugee camp, under the cover of
intensive shelling from their locations at the Egyptian border, south of
Rafah. They demolished 59 Palestinian
houses completely and another one partially. More than 100 Palestinian families, comprised of more than 650 persons,
were made homeless. Israeli forces also
destroyed electricity and water networks. Following are details of the houses that were demolished by Israeli
forces:

 

 

At approximately 20:00, Israeli tanks, many armored
personnel carriers, bulldozers and jeeps were deployed around Rafah. They were deployed in the northwest (‘Oraybeh
area and Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood), the south (the Egyptian border), the east
(the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel) and the northeast (near “Morag”
settlement). 

 

At midnight, 30 Israeli soldiers moved into Al-Shouka
area in the east of Rafah. They raided five
Palestinian houses and arrested seven Palestinians:

1) Khaled ‘Abdullah Abu Shousha, 27;

2) Jaber Mohammed Abu Shousha, 23;

3) Saleh Mohammed Abu Shousha, 25;

4) Dheifallah Mohammed Abu Shousha, 28;

5) Musallam ‘Awad Abu Jarad, 32;

6) Khalaf ‘Awad Abu Jarad, 25; and

7) Musleh ‘Awad Abu Jarad.

 

Six of them were released after they had been beaten
and detained until the following morning, while the seventh, Khaled Abu
Shousha, remained in custody.

 

Friday, 11
January 2002

 

At approximately 02:00, 14 Israeli tanks, armored personnel
carriers and bulldozers moved into the east of Rafah, under the cover of
intensive shelling. They moved towards
Gaza International Airport and completely destroyed its runway. The Palestinian Ministry of Public Works had
already started repairing the runway, which had been damaged by Israeli forces
on 4 December 2001.

 

At approximately 03:00, 15 Israeli military heavy
vehicles thrust approximately 400m into the northeast of Rafah. They closed Salah El-Din Street connecting
Rafah to Khan Yunis. They
bulldozed the street and damaged electricity, water and telephone networks in
the area. They also destroyed a site of
the Palestinian National Security Forces that had been already damaged by
Israeli forces at the end of August 2001. Israeli soldiers raided the house of Ghazi
Mohammed El-‘Omour, west of Salah El-Din
Street, and kept his family in one room.

 

At approximately 22:00, Israeli occupation forces
moved into Gaza International Airport, south of Rafah, again and caused further
damage. 

 

Saturday, 12
January 2002 

 

At approximately 01:20, eight Israeli military heavy
vehicles thrust approximately 50m into Block J area in Rafah refugee camp,
adjacent to the Egyptian border. They
planted a large bomb in the area and then detonated
it. Forty Palestinian houses were completely
destroyed, 41 were partially destroyed and rendered uninhabitable, and dozens
were slightly damaged. More than 100
families, comprised of more than 850 persons were made homeless. The bad weather increased the destruction
these houses sustained. In addition,
eight Palestinian civilians were injured:

1) Mohammed Sweireh El-Soufi, 21, injured by shrapnel in
the head;

2) Shadi Mohammed El-Soufi, 21, injured by shrapnel in
the left thigh;

3) Walid Sa’id Hammad, 24, injured by shrapnel in the
left shoulder;

4) Ahmed Saleh El-Sheikh ‘Eid, 22, injured by shrapnel in the right shoulder and knee;

5) Khaled Zaki El-Hams, 22, injured by shrapnel in the
face;

6) Mustafa ‘Omran Abu Sulaima, 23, injured by shrapnel in the left arm;

7) Yousef Jamal Hassouna, 10, injured by shrapnel in the
head; and

8) Fida’ Fayez El-Banna, 17, injured by shrapnel in the
head. 

 

Following are details of the houses that were
completely destroyed:

 

 

Also in the morning, Israeli gunboats and heavy
vehicles seized the fishing harbor in Rafah. They confiscated Palestinian fishing boats and destroyed fishing
equipment. Israeli gunboats also shelled
a Palestinian boat and maintenance workshops at Gaza seashore. They were severely damaged. According to PCHR’s investigations, at
approximately 02:30, Israeli marine forces planted a bomb on the side of a
fishing boat that belongs to the Palestinian Marine Police. The boat was severely damaged. Two Israeli combat helicopters were seen
flying over the area at the time of the explosion. 

 

3. Continued House Demolitions in Occupied Jerusalem

 

In the context of its policy aimed at expelling
Palestinians from occupied Jerusalem, on Monday morning, 14 January 2002, the
so-called “Jerusalem Municipality” demolished nine Palestinian
houses in Al-‘Eisawia village, east of the city. 

 

According to investigations carried out by LAW – the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human
Rights and the Environment, at approximately 08:30, more than 1500 heavily
armed Israeli policemen and soldiers and personnel of “Jerusalem Municipality,”
accompanied by
15 bulldozers, moved into Al-‘Eisawia village, east of
Jerusalem. They demolished nine
Palestinian houses that were under construction but inhabited and
attacked residents of these houses to drive them away from the area. Three Palestinian civilians were injured:

1) Hussein Khalil, 58, seriously injured in the head;

2) Nasser Abu Mayala, 50, seriously injured in the head;
and

3) Biha’ Mansour, 20, received injuries and bruises in
the head and the back.

 

The Israeli forces also arrested four members of the
Israeli Committee against House Demolition who tried to stop the action of
demolition. 

 

Following are details of the houses that were demolished:

 

 

4. Shooting at Palestinian Civilians

 

Friday, 11
January 2002

 

At
approximately 13:00, Palestinian civilians organized a demonstration near
Israeli positions on Al-Ersal Street in Ramallah. Soon, Israeli forces fired live ammunition,
rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas at the demonstrators. Two civilians, including two a journalist,
were wounded:

1) ‘Abdullah Jamal Mubarak, 15, from Jalazoun refugee camp,
wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the left leg; and

2) Rebhi El-Kubari, 33, from Ramallah, a cameraman of
the local Middle East television channel, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the shoulder. 

 

Sunday, 13
January 2002

 

In the morning, Israeli occupation forces fired at
Fateh Mohammed Khader, 33, mentally handicapped, from ‘Anza village, south of Jenin, while he was near a petrol station on
Nablus-Jenin road. Kahder was wounded by
a live bullet in the left leg. Israeli
forces arrested him and evacuated him to an Israeli hospital. His family and lawyers were prevented from
visiting him. The Israeli military
spokesman claimed that Kahder threw a stone towards Israeli soldiers. 

 

5. Arrests

 

This week, Israeli occupation forces arrested
many Palestinians. The arrests took
place in the following circumstances:

1. At international border crossings, under the control
of Israeli occupation forces.

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

3. In Palestinian towns and villages, often during house
raids.

4. During incursions into Palestinian controlled areas.

 

The following are significant arrests that took place
this week:

 

Friday, 11
January 2002

 

Early in the morning, an undercover Israeli unit
moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus, under the jurisdiction of the
Palestinian National Authority, and arrested ‘Aamer Lutfi Eshteiwi, 27.

 

At approximately 08:00, Israeli soldiers at Surda
roadblock, northwest of Ramallah, severely beat Haitham Rafe’ Ehmeida, 19, a
student of Bir Zeit University from Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqia village near
Ramallah. He received bruises throughout
the body. 

 

At noon, Israeli soldiers at the aforementioned
roadblock severely beat Mu’taz ‘Abdel-Hassib Khudeir, 20, a student of Bir Zeit
University from Al-Bireh. He received
injuries in the face and bruises throughout the body.

 

Sunday, 13
January 2002

 

At approximately 13:00, Israeli marine forces
arrested four Palestinian fishermen while fishing inside the area allowed for
fishing off the Gazan coast. The four
fishermen are:

1) Khaled Ragheb Baker, 22;

2) Shafiq Ragheb Baker, 25;

3) Ragheb Fares Baker, 20; and

4) Mohammed Ghazi Baker, 24.

 

In the evening, Israeli occupation forces moved into
Nabi Elias village, east of Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of Palestinian houses and arrested two
Palestinians:

1) Murad Kayed Khalaf, 20; and

2) Anas Hafezh Majd, 22.

 

Monday, 14
January 2002

 

In the morning, Israeli occupation forces and police
at a roadblock at the Green Line attacked dozens of Palestinian laborers while
on their way to work in Israel. According to these laborers, Israeli forces and police severely beat
them and handcuffed them. The laborers
were taken in a vehicle towards an Israeli military roadblock at the entrance
to ‘Azzoun village near Qalqilya. There,
the laborers were thrown out of the vehicle. Some of them were injured, two were in serious condition. 

 

Also in the morning, Israeli occupation forces
arrested ‘Essam Mohammed ‘Abdel-Qader Qassem, Director of the Environmental Affairs Office in
Tulkarm, and took him to an unknown destination.

 

At approximately 07:00, Israeli soldiers of the “Border Guard” severely beat a number of Palestinian
laborers from Khan Yunis while on their way to their work places in the “Gush
Qatif” settlement block, west of the city. Five laborers were injured:

1) Walid Mustafa El-Faqa’awi, 37;

2) Akram Ahmed El-Masri, 41;

3) Ramadan Isma’il Ahmed, 41;

4) Hisham Mahmoud El-Ras, 36; and

5) Mohammed Mahdi El-Faqa’awi, 30.

 

Tuesday, 15
January 2002

 

In the morning, Israeli occupation forces moved into
Kufor Laqef village near Qalqilya. They
raided and searched a number of Palestinian houses and arrested two
Palestinians:

1) Rami Ahmed ‘Assaf, 22; and

2) Jamal Husni ‘Assaf, 38.

 

At Rafah Border Crossing, Israeli occupation forces
arrested ‘Abdullah Mahmoud Abu Daqqa, 33, from ‘Abasan village near Khan Yunis, while traveling to
Egypt.

 

Wednesday, 16
January 2002

 

In the morning, Israeli occupation forces moved into
the villages of Battir and Nahalin near Bethlehem. They raided and searched a number of
Palestinian houses and arrested five Palestinians: 

1) Eyad ‘Aadel Fares, 11, from Battir village;

2) Mahmoud ‘Ali El-Najjar, 15, from Battir village;

3) Ra’ed Isma’il Mu’ammar, 20, from Battir village;

4) Murad ‘Ali Ghayazha, 19, from Nahalin village; and

5) Isma’il Rebhi Shakarna, 21, from Nahalin village.

 

 

*****

 

PCHR calls:

3. Upon governments that
   participated in the World Conference Against Racism in Durban in South Africa to adopt crucial decisions condemning
   practices by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which can only
   be described as apartheid against the Palestinian people.
4. Upon the international
   community to provide immediate and independent international protection
   for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
5. Upon the High
   Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to reconvene
   in order to take effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in
   the Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance with their obligations
   under Article 1, to ensure the respect of the Convention.
6. Upon the international
   community to investigate and prosecute those believed to have committed
   war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories before international
   courts.
7. Upon the ICRC to
   enhance its presence, expand its activities, and intensify its field
   observations throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
8. Upon the European
   Union to activate Article 2 of the Euro-Israeli Association Agreement,
   which provides that Israel must respect human rights.
9. Upon the international
   community to provide humanitarian and medical assistance for the
   Palestinian people, whose living conditions are continuing to deteriorate
   as a result of the continued siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on
   the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.