The Israeli Occupation Forces Continue Their
Violations in the OPT

 

§ 54 Palestinians killed in
declared assassinations perpetrated by the Israeli forces in Al-Aqsa Intifada;

 

§ 29 Palestinians killed in explosions allegedly caused
by Israeli forces in Al-Aqsa Intifada;

 

§ a school shelled in Jenin and a schoolchild is killed
during an incursion into, and shelling of the city;

 

 

§ continued shooting at Palestinian civilians;

 

§ continued razing of Palestinian agricultural land;

 

 

§ a continued siege on the OPT; and

 

§ more attacks by Jewish settlers on Palestinian
civilians and property.

 

Introduction

 

This report covers human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli
occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) during the
period October 11-17, 2001. Since
Wednesday morning, October 17, 2001, tension has increased throughout the OPT
in light of increasing fears that Israeli forces may escalate their attacks
acts against Palestinians in retaliation for the killing of right-wing Israeli
Tourism Minister, Rehavam Ze’evi. Ze’evi
was killed on Wednesday in a hotel in occupied east Jerusalem in an operation
for which the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed
responsibility. The PFLP considered the
killing a response to the Israeli assassination of Secretary General of the
PFLP, Abu Ali Mustafa, on August 27, 2001.

 

In reaction to the assassination of Ze’evi, Israeli occupation forces,
reinforced with tanks and military vehicles, moved into Palestinian controlled
areas in Jenin and Ramallah. This
morning, at approximately 05:10 local time, Israeli occupation forces thrust
approximately 500m into the northwest of Al-Bireh and took up position near
Best Eastern Hotel and the offices of the Palestinian Ministry of Planning and
International Cooperation. Other Israeli
forces also thrust approximately 700m into the north of Al-Bireh, taking up
positions at the entrances of the offices of Ministry of Supplies and Ministry
of Local Government. The incursion took
place under the cover of intensive shelling that targeted Palestinian
houses. Two members of Palestinian
security services, Marwan Ibrahim Sabri Khalifa, 25, from Al-Far’a refugee camp
in Jenin, and Mohammed Ziad Abu Ras, 18, were killed by live bullets fired by
the invading Israeli forces. In
addition, the Israeli forces destroyed an electricity generating facility,
cutting off electricity from most areas in Al-Bireh and Ramallah.

 

In the meanwhile, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and
military vehicles, moved into Palestinian-controlled areas in Jenin. The Israeli forces encroached into the city
from four directions; approximately 5km into the city from the south, the east
and the west, and dozens of meters from the north. At approximately 07:00, Israeli forces shelled
a primary school for girls in Al-Almania neighborhood, killing Riham Nabil
Ibrahim Abu El-Ward, 10, with a medium caliber bullet in the head, and
seriously wounding Samar Yousef Suleit, 11, with shrapnel from a heavy caliber
bullet in the neck. 

 

This week, the OPT witnessed continued violations of Palestinians human
rights perpetrated by the Israeli forces. Despite a relative decrease in clashes, Israeli forces assassinated two
Hamas members. On Sunday, October 14, an
Israeli sniper fired at ‘Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Sa’id Hammad, 35, from Qalqilya,
while he was on the roof of his house in Al-Naqqar neighborhood, killing him
with three medium caliber bullets to the chest and the abdomen. Israeli forces later admitted responsibility
for this assassination. In a statement
to Channel 1 of the Israeli television, a spokesman of the Israeli Prime
Minister’s office stated that an undercover unit of the Israeli forces had
assassinated Hammad. Israeli Prime
Minister Ariel Sharon, further declared that “this is not the first operation
and it will not be the last one.”

 

In another assassination
on Monday, October 15, 2001, Ahmed Hassan Marshoud, 29, from Nablus was killed,
and Ziad ‘Abdullah ‘Araysheh, 24, was wounded. At approximately 08:20 local time, a heavy blast was heard at An-Najah
University Street in Nablus. Ambulances,
firemen, and civilians rushed to the area, where they found a car burning and
two young men lying on the ground injured. They were evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus, where Marshoud was
soon pronounced dead. Palestinian
security sources blamed Israeli occupation forces for the incident, accusing
these forces of putting a bomb in the car to kill the two men, who were known
Hamas activists. 

 

The number Palestinians
killed under the assassination policy formally adopted by the Israeli
government has increased to 54 since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada in
September 2000, including 37 who have been targeted and 17 bystanders. In addition, 24 Palestinians have been killed
in dozens of mysterious explosions through which Israel has been apparently
targeting Palestinian activists.

 

According to PCHR’s documentation, Israeli occupation forces this week
fired at Palestinian civilians who organized peaceful protests, without any
threat having been posed to the lives of Israeli soldiers. On some occasions, the Israeli forces fired
at Palestinian civilians during periods when no demonstrations or other clashes
were occurring. Furthermore, Israeli
forces shelled Palestinian residential areas and encroached into Palestinian
controlled areas, leveling more areas of agricultural land. Around 20 Palestinians, including ten
children, an 80-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman, were injured.

 

On Thursday morning, October 18, Hani Mustafa
Rawajba, 24, from ‘Assira village, northwest of Nablus, was killed. Details of Rawajba’s death are not yet
clear. According to Israel radio, he was
killed in an armed clash with Israeli occupation forces.

 

This week, Israeli settlers escalated their attacks
on Palestinian civilians and property. Most of these attacks took place in the presence of Israeli occupation
soldiers who did not intervene to stop them. On Thursday, October 11, 2001, an Israeli settler fired at a Palestinian
civilian car near Nablus and wounding two civilians. The settler escaped to the nearby “Magdoulim”
settlement.

 

 

 

1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians

 

 

Friday, October 12, 2001

 

At approximately 12:30 local time, 23-year-old ‘Azmi
‘Eissa Dhumeiri, from Tulkarm refugee camp, was wounded in the back by a live
bullet fired by Israeli occupation soldiers. Dhumeiri was on his way back home from work in Al-Tira town inside the
Green Line when Israeli soldiers fired at him near Al-Taybeh roadblock, southwest
of Tulkarm.

 

After Friday prayers, Palestinian civilians organized
a peaceful demonstration that moved towards an Israeli military roadblock at
the northern entrance of Al-Bireh. Israeli occupation soldiers fired live ammunition, rubber-coated metal
bullets, tear gas canisters, and stun grenades at the demonstrators. Four civilians were wounded:

1) ‘An’am Ibrahim Qeddis, 22, a medic from Beit Leqia
village near Ramallah, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the shoulder;

2) Samer Khaled Jebril, 14, from Ramallah, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen;

3) Majdi ‘Eissa Sa’id, 15, from Bir Zeit village near
Ramallah, wounded by a stun grenade in the abdomen; and

4) Lu’ai Rajab Nemer, 19, from Al-Am’ari refugee camp
near Ramallah, wounded by a stun grenade in the hand.

 

In addition, dozens of demonstrators suffered from
tear gas inhalation.

 

In the afternoon, dozens of Palestinian children
demonstrated at the eastern entrance of Beit Ummar village, north of
Hebron. They threw stones towards
Israeli occupation soldiers, who responded with live ammunition. One of the demonstrators, 14-year-old Jaber
Mohammed Ekhlil, was wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets in the
head. He was evacuated to Al-Mizan Hospital
in Hebron, where medical sources stated that the bullets fractured the skull
and settled in the brain, and that the child was shot from a very short
distance.

 

At approximately 15:00, ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu Marzouq, 11,
was wounded in the right shoulder by a live bullet fired by Israeli occupation
soldiers, while he was near his family’s house, approximately 300m away from an
Israeli military location in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, west of
Khan Yunis. Dozens of Palestinian
children had been demonstrating in the space separating Al-Amal neighborhood
from “Gani Tal” settlements. They threw
stones towards Israeli occupation soldiers in the vicinity of the
settlement. The Israeli soldiers fired
at the demonstrators, wounding Abu Marzouq who did not participate in those
clashes. In addition, dozens of
Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.

 

Sunday,
October 14, 2001

 

At approximately 16:00, ‘Eid ‘Adnan El-‘Ackawi, 13,
from Khan Yunis, was wounded in the left foot by a live bullet fired by Israeli
occupation soldiers. Dozens of
Palestinian children had been demonstrating in the space separating Al-Amal
neighborhood from “Gani Tal” settlement, west of Khan Yunis. They threw stones towards Israeli occupation
forces in the vicinity of the settlement. Israeli soldiers fired at the demonstrators, wounding El-‘Ackawi.

 

Monday,
October 15, 2001

 

At approximately 15:00, dozens of Palestinian
children demonstrated near Khan Yunis cemetery. They threw stones towards an Israeli military location in the vicinity
of the nearby “Neve Dekalim” settlement. Israeli occupation soldiers fired at the demonstrators, wounding a child
and a passing civilian:

1) Khaled Ahmed Saqer, 12, wounded by a live bullet in
the left hand; and

2) Hussein Ragheb Safi, 52, wounded by shrapnel from a
live bullet in the head.

 

At approximately 15:40, Israeli occupation soldiers,
positioned at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Beit Hanoun, fired
at ‘Eida Salem Abu Shallouf, 55, from Beit Hanoun, wounding her with a live
bullet in the right leg. She was
evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City in stable condition. According to PCHR’s investigation, Abu
Shallouf was grazing sheep approximately 600m west of the border when she was
fired at by Israeli soldiers without any apparent reason or warning. PCHR’s field officer in the northern Gaza Strip
reported that Israeli occupation forces often fire at people moving in the
area, thus restricting the access of Palestinian farmers to their agricultural
land in the area.

 

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

 

 

Thursday, October 11, 2001

 

At approximately 00:30, a heavy blast was heard near
Surra village, southwest of Nablus. At
approximately 08:00, the Israeli liaison forces handed the body of a
Palestinian young man to the Palestinian side. The body of the young man was transferred to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus,
where he was identified as Hani Mustafa Rawajba, 24, from ‘Assira village,
northwest of Nablus. Details of
Rawajba’s death have not been clear. However, Israeli radio reported that he had been killed in a clash with
Israeli occupation forces. According to
medical sources, Rawajba was hit by an artillery shell.

 

Friday, October 12, 2001

 

At approximately 01:20, Israeli occupation forces,
reinforced with tanks, moved approximately 400m into Palestinian-controlled
areas west of “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza City. They fired three artillery shells that fell
onto Al-Zahra’ town, south of the settlement. They then opened fire on Palestinian houses, wounding 15-year-old Jasser
‘Abed-Rabbu Abu Meddain, from Al-Mughraqa area, south of Gaza City, with a live
bullet in the abdomen and two live bullets in the feet. The child was near his family’s house when he
was wounded. He was evacuated to Shifa’
Hospital in Gaza City.

 

At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupation soldiers
positioned in a military location at the entrance of a road leading to
Al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah, opened fire on Palestinian houses in Tal
Al-Sultan neighborhood. Four Palestinian
civilians, including a woman, a child, and an old man, were wounded:

1) Mahmoud Hassan ‘Abdullah, 9,
wounded by shrapnel in the testicles;

2) Mohammed Yousef ‘Affifi, 80,
wounded by shrapnel in the neck;

3) Sana’ Dhiab Matar, 39, wounded by
shrapnel in the head; and

4) Sa’di Mahmoud Zo’rob, 23, wounded
by shrapnel in the back.

 

They were all evacuated to Al-Joneina Hospital in
Rafah.

 

In the meantime, Israeli occupation forces,
reinforced with tanks, continued their activities at the Egyptian border, south
of Rafah, under the cover of sporadic shelling that targeted Palestinian
houses. At approximately 19:00 local
time, 10-year-old ‘Arafat ‘Omar Siam, was wounded in the right thigh by a live
bullet fired by Israeli occupation soldiers positioned near Salah El-Din Gate
at the border. PCHR’s field officer in
Rafah reported that the child was approximately 1,500m away from the gate when
he was wounded.

 

At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupation forces
near “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire on Palestinian
houses in the western part of Khan Yunis refugee camp when no clashes were
reported, wounding two Palestinian civilians:

1) Hani Hassan Abu El-Sa’id, 24,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh; and

2) Hazem Sa’id Huneideq, 8, wounded
by shrapnel from a live bullet in the right foot.

 

Monday, October 15, 2001

 

At approximately 20:30,
Israeli occupation forces at a military location at the entrance of the road
leading to Al-Mawasi area, west of Rafah, opened fire on Palestinian houses in
Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood. Yasser Ziad
El-Derbi, 23, was injured by shrapnel in the chest while he was near his house.

 

Also at approximately
20:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of
“Gani Tal” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the western hills area and
Al-Amal neighborhood. More than 15
artillery shells fell near Palestinian houses, but no casualties were
reported. The shelling continued until
23:00 local time.

 

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

 

At approximately 17:30,
Israeli occupation forces, positioned in a military location near ‘Oraibeh
area, west of Rafah, opened fire on Palestinian houses, wounding Nermin Hassan
Matar, 2½, with shrapnel in the right thigh while she was inside her family’s
house. She was evacuated to a clinic of
the Palestine Red Crescent Society and subsequently transferred to Al-Joineina
Hospital in Rafah. According to medical
sources, she was in stable condition.

 

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

 

At approximately 01:00,
Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with tanks and bulldozers, moved
approximately 400m into the west of Al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis,
under the cover of intensive shelling that targeted Palestinian houses. The Israeli forces razed a 15-donum-area of
Palestinian agricultural land planted with guavas, palms and citrus, owned by
Mohammed ‘Abdel-Majid El-‘Abadleh. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the Israeli forces also
destroyed the road leading to Al-Matahen Company before they withdrew from the
area at approximately 03:00 local time.

 

At approximately 21:00,
Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the entrance to Al-Mawasi area, west
of Rafah, opened fire on Palestinian houses in the nearby Tal Al-Sultan
neighborhood. Bassam Sa’id Swei’ed, 40,
was wounded by a live bullet in the right arm.

 

At approximately 22:00,
Israeli occupation forces, positioned in military locations near “Neve Dekalim”
and “Gani Tal” settlements and Al-Tuffah checkpoint west of Khan Yunis, fired
heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Satar Al-Gharbi
area, Al-Amal neighborhood and the west of Khan Yunis refugee camp. A number of houses were severely damaged.

 

3. Continued Assassinations
and Extra-Judicial Killings

 

 

On Sunday, October 14, Israeli occupation forces
assassinated ‘Abdel-Rahman Ahmed Sa’id Hammad, 35, from Qalqilya, a Hamas
activist. At approximately 05:45 local
time, Hammad had just came back home from the mosque after the dawn prayer. He lived in a four-story building in
Al-Naqqar neighborhood in the northwest of Qalqilya, only 300m away from
Israeli military locations at the Green Line. Following his normal routine, Hammad went to the roof of his house. At approximately 06:15 local time, he came
under intense fire from Israeli military positions. His family instantly rushed to the roof where
they found him covered with blood. They
evacuated him to the UNRWA hospital in Qalqilya, where he was soon pronounced
dead. According to medical sources at
the hospital, Hammad received three medium caliber bullets in the chest and the
right side. Israeli forces claimed responsibility for this assassination. In a statement to Israeli Channel 1
television, a spokesman for the Israeli prime minister’s office stated the an
undercover unit of the Israeli forces had assassinated Hammad. Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel Sharon, stated
that “this is not the first operation and it will not be the last one.” 

 

In another assassination
on Monday, October 15, Ahmed Hassan Marshoud, 29, from Nablus was killed, and
Ziad ‘Abdullah ‘Araysheh, 24, was wounded. At approximately 08:20 local time, a heavy blast was heard at An-Najah
University Street in Nablus. Ambulances,
firemen, and civilians rushed to the area, where they found a car burning and
two young men lying on the ground injured. The two young men were evacuated to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus, where
Marshoud was soon pronounced dead.

 

Marshoud used to work in a
program for the rehabilitation of ex-prisoners. He went the office of the program in his private car. As soon as he stopped the car, it
exploded. Palestinian security sources
held Israeli occupation forces responsible for the incident, accusing these forces
of putting a bomb in the car to kill the two, who were known Hamas activists. 

 

 

4. Attacks by Jewish Settlers

 

 

On Thursday morning, October 11, a Jewish settler
fired at a Palestinian civilian car traveling from Hebron to Nablus, wounding
the driver and an occupant. At
approximately 03:00, Mohammed Hassan El-Halayqa, 75, from Al-Shuyoukh village
near Hebron, was traveling in a car with the driver, Wa’el ‘Awadh, 20, from
Beit Ummar village, on their way from Hebron to Nablus. When they were near Ussarin village, west of
Nablus, a Jewish settler fired at the car and escaped to the nearby “Magdoulim”
settlement. Israeli occupation forces
closed the area and evacuated the two wounded Palestinian civilians in a
helicopter to Tal Hashomer Hospital inside the Green Line. Halayqa was seriously wounded by a live
bullet in the head and the driver was wounded by a live bullet in the shoulder.

 

In Hebron this week,
Jewish settlers launched several attacks on Palestinian civilians and
property. On Friday, October 12, a
number of armed Jewish settlers violently beat Fawzi ‘Abdel-Rahim Abu Hadid,
32, while he was passing near “Avraham Avino” settlement on his way home from
work. The attack occurred before the
eyes of Israeli soldiers who did not intervene to stop it.

 

On Saturday evening,
October 13, dozens of Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian houses in
Al-Shuhada’ Street and the Old City in Hebron with iron bars, empty bottles,
and stones. They also fired at the
houses. As a result of the attack, which
took place before the eyes of Israeli soldiers, 8 Palestinian houses were
severely damaged.

 

On Sunday afternoon,
October 13, three Jewish settlers from “Ramat Yishai” settlement in Tal
Al-Rumeida neighborhood violently beat ‘Abdullah Ibrahim Sultan, 70, while he
was near his house. He received
fractures and bruises in the right arm.

 

In the evening of the same
day, dozens of Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian houses in Jabal Al-Rahma,
Al-Takrouri, and Qubbat Janeb neighborhoods, which had been reoccupied by
Israeli forces since Friday, October 5. In these attacks, which continued until the following morning, the
settlers used iron bars and firearms, causing severe damage to a number of
Palestinian houses.

 

5. Arrests by Israeli
Occupation Forces

 

 

This week, Israeli
occupation forces arrested many Palestinians. These 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 and at the entrances to Palestinian cities
and villages.

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

 

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

 

 

 

****

 

PCHR calls:

 

1) Upon governments that participated in the World
Conference Against Racism in Durban in South Africa to adopt crucial decisions
condemning practices by Israel and its belligerent occupation forces in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, which can only be described as apartheid
against the Palestinian people.

2) Upon the international community to provide immediate
and independent international protection for the Palestinian people in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories.

3) 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.

4) Upon the international community to investigate and
prosecute those believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories before international courts

5) Upon the ICRC to enhance its presence, expand its
activities, and intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.

6) Upon the European Union to activate Article 2 of the
Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect
human rights.

7) 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 the Israeli occupation forces on the entire
Occupied Palestinian Territories.

 

v For more information on
the Al-Aqsa Intifada see: www.pchrgaza.org