Israeli Forces Continue to
Perpetrate Crimes in the OPTs
· 10
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 1 woman, killed by Israeli forces
· 5
of the victims were killed during an Israeli military incursion into Rafah
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into the West Bank and Gaza Strip
· 31
houses in Rafah and Khan Yunis were destroyed
· More
areas of agricultural land were razed
· Houses
were raided and a number of Palestinians were arrested
· Construction
of the “separation wall” in the West Bank continued
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued and a number of Palestinian
civilians were injured
· A
Palestinian house in Hebron was destroyed and the widow of a deceased
Palestinian was arrested by Israeli forces as part of the continuing campaign
of retaliation against the families of Palestinians accused of involvement in
attacks against Israeli targets
· Israeli
occupying forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs
· 1
woman was killed and a number of other civilians were injured or arrested by
Israeli soldiers at military checkpoints
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
violate the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). Throughout the week, they conducted incursions into
Palestinian areas; shot at Palestinian civilians, including children;
indiscriminately shelled residential areas; demolished houses; and leveled
agricultural land. They have continued with the construction of the
“separation wall” inside the West Bank. Israeli
occupying forces have also continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs. This
week, 10 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 1 woman, were killed and a
number of others were wounded by Israeli occupying forces.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted
6 military incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they killed a number
of Palestinians and destroyed civilian property. During an incursion into al-Salam
neighborhood in Rafah on Thursday, 11 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces
killed 5 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, injured 12 and destroyed 9
houses. On Monday, 15 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces moved into Khan
Yunis refugee camp. They destroyed 22 houses, rendering approximately 200
Palestinian civilians homeless. On Wednesday, 17 December 2003, Israeli heavy
military vehicles moved into Rafah refugee camp and opened fire in the area,
killing a 16-year-old Palestinian child.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces conducted
a series of incursions into Palestinian communities, such as Nablus, Qalqilya,
Jenin, Ramallah, Bethlehem and Hebron. On Sunday, 14 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces made an incursion into Kufor Ne’ma village, west of Ramallah,
killing 1 Palestinian. On Tuesday, 16 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, during which time a number of
Palestinian children were injured by Israeli gunfire. 1 of the children was later
pronounced clinically dead. During the incursions, Israeli occupying forces
used heavy military vehicles, undercover units and helicopters and arrested a
number of Palestinians, who are allegedly wanted by Israeli occupation
authorities.
On Saturday, 13 December 2003, Israeli soldiers at a
military checkpoint near Nablus shot a Palestinian university student who was
on her way to Ramallah. Israeli occupying forces claimed that the car, in which
the victim was traveling, refused to stop at the checkpoint, but eyewitnesses
refuted this claim.
On Sunday, 14 December 2003, in an excessive use of
force, Israeli occupying forces killed 2 Palestinians near the northeastern
border of the Gaza Strip. The victims were apparently attempting to infiltrate
into Israel to find jobs and did not have any weapons with them.
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. In this context, they destroyed a house in
Hebron.
Israeli occupying forces continued construction of
the “separation wall” inside West Bank territory, in violation of international
human rights law and humanitarian law. They have also continued to close iron
gates established along the wall, denying Palestinian civilians access to
communities and agricultural areas located beyond the wall. According to a recent report published by the
Directorate of Agriculture in the Jenin district, for the purpose of the
construction of the wall Israeli occupying forces razed 314,765 donums[1] of
agricultural land in the district, isolated 7580 donums, uprooted 16415 trees
that were planted on 1965 donums, and isolated 6161 donums planted with 44702
olive and almond trees. According to the
same report, Israeli occupying forces also destroyed 5 animal farms that stood
on 1.14 donums of land.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
severe restrictions on 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. They have also maintained the closure of a number of
main and branch roads in the Gaza Strip. Such restrictions on freedom of
movement are in contravention of international human rights law, including the
International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed tighter
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians between the north and
south of the Gaza Strip. 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 the movement of
Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers routinely humiliate and harass Palestinian
civilians at the checkpoints, which are only open for a few hours each day.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities and restrict the movement
of Palestinian civilians. They have continued to close permanent military
checkpoints and erected temporary ones on the main and branch roads. On more than one occasion, Israeli soldiers
at military checkpoints fired at Palestinian civilians. For instance, on
Saturday, 13 December 2003, they shot dead a Palestinian university student
(see above). A number of Palestinians, who are allegedly wanted by Israeli
occupation authorities, were arrested by Israeli soldiers at military
checkpoints.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 11 December 2003
Israeli occupying forces killed 5 Palestinians, injured
13, and destroyed 9 houses during a military incursion into the al-Salam
neighborhood in Rafah. Israeli occupying forces stated that the aim of the
operation was to arrest a Palestinian wanted for involvement in attacks against
Israeli targets.
According to preliminary investigations conducted by
PCHR, at approximately 04:00, Israeli soldiers, reinforced by a number of heavy
military vehicles and a military helicopter, moved approximately 600m into
the al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian
border. Under cover of Israeli gunfire, Israeli troops surrounded houses
belonging to the al-Qadhi and al-Waqili families. Israeli soldiers used
megaphones to call on residents to evacuate their homes and called on Khaled
al-Qadhi to surrender to them. Israeli forces stated that they believed
him to be a member of the Islamic Jihad. The residents exited their homes
and Israeli soldiers detained them for approximately 1 hour. The male
residents, over the age of 18, were handcuffed and blindfolded. Khaled
al-Qadhi refused to leave his house and a gunfight ensued with Israeli
soldiers. Israeli soldiers ordered the residents to evacuate the
area. Shortly after, Israeli occupying forces demolished 9 houses
belonging to the families of al-Qadhi and al-Waqili, rendering 65 people (11
families) homeless.
During the incursion, a number of members of the
Palestinian resistance clashed with Israeli occupying forces. 1 armed
Palestinian, Nasser Mohammed Abu Naja, 28, died after being shot in the head by
a live bullet.
In addition, 4 Palestinian civilians were killed as a
result of Israeli gunfire in the area:
‘Omar Fawzi Abu Muhsen, 28, hit by a live
bullet in the abdomen;
1. Sabri
Ahmed Abu Louli, 25, hit by a live bullet in the head;
2. ‘Ayad
Mohammed al-Mahmoum, 55, hit by a live bullet in the chest; and
3. Mohammed
Rajab Zaino, 23, hit by a live bullet in the head.
In addition, 12 Palestinian civilians, including 6
children and 2 women, were wounded:
1. Rami
Mohammed Abu al-Rous, 20, seriously wounded by a live bullet that entered the
left shoulder and exited the back;
2. Hamada
Fakhri al-‘Arja, 14, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the neck;
3. Nidal
Bassam Abu Taha, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the face and the hands;
4. ‘Ali
Mansour al-‘Ojaili, 23, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
5. Hazem
‘Ali ‘Awadh, 19, wounded by shrapnel in the face and the right arm;
6. Islam
Ahmed al-Sha’er, 10, wounded by shrapnel in the right forearm;
7. Nour
al-Huda Samir Abu Taha, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
8. Maha
Zer’ei Abu Taha, 38, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
9. Khaled
Mohammed Abu Tailakh, 35, wounded by a live bullet in the right shoulder;
10. Mousa Hassan Abu Shammala, 11, wounded
by a live bullet in the right shoulder;
11. Aamena Mohammed Mo’ammar, 60, seriously
wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen; and
12. Malek Ahmed Abu Sousain, 15, wounded by
shrapnel in the head.
PCHR’s field worker in Rafah reported that Israeli
occupying forces withdrew from the al-Salam neighborhood at approximately
11:30am, after they had arrested 11 Palestinians, including Khaled al-Qadhi and
8 other members of his family. All the detainees were released in the evening,
excluding Khaled al-Qadhi who remained in custody.
Following are details of the houses that were destroyed:
1. A
150-square-meter house owned by Hassan ‘Abdullah Salam al-Qadhi, in which 19
people (2 families) lived;
2. A
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Hassan ‘Abdullah Salam
al-Qadhi, in which 15 people (2 families) lived;
3. A
250-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Yahia Suleiman Joma’a
al-Qadhi, in which 9 people lived;
4. A
250-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Suleiman Joma’a al-Qadhi, in
which 4 people lived;
5. An
80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Isma’il Suleiman Subhi
al-Qadhi, in which 7 people lived;
6. A
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Matar Sabbah al-Qadhi, in
which 7 people lived;
7. A
130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Majed Matar Sabbah al-Qadhi,
in which 3 people lived;
8. A
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Salman Sabbah al-Qadhi, in
which 9 people lived; and
9. A
220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Atiya Salim Daifallah
al-Waqili, in which 3 people lived.
At approximately 18:15, Israeli occupying forces moved
into Jaba’ village, southeast of Jenin. They opened fire at Palestinian houses, wounding 16-year-old Midhat
‘Abdul Karim Fashafsha with a live bullet in the abdomen.
Friday, 12 December 2003
At approximately 13:15, Israeli occupying forces
positioned at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Wadi Gaza village,
opened fire at Palestinian houses to the west. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Emad Salim Abu ‘Aayesh, 18, was wounded by
shrapnel in the right thigh. ‘Abu ‘Ayesh
was near his house, approximately 1700m away from the source of fire, when he
was wounded.
Saturday, 13 December 2003
Early in the morning, Israeli soldiers at a military
checkpoint opened fire at a Palestinian taxi, killing a university student who
was on her way to Ramallah. Israeli occupying forces claimed that they fired at
the car in which the victim was traveling, after it failed to stop at a
military checkpoint near Nablus, a claim that was refuted by eyewitnesses.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
02:15, Kamela Mohammed Ahmed al-Shouli, 21, left her house in ‘Asira village,
north of Nablus, to travel to Ramallah. She was traveling with 6 others in a Palestinian
registered taxi. At approximately 03:15, before arriving at the Aamtin
junction, southwest of Nablus, the driver noticed an Israeli military jeep parked
approximately 50m away and slowed down, assuming that the soldiers would tell
him to pull over. When the taxi was approximately 20m away from the jeep,
Israeli soldiers opened fire at the car without warning. Al-Shouli was wounded by 2 live bullets in
the neck and the chest. Shortly after, Israeli soldiers forced the passengers
out of the car and left al-Shouli bleeding on the ground without offering her
any medical assistance. She died approximately 45 minutes later. Israeli
soldiers interrogated the passengers and arrested the driver, ‘Ameed Sawalha,
27. Al-Shouli was a student at an-Najah National University in Nablus. She was the
mother of 2 children, and was on her way to see her husband in Ramallah.
At approximately 10:30, Israeli occupying forces positioned
at military locations between “Neve Dekalim” and “Gani Tal” settlements, west
of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Amal neighborhood and
Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian
woman, Donia Khalil Mohammed al-Zatma, 43, was wounded by a live bullet that
entered the left shoulder and exited the chest.
At approximately 18:00, Israeli occupying forces
positioned in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” and “Gani
Tal” settlements, west of Khan Yunis, shelled Palestinian houses and
agricultural areas in al-Rabwat area, al-Amal and al-Nimsawi neighborhoods and
Khan Yunis refugee camp. The shelling continued for 3 hours, during which time 4
Palestinian civilians, including 2 children from 1 family, were wounded:
1. ‘Abdul
Majid Maher ‘Abdul Majid Fayadh, 8, wounded by shrapnel in the head;
2. Samah
Hussam ‘Abdul Majid Fayadh, 4, wounded by shrapnel in the neck;
3. Mohammed
Ibrahim al-Najjar, 19, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh; and
4. Mohammed
‘Abdul Qader Shurrab, 21, wounded by shrapnel in the face.
A number of houses and a mosque were also damaged and
a fire broke out in an uninhabited flat owned by ‘Abdul Basset Mas’oud. Fire
engines were not able to reach the flat to extinguish the fire due to the
Israeli shelling, but neighbors managed to put it out.
At approximately 18:30, an Israeli settler car moved
towards a Palestinian vehicle that had stopped at the western junction of Deir
Estia village, southwest of Nablus. The
settler car deliberately hit the Palestinian vehicle, before leaving the area. The driver, Samer Mamdouh ‘Abdul Majid Diab,
19, was wounded in the incident. Soon
after, 2 Israeli military jeeps arrived at the area and Diab asked them for
assistance, but they fired at him. He
was wounded by 3 live bullets in both hands and in the right thigh and evacuated
to an Israeli hospital.
Sunday, 14 December 2003
At approximately 04:00, around 30 Israeli military
jeeps moved into Kufor Ne’ma village, west of Ramallah and imposed a curfew.
Approximately 30 minutes later, residents of the village heard the sound of
intense gunfire coming form the hills located to the southwest of the village.
A few hours later, Israeli occupying forces delivered a Palestinian’s body to
the Palestinian liaison. The victim was
identified as Riad Fakhri Khalifa, 31. According to medical sources, he was hit by several live bullets
throughout the body. During the incursion Israeli occupying forces arrested
Ra’ed Nassar ‘Abbas, 35, and Amjad al-Dik, 26, claiming that they, along with
Khalifa, were wanted by Israeli authorities.
At approximately 07:45, Israeli occupying forces
positioned at a military location in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement,
west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Block I of Khan Yunis refugee camp. ‘Ali
Ahmed Hunaideq’s house was hit by live bullets and shrapnel, severely damaging
the roof. Hunaideq’s son, Mousa, 23, was wounded by shrapnel in the left thigh
while he was in his bedroom.
Late at night, in an excessive use of force, Israeli
occupying forces killed 2 Palestinians near the northeastern border of the Gaza
Strip. The 2 were apparently attempting
to infiltrate into Israel to find jobs, and no weapons were found on them.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
23:30, the sound of gunfire was heard at the border with Israel, northeast of
Beit Hanoun. The gunfire continued
sporadically until 00:30 the following day. At approximately 09:00 on Monday,
Israeli occupying forces informed the Palestinian liaison that the bodies of 2
Palestinians were near the border. Immediately, a Palestinian ambulance went to the area and at
approximately 10:00, medical personnel found the body of one of the victims,
who was later identified at Shifa Hospital as Wa’el Saqer Dahrouj Abu Dahrouj,
26, from Sha’shaa’ area, east of Jabalya. The search for the other victim continued until 14:00, when his body was
found approximately 150m away from the border. He was hit by several live bullets in the head, chest and legs. He was identified as Younis Maraheel al-Bali,
28, from Jabalya. According to the
medical personnel, no weapons were found near the victims’ bodies.
Monday, 15 December 2003
In the morning, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 22
houses in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Contrary to
Israeli claims that the houses were uninhabited, investigations conducted by
PCHR revealed that the Israeli military operation left 178 Palestinian
civilians (25 families) homeless. In addition, homes belonging to 6
families (approximately 40 civilians) have become uninhabitable.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
00:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and
helicopters and covered by intense shelling, moved into Khan Yunis refugee
camp. During the operation, Israeli forces totally demolished 18 houses
and 4 others partially, leaving 178 civilians (25 families) homeless.
According to eyewitnesses, the inhabitants of the
houses destroyed or damaged in the attack left their houses when they heard the
Israeli military vehicles approaching the area. During the operation, a number of houses were
partially damaged by the shelling and Israeli forces destroyed a Palestinian National
Security Force post and severely damaged the civilian infrastructure in the
camp. PCHR’s field worker in Khan Yunis
reported that 9 of the houses had previously been vacated by the inhabitants
following repeated damage and shelling by Israeli forces. However, the houses
were routinely checked by their owners.
Following are the details of the houses destroyed in
the attack:
1. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Hani and Nayef Khalil ‘Atiya
Abu Namous, in which 14 people (2 families) lived, was totally destroyed.
2. A
100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Ussama Ibrahim ‘Atiya Abu
Namous, in which 6 people lived, was totally destroyed.
3. A
100-square-meter house owned by Mohammed Ibrahim ‘Atiya Abu Namous, in which 13
people lived, was totally destroyed.
4. A
100-square-meter house owned by Tawfiq ‘Ali Hassan Abu ‘Ouda, in which 9 people
lived, was totally destroyed.
5. A
150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Jihad ‘Ali Hassan Abu ‘Ouda,
in which 12 people (2 families) lived, was totally destroyed.
6. A
100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Awadallah ‘Ali Hassan Abu
‘Ouda, in which 12 people lived, was totally destroyed.
7. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Mahmoud ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu
Shuqair, in which 8 people lived, was totally destroyed.
8. A
120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Khader ‘Abed Salim Abu
Ammouna, in which 10 people lived, was totally destroyed.
9. An
80-square-meter house owned by Fu’ad ‘Abed Salim Abu Ammouna, in which 10 people
lived, was totally destroyed.
10. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Mohammed ‘Abed Salim Abu Ammouna, in which 6 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
11. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Fathi ‘Abed Salim Abu Ammouna, in which 10 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
12. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Tayseer Mohammed Salim Abu Ammouna, in which 8 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
13. A 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Hamza ‘Abdulrahman Abu ‘Arqoub, in which 30 people (5 families)
lived, was totally destroyed.
14. An 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Ziad ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu Shuqair, in which 2 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
15. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by ‘Aadel Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Saif, in which 4 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
16. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Ramadan Mohammed Ibrahim Abu Saif, in which 4 people lived, was
totally destroyed.
17. A 90-square-meter, 3-storey house owned
by Suleiman Hassan Zayed Abu Mukhaimer, in which 12 people (3 families) lived,
was totally destroyed.
18. An 80-square-meter house owned by
Marwan Mustafa Mohammed Miqdad, in which 7 people lived, was totally destroyed.
19. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house owned by Fayez Ahmed Ibrahim Saqer, in which 13 people live, was
partially destroyed.
20. A 100-square-meter, 2-storey house
owned by Khadija ‘Abdul Qader Musleh Salama was partially destroyed.
21. A 120-square-meter, 2-storey house
owned by Ra’ed Sha’ban Mohammed al-Batash, in which 10 people lived, was
partially destroyed.
22. A 200-square-meter, 3-storey house
owned by Jaber and Nabil ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu Shuqair, in which 16 people live, was
partially destroyed.
23. A 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
building owned by Khalil Ahmed Mousawas totally destroyed.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces
positioned at the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at al-Brazil
neighborhood in the south of the town. A
Palestinian civilian, Fawzi Fa’eq Salim, 30, was wounded by shrapnel in the
left hand, while he was walking approximately 300m away from the border.
Tuesday, 16 December 2003
At approximately 05:00, around 30 Israeli military
vehicles, covered by 2 helicopters, moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus,
and imposed a curfew. Israeli soldiers took position on top of a number of
houses in the camp, from which they fired at houses and streets. At approximately 09:00, a number of
Palestinian children gathered near the UNRWA schools in the west of the camp
and threw stones at Israeli forces. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire,
wounding 11 Palestinian civilians, including 2 infants, a woman and an elderly
man. 15-year-old Anwar Ahmed ‘Ezzat
‘Omran, from Deir al-Hatab village, was hit by a live bullet in the head and
later pronounced clinically dead. The child was visiting relatives in the camp
and his brother was also wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet. The others
wounded in the attack are as follows:
1. Mohammed
Ghazi Mohammed Abu Theraa’, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
2. Ahmed
‘Ata Mohammed Abu Subhia, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
abdomen;
3. Ahmed
Hussein ‘Ali Khalil, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left
shoulder;
4. Sa’id
Hussein Ahmed al-Haj, 70, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
5. Maya
Khaled Sa’id al-Haj, 1.5, wounded by shrapnel in the head and the face;
6. Fatema
Khaled Sa’id al-Haj, 32, wounded by shrapnel in the left hand;
7. Hamza
Akram ‘Ata Subaitan, 2, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left
leg;
8. Salah
Ahmed ‘Ezzat ‘Omran, 17, from Dair al-Hatab village, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the back;
9. Isma’il
Joma’a Mohammed Battawi, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
left leg; and
10. Talal ‘Ali Mubaraka, 25, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.
At approximately 14:00, just as children where on
their way home from school, 3 Israeli military jeeps moved into Halhoul
village, north of Hebron and began to harass the children, pursuing them for no
apparent reason. A number of children
gathered and threw stones at the jeeps. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at the children, wounding
15-year-old Murad ‘Abdul Jalil Abu Rayan with a live bullet in the right foot. They
also arrested 14-year-old Samed Ahmed al-Douda. During the incident, a car
belonging to Associated Press cameraman, Hazem Bader, was hit by more than 6
live bullets. He said that an Israeli soldier deliberately fired at his car,
although it was clearly marked as a press vehicle.
At approximately 19:00, Israeli heavy military
vehicles moved 2km into Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah in the
central Gaza Strip. They partially destroyed a Palestinian National Security
Force post, and withdrew from the village after approximately 3 hours.
Wednesday, 17 December 2003
At approximately 02:30, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Beit Kahel village, west of Hebron. They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinians:
1. Salem
Hassan Jibril al-‘Asafra, 36;
2. Ra’fat
Ibrahim Hassan al-‘Asafra, 21, a university student; and
3. ‘Arafat
Mohammed Musallam ‘Asafra, 21, a university student.
At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Tulkarm, surrounding a 4-storey apartment building in the center of
the town. They opened fire at the building and ordered the residents to vacate
the premises. They checked the ID cards of the residents and arrested ‘Ammar
Kamal Mohammed Mannaa’, 30, a lecturer at al-Quds Open University.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved into Block L in Rafah refugee
camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. They opened fire at the area, seriously
wounding 16-year-old Mustafa ‘Abdul Hamid al-Hams with a live bullet in the
head. Medical efforts to save his life
failed and he was later pronounced dead.
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 01:30 on Friday, 12 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces moved into the Senjer area in the east of Dura
village, south of Hebron. They surrounded a 180-square-meter, 2-storey house
owned by Fa’eqa Kayed Swaiti and rented by Fawzi ‘Abdul Latif Abu Doush, 54. They
forced the 3 families (18 people) living in the house to leave without permitting
them to take any of their belongings. At
approximately 05:00, Israeli soldiers planted explosives in the house and
destroyed. Abu Doush is the father of
Ahmed Abu Doush, who was assassinated by Israeli occupying forces on 16
September 2003.
On Tuesday afternoon, 16 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces arrested Majeda Isma’il al-Talahma, 33, from al-Burj village,
west of Hebron. She is the widow of Saleh Mahmoud Hussein al-Talahma, 37, who
was killed by Israeli occupying forces in Ramallah on Monday, 1 December 2003, when
his house was demolished. According to eyewitnesses, about 20 Israeli soldiers
raided and searched her house, before arresting her. Al-Talahma is the mother
of 4 children.
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 the 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. Such restrictions on the freedom of movement
are in contravention of international human rights law, including the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed tighter
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians between the north and
south of the Gaza Strip. 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 the movement of
Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers routinely humiliate and harass
Palestinian civilians at the checkpoints, which are only open for a few hours
each day.
At approximately 06:00 on Sunday, 14 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces closed the 2 checkpoints, holding many Palestinian
vehicles in between, and forced a number of vehicles to move into an enclosed
area for searching. Palestinian civilians had their ID cards checked and were
ordered to get out of their vehicles and made to wait for many hours. This
procedure continued until 07:30. At
approximately 13:30, Israeli occupying forces closed the 2 checkpoints again,
holding and searching a number of Palestinian vehicles until 20:30. Hundreds of Palestinian vehicles were forced
to wait at the 2 checkpoints. During
this time, Israeli soldiers sporadically opened fire above the vehicles. Israeli
forces were forced to reopen the 2 checkpoints when hundreds of Palestinian
civilians, including workers, crossed the 2 checkpoints on foot. Israeli soldiers fired at the civilians,
wounding Fathi Ahmed Abu al-Sousain, 23, with a live bullet in the left
thigh.
The following morning, Monday, 15 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces again closed the 2 checkpoints, detaining a number of
Palestinian vehicles and civilians at the checkpoint until the afternoon.
According to several eyewitnesses, Israeli occupying forces arrested 1 of
Palestinian civilians detained. On Tuesday, 16 December 2003, at approximately
19:00, Israeli forces again closed the 2 checkpoints.
Israeli occupying forces have tightened the siege
imposed on the al-Sayafa area between “Dogit” and “Elli
Sinai” settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian civilians moving in and out of
the area are now subjected to prolonged physical checks by Israeli soldiers
stationed at the only entry point to the area. Sayafa residents are only allowed to move in and out of the area between
06:30-8:30 and 14:00-16:15. Israeli soldiers force male Palestinians to reveal
the upper part of their body when entering the area. Female Palestinians are searched by female
Israeli soldiers. Entry of foodstuffs
into the area is allowed twice a week. All foodstuffs are checked by a trained dog. When the dog is absent, entry of foodstuffs
is prohibited. Furthermore, due to these
restrictions, school children are forced to walk long distances to reach their
schools on time. When they return from
school, they are made to wait at the checkpoint until the entry hours take
effect.
Israeli occupying forces have also continued to
impose a strict siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip, restricting
movement into and out of the area. Israeli occupying forces have increased restrictions on movement of
Palestinians through al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to al-Mawasi area,
west of Khan Yunis. Male Palestinians
under 35 years old and females under 25 are often denied passage across the
checkpoint.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank and restrict movement
of Palestinian civilians. Israeli occupying forces, using permanent and
temporary military checkpoints set up on main and branch roads through-out the
West Bank, have continued to impose
closures on large areas of territory, including many towns.
Hebron
On Friday morning, 12 December 2003, Israeli occupying
forces removed sand barriers that have blocked Hebron-Halhoul road, which links
Hebron and its surrounding villages to Bethlehem, since the beginning of the
current Intifada. PCHR’s field worker in
Hebron reported that Israeli occupying forces established an iron gate and an
observation tower in the area by which they now control the road. Palestinian civilians crossing the gate are
subject to prolonged searches by Israeli soldiers.
Jenin
Israeli occupying forces erected new military checkpoints
around Jenin and closed a number of roads leading to the town. PCHR’s field worker in Jenin reported that on
Sunday morning, 14 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces erected a military
checkpoint in Jenin on Haifa road and denied passage to Palestinian
civilians. On Monday morning, 15
December 2003, Israeli occupying forces also erected a roadblock at ‘Arrba
junction, one near Beer al-Basha village, and several others at the entrances
to the villages of Kafiret, al-Zababda and ‘Aqqaba. Israeli occupying forces denied Palestinian
civilians passage through all the newly erected roadblocks listed above. On the same day, Israeli soldiers arrested
Sari al-Zughaibi, 40, from Qabatya village, as he tried to cross sand barriers
erected by Israeli forces on a branch road linking his village and Jenin.
Nablus
On Friday 13 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces
tightened the siege imposed on Nablus. Israeli soldiers positioned at Hawara military checkpoint, south of
Nablus, denied passage thorough this checkpoint to Palestinian civilians, and
then fired at these civilians. Israeli
soldiers gathered a number of young men and girls that were at the checkpoint
and handcuffed them. Israeli soldiers
positioned at Beit Eiba military checkpoint, west of Nablus, delayed the
movement of Palestinian civilians though this checkpoint in the morning and in
the afternoon. On the same day, Israeli
soldiers positioned at al-Hamra checkpoint, east of Nablus, arrested Jawadat Mahmoud
Saif, 19, from Burqa village, northwest of the town, while he was on his way to
his work in Ramallah.
Tulkarm
On Saturday morning, 13 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces closed al-Kafriya military checkpoint, south of Tulkarm, and
denied entry of Palestinian civilians into the town. When Palestinians
attempted to enter the town through branch roads the were pursued and harassed
by Israeli soldiers. Israeli soldiers positioned at an iron gate at the
entrance of Baqa al-Sharqia village, north of Tulkarm, detained and searched
dozens of Palestinian civilians, and denied several trucks loaded with
vegetables entry into the town.
Qalqilya
On Saturday morning, 13 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces closed the entrance to Qalqilya and did not allow Palestinians
to enter or exit the town, effectively cutting off the towns 44,000 residents
from the rest of the West Bank.
Bethlehem
On Sunday morning, 14 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces closed the checkpoints at the northern entrance to al-Khader
village and denied movement of Palestinians to and from the village.
*****
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 continuing to deteriorate 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:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
