Israeli Occupying Force
Continue to Commit Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories
v 9
Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were killed by Israeli forces
v 5
of the victims were killed in an Israeli wide-scale incursion into Rafah
refugee camp
v A
Palestinian journalist was killed by Israeli forces while carrying out his work
in Nablus
v Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas, accompanied by
indiscriminate shelling
v More
houses and civilian facilities were destroyed
v The
Israeli retaliatory campaign continues against families of wanted Palestinians
and those who allegedly carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets,
resulting the destruction of 4 houses
v 7
Palestinian families in the West Bank were threatened with the demolition of
their houses, if their sons – allegedly wanted by Israeli forces – did not
surrender
v Wide-scale
arrests in Tulkarm refugee camp and hundreds of civilians were transferred to
the nearby Nour Shams refugee camp
v Large
areas of Palestinian agricultural land is razed in the Gaza Strip
v Continued
indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas
v 2
Palestinian hospitals in Jenin were raided and 2 wounded Palestinians arrested
v More
Palestinians were arrested
v Israeli
forces continued to use Palestinian civilians as human shields in military
operations
v The
Israeli retaliatory campaign against families of wanted Palestinians continues
v Continued
siege on the Gaza Strip
v A
number Palestinian civilians were humiliated and arrested at Israeli military
checkpoints
Introduction
Israeli occupying forces have continued
to conduct illegal actions and human rights violations against Palestinian
civilians, including collective punishment, willful killings, shelling of and
incursions into Palestinian areas and agricultural land leveling. This week, 17-23 April 2003, 9 Palestinian civilians,
including 4 children, were killed, and dozens were wounded by Israeli occupying
forces.
Israeli occupying forces conducted a series
of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, during
which they attacked Palestinian civilians and property. On 19 April 2003,
during a wide-scale incursion into Rafah refugee camp, Israeli occupying forces
killed 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, and wounded 30 others.
The condition of 10 of the wounded is said to be critical and the number of
wounded included 7 children. During this full-scale incursion into Rafah,
Israeli occupying forces dynamited a house owned by a Palestinian family – a
member of which is allegedly wanted for suspected activities against Israel. 4
other houses were completely destroyed by bulldozers and some 20 other houses
were damaged. The electricity and telephone supplies were also damaged.
This week also witnessed an
escalation of Israeli military attacks against the press, characterized by not
only the excessive and indiscriminate use of force against journalists, but
also the specific targeting of media personnel and institutions in an attempt
to silence the press and prevent public reporting of Israeli military actions.
On Saturday, 19 April 2003, Israeli occupying shot dead Nazeeh ‘Aadel Darwaza,
42, from Nablus, a cameraman for Palestine Television and Associated Press,
when they deliberately fired at a group of Palestinian journalists who were
reporting on clashes that erupted between Palestinian civilians and Israeli
soldiers in the center of Nablus. The journalists were clearly marked and
were carrying their cameras. This brings the total number of journalists
killed by Israeli occupying forces whilst carrying out their work since the beginning of
the current Intifada to 6: 5 Palestinians and 1 Italian national. A
further 94 journalists have been injured by the Israeli occupying forces.
In violation
of articles 16 and 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, on Wednesday morning, 23 April
2003, Israeli occupying forces raided Dr. Suleiman Khalil and al-Shifa’
hospitals in Jenin and arrested 2 Palestinians who were receiving medical
treatment for previously sustained injuries.
In violation of international
humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment, Israeli forces took
retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who have carried out
attacks against Israeli targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and
those wanted by Israeli forces. In this context, they threatened 7
Palestinian families from Tulkarm, informing them that their houses would be demolished
if their sons, who are allegedly wanted for activities against Israeli forces,
did not surrender. They also destroyed a house in Rafah refugee camp when
they invaded the camp at the beginning of this week. 10 neighboring
houses were severely damaged as a result of this destruction.
Israeli occupying forces have maintained
a total siege on the OPT. They have isolated
Palestinian communities from one another. They have partitioned the Gaza Strip
into three separate zones and have restricted the movement of people and
goods. They have also maintained curfews on some areas in the West
Bank. Since Saturday, 15 March 2003, Israeli occupying authorities
prevented Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling abroad. Israeli
occupying forces imposed further restrictions on the entry of Palestinian
workers into Erez industrial zone in the northern Gaza Strip, stipulating that
workers must be at least 28 years old, married and have children. These
restrictions have deprived more than 50% of the workers their source of income
and the border crossings have remained closed for over a week. Also this week,
Israeli forces fired at Palestinian civilians moving through Israeli military
checkpoints and on 22 April 2003, Israeli forces arrested a number of
Palestinians near al-Matahen military checkpoint, north of Khan Yunis.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into
Palestinian Areas
Thursday, 17 April 2003
During the night, Israeli forces
seized a house belonging to Ahmed Mohammed Baraka when they encroached into the
Boba’ district of the southeast of Deir Al-Balah. At approximately 02:00,
Israeli occupying forces positioned on top of the house opened fire at a site
of the Palestinian National Security Force approximately 150m to the north,
wounding 2 security men:
1. Mansour ‘Abdul Karim Ejmei’an, 25, wounded by a
live bullet in the right hand
2. ‘Abdul Qader ‘Abdullah Nussairat, 28, wounded by a
live bullet in the right side.
They also fired at Salama Fathi
Abu ‘Amra, 18, wounding him with a live bullet that entered the abdomen and
exited the back. Abu ‘Amra was repairing his tractor on his agricultural
land, approximately 300m away from the source of fire.
Nearly half an hour later, two
tanks and an Israeli military bulldozer moved into the area. The
bulldozer razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land:
1. 1-donum of agricultural land planted with palms,
olives and figs owned by Ahmed Mohammed Baraka.
2. 1-donum of agricultural land planted with wheat
owned by Hussein ‘Abdul Rahman Baraka.
3. 1-donum of agricultural land planted with wheat
owned by Ahmed ‘Abdullah Baraka.
4. A 500-square-meter area of agricultural land
planted with vegetables owned by Ahmed Mohammed Baraka.
5. 1-donum of agricultural land planted with wheat
owned by Zaki Mohammed Baraka.
6. A 500-square-meter area of agricultural land
planted with wheat owned by ‘Othman Salama Baraka.
7. 1-donum of agricultural land planted with wheat
owned by Mustafa Ahmed Baraka.
8. It demolished a 12-meter-long fence owned by
Mahmoud Ahmed Baraka.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with tanks and armored personnel carriers,
surrounded Dr. Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm, claiming that an allegedly
wanted Palestinian was hiding inside the hospital. They called through
loudspeakers for the Palestinian to surrender. Director of the hospital,
Dr. Sa’id Abu Baker told Israeli soldiers more than once that the individual in
question was not in the hospital. A number of Israeli soldiers went to
the house of the wanted Palestinian’s family, forcing his parents to accompany
them to the hospital, where they made the parents call through loudspeakers for
their son to surrender to Israeli forces. When the Israeli officer was
certain that the son was not in the hospital, he told the parents that their
son “is not so important that they may break into the hospital to arrest
him.” The officer asked the parents to persuade him to surrender, or
“the army will bring him on a stretcher,” in a clear threat to assassinate
him. During the siege on the hospital, Israeli soldiers tried to provoke
Palestinians in the surroundings and a number of Palestinian boys gathered in
the area and threw stones towards Israeli forces. At approximately 11:20,
while a number of the stone throwers were near al-Qarout fuel station, an
Israeli military jeep arrived at the area. The jeep stopped for a while
and an Israeli soldier got out and took up a combat position behind a civilian
car, approximately 50m away from the stone throwers. The jeep proceeded
towards the boys and as it got closer, Yousef ‘Abdul Raziq Mohammed Yahia, 16,
hit the body of the jeep with an iron bar. Immediately, the Israeli
soldier who was behind the civilian car fired at him. The other boys warned
Yahia that he was being fired at, so he lowered his head to avoid being
wounded, but he was hit by two live bullets in the left buttock and
forearm. A Palestinian ambulance tried to evacuate him to hospital, but
Israeli soldiers obstructed its passage for 5 minutes, during which time Yahia
died of his injuries. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli occupying forces
did not attempt to use non-lethal force to stop the boy’s actions.
According to medical sources, one of the live bullets caused an acute internal
hemorrhage in the victim’s body.
At approximately 17:00, Israeli
soldiers on tanks that had invaded Jenin and its refugee camp in the morning
opened fire at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian child, Mahmoud Khaled
Ebdah, 12, was critically wounded by a live bullet that entered his back and
exited the abdomen.
At approximately 18:20, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately
50m into Block O in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border south
of Rafah. They opened fire on a group of Palestinian children who were playing
football, approximately 300m away. Two of the children and a third child
who was near her home were wounded:
1. ‘Alaa’
Mohammed ‘Omar, 10, wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder;
2. Ahmed
Isma’il Radwan, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the back
3. Yasmin
Jamal Yousef, 8, wounded by shrapnel in the head.
Friday, 18 April 2003
At approximately 21:30, Israeli
occupying forces in a military location known as “al-Nouria,” west of
Khan Yunis, fired a number of artillery shells at Palestinian houses to the
east. A shell hit the house of Basem Ibrahim Mahmoud Khalafallah, 33,
approximately 200m east of the Israeli military location. Khalafallah was
critically injured by shrapnel in the head. PCHR’s field worker in Khan
Yunis reported that other shells fell onto the streets of Khan Yunis refugee
camp, damaging a number of Palestinian houses. The area was completely
quiet when the unprovoked Israeli shelling.
Saturday, 19 April 2003
In an escalation of attacks against the
press, characterized by the excessive and indiscriminate use of force against
journalists in an attempt to silence the press and prevent public reporting of
Israeli military actions, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at a number of
journalists reporting on clashes between Palestinian civilians and Israeli
soldiers in the center of Nablus. A journalist was killed and two others
were wounded.
According to eyewitness accounts,
in the early morning Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into the center of
Nablus. During this incursion, an Israeli tank was subject to a technical
fault, and as Palestinian school children were on their way to school, they
observed Israeli forces trying to repair the tank, so they threw stones towards
them. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire at the stone throwers,
wounding 5. A number of journalists arrived at the area to report the
clashes, but Israeli soldiers deliberately targeted them. At approximately
08:30, Israeli soldiers stopped Nasser Suleiman Mohammed Eshtayeh, 34, from
Salem village, east of Nablus, an Associated Press cameraman and forced him to
move away from the area. After he had moved a way and sat near a school,
an Israeli soldier pointed his gun towards him and fired 9 rubber-coated metal
bullets, wounding him in the right ankle. Another journalist, ‘Aaref
Tuffaha, 40, from Nablus, an ABC cameraman, was injured by shrapnel in the
face. Even after the children had stopped throwing stones towards Israeli
forces and left the area, Israeli soldiers continued to fire. Journalists
took shelter in the entrance of a house and although they were wearing clothes
that clearly identified them as members of the press and were shouting that
they were journalists, an Israeli soldier fired a live bullet at them.
The live bullet hit Palestine Television and Associated Press cameraman Nazeeh
‘Aadel Ahmed Darwaza, 42, from Nablus in the head. He was killed
instantly. Darwaza was married and a father of 4 children.
The wounded were identified as:
1. Sa’ed
Hussam Mohammed Shaf’ei, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen
2. Ra’ed No’man al-Sarrawi, 14, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head
3. Hanna Ibrahim Hanna Khouri, 67, wounded
by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg
4. Hamza ‘Abdullah Khaled Qandil, 22,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg
5. Mohammed Mas’oud ‘Othman Zo’aiter, 21,
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back.
In another incursion into Palestinian
territory, Israeli occupying forces killed 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2
children, and wounded 30 others in Rafah. The condition of 10 of the wounded is
said to be critical and the number of wounded included 7 children. During
this full-scale incursion into Rafah, Israeli occupying forces dynamited a
house owned by a Palestinian family – a member of which is allegedly wanted for
suspected activities against Israel. 4 other houses were completely destroyed
by bulldozers and some 20 other houses were damaged.
According to PCHR investigations,
at around 21:45, Israeli occupying forces, supported by more than 40 vehicles,
including tanks, bulldozers and helicopters, launched an incursion into Yebna
area in Rafah refugee camp. Israeli forces moved from their military
posts on the border with Egypt, into approximately 5km of Palestinian
territory, reaching the centre of Rafah. The incursion was accompanied by
bombing from tanks and helicopters.
Israeli occupying forces surrounded
the 300-square-meter, two-story house belonging to Mohammed Ibrahim Salah Abu
Shamaleh and home to 4 families (25 people). Israeli occupying forces
claim that Mohammed Abu Shamaleh is wanted by authorities for alleged
activities against these forces. Via a megaphone, Israeli forces notified all
residents to evacuate the building, without any prior notification. Soon after
the residents had evacuated the house, Israeli forces placed dynamite inside
the building, completely demolishing the structure, which is located in a
densely populated area. Another 10 houses were severely damaged by the
blast. At a different location, Israeli bulldozers destroyed 4 other houses,
which were home to 43 people, including women and children, who were consequently
left without shelter.
Following are details of the houses that
were bulldozed:
1. 70-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house,
in which 10 people lived, owned by Ahmed Yousef Mohammed ‘Aashour;
2. 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 8 people lived, owned by Mufid Yousef Abu ‘Obaid;
3. 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
uninhabited house owned by Zakiyah ‘Abdul Hamid Abu Hashem
4. 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
uninhabited house owned by Hashem ‘Abdul Karim Abu Hashe.
As a result of the indiscriminate
attacks by Israeli forces which finally ceased at around 03:30 on Sunday, 20
April 2003, 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, were killed and
another 30 were injured. Severe damage was reported to 10 houses and elements
of the civilian infrastructure (telephone and electricity lines) were severely
damaged.
The individuals killed were identified
as:
1.
Mohammed Ibrahim al-Hamaida, 14, shot by a live bullet in the abdomen;
2. Mahmoud
Ahmed Abu Koush, 15, shot by a live bullet in the abdomen;
3. Sa’di
Juma’a Abu Hudayed, 26, shot by a live bullet in the head;
4. Hussein
Mahmoud Zannoun, 22, shot by two live bullets: one in the abdomen and one
in the chest
5. Sa’id
Ibrahim al-Masri, 28, shot by a live bullet in the head.
During the incursion, Israeli occupying
forces destroyed 14 civilian vehicles, including a Palestinian Red Crescent
Society ambulance. It was reported that Israeli forces surrounded the
headquarters of Palestinian Red Crescent Society, preventing medical staff from
attending to the wounded.
Sunday, 20 April 2003
At approximately 23:15, Israeli
occupying forces in a military location in the Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest
of Rafah opened fire at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian civilian,
Hassan Salah Madhi, 26, was injured by shrapnel in the back, abdomen and left
foot, while he was near his house, approximately 400m away from the source of
fire.
Monday, 21 April 2003
At approximately 15:00, Israeli
occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve
Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, shelled Khan Yunis refugee camp
and al-Nimsawi neighborhood. A Palestinian child, ‘Abdul Rahman ‘Abdul
Mon’em Ibrahim ‘Arram, 8, was injured by shrapnel in the abdomen and the limbs.
PCHR’s field worker in Khan Yunis reported that the child was injured while he
was playing on the roof of his family’s house, approximately 200m away from the
aforementioned settlement.
In the evening, an undercover unit
of the so-called ‘Israeli Border Guard,’ supported by large troops of Israeli
occupying forces and two helicopters, moved into Jenin to arrest Palestinians
allegedly wanted by Israeli occupying authorities. This incursion was
accompanied by intense gunfire that left 5 Palestinian civilians wounded.
Israeli forces arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, but released them shortly
after they had withdrawn from the town.
According to information available
to PCHR, at approximately 18:20, a Palestinian registered civilian car
(Mercedes 410), moved into Jenin through Nazareth Street, north of the
town. The car crossed Salah al-Din Street and stopped near Abu al-Sukkar
Café at the entrance of the old town. Immediately 14 armed masked persons
in civilian clothing got out and broke into the café. They ordered all
those inside the café to remain in their places. Nearly 5 minutes later,
10 tanks and 5 Israeli military jeeps, supported by two helicopters, came to
the area. They opened fire at Palestinian civilians, injuring 5:
1. Shadi
Yhia Kalbouna, 20, injured by shrapnel in the right foot and the left leg
2. Shadi
Mufid Jarrar, 26, injured by a live bullet in the right leg and shrapnel in the
left leg
3. ‘Essam
Hamza Abu Ja’as, 27, injured by shrapnel in the left hand and neck
4. Jaber
Mohammed Abu al-Rub, 23, injured by shrapnel in the forearms
5.
Mohammed Amin Abu Hammad, 25, injured by shrapnel in the right thigh.
Upon their withdrawal from the town,
Israeli forces arrested 4 Palestinians. They were later released at
approximately 20:30.
Tuesday, 22 April 2003
At approximately 10:00, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a
bulldozer, moved approximately 600m into ‘Abasan village, east of Khan
Yunis. In 9 hours, they razed 34 donums of Palestinian agricultural land
and two roads, including:
1. A 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and onions and destroyed an irrigation network owned by
Sharif Mohammed Baraka Abu Daqqa.
2. A 5-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Ibrahim ‘Abdul
Karim Mohammed al-Shami.
3. A 2-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Samir ‘Abdul
Karim Mohammed al-Shami.
4. A 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by ‘Abdul Hadi
Hamdan Salman Abu Lebda.
5. A 3-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and a 100-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Ahmed
Ibrahim Abu Nusair.
6. A 5.5-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by ‘Abdul ‘Aziz
Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Sa’ada.
7. A 2-donum area of agricultural land
planted with wheat owned by Maziouna Suleiman ‘Ali al-Msadani.
8. A 6-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives, breeches, almonds and figs and destroyed an irrigation
network owned by Mohammed ‘Abdullah Suleiman Abu Roumia.
9. A 2-donum area of agricultural land
planted with olives and a 300-meter-long row of wild figs, and destroyed a
200-meter-long water pipeline owned by Mohammed Mustafa ‘Abdullah Abu Roumia.
10. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a
70-meter-long row of wild figs and destroyed an irrigation network owned by
Nabil Mahmoud Abu Halib.
Wednesday, 23 April 2003
At approximately 03:00, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with tanks, armored personnel carriers and two
helicopters, moved into Nablus. They surrounded Khanfar apartment
building and opened fire at the flats. A 26-year-old Palestinian was
seriously wounded. When they attempted to arrest him, Israeli occupying
forces used Dr. Walid Khanfar, 55, as a human shield. The wounded man had
been renting a flat in the building for 45 days prior to the incident and had
introduced himself to the owner as Aysar Abu Zour. Later, Israeli
occupying forces declared that they had seriously wounded Anas Shuraitah before
they arrested him, claiming that he was the Nablus leader of Islamic Jihad and
had opened fire at Israeli forces. Israeli occupying forces also
destroyed the flat where Shuraitah lived.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including two bulldozers,
moved approximately 100m into al-Mughraqa village, south of Gaza City.
They demolished 5 Palestinian houses:
1. Totally demolishing
a 140-square-meter house, in which 5 people live, owned by Jaber Hassan
al-Hassanat.
2. Totally demolishing
an 80-square-meter uninhabited house owned by ‘Atiya Abu ‘Amra.
3. Totally demolishing a
120-square-meter uninhabited house owned by Karam Mahmoud Miqdad.
4. Partially
demolishing a 170-square-meter uninhabited house owned by Walid Sa’id al-Nazli.
5. Demolishing a
250-square-meter, under-construction house owned by Bassel Hashem
al-Nazli.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including two
bulldozers, moved into the east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun,
razing areas of Palestinian agricultural land. Approximately 3 hours
later, they moved forward surrounding a 240-square-meter, 3-storey uninhabited
house owned by Majed ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ‘Abdul Rahman Wahdan. They then
proceeded to erect sand barriers around it and then demolished the
structure. Following are details of the agricultural areas that
were razed:
1. A 30-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Hassan Yousef Shurrab.
2. A 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Eihab Khaled Shurrab.
3. A 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mohammed Jarada.
4. A 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Hatem al-Nakhala.
A Palestinian Civilian Dies from a
Previous Injury Sustained in an Extra-Judicial Assassination
At approximately 13:10 on
Thursday, 17 April 2003, medical sources at Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza City
declared that Mahmoud Mohammed ‘Ali al-Louh, 21, from al-Daraj neighborhood in
Gaza City, succumbed to an injury inflicted when Israeli occupying forces
committed an assassination in ‘Asqoula neighborhood in Gaza City.
According to PCHR’s investigation,
al-Louh was injured by shrapnel throughout the body on 8 April 2003, when an
Israeli helicopter gunship launched a missile at Palestinian civilians who were
gathered near a civilian car that had been attacked by the same helicopter in
an assassination targeting two Hamas activists. This attack left 7 Palestinians
dead and injured 53 others, 8 of whom were in a critical condition.
Al-Louh was the third of the wounded to die from injuries sustained during the
attack, while 5 others are still in a critical condition. This brings the
number of Palestinians killed as a result of the attack to 10.
Shooting at Palestinian Civilians
Sunday, 20 April 2003
At approximately 09:30, a number
of Palestinian boys gathered at the northern edge of ‘Azzoun village, east of
Qalqilya and threw stones towards Israeli military vehicles passing on
Nablus-Qalqilya road. Israeli soldiers immediately fired at the stone
throwers and ‘Abdul Rahman Zuhdi Ahmed ‘Aabed, 17 was injured. The
Israeli soldiers offered him no assistance and he bled to death. Israeli
forces took the body to an Israeli institute of forensic medicine and then
delivered the body to the Palestinian side the following evening.
According to medical sources, ‘Aabed was shot by a live bullet in the right
armpit.
Monday, 21 April 2003
At approximately 10:00, Israeli
soldiers fired at a number of Palestinian children who were playing in front of
their house, claiming that they challenged the curfew imposed on Hebron.
One of the children, Nasser Mohammed al-Qaimari, 14, was wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the left hand. At approximately 17:00,
another child, Sa’ed Raji al-Rujbi, 9, was wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the head.
At 12 noon, Israeli occupying
forces on the coastal road between Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip, near
“Netzarim” settlement, fired at Palestinian civilians and cars while
they were trying to cross a roadblock that had been situated in the area for
over a week. A Palestinian child, ‘Abdul Raziq ‘Atiya Noufal, 15, was
wounded by a live bullet in the left foot and a Save the Children vehicle was
also damaged by live bullets.
Collective Punishment
against Families of Wanted Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed
Attacks against Israeli Targets
In
violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective
punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against families of
Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories and those wanted by Israeli forces. This
week, they threatened Palestinian families, informing them that their houses
would be demolished if their sons, who are allegedly wanted for activities
against Israeli forces, did not surrender.
At
approximately 03:30 on Sunday, 20 April 2003, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced
with heavy military vehicles, moved into Tulkarm. They surrounded a
180-square-meter, two-storey house in the south of the town owned by Lutfi
Mahmoud ‘Ouda Kittana, where the family of Sami Mahmoud D’ib Subeh – allegedly
wanted by Israeli forces – lives in one of the flats. Israeli forces
forced the family out of their flat and informed them that their flat would be
destroyed if their son did not surrender.
Israeli
occupying forces also surrounded the house of Jamil ‘Ouda, which is located in
the same area and rented by Riad al-Mabrouk, who is allegedly wanted by Israeli
forces. Israeli forces informed the inhabitants that they would destroy the
premises if al-Mabrouk did not surrender. Eventually al-Mabrouk gave himself
up.
At
approximately 17:30 on the same day, Israeli occupying forces surrounded 3
Palestinian houses in Saida village, north of Tulkarm, and threatened to
destroy them if members of the families who are allegedly wanted by Israeli
forces did not surrender. Following are details of the houses:
1. A 280-square-meter, two-storey house
owned by Mahmoud Mohammed Hamdan Hamad;
2. A 160-square-meter, two-storey house
owned by ‘Abdullah Yousef ‘Abdul Ghani; and
3. A 200-square-meter, one-storey house
owned by Rasem Mohammed Ahmed Yousef.
On Tuesday
morning, 22 April 2003, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with 7 armored
personnel carriers, a number of military jeeps and a military bulldozer, moved
into Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus. They surrounded the house of
Lutfi Mohammed Sa’ada, blew up the door and broke into the house. After
searching the premises, they notified Sa’ada that his house would be destroyed
on the following day. Sa’ada is the father of Mohammed Sa’ada who was
killed while carrying out an armed attack against Israeli occupying forces
nearly 4 months ago. Israeli occupying forces also raided a house
belonging to the family of Burhan Husni Abu Ghalmi, who was killed with Sa’ada
while carrying the armed attack and notified them that the house would be
demolished.
At
approximately 01:15 on the same day, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the
house of Isma’il Ahmed Mustafa Hanani, 55, in the same village. They
called via megaphones on the 9 residents of the 160-square-meter, two-storey
house to evacuate the premises. They placed explosives throughout the
house and destroyed it. A nearby school and barbershop were also
damaged. Hanani is the father of Zaid Hanani who was killed nearly 6
months ago while carrying out an armed attack against Israeli occupying forces
near the northern West Bank town of Qalqilya.
At
approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the house of Mazen
Mustafa ‘Ali Hilal Hanani, 46, in the same village. They called via
megaphones on the 7 residents of the 120-square-meter house to get out of
it. They searched the house and planted explosives inside and then
destroyed the structure. Hanani is the father of Mustafa Hanani who was
killed while carrying out an armed attack against Israeli occupying forces in
the northern Jordan Valley.
Israeli
Occupying Forces Raid Two Hospitals and Arrest Two Wounded Palestinians
In violation
of articles 16 and 18 of the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, on Wednesday morning, 23 April
2003, Israeli occupying forces raided Dr. Suleiman Khalil and al-Shifa’
hospitals in Jenin and arrested two Palestinians who were receiving medical
treatment for previously sustained injuries.
According to
information available to PCHR, at approximately 02:30, Israeli occupying
forces, reinforced with tanks and armored personnel carriers, moved into
Jenin. They surrounded Dr. Khalil Suleiman Hospital. Immediately, a
number of Israeli soldiers broke into the hospital and arrested Aysar ‘Aayed
Mohammed al-Atrash, 24, from Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin.
Al-Atrash was brought to the hospital at approximately 11:00 on Tuesday, 22
April 2003, after he had been wounded by a live bullet in the right leg.
At
approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded al-Shifa’ Hospital in
Jenin and 15 Israeli soldiers broke into the hospital. They took ‘Ezzat
Amin Mohammed Turkman, 24, from Beer al-Basha village, south of Jenin, on a
stretcher out of the hospital. According to Dr. Ibrahim Mohammed Qabaha,
31, from Ya’bad village, an Israeli soldier pushed him violently to a wall when
he protested the Israeli raid. Dr. Qabaha added that a soldier was masked
and another was wearing civilian clothing. Turkman was brought to the
hospital on 12 April to receive regular medical treatment for an injury he had
previously sustained to the right thigh.
* * * *
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 are continuing to deteriorate as a result of the continued
siege imposed by Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian
Territories.
