· 18 Palestinians are killed
by the Israeli occupation forces;

 

 

· the Israeli forces open
fire on ‘Alia hospital in Hebron and a Palestinian patient is injured;

 

 

· the Israeli occupation
forces break into areas under full control by the Palestinian National
Authority;

 

 

· more land leveling and house and civilian facility
demolition.

 

 

 

Introduction

 

This
report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories during the period of May 17-24, 2001. This week witnessed a serious
escalation in war crimes and the excessive use of forces by the Israeli
occupation forces. While the Israeli
government and prime minister Ariel Sharon delivered a misleading campaign of
propaganda when he declared that he ordered his military forces on May 22, 2001
to refrain from opening fire in cases that there is no threat is posed to their
lives, field information is contrary to such declaration, as the Israeli
occupation forces has continued since then to shoot at Palestinian civilians
and break into areas under full control by the Palestinian National Authority.

 

Yesterday,
the Israeli occupation forces broke into areas adjacent to border with Egypt in
Rafah refugee camp in an attempt to demolish Palestinian houses. They fired artillery shells containing
dart-like objects[1]
at Palestinian civilians and houses. More than 40 Palestinian civilians, mostly children were injured.

 

This week
witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the use of excessive force by the
Israeli occupation forces, when these forces used F-16 fighter jets in addition
to Apatche combat helicopters to shell Palestinian security headquarters on May
18, 2001. The most brutal raids targeted
the headquarters of Palestinian civil police in Nablus. The headquarters were completely destroyed
and eleven Palestinian policemen were killed. In Ramallah, Israeli F-16 fighter jets raided on a post of the
Palestinian President’s Guard (Force 17) and destroyed it, killing two of its
members. In a press release it issued on
May 19, 2001, PCHR considered that war crimes committed by the Israeli
occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which peaked upon
the coming of war criminal Ariel Sharon into power in Israel, necessitate an
immediate international intervention to put an end to such crimes. PCHR viewed that these crimes would not have
taken place if the international community had taken a crucial position towards
Israel. The conspiracy of silence by the
international community, especially the USA and Europe has encouraged Israel to
commit more crimes against the Palestinian people.

 

On
Monday, May 21, 2001, the Israeli occupation forces intentionally opened fire
at ‘Alia hospital in Hebron. A
Palestinian patient, Majdoulin Sha’ban El-Ra’ei, 22, from Al-‘Arroub refugee
camp, was seriously wounded in the chest and the abdomen.

 

In
several incidents of shelling, using combat helicopters, artillery shells and
heavy and medium caliber bullets, a number of Palestinian civilians were
injured and a number of houses and civilian facilities were severely
damaged. On Monday, 21, 2001, two
factories in Gaza City were targeted by Israeli combat helicopters. They and nearby houses and civilian
facilities were severely damaged.

 

During
the same week, five Palestinians were killed and dozens were wounded by the
Israeli occupation forces. On Saturday,
May 20, 2001, an undercover unit of the Israeli occupation forces opened fire
on a post of the Palestinian National Security Forces in Seilat El-Harthia
village in Jenin. First lieutenant Fawaz
Hussein Ahmed El-Damaj, 35, from Jenin refugee camp, was killed with three live
bullets in the chest, and another Palestinian security man was seriously
wounded.

 

On the
same day, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian
farmers in the east of Gaza City. Tayseer ‘Awadh Ismail El-‘Ar’ir, 30, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in
Gaza City, was killed with four live bullets in the head and the chest.

 

Also on
the same day, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians
who were participating in the funeral ceremonies of 11 Palestinians who were
killed in Nablus on the previous day. Hammam Salim ‘Abdel-Haq, 20, from Nablus, was killed with a live bullet
in the head.

 

On Monday, May 21, 2001,
the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on two Palestinians in the east of
Al-Boreij refugee camp in the middle area of the Gaza Strip, a civilian and a
member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, and killed them. The two martyrs are:

1) Ahmed ‘Ayyad Abu Khousa,
45, a civilian, killed with several live bullets throughout the body; and

2) Ahmed ‘Awad Abu ‘Ajami,
29, a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, killed with
several live bullets throughout the body.

 

 

 

1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians

 

Friday,
May 18, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a
Palestinian civilian car that was traveling from Sarda village on a bypass road
between Beit Eil settlement, to the north of Al-Bireh, and Doleb settlement, to
the west of Ramallah. The four occupants
of the car were wounded as follows:

1) Mohammed Yasser Subhi, 4, wounded
with a live bullet in the buttocks;

2) Subhi Mohammed Subhi, wounded
with shrapnel of a live bullet in the right shoulder;

3) Mustafa Mahmoud ‘Abdel-Ghani,
wounded with shrapnel of a live bullet in the right leg; and

4) Meriam ‘Abdel-Ghani, wounded with
a live bullet in the abdomen.

 

In the
afternoon, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at a bypass road near
Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet to the east of Gaza City, opened fire on a number of
Palestinian children and young men, who were demonstrating approximately 150m
away. Nine were wounded as follows:

1) Ibrahim Nayef Abu Thuraya, 11,
from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, seriously wounded with a live bullet
in the left side and was evacuated to the intensive care unit at Shifa’
hospital in Gaza City;

2) Jamil Nasser ‘Assaf, 15, from
Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left
thigh;

3) Mustafa Salem Nasser, 12, from
Al-Shati refugee camp, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;

4) ‘Alla’ Saleh El-Wadeya, 18, from
Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right
hand;

5) Mohammed Mohammed Tayeh, 16, from
Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the
abdomen;

6) Jihad Mohammed Hujeila, 13, from
Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head;

7) Mohammed Hafezh El-Zebdeh, 18,
from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the
left leg;

8) Mohammed ‘Aadel Kali, 12, from
Al-Jala’ area in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg; and

9) Ahmed Mohammed El-Hajj Ahmed, 15,
from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the
head.

 

 

Saturday,
May 19, 2001

 

At
approximately 6:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a
patrol of the Palestinian President’s Guard (Force 17) in Bitounia in Ramallah,
under full control by the Palestinian National Authority. A member of Force 17, Ahmed Fakhri Jebril,
18, from Salfit, was seriously wounded with a live bullet that entered the
right shoulder and settled above the heart. PCHR learned that such shooting was sudden when the area did not witness
any clashes, and that the patrol of Force 17 was approximately 300m away from
those Israeli soldiers who were positioned top of a Palestinian building they
seized a few weeks ago.

 

In the morning, the
Israeli occupation forces committed a new crime of willful killing. At approximately 7:15 local time, an
undercover unit of the Israeli occupation forces sneaked towards a post of the
Palestinian National Security Forces. While the area did not witness any clashes, members of the unit opened
fire on Palestinian security men from a distance of approximately 200m and
withdrew to their military sites, approximately 1,500m to the west of the
Palestinian post. First lieutenant
Fawaz Hussein Ahmed El-Damaj, 35, from Jenin refugee camp, was killed with
three live bullets in the chest, and soldier Mohammed Khalil Hassan Dalloul,
26, from Seilat Al-Harthia village, was seriously wounded with a live bullet in
the shoulder.

 

Also in the morning, the
Israeli occupation forces committed another crime of willful killing. At approximately 8:45 local time, Israeli occupation
soldiers opened fire on a number of Palestinian farmers. Tayseer ‘Awadh Ismail El-‘Ar’ir, 30, from
Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, was killed with four live bullets in the
head and the chest. According to PCHR’s
investigation, El-‘Ar’ir went with his father and a number of relatives to the
family’s farm, approximately 200m to the west of the eastern border of the Gaza
Strip. According to the victim’s father,
Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the border, opened fire on them suddenly
and when the area did not witness any clashes.

 

In the afternoon, Israeli
occupation soldiers, positioned at a military roadblock at the southern
entrance of Nablus, opened fire on Palestinian civilians who were participating
in the funeral ceremonies of 11 Palestinians who were killed in Nablus on the
previous day. Hammam Salim ‘Abdel-Haq,
20, from Nablus, a student of An-Najah National University, was killed with a
live bullet in the head. Furthermore, 5
Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:

1) Yousef Ibrahim ‘Azziz, 25,
from Balata refugee camp, seriously wounded with a live bullet in the head;

2) Nidal Mufid Ahmed Zablah,
13, from Nablus, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;

3) ‘Abdel-Qader ‘Abdel-Ra’ouf
El-‘Aaidi, 35, from Askar refugee camp, wounded with a live bullet in the right
leg;

4) Bassam Nassouh El-Qassas,
19, from Nablus, wounded with a live bullet in the right foot; and

5) ‘Ammar Suleiman Ghanem,
29, from Nablus, wounded with a live bullet in the left hand.

 

Also in the afternoon, a
number of Palestinian civilians demonstrated near Al-Shallala Street in the
middle of Hebron, in protest to the barbarian raids on Palestinian cities by
the Israeli occupation forces on Friday, May 18, 2001. Israeli occupation soldiers fired live
ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets at demonstrators. Five were wounded as follows:

1) Mohammed Badawi Khalil
Halahla, 18, wounded with an explosive live bullet in the right thigh;

2) Ussama Yasser ‘Amru, 15,
wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg;

3) Bassam Yahia Ahmaru, 33,
wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;

4) Mehiar Sharif El-‘Ajlouni,
16, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh; and

5) Tha’er ‘Oudeh El-‘Allami,
wounded with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the right leg.

 

Monday, May 21, 2001

 

At approximately 3:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border east of
Al-Boreij refugee camp in the middle area of the Gaza Strip, opened fire on two
Palestinians, a civilian and a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security
Service, and killed them. The two
martyrs are:

3) Ahmed ‘Ayyad Abu Khousa,
45, a civilian living approximately 700m to the west of the border, killed with
several live bullets throughout the body; and

4) Ahmed ‘Awad Abu ‘Ajami,
29, a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, killed with
several live bullets throughout the body.

 

Circumstances of the incident are not clear, since
there were no eyewitnesses at such early time in the morning. Nevertheless, according to PCHR’s preliminary
investigation, the two martyrs were fired at when they were approximately 300m
to the west of the border, and the Israeli occupation forces then broke into
the area and took the bodies of martyrs. At approximately 14:30 local time, the Israeli forces handed the bodies
to the Palestinian side at offices of military liaison. 

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2001

 

At approximately 13:00
local time, the child ‘Ali Saleh Mohammed Mahanna, 14, from Hebron, was wounded
with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right arm, when Israeli occupation
soldiers fired at a number of Palestinian children who were demonstrating near
demarcation lines in Hebron. Mahanna did
not participate in such demonstration. He was evacuated to ‘Alia hospital in Hebron for treatment.

 

At approximately 17:00
local time, the child Ramzi Ibrahim ‘Arram, 15, from Rafah, was wounded with a
live bullet in the pelvis that caused a cut in an artery, fired by the Israeli
occupation forces. The child was evacuated
to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City for he was in serious condition. According to PCHR’s investigation, the child
was playing with his friends in Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the southwest of
Rafah, approximately 200m away from Slao settlement. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire from a tank positioned near thw
aforementioned settlements on children when the area did not witness any
clashes.

 

2. Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods and the Use
of F-16 Fighter Jets

 

Thursday,
May 17, 2001

 

At
approximately 4:15 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in
military sites around Qalqqilya, opened fire on Palestinian houses in the
western part of the city, and partially damaged them.

 

At
approximately 16:30 local time, a number of Israeli tanks moved forward towards
a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces at the southern entrance of
Qalqilya. When they were approximately
20m away from the site, they fired four artillery shells, two of which fell
near Al-Sharq elementary school and severely damaged its fence, while the other
two fell on nearby farms. As a result of
such action, which lasted for approximately 45 minutes, Mohammed ‘Azzam Abu
Daoud, 37, a sanitation worker in Qalqilya Municipality, was injured with
shrapnel of an artillery shell in the hand, while he was on duty.

 

At
approximately 16:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on
Palestinian houses in Al-Moghraqa area in the south of Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza City reported
that a sound of an explosion was heard. Then, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire indiscriminately in all
directions. ‘Abdel-Latif Mahmoud Abu
Meddain, 35, was wounded with a live bullet in the back, while he was
maintaining his house’s water network, approximately 1,000m away.

 

At
approximately 19:00 local time, five tanks of the Israeli occupation forces
coming from Netser Hazani settlement broke 800m into Al-Qarara village to the
north of Khan Yunis. Residents of the
village were extremely terrified as Israeli soldiers pointed their weapons at
houses. They withdrew approximately
30minues later.

 

Friday,
May 18, 2001

 

Friday had been the bloodiest day in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada. In an unprecedented escalation in the use of
excessive force, the Israeli occupation forces waged air raids, using F-16
fighter jets for the first time and Apatche combat helicopters, on a number of
Palestinian security headquarters.

 

The most brutal air raids targeted Nablus. At approximately 17:30 local time, Israeli
F-16 fighter jets raided on the headquarters of the Palestinian civil police
and destroyed it completely. Eleven Palestinian
police men were killed and more than 50 policemen and civilians were injured. The martyrs are:

1) Khaled ‘Eqab Mohammed
Subeih, 21, from Tayaseer village in Tubas;

2) Ayman Ahmed Mohammed ‘Ali
Khalil, 25, from Al-Naqoura village in Nablus;

3) Ref’at Haidar Dhiab
Rabai’a, from Maithaloun village in Jenin;

4) Nasri Nasser Hassan
Ya’qoub, 22, from Deir El-Hatab village in Nablus;

5) Mo’taz Nasser Sakher
El-Khatib, 23, from Bourin village in Nablus;

6) Fadi Sa’id ‘Abdel-Rahim
Hamed, 23, from Beit Dajan village in Nablus;

7) Ahmed Khaled Sadiq ‘Ali
Khader, 25, from Qoussin village in Nablus;

8) Wa’el
‘Awadh ‘Abdel-Karim Abu Khader, 29, from Al-Jedaideh village in Jenin;

9) Fahed Khalaf Gharib
El-Hariri Bani ‘Oudeh, 19, from Tammoun village in Jenin;

10) Rami Saleh ‘Abdel-‘Azziz
Yassin, 20, from Assira village in Nablus; and

11) Nabil ‘Essam Ahmed Ismail,
20, from Deir El-Ghosoun village in Tulkarm.

 

At approximately 17:15 local time, Israeli F-16
fighter jets raided on a post of the Palestinian President’s Guard (Force 17)
in Ramallah and completely destroyed it. A member of Force 17, Ismail Fatin Abu Rafi’, 24, from Jabalya refugee
camp, was killed and another member, Khaled ‘Abed-Rabbu Mousa El-Astal, 19,
from Khan Yunis, was seriously injured with shrapnel in the head. El-Astal was evacuated to the intensive care
unit at Ramallah hospital where he was pronounced dead on Tuesday, May 22,
2001. Furthermore, 6 Palestinian
civilians were injured with shrapnel and some nervously broke down. A number of nearby civilian buildings were
also severely damaged. Windows and doors
of Grand Park and Rocki hotels, a three-story building of the Palestinian
Communication Company, and a four-story building, in which 30 people live,
broke.

 

At approximately 20:40
local time, Israeli F-16 fighter jets raided on a post of the Palestinian
Marine Police in Al-Soudania area to the west of Beit Lahia in the northern
area of the Gaza Strip. Two buildings
were completely destroyed. Furthermore,
a nearby horsing club was severely damaged as windows and roofs were
destroyed. Ten Palestinian civilians
were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City after they nervously broke down
as a result of air raids.

 

At approximately 20:45
local time, Israeli combat helicopters shelled a post of Force 17 in Ansar
compund in Gaza City, causing severe damage. At the same time, Israeli combat helicopters shelled a post of Force 17
and completely destroyed it.

 

Saturday,
May 19, 2001 

 

At
approximately 12:00 local time, combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation
forces fired rockets at Palestinian security headquarters in Tulkarm and
severely damaged them. More than 30
Palestinian security men were injured.

 

At
approximately 12:15 local time, combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation
forces fired four rockets at the headquarters of Force 17 in Jenin. The headquarters were severely damaged and
four military vehicles were destroyed.

 

At
approximately 12:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces opened fire from a
military site in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement and from tanks,
positioned in the west of Khan Yunis, fired heavu and medium caliber bullets at
Al-Nemsawi neighborhood and a cemetery in Khan Yunis. Ibrahim Ahmed El-Shahari, 20, was wounded
with a live bullet in the left leg. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that El-Shahari was inside a
mosque in Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, approximately 1,000m away from the Israeli
occupation forces. Furthermore, a number
of Palestinian houses, including a number of housing units owned by Al-Farra
Company, were damaged.

 

At
approximately 21:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim and Gadid settlements in the west of Khan Yunis, fired
heavy and medium caliber bullets again at Palestinian houses in Al-Nemsawi
neighborhood. Housing units owned by
Al-Farra Company and a cemetery were damaged.

 

At approximately
23:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in Ramat Yishai
settlement inside Hebron, fired two artillery shells at a sports club in Bab
Al-Zawia neighborhood. Akram Nemer
Mussawda, 51, was injured with shrapnel in the left leg.

 

At approximately
24:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces broke 250m into Gizan Al-Najjar
area in the southeast of Khan Yunis, approximately 200m to the north of Morag
settlement. Then, armed confrontation
broke out between members of the Palestinian National Security Forces and the
Israeli occupation forces which indiscriminately fired heavy and medium caliber
bullets indiscriminately. Bullets hit
Ibrahim Zeidan Al-Najjar, making holes 1-2cm in its eastern and southern
façades. PCHR’s field officer in Khan
Yunis reported that the Israeli occupation forces withdrew from the area at
approximately 4:00 local time on the following day, Sunday, May 20, 2001. It is worth mentioning that the Israeli
occupation forces broke into the same area on Tuesday, May 15, 2001, and raided
the aforementioned house.[2]

 

Sunday, May 20, 2000

 

At approximately 1:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets
from their military sites in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement and
Al-Tuffah roadblock in the west of Khan Yunis and from tanks at the western
part of Khan Yunis refugee camp. Such
shelling lasted for 30 minutes and was renewed at approximately 3:00 local time
for another 20 minutes. Most artillery
shells fell onto two Palestinian houses that were frequently shelled during the
past months. The following table details
those houses and the damage they received:

 

 

At approximately 16:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in the vicinity of Psaagot settlement, to the east of
Al-Bireh, fired heavy caliber bullets at the hospital of the Palestine Red
Crescent Society, approximately 1,000m away from the aforementioned
settlement. Shadi Nasser ‘Aayesh, 32,
from Al-Jeep village in the northwest of Jerusalem, who was accompanying his
sick wife at hospital, was wounded with shrapnel in the left shoulder. Furthermore, windows of the eastern façade of
the hospital broke.

 

At approximately 18:50 local time, Colonel Jebril
Rajoub, head of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in the West Bank,
miraculously survived, when his house in Al-Bireh was shelled by the Israeli
occupation forces. Colonel Rajoub was in
his house which was hit with artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber
bullets fired by Israeli occupation forces positioned in military sites to the
north of the city. Two bodyguards of
Colonel Rajoub and four guards of the houses were slightly injured with
shrapnel, and walls and windows of the house were severely damaged.

 

Monday, May 21, 2001

 

At approximately 00:30 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces committed a new crime in Hebron, when they fired heavy and
light bullets at ‘Alia hospital in the city. The hospital is approximately 500m away from military sites of the Israeli
occupation forces in Ramat Yishai settlement inside Hebron. A patient, Majdoulin Sha’ban El-Ra’ei 22,
from Al-‘Arroub refugee camp near Hebron, was wounded with a live bullet in the
abdomen that cut the liver and the diaphragm before it settled in the left
lung. El-Ra’ei was receiving treatment
from pains in the stomach. She was
wounded when she was moving from the toilette to her bed.

 

At approximately 2:00 local time, combat helicopters
of the Israeli occupation forces shelled two factories in Gaza City, severely
damaging them and a number of nearby houses and civilian facilities. Combat helicopters targeted a
250-square-meter factory in Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City that produces
machines designed to cut marble and wood, owned by Sa’id Ibrahim El-‘Ashi. That factory was hit with 5 rockets that
caused the following damage:

 

1) Two ovens of iron fusion were destroyed.

2) An air pump was destroyed.

3) Two electric generators were destroyed.

4) A lathe designed to gather produced materials was
destroyed.

5) Walls of a metallurgic shop cracked and were holed,
and its asbestos roof was destroyed.

 

Combat helicopters of the Israeli occupation forces
also targeted a 600-square-meter marble factory also in Al-Tuffah neighborhood
in Gaza City, owned by Salim Ahmed El-Derimalli. The factory was hit with three rockets that
caused the following damage:

 

1) Two machines designed to cut marble were destroyed.

2) A machine designed to wash marble was destroyed.

3) Electricity and water networks were destroyed.

4) An administrative building was destroyed.

5) Two pools used is washing marble were destroyed.

6) Walls cracked and a large part of the factory’s
asbestos roof was destroyed.

 

Furthermore, walls of a store of bath equipment
cracked and some of its goods were destroyed.

 

 

The following houses were also damaged:

 

 

At approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in Avraham Avino settlement center and in military sites on
Johar Mount inside Hebron, opened fire on Abu Sneineh and Al-Takrouri
neighborhoods. Such shelling lasted for
two hours, during which Ra’ed Abu Sneineh, 14, was injured with shrapnel in the
right leg, and Suha Subhi El-Sharif, 35, was injured with shrapnel in the
head. Furthermore, a number of houses
were severely damaged.

 

At approximately 13:30 local time, four tanks of the
Israeli occupation forces broke 800m into a residential neighborhood in
Al-Qarara village, under full control by the Israeli occupation forces. During such action, the Israeli occupation
forces fired artillery shells and live bullets at Palestinian houses and
civilians. Four Palestinian civilians
were wounded as follows:

1) Mohammed ‘Omar Mohammed El-Astal, 13, wounded with a
live bullet in the abdomen;

2) Samir Fawzi Abu ‘Oweili, 28, wounded with a live
bullet in the left hand;

3) Ismail ‘Abdel-Sami’ ‘Abdel-Ghafour, 23, wounded with
shrapnel in the forehead; and

4) Mahmoud ‘Abed El-‘Abadleh, 70, wounded with shrapnel
in the forehead.

 

PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yuis reported that an
artillery shell hit Al-Salam mosque in the village and made a hole 25cm in
diameter in its western side. Another
artillery shell hit an electricity tower and destroyed it. Furthermore, façades
of a number of houses were severely damaged after having been hit with live
bullets.

 

At approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in a military site in Kokav Yacob settlement to the
southwest of Al-Bireh, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber
bullets at Palestinian houses in Sateh Mathaba neighborhood in Al-Bireh. A number of houses were severely damaged.

 

At approximately 23:30 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in a military site at a bypass road between Beit Eil and
Doleb settlement, fired artillery shells at Palestinian houses in Al-Tira
neighborhood in the west of Ramallah. Fire broke out in some trees of a farm in the area.

 

Also at approximately 23:30 local time, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned in a military site in the vicinity of Gani Tal
settlement to the northwest of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Satar Al-Gharbi area in the
northwest of Khan Yunis. Façades of a
number of houses were damaged, and two Palestinian civilians were injured as
follows:

1) Zaher Ahmed El-Qedra, 30, injured with shrapnel in
the right hand; and

2) Mohammed Fadhel Mabrouk, 26, injured with shrapnel in
the right forearm.

 

Tuesday, May 22, 2001

 

At approximately 22:45 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces shelled fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber
bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Satar Al-Gharbi area in the northwest of
Khan Yunis. Such shelling lasted
sporadically for 45 minutes. A number of
houses were damaged, but no injuries were reported.

 

Wednesday,
May 23, 2001

 

At approximately 2:00 local
time, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium
caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the western part of Khan Yunis refugee
camp. A number of houses were damaged.

 

At approximately 14:30
local time, three tanks and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupation forces broke
into Block “L” (Yebna refugee camp) in Rafah, adjacent to the border with
Egypt. They entered 20-50m inside the
refugee camp. Palestinian National
Security Forces confronted the Israeli forces, which fired artillery shells
containing dart-like objects at Palestinian civilians and houses. As a result of such shelling, which lasted
until 18:00 local time, 38 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded
as follows:

1) Sujoud Ayman Abu Taha, 4 months, wounded with
shrapnel in the arms;

2) Rowaida Ayman Abu Taha, 1½, wounded shrapnel in the
left leg;

3) Eyad Samhan El-Sha’er, 17, wounded with shrapnel in
the chest and was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;

4) Maha Tal’at Zannoun, 9, wounded with shrapnel in the
head;

5) Tariq Mohammed El-Shakhrit, 6, received bruises in
the left foot while he was trying to escape;

6) Islam Mohammed El-Shakhrit, 11, received bruises in the
right leg while he was trying to escape;

7) Mohammed ‘Abdel-Karim Zo’rob, 11, wounded with
shrapnel in the abdomen;

8) ‘Abdel-Karim ‘Ali Joudeh, 12, wounded with shrapnel
in the left leg;

9) Jihad Jamal Joudeh, 12, wounded with shrapnel in the
head;

10) Mohammed Ahmed Jarbou’, 12, wounded with shrapnel in
the head and the shoulder;

11) Rami ‘Ali Saleh, 12, wounded with shrapnel in the
right thigh;

12) ‘Abdullah Marwan El-Rekhawi, 14, wounded with
shrapnel in the left leg;

13) Mohammed Nabil Abu Jazar, 14, wounded with shrapnel in
the in the neck;

14) ‘Abdullah Mohammed El-Mughrabi, 14, wounded with
shrapnel in the right thigh;

15) Mohammed Ibrahim Abu ‘Anza, 14, wounded with shrapnel
in the left shoulder;

16) Jebril Hussein Al-Najjar, 14, wounded with shrapnel
in the left arm and thigh;

17) ‘Eissa Ismail ‘Aashour, 14, wounded with shrapnel in
the head and the right leg;

18) Yousef Ibrahim ‘Azara, 16, wounded with shrapnel in
the left arm;

19) ‘Omar Mahmoud ‘Eid, 17, wounded with shrapnel in the
right arm;

20) Yasser Ahmed Abu Muhsin, 17, wounded with shrapnel in
the back;

21) Shadi Yahia ‘Awadallah, 17, wounded with shrapnel in
the right shoulder;

22) Wa’el Ibrahim El-Masri, 17, wounded with shrapnel in
the face;

23) ‘Arafa ‘Abdel-Dayem El-Houbi, 17, wounded with
shrapnel in the head;

24) Mahmoud Ibrahim Radwan, 18, wounded with shrapnel in
the testes and the thighs;

25) Mahmoud Rashid ‘Abdel-Hafiz, 26, wounded with
shrapnel in the chest and the right foot;

26) ‘Abdel-Rahim Mohammed ‘Aashour, 37, wounded with
shrapnel in the left arm;

27) Ashraf Fathi Abu Hilal, 20, wounded with shrapnel in
the right hand;

28) Ghaleb Zuhair El-Mughayer, 21, wounded with shrapnel
in the left arm;

29) Yasser Mohammed El-Neshassi, 20, wounded with
shrapnel in the right arm and the left leg;

30) Mahmoud Hamed El-Sabe’, 19, wounded with shrapnel in
the head;

31) Mahmoud Dhiab El-Derbi, 19, wounded with shrapnel in
the right knee;

32) Radwan Ahmed Abu Hassanein, 22, wounded with shrapnel
in the head;

33) ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu Taqeia, 26, wounded with shrapnel in
the face, the chest and the right leg;

34) Eyad Jamal Abu Hilal, 23, wounded with shrapnel in
the right leg;

35) Mousa Subhi Abu S’oud, 32, wounded with shrapnel in
the abdomen;

36) Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahim Abu El-Foul, 36, wounded with
shrapnel in the left leg;

37) Hani ‘Abdel-Fattah ‘Oleyan, 22, wounded with shrapnel
in the chest; and

38) Ayman Khalil Abu Lebdeh, 31, wounded with shrapnel in
the right shoulder.

 

At approximately 20:00
local time, tanks of the Israeli occupation forces came to the border in Rafah
again and opened fire on Palestinian houses in Block “L” and Block “O,”
adjacent to the border. Five civilians
were wounded as follows:

1) Mohammed Nabil Ziada, 2, wounded with shrapnel in the
left leg;

2) Marwan Maysara Ghuneim, 12, wounded with shrapnel in
the right leg;

3) ‘Ali Wa’el El-Nejili, 15, wounded with shrapnel in
the neck;

4) Tariq Zakaria Zannoun, 17, wounded with shrapnel in
the left knee; and

5) Mohammed Anwar Siam, 18, wounded with shrapnel in the
right shoulder.

 

3. Razing of Agricultural Land

 

Thuesday,
May 22, 2001

 

At
approximately 12:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces started to raze
areas of Palestinian agricultural land at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip,
to the east of Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City. They razed 76 dpnums as shown in the
following table:

 

 

4. Other Attacks and Arrests by the Israeli Occupation
Forces

 

Sunday, May 20, 2001

 

At approximately 10:30 local time, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned at Al-Matahen junction to the north of Khan
Yunis, stopped a Palestinian civilian car, by which 6 civilians were traveling
from Gaza to Rafah. They checked the car
and arrested its driver ‘Emad Mohammed El-‘Aaidi, 33, from Rafah, and four
occupants. They released two female
occupants after they checked them. In
his testimony to PCHR, El-‘Aaidi said that the Israeli occupation forces
detained him and four occupants at a roadblock at the aforementioned junction
for three hours. Then, they transferred
them by a military vehicle to a military site at the eastern border of the Gaza
Strip – at Kissufim Crossing. El-‘Aaidi
added that he was released at approximately 17:00 (local time) after he was
interrogated by Israeli intelligence men. He was forced to walk a 3-km distance, from Kissufim Crossing to
Al-Matahen junction, where his car was kept. PCHR learned that the other occupants were also released. Two of them were Ibrahim Ahmed Abu Tair, 28
from Khan Yunis, and Jamal Shubair, 25, from Khan Yunis.

 

In the afternoon, Israeli occupation forces,
positioned at Al-Matahen junction to the north of Khan Yunis, arrested Sa’di
Ibrahim ‘Ali El-‘Ashi, 42, from Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City.

 

On the same day, at approximately 23:00 local time,
the Israeli occupation forces raided some houses in El-Nada manor in Al-Mawasi
area of Rafah, under their control. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that they arrested 11 Palestinian
civilians after they checked their houses and took them to a military site near
Tal Al-Sultan roadblock between Rafah and its Al-Mawasi area. All of them were released between 2:00 and 4:00
local time on the following day. The
arrested civilians were:

1) Sa’id ‘Ali Siam, 35;

2) Samir ‘Ali Siam, 27;

3) Fathi Mohammed El-Nada, 20;

4) Khaled Kamel Basaleh, 20;

5) Salim Mohammed Basaleh, 21;

6) Mohammed Sami Basaleh, 20;

7) Majed Ahmed El-Nada, 16;

8) Yousef Mohammed El-Nada, 18;

9) Sa’id Hassan Farahat, 37;

10) ‘Atta Hassan Farahat, 32; and

11) Ziad Mohammed Farahat, 36.

 

Monday,
May 21, 2001

 

At approximately 1:00 local time, Israeli occupation
soldiers raided a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which 10 people live,
owned by Anwar Mohammed ‘Awadh. The
house is located in Al-Moghraqa area in the south of Gaza City. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza City reported
that the Israeli soldiers raided the house and mounted to the second
floor. They broke its ground. They stayed at the house for approximately 4½
hours, during which the family was not able to leave a room in which they were
detained.

 

Tuesday,
May 22, 2001

 

At approximately 16:00 local time, Israeli occupation
soldiers raided a 120-square-meter, two-story house, in which 6 people live,
owned by ‘Abdullah Handhal Mutawe’. The
house is located in Al-Moghraqa area in the south of Gaza City. They mounted onto the roof and established an
observation point.

 

Wednesday,
May 23, 2001

 

At approximately 3:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces broke into ‘Attile village near Tulkarm, and raided and
checked a number of Palestinian houses. Then, they arrested three Palestinians:

1) Zaher ‘Abdel-Rahman As’ad Daqqa,
25;

2) Mohammed Sabri Shehadeh Abu El-Haija, 24; and

3) ‘Essam Jamil Falah Daqqa, 27.

 

In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces
arrested Khaled Yassin Hassan Farraj, 31, from Jalazoun refugee camp, director
of the distribution department at Al-Ayyam daily newspaper. PCHR learned that Israeli soldiers stopped
Farraj at a temporary roadblock, beat and arrested him.

 

5. Attacks by Settlers
against Palestinian Civilians

 

On Tuesday, May 22, 2001, settlers attcked a
Palestinian civilian car at a road between Hawara junction and Yitzhar
settlement in Nablus. They threw stones
and iron bars at the car, severely damaging it and breaking its glass. Its driver ‘Abdullah Sueliman ‘Emari, 36,
from Faqou’a village in Jenin survived the incident.

 

Approximately two hours later, a number of settlers
of Sheilah settlement, to the west of Bardala village in Toubas, fired at
Methqal Mohammed Fuqaha, 46, when he was grazing his sheep. He was not injured, but three sheep were
killed.

 

****

 

War crimes committed by the Israeli occupation forces
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, which increased upon the coming of war
criminal Ariel Sharon into power in Israel in last February and peaked with the
employment of F-16 Fighters, necessitate an immediate international
intervention to put an end to such crimes. PCHR sees that these crimes would not have taken place if the international
community had taken a crucial position towards Israel. The conspiracy of silence by the
international community, especially the USA and Europe, encourages Israel to
commit more crimes against the Palestinian people. What is the price that the Palestinian people
have to pay in order to push the international community to intervene? does the world wait for large-scaled
massacres in order to take a positive position towards providing protection for
the Palestinian people, or are developments in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories during the past eight months, accompanied with systematic
escalation in the use of excessive force
by the Israeli occupation forces, not enough for the international convention
to consider immediate intervention to stop massacres and crimes committed by
the Israeli occupation forces, which will inevitably continue in light of the
continued international conspiracy of silence?

 

PCHR calls for:

1) An immediate international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories must be provided.

2) The ICRC should enhance its presence, expand its
activities and intensify its field observation throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.

3) The High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva
Convention of 1949 should reconvene in order to take effective measures to
protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

4) Prosecuting war criminals before international
courts.

5) The European Union should activate Article 2 of the
Euro-Israeli Association Agreement, which provides that Israel must respect
human rights.

6) The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights should
visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Resolution adopted by the UN
High Commission on Human Rights in April 2001 must be implemented.

7) Providing humanitarian and medical assistance for the Palestinian people
whose living conditions are increasingly deteriorating because of the continued
total siege imposed by the Israeli occupation forces on the entire occupied
Palestinian territories.

 

 

For
more information on the Al-Aqsa Intifada see:

www.pchrgaza.org