Israeli Forces Continue to
Perpetrate Crimes in the OPTs
· 17
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a child and an old man, were killed
by Israeli forces
· 9
of the victims were killed during an Israeli military incursion into Rafah
refugee camp
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into the West Bank and Gaza Strip
· 46
houses and an apartment building in Rafah refugee camp were destroyed and more
than 800 Palestinians have become homeless
· 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 has continued
· Indiscriminate
shelling of Palestinian residential areas continued and a number of Palestinian
civilians were injured
· Israeli
occupying forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs
· A
number of Palestinian civilians were injured or arrested by Israeli soldiers at
military checkpoints and 2 newly-born twins died at an Israeli military
checkpoint
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
violate the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). Throughout the week,
the Israeli army conducted incursions into Palestinian areas; shot at
Palestinian civilians, including children; indiscriminately shelled residential
areas; demolished houses; and leveled agricultural land. This week, 17
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a child and an old man, were killed
and a number of others were wounded by Israeli occupying forces. Occupying forces have also continued
construction of the “separation wall” inside the West Bank and have continued
to impose a tight siege on the OPTs.
In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted
5 military incursions into Palestinian areas, during which they killed a number
of Palestinians and destroyed civilian property. On Tuesday, 23 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and helicopter
gunships, invaded Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. This large-scale incursion continued until
Wednesday, 24 December 2003, during which Israeli occupying forces killed 9
Palestinians, including 7 civilians, injured 27 others, including a number of
women and children, and destroyed 39 houses and a 3-story apartment
building. As a result, 576 people (116
families) have become homeless. In
addition, the civilian infrastructure of the camp and 3 civilian facilities,
including 2 UNRWA centers, were severely damaged. This was the second major incursion into
Rafah refugee camp this week, two days earlier Israeli occupying forces had
invaded the camp and destroyed 7 Palestinian houses.
These recent Israeli invasions are part of an Israeli
military strategy implemented in Rafah since the beginning of the current
Intifada in September 2000. In the past three years Israeli occupying
forces have destroyed over 800 Palestinian homes along the Egyptian border
south of Rafah. Israeli authorities claim that this massive destruction
is conducted for security reasons. However, PCHR’s analysis of the facts
on the ground strongly suggests that the Israeli occupying forces are
establishing a large “buffer zone” on Palestinian land along the
border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. All Palestinian structures along
the border have been demolished and the land has been leveled by Israeli
bulldozers. Furthermore, Israeli occupying forces have constructed cement
sniper towers and an iron wall on Palestinian land inside the border.
On Monday evening, 22 December 2003, Israeli
occupation forces attacked areas in the central Gaza Strip. Following an
armed clash between members of the Palestinian resistance and Israeli soldiers
on “Kissufim” settler road, southeast of Deir al-Balah, which left 2 Palestinian
resistance men and 2 Israeli soldiers dead, Israeli occupying forces moved into
Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. They destroyed 7 Palestinian houses and razed
about 40 donums[1]
of Palestinian agricultural land.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces conducted
a series of incursions into Palestinian communities. These raids focused especially on the towns
of Nablus, Jenin, Bethlehem and Hebron. During
a wide-scale incursion into Nablus on Thursday, 18 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces committed 1 willful killing and used excessive force in the
slaying 3 other Palestinians. Israeli
soldiers also shot dead a 5-year-old Palestinian child during an Israeli
military incursion into Balata refugee camp. Another Palestinian man died from tear gas inhalation when Israeli
soldiers fired tear gas canisters inside his home during their attack on Balata
camp. In another Israeli military
incursion, a Palestinian civilian was shot dead by occupying forces in Jaba’
village, south of Jenin. In addition, a
Palestinian child died from a previous injury he sustained by Israeli occupying
forces last week in Deir al-Hatab village, east of Nablus. This week, Israeli occupying forces also
arrested a number of Palestinians, who are allegedly wanted by Israeli
occupation authorities.
In violation of international human rights law and
humanitarian law, Israeli occupying forces continued the second stage of the construction
of the “separation wall” on Palestinian land in the West Bank. The second stage includes the construction of
a section of the wall extending from “Alkanah” settlement, southeast of
Qalqilya, to “Ofar” detention center, southwest of Ramallah. This section is 40-45km long. The barrier will pass through the villages of
al-Zawia, Rafat, Deir Ballout, Kufor al-Dik and Bourqin in Qalqilya district,
and al-Lubban, Rantis, ‘Aabood, Deir Abu Masha’al, Shaqba, al-Qebia, Badras,
Sabtin, Deir Qiddis, Na’lin, al-Midia, Bal’ein, Safa, Beit Siera, Kherbat
al-Musbah, Beit Leqia, Beit Nouba, Beit ‘Anan, Qutna, al-Qubaiba, Beit Sourik,
Biddu, Beit Ajza, Beit Diqqu, al-Tira, Beit ‘Our and ‘Ein ‘Arik in Ramallah
district. Most of these villages will be
left outside the wall and isolated from Palestinian communities and towns in
the West Bank. According to information
recently revealed by the Israeli military establishment, the total length of
the wall will be 728km extending from the Jordan Valley to the south of Hebron,
including 106km that will incorporate Jewish settlements in the West Bank.
Israeli occupying forces have also 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
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 Strip by Israeli soldiers stationed
at illegal military checkpoints. Such
restrictions on freedom of movement are in contravention of international human
rights law to which Israel is a state party, including the International
Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
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 movement of Palestinian civilians. The two checkpoints, which are open for a
maximum of a few hours each day, have become notorious for acts of humiliation
and harassment by Israeli soldiers.
On Friday afternoon, 19 December 2003, and Monday
afternoon, 22 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces again closed the two
checkpoints and held and searched a number of Palestinian vehicles. They ordered Palestinian civilians to get
out of the vehicles, checked their ID cards, and then forced them to stand for
many hours in the rain. Hundreds of
Palestinian vehicles were also forced to wait at the two checkpoints. On Monday evening, after long hours of
waiting, hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including workers, attempted to
cross the two checkpoints on foot. Israeli soldiers opened fire at these civilians, wounding 5.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities in the West
Bank. They have also continued to impose
a curfew on Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, Ethna village, west of Hebron,
and Housan village, west of Bethlehem. This week, Israeli occupying forces blocked Amman Street in the east of
Nablus, dividing the city into two isolated areas. A Palestinian woman gave birth to 2 dead
twins at Israeli military checkpoints when Israeli soldiers denied her passage
to a hospital.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Thursday, 18 December 2003
Israeli occupying forces committed 1 willful killing
and used excessive force in slaying 3 other Palestinians during a wide-scale
incursion into Nablus. According to
investigations conducted by PCHR fieldworkers, at approximately 01:30 on
Thursday around 50 Israeli military vehicles, supported by helicopter gunships,
moved into Nablus through the southern and eastern entrances to the city. The
military vehicles and gunships opened fire at houses and streets in the city.
The Israeli forces invaded Balata refugee camp and took up positions in the
streets. They then moved towards al-Shuhada square in the center of the
city and surrounded Nablus’ old town, before moving into the town at
approximately 03:00.
At approximately 03:10, Israeli soldiers fired at
25-year-old ‘Alaa al-Din Dawaia, wounding him with a live bullet in the
chest. No ambulances were permitted access to the area and Dawaia
remained on the ground bleeding until 04:00. At that time, a number of
Israeli soldiers moved towards him and shot him dead with 8 live bullets.
Israeli occupying forces said that Dawaia was attempting to plant an explosive
device in the path of Israeli military vehicles. However, according to
eyewitnesses, the victim was on his way from his home to his work at a bakery
when he was killed.
In a separate incident during the incursion, a number
of Israeli occupying soldiers broke into a 3-storey house owned by Tayseer
al-Bustami. The soldiers held the residents in one room and mounted the roof of
the house. Residents reported that at approximately 06:00, the soldiers
on the roof of the house began to fire intensely. The Israeli forces
withdrew from the city at approximately 08:10. Afterwards, residents of the
area found the bodies of 3 Palestinians on the roof of a deserted house near
al-Bustami’s home. According to eyewitnesses, the bodies were found
approximately 15m away from the place where Israeli soldiers were
positioned.
The 3 victims were reportedly members of the
Palestinian resistance who had attempted to confront the Israeli military
incursion. The victims were later
identified as:
1. Jibril
Salim Hassan ‘Awad, 24, from ‘Awarta village, southeast of Nablus, hit by
several live bullets throughout the body;
2. Majdi
Mohammed Fakhri al-Bahash, 25, from Nablus, hit by several live bullets
throughout the body; and
3. Fadi
Tawfiq Sulayeh Hanani, from Beit Dajan village, east of Nablus, hit by several
live bullets throughout the body.
Two Palestinian civilians were also wounded by the Israeli
gunfire during this incursion:
1. Mazen
Mohammed ‘Owaijan, 24, wounded by a live bullet in the left knee; and
2. Yousef
Khaldoun Mabrouka, 27, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
head.
At approximately 12:00, 5 Israeli heavy military
vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 50m into Block L of Rafah
refugee camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. The vehicles indiscriminately shelled the area. A mosque and a 400-square-meter, 4-storey
house owned by Ahmed ‘Abdul Latif Jaber, in which 44 people (4 families) live,
were severely damaged. Residents of the
house were forced to evacuate it because of the intense shelling.
Friday, 19 December 2003
At approximately 06:30, two Israeli military jeeps
moved into Kufor ‘Ein village, northwest of Ramallah. Israeli occupying soldiers opened fire at
Palestinian houses, wounding 15-year-old Eihab Mohammed Sa’id with a live
bullet in the right foot. The soldiers then
denied access to an ambulance attempting to reach the injured child.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by 3 heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 300m into ‘Oraiba
area in the northwest of Rafah. They
razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land, on which 3 greenhouses planted with
vegetables stood. The land is owned by
Hamad Mousa Zayed Abu Jazar. During this
incursion, Israeli soldiers also fired indiscriminately at the area.
At approximately 14:00, these Israeli occupying
forces stationed in Balata refugee camp opened fire on 14-year-old Fathi Eyad
Rayan, wounding him with a live bullet in the left thigh. PCHR’s field worker in Nablus reported that
the child was wounded when he was on the roof of his family’s house in
al-Hashashin area feeding birds.
Saturday, 20 December 2003
At approximately 02:00, 10 Israeli military jeeps
moved into Housan village, west of Bethlehem. Israeli soldiers raided a number of Palestinian houses and forced their
residents to evacuate their homes. The
families were forced to stand in the rain as the soldiers arrested 3 children:
1. Mohammed
‘Eissa Sabatin, 14;
2. Mohammed
Raji Sabatin, 15; and
3. Mustafa
Jamal Hamamra, 15.
At approximately 10:00, a number of Palestinian boys
gathered in the center of Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. They threw stones at Israeli occupying
forces, which had moved into the camp since Tuesday, 16 December 2003. Israeli soldiers immediately opened fire on the
boys, wounding 5:
1. Eyad
Shafiq Ibrahim Hashash, 24, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
right hand;
2. Nidal
Riad Mohammed Hourani, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
3. Mohammed
Ghazi ‘Ezzat Saqer, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left
ear;
4. Ibrahim
Bilal Mohammed Sonouno, 15, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg; and
5. Bashar
Mohammed Khamis ‘Ammar, 7, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right
side.
At the same time, Israeli occupying forces positioned
in a military location to the north of al-Tuffah military checkpoint, west of
Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. A Palestinian civilian, Mohammed ‘Atallah
Hamed Hamad, 29, from Rafah, who was visiting his relatives in Khan Yunis, was
wounded by a live bullet in the left leg.
Sunday, 21 December 2003
As part of an Israeli military strategy implemented
in Rafah since the beginning of the current Intifada in September 2000, Israeli
occupying forces moved into Rafah refugee camp and demolished 7 Palestinian
houses. PCHR’s analysis of the facts on the ground strongly suggests that
the large-scale destruction of civilian structures in Rafah is part of an
Israeli military strategy to establish a large “buffer zone” on
Palestinian land along the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
01:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles and a
helicopter gunship, moved approximately 200m into Block L in Rafah refugee
camp, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Under the cover of intense shelling, Israeli occupying forces totally
demolished 7 houses, in which 56 people (14 families) lived:
1. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Rezeq ‘Abdul ‘Aziz ‘Ali
al-‘Absi, in which 13 people (6 families) lived;
2. A
200-square-meter house owned by Mahmoud Mohammed Radwan, in which 13 people (3
families) lived;
3. A
150-square-meter house owned by Hamed Subhi ‘Ali, in which 7 people lived;
4. A
130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Nawal ‘Atiya al-Jabali, in
which 6 people lived;
5. A
200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Ammar Yousef ‘Abdul Fattah
Abu Swailem, in which 4 people lived;
6. A
100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by ‘Emad Yousef ‘Abdul Fattah Abu
Swailem, in which 4 people lived; and
7. A
100-square-meter house owned by ‘Adnan Joma’a Hassan Abu ‘Armana, in which 9
people lived.
A Palestinian civilian, Jamal Yousef Abu Ziada, 37,
was seriously wounded by 2 live bullets in the chest and the left hand as a
result of the Israeli indiscriminate gunfire during this incursion.
At approximately 02:00, 20 Israeli military jeeps
moved into Nablus through its southern entrance. They moved towards al-Makhfiya
neighborhood. A number of Israeli occupying
soldiers took positions on top of buildings surrounding the Hannoun apartment
building. The soldiers used megaphones
to order everyone to vacate the building and checked the ID cards of the
residents. Upon their withdrawal,
Israeli soldiers arrested Sheikh ‘Adnan ‘Aahed ‘Asfour, 38, the spokesman of
Hamas movement in the West Bank. ‘Asfour
has spent 15 years in Israeli jails starting from 1984.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli military bulldozers
started to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land in Tarqoumia village,
west of Hebron. They also uprooted
hundreds of trees in the areas close to the illegal Israeli settlement of “Tailem”,
which was established on lands owned by the Palestinian village.
According to Mohammed al-Ja’afra, Mayor of Tarqoumia,
Israeli occupying forces informed him orally on Wednesday, 17 December 2003,
that the commander of the “Israeli military central command” passed a
military order to raze large areas of land in al-Taiba and Khellat al-Daba’a
areas to the east of “Tailem” settlement. The order calls for the destruction of more
than 3000 donums of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives, almonds
and grapes. These areas belong to the
families of al-Fatafta, al-Karablia, al-Thabaina, Qa’qour, Qabaja and
al-Shahrour. It is worth noting that the
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz made a plan a few months ago to expand and
fortify existing illegal Israeli settlements by incorporating adjacent Palestinian
areas into the settlements. The plan was
approved by the Sharon government, which allocated about US $200 million for implementation.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 300m into Wadi
al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. They razed 14 donums of Palestinian agricultural
land:
1. They
razed a 9-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hussein
Salman Hussein al-Sumairi.
2. They
razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with almonds owned by ‘Ali
Salama ‘Ali al-Sumairi.
At approximately 09:10, medical sources at Rafidya
Hospital in Nablus declared that Nour Ahmed ‘Ezzat ‘Omran, 15, from Deir
al-Hatab, east of Nablus, died from an injury he sustained by Israeli occupying
forces last week.
At approximately 05:00 on Tuesday, 16 December 2003,
about 30 Israeli military vehicles, supported by 2 helicopters, moved into
Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, and imposed a curfew. A number of Israeli soldiers took positions
on top of a Palestinian houses in the camp, from which they fired at the area. At approximately 09:00, a number of Palestinian
children gathered near UNRWA schools in the west of the camp and began throwing
stones at Israeli soldiers and military vehicles. Immediately, the soldiers opened fire at the
area indiscriminately, wounding 11 Palestinian civilians, including 2 infants,
a woman and an old man. One of the
wounded, 15-year-old Anwar Ahmed ‘Ezzat ‘Omran, from Deir al-Hatab village, was
hit by a live bullet in the head and was later pronounced clinically dead. The child was in the area visiting relatives
in the camp. His brother was also
wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet.
In a case of apparent willful killing, Israeli
occupying forces shot dead a 5-year-old Palestinian child in Balata refugee
camp, east of Nablus.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
12:45, Mohammed Na’im Yousef al-‘Aa’raj, 5, was eating a sandwich near his
family’s house in al-Quds Street in the west of Balata refugee camp, when an
Israeli military jeep arrived at the area. The jeep stopped approximately 30 meters from the child and an Israeli
soldier got out. The soldier immediately
fired on the child, hitting him with a live bullet in the chest. The soldier then fired into the air and got back
into the jeep which quickly left the area. A number of people hurried towards the Mohammed to offer him help, but
he was dead. Medical sources report that
the child’s heart was punctured by a live bullet. According to eyewitnesses, the area was
completely quiet when the killing occurred. The Israeli soldier fired on the child from a distance of approximately
30 meters.
In the evening, Zuhair Mahmoud Ahmed ‘Owais, 53, from
Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus died from tear gas inhalation. He is the bother of Nasser ‘Owais, who has
been detained by Israeli occupying forces, and the father of Mohammed ‘Owais,
23, who is allegedly wanted by Israeli occupying authorities.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
18:00, Israeli occupying forces raided ‘Owais’ house in Balata refugee camp,
searching for his son. When they left
the house, Israeli soldiers threw a number of tear gas canisters into the
house. ‘Owais fainted due to tear gas
inhalation. He was already dead when
emergency workers evacuated him to the National Hospital in Nablus. It is worth noting, that Israeli soldiers
usually raid ‘Owais’ house two to three times every day.
Monday, 22 December 2003
At approximately 02:00, 15 Israeli military vehicles
moved into Taffouh village, west of Hebron. Israeli occupying forces raided and searched Palestinian houses in
al-Farsh and Kuroum neighborhoods and forced their residents out. Then, they arrested 3 Palestinians:
1. Firas
Nasser al-Tarda, 24, charge d’affaires of Secretary General of Fatah movement
in the village;
2. Ahmed
Salama Khamaisa, 35; and
3. Khaled
Ibrahim al-Tarda, 39.
At the same time, Israeli soldiers raided Mohammed
Fadhel Zahda’s house in al-Hawooz neighborhood in the southwest of Hebron, and
arrested his son, Bahaa’, 24.
At approximately 06:00, 20 Israeli military vehicles,
supported by 2 helicopter gunships, moved into Jenin town and refugee camp and opened
fire at Palestinian houses and markets. The Israeli occupying forces moved towards the eastern quarters of the
town and surrounded a house there. At
noon, they arrested Aysar Saleh Abu Es’eid, 26, claiming that he is the leader
of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade, the military wing of Fatah movement in Jenin. In addition, 5 Palestinian civilians, including
2 children, were wounded by the Israeli gunfire:
1. Ra’fat
Sa’id ‘Ali ‘Owais, 13, from Jenin, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the
back;
2. Mahmoud
Amin ‘Abdul Rahman, 15, from Jenin refugee camp, wounded by a live bullet in
the neck;
3. Ahmed
Fawzi Jarrar, 23, from Jenin, wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen;
4. ‘Ammar
‘Abdul Nasser ‘Ammar Mansour, 25, from Bourqin village, wounded by a live
bullet in the left leg; and
5. Jamal
‘Ali Yousef Daraghma, 35, from Tubas, wounded by a live bullet in the
chin.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli soldiers in a
military location to the north of al-Tuffah military checkpoint, west of Khan
Yunis, opened fire at a number of Palestinian children who were playing on the
ruins of destroyed houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. In the meantime, UNRWA workers were repairing
a water pipeline that was damaged by Israeli occupying forces during an
incursion into the camp earlier this month. The children escaped, but two of the workers and a third civilian were
wounded by the Israeli gunfire:
1. Ahmed
Mohammed Mousa Abu Mustafa, 57, an UNRWA worker, wounded by shrapnel in the
head;
2. Mohammed
Tawfiq ‘Abdul Hadi Dahlan, 47, an UNRWA worker, wounded by shrapnel in the
face; and
3. Khaled
‘Ali Abu ‘Obaida, 24, wounded by shrapnel in the head and the limbs.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Amman Street in the east of Nablus and took position near al-Rawda
College. A number of school children
gathered and threw stones at the Israeli military vehicles. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire on the
children, wounding 14-year-old Islam Ma’moun Najeh Khalil with a live bullet in
the left leg.
In a blatant disregard for the lives of Palestinian
civilians and their right to freedom of movement, Israeli soldiers positioned
at Abu Houli military checkpoint, south of Deir al-Balah, opened fire at
hundreds of Palestinian civilians who were waiting at the checkpoint to cross
towards the southern Gaza Strip. 5
civilians were wounded.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
19:00, after a 4-hour closure of al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoint
on Salah al-Din Street, the main road between the north and south of the Gaza
Strip, hundreds of Palestinian civilians gathered and moved towards Abu Houli
checkpoint in an attempt to cross towards the southern Gaza Strip. Immediately, Israeli soldiers positioned at
the checkpoint opened fire at these civilians. As a result, 5 civilians were wounded:
1. Khaled
Hafez Salem Zo’rob, 38, from Khan Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in the left
foot;
2. Hadi
Yousef al-Najjar, 46, from Khan Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in the left
leg;
3. Yousef
Ibrahim al-Najjar, 46, from Khan Yunis, wounded by a live bullet in the left
foot;
4. ‘Abdul
Latif Hammad Mohammed al-Dabbas, 41, from Rafah, wounded by a live bullet in
the abdomen; and
5. ‘Abdullah
Ahmed ‘Edwan, 41, from Rafah, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot.
In the evening, Israeli occupation forces attacked
areas in the central Gaza Strip. Following an armed clash between members
of the Palestinian resistance and Israeli soldiers on “Kissufim” settler road,
southeast of Deir al-Balah, which left 2 Palestinian resistance men and 2
Israeli soldiers dead, Israeli occupying forces moved into Abu Sha’ar area in
Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of Deir al-Balah. Armored Israeli military bulldozers then destroyed
7 Palestinian houses and razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately
19:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved
approximately 300m into Abu Sha’ar area in Wadi al-Salqa village, southeast of
Deir al-Balah. This incursion continued
until the evening of the following day, during which Israeli occupying forces
destroyed 5 Palestinian houses totally and 2 others partially:
1. They
totally destroyed a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Wa’el
Hassan ‘Abdul Karim al-Zar, in which 8 people lived.
2. They
totally destroyed a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Salama
Hassan ‘Abdul Karim al-Zar, in which 5 people lived.
3. They
totally destroyed a 130-square-meter, under-construction house owned by
Suleiman Joma’a Abu Sulisel.
4. They
totally destroyed a 180-square-meter uninhabited house owned by Rami Suleiman
al-Sumairi.
5. They
totally destroyed a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Ibrahim
Ahmed al-Sumairi, in which 5 people lived.
6. They
partially destroyed a 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Mohammed
Salama al-Sumairi, in which 3 people live.
7. They
partially destroyed a 50-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house owned by Miriam
Marzouq al-Sumairi, in which he lives alone.
Israeli occupying forces did not allow the families
to vacate any of their belongings before the destruction. In addition, they razed 37 donums of
Palestinian agricultural land and destroyed agricultural facilities:
1. They
razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Miriam
Marzouq al-Sumairi.
2. They
destroyed a 15-square-meter, asbestos-roofed agricultural room and a
21-meter-long fence owned by Salem ‘Atwa Khattab.
3. They
destroyed a 20-meter-long fence surrounding a house owned by Manal ‘Atiya
al-Sumairi.
4. They
destroyed 2 32-square-meter rooms and a 20-square-meter animal barracks owned
by Mohammed Tawfiq al-Kurd.
5. They
razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Raji
Marzouq al-Sumairi and brothers.
6. They
razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and vegetables
owned by Khaled Zayed al-Sumairi.
7. They
razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Maher
Suleiman al-Sumairi.
8. They
razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land, on which a greenhouse planted with
olives stood, owned by Mohammed ‘Awad al-Sumairi.
9. They
destroyed a well owned by Bashir Ahmed al-Sumairi.
Tuesday, 23 December 2003
In another war crime perpetrated against Palestinian
civilians and property, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by tanks and
helicopters, moved into Rafah refugee camp in the south of the Gaza Strip in
the morning. Israeli forces remained in the camp until the morning of the
following day, intensely shelling and shooting at the area. The Rafah
refugee camp is one of the most densely populated areas in the Gaza Strip and
attacks by Israeli forces inevitably result in massive damage. During
this incursion, Israeli occupying forced killed 9 Palestinians, including 7
civilians, and wounded 37 others, including a number of women and
children. 8 of the wounded were left in serious condition. In addition, 39 homes were destroyed by
explosive charges and armored Israeli bulldozers and a 3-story apartment
building was destroyed. The demolition
of the apartment building resulted in severe damaged to 2 neighboring
buildings. Approximately 765
Palestinians (116 families) have become homeless due to this latest Israeli
invasion. The incursion also resulted in
massive damage to civilian infrastructure and facilities in the refugee camp
and Israeli occupying forces imposed a curfew on the entire area.
This recent Israeli invasion is part of an Israeli
military strategy implemented in Rafah since the beginning of the current
Intifada in September 2000. In three years Israeli occupying forces have
destroyed over 1000 Palestinian homes along the Egyptian border south of
Rafah. Israeli authorities claim that this massive destruction is
conducted for security reasons. However, PCHR’s analysis of the facts on
the ground strongly suggests that the Israeli occupying forces are establishing
a large “buffer zone” on Palestinian land along the border between
the Gaza Strip and Egypt. All Palestinian structures along the border
have been demolished and the land has been leveled by Israeli bulldozers.
Furthermore, Israeli occupying forces have constructed cement sniper towers and
an iron wall on Palestinian land inside the southern border.
According to eyewitnesses in the Rafah refugee camp,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by about 40 heavy military vehicles and 2
helicopters invaded the camp at approximately 02:30 Tuesday morning.
Under the cover of intense shelling, Israeli forces moved approximately 400m
into Block L, Block O and Block N adjacent to the Egyptian border.
Israeli soldiers have entered a number of houses and transformed them into
military posts. Soldiers have remained in these positions through the
afternoon, using the houses to fire at the area. This morning, 2
Palestinian civilians were killed by Israeli gunfire while they were near their
homes:
1. Khalil
Mohammed ‘Abdullah al-Qassas, 50, hit by a live bullet in the chest; and
2. ‘Ali
Hassan al-Najjar, 22, hit by a live bullet in the chest.
Soon after Israeli occupying forces seized control
over the camp they started to destroy Palestinian homes and civilian
infrastructure. In all, 23 Palestinian homes were destroyed completely
and 16 others partially.
After the initial invasion, members of the
Palestinian resistance clashed with Israeli occupying forces. During the
clashes, an Israeli combat helicopter launched 2 missiles, killing Khamis Anwar
al-Ra’ei, 21, with shrapnel throughout the body. Two other resistance men were wounded,
including Mohammed Kamel Mansour, 27, who was hit by shrapnel throughout the
body. Mansour succumbed to his wound and
died later on the same day.
Throughout the day, Israeli occupying forces
continuously shelled the refugee camp from various posts and military vehicles
along the border. This shelling was accompanied by indiscriminate
shooting from Israeli military positions resulting in the killing of 5 other
Palestinian civilians:
1. ‘Aa’ed
Ibrahim al-Najjar, hit by a live bullet in the chest;
2. Ahmed
al-‘Abed al-Najjar, 32, hit by a live bullet in the head;
3. Rami
‘Azmi al-Haj Ahmed, 21, hit by 2 live bullets in the abdomen and the left leg;
4. ‘Alaa’
‘Ata Bahloul, 24, hit by a live bullet in the abdomen; and
5. We’am
Rezeq Mousa, 26, hit by a live bullet in the head.
One of the victims was hit by a live bullet while he
was at work near the gate of the Rafah Border Terminal, more than 2000m away
from the refugee camp. In addition, 37 civilians, including 8 children
and women, were injured as a result of the Israeli invasion. There were 8
cases of serious injury reported which were aggravated by the fact that ambulances
faced difficulties accessing the area and residents were often forced to carry
the wounded long distances to reach medical
care.
At approximately 05:00 on Wednesday, 24 December
2003, Israeli occupying forces surrounded a 450-square-meter, 3-storyapartment
building in Rafah owned by Salah ‘Abdul Jawad Abu Taha. The building consisted of 15 flats. Israeli soldiers called on the residents to evacuate
their apartments without allowing them to take any of their belongings. At approximately 06:30, Israeli soldiers
planted explosive devices inside the building and destroyed it. Two neighboring apartment buildings were
severely damaged: a 420-square-meter, 3-story building that includes 12 flats also
owned by Abu Taha; and a 4-story building that consists of 11 flats owned by
various people. Israeli occupying forces
claimed that there was a tunnel under the destroyed building.
At approximately 07:00, Israeli
soldiers positioned at Beit Fourik village, east of Nablus, fired at a number
of Palestinian civilians who resorted to dirt roads to enter Nablus. A Palestinian woman, Haniya Hussein ‘Ali
Darwish, 24, from Salem village, was wounded by a live bullet in the nose.
At the same time, Israeli soldiers in military posts
in the old town of Hebron fired rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas
canisters at a number of Palestinian school children who were on their way to
their schools. 2 children were wounded:
1. Bayan
Sa’ad Jaber, 15, sustained serious injuries and burns in the neck as a tear gas
canister hit her in the head; and
2. Tariq
Mohammed al-Rujbi, 14, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
back.
At approximately 12:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into al-Dahia area in the south of Nablus to maintain the curfew already
imposed on the area. Israeli soldiers
fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who were attempting to obtain
foodstuffs. One of these civilians, Sabri
Mohammed Sabri al-Kurdi, 24, was wounded by a live bullet in the right
leg.
At approximately 20:00, an Israeli military jeep
moved into Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. The jeep patrolled the streets of the village and Israeli soldiers
opened fire at Palestinian houses and passing civilians. As a result, Eyad Khalil Amin ‘Alawna, 27,
was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head. He succumbed to his wound upon his evacuation
to the hospital and died later that day. According to eyewitnesses, the village was completely quiet when Israeli
soldiers opened fire. The victim was
married and a father of 3 children.
Wednesday, 24 December 2003
At approximately 10:00, Israeli soldiers opened fire
at Palestinian houses in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Orabi ‘Abdul Fattah
Jarallah, 20, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis, while he
was near his house.
At noon, Israeli occupying forces at al-Karama
Terminal on the Jordanian border arrested Qassam Marwan al-Barghouthi, 19, the
eldest son of the Secretary General of Fatah movement in the West Bank Marwan
al-Barghouthi, who has been detained by Israeli occupying forces for more than
18 months. Qassam is a student at an Egyptian
university and he was on his way to the West Bank to spend his vacation with
his family. He was transferred to “Ofar”
detention center, southwest of Ramallah.
At approximately 13:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 100m into al-Qarara
village, northwest of Khan Yunis. They
surrounded a building of al-Matahen Flour Company and called on workers in the
company through megaphones to evacuate the building. Then, Israeli soldiers checked the workers
and forced them to wait outside for 4 hours, during which a number of Israeli
soldiers searched the building using dogs. Israeli occupying forces claimed that they were searching for a
Palestinian gunman.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli heavy military
vehicles moved approximately 700m into Abu Houli area, south of Deir
al-Balah. This incursion continued until
17:00, during which they razed 50 donums of Palestinian agricultural land:
1. They
razed a 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, citrus and
guavas owned by ‘Abdul Qader Mutair Hussein Abu Houli.
2. They
razed a 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, citrus and
guavas owned by ‘Emad Salem Abu Rezeq.
Continued Construction of the “Separation Wall”
Anticipating the consideration of the case of the
“separation wall” by International Court of Justice in accordance of the UN
General Assembly Resolution adopted on 8 December 2003, Israeli occupying
forces intensified construction of the wall. Israeli occupying forces are constructing several sections of the wall
at the same time to create new facts on the ground. According to information available to PCHR,
about 15000 workers, using 1700 bulldozers and machines have been working on 3 different
sections of the wall. The first section
extends east from Salem village, west of Jenin, to “Tirat Tsvi” settlement in
the northern Jordan Valley. The second
section is in the area of Rantis village, northwest of Ramallah, while the
third section cuts through eastern parts of Jerusalem.
The second stage includes the construction of a
portion of the wall extending from “Alkanah” settlement, southeast of Qalqilya,
to “Ofar” detention center, southwest of Ramallah. It is 40-45km long. It will pass through the villages of
al-Zawia, Rafat, Deir Ballout, Kufor al-Dik and Bourqin in Qalqilya district,
and al-Lubban, Rantis, ‘Aabood, Deir Abu Masha’al, Shaqba, al-Qebia, Badras,
Sabtin, Deir Qiddis, Na’lin, al-Midia, Bal’ein, Safa, Beit Siera, Kherbat
al-Musbah, Beit Leqia, Beit Nouba, Beit ‘Anan, Qutna, al-Qubaiba, Beit Sourik,
Biddu, Beit Ajza, Beit Diqqu, al-Tira, Beit ‘Our and ‘Ein ‘Arik in Ramallah
district. Most of these villages will be
left outside the wall and isolated from Palestinian communities and towns in
the West Bank.
According to information recently revealed by the
Israeli military establishment, the total length of the wall will be 728km
extending from the Jordan Valley to the south of Hebron, including 106km that
will incorporate Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The Israeli military Deputy Chief of Staff
stated to the Israeli parliamentary committee of foreign and security affairs
on Tuesday, 23 December 2003, that the construction of the wall cost 8.5
billion NIS and that 1.27 billion NIS has been spent so far. He also stated that 600 million NIS will be
allocated for construction of the wall in the next year.
Continued Siege on the OPT
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose severe
restrictions on 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 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
Strip by Israeli soldiers stationed at Israeli military checkpoints. Such restrictions on freedom of movement are
in contravention of international human rights law to which Israel is a state
party, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural
Rights.
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
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 movement of Palestinian civilians. The two checkpoints, which are open for a maximum
of a few hours each day, have become notorious for acts of humiliation and
harassment by Israeli soldiers.
At approximately 11:00 on Friday, 19 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces closed the two checkpoints and held many Palestinian
vehicles in between. They forced a
number of vehicles to move into an enclosed area for searching. They ordered Palestinian civilians to get out
of the vehicles, checked their ID cards, and then forced them to wait for many
hours in the rain. This procedure
continued until 16:00. In the evening,
Israeli occupying forces claimed that they arrested a Palestinian
activist.
At approximately 07:30 on Saturday, 20 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces closed the two checkpoints until 08:30, during which
they held and searched 3 Palestinian vehicles.
At approximately 15:00 on Monday, 22 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces closed the two checkpoints again and held and searched
a number of Palestinian vehicles. They
ordered Palestinian civilians to get out of the vehicles, checked their ID
cards, and then forced them to wait for many hours. Hundreds of Palestinian vehicles were also
forced to wait at the two checkpoints. At
approximately 19:00, hundreds of Palestinian civilians, including workers, attempted
to cross the two checkpoints on foot. Israeli
soldiers fired at these civilians, wounding 5. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli occupying forces detained 4
Palestinians, including Mahmoud Ahmed al-Farra, 27, from Khan Yunis, a member
of the Palestinian National Security Force. Al-Farra remained in custody, while the other three were released later.
Israeli occupying forces have maintained the siege
imposed on the al-Sayafa area between “Dogit” and “Elli
Sinai” settlements in the northern Gaza Strip. Palestinian civilians moving into and out of
the area are now subjected to prolonged physical checks by Israeli soldiers
stationed at the only entry point to the area. They are allowed to move from and into the area between 06:30 and 8:30
and between 14:00 and 16:15, but these periods are often subject to arbitrary
restrictions. Israeli soldiers force male
Palestinians to reveal their upper part of the body while going to the checking
area. Female Palestinians area searched
by female Israeli soldiers. Entry of
foodstuffs into the area is only allowed twice a week. Those foodstuffs are checked by a trained
dog. When the dog is absent, entry of
foodstuffs is not allowed. School children
are forced to cross long distances on foot to reach their schools. When they come back from schools, they are
not allowed to enter the area except during the entry hours.
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 Palestinian through
al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to al-Mawasi area, west of Khan
Yunis. Male Palestinians under 35 years
old and female ones under 25 have been 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. They have
continued to close permanent military checkpoints and erected temporary ones on
the main and branch roads. They allow
passage only for Palestinians who are over 35 years old and those who have
cards that identify their jobs, such as teachers and medical personnel. Israeli soldiers often close military
checkpoints for no apparent reasons. For
instance, on Tuesday morning, 23 December 2003, Israeli soldiers closed Hawara
military checkpoint, south of Nablus, and forced Palestinian civilians to go
back to their homes.
On Monday morning, 22 December 2003, Israeli soldiers
at Deir Ballout military checkpoint, east of Qalqilya, and at al-Lubban
checkpoint, northwest of Ramallah, denied passage of a Palestinian woman, who
was pregnant in the 7th month and was in labor, claiming that she
could not pass because she was traveling in a private car not in an
ambulance. The woman gave birth for 2
twins who died at the checkpoints.
According to PCHR’s investigations, and an affidavit
by Lamis Tayseer Ibrahim Qassem, 26, from Deir Ballout village, at
approximately 01:30, she felt pains of labor. Immediately, her husband called for an ambulance from Beit Rima
village. He asked medical personnel to
meet him and his wife near Deir Ballout checkpoint in order to save time. Then, he took his wife in his private car
towards the checkpoint. At approximately
02:00, they arrived at the checkpoint and an ambulance was waiting at the other
side of the checkpoint. However, Israeli
soldiers denied passage for the medical personnel to take the woman to the
ambulance. At approximately 03:30, Israeli
soldiers finally agreed to allow the medical personnel to go to the woman. Soon, the woman gave birth to a dead
baby. Then, Israeli soldiers allowed the
ambulance to take the woman and travel towards Ramallah. On the way to Ramallah, Israeli soldiers at
al-Lubban military checkpoint stopped and searched the ambulance. There, the woman gave birth to another dead
baby.
Nablus
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose
restriction on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They also fired at civilians attempting to
access the city by dirt roads to avoid passing by Israeli military checkpoints,
which have been turned into sites of humiliation and degrading treatment. On Tuesday morning, 23 December 2003, Israeli
occupying forces partitioned the city into two zones by blocking Amman Street
in the east with sand barriers. They
prohibited movement of Palestinian vehicles between the east and west of the
city.
In the meantime, Israeli occupying forces continued
to impose a curfew on Balata refugee camp and the eastern parts of the city
since Tuesday morning, 16 December 2003. Israeli soldiers have opened fire on any persons outside of their homes.
For instance, they shot dead a 5-year-old Palestinian child and injured 2 other
civilians, claiming that they challenged the curfew imposed on Balata refugee
camp.
Hebron
Since Friday, 19 March 2003, Israeli occupying forces
have imposed a tightened siege on Ethna village, west of Hebron. They have blocked its entrances with sand
barriers and roadblocks. Palestinian
civilians and vehicles wishing to travel from and into the village have been
subject to strict searches. Israeli
occupying forces have also raided houses in the village.
At approximately 19:00 on Monday, 22 December 2003,
Israeli occupying forces imposed a curfew on the southern and eastern areas of
Hebron, forcing approximately 45000 Palestinians to stay inside their
homes. On Tuesday morning, 23 December
2003, Israeli occupying forces denied access to thousands of school children attempting
to reach their schools to attend the final exams of the first term of this
school year. According to the director
of education in Hebron, the educational process was interrupted in several
schools and Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition and tear gas to prevent
school children from accessing their schools.
Bethlehem
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
curfew on Housan village, west of Bethlehem. They have also continued to close all roads linking between Bethlehem and
the villages to the west.
*****
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:[email protected], Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
Trial Version
