Continued
Israeli Violations in the OPT and

the
International Community is Silent

 

 

· 20 Palestinians, 19 civilians and a security man,
including 6 children, a handicapped man and a journalist, killed by Israeli
occupying forces this week

 

·  Aseries of incursions
into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip; 11 Palestinian killed, dozens wounded
and public and private property destroyed

 

·  Israeli
occupying forces invade Ramallah, impose a siege on the office of President
Arafat and destroy a number of surrounding buildings

 

·  Israeli
occupying forces continue their campaign of retaliation against the families of
wanted Palestinians and those who carried out attacks against Israeli
targets

 

·  More areas of Palestinian agricultural land
razed in the Gaza Strip

 

·  Continued
siege on the OPT, Palestinian civilians stopped and humiliated at Israeli
military checkpoints and roadblocks, and an infant dies at Israeli military
checkpoint 

 

Introduction

This report coincides with the second
anniversary of the beginning of the al-Aqda Intifada, which broke out on 28
September 2000 after the visit by the current Israeli Prime Minister, Ariel
Sharon, to the Holy Sanctuary in occupied East Jerusalem, a visit which
provoked feelings of Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims throughout the world. During this period, Israeli occupying forces
committed war crimes against Palestinian civilians in an unprecedented manner
since 1967. The second year of the
Intifada witnessed a significant escalation of war crimes committed by Israeli
occupying forces, while the international community has kept silent, which has
encouraged Israel and its occupying forces to escalate its human rights
violations against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPT). Throughout the past
12 months, Israeli occupying forces launched a full-scale offensive throughout
the OPT, using all kinds of weapons, including fighter jets, combat
helicopters, tanks, and infantry and special units. Israeli war crimes in the second year of the
Intifada included:

 

1- Invasion of Palestinian towns,
villages and refugee camps, which are under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian
National Authority (PNA), and redeployment in these areas for long periods.

2- Mass killing and destruction of
houses and private and public property.

3- Destruction of Palestinian
economic infrastructure and headquarters of the Palestinians National
Authority, using warplanes. 

4- Using Palestinian civilians as
human shields during military operations carried out by Israeli occupying
forces in the OPT, endangering their lives. 

5- A series of collective punishment
measures against families of Palestinians who carried out bombings inside the
Green Line and Palestinians who carried out or planned military attacks against
Israeli occupying forces and settlers in the OPT. Those measures included arresting members of
those families, demolishing their houses and deporting a number of them from
the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. 

6- Shooting at Palestinian civilians
unjustifiably, such as shooting at civilian cars, killing and wounding
civilians while moving between Palestinian towns and villages through Israeli
military checkpoints and roadblocks. 

7- Indiscriminate and intense
shelling of Palestinian residential areas, using F-16 fighter jets, combat
helicopters, gunboats, tanks, heavy machine guns and the lethal fletchette
shells. 

8- A series of collective punishment
measures against Palestinian civilians and denial of their basic human rights,
such as the rights of free movement and right to education, food, medical care
and work, through imposing a total siege on the OPT.

9- A series of extra-judicial
assassinations against Palestinian political and field activists. 

10-Arbitrary
campaigns of arrest against Palestinians and placing hundreds under
administrative detention. 

 

According to PCHR’s documentation,
the outcome of war crimes committed by Israeli occupying forces from 28
September 2000 to 25 September 2002 is:

 

The following table shows
destruction of agricultural land, houses and educational and industrial
facilities in the Gaza Strip: from 28 September 2000 to 25 September 2002

In this last week of the second year of the
Intifada, Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more human rights
violations against Palestinian civilians and their property in the Occupied
Palestinian Territories (OPT). They have been using all kinds of weapons and
adopting a policy of collective punishment against all Palestinians.  This
week, Israeli occupying forces carried out a series of limited incursions into
Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, while continuing to invade Palestinian
areas in the West Bank.  The human rights violations against Palestinian
civilians have included willful killings, shelling of, and incursion into
Palestinian areas, house demolition, and agricultural land leveling.  This
week, 20 Palestinians, 19 civilians and a security man, including 6 children, a
handicapped man and a journalist, were killed and dozens were wounded by
Israeli occupying forces.

For the third consecutive week, Israeli occupying
forces have carried out a series of incursions into Palestinian towns and
refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, during which they destroyed houses and
civilian facilities and killed a number of Palestinians.  On 19 and 23
September 2002, Israeli occupying forces committed grave breaches (war crimes),
when they invaded al-Tuffah, al-Zaytoun and al-Shojaeya neighborhoods in Gaza
City. They shelled these areas using
combat helicopters and tanks. They raided
houses and transformed a number of them into military bases. They destroyed a number of workshops and took
retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who carried out military
attacks against Israeli forces and settlers in the Gaza Strip. As a result of this invasion, 11
Palestinians, including a child and a handicapped man, were killed and dozens
were wounded, and a number of workshops were destroyed. A number of houses were also damaged. 

In Ramallah, on
Thursday, 19 September 2002, Israeli occupying forces launched a military
campaign against the Palestinian presidential compound. Israeli heavy military vehicles, supported by
combat helicopters, moved towards the compound. They imposed a strict siege on the compound and opened fire at its
building and guards. They destroyed a
number of buildings surrounding the office of President Arafat. A Palestinian security man was killed by the
Israeli gunfire.   

On Sunday morning, 22 September, Israeli occupying soldiers on tanks that were patrolling
in the streets of Palestinian towns, over which they had already seized
complete control, opened fire at Palestinian civilians who marched in the
streets expressing solidarity with the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat who
had been under Israeli military siege in his compound in Ramallah since
Thursday, 19 September 2002. Four
Palestinian civilians, including a journalist, were killed by the Israeli
gunfire.

This week, Israeli occupying forces continued to
shell Palestinian residential areas, especially in Rafah in the southern Gaza
Strip. Two Palestinian civilians were
killed by the Israeli shelling and more than 10 were wounded, while a number of
houses were severely damaged. Also in the Gaza Strip, dozens of Palestinian
civilians were wounded when Israeli occupying forces fired at peaceful
demonstrations that were organized in solidarity with President Arafat.

For the second consecutive month, Israeli occupying
forces have continued their campaigns of retaliation against families of wanted
Palestinians and those who carried out military attacks against Israeli
targets. This week, Israeli forces
destroyed and demolished seven houses of those families in the West Bank. 

Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total
siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing Palestinian people. Israeli
forces have partitioned Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons,
violating Palestinian civilians’ economic, social and cultural rights.
Thousands of Palestinians continue to be subjected to a tight military curfew
imposed by Israeli occupying forces, especially in Nablus. In the Gaza Strip,
Israeli occupying forces have closed Abu Houli and al-Matahen military
checkpoints since 19 September, preventing the passage of thousands of students
and employees to Gaza City. They also
checked and interrogated Palestinians who were waiting at those
checkpoints. On Monday morning, 23
September, a newly born infant died in Hebron, as Israeli occupying soldiers at
military checkpoints obstructed her evacuation to hospital for long hours.

 

* Israeli
Offensive on the Palestinian Presidential Compound in Ramallah

 

At approximately 18:00 on Thursday, 19 September 2002,
Israeli occupying forces launched a military campaign against the Palestinian
presidential compound in Ramallah. Israeli heavy military vehicles, supported by combat helicopters, moved
towards the compound. They imposed a
strict siege on the compound and opened fire at its building and guards. 

 

The following morning, Friday, 20 September 2002,
Israeli occupying forces demolished and destroyed many buildings surrounding
the compound. They also opened fire at
the Palestinian presidential guards, wounding Mohammed Khalil Isma’il Hammouda,
26, from Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, a policeman who was
guarding the compound, with a live bullet in the head. Israeli forces denied the access of
ambulances to the compound, with the result that Hammouda bled to death. Hammouda was shot when he was moving from the
third to the second floor in the compound. At approximately 15:30, Israeli forces allowed ambulances to evacuate
his body to hospital. 

 

Also in the morning, special units of Israeli occupying
forces planted bombs in a four-story building that was under construction, of
the Palestinian National Security Force and destroyed it. At approximately 11:20, Israeli occupying
forces destroyed a building of the Palestinian Military Intelligence located at
the western entrance of the compound. At
approximately 22:20, Israeli armored military bulldozers started demolishing
the bridge linking the office of the Palestinian President Yasser Arafat and
the meeting hall. Approximately two
hours later, an Israeli tank fired a shell at the stairs of the compound,
totally destroying it and separating the three floors from one another. Windows of the office of the Palestinian
president were destroyed by shrapnel and concrete fragments.

 

On Saturday morning, 21 September 2002, Israeli armored
military bulldozers demolished stores of supplies that belonged to the
presidential compound. Israeli forces
also set fire to the stores and denied access for fire engines to extinguish
the fire. At approximately 11:00,
Israeli bulldozers started demolishing the building of Ramallah Governorate
adjacent to the Palestinian President’s office. 

 

Shelling of and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas 

 

Thursday, 19
September 2002

 

At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, shelled Palestinian residential
areas in the vicinity of Salah al-Din Gate, adjacent to the border. As a result of the two-hour shelling,
40-year-old Yousef Ahmed Radwan was wounded by shrapnel in the right arm, and a
number of houses were damaged. 

 

In an apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying forces
shot dead a Palestinian child in al-Bireh. According to information available for PCHR, at approximately 08:40,
‘Abdul Salam Fawzi ‘Abdul Rahman Samarin, 11, from al-Bireh, left his family
house in al-Shurafa area at Ramallah-Jerusalem road. Ten minutes later, he met two of his
friends. They alls stood approximately
10 meters from an Israeli tank. Samarin
picked up a stone, and as soon as he raised his head, an Israeli soldier on the
tank fired at him. He was wounded. Immediately, he was evacuated to hospital,
but he succumbed to his wound. According
to Palestinian medical sources, the child was hit by six live bullets in
several parts of the body. 

 

At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, shelled Palestinian residential
areas in the vicinity of Salah al-Din Gate, adjacent to the border. Four Palestinian civilians were wounded:

 

1. Khaled Sa’id Qeshta, 44,
wounded by a live bullet in the left arm;

2. Cana’an Mohammed Hamdan, 34,
wounded by shrapnel in the head;

3. Yousef Hamed Bahloul, 65,
wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen, while he was in his fuel station in the
area; and

4. Mohammed ‘Omar Mahmoud ‘Omar,
55, wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen. 

 

At the same time, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced
with three heavy military vehicles and a bulldozer, moved approximately 400m
into Palestinian areas north of “Kfar Darom” settlement in the east
of Deir al-Balah. They raided a
200-square-meter, two-story house owned by Asa’ad Kamel Bashir. They searched the house and held its 10
residents in one room. Then, they
mounted its roof and remained there until 07:00 on the following day. The Israeli bulldozer also razed areas of
Palestinian agricultural land:

 

1. They razed a 3-donum area of
agricultural land, on which three greenhouses planted with vegetables stood,
and destroyed an irrigation network owned by ‘Ali Mohammed Bashir. 

2. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land, on which two greenhouses planted with vegetables stood,
owned by ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Ibrahim Bashir.

3. They razed a 5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables and palms owned by ‘Abdul Qader
Khalil Bashir.

4. They razed a 1-donum area of
agricultural land planted with palms and destroyed an irrigation network owned
by Suleiman Mohammed Bashir.

5. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Yousef Ibrahim Bashir.

6. They razed a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus owned by ‘Adli ‘Awad Abu Samra.

7. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land, on which four greenhouses stood, owned by ‘Abdul Karim
Khalil Bashir. 

 

Late at night, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by
heavy military vehicles and supported by combat helicopters, invaded al-Tuffah
neighborhood in the north of Gaza City. They intensely shelled the area, killing a handicapped man and a
policewoman and wounding three other civilians. They also destroyed a number of workshops and damaged a number of houses
and civilian facilities. 

 

According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately
22:30, Israeli occupying forces surrounded al-Tuffah neighborhood. They seized control over the main roads
leading to the neighborhood. Approximately an hour later, they moved into the neighborhood and raided
a number of houses. They transformed a
number of those houses into military bases. They indiscriminately shelled the area, killing Ahmed Mahmoud Lubbad,
49, mentally handicapped from al-Daraj neighborhood, who was walking near a
workshop, when an Israeli heavy military vehicle fired at him. He received several medium caliber bullets in
the left eye, the chest, the abdomen and the limbs. He bled to death. Ambulances could evacuate his body to
hospital only at 03:30 on the following day. Samira Mohammed Khamis al-Dihdar, 33, a policewoman, was killed by a
live bullet in the head, while she was in her family’s house, trying to calm
down children of the family. According
to eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers fired at her from the house of Khalil ‘Aatef
Khalil Sarsour, which was seized by Israeli forces, approximately 60m away from
her family’s house. No one knew about
the presence of Israeli soldiers in that house as electricity was cut and the
windows were closed. In addition three
civilians were wounded:

 

1. Sa’id Daoud al-Rifi, 35,
wounded by shrapnel from an artillery shell in the left foot;

2. Ward ‘Ali Abu Rashed, 19,
wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh; and

3. Hakema ‘Awad al-Tarfawi, 21,
wounded by a live bullet in the right knee. 

 

Israeli occupying forces also destroyed a number of
workshops:

 

1. A 300-square-meter, iron-roofed
car maintenance workshop, in which three workers used to work, owned by Sakher
Sa’di Madhi Hassanein.

2. A 300-square-meter car
maintenance workshop on the first floor of a two-story building owned by Hatem
Hamdi ‘Ali al-Nakhala; the building was also damaged.

3. A 150-square-meter smithery in
a one-story building, in which five workers used to work, owned by Talal
al-‘Abed Mohammed al-Jaru; the building was also severely damaged. 

4. A 32-square-meter, iron-roofed
turnery workshop, owned by Na’el Hashem ‘Omar al-Qattaa’ and rented by ‘Omar
Khalil Mustafa al-Ramlawi.

5. An 800-square-meter,
iron-roofed turnery workshop, in which five workers used to work, owned by
Sufian Sa’id Hasssan Abu Jahal. 

6. A 700-square-meter, iron-roofed
turnery workshop, in which six workers used to work, owned by Hashem Sa’id
Hassan Abu Jahal. 

 

In addition, a number of workshops and civilian
facilities were severely damaged:

 

 1. A 450-square-meter, iron-roofed
car maintenance workshop owned by Anwar Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahman al-Ramlawi and
rented by ‘Omar Khalil Mustafa al-Ramlawi: Two stores in the workshop were
destroyed.

 2.A 35-square-meter commercial
store owned by Mahmoud Ramadan Mahmoud Shabet, located on the first floor of a
170-square-meter, two-story house. Fire broke out and 5 tons of nylon was
burnt. 

 3.  A 250-square-meter sewing factory, in which 8
workers work, owned by Hasan Hassan Abu Hamad. Israeli tanks destroyed doors
and two sewing machines. 

 4. A 2000-square-meter brick
factory, in which 10 workers work, owned by Ahmed Rajab Mahmoud al-Nabih. The
southwestern fence, 1500 bricks and a water pump were destroyed and a machine
was damaged. 

5. A 470-square-meter brick
factory, in which 5 workers work, owned by ‘Ammar Ahmed Mohammed Qweider. The
eastern fence, a 16-square-meter store, 3500 bricks, 12 tons of cement and the
electricity network were destroyed.

6. A small shop of popular food
owned by Zuhair Jibril Hassana. The shop was totally destroyed by an artillery
shell.

7. A 16-square-meter shop of
popular food owned by Nahidh Sadiq Karim. The shop was totally destroyed by an
artillery shell.

8. A 100-square-meter supermarket
owned by No’man ‘Aatef Mohammed Karim. The doors were hit be artillery shells and heavy caliber bullets which
damaged refrigerators and goods. 

 

Friday, 20
September 2002

 

At approximately 16:00, Israeli occupying forces at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses
in the vicinity of Salah al-Din Gate adjacent to the border. Three Palestinian civilians were wounded:

 

 1. Fatema Dhib Shaqfa, 60,
seriously wounded by two live bullets in the abdomen and the left thigh;

 2. Naji Shehada Abu Lebda, 32,
wounded by a live bullet in the right arm;

 3. Yousef Hamed Bahloul, 65,
wounded by shrapnel in the right knee. He was also wounded on the previous day while he was in his fuel station
in the area. 

 

Half an hour later, four Israeli combat helicopters
indiscriminately shelled Block K and J in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, while Israeli heavy military vehicles at the
border were also intensely shelling the area. The shelling continued sporadically for eight hours, during which two
Palestinian children were killed:

 

1. ‘Abdullah Suleiman al-Gharabli,
14, shot by a live bullet in the head; and

2. Haitham Sa’id Nattat, 17, hit
by an artillery shell that cut his head. 

 

In addition, 11 Palestinian civilians, including 7
children, were wounded:

 

1. Mohammed Marwan al-Rikhawi, 15,
wounded by a live bullet in the buttocks;

2. ‘Abdul Hadi Nayef al-Haj, 13,
seriously wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh;

3. ‘Omar ‘Ata Barhoum, 11, wounded
by a live bullet in the right thigh;

4. Yasser ‘Aadel Huneif, 13,
wounded by shrapnel in the neck;

5. Mohammed No’man Abu Nada, 14,
critically wounded by a live bullet in the back;

6. Hanin Ibrahim al-Kurd, 7,
wounded by shrapnel in the right thigh;

7. Zaher Jamal al-Moghayar, 8,
wounded by shrapnel in the head;

8. Fayez Hamad ‘Abed Hammad, 27,
wounded by shrapnel in the right arm;

9. Ibrahim al-Hams, 17, wounded by
shrapnel in the neck;

10. Hudia Mohammed Shaqfa, wounded
by a live bullet in the arms; and

11. Ahmed Yousef al-Satari, 19,
wounded by shrapnel in the back. 

 

Saturday, 22
September 2002

 

At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces moved
into al-Fara’a refugee camp, east of Jenin. They erected a military roadblock at its entrance. Israeli soldiers stopped a civilian car and
arrested two Palestinian men:

 

1. Firas Walid Mohammed ‘Ali, 22,
from Tubas village; and

2. Shadi Sa’id ‘Omar, 24, from
Tubas village.

 

At approximately 11:00, an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces stole into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin. They raided an animal feed shop in the
western part of the village, owned by Faisal Ibrahim ‘Abdul Rahman Saba’na, 39,
and arrested him. Soon, three armored
personnel carriers and a military jeep arrived at the area, and Saba’na was
taken on an armored personnel carrier to an unknown destination. 

 

At approximately 11:15, Israeli tanks positioned at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses
in the vicinity of Salah al-Din Gate, adjacent to the border. Tariq Ahmed al-Sharqawi, 12, was wounded by
shrapnel in the left arm. 

 

At approximately 17:00, Israeli tanks positioned west of
Rafah opened fire at Palestinian houses in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the
southwest of the town. Ibrahim Khalil
Mousa, 20, was wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh. 

 

Three hours later, Israeli tanks positioned at the
Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses
in Block J in Rafah refugee camp. Two
Palestinian children were wounded:

 

1. Dana Ibrahim Timraz, 5, wounded
by shrapnel in the right carpus; and

2. Zuhair Jamal al-Moghayar, 16,
wounded by shrapnel in the head.

 

At approximately 21:00, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan
Yunis, opened fire for no apparent reason at Palestinian residential areas and
agricultural land in al-Amal neighborhood and al-Rabwat area in the northwest
of the town. A number of houses were
damaged. 

 

Sunday, 22
September 2002

 

Early in the morning, Israeli occupying soldiers on
tanks that were patrolling in the streets of Palestinian towns, over which they
had already seized complete control, opened fire at Palestinian civilians who
marched in the streets expressing solidarity with the Palestinian President
Yasser Arafat who had been under Israeli military siege in his compound in
Ramallah since Thursday, 19 September 2002. At approximately 01:00, dozens of thousands of Palestinian civilians
went out of their houses throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip, and walked in
peaceful marches expressing their solidarity with President Arafat. Immediately, Israeli occupying forces opened
fire at them, without resorting to less lethal means to disperse them. Four Palestinian civilians, including a
journalist, were killed by the Israeli gunfire. 

 

According to information available for PCHR, hundreds of
Palestinian civilians went out of their houses in Ramallah and al-Bireh. They marched towards al-Manara square in the
center of Ramallah. Immediately, Israeli
occupying forces opened fire at them. A
Palestinian civilian and a journalist of Sawt Falastin (Voice of
Palestine) radio station, were killed and 16 others were wounded by live
ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets. Those killed were:

 

1. ‘Eissa ‘Abdul Hafez Isma’il
Hureish, 28, from Bitounia, shot by a live bullet in the chest; and

2. ‘Essam Mithqal Hamza al-Talawi,
30, from Bitounia, a journalist of Voice of Palestine, shot by a live bullet in
the head.

 

With al-Talawi’s death, the number of journalists killed
by Israeli occupying forces since the beginning of the Intifada mounted to six,
five Palestinian journalists and one Italian. 

 

In Nablus and its refugee camps, hundreds of Palestinian
civilians left their houses and walked in peaceful marches. Immediately, Israeli occupying forces opened
fire at them, seriously wounding 19-year-old Riad Maher ‘Ayad al-Hashash, from
Balata refugee camp, with a live bullet in the head. Al-Hashash bled to death as Israeli forces
denied access of ambulances to the camp to evacuate him to hospital. In addition, Mahmoud Miqdad Mohammed
al-Khatib, 17, also from Balata refugee camp, was seriously wounded by two live
bullets in the neck and the shoulder. An
ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society was able to evacuate him, but
Israeli forces stopped the ambulance and arrested him. He was taken bleeding to an unknown
destination. 

 

In Tulkarm, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at
Palestinian demonstrators who gathered in Jaffa Street in the center of the
town. Ahmed Mahmoud Mohammed Radwan, 18,
was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head, which caused a fracture in
the skull. He was evacuated to hospital
where he was pronounced clinically dead. Few hours later, he was pronounced dead. 

 

At approximately 03:00, Israeli occupying forces moved
into Jenin. They raided the house of
Rebhi Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Moweis, 48, a trader, in the center of the
town. They searched the house and a shop
owned by Abu Moweis. Then, they took him
to al-Bassatin neighborhood, where he has a 360-square-meter, two-story house
still under construction. The first floor served as a commercial store of
agricultural fertilizers and animal feeds. They searched the house and the store, and forced Abu Moweis to give
them his keys. Then, they ordered him to
go back home. At approximately 06:00,
Israeli soldiers planted bombs in the building and destroyed it
completely. 

 

At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 300m into
Palestinian areas north of “Kfar Darom” settlement, east of Deir al-Balah. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural
land:

 

1. They razed a 2.5-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hamdi al-‘Azab.

 2. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables,
and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Suleiman Abu Jarir.

 3. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned
by ‘Ali al’Azab.

 4. They razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with palms, and
destroyed an irrigation network owned by Jamal Abu Salim.

 5. They razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables,
and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Nawar al-Fallit.

 6. They razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with vegetables,
and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Khalil al-Tawashi. 

 

At approximately 09:00, Palestinian civilians and school
children demonstrated in Dura village, west of Hebron. Israeli occupying soldiers on tanks and
armored personnel carriers fired at the demonstrators, wounding 13-year-old
Ahmed Yasser al-Sharha with a rubber-coated metal bullet. In addition, a number of demonstrators
suffered from tear gas inhalation used against them by Israeli forces. 

 

At approximately 10:00, Palestinian civilians in Nablus
broke the curfew imposed on the city to organize a peaceful march in solidarity
with President Arafat. As soon as they
began to gather in Ras al-‘Ein neighborhood, Israeli occupying forces raided
the area and opened fire at those civilians. Bahaa’ Sa’di al-Bahash, 13, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in
the chest. He succumbed to his wound
upon arrival at hospital. 

 

Monday, 23
September 2002

 

At approximately 17:30, three Israeli military jeeps
took position outside “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis. Soon, dozens of Palestinian children gathered
in the adjacent al-Amal neighborhood and threw stones at Israeli soldiers. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at the
stone throwers, wounding two:

 

1. ‘Abdul Rahman ‘Abdullah Mahmoud
al-Faqa’awi, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot; and

2. Ahmed Mahmoud Isma’il Sobeh,
17, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot. 

 

At approximately 17:45, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 200m into
al-Rabwat area in the northwest of Khan Yunis. Soon, Israeli soldiers searched greenhouses and a facility of Khan Yunis
Municipality. They also arrested Moudsa
Hammad al-Jallad, a handicapped farmer who works in one of the
greenhouses. They took him to the nearby
“Gani Tal” settlement. During this
incursion, Israeli heavy military vehicles damaged a 2-donum area of
agricultural land planted with vegetables and its irrigation network, owned by
Ahmed Nabil al-Agha.

 

Late at night, 9
Palestinians, including a 14-year-old child, were killed and 20 civilians were
wounded when Israeli occupying forces invaded the eastern residential areas in
Gaza City.  According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 23:30 on
Monday, 23 September 2002, more than 90 Israeli heavy military vehicles,
covered by intense shelling and supported by combat helicopters, invaded
al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the eastern part of Gaza City.  They moved
into the neighborhood up to the main road, Salah al-Din Street, and the edge of
al-Zaytoun neighborhood in the south of the city. Besides killing 9 Palestinians,
7 of whom were civilians, and wounding 20 civilians by indiscriminate shelling,
the Israeli forces also destroyed a number of workshops and houses.

 

During the incursion an
Israeli heavy military vehicle fired two artillery shells at a 200-square-meter,
two-story uninhabited house in al-Shojaeya neighborhood owned by Fathi Rabah
Sa’id Farahat, father of Mohammed Faraht, who carried out an armed attack
against “Etsmona” settlement in the southern Gaza Strip on 7 March
2002.  Farahat and a number of settlers were killed in the attack. 
The house was partially destroyed. In a previous retaliatory operation
following the armed attack carried out by Farahat, Israeli occupying forces
invaded Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, on 8 March 2002, killing 16
Palestinians, mostly civilians, and wounding dozens. 

 

During this latest
invasion, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a number of workshops, including a
workshop for agricultural tools maintenance owned by Ahmed Hassan Maqat. 
An adjacent workshop was severely damaged. PCHR’s field officers also reports
that dozens of houses were severely damaged.  Israeli heavy military
vehicles destroyed walls of a number of houses while moving into narrow alleys
in al-Shojaeya neighborhood.  Electricity, water, telephone and sewage
networks in the neighborhood were also
destroyed.      

 

According to medical
sources at Shifa Hospital in Gaza, those killed were:

 

1.Walid
Hisham al-Mughanni, 14;

2.Eihab Hisham al-Mughanni, 21;

3.Nidal Isma’il al-Sarsak, 27;

4.Ashraf
Salim Zowayed, 25;

5.’Aadel
‘Atallah al-Dhib, 32;

6.Khaled
‘Aatallah al-Dib, 34;

7.Jaber
‘Abdulah al-Harazin, 40;

8.Mohammed
Mahmoud Kashku, 45; and

9.Yassin
Nayef Nassar, 50. 

 

* A number of houses were severely damaged by the
Israeli shelling:

 

1. Two artillery shells hit a
200-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 persons live, owned by Fathi
Rabah Sa’id Farahat, severely damaging it and destroying its western façade.

2. An artillery shell hit a
150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 persons live, owned by Nizar
Hammad Dhib Farahat, severely damaging it. 

3. An artillery shell hit a
250-square-meter, two-story house, the first floor of which serves as a store
of clothes, owned by Salim Ahmed Hajjaj. The store was burnt.

4. An artillery shell hit a
170-square-meter, two-story house, the first floor of which serves as a
kindergarten, owned by Jamal ‘Abdullah Isma’il Shehada. The first floor was damaged and furniture of
the kindergarten was destroyed. Israeli
forces also raided and searched the house.

5. An artillery shell hit a
150-square-meter, four-story house, in which five families comprised of 30
persons live, owned by Rashad Rajab Mohammed Shahin. The fence of the house was severely damaged. The house was also hit by many live
bullets. 

 

Israeli tanks and armored military bulldozers also
destroyed external walls of a number of houses while moving into narrow alleys:

 

 1. A 100-square-meter, iron-roofed
house, in which 7 persons live, owned by Khalil Jarabi’ Suleiman Abu ‘Azzoum.

 2. A 150-square-meter, two-story
house, in which 12 persons live, owned by Yousef Sha’ban Khalil Farahat.

 3. A 160-square-meter, two-story
house, in which 14 persons live, owned by Saleh ‘Ali Farahat.

 4. A 200-square-meter, two-story
house, in which 9 persons live, owned by ‘Eid Nemer Mohammed ‘Ouda. 

 

A number of civilian facilities were also destroyed by
Israeli forces:

 

1. Israeli forces destroyed a
600-square-meter, iron-roofed water motor maintenance workshop owned by Ahmed
Hassan Ahmed Maqat.

2. A 900-square-meter, iron-roofed
shop of car parts owned by Mohye al-Din Rabah Mohye al-Din al-Hatu, was
severely damaged as a result of the destruction of the first workshop.

3. They destroyed the fence and a
machine of a 1100-square-meter factory of truck boxes, owned by ‘Abdullah
Ibrahim Mahmoud Dallul. 

 

Wednesday, 25
September 2002

 

At approximately 09:15, Israeli occupying forces started
demolishing a number of buildings and razing areas of agricultural land in the
south of Gaza City. Two Israeli armored
military bulldozers, accompanied by a number of tanks, demolished three houses
of the family of al-Weheidi. Residents
of those houses left them about one year ago due to danger imposed on the area
by Israeli occupying forces. They also
razed areas of agricultural land and a well and demolished a grocery shop and a
bookshop. This operation continued until
the afternoon, during which:

 

1. Israeli bulldozers demolished a
140-square-meter, one-story house, in which 8 persons used to live, and two
rooms and destroyed a well, owned by Zeid Barjas al-Weheidi. 

2. They demolished a
180-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 8 persons used to live, owned
by Jazzaa’ Zeid Barjas al-Weheidi.

3. They demolished a
140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 7 persons used to live, owned
by Zuhair Zeid Barjas al-Weheidi. 

4. They demolished parts of the
fence of a 170-square-meter, two-story house, in which 7 persons used to live,
owned by Barjas Mohammed Barjas al-Weheidi. 

5. They demolished a
16-square-meter room owned by Fares Mohammed Barjas al-Weheidi.

 6. They put debris of demolished
houses near a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 10 persons live,
owned by ‘Abdul Latif Mohammed Barjas al-Weheidi. 

 7. They razed a 6-donum area of
agricultural land planted with citrus and olives owned by heirs of Mohammed
Barjas al-Weheidi.

 

The family of al-Weheidi has also three inhabited houses
in the area. Residents of those houses
face difficulties in reaching their houses. They are also subjected to danger imposed by the nearby
“Netzarim” settlement.  

 

Israeli Retaliatory Measures against Families of Wanted Palestinians and
Those Who Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli Targets

 

Thursday, 19
September 2002

 

At approximately 05:00, Israeli occupying forces moved
into Jenin refugee camp and imposed a curfew. They raided the house of Hussein Ahmed Fayed. Two floors of the three-story house had
already been demolished by Israeli occupying forces on 9 April 2002, while the
11-member family lived on the first floor. Israeli forces planted bombs in the first floor and destroyed it. The owner is father of Amjad and Mohammed
Fayed, who were killed by Israeli occupying forces on 3 April 2002, during an
invasion into the refugee camp. 

 

In the evening, Israeli occupying forces moved into
Tulkarm refugee camp. They raided the
house of Mahmoud ‘Abed Rabbu, and arrested his two sons: ‘Abdul Rahman, 29, and
Ahmed, 28. When Israeli forces withdrew
from the area, they informed the family that the two brothers would remain in
custody until their brother Tariq, wanted by those forces, surrendered. 

 

Saturday, 21
September 2002

 

At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved into Qalqilya. They surrounded the house of the family of
Anas Banan Abu ‘Olba and demolished it. Then, they demolished the house of the family of Nasser ‘Abdul Fattah
Nazzal. Two adjacent flats owned by the
family and a carpentry workshop were also severely damaged. 

 

At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved into Qabatya village, southeast
of Jenin, and imposed a curfew. They
surrounded the house of Hamza Mohammed Khalil Abu al-Rub, 35, and forced his
wife and seven children out. Then, they
demolished the 100-square-meter house. Israeli occupying forces say that Abu al-Rub is wanted by them for his
activities in the Intifada. 

 

Tuesday, 24
September 2002

 

At approximately 02:30,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved into
Beit Wazan village, west of Nablus. They
surrounded a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 10 persons used to
live, owned by ‘Abdul Rahman Mohammed Khalil Abu ‘Eisha, 48, and forced his
family out, without allowing them to save the furniture. Then, Israeli soldiers planted bombs in the
house and destroyed it. Abu ‘Eisha is
father of Safwan Abu ‘Eisha who carried out a bombing in Tel Aviv on 25 January
2002. An adjacent house owned by Mahmoud
Yousef Abu ‘Eisha was severely damaged. 

 

Wednesday, 25
September 2002

 

At approximately 05:00,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, surrounded a
200-square-meter, one-story house, in which two families comprised of 10
persons used to live, owned by Dhiab ‘Abdul Rahim Shweikiin ‘Eissi neighborhood
in Hebron. They forced the family out
and destroyed the house. Upon their
withdrawal from the area, Israeli forces arrested Shwieki’s brother Ussama, 24,
and ‘Emad, 20. Israeli occupying forces
claim that Shwieki is a member of the Islamic Jihad. He was subjected to a failed assassination
attempt carried out by Israeli occupying forces earlier this year. 

 

At approximately 06:00,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, surrounded a
170-square-meter, three-story house, in which three families comprised of 15
persons used to live, owned by Mahmoud Talab ‘Amru in Dura village near
Hebron. They forced the families out
without allowing them to evacuate their furniture and destroyed the house. Israeli occupying forces claim that one of
the owner’s sons, detained by them for several months, had carried out
resistance activities. 

 

At approximately 11:00,
Israeli occupying forces surrounded a 300-square-meter, one-story house, in
which three persons used to live, owned by ‘Abdul Khaliq Hassan al-Shathli
al-Natsha in Hebron. They forced the
family out without allowing them to evacuate their furniture and destroyed the
house. Israeli occupying forces claim
that al-Natsha, detained by them since 28 August 2002, is the leader of Hamas
in Hebron. Al-Natsha was director of the
Islamic Charitable Society.

 

Shooting at
Palestinian Civilians

 

Monday, 23 September 2002

 

At approximately 09:00,
Israeli occupying soldiers in military locations in the vicinity of “Kfar
Darom” settlement, east of Deir al-Balah, fired live ammunition,
rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at dozens of Palestinian
children who gathered approximately 400m north of the settlement and threw
stones at Israeli soldiers. During the
clashes that continued until 16:30, three Palestinian children were wounded:

 

1. Tha’er Mohammed Mansour, 14, wounded by a live bullet
in the left thigh;

2. Mohammed ‘Eissa Nassar, 15, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head; and

3. Ahmed Isma’il al-Kuurd, 16, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the forehead. 

 

 

Tuesday, 24
September 2002

 

At approximately 08:00, a
number of Palestinian school children threw stones at Israeli occupying
soldiers positioned near Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers fired at the children,
wounding 8:

 

1. Ra’ed Zaqqout, 13, wounded by a live bullet in the
back;

2. Ibrahim Abu Jasser, 16, wounded by a live bullet in
the left knee;

3. Tariq Ziad Dawas, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the
left leg;

4. Mahmoud al-Sabbagh, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the
right hand;

5. Ahmed Hatem al-Kafarna, 18, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;

6. Muhannad Abu Nahel, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the left hand;

7. Mohammed Manour Abu Mashi, 13, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the left thigh; and

8. Ibrahim Badwan, 16, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the left thigh. 

 

At approximately 16:45,
three Israeli military jeeps took position outside “Gani Tal”
settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, opposite to a number of Palestinian
children who were playing football in al-Amal neighborhood in the west of the
town. The children gathered and threw
stones at the jeeps. Immediately,
Israeli soldiers fired at the children, wounding two:

 

1. Ahmed ‘Abdul Rahman Hussein al-Majaida, 16,
critically wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen that entered the stomach;
and

2. Hassan Hisham Abbu Shammala, 16, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot. 

 

A PCHR field officer
reports that Israeli occupying forces took position outside the aforementioned
settlement opposite to areas where Palestinian children play. Clashes erupted and Israeli forces fired at
the children more than once. 

 

Wednesday, 25
September 2002

 

At approximately 09:00,
dozens of Palestinian children threw stones at Israeli soldiers in a military
location near Beit Hanoun crossing in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli soldiers fired at the children,
wounding 9:

 

1. Shadi Mohammed Abu al-Qumsan, 15, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;

2. Hussam Abu Marasa, 14, wounded by a live bullet in
the face;

3. Mohammed Mousa, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the
pelvis;

4. Mohammed Na’im al-Shinnawi, 14, wounded by two live
bullets in the right hand and leg;

5. Mohammed al-Hawajri, 12, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the left knee;

6. Yassin Abu Jalhoum, 14, wounded by a live bullet in
the left foot;

7. ‘Ali Salem, 15, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the right hand;

8. Sami al-Madhoun, 17, wounded by shrapnel from a live
bullet in the right hand; and

9. ‘Ammar ‘Edwan, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the
right arm. 

 

At the same time, dozens of
Palestinian school children from the central Gaza Strip threw stones at Israeli
occupying soldiers in military locations in the vicinity of “Kfar Darom”
settlement, east of Deir al-Balah. Israeli soldiers fired at the children wounding 4:

 

1. Hammouda Nabli Mousa al-Hamarna, 16, seriously
wounded by a live bullet in the chest;

2. Mohye al-Din Samir Matar, 17, wounded by a live
bullet in the head;

3. ‘Ali ‘Abdul Rahman al-‘Athamna, 18, wounded by a live
bullet in the right thigh; and

4. Saleh Hassan al-Ustath, 13, wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot. 

 

A
Newly Born Infant Dies Due to Obstruction of Her Evacuation to Hospital by
Israeli Occupying Force

 

On Monday morning, 23
September 2002, medical sources at al-Muhtasseb Hospital in Hebron declared
that Rawan Murad ‘Eissa Hureizat from Yatta village south of Hebron, who was
born three days earlier, died after Israeli occupying forces obstructed her
evacuation to hospital. 

 

According to information
available for PCHR, on Sunday evening, 22 September 2002, the aforementioned
infant was sick. Her family took her to
a physician at Zhaher Hospital in Yatta village. After the medical check, the physician
decided to transfer her to al-Muhtasseb Hospital in Hebron. On the following day morning, the family
began traveling to the hospital. When
they arrived at the entrance of the village, they were not able to cross
Israeli military checkpoints, and had to resort to alternative roads, which
took them much longer time. When they arrived in Hebron, Israeli occupying
forces in Abu Sneineh neighborhood denied them passage. Again they resorted to
alternative roads and were eventually able to reach hospital, but during this
long journey, the infant died. According
to medical sources at al-Muhtasseb Hospital, the infant was brought dead to
hospital at approximately 08:30 on Monday, 23 September 2002, and the
obstruction of her access to hospital prevented saving her life. 

 

*****

  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 in order to take
effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, in accordance with their obligations under Article 1, to ensure
the respect of the Convention.

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

4. Upon the ICRC to enhance its
presence, expand its activities, and intensify its field observations
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”

-fa&:r 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”