Israeli Forces Escalate Crimes in
the OPTs
· 19
Palestinians, 15 of them civilians, including 5 children, were killed by
Israeli forces
· One
of the victims killed by Israeli forces in extra-judicial assassination in
Qalqilya
· Israeli
forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip
· Houses
were raided and dozens of Palestinians were arrested
· Israeli
forces continued to shell Palestinian residential areas injuring a number of
Palestinian civilians
· Construction
of the “Annexation wall” in the West Bank continued and more areas of
Palestinian land seized
· Israeli
occupying forces continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs; Rafah Terminal was
partially reopened, however Palestinians between the ages of 15-35 have been
prohibited from traveling abroad and a number of Palestinians were arrested at
Israeli military checkpoints
Rafah Incursion:
· 10
Palestinians, including 2 children, killed by Israeli forces
· 255
houses destroyed and hundreds of Palestinian civilians made homeless
· At
least 700 donums[1]
of agricultural land were razed, and some civilian properties and the civilian
infrastructure destroyed
Introduction
Israeli occupying forces have escalated violations of
human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories (OPTs). This week, 19 Palestinians, 15 of whom are civilians,
including 5 children, were killed by Israeli forces. Israeli occupying forces continued their full-scale
offensive on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Human rights violations perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces also included
willful and extra-judicial killings, incursions into Palestinian areas,
indiscriminate shelling and house demolitions. Israeli occupying forces
have also continued construction of the “Annexation Wall” inside the West Bank
and continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs.
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued their
full scale offensive on the city of Rafah and Rafah refugee camp. This week, Israeli troops killed 10 Palestinians,
including 6 civilians. Two of the
victims were 3-year-old children; one of whom died from a heart attack due to
extreme fear and the other one was killed by an Israeli sniper. Israeli forces destroyed 142 houses
completely and 103 partially, 22 shops, a number of civilian facilities and the
civilian infrastructure of these areas.
Israeli forces started their offensive on Rafah on 13
May 2004 and withdrew on 15 May 2004. However, they relaunched a full scale offensive on the town and refugee
camp on 17 May 2004. This offensive
continued for one week and left large destruction. The outcome of the Israeli military campaign
against Rafah in the period of 13 – 24 May 2004 was:
– 56
Palestinians, 45 of whom are civilians, including 10 children, were killed and
at least 200 others were injured.
– 220
houses were completely destroyed and 140 others were partially destroyed,
leaving 4847 people (821 families) homeless.
– 220
of these houses were destroyed in al-Brazil and al-Salam neighborhoods, 9 in Um
al-Nasser village, north of Rafah, 15 in Qeshta and al-Sha’er neighborhoods and
128 in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood.
– At
least 700 donums of agricultural land were razed, and 46 shops, several
civilian facilities, including a mosque and cemeteries, and the civilian
infrastructure were destroyed.
The declared goal of this operation, according to the
Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz and the Israeli military Chief of Staff
Moshe Yalon, was to destroy 600 Palestinian houses along the Egyptian border,
south of Rafah. However, when the
Israeli High Court issued a temporary injunction stopping this destruction, in
response to a petition submitted to PCHR on 14 May 2004 (later to be rejected
by the court) Yalon claimed that the goal of the operation would be to search
for Palestinian activists and the destruction of tunnels. Investigations conducted by PCHR refute these
claims and suggested that the real goal was retaliation against Palestinian
civilians and the creation of a buffer zone along the Egyptian border according
to Israeli set plans. The following data
gives evidence to this:
– 30
out of the 41 Palestinians who were killed during this operation were
civilians, including 9 children. They
were willfully killed, and most of the children were killed while at their homes. Eight of the victims were killed when Israeli
troops fired a missile at a peaceful demonstration. Israeli military officials stated that the
goal of this attack was to disperse the demonstrators.
– Tal
al-Sultan neighborhood is located at least 1 kilometer away from the Egyptian
border, the distance of which disallows for the possibility of the existence of
tunnels. Israeli troops also arrested a
number of civilians and members of the resistance. In 2 days, Israeli troops killed 22
Palestinians in the neighborhood, mostly civilians, and injured 40 others.
– In
al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhoods, Israeli troops demolished houses which
are at least 700 meters away from the border, and Israeli troops created roads
for their military vehicles through the destruction of these houses. The high number of the houses that were
destroyed and the destruction incurred to the civilian infrastructure reflect a
determined intention to cause forcible migration of Palestinian civilians and
create a wide buffer zone.
– Israeli
military officials claimed that the construction of the “Annexation Wall”
inside the West Bank was to achieve security, similar to the wall constructed
along the Egyptian border, however they were targeting homes that were far away
from the border.
This week, 6 other Palestinian civilians, including a
child, were killed. Four of the victims
died from previous injuries they had sustained by Israeli forces. In addition, Israeli forces razed at least
100 donums of Palestinian agricultural land.
In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces launched a
series of attacks against Palestinian civilians, killing 3 of them, including 2
children. The two children were killed
as Israeli troops used excessive force against civilian demonstrations. On 20 May 2004, one Palestinian was killed in
an extra-judicial assassination perpetrated by an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces. A number of other
civilians were also injured. Israeli
troops also arrested dozens of Palestinians throughout the West Bank.
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction
of the “Annexation Wall” inside the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem. They razed more areas of Palestinian land and
began constructing some sections of the wall around Jerusalem. Israeli occupying authorities also issued a
military order seizing 484 donums of Palestinian land in Hebron for the purpose
of wall construction.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
tightened siege on the OPTs and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces have
continued to close all border crossings and imposed severe restrictions on the
movement of Palestinian civilians inside the Gaza Strip, especially in the
areas located near Israeli settlements and military posts. In the West
Bank, Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a strict siege on
Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli forces have also continued
to prohibit Palestinians who are under 45 from praying at al-Aqsa Mosque in
Jerusalem, and have isolated the city from the rest of the West Bank.
Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas
and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property
Israeli Offensive on Rafah
This week, Israeli occupying forces continued their
offensive on Rafah town and refugee camp. On Wednesday evening, 19 May 2004, they expanded their incursions into
the town to include al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhoods, adjacent to the
Egyptian border south of the town. The
Israeli offensive on the town had started on 17 May 2004, when Israeli troops
moved into Tal al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of the town, which had been
isolated from other areas in the Gaza Strip. Israeli troops withdrew from the town after having killed 41
Palestinians, injured 100 others, demolished dozens of houses and civilians
properties and largely destroyed the civilian infrastructure. This report will cover the incidents that
took place in Rafah between Thursday, 20 May 2004, and Tuesday, 25 May 2004,
when Israeli troops finally withdrew from the town.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 22:30 on Wednesday, 19 May 2004, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced by helicopters, moved into al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhoods in
the south of Rafah. Under the cover of
intense shelling, they raided and searched a number of Palestinian houses.
At approximately 01:00 on Thursday, 20 May 2004, an
Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile at 2 Palestinian civilians near the
eastern cemetery of the town in al-Salam neighborhood and instantly killed
them. Residents of the neighborhood
found their remains at approximately 05:30. The victims were identified as:
1. Mahmoud Najib al-Akhras, 18; and
2. Wa’el Mohammed Abu Jazar, 18.
At approximately 01:30 on Thursday, an Israeli
helicopter gunship fired a missile at a number of Palestinian resistance
members in al-Brazil neighborhood. Three
members of the resistance were instantly killed and two others were
injured. Israeli troops fired at the
ambulances that attempted to evacuate the victims to the hospital. The victims were identified as:
1. Mahmoud Fathi D’ib, 22;
2. Yousef Mahmoud al-Mughari, 21; and
3. Hamed Yassin Bahloul, 18.
Israeli occupying forces initiated a wide campaign of
house demolitions without allowing residents of the homes to vacate any of
their belongings. Walls of one of the
houses collapsed over its residents injuring a woman and a child. Due to the intense Israeli shelling against
the area, 3-year-old Tamer Younis al-‘Arja died from a heart attack induced by
extreme fear.
At approximately 10:30 on the same day, as Israeli
bulldozers started to demolish Ziad Hassan’s house in al-Brazil neighborhood,
he exited his home holding a white flag asking Israeli troops to allow him and
his family to leave the house. Israeli
troops agreed, but when he and his family got out of the house, Israeli troops
fired at them. Hassan’s wife and 3
children were injured. An ambulance of
the Palestinian Ministry of Health came to the area to evacuate the injured. A number of Israeli tanks surrounded the
ambulance and put sand and ruins of destroyed house over it. The driver and two paramedics remained in the
ambulance until 14:45, when Israeli forces finally allowed the ambulance to
leave the area without evacuating any of the injured.
At approximately 11:00, an Israeli sniper positioned
in the roof of a house seized by Israeli troops in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood
fired at Jamal ‘Awad al-‘Assar, 39, who was in his house’s balcony asking his
neighbors for drinking water. He was
instantly killed by a live bullet in the head.
As a result of the Israeli shelling on Thursday, 5
Palestinian civilians were injured. One
of them, Mohammed Ibrahim Jaber, 27, died from his injury by a live bullet to
the pelvis.
On Friday morning, 21 May 2004, Israeli occupying
forces were redeployed around Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. They withdrew from the neighborhood, but then
surrounded it. A number of Israeli
soldiers positioned atop of a number of buildings at the entrances to the
neighborhood and fired at passing Palestinian civilians. Ya’qoub Ishaq ‘Othman, 56, was wounded by a
live bullet in the left foot.
At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces began
to raze large areas of Palestinian agricultural land between Tal al-Sultan
neighborhood and Zo’rob square. These
actions continued until Saturday evening, during which Israeli military
bulldozers razed 298 donums of agricultural land belonging to the families of
Dahliz, Zo’rob, Buraika, Fouju, Abu Zuhri, Hijazi and Abu ‘Oqla, and also destroyed
an animal farm. They also partially
demolished a house, in which 117 people (2 families) live.
During their incursion into Tal al-Sultan
neighborhood, Israeli occupying forces largely destroyed the civilian
infrastructure of the neighborhood. They
also demolished 10 houses completely and severely damaged 117 others, rendering
them uninhabitable. According to PCHR’s
investigations, 1917 people (308 families) live in these houses. Israeli troops also destroyed 11 shops and 11
civilian cars and severely damaged a number of schools, a mosque, a clinic and
a public service association. According
to eyewitnesses, during house raids, Israeli troops stole large amounts of
money, some jewels and some electric sets. They also terrified children. Israeli troops withdrew completely from the
neighborhood on Monday morning, 24 May 2004.
In al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhoods, Israeli
troops moved back towards the Egyptian border, but did not completely
withdraw. They continued to fire at the
two neighborhoods, injuring 5 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children.
At approximately 01:30 on Saturday, 22 May 2004,
Israeli troops, which were still in al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhoods opened
fire at the two neighborhoods and neighboring residential areas. A Palestinian woman, Tahreer Mohammed al-‘Ennabi,
19, was wounded by a heavy caliber bullet in the abdomen, when she was in her
kitchen, approximately 700 meters away from the source of fire. At approximately 10:30, while Peter Hansen,
UNRWA Commissioner General was visiting al-Salam and al-Brazil neighborhood to
check the destruction incurred to the two areas, Israeli troops opened fire at
the two areas. Rawan Mohammed Abu Zaid,
3, was killed by 2 live bullets in the head and the neck, when she was near her
house in al-Brazil neighborhood.
On Saturday afternoon, more Israeli military
reinforcements were brought to Salah al-Din Street, which links between Rafah
and other areas in the Gaza Strip, which had been closed since 17 May
2004. In his testimony to PCHR, ‘Arafat
Mansour Abu Halawa said that Israeli troops raided his house, forced his family
out and transformed the house into a military site. Israeli troops also destroyed electricity
towers and water networks in the area. Israeli troops also razed 311 donums of Palestinian agricultural land
along Salah al-Din Street. They also
demolished 4 houses completely and 5 others partially, in which 79 people (11
families) lived. In addition, they
damaged the street and the building of Um al-Nasser local council and destroyed
a civilian car. They reopened Salah
al-Din Street on Monday morning, 24 May 2004. During their withdrawal from the area, Israeli troops razed 120 donums
of agricultural land and demolished an under-construction house in the
southeast of Rafah.
On Monday morning, Israeli troops moved into Qeshta
and al-Sha’er neighborhoods, adjacent to the Egyptian border. Until the evening, they destroyed 5 houses
completely and 10 others partially, leaving 224 people homeless. Two Palestinian civilians were also injured
by the Israeli gunfire.
On Monday evening, 24 May 2004, Israeli
troops withdrew from al-Brazil and al-Salam neighborhoods completely, leaving
large destruction in the two areas. During this offensive, Israeli troops demolished 122 houses (in which
1468 people lived) completely and 98 others (in which 1425 people live) partially,
and largely destroyed the civilian infrastructure. Israeli troops also destroyed a zoo, 3
factories, 6 shops, 4 civilian cars, the fence of a cemetery and a
playground.
Thursday, 20 May 2004
In the early morning, Israeli
occupying forces moved into Jenin town and refugee camp and opened fire at
Palestinian houses. Israeli troops
raided dozens of Palestinian houses in Jenin. They arrested 21 Palestinian civilians, who were interrogated until the
evening and then released.
In the morning, a number of
Palestinian schoolchildren organized a demonstration in al-Fawar refugee camp,
south of Hebron, in protest against the Israeli offensive on Rafah. The children threw stones at an Israeli
military post at the northern entrance of the camp. Israeli troops fired immediately at the children. At approximately 10:20, Israeli troops moved
into the camp and chased the children. According to eyewitnesses, an Israeli soldier took position behind a
rock and fired 2 live bullets at the children from a distance of approximately
100 meters. One of the bullets hit
13-year-old Islam Mohammed Mahmoud Hassaniya in the head, and died on the way
to the hospital. According to
eyewitnesses, the children did not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli
soldiers.
At noon, a number of Palestinian
civilians gathered in the center of Hebron. They threw stones at Israeli military posts in the area. Immediately after, Israeli soldiers fired at
these civilians, wounding 3:
1. Shihab Fayez Thalji al-Zeer, 19, wounded by a live bullet
in the pelvis;
2. Tariq Mohammed ak-Ja’bari, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated
metal bullet in the abdomen; and
3. Adham Salem Taha, 17, wounded by a rubber-coated metal
bullet in the abdomen.
After Israeli occupying forces
extra-judicially assassinated Mazen Mahmoud Ibrahim Yassin, 42, in Qalqilya
(see below), a number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones at
Israeli troops in the east of the town. Immediately, Israeli troops fired at the children wounding 4:
1. Mohammed Mazen Ghazzawi, 17, seriously wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
2. Mohammed ‘Adnan ‘Enaya, 13, wounded by 2 live bullets in
the left leg;
3. Salah Ahmed Shuraim, 10, wounded by a live bullet in the
left thigh; and
4. Shadi Mohammed Yassin, 13, wounded by a live bullet in
the left shoulder.
Israeli troops also arrested 6
Palestinians in the town:
1. Bahjat Fahmi Yousef Yamin, 27;
2. ‘Omar Bassm ‘Ali Diab, 22;
3. ‘Adnaan Mahmoud Ibrahim Yassin, 55;
4. “Mohammed Ghazi” Isma’il Abu
Haniya, 40;
5. Saman Hassan ‘Abdul Rahim Zaid, 15; and
6. ‘Abdul Rahim Hassan ‘Abdul Rahim Zaid,
26.
At approximately 16:30, an infantry unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 200 meters into al-Qarara village to the
south of the “Kissufim” settler road, northeast of Khan Yunis. They raided and searched Jaber Zayed
al-‘Emawi’s house. They arrested the
owner and his son Tamer, 20, for 4 hours. The two were interrogated in a neighboring Israeli military post.
At approximately 20:30, medical sources at Kamal
‘Edwan Hospital in the northern Gaza Strip declared that Eyad Mohammed ‘Afana,
13, from al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, died from an injury he had
sustained during the Israeli offensive on the neighborhood on 11 May 2004. ‘Afana was hit by a live bullet to the
head. Thus, the number of Palestinians
killed as a result of the Israeli offensive on al-Zaytoun neighborhood has
mounted to 17.
Friday, 21 May2004
In the early morning, Israeli occupying forces moved
into Housan village near Bethlehem and into Nablus and Qalqilya. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 5 Palestinians:
1. Shadi Mohammed Hamamra, 19, from Housan
village;
2. Robin Khalil Qatouni, 28, from Nablus;
3. Mohammed Hashem Khader, 30, from
Qalqilya;
4. Mahmoud Mohammed Jo’aidi, 35; and
5. Bashir Sa’id Noufal, 33, from
Qalqilya.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli troops surrounded 3
Palestinian houses owned by Salim Rateb Abu Haikal, Zakaria Mohammed al-Bakri
and Mohammed Tayseer Abu ‘Eisha in Tal Rumaida neighborhood in the center of
Hebron. They replaced the locks of the
doors of these houses with new locks and kept the keys. Residents of these houses have not been able
to get out of their houses without permission from Israeli troops.
Also at approximately 06:00, medical sources at
Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis declared that Ahmed Saleh Abu Siam, 45, from
Rafah refugee camp, died from an injury he sustained on 15 May 2004. Abu Siam was hit by a live bullet in the
abdomen when Israeli troops opened fire at Palestinian civilians who went to
Block O in Rafah refugee camp to check the damage caused by the Israeli
military incursion into the area.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli troops moved
approximately 200 meters into Gizan al-Najjar area in the south of Khan
Yunis. They razed a 4-donum area of
agricultural land planted with olives, they destroyed a greenhouse and
irrigation networks belonging to the Sha’at family. They also damaged a road linking homes and
agricultural land in the area.
At approximately 15:00, Israeli soldiers in a
military jeep patrolling on Nablus-Qalqilya road fired, for no apparent reason,
at Kamal ‘Abdul Qader Yamin, 22, from Jeet village, east of Qalqilya, when he
exited his brother’s house in the area. He was wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh. According to his family, he suffers from a
psychological disorder.
At approximately 19:50, Israeli troops positioned in
military posts in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of
Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian residential area in the town. A Palestinian civilian, Ahmed Rajeh Abu
al-‘Arraj, 19, was wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen.
At approximately 20:15, medical sources at al-Quds
Hospital of Palestine Red Crescent Society in Gaza City declared that Hussein
Ibrahim al-Lada’a, 18, from al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City died from an
injury he sustained by Israeli troops on 12 May 2004. Al-Lada’a was hit by a live bullet in the
head during the Israeli offensive on al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City on 11
and 12 May 2004.
Saturday, 22 May 2004
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Tulkarm refugee camp in the northern West Bank. They opened fire at Palestinian houses,
injuring 18-year-old Samir Yassin Duraiban with shrapnel in the left leg.
Also in the morning, Mohammed Sami al-Hams, 18, from
Rafah refugee camp, died from an injury he had sustained on 1 October
2000. According to PCHR’s documentation,
al-Hams was wounded by a live bullet in the head when Israeli troops positioned
near Salah al-Din Gate on the Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at a
number of Palestinian children who threw stones at those troops. He was then 14 years old. He had suffered from this injury until the
time of his death.
At approximately 14:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Ya’bad village, southwest of Jenin, and imposed a curfew. They opened fire at houses and streets. A Palestinian civilian, Rabeh ‘Abdul Qader
Abu Baker, 30, was wounded by a live bullet in the hand.
Sunday, 23 May 2004
At approximately 11:00, Israeli troops burnt dozens
of olive and almond trees belonging to the heirs of Rateb Abu Haikal in Tal
Rumaida neighborhood in the center of Hebron. They prohibited fire engines and residents of the area from
extinguishing fire. They allowed fire
engines to extinguish the fire only at 14:10. By that time, 80 trees had been burnt.
At approximately 14:00, an infantry unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved to a citrus orchard owned by the Shuraim family at
Far’oun – Tulkarm road, south of Tulkarm. They opened fire at the orchard. A Palestinian farmer, Fadi Salem Ghazzawi, 27, from Deir al-Ghosoun
village, north of Tulkarm, was wounded by a live bullet in the back.
At approximately 16:40, Israeli troops positioned in
“al-Nouria” military post, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at
Palestinian houses in al-Amal neighborhood to the east. A Palestinian woman, Amal Noufal Abu
Shammala, 38, was injured by shrapnel from a live bullet in the left hand.
At approximately 20:20, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Dura village, southwest of Hebron. They opened fire at Palestinian houses. A Palestinian child, Malak Hassan ‘Amru, 15, was wounded by a
rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. Israeli troops raided a workshop for maintenance of electric sets and
arrested its owner, ‘Afif Salama al-‘Awawda, 32. At approximately 21:30, Israeli troops
destroyed the workshop.
Monday, 24 May 2004
At approximately 03:45, Israeli troops moved into
Jalqamous village, northeast of Jenin. They arrested Mohammed Jamil al-Haj, 24.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus. They opened fire at Palestinian houses. A number of Israeli military vehicles were positioned at the entrances
of the camp, and a number of Israeli soldiers were positioned atop of a number
of houses that overlook the center of the camp. A number of Palestinian children gathered in the center of the camp and
threw stones at Israeli troops. Immediately, Israeli troops opened fire at the children. Hamza Asa’ad Hussein al-Bourini, 15, was
wounded by 2 live bullets in the right knee and leg. A number of civilian hurried to offer help,
but Israeli soldiers positioned on top of houses fired at them. Israeli troops positioned at the entrances of
the camp also prohibited ambulances from entering the camp for about 2
hours. By the time ambulances were
allowed to reach al-Bourini, he was dead. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli troops in a military jeep fired at
al-Bourini from a distance of approximately 70 meters. In addition, 2 passing civilians, including a
child, were wounded:
1. ‘Abed
Samih ‘Abed Daoud, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the back and the right leg; and
2. Kata’eb
Hussam Abu Mustafa, 11, wounded by a live bullet in the left hand.
Tuesday, 25 May 2004
In the early morning, Israeli occupying forces moved
into Jenin and the villages of al-Khader, Beit Fajjar and Housan in Bethlehem
district, and al-Zahiriya and al-Hariya villages in Hebron district. They raided and searched a number of houses
and arrested 12 Palestinian civilians (PCHR has a list of their names).
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved approximately 500 meters into Palestinian areas located to the west of a
settler road linking between al-Mentar (Karni) crossing and al-Shuhada
junction, south of Gaza City. They razed
95 donums of Palestinian agricultural land, demolished a house and destroyed 3
wells belonging to the families of Badawi, Abu Daf, al-Dahdouh, ‘Ayad, ‘Aashour
and Dalloul.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli occupying forces
raided a bakery in the center of al-Am village, north of Jerusalem. They arrested 5 Palestinian workers:
1. Amin ‘Awad Sarkaji, 23;
2. Mahmoud ‘Awad Sarkaji, 24;
3. ‘Alaa’ Yousef Ma’rouf, 24;
4. Muhannad ‘Abed Ma’rouf, 26; and
5. Mo’ammar Mohammed Ma’rouf, 23.
They are all from ‘Ein Beit al-Maa’ refugee camp,
west of Nablus.
Wednesday, 26 May 2004
At approximately 00:00, Israeli troops positioned at
the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis, opened fire at
Palestinian areas to the west. A few
hours later, they moved to the west and razed 12 donums of Palestinian
agricultural land. At approximately
16:00, the Israeli military liaison informed the Palestinian liaison that
Israeli troops had killed a person who was close to a security zone, and
demanded that an ambulance come and evacuate his body. Immediately, a Palestinian ambulance went to
the area. At approximately 18:00, the
medical crew found the body about 500 meters to the west of the border. The victim was hit by several live bullets
throughout the body. He was identified
as ‘Emad Khalil Mohammed Abu ‘Eid, 21, from ‘Abasan village, east of Khan
Yunis. According to his family, he was
suffering from psychological and health problems and had been away from home
since Tuesday morning, 25 May 2004.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli troops moved into
Nablus. They raided an
under-construction building of the Municipality of Nablus and took position
inside. They fired at passing
Palestinian civilians, wounding 2:
1. Mo’men ‘Abdul Qader al-Masri, wounded
by shrapnel in the abdomen; and
2. Mohammed Mas’oud Mehiar, 11, wounded by
a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.
In the morning, Israeli occupying forces moved into
Tulkarm refugee camp. They opened fire
at Palestinian houses. Two Palestinian
civilians were injured:
1. Ahmed Mahmoud Ghanem, 13, injured by
shrapnel in the abdomen; and
2. Haitham Khalil Ghanem, 19, injured by
shrapnel in the legs.
In the evening, Israeli occupying forces killed a
Palestinian civilian in Rafah when they opened fire at residential areas in the
town. In his testimony to PCHR on the
incident, the victim’s cousin said:
“At approximately 17:30 on Wednesday, 26 May
2004, I was sitting with my cousin, Mohammed Mahmoud Hamdan Zo’rob, 42, near my
house, approximately 1200 meters away from an Israeli military post in Tal
Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah. I
heard the sound of a live bullet coming from the aforementioned military
location. Then, another live bullet hit
Mohammed in the chest. He fell
motionless. Three other live bullets
were also fired. I called my bothers and
relatives and we carried Mohammed to a civilian car. Soon, an ambulance arrived at the area and
transferred him to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, but all medical
efforts made to save his life failed.”
Extra-Judicial Assassination
In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial
assassination officially adopted by the Israeli political and military
establishments, on Thursday, 20 May 2004, Israeli occupying forces killed Mazen
Mahmoud Ibrahim Yassin, 42, from Qalqilya. He was a member of Ezziddin al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of
Hamas movement, allegedly wanted by these forces. Israeli military sources claimed that he was
armed and was killed when Israeli troops were arresting a number of Palestinian
activists.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at
approximately 11:30 on Thursday, 20 May 2004, an undercover unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved into the eastern quarter of Qalqilya. Israeli soldiers surrounded an area of
agricultural land owned by Mazen Mahmoud Ibrahim Yassin and his brothers. When Yassin discovered the presence of
Israeli soldiers in the area, he attempted to escape from a room, which he had
used to hide in since the beginning of the current Intifada. However, Israeli soldiers immediately fired
at him. Soon, more Israeli troops
arrived at the area and closed it for about 3 hours. An ambulance from the Palestine Red Crescent
Society attempted to reach Yassin, but Israeli troops prevented it. Yassin bled to death. When Israeli troops withdrew from the area,
his body was transferred to a hospital in Qalqilya. According to medical sources, he was hit by 2
live bullets in the chest and the abdomen.
Continued Siege on the
OPT
This week, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPTs and imposed severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the
West Bank, including Jerusalem.
Gaza Strip
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
tightened siege on the Gaza Strip. For
the 8th consecutive week, Israeli occupying forces have continued to
close all border crossings into the Gaza Strip. On Sunday, 23 May 2004,
Israeli forces reopened Rafah Terminal, but imposed restrictions on
travel. Israeli forces imposed
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians at Abu Houli and
al-Matahen checkpoints to the north of Khan Yunis. They also imposed similar restrictions at all
entrances to Palestinian areas located near Israeli settlements and prevented
Palestinian civilians from moving freely. 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.
On Saturday, 22 May 2004, Israeli troops held and
searched dozens of Palestinian vehicles in between. They arrested one Palestinian.
For the 8th consecutive week, Israeli
occupying forces have continued to close border crossings between the Gaza
Strip and Israel, denying access of thousands of Palestinian workers to their
work places in Israel. On Sunday, 23 May
2004, they reopened the Erez industrial zone for owners of factories who are
over 30 years old, under severe restrictions.
In violation of the right of health, for two weeks,
Israeli occupying forces have imposed restrictions on access of Palestinian
patients from the Gaza Strip to hospitals in Israel and the West Bank to
receive medical care. They have also
denied entry of medicines into the Gaza Strip.
Israeli occupying forces have imposed more
restrictions at Rafah Terminal, the only outlet of the Gaza Strip to the
outside world since the beginning of the current Intifada. Hundreds of Palestinian civilians wishing to
travel back to the Gaza Strip have been forced to wait at the Egyptian side of
the terminal under severe conditions. Since
18 April 2004, Israeli occupying forces have continued to prohibit Palestinians
between the ages of 16 and 35 from traveling through Rafah Terminal on the
Egyptian border.
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip. They have
continued to close Tal al-Sultan checkpoint at the entrance to the area in
Rafah and impose restrictions on movement of Palestinian civilians through
al-Tuffah checkpoint at the entrance to the area in Khan Yunis. Israeli
troops reopened al-Tuffah checkpoint, but did not allow Palestinians whose ages
are between 16 and 30 from crossing.
Israeli forces have also continued to impose a
tightened siege on al-Sayafa area in the northern Gaza Strip. In
the same context, Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose severe
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians living in al-Ma’ni area
near “Kfar Darom” settlement in the central Gaza Strip.
The West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a
strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of
Palestinian civilians. They imposed
curfews on a number of villages.
Jerusalem
Israeli occupying forces imposed more restrictions at
military checkpoints erected around the city. According to eyewitnesses, on Saturday, 22 May 2004, Israeli troops
positioned at Dahiat al-Barid checkpoint at the northern entrance to the city
stopped 2 Palestinian trucks and forced their 6 passengers out. Israeli troops beat, handcuffed, blindfolded
the six Palestinians and arrested them. For the 8th consecutive week, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to prohibit access of Palestinians who are under 45 to al-Aqsa Mosque
in the old town for the Friday prayers. Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza Strip have been also denied
access to the city without permits.
Bethlehem
On Sunday morning, 23 May 2004, Israeli occupying
forces closed all entrances to the town. According to eyewitnesses, Israeli
troops imposed more restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in
the villages located to the east of the town.
Hebron
Israeli occupying forces imposed more restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected more checkpoints around the city. Since Tuesday, 25 May 2004, Israeli troops
have imposed a curfew on al-Fahes, Tal’at Abu Hadid and al-Salaima
neighborhoods in the old town.
Nablus
Israeli occupying forces imposed more restrictions on
the movement of Palestinian civilians. They closed all checkpoints around the city. They have continued to prevent Palestinians,
who are under 35, from crossing military checkpoints erected around the
city.
On Thursday evening, 20 May 2004, Israeli troops
positioned at Hawara checkpoint, south of the city, arrested Mo’taz al-Teriaqi,
25.
Tulkarm
This week, Israeli occupying forces imposed more
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians. They erected a number of temporary
checkpoints around the town. They
stopped Palestinian vehicles and checked passengers.
On Saturday morning, 22 May 2004, Israeli troops
erected a sudden checkpoint at Bala’a junction, east of the town. They stopped and searched dozens of
Palestinian vehicles. They arrested
Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahim ‘Azzam, 24, from ‘Anabta village.
On Saturday afternoon, 22 May 2004, Israeli occupying
forces erected a number of checkpoints on the roads leading to the northern and
middle Jordan Valley. They also declared
al-Hamra area a closed military zone.
On Monday afternoon, 24 May 2004, Israeli troops
erected a sudden roadblock on the road leading to al-Mazra’a al-Gharbia
village, west of Ramallah. They arrested
Rateb Dirar Qatish, 25.
Continued Construction of the Annexation Wall in the
West Bank
Israeli occupying forces have continued construction
of the annexation wall inside the West Bank, especially around Jerusalem.
This week, Israeli occupying forces started to
construct sections of the wall in the villages of Hazma and ‘Anata to the north
of Jerusalem and Beit Hanina, Nabi Yaqoub and Dhaiat al-Barid neighborhoods and
al-Ram village north of the city. They
razed more areas of Palestinian land for this purpose. According to owners of these areas of land,
Israeli occupying authorities amended the maps of the wall in the area and
changed its course, but they have not been officially informed about these
changes.
In the meantime, Israeli occupying forces have
continued to construct a section of the wall between Dahiat al-Barid checkpoint,
north of Jerusalem, and Qalandya checkpoint, south of Ramallah. This section of the wall passes to the west
of Dahiat al-Barid neighborhood and al-Ram village and will isolate them from
the western parts of Jerusalem. Another
section of the wall will separate between Nabi Ya’qoub neighborhood and Dahiat
al-Barid neighborhood, which will effectively isolate the northern parts of the
city from their surroundings.
In media interviews, Khalil Tofakji, a Palestinian
cartographer, stated that Israeli occupying forces prepared the final plans to
construct a section of the wall along the road between Dahiat al-Barid
checkpoint in the south and Qalandya checkpoint in the north. According to the maps of this section,
residents of Dahiat al-Barid neighborhood and al-Ram village will be able to
enter and exit their areas only through Qalandya checkpoint. The construction of this section of the wall
will effectively isolate nearly 40,000 Palestinians from both the West Bank and
Jerusalem. PCHR has reported on the
construction of this section of the wall in previous reports. Israeli occupying forces had already
constructed a section of the wall separating the areas of Qalandya, Kufor ‘Aqab
and Samiramis and Jerusalem.
In the same context, Israeli sources stated that 52
kilometers of the annexation wall around East Jerusalem have not been
completed. In a statement published in
an Israeli newspaper, Amos Yaron, Director General of the Israeli Defense
Ministry, said that the petitions submitted by Palestinians against the
construction of the wall would delay the construction of some sections of the
wall around Jerusalem for at least 6 months. He added that the Israeli High Court had stopped the construction of the
sections of the wall: between the villages of Beit Diqqu and Qutna, about 15
kilometers; Qutna-Beit Luqia section, about 16 kilometers; Kharbtha, Na’lin,
al-Media and Bodru section, about 12 kilometers; other sections around
Jerusalem, about 7.5 kilometers; and the section by Rachels Tomb at the
northern entrance to Bethlehem, about 2 kilometers.
On Monday morning, 24 May 2004, Israeli occupying
authorities issued a military order seizing large areas of Palestinian land in
the villages of Beit ‘Awa, Sikka and al-Majd, west of Jerusalem, for the
purpose of the construction of the wall.
*****
Recommendations
to the International Community
1. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their legal and moral
obligations under article 1 of the Convention to ensure Israel’s respect for
the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. PCHR believes the failure to comply with
article 1 obligations encourages Israel to act as if it was a state above the law
and continue to violate international human rights and humanitarian law.
2. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to convene a conference to take
effective steps to ensure Israel’s respect of the Convention in the OPTs and to
provide immediate protection for Palestinian civilians.
3. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with its legal obligations
detailed in article 146 of the Convention to search for and prosecute those
responsible for grave breaches, namely war crimes.
4. PCHR recommends international civil
society organizations, including human rights organizations, bar associations,
NGOs and human rights organizations to participate in the process of searching
for Israeli war criminals and to urge their governments to bring these war
criminals to justice.
5. PCHR calls upon the European Union to
activate article 2 of the Euro-Israel Association Agreement, which provides
that Israel must respect human rights as a precondition for economic
cooperation between the EU states and Israel. PCHR further calls upon the EU states to prohibit import of goods
produced in illegal Israeli settlements in the OPTs.
6. PCHR calls upon European governments to
change their positions towards the Palestinian cause at UN bodies, particularly
the General Assembly, Security Council and Commission on Human Rights.
7. PCHR welcomes the UN General Assembly
resolution, which referred the issue of the Separation Wall inside the OPTs to
International Court of Justice to give a consultative opinion. It is anticipated that the court will
adjudicate against the legality of the wall. PCHR requests that the
international community ensure implementation of the court decision.
8. In recognition of the ICRC as the
guardian of the Fourth Geneva Convention, PCHR calls upon the ICRC to increase
its staff and activities in the OPTs, including for facilitating family
visitations to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
9. PCHR appreciates the efforts of
international civil society, including human rights organizations, bar
associations, unions and solidarity groups, and urges them to continue their
role in pressuring their governments to secure Israel’s respect for human
rights in the OPTs and to end its attacks on Palestinian civilians.
10. In
light of the severe restrictions imposed by the Israeli government and its
occupying forces on access of international solidarity groups to the OPTs, PCHR
calls upon European countries to deal the same way with Israeli citizens.
11. PCHR
reiterates that any political settlement not based on international human
rights law and humanitarian law cannot lead to a peaceful and just solution of
the Palestinian question. Rather, such an arrangement can only lead to further
suffering and instability in the region. Any peace agreement or process must be
based on respect for international law, including international human rights
and humanitarian law.
“END”
Public
Document
**************************************
For more
information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 –
2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail:pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
