The International Community Remains
Silent While the Israeli Human Rights Violations Continue in the OPTs
Introduction
This week, Israeli occupying forces escalated their
illegal military actions against Palestinian civilians and property, using
various kinds of weapons. They invaded
Palestinian areas and destroyed private and public property, while
they have maintained full control over many Palestinian areas in the West Bank
for several weeks.
Israeli
occupying forces have perpetrated more illegal actions and human rights
violations against Palestinian civilians, including willful killings, shelling
of and incursions into Palestinian areas, house demolitions, and agricultural
land leveling.
This week, from
23-29 January 2003, 25 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children and
a woman, were killed by Israeli forces.
On Saturday, 25 January 2003, Israeli
occupying forces killed 13 Palestinians, including 2 children, and destroyed
nearly 20 civilian facilities in al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, when
they invaded the neighborhood, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and
combat helicopters. In addition, about 40 Palestinians, mostly civilians,
were injured, 6 of them remain in a serious condition. On Friday, 24
January 2003, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into the northern Gaza
Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces, covered by intense shelling
and supported by helicopters, blocked the main road leading to the town.
They also destroyed 4 bridges that linked the town with its surroundings to
isolate it and restrict movement of Palestinian civilians. Israeli combat helicopters opened fire at a
number of Palestinian boys who were throwing stones at the Israeli
forces. A Palestinian civilian was killed and 14 Palestinians, including
9 children were wounded. Earlier on the
same day, Israeli combat helicopters launched 5 missiles, 3 of which struck a
blacksmith’s workshop in a densely populated area in Gaza City. The
workshop was totally destroyed and a number of adjacent houses were severely
damaged. A fourth missile hit a church inside al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza
City. The missile penetrated the roof of the church and caused severe
damage. The adjacent pediatric and gynecologic clinics of the hospital
were also damaged.
This week, Israeli occupying forces demolished a
number of Palestinian houses and razed large area of agricultural land in the
Gaza Strip. In Rafah, they demolished 25
houses totally and 6 others partially. On 28 and 29 January 2003, Israeli occupying forces razed approximately
400 donums of Palestinian agricultural land east of Jabalya in the northern
Gaza Strip.
In 9 cases of apparent willful killing, this week,
Israeli occupying forces and settlers killed 10 Palestinians, including a child
and a woman. Israeli forces also shelled
Palestinian residential areas, killing a child and young man in Rafah on 26
January 2003 in two separate incidents and wounding dozens of civilians.
In violation
of international law and international humanitarian law, which prohibits
collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against
families of Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israeli targets
in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and those wanted by the Israeli
forces. In this context, they destroyed 2 houses in Hebron and Gaza city.
Israeli forces have maintained the total siege
imposed on the OPTs, collectively punishing the Palestinian people. Israeli
forces have partitioned Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons,
violating Palestinian civilians’ economic, social and cultural rights.
They have also imposed curfews on several different areas. This week, Israeli occupying authorities
continued to prevent Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling abroad. The Israeli forces prevented 400 Palestinian
pilgrims from traveling to Saudi Arabia through Rafah Terminal. From 26 to 29 January 2003, Israeli occupying
forces imposed a strict comprehensive closure on the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, prohibiting movement of about 2 million Palestinians inside the
West Bank, during the Israeli elections.
The Shelling of, and Encroachment
into Palestinian Areas
Thursday, 23 January 2003
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles and two helicopters and covered by
intense shelling, moved approximately 1km into al-Rabwat area in the northwest
of Khan Yunis. Israeli heavy military
vehicles took position on Jamal ‘Abdul Nasser Street, which links Khan Yunis
and al-Qarara village, and on branch roads in the area. Israeli soldiers raided 5 Palestinian houses
of the families of al-Astal, al-Agha, Abu Mustafa and Fares. They forced residents of those houses
out. Then, they used one resident of
each house as human shields in searching the houses. Israeli forces opened fire indiscriminately in
the area and used stun grenades. They
arrested two Palestinians:
1. Ra’ouf Jawdat Zeidan al-Agha, 35; and
2. Amjad Jawdat Zeidan al-Agha, 27.
Israeli forces withdrew from the area at
approximately 05:00.
At approximately 08:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with military bulldozers, moved several meters into al-Sayafa area
in the north of Beit Lahia. They forced
the Palestinian population out of their houses and opened fire sporadically,
claiming that they were searching for a Palestinian resistance man. Approximately half an hour later, the Israeli
military bulldozers demolished two houses:
1. A
200-square-meter, two-storey house, that contained a well and in which two
families counting 9 people lived, owned by Younis ‘Oudetallah Abu Khousa; and
2. A
300-square-meter house, in which 12 people lived, owned by Fa’eq Ahmed Khudair.
They also destroyed five tin-made houses. Israeli forces searched houses and threatened
people until 13:30, when they arrested the resistance man and another
Palestinian.
At approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with 8 heavy military vehicles and covered by intense shelling,
moved approximately 200m into al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, adjacent to the
Egyptian border. Israeli soldiers raided
a 300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 6 families of 31 people
lived, owned by Samir Mustafa Mousa. They planted explosives in the house and destroyed it. Four neighboring houses were totally
destroyed and a fifth one was partially destroyed. In addition, electricity and telephone
supplies to the area were damaged and fire broke out in a shop. Two Palestinian
civilians were also wounded by the Israeli shelling:
1. Hisham Mustafa Abu Taha, 35, was
seriously wounded by two live bullets in the right arm and the abdomen; and
2. Ziad ‘Emad Fouju, 18, was wounded by
shrapnel in the head.
Following are details of the houses and the shop that
were destroyed:
1. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 4 families of 23 people
lived, owned by Jaber ‘Abdul Majid Mohammed ‘Aabed, was totally destroyed. Residents of the house evacuated it after
Israeli forces had partially destroyed it in October 2002.
2. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 5 families of 23 people
lived, owned by Hamdi ‘Ali Mahmoud ‘Omar, was totally destroyed. Residents of the house evacuated it after
Israeli forces had partially destroyed it in October 2002.
3. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 3 families of 14 people
lived, owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed al-‘Aajez. Residents of the house evacuated it after
Israeli forces had partially destroyed it in October 2002.
4. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 4 families of 14 people
lived, owned by Jaber ‘Abdul Jaber Mohammed al-Qutati, was totally
destroyed. Residents of the house
evacuated it after Israeli forces had partially destroyed it in October 2002.
5. A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which two families of 12 people
live, owned by Smahan ‘Abdul Rahman Hussein, was partially destroyed.
6. A
50-square-meter shop owned by Sufian Darwish ‘Atiya Abu Taha was totally burnt
out by a large projectile.
At night, Israeli occupying forces killed a
Palestinian civilian who was suffering from psychological problems in
al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip. According to PCHR’s investigation, at
approximately 23:00, residents of al-Maghazi refugee camp heard sounds of
shooting followed by 3 explosions coming from the eastern border of the Gaza
Strip, east of the camp. An hour earlier,
the family of Mohammed Salim Suleiman al-Musaddar, 25, had been separated from
Muhammad. When they heard the Israeli
shelling, they started searching for him. They informed the Palestinian liaison, which called its Israeli
counterparts, but received no response until the following day, when the
Israeli side said that there was a body near the border. The family and an ambulance of the
Palestinian Ministry of Health went to the area to search for the body, but
Israeli forces fired at them to drive them away from the area. On Saturday, 25 January 2003, the family and
the ambulance moved towards the area again upon coordination between the
Palestinian side and Israeli occupying forces. They found the body approximately 25m west of the border. The left leg was cut from the body, there was
a hole in the back and shrapnel of two shells were near his body. The body was evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital in
Gaza city.
Friday, 24 January 2003
At approximately 02:30, two Israeli combat
helicopters launched 5 missiles, 3 of which struck a blacksmith’s workshop near
Imam Shaf’ei School in a densely populated area in Gaza City. The
120-square-meter workshop owned by Jamal Saleh Abu Sha’ban was totally
destroyed and a number of adjacent houses were severely damaged. A fourth
missile hit Saint Philips Church (an Episcopal Evangelical Church), which is
located inside al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza City. The missile penetrated the
roof of the church and caused severe damage. The adjacent pediatric and
gynecologic clinics of the hospital were also damaged. The fifth missile
struck a house in al-Sabra neighborhood, which is owned by ‘Abdullah Sha’ban
Abu Sha’ban. The owner and his wife, who were sleeping inside the house,
managed to survive. A number of neighboring houses were damaged and
11-year-old Fatema Ya’qoub Badra was injured.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli heavy military
vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved, from the Erez crossing, in the northern
Gaza Strip, more
than 3km into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. Israeli
forces, covered by intense shelling and supported by helicopters, blocked the
main road leading to the town. At approximately 17:30, Israeli military
reinforcements were brought to the area. They blocked all roads leading
to the town, while Israeli combat helicopters fired intensively on the
town. At approximately 19:00, Israeli occupying forces planted explosives
on the main bridge leading to the town and destroyed it. By 03:00 on
Saturday, 25 January 2003, Israeli forces destroyed 3 other bridges, causing
severe damage to dozens of adjacent Palestinian houses.
Israeli combat helicopters opened fire at a number of
Palestinian boys who were throwing stones at the Israeli forces. Hassan Yousef Hassan Fayadh, 18, was killed by
several live bullets throughout the body. In addition, 14 Palestinians, including 9 children were wounded:
1. Mousa
Jamal Abu Rukba, 10, wounded by shrapnel in the left foot;
2. Mohammed
Yousef al-Kahlout, 17, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the back;
3. ‘Alaa’ Suhail al-Za’anin, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the right foot;
4. Mahmoud
Fayez ‘Eissa, 13, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot;
5. Rami
Mohammed Nasser, 26, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
6. Nour
al-Din Hassan Abu Jahal, 18, wounded by shrapnel in the right eye and the neck;
7. ‘Alaa’ Ziad Abu Jasser, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the head;
8. Mohammed
‘Abdul Raziq Abu ‘Eita, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the face and the back;
9. Mohammed
Sa’ad Hassanain, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the left leg;
10. Rami Rafiq Habboub, 22, wounded by a
live bullet in the left knee;
11. ‘Emad Khamis al-Talalqa, 18, wounded by a live bullet
in the left thigh;
12. Isma’il Mohammed Abu al-Qumbuz, 16,
wounded by shrapnel in the chest and the abdomen;
13. Sharif ‘Atiya al-Basiouni, 16, wounded
by a live bullet in the abdomen; and
14. Khairi Mohammed al-Basiouni, 20,
wounded by shrapnel in the left leg.
At approximately 14:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved
approximately 900m into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. The bulldozer completed digging a trench in
the road linking between al-Ma’arri elementary school and the western area of
the village.
At approximately 16:30, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles and covered by intense shelling, moved
approximately 200m into Block O in Rafah refugee camp in the southern Gaza
Strip. They demolished 14 Palestinian houses totally and 5 other houses
partially. In addition, 2 Palestinian civilians were wounded by the
Israeli shelling:
1.Ishaq
Fayez Abu Taha, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the left arm; and
2.Shadi
Kamel Abu Jazar, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the head.
Following are details of the houses that were
demolished:
1. A 280-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house,
in which two families of 12 people lived, owned by Rasmi al-Sayed ‘Abdul Majid
Abu Taha, was totally demolished.
2. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 8 people lived, owned by Ahmed D’iab Ahmed al-Derbi, was
totally demolished.
3. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 3 families of 14 people lived, owned by Samir Khalil ‘Othman
Abu ‘Anza, was totally demolished.
4. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 7 people lived, owned by Jamal Sa’id Ibrahim Hammad, was
totally demolished.
5. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 4 people lived, owned by Khaled Mohammed Murad Sha’at, was
totally demolished.
6. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two people lived, owned by Hamed Mohammed Murad Sha’at, was totally
demolished.
7.A
300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 3 families, comprised of 7
people, lived, owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hassan Abu Lebda, was
totally demolished.
8. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 7 people lived, owned by Ussama ‘Abdul Hakim Abu ‘Anza, was
totally demolished.
9. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 14 people lived, owned by Riadh Hassan
Hussein Abu ‘Anza, was totally demolished.
10. A 300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 15 people lived, owned by Mohammed Ahmed
Mohammed Abu Lebda, was totally demolished.
11. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 13 people lived, owned by Yousef Salem
Mahmoud Radwan, was totally demolished.
12. A 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 15 people lived, owned by ‘Abdul Fattah
‘Orabi Hassan Mansour, was totally demolished.
13. A 180-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 4 families totaling 19 people lived, owned by Mousa Salem
Mahmoud Mansour, was totally demolished.
14. A 300-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 3 families totaling 22 people lived, owned by Ahmed Sa’id
Ibrahim Hammad, was totally demolished.
15. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house,
in which two families totaling 10 people live, owned by Ahmed Sa’id Mohammed
Abu Taha, was partially demolished.
16. A 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 11 people live, owned by Mahmoud ‘Abdul Karim Mahmoud Abu Taha,
was partially demolished.
17. A 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 14 people live, owned by Mohammed Salem
Zayed ‘Abdul ‘Aal, was partially demolished.
18. A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two families totaling 8 people lived, owned by ‘Ali Sa’id
‘Abdullah Jouda, was totally demolished.
19. A 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which two people lived, owned by Ahmed Fayez Mohammed Abu Taha, was
totally demolished.
Saturday, 25 January 2003
At approximately 19:00, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Gan ‘Our” settlement,
southwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses and
agricultural land in Gizan Abu Rashwan area. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Abdul Sami’ Daoud al-Lahham, 25, was wounded by
a live bullet in the left hip, while he was near his house, approximately 400m
away from the source of fire.
At night, Israeli occupying forces killed 12
Palestinians and destroyed nearly 20 civilian facilities in al-Zaytoun
neighborhood in Gaza City, when they invaded the neighborhood, reinforced with
heavy military vehicles and combat helicopters. In addition, 40
Palestinians, mostly civilians, were injured, 6 of them remain in a serious
condition. More than 60 shops in a market in the nearby al-Shojaeya
neighborhood were also burnt by Israeli shelling.
According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately
22:20, about 40 Israeli heavy military vehicles, accompanied by military
bulldozers and covered by combat helicopters, invaded al-Zaytoun neighborhood
in the south of Gaza city from two directions: al-Shuhada junction and the
settler road between al-Shuhada junction and al-Mentar crossing, south of the
city. Israeli military vehicles and combat helicopters intensively
shelled the neighborhood. They seized complete control over the
neighborhood. Israeli soldiers deployed on to the main and branch roads
and planted explosives in a number of workshops destroying them. Two
houses located above two of these workshops were also destroyed. In addition,
15 workshops and dozens of houses were severely damaged.
During the Israeli invasion which continued until
Sunday morning, 26 January 2003, 12 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces. PCHR’s fieldworker in Gaza city reported that in the
early stages of the Israeli invasion, Ashraf Samih Kuhail, 22, was killed by
several live bullets in the chest and thighs, while he was in a branch road in
the neighborhood. Israeli heavy military vehicles also fired an artillery
shell at three Palestinian security men who were resisting the Israeli
invasion. The three were killed by shrapnel from the shell. As a
result of the Israeli indiscriminate shelling, 8 Palestinians were
killed. In addition, 40 Palestinians were injured, six of them remain in
a serious condition. A number of artillery shells hit the al-Shojaeya
clothes market setting fire to a large number of stalls. Firefighters
were only able to extinguish the fires this morning as the area remained
dangerous throughout the night.
Those
killed by Israeli forces during the invasion were:
1. Ashraf Samih Kuhail, 23, shot by
several live bullets in the chest and thighs;
2. Ahmed Hassan al-Fayoumi, 24, a member
of the Palestinian Military Intelligence, hit by shrapnel from an shell;
3. Mohammed Rashad ‘Obaid, 28, a member of
the Palestinian Military Intelligence, hit by shrapnel from an shell;
4. Ahmed Shihada ‘Aabed, 23, a member of
the Palestinian Military Intelligence, hit by shrapnel from an shell;
5. ‘Alaa’ Zuhair Khalifa, 23, killed by several live bullets
throughout the body;
6. Mohammed Akram al-Nakhala, 21, killed
by several live bullets throughout the body;
7. Rami Fathi ‘Eissa, 27, killed by
shrapnel sustained throughout the body;
8. Marwan Zuhair Rahmi, 25, killed by
several live bullets in the head and the neck;
9. Eyad Bader Jibril ‘Akkawi, 20, killed
by several live bullets in the chest and neck;
10. Wissam Fayez Yousef Hassan, 24, killed
by a live bullet in the head;
11. Khaled ‘Ali Hassan Shallouf, 17, killed
by several live bullets throughout the body; and
12. Amjad Yousef al-Hattab, 16, shot by
several live bullets throughout the body.
A 13th Palestinian, Munir ‘Abdul Hai, 26,
from Jabalya, was wounded by shrapnel throughout the body and was pronounced
dead on Wednesday, 29 January 2003.
Following are details of the civilian facilities that
were destroyed by Israeli forces:
1. A turnery workshop was destroyed, in
which 5 workers used to work, owned by Ahmed Hassan Ibrahim Abu Zour. The workshop was located on the ground floor
of a 150-square-meter, two-storey building. They forced out the 11 residents of a flat on the second floor owned by
Hani Ahmed Hassan al-Zaru and did not allow them to evacuate their furniture
and belongings.
2. A 100-square-meter turnery workshop, in
which 4 workers used to work, owned by Mohammed Midhat ‘Aashour Qarout.
3. A 120-square-meter turnery workshop,
which used to manufacture car parts and in which 7 workers used to
work, owned by Mohammed Mousa Ahmed Sha’ban and brothers.
4. A 25-square-emeter workshop for
maintenance of electric sets owned by Mazen Mousa ‘Eissa Sha’ban.
5. A 200-square-meter car maintenance
workshop owned by Mahmoud Nemer Mohammed al-Bahtiti.
6. A 100-square-meter car painting
workshop owned by Yousef Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Sultan.
7. A 250-square-meter workshop, which used
to manufacture ice-cream machines owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Abu Qamar.
8. A 100-square-meter shop of used car
parts owned by Ghazi Hassan ‘Ali al-Ghuf.
9. A 25-square-meter shop of used car
parts owned by Hamed Hammad Hamed ‘Eleiwa.
10. A
100-square-meter tire change workshop owned by Hani Hussein ‘Abdul Qader
al-Fayoumi.
11. A
30-square-meter turnery workshop owned by Mohammed Ramadan ‘Atiya Abu Karsh,
located in a 520-square-meter apartment building, in which 5 families totaling
35 people lived, owned by ‘Awadh Ibrahim Hassan Foura. The building was severely damaged.
12. A turnery workshop owned by Mohammed
Sa’id ‘Abdul Qader Lulu, located on the ground floor of a 500-square-meter,
5-storey apartment building, in which 60 people live.
13. A
35-square-meter workshop that manufactured car parts owned by Ziad Ramzi
Mohammed Abu Karsh.
14. A
40-square-meter workshop for car electricity owned by Ribhi Saleh al-Tabatibi.
15. A
64-square-meter shop of car parts owned by Mohammed Mousa Ahmed Sha’ban. The shop was shelled by Israeli forces on 5
January 2003.
At approximately 22:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with 5 heavy military vehicles,
moved approximately 700m into al-Fokhari are in the southeast of Khan
Yunis. They shelled the area and fired
mortar flares. During this incursion,
which continued until 02:30, Israeli forces raided two sites of the Palestinian
border force in the area. They searched the site, which had been evacuated by
security men when the incursion began.
Sunday, 26 January 2003
At approximately 07:00, Israeli
occupying forces moved more than 300m into the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit
Hanoun. They blocked the main road and
the southern entrance of the town. An
Israeli military bulldozer also closed a road established by the Municipality
of Biet Hanoun as an alternative to the bridge that was destroyed by Israeli
forces on 24 January 2003. Israeli
forces fired at a number of Palestinian boys who gathered near that road,
wounding 3:
1. Yahia ‘Ali Hamed, 19, wounded by a live
bullet in the right leg;
2. Shadi Mohammed Taleb, 18, wounded by a
live bullet in the left arm; and
3. Mahmoud Mohammed Zhaher, 14, wounded by
shrapnel in the right thigh.
In the afternoon, Israeli occupying forces shelled
Palestinian residential areas in Rafah, killing an 8-year-old child and
wounding his 5-year-old brother. In his
testimony to PCHR on the incident, an eyewitness said:
“At approximately 13:30 on Sunday, 26 January 2003, I heard sounds of
intense shooting by Israeli heavy military vehicles, which had continued for
nearly half an hour, while I was at home in al-Hadi Street in al-Brazil
neighborhood in the south of Rafah, adjacent to the Egyptian border. When the shooting stopped, I hurried out of
the house and stood at the door, approximately 80m away from the border. I saw some children running. They were extremely scared. Then, I saw a child lying on the ground. I immediately hurried towards him. A young man carried him and then laid him on
the ground again. I moved towards the
child and carried him. He was bleeding
from his head and eyes. I could identify
him. He was ‘Ali Taleb Ghuraiz, 8, the
son of our neighbor. Some neighbors
helped me evacuate him in a civilian car to Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in
the town. There, all efforts made to
save his life failed. A doctor told me
that the child was shot by a live bullet in the head. I also saw the victim’s brother, ‘Alaa’
al-Din, 5, at hospital. He was wounded
by shrapnel in the abdomen and hands. One of my neighbors told me that the two were shot while they were
playing near their house, and that ‘Alaa’ al-Din was with us in the car that
evacuated his brother to hospital. It
seems that as I was shocked, I did not notice the presence of ‘Alaa’
al-Din.”
At approximately 15:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles and covered by intense gunfire, moved
into Seilat al-Harthia village, west of Jenin, which is supposed to be under
full Palestinian control. A number of
Palestinian children gathered and threw stones towards these forces. Israeli soldiers fired at the children
wounding 13-year-old Mazen Sa’id Mohammed Khashan seriously with a live bullet
in the abdomen.
At approximately 16:00, a tank and an armored
personnel carrier, covered by intensive gunfire, moved into Rummana village,
west of Jenin, which is under full Palestinian control. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded:
1. Mohammed Ussama al-Ahmed, 15, wounded
by shrapnel in the right armpit; and
2. Dhiaa’ Jamal al-Na’ji, 17, wounded by
shrapnel in the neck.
Israeli forces withdrew from the village two hours
later. During their withdrawal, they
fired at 16-year-old Rami Mohammed Sa;id Subaihat wounding him with a live
bullet in the left shoulder.
At approximately 17:50, Israeli occupying forces in
military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west
of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Nimsawi housing project. A Palestinian civilian, ‘Abdullah ‘Abdul Rahman
‘Abdullah al-Sha’er, 59, was wounded by shrapnel from a live bullet in the face,
while he was in his flat, approximately 300m away from the source of fire. In addition to this, a flat owned by ‘Abdul
Hadi Mohammed Shahin was damaged.
In the evening, another Palestinian civilian in Rafah
was killed by a shell fired by Israeli occupying forces. In his testimony to
PCHR on the incident, an eyewitness said:
“At approximately 20:00 on Sunday, 26 January 2003, my friends and I went to the house of our relative, Sami Mahmoud
Mohammed Zo’rob, 50, to visit his brother, Refa’at, who was wounded by the
Israeli military two weeks ago. The
house is located in Imam ‘Ali Street close to Zo’rob square near the Egyptian
border, approximately 250m east of an Israeli military location on Zo’rob Hill
in the southwest of Rafah. Two hours
later, we decided to leave. While I was
standing with Sami near the door, we heard a heavy explosion. We believed that it was the result of an Israeli shell that had hit the gate. We waited inside the house for a few minutes. Then, Sami decided to go out to check what
had happened. As soon as he reached the
gate, another explosion, similar to the first one, occurred, and he fell onto
the ground. When we got close to him, we
saw that he was disemboweled and bleeding, as a shell had hit him
directly. It was clear that his body was
cut into two parts. We, especially
the children, were extremely shocked”
At approximately 01:00, an infantry unit of Israeli
occupying forces moved approximately 800m into al-Qarara village, north of Khan
Yunis. Israeli soldiers deployed on
streets and branch roads. They raided the
house of Jihad Salim al-Qedra. They
forced the 8 residents of the house out and searched it. Then, they arrested the owner’s son, Ahmed,
22, a university student.
At approximately 03:00, more than 20 Israeli heavy
military vehicles invaded Jenin. They
seized complete control over the town and imposed a curfew. Two tanks and 7 military jeeps of were
positioned in Faisal Street in the center of the town. They opened fire indiscriminately. At approximately 08:00, Rashad Bassam Fawzi
‘Orabi, 28, a Palestinian policeman, who was in civilian clothes and unarmed,
got out of his house in the old town towards Faisal Street. When he was about to cross the road, Israeli
soldiers shot him dead with two live bullets in the head and the chest. When a Palestinian civilian, Nidal Mahmoud
Kastouni, 18, who was in his shop in the area, went to offer ‘Orabi help,
Israeli soldiers shot him dead with 7 live bullets in the back, the abdomen and
the feet. In the meanwhile, Seif Shawqi
Sa’id al-Dahla, 28, a journalist, was photographing the incursion, Israeli
soldiers fired at him, wounding him two live bullets in the right foot and leg. Three civilians were shot from a distance of
more than 150m.
Later, a number of Palestinian armed activists
confronted Israeli forces in Faisal Street. During the clashes two Palestinian armed activists were killed:
1. Yousef ‘Aamer al-Sa’di, 20, from Jenin
refugee camp, shot by a live bullet that entered the chest and exited the back;
and
2. Mohammed Subhi al-Tubasi, 23, shot by a
heavy caliber bullet that fractured the skull.
In addition, a child, Fadi Hassan Qarini, 15, from
Jenin refugee camp, was seriously wounded by several live bullets in the abdomen
and the limbs.
At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including bulldozers, moved
approximately 2km into agricultural land east of Jabalya. The bulldozer razed approximately 400 donums
of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives, citrus, fruits and
almonds. PCHR’s field worker in the
northern Gaza Strip reported that this operation continued until Wednesday
evening, 29 January 2003, during which Israeli forces fired at whoever
attempted to reach the area. Consequently, the PCHR’s field worker was not able to reach the area to
document the damage.
At approximately 20:40, Israeli occupying forces in a
military location at the entrance of al-Mawasi area in the west of Rafah opened
fire at the housing project in Tal al-Sultan neighborhood. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded while
inside their houses:
1. Mohammed
‘Ali Abu al-Khair, 60, wounded by shrapnel in the left leg; and
2. ‘Ali Ahmed Abu ‘Armana, 63, wounded by shrapnel in the left leg.
At approximately 23:00, 8 Israeli heavy military
vehicles, accompanied by military bulldozers and covered by sporadic shelling,
moved approximately 200m into Block J in Rafah refugee camp, adjacent to the
Egyptian border. The Israeli incursion
continued until the following day morning, during which the Israeli military
bulldozer demolished 7 Palestinian houses:
1. A 170-square-meter, asbestos-roofed
house, in which 13 people lived, owned by Khaled Hussein Salem Abu Tailakh;
2. A 200-square-meter house, in which 12
people lived, owned by Ghazi Rezeq Salem Abu Tailakh;
3. A 160-square-meter house, in which 12
people lived, owned by Erhayel Ahmed al-Soufi;
4. A 190-square-meter house, in which 18
people lived, owned by Salman Humaid Mohammed al-Soufi;
5. A 200-square-meter house, in which 2
families totaling 10 people lived, owned by Sami Hassan Khalil al-Masri;
6. A 100-square-meter house, in which 2
families totaling 11 people lived, owned by Sami Hassan Khalil al-Masri; and
7. A 100-square-meter house, in which 13
people lived, owned by Khalil Hassan Khalil al-Masri.
Wednesday, 29 January 2003
At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces,
reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 150m into Tal
al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. Israeli military bulldozers leveled the areas surrounding the “Gush
Qatif” settlement block. The
Israeli incursion continued until 15:00, during which armed clashes erupted
between armed Palestinian activists and Israeli forces, which intensely shelled
the area. Israeli military locations and
military observation towers surrounding the area also shelled the neighborhood
until 21:00. As a result, 18 Palestinian
civilians were wounded:
1. Nidal
Samir Farahat, 15, critically wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen;
2. Khaled
‘Abdul Rahim al-Soufi, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the right foot;
3. Saleh
Hussein al-Babli, 50, wounded by a live bullet in the right shoulder;
4. Hussein
Saleh al-Babli, 10, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh;
5. Hijazi
Hassan Ayoub, critically wounded by a live bullet in the head;
6. Mohammed
Khamis al-Hour, 12, wounded by a live bullet in the thighs;
7. Mohammed
Hassan Subeh, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the left foot;
8. Majdi
Mahmoud Rushdi al-Khatib, 35, wounded by a live bullet in the right leg;
9. Mohammed
Isma’il al-Nawajha, 21, wounded by shrapnel in the neck;
10. Mohammed
Khader ‘Edwan, 28, wounded by a live bullet in the left arm;
11. Ziad
Hussein Shabana, 22, wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder;
12. Dhamir
Jihad Musran, 23, wounded by shrapnel in the hips;
13. Ibrahim
‘Aatef Abu ‘Ali, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
14. Bassem
Sami Abu al-‘Einain, 11, wounded by shrapnel in the left knee;
15. ‘Abdul Qader Mahmoud Madhi, 42, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
16. Wa’el
Walid Abu Marzouq, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the right knee;
17. Na’ima
Ahmed ‘Abdul ‘Aal, 38, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh; and
18. Mohammed
Rasmi al-Sha’er, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the neck.
At approximately 17:00, after
Israeli occupying forces had ended a military operation in the east of Jablaya,
which began on the previous morning, some Palestinian civilians, including
Nahidh Mubarak Abu Dahrouj, 19, went to the area to check what had
happened. Immediately, Israeli forces
opened fire at them from a distance of approximately 1000m. Abu Dahrouj was killed by a lived bullet in
the head.
Collective
Punishment Measures against Families of Wanted Palestinians and Those Who
Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli Targets
In violation
of international and humanitarian law which prohibits collective punishment,
Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who
have carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories and those wanted by Israeli forces.
At approximately 00:30 on Friday, 24 January 2003,
Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with tanks and helicopters, moved from
Netzarim settlement, south of Gaza city, more than 3km into al-Zaytoun
neighborhood in the southeast of the city. They surrounded the house of the
deceased Mas’oud ‘Ayad, who had been assassinated by these forces, and arrested
two of his sons, his brother and his grandson. Israeli forces destroyed a
400-square-meter, 5-storey apartment building, in which 5 families totally 20
people lived, owned by the family of ‘Ayad. Israeli forces withdrew from
the area at approximately 02:30. Later, they released the grandson,
Mas’oud Nasser ‘Ayad, 14, and the brother, Sa’id Hussein ‘Ayad, while the sons,
Khader, 35, and Hassan, 30, remained in the custody of Israeli forces.
During the incursion, Israeli forces distributed leaflets, which cited that the
goal of the operation was to arrest Hassan ‘Ayad, claiming that he was
responsible for armed attacks against Israeli targets. Two Palestinian civilians were wounded by the
Israeli shelling:
1. ‘Abdullah Rezeq Nasrallah, 18, wounded by a live bullet in the left
shoulder; and
2. Riadh
Khalil al-Khouli, 27, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh.
At approximately 01:00 on Monday, 27 January 2003, 12
Israeli military jeeps moved into ‘Aqabat Taffouh area in the north of
Hebron. They surrounded the house of
Mustafa Salem al-Qawasmi. Israeli
soldiers knocked on the door. When
the son, Hatem, 22, opened the door, Israeli soldiers arrested him together
with his friend, Eihab ‘Abul Jawad, 20. At approximately 02:30, Israeli forces forced residents of neighboring
houses out and searched the houses. Later, Israeli soldiers planted explosives in al-Qawasmi’s
200-square-meter, two-storey, under-construction house and destroyed it. The owner’s son, Hazem, 24, has been detained
by Israeli forces for one year for his resistance activities.
Shooting at Palestinian Civilians
Thursday, 23 January 2003
At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces
moved into Beit Ta’mar village in Bethlehem. They surrounded a number of houses in the west of the village and
military bulldozers started demolishing them, claiming that they were built
without licenses. A number of
Palestinian civilians gathered to confront this action. Immediately, Israeli soldiers fired at
them. Four civilians were wounded:
1. Sharif
Ibrahim ‘Allan al-Wahesh, 45, wounded by a live bullet in the right hand;
2. Fu’ad
Ibrahim ‘Allan al-Wahesh, 48, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the
left forearm;
3. ‘Ali Suleiman Abu Mahmid, 24, wounded by two rubber-coated metal bullets
in the left hand and the right foot; and
4. Khadra
Ibrahim ‘Allan al-Wahesh, 65, hit by a tear gas canister that burnt her clothes
and body.
Friday, 24 January 2003
In an apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying
forces opened fire at some Palestinian civilians who were crossing a settler
bypass road between an Israeli military location on ‘Eibal Mount in the north
of Nablus and “Shavi Shomron” settlement, northwest of the city. Two Palestinian civilians were killed and a
third was wounded.
According to information available to PCHR, at
approximately 07:45, Su’ad Hussein Mas’oud Sonoubar, 46, from Nablus, and her
son, ‘Abdullah Mahmoud Khalil Joudallah, 22, left their house at Zawata-Nablus
road towards Jenin. As Israeli occupying
forces had closed the main roads between Nablus and Jenin, the two walked
towards al-Naqoura village to proceed towards Jenin. Other civilians joined them. When they crossed a settler bypass road between
an Israeli military location on ‘Eibal Mount in the north of Nablus and
“Shavi Shomron” settlement, northwest of the city, they were
surprised by a number of Israeli soldiers who opened fire and threw hand
grenades towards them. The woman was
killed by a live bullet in the chest, and another civilian, Ayman Rashid Helmi
Hinnawi, 20, was killed by shrapnel throughout the body. In addition, the son was wounded and arrested
by Israeli soldiers.
The Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot quoted an Israeli military spokesman on its Arabic
web site as saying: “An Israeli military unit shot dead two Palestinian
gunmen, including a girl, who were attempting to plant a bomb near Shavi
Shomron settlement, west of Nablus. Another gunman was able to escape. Soldiers who erected an ambush near the entrance of the settlement
noticed 4 gunmen, including a girl, getting close to the road in an attempt to
plant some explosives. The soldiers
ordered the gunmen to surrender, but one of them fired at the soldiers with a
pistol. The gunmen divided into two
groups and one of them fired at the soldiers. The soldiers threw grenades towards the gunmen and killed two.”
However, the place of the incident is approximately
4km away from both the settlement and the Israeli military location, and the
area is used by Palestinian civilians who walk towards Nablus and is not used
by Israeli forces, and consequently, it is an unlikely position to plant
explosives.
A Settler Shoots Dead a
Palestinian Civilian
In another attack perpetrated by Israeli settlers
against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, on
Saturday evening, 25 January 2003, an Israeli settler fired at two Palestinian
civilians, killing one of them, while the other was able to escape.
According to information available to PCHR, at
approximately 16:00, Ahmed ‘Abdul Rahim Saleh ‘Abdul Karim, 25, from Badras
village, west of Ramallah, and a friend of his went to al-Hursh area in the
west of the village, adjacent to “Modi’in”
settlement on the Green Line to graze their sheep. When they were about 200m away from the
settlement, they saw a car moving from the settlement towards
them. At approximately 16:30, the car
stopped near them and a settler got out of it. He pointed his pistol and fired at them. ‘Abdul Karim was wounded by a live bullet in the chest, while his friend
was able to escape towards the nearby Midia village and asked for help. When a
number of villagers went to the area, they saw a number of Israeli military
jeeps positioned in the area, so they went back to their village. At approximately 17:30, the friend went back
to his village and informed ‘Abdul Karim’s brother about the incident. The brother phoned a police station in
“Modi’din” settlement to check what happened. The police told him that he could go to the
settlement at 18:00. When he arrived
there he found out that his brother was dead and that he could collect his body
on the following day. When he went to
the settlement on the following day, the police refused to give him the body
and told him to come again on Monday, 27 January 2003.
********
PCHR calls:
1. Upon
the international community to provide immediate and independent international
protection for the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
2. Upon
the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to
reconvene to take effective measures to protect Palestinian civilians in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, in accordance with their obligations under
article 1 and article 146, to ensure 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 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.
