Introduction

 

This
report covers Israeli violations of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories from May 24-31 2001. During
this period, the Israeli occupation forces continued to use excessive force
against Palestinian civilians. Such actions
contradict statements made by the Israeli government regarding a cease-fire,
which began on Tuesday, May 22 2001. According to information gathered during PCHR field observations, this
“cease-fire” was characterized by the following:

 

1) Shelling of Palestinian
residential areas and civilian facilities by Israeli tanks and from military
sites;

2) Firing of heavy and medium
caliber bullets at Palestinian civilians, civilian houses and civilian
facilities;

3) Shelling of Palestinian security
sites;

4) Encroachment by Israeli
occupation forces into areas under the full control of the Palestinian National
Authority in order to raze areas of agricultural land and demolish civilian
facilities;

5) Razing of areas of Palestinian
agricultural land near settlements and along the border of the Gaza Strip by
the Israeli occupation forces;

6) Continuation of a total siege on
the Occupied Palestinian Territories and isolation of Palestinian cities and
villages from one another.

 

There was no further shelling of Palestinian
security and civilian facilities using surface-to-surface missiles, nor any
further attacks by F-16 fighter jets and
combat helicopters in Palestinian areas.

 

On
Thursday, May 24, 2001, at approximately 14:30 local time, Israeli occupation
soldiers shot dead Shadi Kamal Ahmed Siam, 18, from Rafah, with a live bullet
in the chest. PCHR’s investigations
discovered that Siam was both deaf and dumb and had not participated in any
activities against the Israeli occupation forces. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
Siam was a victim of a continued pattern of indiscriminate shooting by the
Israeli occupation forces at Palestinian residential areas.

 

Approximately
one and a half hours following this incident, Israeli occupation forces also
killed ‘Alla’ ‘Aadel El-Bouji, 15, from Rafah, and injured two other
children. Israeli occupation soldiers,
using guns fitted with silencers, fired at a number of Palestinian children who
were demonstrating in Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. The children were demonstrating approximately
200m away from the Israeli forces. The
children did not pose any threat to the lives of the Israeli soldiers. 

 

On Tuesday, May 29, 2001, Israeli
occupation soldiers, including members of an undercover unit, opened fire on a
number of Palestinian civilians at a military roadblock of the Israeli forces
to the south of Jericho who were waiting in a taxi to cross the roadblock. Ahmed Hassan Heleila, 20, from Aqabat Jaber
refugee camp, was killed. Two other
civilians injured in the incident were arrested, along with the taxi driver.

 

The Israeli occupation forces
continued to shell Palestinian houses and civilian facilities, particularly in
Rafah, Khan Yunis, Gaza, Beit Jala, Bethlehem, Jenin and Tubas. On Thursday, May 24, 2001, Beit Jala and
Bethlehem came under intensive shelling by the Israeli occupation forces. A number of civilian facilities, institutions
and schools were damaged and a number of civilians were injured.

 

On
Friday, May 25, 2001, at approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned at the Egyptian border south of Rafah, fired artillery
shells at Palestinian houses adjacent to the border. Eight Palestinians, including five children
and a medic, sustained shrapnel wounds.

 

On Tuesday, May 29, 2001, the Israeli occupation
forces fired artillery shells, containing dart-like objects at Khan Yunis
refugee camp. One such shell landed in a
street in the middle of Khan Yunis, injuring a Palestinian civilian.

1. Shooting at Palestinian
Civilians

 

Thursday,
May 24, 2001

 

At
approximately 12:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the
border with Egypt to the south of Rafah, fired at an eleven-year-old child,
Beha’ El-Din Fawzi Barhoum, wounding him with a live bullet in the left shoulder. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
there were no clashes in the area at the time of the incident and that Barhoum
was to the north of the border, near Block “L” area in Yebna refugee camp in
Rafah.

 

At
approximately 14:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the
Egyptian border south of Rafah, fired at Shadi Kamal Ahmed Siam, 18, wounding
him with a live bullet that entered the chest and exited through the back. He died an hour later in Al-Joneina hospital
in Rafah. PCHR’s investigations
discovered that Siam was both deaf and dumb and had not participated in any
activities against the Israeli occupation forces. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that
Siam was a victim of indiscriminate shooting by the Israeli occupation forces
at Palestinian residential areas. He had
not at any time pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers. PCHR’s field officer added that the area in
which this shooting occured had earlier witnessed armed confrontations between
members of the Palestinian National Security Forces and the Israeli occupation
forces which had been combing the area near the border. At 14:30 the Israeli forces opened fire
indiscriminately at Palestinian civilians, killing Siam. Three Palestinian civilians were also wounded
by the shooting, which lasted until 17:00 local time:

1) Ibrahim Hassan Farahat, 19,
wounded with a live bullet in the chest;

2) Ismail Ibrahim Jarghoun, 14,
wounded with shrapnel in the left arm; and

3) ‘Emad ‘Abdullah Barhoum, 16,
wounded with shrapnel in the head.

 

Also in Rafah, at approximately 17:30 local time,
Israeli occupation forces willfully killed ‘Alla’ ‘Aadel El-Bouji, 15, from
Rafah, and injured two other children. PCHR’s investigations found that Israeli occupation soldiers, using guns
fitted with silencers, had fired at a number of Palestinian children who were
demonstrating in Tal Al-Sultan neighborhood in the west of Rafah. The children were demonstrating approximately
200m to the east of a settlement road near Slao settlement in Al-Mawasi area
when a number of Israeli soldiers got out of military jeeps and opened fire on
the children. The children did not pose
any threat to the lives of the Israeli soldiers. ‘Alla’ El-Bouji was critically wounded with a
live bullet in the heart. He was
pronounced dead at Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah, where he was taken for
emergency care. The two children wounded
were:

1) Ahmed Ibrahim Shaqaleih, 13,
wounded in the left elbow with a live bullet; and

2) Rami Haidar El-Bouji, 15, wounded
in the right elbow with shrapnel from live bullets.

 

Friday,
May 25, 2001

 

At
approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, passing in tanks
near Block “L” in Yebna refugee camp, Rafah, near the Egyptian border, opened
fire on a number of Palestinian civilians, wounding two. According to PCHR’s investigation, the
civilians were watching land-leveling being carried out by the Israeli
occupation forces at the border searching for underground tunnels that might be
established between Rafah and the Egyptian territories. Although the group posed no threat, the
Israeli soldiers opened fire on the civilians wounding

1) Tayseer Ahmed Barhoum, 15,
in the chest with a live bullet; and

2) Yahia Mohammed El-Sheikh
‘Eid, 23, in the left arm with a live bullet.

 

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

1) Fureih Suleiman
El-‘Oweidat, 15, from Al-Nasser neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded in the left
thigh with a live bullet;

2) Tariq Ziafd Saleh, 17,
from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City,
wounded in the right forearm and thigh with a live bullet; and

3) Ahmed Samir Abu Sardana,
16, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in
the right thigh.

 

Sunday, May 27, 2001

 

At approximately 21:00
local time, seven-year-old Saqer Jaber Abu Samhadaneh, from Rafah, was wounded
in the left foot by a live bullet fired by the Israeli occupation forces. PCHR was informed that the child was in front
of his family’s house in the ‘Oraybeh area in the northwest of Rafah when he
was fired upon from an Israeli military site to the west.

 

Monday, May 28, 2001

 

At approximately 18:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, in a tank passing the Al-Brazil
neighborhood in Rafah near the Egyptian border opened fire on Palestinian
civilians leaving four civilians wounded:

1) Wassim Slman El-Satari,
17, sustained a shrapnel wound in the right thigh;

2) ‘Alla’ Ahmed Ibrahim, 18,
sustained a shrapnel wound in the right leg and thigh;

3) Sabah Marzouq Abu
‘Armaneh, 27, sustained a shrapnel wound in the right thigh; and

4) ‘Emad Rajab Abu Hammad,
27, sustained a shrapnel wound in the right thigh.

 

Tuesday, May 29, 2001

 

At approximately 9:30
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired tear gas canisters at Hazma
Secondary School. Students at the school
were sitting their final exams. The headmaster,
Ref’at Mousa ‘Atta Abu El-Haj, 41, and a teacher, Fadi Khalil Mohammed Hassan,
27, suffered respiratory problems due to tear gas inhalation. Israeli soldiers obstructed their evacuation
to a clinic in the village. The same
school was exposed to a similar attack by the Israeli soldiers on May 20, 2001,
who claimed that students has been throwing stones at their patrols. The school is located approximately 400m away
from a road where the Israeli patrols pass.

 

At approximately 12:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at a roadblock to the south
of Jericho, and an undercover unit of the Israeli forces opened fire on a
Palestinian civilian car that was traveling from Jericho. One Palestinian was killed and two were
wounded. According to eyewitnesses, the
taxi, driven by Ahmed Abu Zeid, in which three Palestinian young men were
travelling, was heading south from Jericho. The taxi stopped approximately 200m
away from the roadblock and was waiting for permission to pass. An Israeli military jeep came from the right
and a car with a Palestinian number plate came from the left. When the four Palestinians saw the two
vehicles, they tried to escape towards Jericho. Before they could reach the Oasis
Casino in Jericho, Israeli soldiers in the jeep and the other car opened fire. The three occupants of the Palestinian
civilian car were injured, while the driver was unharmed. The Israeli occupation forces evacuated one
of the injured by helicopter. The two
other occupants and the driver were taken to the headquarters of the Israeli
military liaison in Jericho where they were arrested. Later, the Israeli military liaison informed
the Palestinian side that one of the injured, Ahmed Hassan Heleila, 20, from
Aqabat Jaber refugee camp near Jericho, had died. The other two injured were Daoud ‘Ebayyat and
‘Abdel-Rahman Hassan Weshah, both from Jercicho.

 

At approximately 17:15
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in a military site near
Al-Tuffah roadblock which separates Khan Yunis from its Al-Mawasi area, opened
fire on Palestinian houses in the western part of Khan Yunis refugee camp, and
on Palestinian civilians standing near the aforementioned roadblock. The Palestinian civilians were waiting for
permission from the Israeli occupation forces to cross the Al-Tuffah roadblock
back into the Al-Mawasi area. Diab
Mohammed Diab Abu Mousa, 35, was wounded with a live bullet in the left leg,
and a number of houses were damaged.

 

According to eyewitnesses
and other evidence gathered by PCHR, two Palestinian young men walked towards
Al-Tuffah roadblock. One of them was
carrying a sack on his back. When he
reached a metal checking facility he exploded himself. The explosion dispersed around the area and
stones and equipment of the roadblock exploded. The second man threw hand grenades at the Israeli soldiers who opened
fire, killing him. The Israeli soldiers
continued shooting, firing at Palestinian houses and a number of Palestinian
civilians who were waiting approximately 70m away from the roadblock, wounding
Abu Mousa. Later, the Israeli forces
handed over the bodies of the two men to the Palestinian side. PCHR was informed that the men were:

1) Ismail ‘Arafat ‘Aashour,
18, from Khan Yunis, who exploded the bomb; and

2) ‘Abdel-Mo’ti ‘Ali
El-‘Assar, 19, from Khan Yunis, who threw hand grenades at the soldiers.

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2001

 

At approximately 11:00
local time, Israeli occupation soldier in tanks passing at the border with
Egypt to the south of Rafah, opened fire on Palestinian civilians and houses in
Rafah refugee camp. PCHR’s field officer
in Rafah reported that such shooting was sudden when the area did not witness
any clashes. Four Palestinian civilians,
including 3 children were wounded as follows:

1) Rami ‘Othman Abu ‘Armaneh,
19, seriously wounded with two live bullets in the abdomen and the right
shoulder;

2) ‘Abdel-Wahab Fathi
‘Abdel-Wahab, 12, wounded with shrapnel in the left leg;

3) ‘Attwa Yousef Abu Muhsin,
16, wounded with shrapnel in the left leg;

4) Adham Ibrahim Hamdan, 14,
wounded with shrapnel in the left shoulder.

 

They were all evacuated to
Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah for treatment.

 

 

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

 

Thursday, May 24, 2001

 

At approximately 05:30
local time, the Israeli occupation forces broke into areas under the full
control of the Palestinian National Authority to the southwest of Gaza
City. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza City
reported that Israeli military tanks and bulldozers encroached approximately
1,500m inside Palestinian areas to the north of Netzarim settlement, located to
the south of Gaza City. This operation
lasted until 07:30 local time, during which the forces razed areas of
Palestinian agricultural land,[1]
and fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at houses. At the same time, the Israeli forces closed
the coastal road between Gaza City and the middle area of the Gaza Strip,
prohibiting movement between the two areas. Maher ‘Omar Shamallakh, 27, resident of the affected area, was wounded
with a heavy caliber bullet that entered the right thigh and settled in the
left one. An investigation conducted by
PCHR found that Shamallakh was shot when he was watching the leveling and
destruction of his family’s land being carried out by the Israeli occupation
forces. Additionally, an artillery shell
hit a container of agricultural tools owned by ‘Abdel-Rahman ‘Abdullah
‘Abdel-Wahab Shamallakh and completely destroying it.

 

At approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned in Sanour military site in Jenin, fired two
artillery shells at Palestinian agricultural land to the southeast of the
aforementioned site. Fire broke out on
50 donums of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds. The Israeli forces prevented Palestinian
Civil Defense fire engines from accessing the area to put out the fire.

 

At approximately 17:05
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Gilo
settlement to the northwest of Beit Jala, and at the northern entrance to
Bethlehem, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at
residential areas in Beit Jala, Bethlehem and the ‘Aida refugee camp. The shelling, which lasted for 6 hours, left
9 Palestinian civilians with shrapnel wounds and suffering from shock. Among those injured were three members of one
family who had been inside their house in ‘Aida refugee camp. They are:

1) Ezdihar Yousef Abu Sorour,
9, injured with shrapnel in the left hand;

2) Esra’ Jamil Abu Sorour,
13, injured with shrapnel in the right eye and the abdomen; and

3) Mohammed Jamil Abu Sorour,
25, injured with shrapnel in the left leg.

 

The others injured were:

1) Ayman Hussein Bouja, 16,
injured with shrapnel in the right thigh;

2) Mohammed ‘Ali Noufal, 23,
injured with shrapnel in the legs;

3) Sa’d Ibrahim Hamdan, 32,
injured with shrapnel in the back;

4) Mustafa Jalal Hamamra, 27,
injured with shrapnel in the foot that caused a cut in an artery;

5) Marry Nader El-Qassasfa,
23, injured with shrapnel in the right hand; and

6) Ya’qoub Jereis
El-Qassasfa, 55, injured with shrapnel in the left hand.

 

Furthermore, a number of
houses were severely damaged. The house
of Fayez Ya’qoub Jerjes, which had five inhabitants, was burnt throughout and
its windows and doors were destroyed. A number of schools and civilian
institutions were also damaged as follows:

 

 

 

Friday, May 25, 2001

 

In the morning, Israeli
occupation forces, positioned at Al-Shuhada’ junction to the south of Gaza
City, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at a post of
the Palestinian National Security Forces, approximately 150m to the north of
the aforementioned junction. Five
members PSNF personnel stationed at the post received bruises in several parts
of the body before they were able to withdraw. Later, Israeli occupation forces’ bulldozers demolished the post, which
was located in an area under full PNA control.

 

At approximately 15:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border with Egypt
south of Rafah, fired artillery shells at Palestinian houses adjacent to the
border in Block “L” area in Yebna refugee camp. Eight Palestinians, including five children and a medic, were injured by
shrapnel. They were evacuated to
Al-Joneina Hospital in Rafah. PCHR’s
field officer in Rafah reported that an artillery shell fell near an ambulance
of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, damaging it. The driver, Khalil Rajeh Subeh, 35, sustained
shrapnel injuries to the head. The other
wounded were:

1) Marwan Fathi El-Hams, 8,
injured by shrapnel in the back;

2) Jihan Sa’adat El-Hams, 9,
injured by shrapnel in the left thigh;

3) Mohammed Samir Abu ‘Oun,
10, injured by shrapnel in the right eye;

4) Bassel Mohammed Radwan,
12, injured by shrapnel in the left knee;

5) Eyad Nafez Abu Taha, 14,
injured by shrapnel in the head;

6) Mohammed Eihab El-Hanadi,
20, injured by shrapnel in the left leg; and

7) ‘Omran Mohammed Zo’rob,
24, injured by shrapnel in the back.

 

Sunday, May 27, 2001

 

At approximately 22:00
local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in Tsheva’ military site in
the northern valleys, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian
houses in Tayaseer village in Tubas. Tayaseer elementary school, located approximately 80m away from the
military site, was hit with bullets, smashing a number of its windows. The same school was partially destroyed by
shelling by the Israeli occupation forces on April 19, 2001. 

 

Tuesday,
May 29, 2001

 

At approximately 4:40 local time, a tank of the
Israeli occupation forces fired three artillery shells and several heavy and
medium caliber bullets at a post of the Palestinian National Security Forces,
approximately 600m to the north of Netzarim settlement, to the south of Gaza
City. Five members of the post were
wounded as follows:

1) Sharif Hussein ‘Abdel-‘Aal, 23, from Khan Yunis,
wounded with a medium caliber bullet in the left thigh;

2) Hani Khalil Nasser, 24, from Rafah, wounded with
shrapnel in the left shoulder;

3) Khaled Hassan ‘Azara, 31, from Al-Boreij refugee
camp, wounded with a medium caliber bullet that entered the right thigh and
settled in the left one;

4) Eihab Mousa El-Kahlout, 30, from Jabalya refugee
camp, received bruises in the back; and

5) Ibrahim Ahmed Lafi, 27, from Rafah, received bruises throughout
the body.

 

At approximately 14:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces attempted to break into areas adjacent to the border with
Egypt in Rafah. Two tanks and a
bulldozer attempted to break into Yebna refugee camp. Members of the Palestinian National Security
Forces confronted the Israeli forces, which in response fired artillery shells
and live bullets. A Palestinian security
man and 3 civilians were injured as follows:

1) Ashraf ‘Abdel-Hakim Zannoun, 11, injured with
shrapnel in the back;

2) Yasser ‘Abdel-Rahim Abu ‘Obeid, 33, injured with
shrapnel in the face;

3) Raja’ Zamel El-Sheikh ‘Eid, 27, injured with a live
bullet in the left leg; and

4) Farid ‘Omar Al-Najjar, 34, a member of the
Palestinian National Security Forces, injured with shrapnel in the legs.

 

At approximately 19:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in military sites near Hawara village in Nablus, fired
artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in
Kufor Qallil village to the south of Nablus. The shelling, which lasted for 3 hours, left a number of the houses
severely damaged.

 

At approximately 21:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement to the west of
Khan Yunis, shelled Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp. For 20 minutes, the Israeli forces fired a
number of artillery shells, containing dart-like objects, and heavy and medium
caliber bullets. PCHR’s field officer in
Khan Yunis reported that an artillery shell fell in Jamal Abdulnasser Street in
the middle of Khan Yunis, approximately 2km away from the aforementioned
settlement. Shrapnel dispersed
throughout an area approximately 100m in diameter. A Palestinian civilian, Bassam Fawzi Abu
Rezeq, 25, was injured with shrapnel in the right forearm. He was evacuated to the Palestine Red
Crescent Society hospital in Khan Yunis for treatment.

 

At approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned in the vicinity of Gani Tal settlement to the northwest of Khan
Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Satar
Al-Gharbi area to the east of the settlement. A number of Palestinian houses and farms were damaged.

 

Wednesday, May 30, 2001

 

At approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli occupation
forces, positioned at Kissufim crossing on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip
to the east of Khan Yunis, shelled a site of the Palestinian National Security
Forces, approximately 500m to the north of the crossing. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported
that the Israeli forces also fired flare shells, one of which fell on a tract
of agricultural land planted with olives, owned by Mohammed Salman Abu
Sh’ar. An irrigation network was
partially burnt.

 

3. Razing of Agricultural Land

 

Thursday,
May 24, 2001

 

In the
morning, the Israeli occupation forces broke into Palestinian areas in the
southwest of Gaza City.[2]
They razed more than 30 donums of Palestinian agricultural land as shown in the
following table:

 

 

 

Sunday,
May 27, 2001

 

At
approximately 11:00 local time, a bulldozer and two tanks of the Israeli
occupation forces moved from Morag settlement to the northeast of Rafah and
broke into Gizan Al-Najjar area in the southeast of Khan Yunis. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural
land to the northwest of the aforementioned settlement as shown in the
following table:

 

 

 

Monday,
May 28, 2001

 

On Monday
28, 2001, in the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces leveled areas of
agricultural land that were razed during the past weeks in the east of Gaza
City along the eastern border of the Gaza Strip. This action continued on Tuesday, May 29,
2001. PCHR’s field officer in Gaza City
reported that the Israeli occupation forces dug trench-like holes near Nahal
‘Ouz crossing to the east of Gaza City, destroying, a petroleum pipeline from
Israel into the Gaza Strip in the process. According to sources at the Palestinian General Corporation of
Petroleum, the Corporation was informed by the exporting Israeli party that it
pumped the agreed amount of petroleum through the pipeline, but the saving
tanks of the Corporation did not receive this amount. The amount was wasted as the pipeline was
destroyed.

 

4. Other Attacks and Arrests by the Israeli Occupation
Forces

 

Wednesday, May 23, 2001

 

After 30 days of detention, the Israeli occupation
forces released lawyer ‘Adnan Ibrahim El-Hajjar, 33, from Jablaya refugee camp,
without having charged him. El-Hajjar
had been arrested by the Israeli occupation forces on April 23, 2001, while he
was coming back to the Gaza Strip from Egypt. Israeli security sources claimed that they had arrested one of Saudi
rejectionist Ussama Ben Laden’s supporters. El-Hajjjar disputed the accusation. He said that he was not interrogated in relation to Ben Laden.

 

Thursday, May 24, 2001

 

Israeli occupation forces at Rafah Border Crossing
arrested Karim Mas’oud Hamad El-Masri, 27, from Khan Yunis, a money-changer, on
his way back from Egypt to the Gaza Strip.

 

In the afternoon, Israeli occupation soldiers,
positioned at Qalandya roadblock to the north of Jerusalem, arrested four
Palestinian civilians from Jenin, who were on their way back home from their
work in Ramallah. The Israeli soldiers
severely beat the four civilians before they took them to a police station in
Jerusalem. There, they were interrogated
by Israeli intelligence men. The four civilians
were released at 4:00 local time on the following day. They are:

1) Ragheb Hamdan Ragheb Abu Diak,
30, from Seilat Al-Zhaher village near Jenin, secretary of Fatah Movement in
the village and director of the Palestinian prisoners club in Jenin;

2) ‘Ali Mahmoud Qassem Abu Diak, 33,
from Seilat Al-Zhaher village near Jenin, a legal advisor at the Palestinian
Legislative Council;

3) Mohammed ‘Ali Mahmoud Abu Khader,
26, from Al-Jedayda village near Jenin; and

4) Burhan Khader Barahma, 30, from
‘Anza village near Jenin, secretary of Fatah Movement in the villlage.

 

Saturday,
May 26, 2001

 

Early in the morning, the Israeli occupation forces
raided a house in Deir Sharaf village to the northwest of Nablus. They arrested two Palestinian civilians,
Ashraf Rajeh Noufal, 30, and his brother Lu’ai, 27, and took them to an unknown
destiny.

 

Monday,
May 28, 2001

 

At approximately 22:00 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces raided a 160-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11
people live, owned by Ahmed Khalil ‘Attallah Abu Humeida near a junction
leading to Morag settlement to the north of Rafah. They mounted its roof and remained there for
4 hours. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah
reported that this was the fifth time
that the Israeli forces had raided the same house since the middle of last
April.

 

Tuesday,
May 29, 2001

 

At approximately 10:30 local time, the Israeli
occupation forces raided Rafat Elementary School in Ramallah and forced its
pupils to leave. They detained 7
teachers. Four teachers were traveling
by a taxi near the school when Israeli soldiers stopped them. Approximately 75
minutes later, the Israeli forces allowed 6 teachers to leave the school, but
continued to detain, Samer El-Janmal, 26, from Nablus. The teachers refused to leave their school
without their colleague. An Israeli
officer wrote an informal notice to El-Jamal asking him to present himself
before an intelligence officer at the military liaison headquarters in Hawara
village near Nablus.

 

5. Attacks by Settlers
against Palestinian Civilians

 

Sunday, May 27, 2001

 

At approximately 18:30 local time, settlers opened
fire at some Palestinian shepherds near ‘Ourif village to the southwest of
Nablus. Samih Wajih Safadi, 23, was
wounded with a live bullet in head; Bassam Samih Safadi, 33, a nurse at Jericho
hospital, was wounded with shrapnel of a live bullet; and Sa’d El-Din Mahmoud
Safadi, 27, was wounded with a live bullet in the left knee. PCHR learnt than a number of settlers from
Yitshar settlement, to the northeast of ‘Ourif village unjustifiably opened
fire on those civilians from a distance of approximately 150m. 

 

At approximately 9:00 local time, settlers opened
fire on school students in Taqqoua’ village to the east of Bethlehem, seriously
wounding two students. A number of students
were standing at the side of the main road of the village after finishing their
exams. A civilian car passed by and
settlers in the car opened fire on the students from a distance of only 6m. Two students were seriously wounded as
follows:

1) Mahmoud Ahmed Mohamemd ‘Oweida
Humeid, 17, wounded with a live bullet that entered the buttocks and the pelvis
and settled in the bladder; and

2) Nidal Khalil ‘Oleyan Jabarin, 18,
wounded with two live bullets in the back and the left wrist.

 

****

 

PCHR calls upon the international community:

 

 

1) To provide immediate international protection for the
Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territories;

2) To ensure that the ICRC enhance its presence, expand
its activities and intensify its field observations throughout the Occupied
Palestinian Territories.

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

4) To prosecute those believed to have committed war
criminals before international courts.

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

6) To ensure that the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights visit the Occupied Palestinian Territories and that the Resolution
adopted by the UN High Commission on Human Rights in April 2001 is implemented.

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

 

 

For
more information on the Al-Aqsa Intifada see:

www.pchrgaza.org