· Israeli occupation forces
invade Palestinian Authority controlled areas with tanks and bulldozers;

· Palestinian cities are
shelled from the air, sea and the land;

· Seven Palestinians,
including four children, are killed by the Israeli occupation forces;

· Dozens of houses are
demolished in Rafah and Beit Hanoun; and

· More land is leveled and
more houses and more civilian facilities are demolished.

 

Introduction

 

The
past week witnessed a qualitative escalation in Israeli violations in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories, many of which constitute war crimes under
international law. These forces resorted
to combat helicopters, gunboats and surface to surface missiles to shell
Palestinian areas, killing a number of Palestinian civilians and security
men. The Israeli occupation forces also
broke into areas under control by the Palestinian National Authority, peaking
with invasion of the Salah El-Din Gate area of Rafah on Saturday, April 14,
2001. This area had been shelled
frequently in the past six months, destroying many houses and rendering most
their residents homeless. 

 

On
April 16, 2001, the Israeli forces invaded the northeastern area of Beit Hanoun
in the north of the Gaza Strip. However,
on Tuesday, April 14, 2001, the area was invaded and completely destroyed. This
area was shelled, a number of houses were demolished, and large areas of
agricultural land were razed. 

 

On
April 17, 2001, the Israeli forces broke into Al-Shouka area in the east of
Rafah, under control by the Palestinian National Authority, and razed
agricultural land and demolished civilian facilities.

 

In
the past week, more Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces–either during
demonstrations or as a result of shelling. 

 

On
Thursday, April 12, Shawkat Sa’di Hassan El-‘Allami, 16, from Beit Ummar
village near Hebron, was killed with two live bullets in the neck fired by the
Israeli forces which had invaded into the village.

 

On
Monday, April 16, 2001, Bassel Rafiq Hassan Zahran, 19, from ‘Allar village
near Tulkarm and resident of Jerdan, was killed with several live bullets in
the head, the chest, the neck and the limbs, when he was shot by Israeli
occupation forces at a military roadblock.

 

On
Tuesday, April 17, 2001, Israeli forces shelled a site of the Palestinian
Border Forces, killing one servicemen, Mohammed Ramadan Nemer El-Masri, 23,
from Beit Hanoun, with an artillery shell in the abdomen.

 

Also
on the same day, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of
Palestinian children who were demonstrating near Al-Maentar Outlet, east of
Gaza City. As a result, a 14-year-old
minor from Gaza City, Hamza Khader ‘Obeid, was killed with a live bullet in the
chest.

 

Also
in the same day, in Rafah, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the border,
opened fire on a 10-year-old child, Bara’ Jalal Mahmoud El-Sha’er, killing him
with a medium caliber bullet in the head.

 

In
the evening of the same day, Rami Yahia Ibrahim Gharib, 16, from Al-Khader
village near Bethlehem, was killed with a heavy caliber bullet in the chest, during
Israeli shelling of the village.

 

 1. Shooting at Palestinian Civilians

 

Thursday, April 12, 2001

 

At
approximately 5:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on
Hafez Rushdi Khalil Sobeh, 35, from Al-Fokhari area in the east of Khan Yunis,
killing him with two live bullets in the abdomen and the right leg. Furthermore, Mohammed Na’im Siam, 25, from
Khan Yunis, was wounded with a live bullet in the right hand (For further information
about this incident, see the last Weekly
Report by PCHR)

 

At
approximately 20:00 local time, Shawkat Sa’di Hassan El-‘Allami, 16, from Beit
Ummar village near Hebron, was killed with two live bullets in the neck fired
by the Israeli occupation forces. These
forces invaded the village at approximately 19:30 local time, and opened fire
indiscriminately on Palestinian civilians and houses in the east and south of
the village. As a result, El-‘Allami,
who was in a farm, approximately 200m away from the Israeli forces, was killed.

 

At
approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned in the
vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, in the west of Khan Yunis, fired at a
number of Palestinian children who gathered in the municipality park in the
east of Al-Newsawi neighborhood, and started to throw stones at soldiers from a
distance of approximately 100m. As a
result, Mohammed Nabil Wadi, 15, was
wounded with a live bullet in the pelvis. He was evacuated to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis for treatment.

 

Friday, April 13, 2001

 

At
roughly 15:30 local time, approximately 150 Palestinian children gathered near
Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, to the south of Gaza City, and started to
throw stones at site of the Israeli occupation forces near the aforementioned
junction. Israeli occupation soldiers
opened fire on those children, wounding Bader Ibrahim Shokur, 15,from Nusseirat
refugee camp, with a live bullet in the right side of the chest. He was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza
City for treatment. 

 

Sunday, April 15, 2001

 

At
approximately 11:00 local time, an Israeli occupation soldier, positioned near
Salah El-Din Gate on the border in Rafah, fired a live bullet from a silenced
gun at Mohammed Kamel Abu Taha, 18, wounding him in the right leg. 

 

Monday, April 16, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:30, Israeli forces attempted to assassinate a ‘Abdel-Hadi
‘Abdel-Muttaleb El-Natsheh, 32, from Hebron, but he miraculously survived. El-Natsheh was wounded with a medium caliber
bullet in the left arm when Israeli occupation forces opened fire on him from
heavy machine guns as he was getting out of his car near his house in Ra’s
Al-Joura neighborhood, at the northern entrance of Hebron. This area is located near the dividing line
of the part of Hebron controlled by the Israeli occupation forces. El-Natsheh scrambled to escaped and sheltered
behind a nearby concrete column. The
shooting lasted for five minutes and came from came from Israeli occupation
forces positioned on the roof of a Palestinian house in the Israeli controlled
area of Hebron. El-Natsheh was evacuated
to Al-Ahli hospital in Hebron for treatment.

 

At
approximately 17:00 local time, Bassel Rafiq Hassan Zahran, 19, from ‘Allar
village near Tulkarm and resident of Jerdan, was killed with several live
bullets in the head, the chest, the neck and the limbs, fired at him by the
Israeli occupation forces. These forces
claimed that Zahran attempted to stab one of their soldiers at a military
roadblock between Baqa Al-Gharbeya and Nazlet ‘Eissa. According to the Palestinian Society for the
Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), Zajran came from Jordan
on the same day to visit his relatives. Israeli occupation soldiers chased him and opened fire on him willfully
from a short distance, killing him instantly. Irrespective of the exact circumstances of his death, this incident
proves that the Israeli occupation forces excessively use force. The soldiers were able to arrest Zahran, but
fired upon him instead.

 

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired at Hazem
Yousef Abu Jazar, 16, from Rafah, wounding him with a live bullet in the right
foot. Abu Jazar was approximately 100m
away from the border adjacent to Al-Barazil neighborhood in Rafah, when a tank
passing the border unjustifiably fired him upon.

 

At
approximately 13:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
entrance of a bypass road used by settlers to the south of Al-Mentar (Karni)
Outlet, east of Gaza City, opened fire on a number of Palestinian children who
were demonstrating more than 100m away. PCHR’s field officer in the area reported that the Israeli forces opened
fire instantly–without first employing less lethal means. As a result, Hamza Khader ‘Obeid, 14, from
Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, was critically wounded with a live
bullet in the chest. He was evacuated to
Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City, where he was pronounced dead in the evening. Furthermore, five Palestinian children were
wounded as follows:

 

 1) Samir Zakaria Karim, 10,
from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with a live bullet
in the left shoulder;

 2) Hassan Zuhair El-Shawa,
13, from Al-Tuffah neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with a live
bullet in the left side;

 3) Mohammed Khalil Nassar,
14, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with a live
bullet in the pelvis;

 4) Mohammed ‘Adnan Nayef, 17,
from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with a live bullet
in the chest; and

 5) Sameh Yousef Doghmush, 17,
from Al-Sabra neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with a live bullet in
the buttocks.

 

At
approximately 14:00 local time, Ghali Suleiman Abu Snaimeh, 21, from Rafah, was
wounded with a live bullet in the right leg when he was shot by Israeli
occupation forces who were razing areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the
east of Rafah (Al-Shouka area). Abu
Snaimeh was approximately 400m away from the area.

 

 2. Shelling of Residential Neighborhoods

 

Thursday, April 12, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli tanks positioned at the Rafah border
opened fire on Palestinian houses in Al-Brazil neighborhood, 150m north of the
border. As a result, Saleh Saleh Abu
El-Rous, 60, who was near his home at the time, was wounded with a live bullet
in the buttocks.

 

In
the evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired heavy and medium caliber
bullets at Palestinian houses in the north of Beit Hanoun (Al-Secka Street),
near Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing. As a
result, a number of these houses were damaged as follows:

 

 1) Bullets made holes in
walls of a 180-square-meter, one-story house, in which 8 people live, owned by
Shehadeh Sa’id Hamdan.

 2) Bullets made holes in
walls of a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 9 people live, owned by
Salah Shehadeh Hamdan.

 3) Bullets made holes in walls
of a 210-square-meter, one-story house, in which 10 people live, owned by
Nasser Shehadeh Hamdan.

 4) Bullets made holes in
walls of a 200-square-meter, one-story house, in which 5 people live, owned by
Rezeq Shehadeh Hamdan.

 

These
families were forced to leave their house in the morning after word spread that
the Israeli forces were planning to demolish and destroy Palestinian houses
near the border, similar to what happened in Khan Yunis, spread in the
area. Concern spread quickly, especially
as mortars were thought to be fired at military sites of the Israeli occupation
forces from this area. 

 

On
the other hand, approximately 22 Palestinian families (170 persons) from the
Bedouin Village, to the south of Erez industrial zone, started to evacuated
their tin houses as a preemptive action, fearing that they would be shelled by
the Israeli occupation forces, whose sites are less than 80m away. These houses were frequently shelled in the
previous days. 

 

Saturday, April 14, 2001

 

At
approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, reinforced with
tanks and bulldozers, invaded the area near Salah El-Din Gate on the border in
Rafah. Without prior warning, these forces demolished a number of
Palestinian-owned houses and their contents. Israeli forces also destroyed a
number of Palestinian-owned stores, including their contents, and a Palestinian
Military Intelligence Service site. The escalation was accompanied by the
firing of artillery shells, heavy caliber bullets, and medium caliber bullets at
Palestinian houses in Qeshta neighborhood and Block “O.”

 

This
escalation came four days after a similar attack on the western area of Khan
Yunis refugee camp. On April 10, 2001, Israeli forces demolished 30 houses,
leaving more than 500 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, women and the
elderly, homeless. Dozens were also wounded with live bullets and artillery
shell shrapnel.

 

Like
Khan Yunis refugee camp and other Palestinian residential areas, these
Palestinian-owned houses and commercial stores in Rafah had been subjected to
systematic and continuous Israeli shelling over the past six months. On
Saturday, Israeli forces escalated these attacks by invading the area and
demolishing houses, stores, and their contents, without prior warning.

 

According
to PCHR’s documentation, Israeli forces demolished 15 Palestinian houses and 42
stores as well as their contents. Six houses and were also partially destroyed.
As a result, more than 187 Palestinian civilians became homeless. In addition, dozens of Palestinian houses
were severely damaged. Indiscriminate shelling also affected houses more than
1,000m away from the border. More than
40 Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:

 

 1) Mohammed Suleiman
Jarghoun, 16, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right shoulder;

 2)  Mahmoud ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Lafi, 16, who was
wounded with shrapnel in the right shoulder;

 3) ‘Alla’ Ahmed Zannoun, 18,
who was wounded with a live bullet and shrapnel in both shoulders and in the
chest and was evacuated to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis;

 4) ‘Aref ‘Abdullah El-Qadhi,
28, who was wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the right foot and
was evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. He was approximately 1,000m away
from the border when he was wounded;

 5) Rami Khaled ‘Abed, 17, who
was wounded with shrapnel in the right hand;

 6) Hassan Ibrahim El-Sattari,
19, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left thigh;

 7) Anwar Mohammed Qeshta, 19,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the left thigh;

 8)  ‘Adel Fayez Madhi, 19, who was wounded with
shrapnel in the face;

 9) Nidal Mohammed Meqdad, 19,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the face;

 10) Mahmoud Mohammed Abu Mo’ammar, 18, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
neck;

 11) Mahmoud Rasmi Abu Taha, 12, who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 12) ‘Abdel-Halim Jom’a Joudeh, 34, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
face;

 13) Eyad Ossama El-Sha’er, 18, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
foot;

 14) Mohammed Ahmed Abu Sweilem, 31, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
head;

 15)  Nidal Mesbah Abu Toior, 21, who
was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 16) Hazem Ishaq Abu Rezeq, 16, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
hand;

 17) Sa’id Salim Abu Jalaleh, 21, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left
eye;

 18) Hala Ibrahim El-Sha’er, 30, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left
hand;

 19) ‘Atteya Mustafa El-Jazzar, 17, who was wounded with a live bullet in the
right leg;

 20) Thae’r Ghazi Abu Siam, 16,who was seriously wounded with shrapnel in the
left foot;

 21) Mohammed Ibrahim Zannoun, who was seriously wounded with a live bullet
in the buttocks that entered the pelvis;

 22) Ibrahim Fathi Abu Jazar, 15, who was wounded with shrapnel in the face;

 23) Fadi Sha’ban Abu ‘Obeid, 13, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left
thigh;

 24) Hani Jamal Abu ‘Anzeh, 22, who was wounded with shrapnel in the chest;

 25) Rae’d Hassan Abu Jazar, 25, who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 26) Hani Jamal Abu Helal, 17, who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 27) Mahmoud Sami Joudeh, 23, who was wounded with shrapnel in the neck;

 28) Fadwa Ibrahim Shekh El-‘Eid, 19, who was wounded with a live bullet in
the left thigh when he was approximately 500m away from the border;

 29) Ibrahim ‘Abdel-Karim Abu ‘Anzeh, 44, who was wounded with a live bullet
in the left shoulder;

 30) Tayseer ‘Ali ‘Ashour, who was wounded with shrapnel in the face;

 31) Amjad ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Nawajha, 25, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
abdomen;

 32)  Jamal ‘Ali Abu Helal, 15, who was
wounded with shrapnel in the right knee;

 33) Hatem Mohammed El-Sattari; 34, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
face;

 34) Ismail Brak Erjeilat, 15, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
foot;

 35) Tal’at Ahmed El-Bouji, 25,who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
forearm;

 36) Kamal Jamal Abu Tayem, 18, who was wounded with a live bullet in the
left thigh;

 37) Anwar Hussein El-Sedoudi, 23, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
abdomen;

 38) Ahmed ‘Abdel-Hamid Abu Hasna, 33, who was wounded with a live bullet in
the right thigh;

 39) Khaled Jamal El-Moghayer, 14, who was wounded with shrapnel in the neck;

 40) Salah Hassan Dwei’e, 18, who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 41) Thiab Mohammed Abu Zeid, 16, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left
hand;

 42) Mohammed Mousa El-Sattari, 6, who was wounded with shrapnel in the
mouth; and

 43) Mahmoud Mohammed Lafi, 16, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
foot.

 

The Israeli occupation forces also demolished
Palestinian houses in Rafah, shown in the following table:

 

 

Furthermore,
the Israeli occupation forces completely demolished 38 stores. The area of each
of these stores is 16-20 square-meters. The following table shows the demolished stores:

 

 

Sunday, April 15, 2001

 

At
approximately 21:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in
military sites in Gadid and Neve Dekalim settlements, west of Khan Yunis
refugee camp, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in
the Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, southeast of Khan Yunis refugee camp. As a result, a number of Palestinian houses
were severely damaged and walls of the eastern cemetery were pot-marked. Furthermore, two Palestinian civilians were
wounded as follows:

 

 1) Mahmoud Sha’ban Abu
‘Olwan, 26, wounded with a live bullet in the head, when he was near Khan Yunis
Youth Club, approximately 700m away from the Israeli military sites; and

 2) Meriam Salem Abu Hattab,
46, wounded with shrapnel in the left leg, when she was near her house,
approximately 200m away from the Israeli military sites.

 

At
approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli tanks, passing at the border in Rafah,
opened fire on Palestinian houses in Block “J,” approximately 100m north of the
border. As a result, Mohammed ‘Abdel-Hai
Hussein, 45, was wounded with a live bullet in the head. At the time he was shot, Hussein was inside
his house.

 

Approximately
one hour later, approximately 16:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces,
positioned near Salah El-Din Gate on the border in Rafah, fired four sound
bombs at Palestinian civilians at ‘Omar Ben El-Khattab Street near the
Gate. Six Palestinian civilians were
wounded as follows:

 

 1) Jamal Mohammed Qeshta, 17,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the left foot;

 2) Ashraf ‘Omar ‘Abdel-‘Al,
16, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right leg;

 3) ‘Omar Salem Abu Zuhri, 14,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the chest;

 4) Mahmoud Ahmed ‘Arram, 16,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the left arm;

 5) Mousa Nasser ‘Abed, 12,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the head; and

 6) Mohammed Saleh Qeshta, 12,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the abdomen.

 

At
approximately 17:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery
shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Abu Sneineh, Qubbat Jneb and
Al-Takrouri neighborhoods in Hebron. The
shelling lasted until 3:00 local time on the following day, Monday, April 16,
2001. The shelling wounded five
Palestinian civilians as follows:

 

 1) Ahmed ‘Emad Abu Sneineh,
9, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 2) Samiha Ahmed Khalil Abu
El-Halawa, 70, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 3) Khetam Tawfiq Ahmed Abu
El-Halawa, 17, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 4) Nayef El-Jamal, 12, who
was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body; and

 5) Bassam ‘Abdullah
El-Fallah, 17, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body.

 

At
approximately 20:45 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned on the
western and southern hills of Al-Khader village, near bypass road 60, fired
artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in
Al-Khader village and the tourist projects in Suleiman Pools area in the south
of Bethlehem. As a result, a number of
Palestinian houses and the aforementioned projects were severely damaged. At approximately 21:00 local time, such
shelling expanded and targeted ‘Aida refugee camp near Bethlehem, Al-Iraq
neighborhood in Beit Jala and the vicinity of the Christian Youth Society in
Beit Sahour. A number of Palestinian
houses were severely damaged. Six
Palestinian civilians were also wounded as follows:

 

 1) Yamin Abu El-Zoluf, 40,
from Beit Sahour, who was wounded with shrapnel in the shoulder;

 2) Rose Eskander Abu
El-Zoluf, 53, from Beit Sahour, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the
body;

 3) Bo’azer Abu El-Zoluf, 64,
from Beit Sahour, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left eye and the right
hand;

 4) ‘Abdel-Khaliq Mefreh Abu
Zeina, 32, from Nablus, a guard of the tourist projects, who was wounded with
shrapnel throughout the body;

 5) Fatema ‘Eid Sobeh, 12,
from Al-Khader village, who was wounded with shrapnel in the legs; and

 6) Eiman Ya’qob Mahmoud, from
Al-Khader village, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body.

 

Monday, April 16, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:30 local time, two Palestinian children from Al-Boreij refugee
camp were wounded with shrapnel after a suspicious object left over from the
Israeli occupation forces exploded in Gaza Valley area. According to PCHR’s investigation, those
children were walking on farms located approximately 500m to the west of the
border in the east of Al-Boreij refugee camp, when they found a suspicious
object that exploded and wounded them. They are:

 

 1) Hani ‘Adel Shahin, 15, who
was injured in the forehead and lost his
left eye; and

 2) Qassem ‘Abed-Rabbo Abu
Meddain, 15, who was injured in the forehead.

 

In
a similar incident in the same area on April 9, 2001, a 14-year-old
eighth-grader from Gaza Valley area, Hania Suleiman Khader El-Nomeili, was
grazing animals in an area approximately 600m west of the eastern border of the
Gaza Strip. She stepped on a remaining
portion of a shell that exploded. As a
result, she was seriously wounded and evacuated to a clinic in Nusseirat
refugee camp and from there to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. According to a medical report by Shifa’
hospital, her right foot and ankle and the sole of her left foot were severed.

 

At
approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
border near Salah El-Din Gate in Rafah, fired artillery shells and heavy and
medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Barazil and Al-Salam
neighborhoods. The shelling, which
continued intermittently until 18:00 local time, wounded two Palestinian
children as they were playing near their houses located approximately 150m away
from the border as follows:

 

 1) Shadi Ahmed El-Kurd, 9,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the head; and

 2) Mohammed ‘Adnan Abu Ahmed,
10, who was wounded with shrapnel in the back.

 

At
approximately 18:40 local time, the Israeli occupation forces shelled a
Palestinian Border Forces site in the northeast of Beit Hanoun in the north of
the Gaza Strip. The shelling, which
lasted for approximately 90 minutes, wounded two members of the Palestinian Border
Forces as follows:

 

 1) ‘Emad ‘Edwan, 38, who was
wounded with shrapnel in the head; and

 2) Nasser Moqbel, 34, who was
wounded with shrapnel in the face.

 

At
approximately 22:00 local time, Israeli forces, using combat helicopters and
gunboats, shelled a Palestinian President’s Guards (Force 17) compound in the
west of Deir El-Balah, wounding one of its members, Madhi Khalil Madhi, 35,
from Khan Yunis, with an artillery shell. Mahdi’s his left foot and right hand
were severed and he is still receiving medical care in the intensive care unit
at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City where he is in critical condition. Artillery
shell shrapnel also hit a number of nearby houses, wounding Intissar Suleiman
Baraka, 35, in the neck; and Tamer Mohammed Abu Saqer, 24, in the left hand. An
artillery shell also hit the nearby Al-Barouk mosque, severely damaging its
walls. Moreover, the second floor of the Fatah Movement headquarter in Deir
El-Balah (and the main headquarters of the Movement in the middle area of the
Gaza Strip) was destroyed when the headquarters were bombed with four surface
to surface missiles launched from inside Israel east of the town.

 

At approximately midnight, several headquarters of the Palestinian
security services in Gaza City were hit with surface to surface missiles
launched from locations inside Israel and east of the city. Missiles hit the
main headquarters of Palestinian police in Al-Remal neighborhood and a compound
of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service in Al-Nasser neighborhood. Two
missiles also fell near the headquarters of the Palestinian Preventive Security
Service in Tal El-Hawa neighborhood. The shelling coincided with similar
shelling by Israeli gunboats that targeted the Palestinian President’s Guards
(Force 17) on the coast in Sheikh ‘Ejlin neighborhood. A number of Palestinian
civilians and security personnel were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital to be
treated for shrapnel wounds or falls during the shelling.

 

Also
at approximately midnight, Israeli forces resumed intense shelling of the
northeast of Beit Hanoun while at the same time, Israeli units, reinforced with
tanks and bulldozers, invaded. PCHR’s
field officer in the northern area of the Gaza Strip reported that Israeli
occupation forces razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land and
demolished four Palestinian Border Forces sites in a strip of land 3km long and
1km wide inside areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority.
This land razing and destruction lasted until noon of the following day, Tuesday,
April 17, 2001. Mohammed Ramadan Nemer El-Masri, 23, a member of the
Palestinian Border Forces from Beit Hanoun, was killed today at approximately
4:20 local time with an artillery shell. Additionally, another four members of
the Palestinian Border forces were wounded with artillery shell shrapnel as
follows:

 

 1) Bassem Yousef El-‘Affifi,
36, from Beit Lahia, who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 2) ‘Azmi ‘Abdullah El-Jamal,
36, from Jabalya, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left foot;

 3) Mohammed Jehad El-Bitar,
28, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza City, who was wounded with shrapnel in
the left foot; and

 4) Mousa ‘Atteya Abu Hattab,
27, from Al-Shati refugee camp, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left hand.

 

During
their invasion of the area, the Israeli occupation forces completely demolished
ten Palestinian houses and their contents and partially destroyed another
two. They also removed the ruins of an
old mosque. Following is a list of
Palestinian houses demolished in the area:

 

 

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

 

At
approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli tanks passing the Rafah border opened
fire on Palestinian houses in Al-Barazil neighborhood in the city. As a result, Mustafa Mohammed Qeshta, 43, was
wounded with shrapnel in the left thigh. At the time he was wounded, Qeshta was near his house, approximately
200m away from the border.

 

At
approximately 14:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned at the
border near Salah El-Din Gate in Rafah, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets
at Palestinian houses in Al-Barazil neighborhood to the north of the Gate. As a result, a ten-year-old child from
Al-Barazil neighborhood, Bara’ Jalal Mahmoud El-Sha’er, was wounded with a
medium caliber bullet in the head, and died later that day. According to PCHR’s investigation, the child
was with his elder brother Ossama going to Al-Jama’e Club in Al-Barazil
neighborhood to attend special classes. When they arrived at the main road of the neighborhood, Al-Rawda Street,
approximately 200m away from Israeli military sites, Israeli forces fired
approximately 50 bullets at the rod. The
child was wounded and collapsed. Then, a
number of Palestinian civilians evacuated him to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah,
where medical sources stated that he was wounded with a medium caliber bullet
that entered the forehead and exited from the back of the head. Only after co-ordination with the Israeli
occupation forces required by the current internal siege imposed on the Gaza
Strip, was Al-Sha’er transferred to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City. The child’s transfer took one hour. At approximately 21:30 local time, El-Sha’er
was pronounced dead at Shifa’ hospital.

 

At
approximately 19:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned on the
western and southern hills of Al-Khader village and Bethlehem, fired artillery
shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Al-Khader
village and at the tourist project in Suleiman Pools. As a result of the shelling, which lasted
until midnight, Rami Yahia Ibrahim Gharib, 16, from Al-Khader village, was
killed with a heavy caliber bullet in the chest. At the time he was shot, Gharib was with his
family near the garden of their house in order to escape the fire, located
approximately 2km away from the positions of the attacking Israeli forces. Furthermore, four Palestinian civilians were
wounded as follows:

 

 1) Ziad Yousef Mousa Sobeh,
35, from Al-Khader village, who was wounded with shrapnel in the right
shoulder;

 2) Amena ‘Ali Yousef, 100,
from Al-Khader village, who was wounded with shrapnel in the abdomen and the
shoulder;

 3) Ahmed Mohammed Mahmoud
Salah, 20, wounded with shrapnel in the right leg and eye; and

 4) Ahlam Bajes Shousha, 20,
from Housan village, wounded with shrapnel in the legs.

 

Additionally,
a number of Palestinian houses and civilian facilities were severely damaged,
and a house owned by Bashir ‘Abdel-Qader Subeih was partially destroyed after
having been hit with three artillery shells.

 

At
approximately 20:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces positioned on top of
Beit Jala near Abu Ghoneim settlement and Bilal Ben Rabah mosque, fired
artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in
‘Aida and Al-‘Azzeh refugee camps near Bethlehem, and Al-Iraq neighborhood in
Beit Jala. As a result of the shelling,
which lasted until 2:00 local time on the following day, Wednesday, April 18,
2001, a Palestinian house, owned by Yousef Qatamesh, was completely burnt after
having been hit with an artillery shell. Furthermore, six Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:

 

 1) Mohannad ‘Abdel-Fattah Abu
‘Oudeh, 17, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 2) Samia Wadi’ Taha, 56, who
was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 3) ‘Ali ‘Abdel-Mon’em
Al-Hamouz, 38, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 4) Meriam Mustafa El-‘Ezza,
50, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body;

 5) George Bishara ‘Asfour,
21, who was wounded with shrapnel in the back and the legs; and

 6) Manal Abu Sh’ireh, 23, who
was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body.

 

In
the evening, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in Avraham Avino and Ramat
Yeshai settlements in the middle of Hebron, fired artillery shells and heavy
and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Abu Sneineh and El-Sheikh
neighborhoods in the city. As a result
of the indiscriminate shelling, which lasted until the morning of Wednesday,
April 18, 2001, five Palestinian houses were completely destroyed after having
directly hit with artillery shells. Several other houses were partially destroyed. Furthermore, eight Palestinian civilians were
wounded as follows:

 

 1) Najah Yousef ‘Abdin, 40,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the head;

 2) Riad Hassan ‘Abdin, 57,
who suffered from suffocation and a nervous breakdown after his house was
destroyed;

 3) Kamal Yousef ‘Abdin, 20,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the face;

 4) Nawal Riad ‘Abdin, 48, who
suffered from suffocation after her house burnt;

 5) Muna ‘Abdin, 16, who was
wounded with shrapnel in the limps;

 6) Hatem Khader ‘Abdin, 20,
who was wounded with shrapnel in the limps and the head;

 7) Zahia Ahmed El-Qawasmi,
70, who was wounded with shrapnel throughout the body; and

 8) Jawad ‘Abdel-Rahman
El-Natsheh, 39, who was wounded with shrapnel in the left hand and the chest.

 

Wednesday, April 18, 2001

 

At approximately 20:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned
on the western, southern and northeastern hills of the cities of Bethlehem,
Beit Jala and Beit Sahour and Al-Khader village, fired artillery shells and
heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian residential areas. The shelling lasted for two hours and
targeted Al-‘Azzeh and ‘Aida refugee camps, Al-Khader village, Suleiman Pools
project in Bethlehem, and Al-Iraq, Al-Sedreh, Al-Ro’a and ‘Ush El-Ghorab
neighborhoods in Beit Jala. A number of
Palestinian houses and buildings of Suleiman Pools project were severely
damaged.

 

 3. Razing of Agricultural Land

 

Thursday, April 12, 2001

 

At
approximately 8:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces started to raze
areas of Palestinian agricultural land at the border, to the east of Al-Boreij
and Al-Maghazi refugee camps in the middle area of the Gaza Strip. This lasted until 17:00 local time, during
which the Israeli occupation forces:

 

 1) razed a 13-donum area
planted with grapes and olives, owned by ‘Abir Abu Rweida;

 2) razed a 7-donum area
planted with wheat, owned by Khaled Abu Mandil;

 3) razed a 5-donum area
planted with olives, owned by Rmadan Mohammed El-‘Awawdeh, and destroyed an
irrigation system and a water storage tank;

 4) razed a 5-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by Ahmed Abu Medain;

 5) razed a 6-donum area
planted with olives, owned by Ahmed Selmi El-‘Awawdeh;

 6) razed a 6-donum area
planted with olives, owned by ‘Ayesh Yousef El-‘Awawdeh;

 7) razed a 6-donum area
planted with olives, owned by Salim Ibrahim El-Nesser;

 8) razed an 8.5-donum area
planted with olives, owned by ‘Oudeh Mohammed El-‘Awawdeh;

 9) razed a 4.5-donum area
planted with olives, owned by Suleiman Selmi El-‘Awawdeh;

 10) razed a 4-donum area planted with olives, owned by Mohammed Suleiman
El-‘Awawdeh;

 11) razed a 13-donum area planted with olives, owned by the family of ‘Omar
Abu Jalal, and destroyed an irrigation system; and

 12) razed a 5-donum area planted with olives, owned by ‘Abdel-Latif Abu
Meddain and brothers.

 

Monday, April 16, 2001

 

At
approximately 22:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces started to raze
areas of Palestinian agricultural land near Morag settlement, in the northeast
of Rafah. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah
reported that the Israeli occupation forces:

 

 1) razed a 2-donum area, on
which two greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, owned by Ayoub Mohammed
Mabrok Duheir;

 2) razed a 2-donum area, on
which two greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, owned by Ramadan Mohammed
Mabrok Duheir;

 3) razed a 3-donum area, on
which three greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, owned by the family of
Mahmoud Hassan Salem Abu ‘Ajlan, and destroyed a water motor, an irrigation
pump and a tool shed.

 

Monday and Tuesday, April 16 and 17, 2001

 

During their invasion
of the northeastern area of Beit Hanoun, the Israeli occupation forces razed
areas of Palestinian agricultural land. These forces:

 

 1) razed a 2-donum area
planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation system, a water line and a
650-square-meter chicken farm, owned by Subhi Zaki ‘Asbdel-Hadi El-Kafarneh;

 2) razed a 10-donum area
planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation system, owned by Mohammed
‘Abdel-‘Azziz Abu ‘Oudeh;

 3) razed a 3-donum area
planted with olives, and partially destroyed a 150-square-meter house and
completely destroyed a sheep, owned by Ibrahim ‘Abdullah Abu Sa’id;

 4) razed a 2-donum area
planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation system, owned by Ibrahim
Mohammed Hassan El-Kafarneh;

 5) razed a 2-donum area
planted with citrus and olives, owned by ‘Atta El-Shawa;

 6) razed a 14-donum area
planted with olives, demolished a 16-square-meter room and destroyed an
irrigation regulating computer, owned by Hussam Ahmed Salim Shurrab;

 7) razed a 35-donum area
planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation system and well, owned by
Yousef ‘Abdel-Nabi Abu ‘Eideh;

 8) razed a 10-donum area
planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation system and agricultural tools,
owned by Hassan Sha’ban Sweilem;

 9) razed a 50-donum area
planted with citrus, demolished a house in which guard ‘Omar Saber Mohammed Abu
‘Amsha (see the table above) and destroyed an irrigation system, owned by
Medhat Kamal Abu Ramadan;

 10) razed a 30-donum area planted with citrus, destroyed an irrigation
system and a water motor, and demolished a house (see the table above), owned
by ‘Ayad ‘Abdel-Raziq Abu Taha;

 11) razed a 35-donum area planted with citrus, destroyed a well and an
irrigation system, and demolished house in which guard Maher Sha’ban Qarmout
used to live (see the table above), owned by Khamis Hassan Khayal;

 12) razed a 43-donum area planted with citrus, destroyed a well and an
irrigation system, and demolished a house (see the table above), owned by
Ibrahim and Saleh Mohammed Saleh Abu ‘Amsha;

 13) razed a 5-donum area, on which three 500-square-meter bird farms stood,
and demolished a house (see the table above), owned by ‘Atta Hassan ‘Abdullah
Shabat; and

 14) razed a 1-donum area planted with olives, owned by Ibrahim Kamel Abu
Sabet.

 

Tuesday, April 17, 2001

 

At
approximately 8:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces invaded Al-Shouka
area in the east of Rafah, under control by the Palestinian National Authority,
and entered up to 200-600m inside the area. They started to raze areas of Palestinian agricultural land adjacent to
the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah is still trying to assess the damage. Parts of the damage are as follows:

 

 1) The Israeli forces
demolished a 80-square-meter house, used as a summer resort, approximately 600m
away from the border, owned by Kamal Mohammed ‘Abdullah El-Sha’er and
‘Abdel-Hadi ‘Abdullah Mohammed El-Sha’er. In addition, they destroyed an agricultural pool, two sprinkler pumps
and a store of agricultural tools.

 2) They razeda 12-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by ‘Oudeh Muhsin Fuheid El-Debari.

 3) They razed a 10-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by ‘Abdel-Majid Jom’a Salem El-Debari.

 4) They razed a 15-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by Ahmed Jom’a Salem El-Debari.

 5) They razed a 10-donum area
planted with wheat, owned by Mohammed El-Hallaq.

 6) They razed a 10-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by Salem Jom’a El-Debari.

 7) They razed a 5-donum area
planted with almonds, owned by Mahmoud Mohammed El-Debari.

 8) They razed a 15-donum area
planted with almonds and olives, owned by Fawzi Abu To’eima.

 9) They razed a 10-donum area
planted with almonds and olives, owned by ‘Atteya Hamdan El-Debari.

 10) They razed a 15-donum area planted with wheat, owned by Ahmed Hamdan
El-Debari.

 11) They demolished a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces.

 

 4. Shooting and Attacks by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians

 

Thursday, April 12, 2001

 

At
approximately 8:30 local time, four settlers attacked Ahmed ‘Atteya Mohammed
Abu Sahloul, 26, from Khan Yunis, when he was working at a greenhouse in Gan Or
settlement in Al-Mawasi area of Rafah. In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Sahloul said that he was violently beaten
by settlers who tried to suffocate him. He lost consciousness and only awoke at Nasser hospital in Khan
Yunis. He knew from his colleagues that
the Israeli occupation forces handed him to a Palestinian ambulance near Tal
Al-Sultan roadblock in Al-Mawasi area of Rafah, which evacuated him to
Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah and from there to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.

 

****

 

PCHR
reiterates its call for the international community to immediately intervene to
stop Israeli violations against Palestinian civilians. While PCHR is satisfied with the
establishment of a commission of inquiry by the UN High Commission for Human
Rights, it hopes that the Commission, in its 57th session, will assume its
responsibilities and take the necessary steps to cease Israeli crimes in the
Occupied Palestinian Territories. PCHR calls in particular for:

 

 

 

 1. Providing immediate
international protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories against Israeli violations.

 

 2. Re-convening a conference
of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to
ensure Israel’s compliance with its obligations under the Convention.

 

 3. Immediately providing
international protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories in the face of the killings and criminal acts perpetrated by the
Israeli occupation forces and groups of Jewish settlers who move under the
protection of these forces.

 

 4. Use by the EU of effective
political and economic measures with reference to Article 2 of the Euro-Israel
Association Agreement, which calls for the respect of human rights.

 

 5. Providing humanitarian and
medical assistance for the Palestinian people whose living conditions are
increasingly deteriorating because of the continued total siege imposed by the
Israeli occupation forces on the entire Occupied Palestinian Territories.