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Weekly Report
On Israeli Human Rights Violations
in the Occupied
Palestinian
Territories
29 August - 04 September, 2002
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The Palestinian Centre for Human
Rights
Consultative Status with the ECOSOC of the United Nations
Affiliate of the International Commission of Jurists – Geneva
Member of the International Federation for Human Rights – Paris
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network
Continued Israeli Violations in the OPT and the International Community Is Silent
14 Palestinians, including 13 civilians, killed by Israeli occupying forces
Five Palestinians killed in an assassination
The Israeli High Court orders the deportation of a brother and sister of a Palestinian activist from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip
Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinian laborers in Hebron
Continued Israeli incursions into Palestinian areas resulted in destruction of public and private property, and the arrest of many Palestinians
Continued curfews on most of the West Bank towns
Continued strict siege on the OPT and Palestinian civilians checked and humiliated at Israeli military checkpoints and roadblocks
On 3 September, the Israeli High Court rejected an appeal by the two deportees against an Israeli military order to deport them from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip. In a press release issued on Tuesday, 3 September, PCHR strongly condemned the Israeli High Court’s decision, asserting that the court's decision effectively legalized a war crime. The unlawful forcible transfer of a protected person is a violation of articles 49 and 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, a war crime. In addition, the transfer also constitutes collective punishment.
Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians and their property, including willful killings, shelling of, and incursion into Palestinian areas, assassination, agricultural land leveling and confiscation, destruction of private and public property. This week, 14 Palestinians, including 13 civilians, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.
In a continuation of the policy of assassination officially adopted by the Israeli government against Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Saturday, 31 August, Israeli occupying forces conducted an assassination in which a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service and four children were killed. Six others were wounded. Two Israeli combat helicopters fired three missiles at a civilian car, killing one man accused by Israel of heading the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Tubas, and two youths who were in the car. Two passing children were also killed. One of those traveling in the car was able to escape when the first missile hit the ground.
In an apparent extrajudicial execution, on Sunday, 1 September, Israeli occupying forces shot dead four Palestinian laborers in Bani Na’im village in Hebron. Israeli forces arrested the four laborers at their work in a marble company, took them to an adjacent area and shot them dead.
In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupying forces shelled and conducted incursions into Palestinian areas. On 29 August, the Israeli occupying forces moved into a residential area in Rafah. They opened fire at the area, killing a child and wounding eight civilians. They also demolished 21 Palestinian stores. On Tuesday, 3 September, the Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah and began demolishing a family home as its residents were sleeping, without any prior warning. Israeli forces also prevented neighbors from offering help to the wounded. Throughout the week, the Israeli occupying forces shelled Palestinian residential areas in Khan Yunis, wounding at least than eight Palestinian civilians.
The Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian civilians' economic, social and cultural rights. Thousands of Palestinians continue to be subjected to a tight military curfew imposed by Israeli occupying forces. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces checked Palestinian civilians and their cars at Abu Houli and al-Matahen military checkpoints, north of Khan Yunis, on 29 August and 2 September. They forced Palestinian civilians out of their cars and checked them.
In a continuation of the policy of assassination officially adopted by the Israeli government against Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Saturday, 31 August, the Israeli occupying forces conducted an assassination, in which a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service and four children were killed and six others were wounded.
According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 09:00 an Israeli scouting aircraft was seen flying over Tubas town in the northern Jordan Valley. The aircraft flew over the area until approximately 15:00 when it disappeared. At approximately 17:00, while a civilian car that had an Israeli number, a black Mitsubishi, was traveling on the main road in the east of Tubas, a populated area, two Israeli combat helicopters suddenly flew over the area and fired three missiles at the car. The first missile hit the ground, approximately 30m away from the car, the second one hit the back side of the car, while the third one hit the car directly. Jihad Sawafta, 28, from Tubas, wanted by Israeli occupying forces, was traveling in the car but was able to escape when the first missile hit the ground. He was seriously wounded. When people heard sounds of explosions, they hurried towards the affected area. Medical and rescue personnel evacuated three burnt bodies from the car. The three persons were identified as:
1.Ra’fat Qadri ‘Abdul Latif Daraghma, 29, from Tubas town, a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service who was wanted by Israeli occupying forces for having been a leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in the area;
2.Sari ‘Abdul Karim Subeih, 17, from Tayaseer village; and
3.Yazid Yousef Mahmoud ‘Abdul Raziq, 16, from Tayaseer village.
Two children were also killed by shrapnel while they were near their houses in the eastern part of Tubas:
1.Ussama Ibrahim Mufleh Abu al-Zeit, 14, hit by shrapnel in the back; and
2.Bahira Burhan Abu al-Zeit, 7, hit by shrapnel in the chest and the abdomen.
In addition, five passing civilians were wounded:
1.Ahmed Samer Hisham, 7, from Tubas, seriously wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen;
2.Ibrahim Salama Abu ‘Aamer, 28, from Tubas, wounded by shrapnel in the right shoulder;
3.Nahla Salama Abu ‘Aamer, 40, from Jordan, who was in a visit to her relatives, wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen;
4.Sayel Mustafa Daraghma, 26, from Tubas, wounded by shrapnel in the head and the right shoulder; and
5.Mohammed ‘Ali Ibrahim Abu Muhsen, 25, from Tubas, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body.
At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces broke into al-Sayafa area between “Dogit” and “Elli Sinai” settlements, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip. They raided and searched some houses of the al-Ghoul family. As they withdrew from the area, they arrested two members of the family:
1.Mahmoud ‘Eissa Mahmoud al-Ghoul, 16; and
2.Jaber Mahmoud Jaber al-Ghoul, 54.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli military vehicles, covered by intense shelling, moved approximately 150m into ‘Omar Ben al-Khattab Street near Salah al-Din Gate at the Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah. Israeli armored military bulldozers demolished 21 Palestinian stores, which had been closed since the beginning of the Intifada due to repeated Israeli shelling. At approximately 11:00, Israeli soldiers fired at a video camera that belongs to Bassam Mohammed Mas’oud of Reuters news agency, set near Bahlul fuel station. From 14:00 to 20:00, Israeli occupying forces shelled the area, killing 14-year-old ‘Abdul Hadi Anwar al-Hamida with a live bullet in the head, and wounding eight other civilians, mostly children:
1.Mohammed Amin Shahin, 12, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the chest;
2.Ahmed Nabil Abu Lebda, 12, wounded by shrapnel in the face;
3.Shadi Na’im Abu ‘Anza, 14, wounded by shrapnel in the right arm;
4.Taha Mustafa Jaber, 12, wounded by a live bullet in the right elbow;
5.Naji Fu’ad Abu Jazar, 15, wounded by a live bullet in the pelvis;
6.Mohammed Mousa Abu Jazar, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh;
7.yman Isma’il al-Faramawi, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the chest and the limbs; and
8.Walid Hussein ‘Abdul ‘Aal, 20, wounded by shrapnel in the right foot.
At approximately 18:00, while an infantry unit of the Israeli occupying forces was patrolling at the eastern entrance of al-Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah while a curfew was imposed on the area. Mohammed Hassan Jad al-Haq al-Toukhi, 15, threw stones towards Israeli soldiers, who responded by firing at him from a distance of approximately 60m, seriously wounding him with a rubber-coated metal bullet that entered the back and exited the abdomen. According to medical sources, the bullet damaged the intestines, the pancreas, and the spleen.
At the same time, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into Jenin to re-impose a curfew. They opened fire at Palestinian houses, wounding 23-year-old Majdi Ibrahim Abu al-Sibaa’ with a live bullet in the right leg, while he was near his house.
At approximately 21:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the Palestinian security compound (Muqata’a) in Nablus. Then, they ordered the staff of the Palestine Crescent Society and residents of adjacent houses to open windows of these buildings. Soon, sounds of heavy explosions were heard. Israeli forces destroyed the northern part of Muqata’a and the headquarters of the Palestinian Ministry of Interior.
At approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in a military site in Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah opened fire at the opposite Zo’rob square. Bassem Mansour Rashwan, 27, was wounded by a live bullet in the left arm.
At approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp, wounding a Palestinian civilian and his daughter while inside their house:
1.‘Afif Hussein Khalil Sarhan, 56, wounded by a live bullet in the neck; and
2.Fatema ‘Afif Hussein Sarhan, 10, wounded by shrapnel in the chest.
At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at houses in Jenin refugee camp, wounding 25-year-old ‘Alaa’ Farouq Mohammed Abu al-Haija with shrapnel in the chest.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces again shelled houses in Jenin refugee camp, wounding 15-year-old Nihad Jamil Hassan Salama with shrapnel in the head, while he was on the roof of his family’s house.
At approximately 11:00, during the curfew imposed on al-Am’ari refugee camp in Ramallah, a number of Palestinian boys and young men threw stones towards an Israeli military jeep that was patrolling in the camp. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the stone throwers, wounding two:
1.Lu’ai ‘Abed Hammad, 20, wounded in the shoulder; and
2.Jihad Mohammed Abu Humeid, 14, wounded in the back.
At approximately 16:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 1200m into al-Manara neighborhood and Gizan al-Najjar area in the south of Khan Yunis. Israeli soldiers stationed at “Morag” settlement, south of Khan Yunis, searched the area and took up position on branch roads for approximately half an hour.
At approximately 17:45, while a number of Palestinian children were near their houses in the center of Jenin refugee camp, Israeli occupying soldiers fired at them from a distance of approximately 30m, claiming that they had broken the curfew imposed on the camp. Three children were wounded:
1.Mohammed Khaled Sa’ad Khalifa, 13, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg;
2.Aaya Mohammed Khaled Khalifa, 7, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg; and
3.Wa’el Jamil Nafe’ al-Sa’di, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the left leg.
At approximately 20:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Gani Tal” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, and in a military site known as “al-Nouria,” west of al-Amal neighborhood, opened fire at al-Rabwat area and al-Amal neighborhood. Ahmed ‘Essam Hathat, 20, was wounded by shrapnel in the face.
Two hours later, Israeli occupying forces resumed shelling of the two areas, wounding 22-year-old Akram Mohammed Suleiman Abu Daoud with shrapnel in the chest, while he was on his way back home, approximately 300m southeast of the aforementioned settlement. In addition, an electricity tower was destroyed and electricity was cut from the area all night. Two artillery shells hit a greenhouse planted with tomatoes owned by Yasser Ahmed ‘Awad al-Astal, severely damaging it. A number of houses were also damaged.
At approximately 06:30, Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by indiscriminate shelling, moved approximately 300m into al-Qarara village, northeast of Khan Yunis. An Israeli armored military bulldozer leveled areas of agricultural land owned by the family of al-Sumeiri, which were razed several months ago.
At approximately 11:30, Israeli occupying forces surrounded a two-story house in al-Shurafa area in al-Bireh, owned by Nidhal Mohammed Jawdat Ghousha, 35. They ordered all those who were inside to get out. They arrested the owner and Sheikh Hssan Yousef, the spokesman of Hamas in the West Bank.
At approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” and “Gani Tal” settlements shelled al-Amal neighborhood and al-Rabwat area in Khan Yunis. An artillery shell fell near the house of Ayman Ibrahim al-Hissi in al-Amal neighborhood, approximately 600m away from Israeli military locations. Two of his children were wounded: Shadi, 14, seriously wounded by shrapnel in the chest; and Mohammed, 11, wounded by shrapnel in the left hand. A PCHR field officer reported that the two children were on their way to a nearby shop when the artillery shell fell near their house. Two artillery shells also fell on a road in al-Amal neighborhood, wounding three Palestinian civilians:
1.‘Ali Hassan Mohammed al-Zaqzuq, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the legs and the right thigh;
2.Darwish Mustafa Darwish al-‘Attal, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the chest and the right hand; and
3.Mohammed Fu’ad ‘Abdul Qader Jaber, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the chest.
In al-Rabwat area, six artillery shells hit three greenhouses planted with vegetables, owned by Yasser, Khalil and Ayman al-Astal, severely damaging it. A number of houses were also damaged and Palestinian civilians were extremely terrified.
At approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations near al-Matahen Company, northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at al-Jayaiwa area in al-Qarara village, wounding 23-year-old Sabah Jawad Adib Abu ‘Eid with shrapnel in the right hand, and damaging a number of houses.
At approximately 01:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by intense shelling, moved approximately 150m into ‘Omar Ben al-Khattab Street, adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian border south of Rafah. An artillery shell hit Bahlul fuel station burning two fuel machines, while another shell hit an electricity transmitter, cutting electricity from the area.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces surrounded the house of Bassam al-Sa’di in Jenin refugee camp to arrest him. Israeli soldiers fired at the house. A number of Palestinian gunmen, including the owner’s son ‘Abdul Karim Bassam al-Sa’di, 16, exchanged fire with Israeli soldier. The son was wounded by a live bullet that entered the back and exited the chest. He succumbed to his wound upon arrival at hospital.
At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces on military vehicles opened fire at houses in the west of Jenin refugee camp, wounding a young man and a child:
1.Mu’ammar Asa’ad ‘Abdullah Sabbah, 21, wounded by a live bullet in the back; and
2.Rahaf Khalil Jarrar, 4, wounded by shrapnel in the left hand.
At approximately 15:00, medical sources at Rafidya Hospital in Nablus declared that Ghassan Hamdi Fares al-Shu’abi, 23, from Nablus, succumbed to a wound he received last week. Al-Shu’abi was seriously wounded by shrapnel in the head and the chest when an Israeli tank fired a shell at a number of Palestinian civilians in the old town of Nablus on 24 August 2002. Eight other civilians were also wounded.
At approximately 10:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved into Jenin. They opened fire at the central market of the town, wounding David Silver, a Swedish journalist, with a live bullet in the arm, while he was covering the Israeli incursion into the town.
Israeli occupying forces again used a Palestinian civilian as a human shield while chasing her brother in Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of Jenin, to arrest him. According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and jeeps and supported by two helicopters, moved into Kufor Ra’ei village, south of Jenin. They surrounded the house of Ra’ed Mohammed Murshed to arrest his brother-in-law Ghassan Mohammed Abu al-Haija, 32, from Jenin refugee camp. Three hours later, Israeli soldiers forced Murshed’s wife to get in a military jeep and call on her brother Ghassan to surrender to Israeli forces, and he did at 19:00.
In an apparent willful killing, Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinian civilians in Burin village, south of Nablus, with two artillery shells. According to information available to PCHR, while Baher ‘Adul Ra’ouf Ahmed ‘Eid , 24, and Hussein ‘Abdul Jabbar Hussein al-Najjar, 21, were in an animal farm owned by ‘Eid, Israeli occupying soldiers in a military location in the vicinity of “Brakha” settlement, north of Burin village, approximately 3km away, fired an artillery shell at them. The two were instantly killed. Five minutes later, Israeli soldiers fired another shell at the farm. Israeli occupying forces claimed that Israeli soldiers in a military location “noticed two Palestinian gunmen who were on their way to carry out an armed attack, so they fired two shells at the two, and in the morning, they discovered the body of one of them.” An Israeli military spokesman claimed that “the other gunman was not apparently hurt and could escape taking his colleague’s gun.” However, villagers found bodies of the two young men in the site, contrary to Israeli claims. After the incident, Israeli occupying forces moved into the village and imposed a curfew. They opened fire at houses, wounding Walid Jebril ‘Eid, 28, with a live bullet in the left leg.
Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah and began demolishing a family home over its residents without any prior warning. Israeli forces also prevented neighbors from offering help to the wounded who were eventually able to escape unaided from the demolished home.
According to eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at approximately 05:00, nine tanks and armored personnel carriers and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupying forces moved approximately 200m into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah, adjacent to the Palestinian-Egyptian border. The Israeli bulldozer began demolishing Fayez ‘Ali Mohammed Abu Hussein’s house while its inhabitants were sleeping. Although the owner screamed at the Israeli soldiers to stop the demolition, they did not stop. So, he called on neighbors to help him save his family. When some neighbors tried to offer help, Israeli soldiers fired at them. Neighbors again attempted to offer us help, but Israeli tanks fired at them. Israeli forces continued to fire at whoever tried to evacuate the family. Only one hour later, a number of neighbors and relatives were able to reach the house and evacuate all of my family. They were all taken to hospital in an ambulance and a number of civilian cars.
According to medical sources at Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, six members of the family, who were wounded, were evacuated to the hospital:
1.Bahjat Fayez Abu Hussein, 20, wounded in the head, the right shoulder, the chest and the left hand;
2.Ahmed Fayez Abu Hussein, 17, wounded in the hands;
3.Majeda Radwan Abu Hussein, 42, wounded in the feet;
4.Nour Fayez Abu Hussein, 11, wounded in the head;
5.Hanan Fayez Abu Hussein, 3, wounded in the abdomen and the right foot;
6.Manal Fayez Abu Hussein, 2, wounded in the feet;
In addition, three members of the family suffered from shocked. Another house, owned by Nidhal ‘Abdullah al-‘Emwasi, was also partially demolished in the incident. Abu Hussein and his family had been forced to evacuate the original family home on 2 May 2002, when Israeli occupying forces demolished it together with 11 other houses in al-Salam neighborhood. He was forced to move to another house which was then demolished on Tuesday.
At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and covered by intense gunfire, moved approximately 300m into Palestinian agricultural land west of “Kfar Darom” settlement in the east of Deir al-Balah. They searched the area and razed a 2-donums of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Maher Suleiman Abu Salim.
At approximately 22:00, Israeli occupying forces at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, southeast of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, shelled the camp. An artillery shell hit a school, approximately 1000m away, destroying its gate. No casualties were reported as no student was at school at that time. Another artillery shell hit a 3-story house owned by Ibrahim Darwish al-Qattawi, severely damaging it, but no casualties were reported.
In an apparent extrajudicial execution, Israeli occupying forces shot dead four Palestinian workers, including two twins, from al-Shioukh village east of Hebron:
Hussam Na’im Dhib Halaiqa, 30;
Hisham Na’im Dhib Halaiqa, 30;
‘Alaa’ ‘Aatef ‘Ayaida, 23; and
‘Attyea Ahmed Ibrahim Halaiqa, 25.
According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 02:10, 4-5 Israeli soldiers raided the yard of Bani Na’im Marble Company, east of Hebron, and arrested four Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers took the four civilians away and shot them dead. Israeli occupying forces claimed that the four were on their way to carry out an armed attack, but the brother of one of the victims denied this as he saw Israeli soldiers arresting his brother together with the other three victims. He then heard sounds of shooting in the area to which Israeli soldiers took the four victims. According to Dr. ‘Abed Rabbu Manasra, director of Palestine Red Crescent Society in Bani Na’im village, who checked the bodies of the victims before evacuating them to hospital, each of the victims was shot by at least ten live bullets, mostly in the head and the chest. The bodies were also distorted.
In his testimony to the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), Ishaq Ahmed Ibrahim Halaiqa, from al-Shioukh village and the victims’ colleague, said:
“On Sunday, 1 September 2002, we finished our work at 02:00. We all sat in the front yard to have a meal. At approximately 02:10, I went to the bathroom. When I was back from the bathroom, I saw 4-5 Israeli soldiers stopping the four young men. There was a light outside which enabled me to see well. I was approximately 50m away from them and hid behind stones. I looked again and I saw the young men with their hands over thei heads and Israeli soldiers pointing their guns at them. The Israeli soldiers took the young men to an area near the western entrance of Bani Na’im village. Ten minutes later, I went to the yard and then mounted the roof of offices which overlook the area where the Israeli soldiers took the young men. I was not able to see anything because it was dark. However, I heard a cry of agony. Two or three minutes later, I heard sounds of intense gunfire. I heard one of the young men calling on ‘Alaa’ ‘Ababda, but the voice soon quietened. Five minutes later, two Israeli military vehicles arrived at the area. Israeli soldiers who came also opened fire. An Israeli soldier shouted in Hebrew. Israeli forces brought more reinforcements to the area. Then, I walked towards Bani Na’im village and then to al-Shioukh village. I arrived there at approximately 06:00. I listened to the Arabic news on the Israeli radio, which said that four ‘terrorists’ were killed in Bani Na’im area. I realized that they were talking about my brother and colleagues. Then, I went with my relatives to Bani Na’im village and brought there bodies at approximately 10:00.”
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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.
