Weekly Report

On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied

 Palestinian Territories

 05- 11 September, 2002

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

  

 

Introduction

 On Tuesday, 10 September, the Israeli Chief of Staff Moshe Ya'alon stated before a session of the Israeli parliamentary committee on foreign and security affairs that he gave orders to assassinate Sheikh Salah Mustafa Shehada on 22 July 2002, although he knew that Shehada's wife and daughter were accompanying him.  He claimed that it was imperative to carry the operation even if the wife and daughter were present.  This statement is another proof of the grave breaches and war crimes perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians, in violation of the international law and humanitarian law. 

   Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians and their property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), including willful killings, shelling of, and incursion into Palestinian areas, house demolition, and agricultural land leveling.

This week, Israeli occupying forces carried out a series of limited incursions into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, while continuing to invade Palestinian areas in the West Bank. Furthermore, 5 Palestinians, including 2 civilians, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

 Throughout this week, Israeli occupying forces carried out a series of incursions into Palestinian towns and refugee camps in the Gaza Strip, in which they destroyed civilian and security facilities, demolished houses and arrested some Palestinians.  The largest incursion took place on Wednesday, 11 September, when Israeli occupying forces supported by helicopters invaded Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.  They raided houses, mosques and civilian institutions.  They interrogated some Palestinians in their houses and arrested a number of them.  They also damaged service networks, houses and agricultural land. 

 On Thursday, 5 September, Israeli occupying forces moved into the Bedouin village of the northern Gaza Strip.  They raided houses and civilian institutions, including a school.  On Friday, 6 September, Israeli occupying forces moved into Deir al-Balah and destroyed the headquarters of the civil defense and of the Fatah movement, and a workshop.  They also arrested six Palestinians.  On Sunday, 8 September, Israeli occupying forces, covered by intense shelling, moved into al-Boreij and Nusseirat refugee camps in the central Gaza Strip.  Seven Palestinian civilians were wounded.  Israeli forces demolished a house in Nuseirat, claiming that a member of the family is wanted.  They also demolished two workshops. 

 On Thursday, 5 September, Israeli combat helicopters destroyed a workshop in a populated area in Khan Yunis.  Israeli occupying forces claimed that the workshop was making mortars, but field investigation refutes this claim. 

 This week, Israeli occupying forces razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, especially in al-Maghazi refugee camp and Khan Yunis. 

On Wednesday, 11 September, the Israeli security cabinet approved Ariel Sharon's proposal to extend Israeli control over "Rachel's Tomb" outside Bethlehem by including a new road to the site.  According to the plan, the road will be paved to the tomb, and the crossing from the West Bank into Jerusalem will be moved 400 meters to the south.  That means more areas of the occupied West Bank will be annexed to "Greater Jerusalem," in violation the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949.

On Sunday, 8 September, Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinian young men who were apparently attempting to cross the eastern border of the Gaza Strip into Israel to find a job.  Israeli forces fired two artillery shells at the two young men without prior warning or resorting to less lethal means.  Field investigation revealed that the two young men were armless.          

 Continuing the policy of collective punishment adopted by Israeli occupying forces against families of Palestinians who carried out attacks on Israeli targets, on Thursday, 5 September, Israeli occupying forces ordered families of four Hamas members detained in Israeli prisons, to evacuate their houses in Silwan village and Ras al-'Aamud neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.  Three houses would be closed, while the fourth one would be demolished. 

 Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing 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 have checked Palestinian civilians and their cars at Abu Houli and al-Matahen military checkpoints, north of Khan Yunis, especially on 5 and 10 September.  Hundreds of Palestinian civilians were forced to spend the night at those checkpoints, in their cars.


 

Shelling of, and Encroachment into Palestinian Areas

 

Thursday, 5 September 2002

 At approximately 08:00, after an exchange of fire between a Palestinian gunman and Israeli occupying soldiers in military locations in the vicinity of "Nissanit" settlement, north of Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip, in which the gunman was killed, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles moved more than 200m into the Bedouin Village southeast of the settlement.  They imposed a curfew and fired at passing Palestinian civilians, while tanks were patrolling in the streets and closing the main road leading to the village.  During their incursion into the village, Israeli occupying forces raided an elementary school.  They detained pupils, teachers and ordinary people inside and transformed the second floor into a military post.  According to PCHR's investigation, four Israeli tanks surrounded the school south of the main road, approximately 700m away from "Nissanit" settlement.  Then, seven Israeli soldiers raided the school and detained 293 pupils, eight teachers, the headmaster, the guard, an engineer, five workers and a father in seven classrooms.  They searched the school, including the classrooms where pupils were held.  Then, Israeli soldiers moved to the second floor while tanks surrounded the school.  Most of the pupils were detained until 10:30, while the others were held until 12:00.  The northeastern façade of the school was damaged and four windows were destroyed by the Israeli gunfire. 

 At approximately 11:30, eight Israeli occupying soldiers raided a clinic of the Palestinian Union of Medical Relief Committees in Um al-Nasser village in the northern Gaza Strip.  They held a doctor, a nurse, two medical assistants and a woman and her child and searched the clinic, while Israeli tanks were surrounding it.  According to Dr. Mohammed Yaghi, after the exchange of fire in the morning and the Israeli incursion into the village, the medical staff remained in the clinic and no patients came there.  While tanks were surrounding the clinic, eight Israeli soldiers moved in and ordered him to gather all the staff.  They were all held in one room.  Israeli soldiers searched the clinic.  Fifteen minutes later, Israeli soldiers withdrew and ordered the medical staff to leave the clinic.  Israeli forces also surrounded the building of the local council and held all of its staff inside.  Israeli forces raided and searched houses.  At approximately 14:00, Israeli forces withdrew from the village. 

 At approximately 12:45, Israeli occupying forces positioned at the Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses near Salah al-Din Gate, wounding 41-year-old Helmi Mustafa Abu Jazar with a live bullet in the left shoulder. 

 At approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in a military location in Tal Zo'rob area in the southwest of Rafah opened fire at Zo'rob junction, wounding 15-year-old Shireen Ahmed Mohammed Na'na' with a live bullet in the back, while she was inside her family's house.

 At approximately midnight, two Israeli combat helicopters fired three missiles at a 500-square-meter metal-handling workshop in Khan Yunis, owned by Mohammed Khalil Ahmed Fureina, totally destroying it and severely damaging adjacent civilian facilities and houses.  A PCHR field officer reported that a number of adjacent houses, two schools, the headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Force and a shop owned by Mohammed Tarraf al-Astal were damaged. 

   

Friday, 6 September 2002

 At approximately 03:30, Kamel Khaled al-Selawi, 22, a policeman, and Samir 'Omar Younis, a member of the Palestinian Preventive Security Service, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.  The two were on a roof of an apartment building in al-Balawna neighborhood in the east of Jenin.  When they noticed the presence of Israeli occupying forces in the area, they moved down to avoid any threat being posed on the lives of people living in the building.  While they were running near the building, Israeli forces opened fire at them.  They were left bleeding to death.  Later, their bodies were evacuated to hospital.  According to medical sources each of the two were killed by two live bullets in the head and three others in the legs.  There were signs of beating by a sharp tool on the face and the neck.  The Israeli radio in Arabic claimed that "two Palestinian gunmen were killed in Jenin in an exchange of fire with Israeli forces." 

 At approximately 04:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 500m into Heker al-Jame' area in the south of Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.  They raided the house of Mohammed Hussein 'Abdullah Shu'eib, 25, a member of the Palestinian security services.  They searched the house and arrested him. 

 At approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with tanks and armored personnel carriers, moved into Jenin to impose a curfew.  They opened fire at Palestinian houses, wounding 13-year-old Ghadeer Tawfiq Zeid al-Kilani with two live bullets in the right shoulder, while she was playing near her family's house in al-Almania neighborhood. 

 At approximately 14:00, Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Sabbat neighborhood in the east of Jenin.  They opened fire at Palestinian houses, wounding five civilians:

 

1.       Ahmed Yasser Qara'awi, 16, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the right side;

2.       Mo'ayad 'Abdul Karim Esteita, 18, seriously wounded by two live bullets in the chest and the abdomen;

3.       Aysar Hussam 'Arqawi, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the chest;

4.       Jihad Jamal Hanani, 18, wounded by shrapnel in the feet; and

5.       Nidal Mustafa Khalil, 18, wounded by shrapnel in the abdomen. 

 

At approximately 15:30, Israeli occupying soldiers on a tank positioned in Horsh al-Sa'ada area in the west of Jenin fired at Palestinian civilians who were participating in the funeral procession of the two Palestinians killed in the morning by Israeli forces in the town. Ahmed Mohammed Mustafa Abu 'Atiq, 15, was wounded by a live bullet in the right hand. 

 At approximately 17:45, Israeli occupying forces at the Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fired at adjacent Palestinian houses for no apparent reason, wounding two Palestinian civilians:

 

1.       Mohammed 'Essam Baroud, 15, wounded by shrapnel in the right arm; and

2.       Bilal Hassan Baroud, 17, wounded by shrapnel in the face.

 

At approximately 19:00, Israeli occupying forces raided the house of Hisham Humeidan Sharbati, 35, in Qarn al-Thour area in Hebon.  They searched the house and arrested him and his brother Ma'moun, 33. 

 At approximately midnight, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with about 40 heavy military vehicles, invaded Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip.  Israeli forces moved into the center of the town from "Kfar Darom" settlement.  They raided the headquarters of the Palestinian civil defense and offices of the Fatah Movement.  They planted explosives inside the two buildings and destroyed them.  Israeli forces also raided a turnery workshop owned by Wahid Mohammed 'Afana, located on the ground floor of a 160-square-meter house owned by Saber Mohammed Abu Rabi'.  They forced the 11 residents to leave the house and destroyed the workshop and the house.  A PCHR field officer reported that nine adjacent houses were severely damaged.  Israeli forces also raided and searched a number of houses and arrested six Palestinians, including four brothers:

 

1.       Maher Khader Bashir, 32, a lawyer;

2.       Mohammed Khader Bashir, 28, a teacher;

3.       Fayez Khader Bashir, 30, a policeman;

4.       Nasser Khader Bashir, 34, a trader;

5.       Kamel Jaber Abu Musabbeh, 32, a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence; and

6.       Saber Mohammed Abu Rabi', 42, a worker. 

 

Israeli forces withdrew from the town at approximately 02:30 the following day. 

 

Saturday, 7 September 2002

 At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 1500m into Palestinian areas south of "Dugit" settlement in the northern Gaza Strip.  They reached al-Waha (Oasis) tourist resort north of Gaza City.  They demolished its eastern wall, held guards in one room and searched it.  Then, Israeli forces moved forward along the coast and through agricultural land.  They again used a Palestinian civilian as a human shield.  According to Jihad Salem al-Sawrka, who lives near al-Waha tourist resort, Israeli soldiers forced him out of his house.  They ordered him to walk in front of them carrying a loudspeaker.  When they arrived at an inhabited house, they ordered him to call on its residents to get out, but he told them that the house was uninhabited.  Israeli soldiers ordered him to walk before them again to walk before them.  They raided and searched the house and then released him.  During this incursion, Israeli tanks damaged a 9-donum area planted with vegetables owned by Hassan Mohammed Sa'id al-'Attar.  They also destroyed a 100-meter-long fence surrounding a tract of land owned by Younis Mahmoud al-'Attar. 

 At approximately 14:30, Israeli occupying forces at the Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, shelled Palestinian houses in Block J in Rafah refugee camp.  A woman and a boy were wounded:

 

1.       Sa'dia Mohammed Zo'rob, 40, wounded by shrapnel in the face; and

2.       Bassam Isma'il al-Faramawi, 16, wounded by shrapnel in the right arm.

 

At approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved approximately 500m into Palestinian areas, west of "Kfar Darom" settlement in the east of Deir al-Balah.  Israeli soldiers raided and searched a 250-square-meter, two-story house owned by Ahmed Mohammed Baraka.  They held the 10 residents of the house in one room on the first floor and mounted the roof of the house.  Then, Israeli armored military bulldozers razed 46 donums of Palestinian agricultural land:

 

1.       They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms, on which three greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, and destroyed an irrigation network, five water pumps and five agricultural pools, owned by Suleiman Salama Hussein Baraka. 

2.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with palms owned by Suleiman Salama Baraka. 

3.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Baraka.

4.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hussein 'Abdul Rahman Baraka.

5.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by 'Abdullah Mohammed Hussein Baraka. 

6.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Zaki Mohammed Hussein Baraka.

7.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Mustafa Ahmed Baraka.

8.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Rashed Ahmed Baraka.

9.       They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Mohammed Ahmed Baraka.

10.   They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms owned by Ibrahim Ahmed Baraka.

11.   They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and palms, on which three greenhouses planted with vegetables stood, owned by Maher Salim Abu Salim and Yahia 'Atwa al-Louh.

 

Sunday, 8 September 2002

 At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces moved into Tulkarm.  They raided and searched the house of 'Essam al-Bardawil, 22.  Then, they arrested al-Bardawil and two young men from Nablus who were visiting him.  The two young men have not been identified. 

 At approximately 11:30, Israeli occupying forces fired at 25-year-old Tariq Ahmed 'Aabhra, from Jenin, while he was going shopping.  He was wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh. 

 At approximately 15:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved approximately 700m into Palestinian agricultural land west of the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.  They razed more than 100 donums of agricultural land:

 

1.       They razed a 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed an irrigation network, a well and a water pump, owned by Jaber 'Obeidallah Hassan Abu Shehada.

2.       They razed a 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus, and destroyed an irrigation network, an agricultural pool and a water pump, owned by Yahia Ahmed Musallam Abu Mansi. 

3.       They razed a 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus, olives and palms, and destroyed an irrigation network and a well, owned 'Awad Musallam Abu Shehada.

4.       They razed a 20-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and fruits, and destroyed an irrigation network and a well, owned by Khaled 'Aabed Abu Shehada.

5.       They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by 'Ouda 'Abdullah Abu Shehada.

6.       They razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and grapes owned by Jaber Salem Abu Subeih. 

7.       They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by 'Ali Jaber al-Mosaddar.

8.       They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Mohammed Hassan Abu Mansi.

9.       They razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Mohammed 'Ali Abu Shehada.

10.   They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by 'Abdul 'Aati Ahmed Abu Shehada.

11.   They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Mohammed Ahmed Abu Shehada.

12.   They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Munir Ahmed Abu Shehada.

13.   They razed a 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hassan Ibrahim Abu Shehada.

14.   They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hussein Ibrahim Abu Shehada.

15.   They razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by 'Atallah Mohammed Abu Shehada.

16.   They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed an irrigation network, owned by Walid 'Aabed Abu Shehada.

17.   They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Mahmoud 'Aabed Abu Shehada.

18.   They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed a 25-square-meter bird farm, owned by 'Abdul Rahman Mo'ein Abu Mansi.

 

At approximately 21:30, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of "Netser Hazani”, settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Palestinian residential and agricultural areas in al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis.  No casualties were reported.

 At approximately 23:30, Israeli occupying forces in military locations in the vicinity of "Neve Dekalim" settlement, west of Khan Yunis, shelled al-Nimsawi neighborhood and Block H in Khan Yunis refugee camp.  An artillery shell hit the house of Salah Saleh Ibrahim al-Beik, approximately 300m away from the aforementioned settlement.  His four children who were sleeping survived, but they suffered from shock.  The mother, Hala Mohammed Fekri 'Abdul Majid, 32, six months pregnant also suffered shock and suffered from a hemorrhage.  Two houses and a shop were also damaged by the Israeli shelling:

 

1.       a 18-square-meter, iron-roofed house, in which 10 people live, owned by 'Essam Mohammed Zayed Abu Mukheimer;

2.       a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 6 people live, owned by Fayez Ahmed Salim Salha.

3.       a 25-square-meter, asbestos-roofed shop owned by Mohammed Sidqi Mahmoud al-Zayan. 

 

At approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis, fired two artillery shells at two Palestinian young men.  The two were killed.  Soon, Israeli occupying forces moved into the area.  They fired flare bombs and searched the area.  Then, they withdrew from the area.  Late at night, Israeli sources claimed that Israeli forces killed two Palestinians who were attempting to cross the security fence surrounding the Gaza Strip, north of Sofa crossing, and the Israeli army would search the area in the morning to check the circumstances of the incident and identify the two Palestinians.  In the morning, Israeli occupying forces moved into the area again.  They searched the area and found the bodies of the two young men.  At approximately 12:00 on Monday, 8 September, Israeli occupying forces delivered the bodies of the young men to the Palestinian side.  The bodies were moved to a hospital in Rafah.  The two young men were identified as:

 

1.       Jamal Suleiman Abu Shalluf, 18, from Rafah; and

2.       'Ateya Sa'id al-Kashef, 24, from Rafah. 

 

A PCHR field officer reported that the area where this incident took place is an open area, and that Israeli occupying forces could have arrested the two young men or used less lethal means against them, since they were not armed and were not members of any Palestinian organization. 

 

At approximately 23:30, Israeli tanks moved from "Kfar Darom" settlement in the central Gaza Strip approximately 500m into Deir al-Balah.  They shelled electricity transmitters, cutting electricity from the town and its refugee camp.  Approximately 20 minutes later, Israeli heavy military vehicles, covered by intense shelling and supported by combat helicopters, moved into al-Boreij and Nusseirat refugee camp.  An Israeli tank that took position at the entrance to al-Boreij fired a fletchette tank shell at Palestinian houses, wounding seven civilians:

 

1.       Salem 'Abdul Karim Abu Gharqoud, 19, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen;

2.       Mahmoud 'Abdul Rahman al-Su'eidani, 24, wounded by two live bullets in the abdomen and the right thigh;

3.       Ahmed 'Abdul Karim al-Su'eidani, 55, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;

4.       Tariq Mohammed Abu Sa'da, 20, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot;

5.       Ashraf 'Abdul Qader al-Tawil, 32, wounded by a live bullet in the left foot;

6.       Ibrahim 'Atya Nashabat, 39, wounded by a live bullet in the right foot; and

7.       'Aahed Ahmed al-Su'eidani, 22, wounded by shrapnel in the back. 

 

An hour later, Israeli occupying forces planted explosives in a 220-square-meter, two-story house owned Jaber Mahmoud Nashabat in al-Boreij refugee camp, after they forced its 10 residents out without allowing them to evacuate their furniture, and destroyed it.  Israeli occupying forces claimed that the owner's son Mahmoud, 32, was wanted for his activities in the Intifada.  At the same time, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a 44-square-meter car maintenance workshop owned by Mahmoud Isma'il Abu Jalala, and a 44-square-meter turnery workshop owned by 'Abdul Qader 'Abed Rabbu Abu Helu, located under a house owned by Sa'id Isma'il Abu al-Kas.  The house became uninhabitable.  Nine adjacent houses were also severely damaged.

 

Monday, 9 September 2002    

 At approximately 11:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved approximately 600m into al-Fukhari village, adjacent to the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis.  During nine hours, they razed more than 100 donums of Palestinian agricultural land, demolished two houses and destroyed agricultural equipment:

 

1.       They razed a 25-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and grapes, damaged an irrigation network and demolished two rooms, owned by 'Abdul Malek 'Abdul Salam Mohammed al-Farra.

2.       They demolished a 120-square-meter, one-story house owned by 'Abdul Malek 'Abdul Salam Mohammed al-Farra.

3.       They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Humeidan Hashem Sarhan Shurrab.

4.       They razed 1-donum area of agricultural land and destroyed an agricultural pool and water pump owned by Nabil Mousa Mohammed Abu 'Ouda.  They also destroyed barbwires surrounding greenhouses famed by Ghazi Mousa Mohammed Abu 'Ouda, severely damaging one of those greenhouses.   

5.       They razed a 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed an irrigation network, an agricultural pool and a 20-square-meter room, owned by Suleiman Mohammed Farhud Kaware'. 

6.       They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Salim Mahmoud Ahmed Kaware'.

7.       They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, and destroyed an irrigation network and an umbrella, owned by Mustafa Hussein Mustafa Kaware'. 

8.       They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Suleiman Hamdan Kaware'.

9.       They razed a 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a 300-meter-long row of wild figs, and destroyed an irrigation network, owned by Mohammed Hamid Salim 'Ataya. 

10.   They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Salem Salama Suleiman 'Ataya.

11.   They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and almonds, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by 'Ateya Hamid Salim 'Ateya. 

12.   They razed a 20-donum area of agricultural land an a row of wild figs, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Hassan Mohammed Hamamd al-'Omour.

13.   They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Zaher 'Ateya Mohammed al-'Omour.

14.   They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Hammad Salman Hammad al-'Omour. 

 

Tuesday, 10 September 2002

 At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces moved into Beitounia, west of Ramallah.  They surrounded a one-story building used as offices for the Palestinian General Intelligence.  There were three Palestinians inside the building, including two security men.  Israeli occupying forces claimed that the third Palestinian was wanted.  According to eyewitnesses, Israeli forces imposed a curfew on the area.  Then, they opened fire at the building.  Those who were inside the building exchanged fire with Israeli forces.  The exchange of fire lasted for two hours.  When fire ceased, Israeli forces broke into the building.  An Israeli ambulance was seen evacuating the wounded to an unknown destination.  When the Israeli forces withdrew from the area, an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society arrived in the area and evacuated the body of one Palestinian who was killed.  He was identified as Mahmoud Ahmed Mousa Harfoush, 31, from Kharabtha al-Misbah village.  According to medical sources, he received several live bullets in the chest, the abdomen and the buttocks.  The two members of the General Intelligence who were inside the building were:

 

1.       Riad Nayef, 30, from Deir 'Ammar village; and

2.       Raji 'Abdul Qader, 32, from Deir 'Ammar village. 

 

At the same time, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with tanks and armored personnel carriers and supported by a helicopter, surrounded the house of Lu'ai 'Ali Nafe' 'Abdu, 47, in al-Qasaba neighborhood in Nablus.  They fired at the house.  Then, they destroyed its door and broke in.  They ordered 'Abdu to lie on the ground and handcuffed him.  They arrested him.  'Abdu is a member of Fatah Movement in Nablus. 

 In the evening, Israeli occupying forces moved into Yatta village, south of Hebron.  They opened fire at houses in the village.  A number of Palestinian children gathered and threw stones towards Israeli forces.  Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullets at the stone throwers, wounding 11, including two who were in serious condition:

 

1.       Rashad Subhi Mohammed Abu Taha, 13, seriously wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet that crashed the skull; and

2.       Amjad Mohammed al-Jundi, 10, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet that crashed the skull.

 

Wednesday, 11 September 2002

 At approximately 01:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and covered by intense shelling, moved approximately 700m into al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.  Around 15 Israeli soldiers surrounded the houses of the families of al-Mansi and Shehada in the east of the camp.  They raided and searched those houses and arrested six Palestinians:

 

1.       Mohammed Husni al-Mansi, 47;

2.       Hussam Mohammed Abu Mansi, 28, a farmer;

3.       'Abdul 'Aziz Ahmed Abu Shehada, 38, a worker;

4.       'Abdul 'Aati Ahmed Abu Shehada, 35, a worker;

5.       Mohammed Ahmed Abu Shehada, 38,a worker; and

6.       Hussam Mohammed 'Ali Abu Shehada, 38, a public employee. 

 

At approximately 01:30, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with dozens of heavy military vehicles, supported by helicopters and covered by intense shelling, invaded Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip.  They seized complete control over the town.  They raided and searched houses, mosques and charity societies.  The destroyed service networks, two wells and some crops. Israeli forces raided the house of Munir 'Abdul Rahman Abu 'Ouda, 47, who is wanted by them.  They held residents of the house in one room.  They interrogated his sons, as he was not at home.  Israeli forces confiscated identity cards of one of his sons and a relative who was in the house.  Israeli forces also raided the house of Hani and Zakaria Mohammed 'Abdul Khaliq, 24 and 26 respectively.  They searched the house and arrested the two brothers.  During this incursion, Israeli occupying forces damaged four mosques, two institutions and a house owned by Nayef Ahmed 'Awad Abu 'Aathra.

 At approximately 07:00, Israeli occupying forces, accompanied by a bulldozer, moved into al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip.  The Israeli bulldozer demolished two houses in the east of the camp:

 

1.       a 130-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 9 persons used to live, owned by Yahia Ahmed al-Mansi; and

2.       a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed uninhabited house, including an agricultural pool and a water pump, owned by Musallam 'Awad Abu Shehada. 

  

Shooting at Palestinian Civilians

 

Thursday, 5 September 2002

 At approximately 16:30, Israeli occupying soldiers at Abu Houli military checkpoint, south of Deir al-Balah, fired at a number of Palestinian civilians who were waiting to cross towards Khan Yunis.  Mu'taz Hussein Abu 'Aridha, 17, from Rafah, was wounded by a live bullet in the left shoulder. 

 

Saturday, 7 September 2002

 At approximately 18:00, a number of Palestinian children gathered at the eastern entrance of al-Amari refugee camp.  They threw stones towards an Israeli military jeep passing on Ramallah-Jerusalem road. Israeli soldiers fired rubber-coated metal bullet at the stone throwers, wounding three:

 

1.       'Odai Jamal Hassan Humeidan, 15, wounded in the right hand;

2.       Mahmoud Marwan Mas'oud al-Mousa, 13, wounded in the chest; and

3.       Shadi Mohammed Khalil, 13, wounded in the left leg.

 

Monday, 8 September 2002

 At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying soldier positioned on an observation tower at a junction on the western Khan Yunis-Rafah road, which Israeli forces had closed since the first months of the Intifada, fired from a short distance at Ghalia Hamad Mohammed Younis, 46, for no apparent reason, wounding her with three live bullets in the legs.  According to Palestinian medical sources, Younis suffers from psychological disturbances.  The Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot reported on its Arabic web site that Israeli soldiers fired at a Palestinian woman in the Gaza Strip when she got close to the entrance of an Israeli settlement, claiming that she raised suspicions when she did not follow orders of soldiers to stop for checking. 

 

Collective Punishment Measures against Families of Palestinians Accused of Conducting Armed Attacks against Israeli Targets

 Israeli occupying forces took retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who have carried attacks against Israeli targets both inside the Green Line and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  On Thursday, 5 September 2002, Israeli occupying forces ordered families of four Hamas members who are currently in Israeli detention to evacuate their houses in Silwan village and Ras al-'Aamud neighborhood in occupied Jerusalem.  Three houses are:

 

1.       a 100-square-meter, one-story house, in which six persons live, owned by the family of Wa'el Mahmoud Mohammed Qassem, 31;

2.       a 100-square-meter, one-story house, in which four persons live, owned by the family of Mohammed Ishaq Shehada 'Ouda, 29; and

3.       a 95-square-meter, one-story house, in which three persons live, owned by the family of 'Alaa' Mahmoud Mohammed al-'Abbasi, 30.

 

The fourth house, a 95-square-meter, one-story house, in which three persons live, owned by the family of Wissam Sa'id Mousa al-'Abbasi, 25, would be demolished. 

 

*****

 

 

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.