In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces moved into Palestinian areas. They razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land, especially in ‘Abasan and Khuza’a villages, east of Khan Yunis. On Friday, 23 August, Israeli occupying forces demolished a house, in which 17 Palestinian civilians used to live, and a brick factory in Deir al-Balah. On Wednesday, 28 August, Israeli occupying forces, covered by land and marine shelling and supported by helicopters, moved into Gaza City. No casualties were reported.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained their control over most of the West Bank. They raided towns and villages and arrested dozens of Palestinians. They also shelled Palestinian residential areas, killing a Palestinian civilian and wounding dozens. For the third consecutive month, Israeli occupying forces have maintained control over Nablus, imposing a strict siege and a curfew on the city, its four refugee camps and five of its villages. Sporadically, they have also imposed curfews on Ramallah, Jenin, Tulkarm and Hebron.

Despite an Israeli High Court temporary decision issued on 19 August 2002, which prohibited the use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in Israeli military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Israeli occupying forces have continued to use civilians as human shields. They used a Palestinian civilian in Jenin refugee camp as a human shield to arrest three Palestinians. On Tuesday, 27 August, the Israeli High Court extended the decision for another five days. An Israeli senior officer claimed that Israeli soldiers did not force Palestinian civilians to knock at doors of the wanted, rather “they only asked them to do so.” “In the future, we will call on the wanted to get out of house, and soon after that, we will fire a rocket at windows to make them know that we are serious, and thus the possibility of their survival will be minimized.”

On Monday, 26 August, a Jewish settler ran over a 6-year-old Palestinian child in Yatta village in Hebron, while he was crossing a bypass road, killing him instantly.

In violation of the international law and humanitarian law which prohibit collective punishment, for the fourth consecutive week, Israeli occupying forces have taken retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who have carried attacks against Israeli targets both inside the Green Line and in the OPT. On Monday, 26 August, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a house in al-Jarad farm near Tulkarm, as one of its floors was rented by the family of a wanted Palestinian.

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, on 27 and 28 August. They forced Palestinian civilians out of their cars and checked them.

1. They demolished a 120-square-meter, one-story house, in which 10 persons used to live, owned by Muyassar Mohammed al-Tawashi.

2. They demolished a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which seven persons used to live, owned by Yousef Sa’id al-Tawashi.

3. They demolished a 500-square-meter brick factory owned by Ahmed Sa’id al-Tawashi, and destroyed its electricity network and a pool.

At approximately 13:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved approximately 900m into ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. They razed 25 donums of Palestinian agricultural land and large areas planted with wild figs:

1. They destroyed a 1-donum greenhouse planted with tomatoes and an irrigation network owned by Jaber Salman Suleiman Abu Daqqa.

2. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and vegetables and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Halima Salman Suleiman Abu Daqqa.

3. They razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Barham Daoud Nasser al-Reqeb.

4. They razed a 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network onwed by Kamal Darwish Abu Shab.

5. They razed a 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a 70-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Ahmed Baraka Khalil Abu Daqqa.

6. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a 70-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Yousef ‘Abdullah Abu Daqqa.

7. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and an 80-meter-long row of wild figs owned by ‘Abdul Hadi Baraka Khalil Abu Daqqa.

8. They razed a 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a 100-meter-long row of wild figs owned by al-‘Abed and Mohammed Baraka Khalil Abu Daqqa.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli occupying forces in a military location in Tal Zo’rob area southwest of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses located opposite to the military outpost, wounding 30-year-old Mousa Mahmoud Zo’rob with a live bullet in the left leg.

At approximately 14:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and three armored bulldozers, and covered by indiscriminate shelling, moved approximately 900m into ‘Abasan and Khuza’a villages, east of Khan Yunis. In six hours, the Israeli bulldozers razed 69 donums agricultural land and large area planted with wild figs.

1. They razed a 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Khalil ‘Abdul Karim Salem Abu ‘Anza.

2. They razed a 100-meter-long row of wild figs that surrounded a tract of land owned by Akram Ahmed Mousa Abu ‘Anza.

3. They razed a 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, pomegranates and lotus jujubes and a 70-meter-long row of wild figs owned by ‘Abdul Majid ‘Aqil Abu Latifa and farmed by Ahmed Musallam Salim Abu Daqqa.

4. They razed a 50-meter-long row of wild figs that surrounded a tract of land owned by Fu’ad Ahmed Mohammed Abu Daqqa.

At approximately 02:30, Israeli occupying forces raided the house of ‘Emad ‘Awni Kamel Abu Shamsia, 32, in Khellat Hadour area in the east of Hebron, and arrested him.

At approximately 07:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, invaded Jenin and imposed a curfew. They opened fire at the central market of the town, wounding three Palestinian civilians:

1. Ahmed Raja Ibrahim ‘Awartani, 12, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh;

2. Ahmed ‘Adnan Ibrahim ‘Awartani, 13, wounded by a live bullet in the right thigh; and

3. Mohammed Khaled Mustafa Abu al-Rub, 26, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh.

At approximately 11:30, Israeli occupying forces in military locations next to “Netser Hazani” settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis, fired, for no apparent reason, at two Palestinian children who were selling vegetables on a cart in a muddy road, approximately 40m east of the settlement. One of the children, Mohammed Younis Yousef Abu Lehia, 14, was wounded by a heavy caliber bullet in the left foot, and their donkey was killed.

In the afternoon, Israeli occupying forces in military locations at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Khuza’a village in Khan Yunis, opened fire at a number of Palestinian civilians who were checking the destruction in the area caused by Israeli forces on the previous day. Manal Salim Mohammed Qaudeih, 31, was wounded by shrapnel in the back.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli heavy military vehicles moved approximately 400m east of a settler road linking between al-Shuhada junction, south of Gaza City, and al-Mentar crossing, east of the city. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land:

1. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network and a water pump owned by Mohammed Hassan Suleiman ‘Obeid.

2. They razed a 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Ghassan Muhareb Abu al-Qumboz.

3. They razed a 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Khalil Sa’id Faraj.

1. Sheikh Jamal ‘Abdul Salam Abu al-Haija, 43;

2. Islam Jarrar, 25; and

3. Maisara ‘Omar Kahder Esteiti, 22.

They were all wearing underwear. Israeli soldiers forced Abu al-Haija to get rid of his plastic hand and leave it aside. Then, they destroyed the hand. Israeli forces severely beat the three before arresting them. Before their withdrawal, Israeli forces shelled at the house of Mohammed ‘Omar Esteiti, causing a fire inside the house.

At approximately 13:45, about 15 minutes before re-imposing the curfew on Ramallah, two Israeli military jeeps moved into the centre of the town and fired at Palestinian civilians passing by. Six civilians, including a journalist, were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets:

1. ‘Ammar Mohammed ‘Awadh, 23, from Jerusalem, a photographer of Reuters news agency, wounded in the left shoulder;

2. Kamel Ahmed Kamel al-Zein, 16, from Ramallah, wounded in the left hand;

3. ‘Adnan ‘Eissa Ahmed Mutair, 28, from Bani Na’im village in Hebron, wounded in the left leg;

4. Mustafa Mohammed Mustafa Za’ouri, 16, from Ramallah, wounded in the right leg;

5. Rula Khaled Abu Shousha, 24, wounded in the right hand; and

6. Zeidan Mohammed Ahmed Shureih, 33, wounded in the right leg.

In his testimony to the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), Mahoud Makhlouf, a reporter of the Palestinian News Agency (Wafa), said:

“At approximately 13:45 on Monday, 26 August 2002, when the curfew imposed on Ramallah was temporarily lifted, two Israeli military jeeps arrived at al-Manara square. Israeli soldiers opened fire indiscriminately at people passing by. Soon, a number of children gathered near a bus station in the area and threw stones towards the two jeeps. Me and some journalists, ‘Ammar ‘Awadh, a photographer of Reuters news agency; ‘Abbas al-Mumani, a photographer of France Press Agency; and a photographer of CNN called Susan, were photographing the clashes from a distance of approximately 50m. Unjustifiably, an Israeli soldier fired at us, wounding ‘Awadh with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left shoulder.”

At approximately 21:45, Israeli occupying forces in military locations at the southeastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Rafah, opened fire at al-Shouka neighborhood in Rafah. Mohammed Hammad ‘ouda al-Debari, 19, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the head while he was in his family’s agricultural land.

At approximately 03:30, Israeli occupying forces raided the house of ‘Ali Mohammed Ahmed Jaradat, 47, from Ramallah, spokesman of the PFLP. They forced him out of the house and arrested him.

At the same time, Israeli occupying forces raided the house of Saqer Mohammed Hamdan Hanacha, 41, activist of the PFLP who works in Ramallah Municipality, and arrested him.

Furthermore, Israeli occupying forces killed four Palestinian civilians, including a woman and her two sons, and wounding other members belonging to the same family.

According to PCHR’s investigation, at approximately 23:00, Israeli occupying forces in military locations next to “Netzarim” settlement, south of Gaza City, fired an artillery shell at six Palestinian civilians who were in a shed on their agricultural land in Sheikh ‘Ejlin area, approximately 250m away. The artillery shell hit them all and killed three:

1. Ashraf ‘Othman al-Hajin, 23;

2. Nihad ‘Othman al-Hajin, 17; and

3. Mohammed Samir al-Hajin, 41.

Soon after, Rowaida Ibrahim al-Hajin, 41, got out of shed carrying her 3-year-old child Sa’id to check what happened. Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire at her, wounding her with several live bullets throughout the body, and wounding her child with shrapnel. She bled to death. Palestinians ambulances came to the area, but Israeli forces fired at them and prevented them from evacuating the victims. At approximately 01:00 on the following day, and upon coordination between Israeli occupying forces and the Palestinian side through the ICRC, the ambulances were allowed access to the area. The woman was still alive, but she succumbed to her wounds upon arrival at the hospital. Four civilians were also wounded:

1. Sa’id ‘otham al-Hajin, 3, the woman’s child, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;

2. Salah ‘Othman al-Hajin, 15, the woman’s child, seriously wounded by shrapnel throughout the body;

3. Ra’fat ‘Othman al-Hajin, 24, the woman’s son, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and

4. Mohammed Hashem al-Hajin, 20, wounded by shrapnel throughout the body.

This is a violation of Article 33 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which prohibits punishing any protected person for an offense he or she has not personally committed, and Article 9 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which provides that “no one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile,”

At approximately 03:00 on Monday morning, 26 August 2002, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles and supported by two helicopters, moved into al-Jarad farm, east of Tulkarm. They raided the two-story house of Mu’ath Jarad, whose first floor was rented by the family of Mansour Shureim, wanted by Israeli occupying forces for his activities during the Intifada. Israeli soldiers forced the ten residents of the house out and planted bombs on the first floor. Then, they destroyed it by remote control.