2-year old Ameer Ahmed Ayad, who was killed by Israeli occupying force in al-Shojeya neighborhood in Gaza city on 01 May 2003

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

Member of the International Federation for Human Rights – Paris

Israeli Occupying Force Continue to Commit Violations of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Israeli occupying forces have continued to conduct illegal actions and human rights violations against Palestinian civilians, including collective punishment, extra-judicial and willful killings, shelling of and incursions into Palestinian areas and agricultural land leveling. This week, 24-30 April 2003, 11 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a woman and a child, were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial assassinations of Palestinian political and field activists, officially adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments, 2 assassinations were carried out in a three hour period on Tuesday, 29 April 2003. 4 Palestinians, including a bystander, were killed in Bethlehem and Khan Yunis.

Israeli occupying forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, during which they attacked Palestinian civilians and property. This week, Israeli occupying forces razed large areas of agricultural land; more than 500 donums in the Gaza Strip, concentrated in Khuza'a village in the southern Gaza Strip and the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun.

As a result of the Israeli indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas, 5 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and child, were killed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. A sixth Palestinian civilian died from a previous injury he had sustained during an Israeli incursion into Rafah refugee camp last week, which left dead 5 other Palestinian civilians.

On the eve of International Labor Day, an Israeli settlement guard in the central Jordan Valley opened fire on two Palestinian workers, who were returning from work, killing one of them.

In violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who are alleged to have carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and those wanted by Israeli forces. In this context, Israeli forces destroyed two houses in the West Bank towns of Qalqilya and Bethlehem, one of which was destroyed after the owner's son has been assassinated by Israeli occupying forces.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained a total siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territories and have isolated Palestinian communities. They have partitioned the Gaza Strip into three separate zones, restricted the movement of people and goods, and maintained curfews in parts of the West Bank. Since Saturday, 15 March 2003, Israeli occupying authorities prevented Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling abroad. Since 16 April 2003, Israeli occupying forces have maintained the closure of border crossings, particularly commercial crossings, inflicting further losses to the Palestinian economy. Also this week, Israeli forces blocked cars between al-Matahen and Abu Houli military checkpoints, north of Khan Yunis and checked Palestinian civilians traveling between the north and south of the Gaza Strip. Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a strict siege on al-Mawasi area in the southern Gaza Strip, restricting the movement of Palestinian civilians living in the area.

At approximately 06:00, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at Palestinian houses near a military location in the Tal Zo'rob area in the southwest of Rafah. Two Palestinian civilians, who were walking approximately 500m away from the location, were wounded:

At approximately 08:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 300m into a Palestinian agricultural area in the east of Rafah. They remained in the area until 17:00, razing agricultural land, including:

1. An 18-donum area of agricultural land planted with fruits and destroyed two bird farms and 400 beehives owned by 'Ali 'Abdullah Ibrahim Jarghoon.

2. A 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, watermelons and wheat owned by Fadel Mansour Suleiman Abu Mo'ammar.

3. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, almonds and wheat owned by Ahmed Nadi Marzouq Abu Mo'ammar.

At approximately 09:00, two military bulldozers and an Israeli occupying forces tank moved approximately 2km into the east of the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun. They razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 40-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, citrus, apples and peaches and destroyed an irrigation network and three 50-square-meter, iron-roofed rooms owned by heirs of Hassan Mustafa Hassan al-Bahri.

2. A 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Fisal Ghazi al-Shawa.

3. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by 'Abdullah Salam Suleiman Ghazal.

4. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Zuhair Ibrahim Abu Khater.

5. A 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Ghazi Jaber Felfel.

6. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Isma'il 'Awadallah Sa'adat.

7. A 5.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Shuraiqi Shuraiqi Abu Hamad.

8. A 5.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by 'Atiya Abu Hamad.

9. A 9-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network and a well owned by Mohammed Mohammed al-Basiouni.

10. A 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Mohammed Sayed Ahmed al-Basiouni and brothers.

11. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Nabil Mohammed al-Za'anin and brothers.

12. A 2.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Sa'adi Mohammed al-Za'anin and brothers.

13. A 2.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Fayez Mohammed al-Za'anin.

14. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Musbah al-'Arini.

15. A 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Tayseer Ibrahim Abu Daya and brothers.

16. A 14-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Tayseer Rafiq al-Za'anin.

17. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mohammed and Ahmed 'Abdul 'Aziz al-Za'anin.

18. A 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Isma'il Mohammed al-Basiouni and brothers.

19. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mohammed Habib al-Debsi.

20. They razed a 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by 'Abdul Qader Ahmed Mustafa al-Za'anin.

21. A 500-square-meter area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Ahmed Mustafa al-Za'anin.

22. A 500-square-meter area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Talal Ahmed al-Za'anin.

23. A 500-square-meter area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Fayez Ahmed al-Za'anin.

24. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned by 'Abdullah 'Awadh Sa'adat.

25. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Isma'il 'Awadallah Sa'adat.

26. They razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Sa'ada 'Awadallah Sa'adat.

27. They razed an 8-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mohammed Ahmed Sa'ada.

28. A 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by 'Abdul Salam Sa'ada Sa'adat.

29. A 14-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Hussein Mohammed 'Ouda.

30. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Hassan 'Ali 'Ouda.

31. A 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Motlaq Rashid Abu 'Ouda.

32. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Majdi Ibrahim Shehada.

33. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and citrus owned by Majdi Ibrahim Sa'ada.

34. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and citrus owned by Mohammed Ibrahim Shehada.

35. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and citrus owned by 'Abdul 'Aati Ibrahim Sa'ada.

36. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Ibrahim Hassan al-Masri.

37. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Jasser Hassan Ibrahim al-Masri.

38. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Ishaq Mohammed al-Za'anin.

39. A 9-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mohammed Shafiq al-Masri.

40. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Mousa Saqer Abu 'Amsha.

41. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by heirs of Mohammed 'Ali 'Ouda.

42. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Samir Mousa Hamad.

43. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Ziad Mousa Hamad.

44. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Samir Zuhair 'Abdul Hadi.

45. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Zakiya Mousa Hamad.

46. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Zaher Mousa Hamad.

47. A 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by the family of Hamad.

48. A 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Mohammed Ahmed Kharawat and brothers.

49. A 9-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by Jamil Yousef Hamad and brothers.

50. A 6-donum area of agricultural land planted with citrus owned by 'Awadh Mohammed Hamad.

At approximately 10:30, two Israeli military jeeps moved into Qarawat Bani Zaid village, northwest of Ramallah. They stopped at the entrance of a secondary school, while the students were outside, on their break. A number of students gathered in the yard and threw stones towards the jeeps and the Israeli soldiers immediately responded by opening fire. At approximately 10:35, Israeli soldiers moved into the school and opened fire and a student and another civilian who was visiting the school were killed:

2. Ussama Hamdallah al-Sharif 'Arar, 22, shot by a live bullet in the pelvis that caused an acute internal hemorrhage.

In addition, Mahdi Nidal 'Ezziddin, 16, was critically wounded by two live bullets in the chest and the pelvis.

At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces that had into Qalqilya earlier that morning, opened fire at al-Murabetoun elementary school in the center of the town. Three students and a teacher were wounded:

1. 'Essam 'Abdul Latif Abu Hajla, 13, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg;

2. Ahmed Yousef 'Atiya, 13, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh; and

3. Ashraf Nabil Shukri Qaraqe', 13, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh.

At approximately 00:50, an Israeli occupying forces infantry unit moved nearly 200m into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. They surrounded the 500-square-meter, 2-story house of Majed Hassan Ahmed Abu Sel, broke in and held the 6 residents in one room on the first floor. They used the owner as human shield to search the house and approximately half an hour later, they took the owner away from the family. They remained in the house until 04:00.

At approximately 02:00, Israeli occupying forces moved into Jenin. They surrounded the house of Fathi Kamel 'Abed, 67, in al-Marah neighborhood in the east of the town and forced the male residents out of the house. Israeli soldiers then used one of the males as a human shield to search the house. They then took the owner and his five sons to a forest, approximately 3km away from the house and detained them in the area. They then arrested one of the sons, released the others and left the area.

At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 600m into Khuza'a village, east of Khan Yunis. They razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 70-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Salem Zer'ei Hamdan Qudaih.

2. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Shehada Mohammed Ahmed Qudaih.

3. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by 'Abdul Qader Zayed Mohammed Qudaih.

4. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 30-meter-long row of wild figs owned by 'Ouda Hamad 'Ali Qudaih.

5. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 30-meter-long row of wild figs owned by 'Abdul Karim Hamad 'Ali Qudaih.

6. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Awad Hamad ‘Ali Qudaih.

7. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Eid Hamad ‘Ali Qudaih.

8. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Obaid ‘Abdullah Hamdan Qudaih.

9. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 30-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Mohammed ‘Ali Mohammed Qudaih.

10. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Fathi Hassan Hussein Qudaih.

11. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Mohammed Zayed Mohammed Qudaih.

12. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Fawzi Mohammed ‘Ali Qudaih.

13. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Fayez Mohammed ‘Ali Qudaih.

14. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Basem Mohammed ‘Ali Qudaih.

15. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Ali Mohammed ‘Ali Qudaih.

16. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with parleys and a 30-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Jamal Mohammed Ahmed Abu Rujaila.

17. A 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Rasmi Hussein Subhi Qudaih.

18. A 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Nizar Salman Hussin Qudaih.

19. A 1.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an agricultural pool and agricultural equipment owned by ‘Abed Hussein Subhi Qudaih.

20. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives, lemons, onions and chick-peas and a 60-meter-long row of wild figs, and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Hussein Ahmed Hussein Abu Rujaila.

21. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat Mohammed and Ahmed Suleiman Abu Rujaila.

22. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Rasmi Ibrahim Hussein Abu Rujaila.

23. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat, onions and chick-peas and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Ahmed ‘Abdullah Hamdan Qudaih.

24. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and a 100-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Mohammed ‘Abdullah Hamdan Qudaih.

25. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 100-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Majed Ibrahim Hussein Abu Rujaila.

26. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 30-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Mohammed Khalil Hussein Abu Rujaila.

27. A 2.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 40-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Khalil Hussein ‘Ali Abu Rujaila.

28. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with tomatoes, onions and olives and partially destroyed a greenhouse owned by Fayez ‘Obaid ‘Abdullah.

29. A 1-donum area of agricultural land planted with parleys and destroyed an agricultural pool and a water pipeline owned by Rasmi ‘Abed ‘Abdullah Qudaih.

30. A 2.5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Ayman Khalil Hussein Abu Rujaila.

31. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and an 80-meter-long row of wild figs owned by ‘Abdul Hadi Hamdan Khalil Qudaih.

32. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and an 80-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Zare’ Hamdan Khalil Qudaih.

33. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Zer’ei Hamdan Khalil Qudaih.

34. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and an 80-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Hadian Hamdan Khalil Qudaih.

35. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and an 80-meter-long row of wild figs and destroyed a water pipeline owned by ‘Abdul Rahman Salem Hamed Qudaih.

At approximately 10:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, moved into al-Quds Street in Nablus. They opened fire at Palestinian houses and passing Palestinian civilians. A number of Palestinian boys and young men soon gathered in the area and threw stones at the Israeli forces, who responded by firing live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets. Five of the stone throwers, all of whom are from Balata refugee camp, were wounded:

1. ‘Alaa’ Sameeh ‘Ali Kojak, 18, critically wounded by a live bullet in the neck;

2. Bahaa’ Mohammed Ashraf Badawi, 16, wounded by a live bullet in the left hand;

3. Khaled Hilal Mohammed Abu Hamed, 17, wounded by a live bullet in the left hand;

4. Khalil Rasmi Qaisia, 18, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the neck; and

5. Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader Zuraiqi, 21, wounded by a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg.

At approximately 11:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 500m into al-Qarara village, north of Khan Yunis. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 10-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and barley owned by Suleiman ‘Obaid ‘Awadh Abu Mandil.

2. A 9-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed an irrigation network owned by Ahmed ‘Oudetallah Hamdan Abu ‘Aassi.

3. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Salman Ahmed Salem Khashan.

4. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives owned by Sami Abu Shabab.

5. Demolished a 48-square-meter building owned by Isma’il ‘Abdul Raziq Saleh al-Astal.

At approximately 13:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 600m into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis; returning to the same area they had been the previous day. They razed more areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and a 70-meter-long row of wild figs owned by Salem Zer’ei Hmdan Qudaih.

2. A 15-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Shehada Mohammed Ahmed Qudaih.

3. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Abdul Qader Zayed Mohammed Qudaih.

4. A 7-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and destroyed 100 beehives owned by Suleiman Khalil Mohammed Qudaih.

At approximately 17:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 600m into al-Farrahin area in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis. They razed areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 12-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by ‘Ali Hassanain Abu ‘Anza.

2. A 13-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and lentils owned by Ibrahim Barham Rabah Abu Daqqa.

3. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by Fattouh Mohammed Ahmed Abu Daqqa.

4. A 4-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and lentils owned by Naji ‘Abdul Rahman Barakat Abu Daqqa.

5. A 3-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Fu’ad Mohammed Ahmed Abu Daqqa.

6. A 5-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by ‘Abdul Majid ‘Oqail Abu Latifa.

That evening, medical sources at the Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis declared that Khaled Mohammed Jarbou’, 22, from Rafah refugee camp, had succumbed to a wound he sustained by Israeli occupying forces last week. According to PCHR’s investigation Jarbou’ was wounded by a live bullet in the abdomen on 19 April 2003 during an Israeli incursion into Yebna refugee camp in Rafah- an operation which left 5 Palestinian civilians dead and injured 30 others, including 10 seriously. Jarbou’s death brings the number of Palestinian civilians killed by Israeli occupying forces during the 19 April incursion, to 6.

At approximately 01:30, about 12 Israeli soldiers moved approximately 200m into al-Rabwat area in the northwest of Khan Yunis. They surrounded a 165-square-meter, 2-story house owned by ‘Ali Munif Mohammed al-Jallad, broke in and detained the 5 residents in a room on the first floor. One of the sons, Ussama, 23, was used as a human shield while searching the house, before they arrested him and one of his brothers, Mohammed, 24. The raid lasted for nearly 3 hours. The owner of the house told PCHR’s field worker in Khan Yunis that Israeli soldiers confiscated computer disks, passports and a mobile phone.

At approximately 09:00, Israeli occupying forces in a military location in the Tal Zo’rob area in the southwest of Rafah opened fire at nearby Palestinian houses and agricultural areas. A Palestinian civilian, Maher Sabri Zo’rob, 40, was seriously wounded by a live bullet in the back, while he was farming his agricultural land, approximately 400m away from the source of fire.

For the third time this week, at approximately 11:00 Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, including a bulldozer, moved approximately 600m into Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis. They razed more areas of Palestinian agricultural land, including:

1. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat, onions and olives owned by Hodia Salem Hussein Qudaih.

2. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by Suleiman Salem Hussein Qudaih.

3. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by Ahmed Salem Hussein Qudaih.

4. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by Jasser Salem Hussein Qudaih.

5. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Salman Ahmed Khalil al-Najjar.

6. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and barley owned by Hassan Ahmed Khalil al-Najjar.

7. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Hussein Ahmed Khalil al-Najjar.

8. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat owned by Yousef Mahmoud Ahmed al-Najjar.

9. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and barley owned by Mohammed Suleiman Abu Zar.

10. A 2-donum area of agricultural land planted with wheat and olives owned by Mohammed Khalil Hamad Abu Rujaila.

At approximately 14:00, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced with heavy military vehicles, jeeps and helicopters and covered by intense gunfire, moved into Jenin and the refugee camp. During the incursion, a Palestinian child, Mos’ab Ibrahim Hassan Jaber, 16, was killed by a live bullet in the head. Two other children were also wounded:

1. Samer Hassan ‘Ali al-Sous, 15, seriously wounded by a live bullet in the right shoulder; and

At approximately 08:30, a number of Palestinian farmers went to tend to their crops in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis, after Israeli soldiers razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the village during the preceding days. At approximately 9:00, without any prior warning, Israeli occupying forces on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, just east of the village, opened fire at the farmers, wounding two:

1. Ekram Barham Salman Qudaih, 23, critically wounded by a live bullet in the neck; and

2. Fawzia Khalil Hussein Abu Rujaila, 55, wounded by two live bullets in the left shoulder and arm.

PCHR’s field worker in Khan Yunis reported that ambulances were only able to attend to the wounded half an hour later, as Israeli occupying forces continued to fire in the area.

In a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial assassinations of Palestinian political and field activists officially adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments, Israeli occupying forces committed two assassinations on Tuesday, 29 April 2003, which left dead 4 Palestinians in Bethlehem and Khan Yunis.

At approximately 06:50, an undercover unit of the Israeli “Border Guard,” reinforced with two tanks and 8 military jeeps, surrounded a house owned by ‘Abdul Fattah Salah in al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem. The operation targeted Salah’s son and one of his aides and Israeli forces shelled the house, killing them both. Later, an Israeli military ambulance came to the area and evacuated the bodies of the two victims, who were identified as:

1. Mahmoud ‘Abdul Fattah Salah, 29, the leader of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade of Fatah movement in Bethlehem; and

2. ‘Anan Tayseer Jawarish, 25, from Beit Jala, a leading member of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Bethlehem.

The Israeli daily newspaper Yediot Aharanot quoted Israeli security sources on its Arabic web site as saying that “an Israeli military unit killed two Palestinian activists in Bethlehem.” The sources claimed that “Israeli soldiers surrounded a house where the activists were hiding, and when the soldiers were fired upon, the soldiers returned fire, killing the activists.” There were no local eyewitnesses to confirm or deny such claims. The two victims had been wanted by Israeli occupying forces since the beginning of the current Intifada. On 23 November 2002, Israeli occupying forces demolished a house belonging to the family of Mahmoud Salah and approximately 8 months ago, Israeli forces arrested Jawarish’s father and detained him for two weeks to force his son to surrender. Israeli forces repeatedly raided the victims’ families’ houses to arrest or kill them.

In another assassination, at approximately 09:45 on the same day, two Israeli Apache gunships were seen flying over Khan Yunis. One of the gunships launched 2 missiles at a civilian car (a white Seat Ronda), which was traveling towards offices of the Palestinian General Intelligence near the College of Science and Technology in Gizan al-Najjar area in the south of the town. The two missiles hit the car directly, destroying it and killing the driver, who reportedly tried to escape. The driver was later identified as Nidal Mohammed 'Ouda Salama, 36, from Khan Yunis refugee camp, allegedly wanted by Israeli forces for activities with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. 'Awni Mohammed Sarhan, 39, from Khan Yunis, who was passing by on an animal cart, was critically injured and later pronounced dead.

In two cases of apparent willful killing, on Wednesday, 30 April 2003, Israeli occupying forces shot dead two Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

According to PCHR's investigations, at approximately 01:55, Israeli soldiers at a military location near Salah al-Din Gate on the border with Egypt, south of Rafah, opened fire at a Palestinian civilian, who was approximately 300m to the north. He was hit by several live bullets throughout the body. Later, Israeli occupying forces informed Palestinians that the body of a male was located near Salah al-Din Gate. At approximately 11:15, the body was delivered to the Palestinian side and approximately an hour later, the victim was identified as Mansour 'Awadh Nemer Abu Hadayed, 55, from Khan Yunis. The reasons for his presence in the area are unknown, but some of his relatives said that he was known to have mental health problems.

Less than 10 hours later, Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian woman who was tending to livestock, north of a road linking al-Mentar crossing and al-Suhada junction, south of Gaza City.

According to PCHR's investigation, at approximately 11:00, Subhiya Musallam Abu 'Otaiwi, 55, from Gaza Valley village, was tending to livestock, approximately 700m away from an Israeli military locations, which is located north of a road linking al-Mentar crossing and al-Shuhada junction, south of Gaza City. Israeli soldiers shot her dead with a live bullet in the chest and 4 of her animals were also killed.

In a new crime committed by extremist Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, on Wednesday evening, 30 April 2003, an Israeli settlement guard in the central Jordan Valley opened fire at two Palestinian workers who were returning from work, on the eve of International Labor Day. One of the workers was killed.

According to information available to PCHR, at approximately 17:00, Rayeq Mas'oud Abu Muhsen, 30, a worker from Tubas village, southeast of Jenin, and other workers were traveling from their work in "Beit 'Arafah" settlement, 8km east of Jericho, towards their homes in Tubas and Tayaseer villages, southeast of Jenin. The bus they were traveling in stopped at al-Tamaseeh military checkpoint in the central Jordan Valley and waited for Israeli soldiers to allow them to pass. Abu Muhsen and another worker, 'Aatef Hamad Jaber, 19, left the bus and walked approximately 40m away from the checkpoint to some trees, to relieve themselves. A settlement guard, who was passing by the area in his car stopped, got out of his car and pointed his machine gun at the two workers. Jaber and Abu Muhsen shouted that they were workers, but he continued to move towards them. When he was approximately 10m away from them, he opened fire. Abu Muhsen was killed by 6 live bullets, while Jaber was able to escape among trees. He was found in an area located approximately 6km away from the incident clearly injured. Later, an Israeli military ambulance came to the scene of the attack and transported Abu Muhsen's body to an Israeli institute of forensic medicine. Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint arrested the victim's brother, Malek, 32, and the bus driver, Hamdan Ghouri Daraghma, 31.

Collective Punishment against Families of Wanted Palestinians and Those Who Have Carried out Armed Attacks against Israeli Targets

In violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and those wanted by Israeli forces.

On Monday morning, 28 April 2003, Israeli occupying forces destroyed a flat belonging to the deceased Rafiq Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahman Hammad in the northern West Bank town of Qalqilya. According to information available to PCHR, Israeli occupying forces moved into the Daoud quarter in Qalqilya. They surrounded a 150-square-meter, 4-story apartment building owned by Mohammed ‘Abdul Rahman Mohammed Hammad, 55 and informed the residents of the building through megaphones to vacate the building. The owner’s son, Najib and his family, who were living on the third floor and the sole residents of the building, left the building. Israeli soldiers then broke into the second floor, made holes in the walls and planted explosives. At approximately 02:30, they detonated the explosives, destroying the entire floor. The deceased Rafiq Hammad was killed while carrying out an attack at an Israeli bus station on 10 October 2002.

On Tuesday morning, 29 April 2003, after they had killed Mahmoud ‘Abdul Fattah Salah, 29, from al-Khader village, southwest of Bethlehem, Israeli occupying forces demolished a 150-square-meter, 2-story house (home to 7 people), belonging to Salah’s two brothers. On 23 November 2002, Israeli occupying forces destroyed another house belonging to Salah’s family in the Solomon Pools neighborhood of Bethlehem, which was the home to 15 people.

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 respect for the Convention.

3. Upon the international community to investigate and prosecute before international courts those believed to have committed war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

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.