Balsam
Rapporti di Law- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights

LAW publications and press releases since 1994 are available on our website at http://www.lawsociety.org

LAW – The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliate to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), Fédération Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l’Homme (FIDH), World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and Member of the Euro- Mediterranean Human Rights Network

 

LAW Weekly Roundup 17-23 May 2001

In this, the bloodiest week of the year, Israeli forces used F-16 fighter jets to bomb PNA installations. 18 Palestinians were killed this week, including 3 civilians. Among other attacks Al Alia Hospital in Hebron was shelled. Introduction During Israel’s Prime Ministerial election campaign, Ariel Sharon, whose provocative visit to Al Aqsa triggered the current Intifada, put forth a radical program far removed from the peace process; it was clear from the beginning that he would become prime minister of Israel. Since his election he has been threatening to suppress the Intifada by means of the entire Israeli arsenal, as was made clear in his ‘One Hundred Day Plan.’ The Mitchell Report was published this week, with one of its main points being a call to end Israel’s settlement expansion. However, the Israeli government rejected this call outright, instead announcing a unilateral ceasefire. This announcement was an attempt to cloud the main issues and to mislead public opinion by concealing the fact that the conflict is between an occupation army and the nation it occupies, not an equal conflict between two armies. On Friday 18 May 2001, the Israeli military used F-16 fighter jets in an air strike on police stations in Nablus, Ramallah and Gaza. In Nablus two fighter jets totally destroyed the eastern part of the building that housed the local police station and prison, while in Ramallah a fighter jet destroyed the Force 17 headquarters in Al Masyoun. The offensive left 13 Palestinians dead. In a separate event, Israeli tanks shelled the residence of Major Jibreel Al Rujub, head of Preventive Security in the West Bank. He escaped the attack, but six of his guards were injured: 1. Hassan Mikdadi, 27, from Jalazone refugee camp 2. Mohammad Al Rimawi, 27, from Biet Reema 3. Amer Mansour, 22, from Nablus 4. Omar Anabi, 23, from Silwad 5. Hisham Shalabi, 22, from Jenin 6. Firas Nawaj’a, 23, from Yata Israeli shelling of civilian areas continued this week. On Monday 21 May, Hebron’s Al Alia hospital was shelled, resulting in the abdominal injury of 22-year-old Majdoleen Al Ra’ee from Al Aroub refugee camp and the destruction of the hospital’s windows and doors, as well as a great deal of medical equipment. Israeli Apache gunships also shelled several PNA and civilian institutions. In an incident reminiscent of the killing of five Palestinian policemen in Betunia on May 14, Israeli forces killed 37-year-old Palestinian police officer Fawaz Al Damaj at the National Security Force (NSF) barrier at Silat Al Harthyi in Jenin, critically wounding 26-year-old Mohammad Dalob from Gaza in the process. As Dalob was being transported in an ambulance to Gaza, he was forced to sign a declaration stating that he would not attempt to enter Israel in the future through Al Ram checkpoint. 18 Palestinians were killed during this week, including 3 civilians and 15 policemen. The total number of Palestinians shot dead by Israeli soldiers this year has so far reached 145, 100 of whom have been killed since Sharon came to power on 7 February. The total Palestinians killed by Israeli troops during the Intifada has so far reached 454. One: Excessive use of force In the morning of Friday 18 May, Israeli soldiers stationed at a military checkpoint near Surda on the Ramallah-Birzeit road opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle, wounding the following people: 1. 4-year-old Yasser Subhi 2. Miriam Abdul Ghani 3. Subhi Subhi in the shoulder 4. Mustafa Abdul Ghani in the right leg Israeli troops injured the following Palestinians at Al Mintar crossing on Friday: 1. Ibrahim Abu Thoraya, 11, from Al Shati refugee camp, critically wounded in the side and admitted to intensive care at Dar Al Shifa hospital 2. Jameel Asaf, 15, shot in the left leg 3. Mustafa Nasser, 12, from Al Shati refugee camp, hit by a rubber coated steel bullet in the head 4. Ala Al Wadyi, 18, from Al Shujaiyi in Gaza, shot in the right arm 5. Mohammad Tayih, 16, shot in the abdomen 6. Mohammad Al Zibda, 18, from Al Shujaiyi, shot in the left leg 7. Jihad Hijila, 13, shot in the head 8. Mohammad Tali, 12, from Al Shujaiyi, shot in the right leg 9. Ahmad Ahmad, 15, from Al Zaytoun, shot in the head 18-year-old Ahmad Jibreel, a member of Force 17, was shot in the right shoulder on Saturday when Israeli troops stationed on top of a Palestinian building south of Betunia shot him while he was on patrol near Betunia cemetrey. The Palestinian policeman was admitted to the intensive care unit at Ramallah hospital. 30-year-old Tayseer Al Ar’eer from Al Shajaiyi was shot dead by Israeli soldiers as he worked on a piece of land owned by his family east of Gaza. Israeli troops fired on him, wounding him in the chest and neck and killing him instantly. Tayseer is survived by his wife and four children. After the funeral of the policemen killed in the F-16 attack on Nablus on Friday, clashes broke out between Palestinian protesters and Israeli troops near Kufur Kaleel, south of Nablus. Israeli soldiers responded with random fire, killing 20-year-old Hamam Abdul Haq and wounding: 1. 25-year-old Yusef Aziz from Balata refugee camp, critical head wounds 2. 13-year-old Nidal Zablah from Nablus, shot in the right arm 3. 35-year-old Abdul Kadir Al Abdi from Askar refugee camp, shot in the left leg 4. 19-year-old Bassam Al Kasas from Nablus, shot in the right foot 5. 29-year-old Amar Ghanim from Nablus, shot in the left hand In Hebron, Israeli soldiers fired on Palestinian demonstrators protesting the F-16 air strikes, wounding: 1. 18-year-old Mohammad Halahla, shot in the right leg 2. 15-year-old Usama Amru, shot in the right leg 3. 33-year-old Bassam Ahmaru, shot in the left foot 4. 16-year-old Mihyar Al Ajluni, shot in the left leg 5. 21-year-old Thair Al Alami, shot in the right leg On Monday, Israeli soldiers shot and killed 29-year-old Ahmad Abu Ajami and Hamad Abu Khusa from Al Breij refugee camp. They kept the bodies of the two Palestinians until 14:30 before handing them to the Palestinian Authority. On Tuesday, Israeli soldiers shot 14-year-old Ali Mhana in Hebron in the right arm. Ali told LAW that Israeli soldiers opened fire on a group of Palestinians on Al Shalala Street, wounding him with a rubber-coated steel bullet, which he underwent surgery to have removed. 15-year-old Ramzi Abu Aram from Rafah was critically shot in the pelvis and admitted to Dar Al Shifa hospital. According to information LAW received from Gaza, Abu Aram and a group of boys were standing 200 metres from Israeli tanks near Slao settlement near Rafah. The Israeli troops shot at them wounding Abu Aram. Two: Shelling In the morning of Thursday 17 May, Israeli forces fired four shells at residential areas and an NSF post west of Qalqilya. Two of the shells landed near Al Sharq Primary School and two landed in the fields. The shelling, which went on for 45 minutes, damaged the school walls and wounded 37-year-old Mohammad Dawood, a street sweeper, in the right arm. On Friday 18 May, Israel used F-16 fighter jets to launch air strikes on police stations in Nablus, Ramallah and Gaza. An eyewitness told LAW that he and his brother were in a car returning from Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus, approximately 50m from the police station, when they heard a loud explosion. At first they assumed it was just a sonic boom from an aircraft, but seconds later a large cloud of heavy black smoke rose above the station. He asked his brother to stop the car and rushed towards the station, only to find it completely demolished with many NSF members lying on the ground and others aiding them. 24-year-old Ra’ed Dandan, a policeman from Balata, told LAW that at 17:30 he heard jet fighters and saw a light then heard a loud explosion. He was thrown in the air and passed out. The target in fact consisted of two buildings; Central Nablus Prison from the west side and the police station from the east, the two buildings separated by a large gate. The jets sent down a missile that totally destroyed the eastern part of the building. Mahmoud Abu Hanood, a Hamas activist detained in the targeted building, was among the injured. The following are the names of the police officers killed in Nablus: 1. 21-year-old Khaled Sbaih from Tayaseer, Tubas 2. 25-year-old Ayman Ma’ruf from Al Nakura, Nablus 3. 34-year-old Rif’at Rabay’a from Maythalun, Jenin 4. 22-year-old Nasri Yacoub from Deir Al Hatab 5. 23-year-old Mu’taz Al Khateeb from Boreen 6. 23-year-old Fadi Hamid from Biet Dajan 7. 25-year-old Ahmad Khader from Biet Iba, Nablus 8. 29-year-old Wa’el Abu Khader from Al Jadida, Jenin 9. 19-year-old Fahid Bani Odeh from Tamoon, Jenin 10. 20-year-old Rami Yaseen, a cook at the post from Aseera Al Shamaliya, Nablus 11. 19-year-old Nabeel Ismail, a cook at the post from Deir Ighsoun, Tulkarem. Palestinian medical sources at the Ministry of Health announced that the total wounded as a result of the Israeli attack on the Nablus police station was 47, including 21 by shrapnel and others who suffered nervous breakdowns and fainting. The following people were hit by shrapnel: · Ra’ed Ali, 19, from Tubas, shrapnel in the face. · Ayed Hassoun, 75, from Beit Umrein, shrapnel in the chest and head. · Ali Shtayyeh, 22, from Tal, shrapnel in the left foot. · Nasser Ali, 22, from Balata refugee camp, shrapnel in the face. · Abdel Naser Shashtari, 23, from Nablus, shrapnel in the face. · Fadi Al Habash, 27, from Nablus, shrapnel in the back of the head. · Iyyad Al Qutob, 24, from Nablus, shrapnel in the left leg. · Abdil Rahman Abu Areesheh, 20, from Gaza, shrapnel in the face. · Muhammad Fares, 23, from Balata refugee camp, shrapnel in the right hand. · Shadi Al Najami, 26, from Ein Beit Al Ma’ refugee camp, shrapnel in the left foot. · Iyyad Sa’adeh, 24, from Tal, shrapnel in the back of the head. · Na’el Qazeeh, 22, from Gaza, shrapnel in the back. · Mustafa Muslim called Castro, 40, from Gaza, the head of the police station in Nablus, shrapnel in the forehead and chest. · Mahmoud Abu Hnoud, 26, from Aseerah Al Shimalyia, arrested at the Force, light shrapnel wound in the hand. · Nahed Hamadi, 39, from Sibastyia, shrapnel in the neck. · Hafeth Al Ghalayeeni, 27, from Nablus, shrapnel in the head. · Ra’fat Wahdan, 30, from Tamoun, shrapnel in the head and left leg. · Ahmad Masha, 21, from Balata refugee camp, shrapnel in the left knee. · Munir Hatatbeh, 30, from Beit Fureek, shrapnel in the chin and right hand. · Omar Lafi, 19, from Gaza, shrapnel in the head. · Ra’ed Dandan from Balata, shrapnel wounds in the head, neck, and back. At around 5:15pm on the same day, Israeli F-16 fighter jets rocketed the Force 17 headquarter in Al Masyoun in Ramallah, killing 24-year-old Ismail Abu Rafee’a from Gaza and completely demolishing the building. Khaled Al Astal, 19, from Khan Younis, a Force 17 member in Ramallah, was wounded by shrapnel in the head. He taken to Ramallah hospital in a critical condition and died in the morning of Tuesday 22 May. The Israeli offensive injured 16 people with shrapnel, nervous breakdowns and shock. Shrapnel hit 7 other people: 1. Shireen Al Bayari, 2, shrapnel all over her body. 2. Nadia Al Tarifi, 10, shrapnel in the shoulder and limbs. 3. Omar Al Jimzawi, 9, shrapnel in the mouth and forehead. 4. Mahmoud Ayyad, 15, shrapnel in the hand. 5. Ra’ed Al Salhi, 25, shrapnel in the legs. 6. Abdul Rahman Marar, 21, a Force17 member from Gaza, shrapnel and fainting. 7. Rami Abed Rabbo, 18, from Al Am’ari refugee camp, shrapnel in the face, right hand and leg. In addition, shelling caused severe damage to many civilian establishments near the site: 1. The Grand Park Hotel, all the windows were smashed. 2. The Rocky Hotel, all the windows were smashed. 3. The 3-storey Palestinian Communication Company offices, all the windows were smashed and doors destroyed. 4. A 4-storey residential building lived in by the families of: Amer Al Tarifi (11 inhabitants), Ali Al Bayari (9 inhabitants) and Saleh Al Bayari (9 inhabitants), window and door destruction. At 8.40 pm Israeli fighter jets shelled three Palestinian security posts in Gaza, including the Palestinian Security headquarters in Ansar, Gaza city, and the Navy offices in Al Sudaniya, Beit Lahia (north Gaza). The shelling destroyed the targeted buildings and injured 19 people, including civilians. At 8.45 pm three Apache helicopters shelled the Force 17 headquarters in Tulkarem. According to LAW documentation, the gunships hit the building, which had been evacuated an hour before the Israeli offensive, with six missiles, destroying it completely. At noon on Saturday 19 May, three Israeli Apache jets shelled the PA headquarters in Tulkarem, targeting the Palestinian Liaison post, police station, security apparatus officials meeting room, restaurant and the waiting hall with 6 missiles. 67 apparatus members were injured, including 37 by shrapnel and the rest from shock and nervous breakdowns. 28-year-old Palestinian Liaison member Marwan Noor from Anabta was critically hit in the right thigh by shrapnel. The shelling caused severe damage to the walls, roofs and contents of these installations, as well as smashing the windows and destroying the doors. 21-year-old Palestinian liaison member Salam Ghanim from Deir Al Ghuson told LAW that on Saturday he was travelling with Noor and another four policemen in a military vehicle when they saw an Apache helicopter flying over and firing a missile at them. The missile hit the vehicle and started a fire in the engine, but the policemen managed to escape through the windows. Ghanim was wounded by shrapnel in the left leg and arm; he saw Noor bleeding from all over his body. The following received different shrapnel wounds: 1. Yusef Abdul Fatah, 26, from Salfit, shrapnel wounds in the legs and the left eye 2. Riyadh Sawalha, 21, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the face and left hand 3. Ala Sarhan, 21, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the face and hands 4. Mohammad Hamad, 32, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the legs and right hand 5. Mohammad Makhlof, 24, shrapnel wounds in the back and left knee 6. Samir Al Fol, 21, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the right hand 7. Walid Bdair, 52, shrapnel wounds in the left leg 8. Mohammad Al Abudi, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the face and elbow 9. Mohammad Abu Al Oon, 20, from Anabta, shrapnel wounds in the back and left hand 10. Ramzi Al Ashkar, 22, from Tulkarem, shrapnel in the left knee and left arm 11. Ahmad Hamid, 23, from Shwaika in Tulkarem, shrapnel in the left shoulder and chest 12. Omar Abu Sa’a, 24, from Tulkarem, shrapnel wounds in the arms and left lung 13. Nihad Shuman, 27, shrapnel wounds in the left leg 14. Ziyad Hamada, 25, from Ateel, shrapnel wounds in the left side 15. Salam Ghanim, 20, shrapnel wounds in the face, hands, and legs 16. Marwan Noor, 25, shrapnel wounds in the left leg At 12:15 pm, during the funeral of first lieutenant Fawaz Al Damaj, four Israeli Apache jets fired 11 missiles at the 2-storey Force 17 headquarters, destroying four military cars parked in front of the building, which itself sustained broken roofs, cracked walls and furniture damage. And at 12:30 Israeli forces stationed in Neve Dakalim shelled Palestinian homes in Al Namsawi (the Austrian quarter) wounding Ibrahim Al Shuhari, 20, in the left leg while he was praying in a mosque. At 21:00 Israeli troops in Jadid and Neve Dakalim settlements west of Khan Younis shelled buildings belonging to Al Fara Company in Al Namsawi quarter and Khan Yunis cemetery. The 30-minute shelling damaged several houses. At 23:00 Israeli in the Ramat Yashai Jewish enclave in the heart of Hebron shelled Hebron sports club at Bab Al Zawhi, wounding Akram Maswadi, 51, in the left leg. At 1:00 am on Sunday morning, Israeli troops again shelled Khan Younis from Neve Dakalim, damaging: 1. Abdullah Abu Obeida’s four-storey house where 18 people lived. The shelling destroyed what was left of the building from previous shelling 2. Adel Abu Obeida’s two-storey building where 11 people lived. The shelling destroyed what was left of the building from previous shelling At 10 pm, Israeli troops opened random fire on Palestinian homes in Brazil quarter in Rafah, wounding 15-year-old Aya Al Akhras in the neck. Her sister Neven, who was with her in the same room during the offensive, suffered a nervous breakdown. At 2 am the following morning, Israeli apaches shelled two factories in Al Tufah quarter, Gaza. The shelling, which lasted for 15 minutes, caused major damage to the factories, a medicine store and 8 houses. The factories were: 1. Al Ashi Factory for marble and wood cutting tools. The 500 m² factory, which belongs to Said Al Ashi, was hit by five rockets destroying all its machinery, as well as the roof and walls. 2. Saleem Al Daramaly’s 600m² marble factory was hit by two rockets, destroying its equipment and roof and causing holes in the walls. 3. A medicine warehouse belonging to Abdul Haleem Al Ghathri suffered cracked walls and destruction of some of its contents. The shelling also damaged eight houses belonging to the Abu Sharar, Al Sharfa, Al Ay, Radwan, Abu Hamad, Al Zaharni and Al Daba families: Israeli troops in the Avraham Avino Jewish enclave in Hebron shelled Abu Snaineh and Talet Al Takruri quarters, wounding Raed Abu Snaineh, 14, in the right leg and Suha Al Shareef, 35, in the head, as well as damaging several houses. In the afternoon, Israeli troops armed with four tanks left Nitsar Khazani settlement and invaded Al Karara west of Khan Younis. They crossed the lines separating PNA controlled areas from the rest of the occupied territories and moved 800 metres inside areas under PNA jurisdiction. During the onslaught, Israeli tanks and machineguns shelled Palestinian homes, wounding: 1. 13-year-old Mohammad Al Astal in the abdomen 2. 28-year-old Samir Abu Awili in the left hand 3. 26-year-old Ismail Abdul Ghafur in the forehead 4. 70-year-old Mahmoud Al Abadla in the forehead The shelling caused damage to Al Salam mosque and several homes and telephone cables. The invasion created havoc and terrorised the people, many of whom ran for their lives. In the afternoon Israeli forces in Kokhav Yacouv settlement shelled Palestinian homes in Sateh Marhaba in Al Bireh, causing damage to the following Palestinian houses: 1. Said Bakhas’ house, accommodating 4 people; the shelling damaged internal walls and smashed the windows 2. Azam Ibsis’ house, accommodating 3 people; the shelling damaged internal walls, smashed the windows and destroyed furniture 3. Khaled Shaheen’s house, accommodating 9 people; the shelling damaged internal walls and smashed the windows and the staircase, as well as destroying the furniture and a car Israeli forces also shelled Al Tireh, west of Ramallah. In Khan Younis, Israeli troops in Gani Tal shelled the Palestinian town and wounded: 1. 30-year-old Zahir Al Kudra, shrapnel wounds in the right hand 2. 26-year-old Mohammad Mabrook, shrapnel wounds in the right arm Three: Demolition Israeli authorities knocked down two houses in the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem on Tuesday 22 May. The two houses, which had an area of 120m², were under construction and belonged to Kayid Jaradat. They were intended to accommodate 16 people and were knocked down without any prior warning. Jaradat, 51, told LAW that he is unemployed and 5 of his children are handicapped: Imad, 19, and Taghreed, 20, are both mentally handicapped, and Fouad, 30, Ashraf, 15, and Mustafa, 4, are blind. Meanwhile, in Jabal Al Mukabber, Israeli bulldozers demolished Mohammad Al Ja’afra’s house, which was supposed to accommodate 17 people. In Gaza on Tuesday morning, Israeli bulldozers destroyed 75 dunums of agricultural land near Al Mintar crossing, belonging to the Salem, Jindiyi, Manasra, Abed and Halas families. The land was cultivated with olive trees, vegetables and wheat. Four: Settler attacks In the afternoon of Tuesday 22 May, settlers attacked Abdullah Al Omari, a 36-year-old taxi driver from Faku, with rocks, causing severe damage to his car. Shilah settlers shot at 46-year-old shepherd Mithkal Fakha from Brdala in Tubas. Fakha escaped the settlers’ fire but three of his sheep were killed. Five: Detention Israeli forces broke into Akraba, Nablus and arrested Mohammad, Munther and Yehya Diriyi on Thursday 17 May. On the same day they arrested 25-year-old Akram Ghanim from Abu Holly in Deir Al Balah, a student at the Faculty of Education in Khan Younis. According to information LAW received from Gaza, Akram was arrested after Israeli soldiers had stopped a taxi taking him home. They searched the taxi thoroughly and when they found that he had a camcorder, which in fact belonged to the Faculty, and that someone had filmed armed people, they arrested him. Ghanim was using the camcorder for his research. Israeli forces also arrested 11 Palestinians in Al Mawasi in Rafah, interrogated them and then released them. On Wednesday morning, Israeli forces broke into Ateel, north of Tulkarem, and arrested Zahir Daka, 25, Mohammad Abu Al Haija, 24, and Isam Daka, 27.