Weekly Roundup: 26 September - 2 October 2002

Monday, October 07 2002 @ 05:06 PM GMT

GAZA STRIP/WEST BANK (LAW) - The second Palestinian Intifada against Israeli Occupation entered its third year this week. We begin this weekly roundup by briefly introducing the past two years.

This week, Israeli forces continued their assault upon the West Bank and Gaza Strip this week, lobbing tear gas into an educational center in a refugee camp, injuring more than 30 Palestinian intellectually disabled children. The Israeli circle of besiege-retreat from Palestinian areas left more than seven dead this week, and tens of arrested, destination unknown.

Two more homes were demolished this week in a form of collective punishment. In Nablus, curfew has been imposed for more than 100 days. On Wednesday, September 30, after a popular decision to break curfew, Israeli forces fired upon civilians, killing two children.

During this week, at least Palestinian civilians were killed, including a baby girl. They are:

1. Gharam Mana' (1), Hebron
2. Mahmoud Zaghloul (11), Nablus
3. Rami al-Barbari (12), Nablus
4. Mohammad Abu 'Ajwa (18), Gaza
5. Mohammad Yaghmour (20), Hebron
6. Sami 'Abd al-'Aal (25), Rafah
7. Nasha't Thalthayn (26), Tulkarem
8. Issa Barakeh (35), Khan Yunis
9. 'Abd al-Rahim Hamda (40), Khan Yunis
10. 'Mohammad Hseis (51), Jenin
11. Salah Bahar (53), Gaza

Introduction

On Sunday September 29 2002, the second Palestinian Intifada entered its third year. During the first year of the Intifada, more than 684 Palestinians were killed. During the second year, more than 1,853 were killed. The increasing number of dead reflects the marked increase in extra-judicial killings, belligerent re-assaults of Palestinian territories, the ever-growing impunity with which Israeli forces act. During this year, Palestinians have seen a horrifying rise in mass killings: whereby four, five, ten Palestinians, usually civilians, are killed overnight, usually during Israeli raids in crowded residential areas.

Behind every killed Palestinian are families, neighbors and friends. A sudden death is a gruesome tear in the fabric of life. Overnight, mothers are forced to think of their sons and daughters in the past tense; neighbors and friends renegotiate physical locations: no longer do we meet here. We met there. Children loose their childhoods. Palestine is a land of very small adults. It has few children.

LAW's consistent emphasis on human rights, and their violations are context in the daily tragedy facing Palestinians throughout this Intifada. Human rights are not abstract demands on paper. They ensure desperately craved normalcy. The rise in belligerent Israeli violence and increasing disdain of international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Conventions, has left LAW compiling cold statistics, behind which a death has invariably taken place, and behind which whole families and societies suffer.

Indicative of this, more Palestinian women, the traditional and ever present backbone of the Palestinian people, are being killed. During the first year of the Intifada, at least 37 Palestinian women were killed. During the second, at least 92. For LAW, this means at least 129 clear human rights violations took place over the past two years; at least 129 families have been left without a mother, daughter, wife, lover, breadwinner. This is a Palestinian tragedy.

Children are over represented in civilian killings during the Intifada. At least 175 children were killed during the first year. At least 225 children were killed during the second year. 225 children were killed during the second year of the Intifada, while 175 were killed during the first. In all, 400 mothers have lost their children during this Intifada. 400 families have lost a brother, a sister, a friend, a small face and a piece of hope.

Increased disregard for law and due legal process has also marked this Intifada. During the first year of the Intifada, 53 Palestinians were killed during extra-judicial killings. 17 were bystanders. 36 were 'wanted' by Israel. No court had tried these people as innocent or guilty. They were killed because Israel thought they had committed crimes. Nothing more. During the second year of the Intifada, 113 Palestinians were killed in extra-judicial killings. 46 were bystanders. Again, 67 were 'wanted' by Israel: and thus executed, without a charge sheet, a trial, a conviction. Among those 46 bystanders was the particularly callous killing of Salah Shahadeh in Gaza. A LAW report at the time wrote,

"In the early hours of Tuesday, Israeli F-16 fighter jets bombarded a two- story building in Gaza, killing fifteen Palestinians, including women and children, and wounding approximately one hundred residents. The building was located in a crowded residential area in the heart of Gaza. The targeted apartment belonged to political activist Salah Shahadeh…Those killed in this Israeli attack are Iman Matar (27) and her children Ayman (18 months), Mohammad (4) and Diana (5); Mona al-Huwaiti (30) and her children Subhi (4) and Mohammad (6); Mohammad al-Shawa (40) and his son (5); Diana Raed Matar (two months); and Ala Matar (11)."

Israeli forces committed the following violations this week, September 26 - October 3, 2002

Excessive Use of Force

Friday, September 27, 2002: Around 2pm, Israeli forces situated on an illegal Israeli settlement west of Khan Yunis opened fire and shot teargas at tens of Palestinian children throwing stones after [a funeral] the funeral of 'Abd al-Rahman Hamdan. One child, Mohammad Abu Tuyour (12) was shot in the back. A number of children suffered from teargas inhalation.

Saturday, September 28, 2002: Mohammad Abu 'Ajwa (18) died from bullet wounds. According to LAW reports, around Monday 8:00am, a group of school students gathered to throw stones at the Israeli military outpost in the Wusta district in Gaza. Israeli forces opened fire, using bullets and rubber coated steel bullets. The young man died at around 10:00am.

Also around 8:00am, Israeli forces situated around the Nesanit settlement, west of Beit Lahia, opened fire using bullets and rubber coated steel bullets upon a group of children around 700 meters from the settlement, who were throwing stones. Ten children, aged between 8 and 16 were injured.

A journalist, Nabil Abu Daya (31) was detained for some hours after videotaping the incident for Palestine TV. His video camera and tapes were destroyed.

Around 10:00am, Israeli forces inside a military jeep close to Khan Yunis opened fire on school children using teargas, rubber coated steel bullets and bullets. The children were gathered close to an Israeli settlement and were throwing stones at the Israeli forces. A 14 year-old and 16 year-old were injured.

Later, around 5:00pm, Israeli forces in the same area opened fire on a group of children, injuring three.

Sunday, September 29, 2002: Around 10:45am, Israeli forces shot seven teargas bombs in an educational center in the Shufat Refugee Camp in East Jerusalem. The center holds a women's area, an orientation center for the mentally disabled, and a preschool. Around 150 children were injured, including 30 intellectually disabled children.

At around 12:30, Israeli forces situated in a military outpost close to Beit Hanoun, Gaza, used teargas and opened fire at a group of children who had gathered to throw stones. A sixteen-year-old boy was injured.

Around 5:00pm, Israeli forces opened fire on a group of youth gathered around the illegal Israeli settlement, Gani Tal, throwing stones at soldiers in a military jeep. Two children, aged 11 and 12, were injured.

Shelling

Thursday, September 26, 2002: Israeli forces situated in the Natsir Hizani settlement opened heavy machine gun fire upon residential areas in the al-Satr al-Gharbi area. The shelling lead to the collapse of the roof of a family home belonging to Mohammad Abu Shabab. 12 people live in the home.

Saturday September 28, 2002: Israeli forces killed a Sami 'Abd al-'Aal (25), from Rafah while on the roof of his home. According to the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), around 3:15am, an Israeli tank opened fire at a residential area in the Salam district. Sami and his brother, Zakariyya (27) went up to the roof of their home to see what was happened. Sami was immediately shot. He died before reaching hospital.

Around 11:00pm that evening, Israeli forces situated in the illegal Israeli settlement, Neve Dakalim, shelled Khan Yunis using heavy machinegun artillery. Seven civilians aged between 9 and 64 were injured. The injured included Hassan Shamiyya (64). A light bomb fell upon his home, made of asbestos, which set fire. He suffered both shrapnel wounds and burns, while his home, where 14 people live, and furniture were damaged.

Sunday, September 29, 2002: Around 1:00am, two Israeli military helicopters opened heavy machinegun fire towards the Gharbi Refugee Camp in Gaza. Walid Baroud (18) was injured while at home.

Incursions & invasions into autonomous areas:

Thursday, September 26, 2002: Israeli forces, using Musta'ribeen - Israeli forces disguised as Palestinian civilians in Jenin killed Mahmoud Hseis (51), while he was looking out the window.

According to information gathered by LAW, around 2:45am, armed men drove two cars with Palestinian registration plates in civilian clothing. They broke into a building in Jenin, and arrested Khader Ighbariyyeh (48) and his son, Majdi (22). Mahmoud Hseis (51) looked through his window to see what was going on, when he was shot by an Israeli soldier, killing him instantly.

During the same day, Israeli forces reinforced with helicopters attacked Kfar al-Labad, east Tulkarem. Israeli forces chased Nash'at Thalthayn (26), a political activist, killing him with bullets in the head and chest.

Also on Thursday, Israeli forces made a 1.5 km incursion into Beit Lahia. Six Palestinian farmers were arrested while working on their farms. Israeli troops also razed 15 dunums of land planted with guava, pomegranate and figs, destroying also an irrigation network. Another 5 dunums of land planted with vegetables was destroyed as Israeli tanks passed over them.

At around 11:00am, Israeli forces made a 2000m-incursion into Qabatiyya. Agricultural lands were razed under indiscriminate shelling. Troops besieged the home of Nasser al-Za'aneen. Expelling the family, Israeli forces bulldozed the two-story home with all belongings inside it, razing a domestic animal farm close to the home and two dunums of land planted with olives and figs.

During the same day in Hebron, Israeli forces killed Gharam Mana', who is less than one year old. She died after exposure to tear gas, while being with her grandmother in Bab al-Zawiyya in Hebron.

According to information gathered by LAW, at around 10 am, Gharam Mana's grandmother carried the baby in the Bab al-Zawiyya. Israeli forces, preventing Palestinians from breaking the Israeli imposed curfew in Hebron, used large quantities of tear gas were shot at Palestinians in the area. Gharam Mana' was exposed to tear gas and died soon after.

Friday, September 27, 2002: Israeli forces made a 200m-incursion into the Bsharat quarter in Deir al-Balah, Gaza. Six Palestinian civilians were injured while sleeping at home. Another six were arrested.

Also on Friday, Israeli troops killed Mohammad Yaghmour (20) from the Hebron area. According to information gathered by LAW, at around 1:40am, Israeli troops besieged the home of Jamal Yaghmour, in Farsh al-Hawa, in the Hebron area. Israeli forces ordered the home's residents to get out. Mohammad Yaghmour tried to escape. He was killed with gunshots in the chest, back, abdomen and legs. He was a first year university student.

At around 2:00pm, Israeli forces in tanks and armored personnel carriers entered Jenin, reaching the city center. Soldiers opened fire upon civilians, injuring Khalil Freihat (20).

Monday, September 30, 2002: Nablus residents defied the more than 100 day curfew upon the city, and reopened schools and businesses. Israeli soldiers besieged three schools and threw the students out. Israeli forces also opened fire upon civilians in the nearby Balata refugee camp, killing Rami al-Barbari (12). The boy was playing near his home in the refugee camp when he was killed. Fifteen other Palestinians were wounded in the Israeli assault, including Laith al-Tirawi (13), who was critically wounded in the chest, and three other children.

At around 4:00pm, Israeli forces injured three children in the Balata refugee camp, Mohammad Mohammad (9) with a gunshot in the left hand, Shadi Abu Hamdan (14), with shrapnel in the right eye and Ahmad Daoud (12) with shrapnel in the forehead.

On the same day, Israeli troops entered the Bab al-Zawiyya area in the middle of Hebron, imposing curfew. Bullets and rubber-coated bullets were used on civilians, injuring Mohammad al-Heeh (11).

In the afternoon, Israeli forces entered downtown Nablus and the Old City, attempting to re-impose curfew. Israeli soldiers opened fire upon civilians. At around 5:00pm, Hamzeh Zaghloul (11) from the Old City was killed. 15 others were injured.

At around 10:00pm, Israeli forces accompanied by two helicopters made a 1.5 km incursion into Gaza. Helicopter gunship fire and missiles killed Salah Bahar (53) while he was fleeing the area.

Tuesday, October 1, 2002: Israeli troops besieged the village of Burqeen, west of Jenin. Five were detained and taken to an unknown destination. Israeli forces also besieged al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin and arrested seven, also taken to an unknown destination.

At the same time, an Israeli troop reinforced with heavy machinery attacked Qabatia village, firing upon homes. Seven people were arrested and driven to an unknown destination.

Around 2:30am, Israeli forces besieged al-Dora. Jamal al-Rjoub (31) was arrested, as was Mohammad al-Rajabi. His wife, Dunia (47) stated that Israeli forces also stole jewelry belonging to herself and her daughter, costing around JD 2000.

Around 4:00am the same day, Israeli troops attacked Kfar al-Labad, east Tulkarem, breaking into Ahmad Rajab's home, and arresting his six sons. They were driven to an unknown destination.

Wednesday, October 2, 2002: At around 12 noon Israeli special forces broke into the Arab Liberation Front office in Ramallah, arresting the general secretary Rakad Salem.

Around 4:00pm, Israeli forces attempted to impose curfew upon Jenin, using light and heavy ammunition. Two Palestinians, Mahmoud Zeid (29) and Mohammad Fayed (27) were injured.

Collective Punishment:

Wednesday, October 2, 2002: 5:00am - Israeli troops besieged and demolished the home of Muhammad Bsharat. Bsharat and his two sons have been held in Israeli prisons since June 2002.

Detention & Maltreatment:

Tuesday, October 1: 1:00am - Israeli forces attacked Anza village south Jenin. Israeli troops broke into the home of Ahmad Mustafa, threatening to demolish his home if his son, Mohammad, did not surrender before November 1, 2002. Before withdrawing, Israeli troops arrested seven Palestinians, taking them to an unknown destination. Around 3:30am, Israeli troops attacked S'eer village in Hebron. Five were arrested.