• LAW Five Palestinians killed; Ambulance medical personnel and journalists brutally assaulted
• Women's Affairs Technical CommitteeIsraeli Occupation Forces Torture Palestinian Women Prisoners and Place Them Under Solitary Confinement

LAW

Weekly Roundup, 25 January - 01 February 2001

Israeli forces have maintained their violations against civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, as well as their indiscriminate use of lethal force against peaceful demonstrations.

The Israeli army has sent further heavy machinegun and artillery fire towards residential areas, maintaining the military siege on Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps. In the past week, Israeli soldiers killed three Palestinians and caused the death of two others by preventing them from crossing checkpoints for emergency medical treatment.

Violating the right to life and security of person.

Deaths:

On Sunday 28 January 2001, 66 year-old Husun Suleiman Daraghmeh from Al Laban village near Nablus died after Israeli soldiers at the checkpoint opposite the military liaison outpost in Huwara, south Nablus, prevented her and her family from crossing to the town's hospital. According to information gathered by LAW, Daraghmeh was suffering severe chest pains so her sons attempted to drive her to the hospital in Nablus. On the way, Israeli soldiers stopped their car for more than 10 minutes before ordering them to turn back. The driver was forced to take a very long and rocky route through the villages of Burin and Tal, but Daraghmeh died in the car. Medical sources at Rafidia Hospital confirmed that she had died just a few minutes before arriving.

At around 11.00 am on Monday 29 January 2001, 21 year-old Muhammad Abu Mousa from Khan Younis was shot in the chest. According to information gathered by LAW, he had been walking near a military liaison (DCO) outpost, 300m from an area where Israeli military bulldozers were preparing the land for a new military outpost. Israeli soldiers opened fire at him, puncturing his diaphragm with a bullet that killed him instantaneously. According to eyewitnesses, no clashes were taking place at the time.

At 4.30pm on Tuesday 30 January 2001, 67 year-old Falaah Ayyash from Rafat near Salfit died of a heart attack fifteen minutes after arriving at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. Mufleh Ayyash, Falaah's son, stated that his father had suffered the attack at 1.15pm, and Mufleh attempted to take him to Rafidia in a private car. They reached Azoun junction near Qalqilya at around 1.40pm, where they were kept waiting for 30 minutes before being turned back. The car was forced to take a long and unpaved alternative route around the checkpoint. At approximately 2.40pm, they reached the Deir Sharaf junction in Nablus, where they were kept waiting by Israeli soldiers at another checkpoint for 40 minutes before being forced to turn back once again. They took another long mountainous dirt track and eventually reached the hospital at around 4.15pm. Due to the long delay, doctors were unable to save Falaah's life. In normal circumstances, the journey from Rafat to Nablus takes only 20-25 minutes.

At around 3pm on Tuesday 31 January 2001, Israeli soldiers at Netsarim junction in Gaza shot at a Palestinian civilian taxi, mortally wounding the driver, 50 year-old Ismail Al Tilbani from Al Zawaydeh camp. According to information gathered by LAW, Ismail was driving his taxi towards Gaza city. He reached Netsarim as an Israeli military jeep was in the process of crossing from west to east. The jeep stopped in the middle of the junction and fired three shots at the taxi, hitting Al Tilbani in the chest.

At around 9.30 that night, 38 year-old Saber Abu Thaher, a construction worker and father of 8 from Hajar Al Deek, died after receiving at least ten bullets in different parts of his body. According to information gathered by LAW, he crossed the street leading to Netsarim junction on his way home. At that time, Israeli soldiers were shooting heavily at the houses of Hajar Al Deek. Abu Thaher was shot ten times and died instantaneously. His body was taken to Al Shifa' Hospital through the DCO (military liaison).

Injuries:

More than 80 Palestinians have been injured over the past week, including more than 18 who were shot with live ammunition and 31 who were shot with rubber-coated metal bullets.

On Saturday 27 January 2001, 22 year-old Muhammad Al Athamneh was shot in the left leg by Israeli soldiers stationed at Netsarim settlement, south Gaza. The soldiers opened fire at Palestinians working 600m to the north of the settlement.

At 1pm on Sunday 28 January 2001, Israeli occupation forces stationed at Salah Il Deen Gate in Rafah fired live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets at Palestinians crossing Khaled Ben Al Walid street, which is 50m north of the Egyptian border, resulting in the injury of 12 year-old Nidal Al Mugheer, who was shot in the right eye with a rubber-coated steel bullet.

On 28 January 2001, 14 year-old Ra'fat Abu Eisha from Hebron was brutally assaulted by a group of Israeli soldiers in the occupied part of Hebron. According to information gathered by LAW, at around 12.00 Abu Eisha left school and went to the old vegetable market near the Abraham Avino settlement, were he works as a vegetable porter. At 12.30, he was wheeling a cart of vegetables when Israeli soldiers stopped him and accused him of making fun of them. They dragged him to one of the arches of the old city and three soldiers set about punching, kicking and battering him with their weapons all over his body. The ordeal lasted for 30 minutes, until he lost consciousness and the soldiers left him there. A passer-by saw him and an ambulance took him to hospital. in a sworn affidavit to LAW the boy confirmed that he was badly assaulted and did not regain consciousness until he was in the ambulance. He suffers severe bruising and some burns all over his body. According to the medical report, his left leg is still recovering after he was shot there on 9 December 2000.

On January 31, 2001, Israeli soldiers stationed at Netsarim junction shot at Fu'ad Hijji, without warning and from a distance of 70 metres, while he was in a car leaving Gaza city.

Names of the injured this week:

1. Ihab Al Tamimi, 16, from Deir Nitham in Ramallah district, hit by a bullet in the head. 2. Muhammad Al Tamimi, 20, from Deir Nitham in Ramallah district, hit by a bullet in the right shoulder. 3. Shaker Al Tamimi, 7, from Deir Nitham in Ramallah, hit by shrapnel in the head. 4. Khaled Hasan, 30, from Qasra in Nablus district, suffers severe bruising after being assaulted. 5. The journalist Duha Al Shami, 22, from Ramallah, bruises (assault). 6. Wasfi Shamlakh, 10, from Gaza, bullet wound in the left leg. 7. Wisam Abu Mustafa, 16, from Khan Younis, bullet wound in the right thigh. 8. Muhammad Musa'ed, from Qalqilia, 18, rubber-coated metal bullet in the left leg and right hand. 9. Samer Ajuri, from Qalqilia, 21, rubber-coated metal in the chest. 10. Muhammad Ammar, from Qalqilia, 12, bullet wound in the head. 11. Muhammad Samasrah, from Qalqilia, 12, rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. 12. Muhammad Hasanein, from Qalqilia, 21, live ammunition in the thigh. 13. Samer Hasan, from Qalqilia, 15, rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. 14. Isam Urtani, from Qalqilia, 41, rubber-coated metal bullet in the face. 15. Shahin Salim, from Qalqilia, 15, rubber-coated metal bullet in the leg. 16. Murad Jaber, from Qalqilia, 13, rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest. 17. Muhammad Haddad, from Qalqilia, 15, rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand. 18. Omar Al Haj Hamad, Qalqilia, 15, rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh. 19. Basem Al Nahhal, Khan Younis, 22, shrapnel in the right leg. 20. Muhammad Abu Taha, Khan Younis, 16, shrapnel in the right shoulder. 21. Abdallah Abu Karsh, Gaza, 21, bullet wound in the head (severely wounded). 22. Sa'di Hamid, Gaza, 17, bullet wound in the abdomen (severely wounded). 23. Yousif Tabish, Ramallah, 26, bullet wound in the right thigh.

Shelling

At around 21.00 on Thursday January 25 2001, Israeli tanks stationed at Beit Eil military camp, north of Al Bireh, shelled residential neighborhoods in Sateh Marhaba, with heavy machinegun fire, severely damaging 4 houses and the Palestinian Finance Ministry building.

On January 27 2001, Israeli soldiers stationed in a military outpost 250m west of Al Amal neighborhood in Khan Younis shelled houses in Al Amal, damaging walls, furniture and the interiors of 5 houses and injuring Muhammad Al Majayda, 26, with bullet wounds in the right foot and thigh.

On January 28 2001, Israeli tanks stationed at Abu Holi junction, east of Al Qarara village in Khan Younis, shelled a civilian car which was on its way from Gaza to Khan Younis, resulting in the injury of the driver, 19 year-old Isam Harz Allah, who was shot in the waist.

At around 6.30pm, Israeli soldiers stationed at military outpost near the Nave Dekalim settlement shelled houses in Al Amal and Al Namsawi quarters, west of Khan Younis, and the city cemetery, with heavy machineguns and artillery. The shelling continued until 12.00 midnight, damaging 7 houses from a distance of 300 - 400m. Wisam Mustafa, 16, was injured with shrapnel, as was Iyyad Al Satel, 30, when in front of a food shop. The cemetery was also badly damaged.

At 3pm, Israeli forces stationed at borders in Rafah opened fire at Palestinian civilians and buildings in the Brazil quarter, injuring three civilians:

1. Ramadan Abu Irmana, 22 (shrapnel in the head).
2. Muhammad Abu Dba', 22 (shrapnel in the left arm).
3. Ahmad Al Salq, 21 (bullet wound in the left knee).

At 6pm that day, Israeli forces shelled the Brazil quarter for the second time, injuring 5 civilians:

1. Muhammad Znoun, 12 (bullet wound in the back).
2. Zakariya Al Nahhal, 18 (bullet wound in the left foot).
3. Rabee' Al Hamas, 16 (shrapnel in the left foot).
4. Muhammad Jaber, 23 (shrapnel in the face).
5. Zuheir Hammad, 46 (shrapnel in the head).

At 8pm, Israeli forces stationed at the road Netsarim road between south and east Gaza shelled a Palestinian National Security Forces post with heavy artillery from a distance of 300m, as well as the 'Sabra' petrol station, causing fire that resulted in the injury of 32 year-old National Security Forces general Ayman Al Shinbari from Beit Hanoun. Shinbari was taken to the intensive care section in Al Shifa' hospital.

At 11pm, Israeli forces stationed at the same outpost shelled the education faculty building, located 600m away from the outpost. Israeli forces also shelled the National Security Forces post a second time.

On January 29 2001, the Israeli military shelled houses in the area west of the Mintar crossing. They also shelled the National Security Forces building, completely destroying it this time, as well as shelling the education faculty for the second time and the 'Sabra' petrol station, causing another fire.

That evening, houses to the south west of Netsarim settlement were shelled by heavy machineguns from the settlement, causing great damage to 10 homes, mostly belonging to the Shamlakh and Odeh families.

From 8pm until 3am in the morning of January 30 2001, houses in the refugee camp in Khan Younis were subjected to heavy artillery shelling from the military outpost near Al Tufah checkpoint, hitting Al Shafi mosque as well as the camp's electricity generator, cutting the electricity supply of the entire camp.

At 11.45pm on Tuesday January 30 2001, Israeli forces tried breaking into Beit Reema in Ramallah and opened heavy machinegun fire, injuring a policeman, Yousif Tabeesh, 26, from Ramallah, in the right thigh. Beit Reema is Area A (under Palestinian control).

Assault on medical personnel

On Thursday January 25, 2001, at the entrance of Surda in the Ramallah district, Israeli soldiers restrained and brutally assaulted two Palestinian medical workers: a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance driver (Talal Ida, 40), and his colleague (Naji Al Barghouthi, 30).

In a sworn affidavit, Talal Ida told to LAW the following: "At around 2pm on Thursday, January 25, 2001, I went to Qalandia collect an injured person. He turned out to be Israeli, so he was sent to the Israeli authorities. Then I returned to the Red Crescent center in Al Bireh and then to Ein Yabroud to take another injured person to Al Mustaqbal Hospital. I wanted to return to the center, but at 9.35pm I received a telephone call telling me there was another patient in Surda. Naji and went there, and we saw an Israeli military jeep parked about 100m away from the patient's house. I stopped the ambulance and four soldiers ordered us to switch off the engine, get out and put our hands up. They searched us and ordered us to lie on the ground. It was so cold and wet, because it had been raining hard that evening. We lay down on the wet ground. Whenever we tried to move, soldiers pointed their guns at our heads and ordered us to stay where we were. This continued for almost an hour, until they began to beat us. I was hit hard on the head, and then I realised I was being dragged along the ground. They ordered Naji to help me, because I was in a bad condition. Eventually I lost consciousness, and I woke up in the Ramallah Hospital at 11.30am on Friday January 26."

Once contact was lost, an ambulance officer, Muhammad Al Huwari, and the driver, Muhammad Salem, were sent to the scene. According to information from the Red Crescent, once the second ambulance arrived, soldiers shouted at the driver to stop. As soon as Al Huwari saw the first ambulance, and Naji and Abu Ida, he telephoned the center to report that his colleagues had been captured. This was the last message the center received, because the soldiers confiscated all equipment before dragging the two new arrivals out of the ambulance and ordering them to take off their Red Crescent jackets.

The soldiers took their IDs and ordered them to strip to the waist. The ambulance staff were forced, in the very cold weather, to sit on the ground for more than 20 minutes. Abu Ida, by that point, was very badly injured. He was on the edge of hypothermia, suffering severe chest pains and his arms and legs were in spasms, so the soldiers told Salem and Huwari to help him. Then an Israeli officer told Naji to tell Abu Ida that he was to see the Israeli interrogation officer Lu'ay in the Ofer military center near Bitunia at 9.00 on Monday, January 29.

At 12.45, Salem and Al Hawari carried Abu Ida to Ramallah Hospital. He remains in intensive care.

Salem returned with another ambulance driver to retrieve the ambulance where Naji was being detained inside. The soldiers had left the scene, after ordering Naji not to move for at least 30 minutes.

Assault of press personnel

At around 1pm on Sunday January 28, 2001, staff from Ramallah's Watan TV station, including female journalist Duha Al Shami (22) and cameraman Ashraf Katkat, were captured and assaulted by Israeli soldiers at a military checkpoint west of Ramallah. According to information gathered by LAW, while they were on their way to Ein Qinyia to cover a story, Israeli soldiers prevented them from passing through the checkpoint although they showed their press passes and personal IDs. Soldiers assaulted Duha and confiscated the camera, videocassettes and her ID. They also gave Al Katkat an order to see the Israeli interrogation department in Hebron. Their detention continued for some time before they were released upon the intervention of the Palestinian DCO. All their belongings were returned the following day (January 29).

Closure and Siege (Residential Areas)

At 6pm on Wednesday January 31, 2001, Israeli military forces imposed another curfew on the H2 area of Hebron, just a few minutes after a group of armed settlers from Abraham Avino committed a series of terror assaults under the protection of the Israeli army. They opened fire at houses in Al Qazazin and Al Sahleh quarters, attacked citizens, stores and vegetable markets, destroyed vegetables and fruits and broke windows.

It is worth mentioning that the area has been continuously subjected to such measures during the last four months.

Israeli forces also re-imposed a curfew on Silwad, near Ramallah, on the morning of Wednesday January 31 2001, after it had been lifted only three days before. Soldiers also blocked all the roads leading to and from the village.

From Monday January 29 to Tuesday January 30 2001, Israeli forces blocked a great number of the roads between and entrances to Palestinian villages and towns. For example, they placed cement blocks across Arabeh junction in Jenin, as well as the northern entrance to Al Ram (north of Jerusalem) and all entrances to Jib'a village. They also blocked the southern entrance of Bethlehem and Qalqilya, restricted military blocks and jeeps at the entrances of roads between different Palestinian districts of the West Bank, and subjected citizens to arbitrary inspections.

LAW Remarks

1. The Israeli occupation forces are committing increasing crimes against Palestinian civilians. 2. They are using the Israeli war arsenal against unarmed Palestinian civilians. 3. They continue to bomb and shell residential Palestinian areas. 4. They continue to use collective punishment methods against Palestinians and deprive then of their basic human rights.

In light of the above, LAW demands the following:

1. The Israeli Government to immediately stop the use of excessive and indiscriminate force and collective punishments against Palestinian civilians.

2. The establishment of an international investigation committee based on United Nations Security Council resolutions 1322 of Oct 7, 2000, to investigate the violations of international humanitarian law committed by the Israeli forces inside the occupied Palestinian territories.

3. The international community must hold a conference for the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention in order to take practical measures to ensure Israel's adherence to the convention.

Women's Affairs Technical Committee (WATC)

The oppressive and terrorizing practices that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) are perpetrating against Palestinian prisoners are escalating. Since the beginning of the current Palestinian uprising (Intifada), the IOF has placed five Palestinian women political prisoners under solitary confinement, humiliating "security" measures and degrading imprisonment conditions. Furthermore, the women's families are forbidden from visiting them, which adds to their torture, sense of isolation and deteriorating psychological situations.

We, in the Women's Affairs Technical Committee in Palestine, assert our solidarity with these women political prisoners. We appeal to the international community, all human rights institutions and defenders of justice around the world to intervene for the immediate release of the five Palestinian women political prisoners. Moreover, we call upon our Palestinian people and the Arab masses worldwide to join us in our demand for the immediate release by the IOF of the five Palestinian women Political prisoners. We will not rest until these women's voices are heard around the world, and until justice prevails. The five Palestinian women political prisoners are:

Suna Mahmoud Ar-Ra'I from Qalqilya who was arrested at her return from Jordan on Aril 12, 1997

Suad Hilmi Ghazal, 17 years old from Sabastia in the suburbs of Nablus who was arrested on December 13, 1998 and sentenced six years

Nisreen Ya'coub Taha from the village in Bidya, Salfeet, who was arrested on March 25, 1998

Maha Ibrahim Al'ikk from Bethlehem arrested on August 2, 2000

Amneh Jawad Muna from Bir-nabala in the suburbs of Jerusalem arrested on January 24,2001