The Massacre Continues: 139 martyrs and thousands wounded, and destruction of property and land continues
For the 31st consecutive day the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces continued their aggression against the Palestinian civilians and their properties. The Israeli Occupation Forces continued to use lethal and excessive force against the Palestinian civilians leading to the killing of 139 Palestinians and injuring more than 6500 others. Yesterday, 150 Palestinians were injured while 7 others killed by the Israelis. The martyrs were:
The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces shelled the houses located near Salah Addeen gate in Rafah causing various degrees of damage to the houses owned by Awad Barhoum, Abd Assalam Shaqfah, and Nassr Arrai'.
The Israelis continued to impose collective punishments upon the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In this context, they continued to close, either partially or completely, the roads leading to the Palestinian population centers and to close the goods' and travelers' passages. Besides, they continued to shell houses, clear agricultural lands, and damage irrigation pumps and pools.
During the last night and this mourning, the Israelis have cleared agricultural lands in Rafah. Israeli bulldozers, protected by Israeli tanks, have cleared 100 Donums owned by Abd Alkareem Dhhair, inheritors of Mezied Zaidan Dhhair, Madhiouf Dhhair, and Nassir Dhhair. The claeared land contained greenhouses, chicken coops, irrigation tubes, irrigation pumps and irrigation pools. Yesterday, the occupation forces dug a 2-meter wide ditch across the road leading to (Almuntar/ karni) passage to the east of Gaza city at a point close to the passage itself. Through this passage, the Israelis deployed at least 15 tanks; which opened fire at Palestinian civilians and shelled a Palestinian (National Security Force) base located nearby the passage. Other Israeli tanks preserved their locations alongside Salah Addin road that connects the two halves of Gaza Strip and continued blocking the road located next to Kisofeem Jewish settlement.
AL-MEZAN Center for Human Rights emphasizes that the Occupation Forces are committing war crimes against the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories. The Israeli attacks against the Palestinians are evident grave breaches to the humanitarian international law and the 4th Geneva Convention. These breaches are being systematically escalated by the Israelis which threatens the lives and properties of the Palestinian civilians. In the light of this, AL-MEZAN requests the international community, especially the high contracting parties to the 4th Geneva Convention to immediately intervene to stop the massacres committed by the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces against the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The international community is requested also to provide international protection for the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Moreover, AL-MEZAN demands that the High commissioner for Human Rights to immediately visit the Occupied Territories in order to witness the truth, the Israeli anti-humanitarian crimes.
We in PARC view with great concern the continued nasty crimes committed against unarmed Palestinian civilians and their properties by the Israeli occupation forces.
Many Projects implemented by Palestinian non-governmental organizations and international partners were and are still exposed to aggressive operations by the Israeli settlers and military forces. The last attack was demolishing two cisterns for collecting rain waters with the capacity of 450 cubic meters. These collecting pools belonged to Muhhamad Musalem Dhair and to I'zat Jumma'h Dhair. They were constructed by PARC three years ago, south of Khan Yunes in Gaza Strip, nearby the Murag settlement. The reservoir that belongs to the farmer Muhhamed Dhair is NOW used as a military trench for Israeli tanks, while the whole area is declared as a military zone.
This happened after the Israeli forces destroyed 5 dunums cultivated by pepper and another dunum cultivated by beans as well as they uprooted 15 olive trees owned by the aforementioned farmers.
PARC strongly condemns these atrocities and calls upon all its partners and friends for stopping the barbarous killings and the random acts of economic destruction, which the Palestinian People are being subjected to around the clock.
PARC, Jerusalem 30/10/2000
The YMCA in Beit Sahour was subject to an unprecedented attack by the Israeli Occupation forces. Israeli Helicopters and forces in the "Osh Al-ghurab" military camp near Beit Sahour joined in the attack.
Bombing and shooting started from around 5:00 PM on Friday 27 October 2000 until 2:30 AM on Saturday 28 October 2000. The neighboring houses were also subject to direct hits, which caused severe damages and terrorized its residents especially the children.
The assault resulted in damages to all the YMCA facilities by many bombs and a massive number of bullets of all descriptions and sizes. The administration offices, the training hall, the men and women dormitories, the special bus for transporting the physically challenged, the "Play Therapy" room, developed especially to ease the psychological stress from the children who are victims of violence, the vocational training department and even the facilities that serve the Shepherds field visitors were exposed to direct hits.
The Young Men Christian Association being an association that provides humanistic services to the physically challenged, to the victims of political violence and to the marginalized sector of the Palestinian people, questions the meaning of this assault on our premises and the wisdom behind it, we declare that this assault shall further enhance our commitment and adherence to the destiny and the just cause of our Palestinian people. We deem the assault as a fierce attack on all International declarations, resolutions and practices. The assault is a clear violation of human rights and specifically to the Geneva Convention in relation to protection of civilians under occupation.
We appeal to all bodies concerned about peace and security to all people to support our efforts in order to:
1- Immediately stop the Israeli acts of violence on Palestinian civilians and institutions.
2- Immediate interference to protect the Palestinian People through a mechanism that also ensures that the Israeli Forces shall not practice this loose application of force by bombing and shooting which reached an illogical irrational, unprecedented level, far beyond any imagination.
3- To hold the Israeli government and the Israeli Prime Minister personally responsible for the crimes that are committed against our Palestinian civilians.
PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-ISRAEL
Severe conclusions from the analysis of the injuries sustained by Palestinian citizens of Israel during the October confrontations within the 'Green Line'
PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-ISRAEL
PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS-ISRAEL condemns an attack by Israeli civilians directed against a Palestinian hospital, and demands that the Prime Minister publicly call for respect of medical institutions and human life.
For details please contact
Miri Weingarten,
Director of Development,
03-5664526, or
Shabi Gatenio, Spokesman,
054-225025.
U.S. Citizens in Palestine Voice Their Concerns
Why is our government supporting brutal occupation?
October 30 –In a press conference held today in Ramallah, approximately 100 U.S. citizens gathered at the Friends Boys School to express their deep concern over the continuing carnage in Palestine and the failure of the U.S. government to take a just stance in the Israel/Palestinian conflict. The group called on the United States to live up to its role as an “honest broker” in peace efforts and to uphold the principles of justice, liberty and human rights that America stands for.
Among the concerns that were raised by the participants at the press conference include: the terrorization of Palestinian civilians and disregard for human rights by the Israeli military, the lack of balance in U.S actions and statements, and America’s role in supporting the military occupation without insisting on compliance with international law governing occupation. Also brought to light was the failure of the U.S. Consulate to be responsive to the needs of Arab Americans living in the occupied territories. One woman related that her son, a U.S. citizen visiting in Palestine, was arrested and tortured by Israeli forces on his way to the neighborhood grocery store. “He has been held for over a month now without charge.” Palestinian American school children sent a message to their peers in the U.S., “while you’re going to parties and preparing for homecoming, we’re hiding from missiles and bullets,” said Saed Atshan. Media bias and general mischaracterization of the conflict and the current crises were also mentioned.
“It is wrong for the United States to support continued military occupation and the use of brutal force by Israel against Palestinian civilians. We call on our government to take decisive steps towards ensuring compliance with international and humanitarian law and to play a vital role in bringing an immediate end to Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian people” said spokesman Mohammad Abdrabbo.
Americans Abroad Concerned Over U.S. Role in Israel/Palestinian Conflict October 30, 2000
We are U.S. citizens, living in occupied Jerusalem, West Bank and Gaza Strip, outraged over the continuing carnage in Palestine, which so far has resulted in the death of at least 130 Palestinians, 4 Palestinian security officers, one Israeli civilian, and 6 Israeli soldiers. No less than 6000 Palestinian civilians lie injured. 30% of the Palestinian casualties are children 18 years of age and under.
We deplore the failure of our government to condemn the use of lethal weaponry, including missiles, helicopter gunships, rubber- coated steel bullets, live ammunition, heavy machine gunfire, exploding dum-dum bullets, and linked 40mm grenade launchers by Israeli troops, against Palestinian civilians. Many of us have watched as American-made attack helicopters have been used to bomb Palestinian residential areas, including in our own neighborhoods.
We condemn the unilateral actions and statements of our Administration, Congress and candidates for public office, which contradict the U.S. government’s position as an “honest broker” in peace efforts. We specifically denounce the U.S. Congress’ passage of Resolution 426, placing the blame for the current violence entirely on the Palestinian leadership, and the U.S. Administration’s plans to push for additional military aid to Israel.
We regret our government’s decision to close its embassies in the Arab world. We are concerned about the growing alienation on the popular level in the Arab world due to the perception of lack of balance in U.S, policy.
We call on the Administration to immediately implement the following:
1.Protection for Palestinian Civilians: Take the lead in providing international protection for Palestinian civilians, particularly in the areas of conflict and flash points.
2.International Inquiry: Support the demand for an immediate international inquiry into the root causes of the conflict, as called for in UN Resolution 1322, and support the immediate implementation of the resolution.
3.Humanitarian Assistance: Help ensure that international emergency aid, including medical supplies and foodstuffs, reach the Palestinian people.
4.Palestinian Rights: Reaffirm and strengthen President Clinton’s statement in Gaza supporting Palestinian inalienable rights for self- determination in the same manner that he has recently supported the Kosovar people in their fight for freedom.
5.Arms Shipments: Suspend arms shipments to Israel in light of the use of U.S. supplied weapons against Palestinian civilians, a violation of the U.S. Arms Export Control Act.
6.Foreign Aid: Halt the transfer of U.S. taxpayer money to Israel, currently in the amount of 6 billion dollars per year, for as long as Israel remains in violation of UN Resolutions and international law.
We are currently witnessing some of the worst violence this region has ever seen. Our homes and businesses are being attacked by the Israeli military on a daily basis. Our children live in terror as a result of these on-going attacks The United States has the power to facilitate an immediate end to the illegal Israeli occupation. Too many US tax dollars, too many lives, too much injustice to the Palestinian people, and too much suffering and waste should make the events of the last one month the final wake up call. The time has come for the United States to place itself on the right side of history in this 50+ year conflict. We expect our government to stand up for the justice, liberty and human rights that America stands for.
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Clashes continue in the occupied Palestinian territories: More than 154 donums of land are swept in the Gaza Strip
For the 32nd consecutive day, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to shoot at Palestinian civilians demonstrating in protest to the serious abuses and killings perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to reinforce their presence with more troops and armored vehicles on roads between Palestinian cities, at the entrances of these cities and at points of contact between areas under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and areas under the control of the Israeli occupation forces. In the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces' bulldozers swept more agricultural and wooded land during the past 24 hours. They have swept 1001- donums of land in the Gaza Strip since September 29, 2000. The number of Palestinians who have been killed since September 29, 2000 has increased to 134. In addition, more than 4,000 Palestinians have been wounded, some of whom are in critical condition.
In Rafah, clashes have broken out since the morning between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Salah El-Din Gate on the Palestinian-Egyptian border, and near Tal Al-Sultan roadblock in the west of the town (separating it from Al-Mawasi). The Israeli occupation forces fired live ammunition and rockets at Palestinian demonstrators near Salah El-Din Gate and wounded 20 of them with live ammunition, including 12-year-old child Muna Abdullah Hamad who was hit with a splinter of a rocket in her eye. PCHR's field officer in Rafah reported that she was away from the area of clashes. At about 16:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces shot at an ambulance of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society on its way to evacuate one of the wounded near Salah El-Din Gate and no injuries were reported.
Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired rockets at Palestinian houses near Salah El-Din Gate in Rafah causing severe damage. PCHR's field officer reported that one rocket hit a house owned by Abdel-Salam Hassan Shaqfa, a second one hit a house owned by Naser El-Rae'I and a third one hit a commercial store owned by Awadh Barhoum. PCHR's field officer in the area reported that damage was limited to properties and no injuries among civilians were recorded.
Since yesterday evening until this afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces' bulldozers swept large areas of agricultural land in Rafah near Morag settlement and near the Palestinian-Egyptian borders. They swept a 58-donum area of agricultural land to the southwest of Morag settlement owned by farmers of Dhoheir family. PCHR's field officer in Rafah reported that dozens of greenhouses, two farms of poultry and some guava trees were swept. The Israeli occupation forces demolished a 180-square meter house established on part of the land and owned by the Dhoheir family. Residents of the house were forcibly expelled from the house without being able to evacuate their furniture. The family estimated the loss at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
This afternoon, in Al-Salam neighborhood in the southeast of Rafah, the Israeli occupation forces' bulldozers swept a strip of agricultural land adjacent to the Palestinian Egyptian borders 2km long and 30-50m wide planted with olives and almonds. The area of swept land is estimated at 80 donums and owned by the families of Qeshta, Al-Nahhal and Bahloul. The Israeli occupation forces swept also a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives and destroyed two water reservoirs and a room established on the land. The swept land is in the southwest of Al-Salam neighborhood and owned by the Al-Shae'r family. In the same area, the Israeli occupation forces fired at two houses owned by Samir Abu El-Soud and Mohammed El-A'yyad, but no injuries were reported. The Israeli occupation forces have continued to reinforce their presence in the area with more troops and armored vehicles which portends more abuses against Palestinian civilians in Rafah.
Clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near Karni Outlet on a road between Netzarim junction and Karni Outlet used by Jewish settlers. PCHR's field officer in the area reported that the Israeli occupation forces fired live ammunition at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded 14 of them, six of whom are in critical condition. They are:
1. Alla' Mahmoud El-Jaro, 23 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head,
2. Mohammed Rezeq El-Sersawi, 19 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the back which reached the chest,
3. Oleyan Faraj El-Khawar, 27 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the chest,
4. A'atef Suleiman El-Sousi, 25 years old, from Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the back,
5. A'ayesh Nae'im Abu Ghaben, 16 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest, and
6. Unidentified, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen and liver.
Yesterday, the Israeli occupation forces swept a three-donum area of agricultural land planted with olives to the south of Karni Outlet and owned by the Al-Haj family. The Israeli occupation forces continued to close Salah El-Din Street, the main road between the north of the Gaza Strip and its south, at Netzarim junction and Karni Outlet. Only Jewish settlers are allowed to use this road.
In Khan Yunis, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near an Israeli military post to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis and near Al-Tuffah roadblock between Khan Yunis city and Al-Mawasi (agricultural) area. The Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators wounding 15 civilians with live ammunition and five with rubber-coated metal bullets. PCHR's field officer in Khan Yunis reported that five of the wounded are in critical condition. They are:
1. Muhammed Ahmed El-Sheikh Dheeb, 24 years old, wounded with a dum-dum bullet in the head and evacuated to Shifa' hospital in Gaza,
2. Saleh Mahmoud Al-Najjar, 14 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest,
3. Mohammed Zou'rob, 19 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the mouth,
4. Eyad Abu Jame'e, 18 years old, wounded with a live bullet in the chest, and
5. Naji Wasfi Barbakh, 18 years old, wounded with a bullet in the abdomen.
Also in Khan Yunis, PCHR's field officer reported that the Israeli occupation forces swept a ten-donum area of land at the entrance of a road leading from Salah El-Din Street to Kissufim crossing. The swept tract of land is owned by Khalaf Abu Hajjaj.
In the vicinity of Kfar Darom settlement near Deir El-Balah, clashes broke out this afternoon between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. These forces opened fire and wounded three Palestinian civilians with live ammunition.
PCHR learned that similar clashes broke out in several areas of the West Bank, especially in Tulkarm, Hebron and Ramallah. The Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded 30 of them with live ammunition. Yesterday evening, the Israeli occupation forces fired at Palestinian demonstrators in the town of Ya'bad near Jenin and killed brothers Bilal Rashad Salahat, 22 years old, and Hilal Rashad Salahat, 18 yeas old, with live bullets in the head.
PCHR's Notes on Today's Clashes in the Gaza Strip:
1. There is a significant escalation of shooting at Palestinian demonstrators by the Israeli occupation forces with the aim to kill. Today, 52 Palestinian civilians were wounded with live ammunition, including dum-dum bullets, five with rubber-coated metal bullets and a child with a splinter of a rocket.
2. Eleven of the wounded are in critical condition as they were wounded in the head, chest, back and abdomen. Four of these are children between 14 and 18 years of age.
3. Two of the wounded received a bullet in the back. This provides evidence of indiscriminate shooting or targeting with the aim to kill.
4. Rockets were used against residential buildings.
5. A 154-dunum area of agricultural land was swept and agricultural facilities and a house were destroyed.
6. The Israeli occupation forces reinforced their presence and restricted movement of people and means of transportation by closing roads.
The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees
Special Report: The Emerging Trends
Statistical Picture of Palestinian Deaths and Injuries
Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, president of the UPMRC held a press conference today at the Ambassador Hotel in East Jerusalem. The purpose of the press conference was to dispel myths and present factual evidence that directly contradicts IDF statements about the current conflict.
To date, 144 Palestinians have been killed and approximately 5,000 have been injured as a result of Israeli actions.
One myth that has surfaced recently is that Palestinians are using their children as shields in clashes and purposefully sending them out to demonstrate. However, the statistics prove otherwise. While a disturbing number of children have been killed, the majority have been adults. Palestinian deaths according to age are: · 13.8% below the age of 15 · 20.3% age 16-18 · 50% age 19-29 · 8.7% age 30-39 · 3.6% age 40-49 · 3.6% 50-59
Many of the children who were killed were not involved in clashes. For example, 13-year-old Muayyad Usma Jawarish was shot and killed by Israeli sniper fire in Bethlehem. He was on his way home from school and was not within a clash area. Similarly, 18-month-old Sara Abdul Azeem was shot in the head by a settler. She was returning home with her father and was not near a clash site. A six-month-old infant was also killed.
The reality is that the IDF is attacking unarmed Palestinian civilians with deadly accuracy, creating a situation Dr. Barghouthi describes as "warfare without a war."
Major causes of Palestinian deaths are: · Bullets - 92% · Tear gas - 1.4% · Torture - 1.4% · Prevented access to medical treatment due to the closure - 2.2%
The locations of wounds which caused the deaths: · 48.1% in the head and neck · 50.4% in the chest and abdomen · 1.6% in the lower limbs
Injury statistics are telling as well. Locations of injuries have been: · 26% in the head or neck · 70% to the upper body · 58% to the upper body if injuries to the upper limbs are excluded
These figures show that, counter to IDF claims, the Israeli army is shooting to kill unarmed Palestinians. Other groups like the United States chapter of Physicians for Human Rights agree with this assessment. Ninety-five to ninety-eight percent of the clashes occur between Palestinians armed only with stones, and Israeli soldiers armed with rubber-coated metal bullets, tear gas, live ammunition, tanks, helicopters, and 50 caliber bullets. The IDF claims that soldiers are acting in self-defense, but the numbers show that many Palestinians have been shot in the head, some in the back of the head while trying to run from the soldiers' fire. Snipers have also been used to assassinate Palestinians, an act that is not consistent with the 'self-defense' argument. Dr. Barghouthi explains that Israel is escalating the status of the situation from an occupation to a one-sided armed conflict in an attempt to justify the suppression of Palestinians and exempt the army from any accountability.
Israeli attacks have harmed a substantial proportion of the Palestinian population. If the same proportion of civilians in the US were killed and injured, approximately 433,000 Americans would be injured and 7,500 would be dead.
The UPMRC repeats its appeal for international protection for Palestinian civilians from Israeli attacks.
To view all of the UPMRC's Emergency Appeals and updates regarding the Israeli army's use of force against Palestinians over the past month, visit the UPMRC website at http://www.upmrc.org. For further information please contact Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi at 050-254218 or the UPMRC office at 02-583-3510/ 02-583-4021.
The Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees P.O. Box 51483 Jerusalem Tel: +972-2-583-3510 Fax: +972-2-583-0679 E-mail: mrs@baraka.org Website: http://www.upmrc.org
ISRAEL DEPLOYS HEAVY ARTILLERY, SETTLERS CONTINUE VIOLENCE
This morning, 30 October 2000, at 09.00 local time, Walid Dahdoul, 20 years old, a student at Al-Najah university from Beit Sahour, was beaten by Israeli settlers on the main road between Jerusalem and Nablus,. Dhadoul sustained injuries to his head.
This afternoon, 14.00 local time, Tassir Ahmed Suleiman, 46 years, from Ainabous, Burj Al-Hamam, Nablus was shot in the chest by live ammunition by Israeli settlers from Hitzbehar, when he was harvesting olives.
Reports have just come in that tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other artillery have been strategically deployed throughout the Gaza Strip and LAW missiles are being fired into Al Barazil and Salah Addin in Rafah.
Similarly deployment of heavy artillery is taking place in Beit Sahour, near Bethlehem and near Ramallah. No reports of bombardment have as yet been reported from these positions.
ISRAEL REFUSES DYING MAN PERMISSION TO SEE FAMILY
Today, 30 October 2000, Israeli forces delayed a Palestinian Red Crescent Ambulance for 3 hours on its way to collect a terminally ill patient. The patient and his family had hoped to see each other before he died, but had been prevented by delays at the Israeli checkpoint.
A terminally ill cancer patient, Riya Awad, 26 years old from Yatta, near Hebron, had hoped to see his family before he died. He had arranged for the ambulance to collect him from the bridge between the West Bank and Jordan to take him to see his family. The ambulance was delayed for three hours between 9.30am and 12.30pm, this morning. Awad died at the bridge without seeing his family.
At 9.30 am Israel soldiers refused to allow the ambulance to pass the checkpoint and instructed its driver to turn back after holding it there for more than an hour. At 10.40am, the ambulance sought alternative routes but was successively turned back; only after a 40-minutes discussion with Israeli command did the ambulance succeeding in securing passage.
LAW deplores the Israeli closure of the occupied Palestinian territory. Closure is a collective punishment, violating article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, which prohibits all forms action intended to intimidate or terrorise an occupied population. This case indicates that the closure is being applied without respect for basic and is intended increase the suffering of Palestinians.