Al Mezan

The massacre continues: Since the 1st of December, the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces kill 27 Palestinians, injure hundreds, and bulldoze 500 dunums of agricultural land.

The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have continued to use excessive and lethal force against the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The number of Palestinians killed by the Israelis since 29/9/2000 is 289, while the number of those wounded during the same period is about 10,000. 27 of the martyrs, including 11 children, lost their lives during the period extending from the beginning of December 2000 till today 12/12/2000. Hundreds others were wounded during the same period. This reflects clearly the deliberate killing policy of the Israeli Occupation Forces; a policy that has been widely condemned by the international community. The names of the Palestinians killed yesterday were: 1. Anwar Mahmoud Hamran, a 28 year old resident of Arrabah/ Jenin, who was shot in different parts of the body with 19 bullets. 2. Ahmad Ali Darweesh Alquasmy, a 15 year old resident of Hebron, who was shot in the head on 8/12/2000. The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have also continued their attacks against the Palestinian property. In this context, they have continued to bulldoze agricultural lands, clearing trees and crops and damaging green houses, and to shell and damage houses. The total area of agricultural land bulldozed in the West Bank and Gaza Strip since 29/9/2000 is 3,500 dunams. The area of agricultural land bulldozed in the Gaza Strip since 1/12/2000 is 500 dunams. Yesterday, 12 dunams of agricultural land were bulldozed northern to Beit Lahia. These lands are owned by: 1. Ahmad Hasan Taha Ashanty: 5 dunams were planted with citrus fruits trees and 4 dunams planted with tomatoes and cucumber (in green houses). In the same incident, the irrigation system was destroyed. 2. Nasry Shukry Assoury: 3 dunams planted with olive and fruit bearing trees. In the same incident, the water pump as well as two stores (which area is 27 m2 ) containing several agricultural utensils and plant medications were destroyed.

The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have, moreover, continued to attack Palestinian civilian premises. In this context, 800 houses have been attacked. Many of them, especially those located near Israeli settlements and/ or military points, have been attacked almost on a daily basis. Since 1/12/2000, 40 new houses, apart from those which have been attacked on a daily basis, have been attacked in the Gaza Strip. These houses are located near Attuffah junction (Khan Younis), Salah Addeen border gate (Rafah), Tal Zu’rub military base (Rafah), and Kfar Darom settlement (Deir Albalah). The Israeli Occupation Forces not only attacked the houses, but also occupied a number of them. In this context, Israeli soldiers occupied a house owned by Husein Al’aidy yesterday. The house is located next to the road that connects Almuntar/ Karny crossing with the Nitsareem settlement. In the West Bank, the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces occupied the upper story of a house owned by Khaleel Mohammd Khamees Abu Fannounah. The house is located in Alhalayiq neighborhood in Hebron (near Hagay settlement). The 13-member family was forced move from the upper story down to the ground floor. The Israeli soldiers broke the windows of the upper story and positioned their machine guns on them. On 10/12, the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces fired a shell at a “red Volvo”- model truck owned by Sameer Rajab Ibraheem Alharazeen, 42 years old resident of Ashujaiah neighborhood in Gaza. The truck was directly hit with the shell, resulting in setting it to fire. Fortunately, the driver managed to escape the truck a few seconds before the incident.

The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces have continued to impose the comprehensive closure on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, isolating them from the rest of the world on one hand and separating them from each other on the other hand. A Palestinian woman, Oraib Younis, a 28 years old teacher, resident of Askar near Nablus, was prevented from reaching the hospital. The ambulance that carried her was delayed for two hours despite the fact that she was in labor pain. The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces continue to close Salah Addeen road, the main road that connects the southern provinces of the Gaza Strip with the northern ones. This road has been closed since 20/11/2000. Later on, since 5/12/2000, Salah Addeen Road (through the Alhiker round road) has been opened for a few days, for a few hours each day. The road is repeatedly prone to closure. The eastern road (the 86 road) continued to be partially closed. The Israeli forces open it from 8 a.m. till 4 p.m. each day, but the actual time during which the passage of cars and travelers is allowed is less than half of that period. The passengers have been prone to the threats of the Israeli soldiers positioned along this road, who opened fire on them. Last Wednesday, 6/12/2000, two Palestinians were injured in the legs while crossing the road as a result of such shooting. The Israelis continued to limit the number of working hours (to 10 hours during daytime only) in the international airport of Gaza and the Rafah border crossing. Sofa and Beit Hanoun crossings continue to be completely closed whereas Almuntar crossing is partially closed. This lead to huge material losses and hindered the movement of passengers and goods. Yesterday11/12/2000, at 10:30 a.m. (8:30 GMT), the Israelis closed the Rafah border passage; which constitutes a closure of the international airport of Gaza as the checks of the passengers who travel by plane as well as their luggage take place in the border passage.

It is worth mentioning that the closure of the Palestinian Occupied Territories has prevented the Palestinian students residing the Gaza Strip from joining the universities and colleges in the West Bank at which they study. The separation of the Gaza Strip into two isolated parts has also prevented thousands of students and teachers from joining the colleges and universities in Gaza.