The massacre continues: The belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces continue imposing siege on Palestinian cities and killing Palestinian civilians
The belligerent Israeli Occupation Army has continued to implement the policy aiming at isolating the Palestinian cities in the Occupied Territories. In this context, the Israeli occupation forces have continued to block/close the entrances of the Palestinian cities with large cement blocks and military tanks. A curfew has been imposed on the old city of Hebron and Houarah village since 30/9/2000. In addition to the closure of passages and the international airport in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli army has continued to block Salah ad- Din road that connects the two halves of Gaza Strip resulting in the deterioration of the health and economic conditions of the Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories. There is a lack of food and drug supplies.
Today, 15/11/2000, at noon, the Israeli army has opened fire on unarmed Palestinian civilians near Almuntar crossing to the east of Gaza. As a result, Ahmad Sameer Basal, a 20-year old resident of Tal al-Hawa in Gaza has been killed with a bullet to the heart. In the same incident, another Palestinian civilian, whose name is not known till this time, has died after being shot in the right frontal area of the head. In Rafah, an Israeli military tank has randomly opened fire on Palestinian civilians resulting in injuring 15 of them. Fathy Oudah Jum’ah Salim, 18-year old , and Samy Khairy Ahmad Khadhr, a 29-year old policeman, have also been killed in Tulkarm today. The first was shot in the chest while the latter in the head. Now, the Israeli army is bombarding Der al-Balah near Kfar Darom Jewish settlement. Yesterday, 15/11/2000, the belligerent Israeli Occupation Forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians leading to the death of:
1. Mohammad Khatir Alijlah, a 13 year-old resident of Ashujaiah neighborhood in Gaza who was shot in the head.
2. Raid Fahmy Abu Shaqfah, a 23 year-old resident of Rafah who was shot in the abdomen.
3. Sabir Khamees Ibrash, a 15 year-old resident of Alama’ry Refugee Camp near Ramallah who was shot in the heart.
4. Mostafa Mahmoud E’lian, a 50 year-old resident of Nablus. He was beaten to death by Jewish settlers while on the way back to Nablus from Ramallah. A very big stone hit him in the chest fracturing his ribs which lead to his immediate death.
5. Jamal Ibraheem E’lwan, a 34-year old resident of Sanjal who died after inhaling gas fired by the Israeli army and delaying his transfer to hospital.
We, at AL-MEZAN Center for Human Rights, stress again that the Israeli siege upon the Palestinian Occupied Territories, destruction of properties, and intentional killing of Palestinian civilians constitute, according to the international law, war crimes. Based on this, we stress our previous requests that the international community should fulfill its legal obligations towards the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip by providing international protection. The non commitment to do so can only be viewed as a reward for the crime perpetrated.
Day 48 Israeli Forces and Settlers Continue their Assaults on Palestinians November, 15, 2000 3:30pm GMT+2
Throughout the West Bank and Gaza today, Israeli forces and settlers carried out attacks on Palestinian civilians. In Gaza, Israeli forces fired on Palestinian demonstrators at the Al Mintar crossing. Fifteen-year-old Ahmad Basal from the Ashuja’ieh neighborhood, was shot and killed by live ammunition to his chest. A second and un-identified young man was killed by a shot to his head.
In Khan Younis and Rafa, 16 Palestinians were injured, two critically. Ashraf Abu Dayeh, 20, from Ashate’ Refugee Camp and Ahmad Al Mughrabi, 13, from Azaitoun neighborhood, were both shot by live ammunition in the neck. Israeli shelling coming from the Kfar Darom and Kosafim settlements damaged several houses in Deir Al Balah. One home owned by Hamdi Al Ja’farawi was destroyed.
In Hebron, the Israeli Border Police opened fire on 3 Palestinian laborers from the village of Sourif. Hussein Baradi was listed in critical condition , Yousef Ghneimat was injured and his brother Khaled Ghneimat, was detained and taken to an unknown destination.
Settlers from Kharsina and Kiryat Arba settlements south of Hebron, attacked property belonging to Naim Jaber and Abed Al Jawad Jaber. Settlers uprooted a 4 -dunum plot planted with various crops and confiscated irrigation pipes. According the owners, Israeli soldiers witnessed the property destruction and did not intervene.
Near Ramallah, it was reported that at 10:30 this morning, settlers near the Nabi Saleh junction shot Sami Arar, 18, from the village of Qarawet Bani Zeid. He was shot in both legs. Due to the Israeli imposed closure on Ramallah, he was unable to reach the local hospital and was instead taken via the back roads, to Rafidia hospital in Nablus.
At 3:00 this afternoon, Israeli forces shelled an empty building at the entrance to Al Birch causing extensive damage. An exchange of fire is continuing at this time.
In Toulkarem, Israeli soldiers shot Fathi Salem, 18 and Sami Khader, 29, during a clash in the western part of Toulkarem. Both were hit by heavy machine gun fire in the chest.
Near Nablus, Israeli troops searched and ransacked a number of houses in the Qasra village. According to residents, Israeli forces arrived at 8 pm last night and continued their attacks on the homes until 6:00 am this morning. At least five homes were ransacked.
In the Qalqilya area, Israeli forces have ransacked at least 15 properties.
On Palestinian Independence Day, Five More Palestinians Shot Dead by the Israeli Occupation Forces and Dozens Injured. This Brings the Death Toll to 200 Palestinians Killed and Over 8000 Injured. Al-Haq Reiterates Its Call to the International Community for International Protection for Palestinians Under Israeli Military Occupation
On this day, Palestinian Independence Day, al-Haq is appealing to the international community with a sense of urgency regarding the fate of the Palestinian people under Israeli Military Occupation. Acts of aggression perpetrated by the Israeli Occupation Forces continue unabated - including the excessive use of force, willful killing, arbitrary and summary execution and collective punishment. Israeli settlers continue to conduct their rampage of violence with the support of the Israeli Occupying Forces. Despite the unprecedented number of Israeli soldiers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, it appears that the Israeli Occupying Forces have made no real attempt to stop settler violence. This indicates a double standard that is carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces in implementing their duties in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Palestinians live under the constant threat of terror from Israeli settlers as a result of the Israeli Occupying Power’s failure to provide the necessary protection in accordance with its legal commitments under international law.
Today five more Palestinians were killed. Jaddou’ Badiy’a Jaddou’ Abu Ikbash, 16 from Hebron/ Al-Samoa Village was shot from live ammunition to the heart by Israeli Occupying Forces. Abdelhafez Mohammad Ghrouf, 20 from Jericho. Ahmad Sameer Basal, 20 from Gaza. Fathi Odeh Obeid, 18, from Tulkarem Refugee Camp and Samer Sabri Ahmad Khader, 29 Palestinian National Police from Kufr Romman/Tulkarem.
Yesterday, Mustafa Mahmoud I’lian, 50 from Askar Camp near Nablus was stoned to death on the road to Nablus by Israeli settlers from Kowkab Assabah Settlement. His son Ala’a, aged 22, and their friend Hussein Msallam, were also injured. Jamal Ibrahim Elwan 34 from Sinjel suffocated to death as a result of tear gas on the entrance of his village (this case is still under investigation by al-Haq fieldworkers).
In Gaza, Mahmoud Khater al-Ijleh, 13 was shot and killed from a live ammunition wound to the head. Raed Fihmi Shaqfeh, 23 from Rafah was shot in the abdomen and died from his injuries.
Saber Idriss, 14 from Amari Camp in Ramallah was shot in the chest by live ammunition and died.
Yesterday, the Israeli Occupation Forces implemented an even tighter siege on the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
The lives of Palestinians living under this siege their social, economic and cultural life has been severely obstructed, even halted. Palestinian children have been denied their right to education as the H2 area in Hebron remains under military curfew virtually imprisoning 35,000 Palestinians and denying over 12,000 Palestinian children their right to an education. Palestinians remain cut-off from primary hospitals and health-care centers. Commercial life continues to deteriorate and the movement of goods and produce restricted. Government Ministries are operating at a diminished capacity. Freedom of movement has been denied to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Al-Haq reiterates its call to all High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to signal to the Israeli Occupation Authorities that it will not tolerate grave breaches of the Convention.
Al-Haq urges the international community to pressure the Israeli abide by the numerous international instruments that Israel has willingly ratified such as the International Covenant of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms if Racial Discrimination; the Covenant on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In light of ongoing settler violence, and the continuing failure of the Israeli Occupying Forces to ensure the safety of the Palestinians, al-Haq again calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to provide and/or guarantee protection for Palestinians living under Israeli Military Occupation.
Hebrew University bans political activity
In a gross violation of the democratic rights of students, the administration of the Hebrew University has banned all political activity by students. This act is designed to silence criticism of the Israeli government's repression of the Palestinian uprising.
A group of Jewish and Palestinian students, including CWI members, organised a silent demonstration today against the ban on political activity. Demonstrators wore gags to protest the univerities attempts to silence the students.
The students who took part in this demonstration have been summoned to disciplinary meetings with the Dean of the university. This is a crude attempt to intimidate students into submission.
The denial of the right to free speach, the right to organise, and the right to demonstrate is contradicts the universities own charter which claims to be "committed to the values of the equality of rights and opportunities, to academic freedom and freedom of expression...".
The repressive methods of the university adminstration must not be allowed to succeed. Send messages of protest to
Avigdor Shinan, Dean of Students, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Fax: ++ 972 2 581 2738 Email: shinan@hum.huji.ac.il
Messages of support for students to: The struggling students Fax: ++ 972 2 622 2168 Email: yberda@hotmail.com
Please send copies to us: info@maavak.org.il
UPDATE 15/11/2000 Update on Jerusalem university administration's attack on students, and call for messages of protest/support.
Yesterday, 20 students demonstrated against the university administration's ban on political activity, including some of our student comrades. The ban is an attempt mainly to silence criticism by Palestinian students and Left Jewish students against the killing of 13 Israeli Palestinians by Israeli police, during demonstrations within Israel a month ago.
Security guards who broke up the demonstration demanded the names and identity numbers of all students who participated. Some students refused to give their names. Unbeknown to the students, every student on the demonstration was photographed, and the pictures were handed over to the Dean.
That same evening, the students were summoned to individual disciplinary hearings by the Dean. After receiving legal advice, the students refused to attend the hearings, claiming that the individual hearings were an attempt to divide and weaken them, by isolating and threatening individual students. The students stressed the importance of waging a united struggle against the attempts at intimidation by the administration.
The Dean is now threatening the students with a joint disciplinary hearing. All students are accused of breaking the ban on political activity. In addition, some students are being accused of refusing to give their details to security guards. . The students are refusing to be intimidated by the university's threats, and are organizing their defense and struggle.
30 lecturers have already signed a petition protesting the university administration's intimidation of students exercising their right to free speech, and the students have set up committees for continuing the struggle, and for getting legal support.
At the start of the academic year, the Dean promised that the ban on political activity would only last 2 weeks. However, 2 and a half weeks later, the ban is still in place.
The students were very encouraged to hear that we are organizing international messages of protest to the Dean. We ask comrades, especially those with positions in student bodies or within universities, to send messages to the Dean, protesting the ban on political activity and the intimidation of students. Please also send messages of support to the struggling students.
Settlers' Aggressions against Palestinians
At 3AM Settlers threw a Molotov cocktail at Daoud 'Alayyan's house in Beit Safafa (Jerusalem area). The bottle entered a room in the house, causing a fire and destroying furniture. This is not the first time that the house has been under settler attacks; last week three settlers stopped their car outside the house and threw two Molotov cocktails at it.
About one hundred olive trees were uprooted in the village of Dair Netham (Ramallah) by settlers from Halameesh settlement.
During an attack by settlers, Ya'qoub Abed-Allateef Arabasi from the village of Jamma'een (Nablus area) was injured in his head when a stone was thrown at him. He was taken to Rafidya Hospital in Nablus.
Settlers from Shekadeem settlement in the north of the West Bank opened fire on Palestinians from the village of Toura. One villager was injured in his shoulder.
Fawzee Abed-al'Azeez (aged 40) was injured when a stone hit his face and was taken to hospital, after eight settlers attacked him and his wife Muyassar while they were working on their land.
EIGHT PALESTINIANS KILLED TODAY
This afternoon four more Palestinians were killed by the Israeli security forces in different towns of the West Bank. This raises the number of Palestinians killed today in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to eight. Among those killed, 3 were under the age of 18 and 2 just 18. Moreover, according to information gathered by LAW, 10 Palestinians were injured, among them an expectant mother.
Ahmad Sha’ban (20), from Al Jalama village near Jenin, was fatally hit by live ammunition, which reportedly penetrated his abdomen and exited his back. Sha’ban was brought to Jenin hospital where he underwent medical surgery but his life could not be saved.
In clashes at the entrance of Asamou’ village near Hebron, Munaya’ Abu Al Kabash (16) was killed and Karim Abu Awwad (17) was seriously injured. Al Kabash was shot in the abdomen. Abu Awwad was hit in his left shoulder and sustained serious injuries in the main artery of his arm; he is currently receiving treatment at Al Makassed hospital in Jerusalem. Both youths were allegedly hit by bullets, which exploded inside their bodies.
20-year-old Abed Al Hafeth, from Jericho, was killed by live ammunition at the southern entrance of the city.
In Qalqilya, 15-year-old Ibrahim Jua’di was killed during clashes with the Israeli security forces. Jua’di was hit in the chest by live ammunition. According to officials of the local UNRWA clinic, he was also hit by a dum-dum bullet, which penetrated his left kidney.
Ni’meh Janem (22), a nine months pregnant woman from Fahah in the Gaza Strip, was injured by live ammunition in her left thigh. The young woman was not involved in any sort of violence. She was standing at a distance of 2 kilometres from the Rafah border fence where clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli security forces were taking place. Janem was transferred to Abu Yusef Al Najar hospital for treatment.
LAW condemns the consistent use of excessive and disproportionate force by Israel, which is causing a large number of casualties among Palestinian civilians, the vast majority of whom is unarmed.
LAW urges the Israeli government to comply with its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention to protect the civilian population of the occupied territory and to guarantee their physical integrity and safety. In this regard it must be noted that expectant mothers are an especially vulnerable group, who even require a higher degree of protection.
In another arbitrary action, the Israeli occupation authorities paralyze the work of the Palestinian Legislative Council
Arbitrary measures that have been taken by the Israeli occupation forces since the breakthrough of Al-Aqsa Intifada have included official institutions of the Palestinian national authorities, most notably the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC). Members of the PLC from the Gaza Strip have been denied access to Ramallah to participate in the sessions of the PLC. Furthermore, PLC Members from other cities and villages in the West Bank have been denied access to Ramallah to participate in the activities of the PLC, as movement between these cities and villages has been restricted.
Consequently, parliamentary activities have been halted, as sessions of the PLC could not be convened periodically, regularly and in quorum. PLC Members were forced to convene separate sessions on October 26 and November 6, 2000 both in Ramallah and Gaza. They discussed the latest serious developments of the aggression launched by the Israeli occupation forces; particularly, use of heavy weapons, tanks, combat helicopters and gunboats to shell defenseless civilians in Palestinian cities, villages and refugee camps throughout the occupied Palestinian territories. They also called on the international community to exert efforts in order to immediately provide international protection for the Palestinian people, and to establish an international commission of inquiry to investigate the horrible crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians.
Following prolonged negotiations between the Palestinian National Authority and Israeli authorities after the imposition of a total closure on the West Bank and Gaza Strip on February 25, 1996, all PLC members were issued VIP Category 2 cards. The closure included tight restrictions on the movement of people, goods and vehicles between the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including on that of PLC members traveling between the West Bank and Gaza Strip in order to attend the sessions of the PLC. These restrictions caused the postponement of sessions and obstructed the work of the PLC and its committees on numerous occasions.
According to the stipulations on the VIP Category 2 card, “the bearer of (the) card is a V.I.P. in the Palestinian Authority, who is authorized to enter Israel and the territories under the administration of [the] Israeli Military Government and is not required to obtain a personal permit …No routine searches of the bearer of this card or his vehicle will be conducted at the checkpoints …”
Despite having such VIP cards, PLC Members have not been immunized from arbitrary measures adopted by the Israeli occupation authorities against the Palestinian people since the outbreak of Al-Aqsa Intifada. They have been prevented from movement between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. As a result, the activities of the PLC and its committees have been halted.
PCHR reiterates its condemnation of the rampant abuses and crimes perpetrated by the Israeli occupation authorities against Palestinian civilians, and asserts the following:
1. The right to free movement is a basic human right, which is ensured by relevant international conventions and covenants.
2. PCHR condemns measures taken by the Israeli occupation authorities preventing PLC Members from moving between Palestinian cities and villages in the West Bank, and between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Such measures disparage the simplest concepts of immunity and free movement commonly held by elected deputies.
3. Such measures will hinder the duties of the PLC in legislation, review and accountability. It is irrational that the main interest of PLC Members becomes how to move between the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which has been impossible in the past six weeks, and maybe will be so in the future.
4. PCHR calls
on world parliaments, especially the Parliament of the European Union,
to immediately intervene to stop arbitrary measures by the Israeli
occupation forces against PLC Members and their making of Palestinian
legislation, and to demand the free movement of PLC Members in order
for the PLC to exercise its duties.