Israeli Occupying Forces launched punitive attacks upon civilian Palestinian areas following clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli Forces yesterday. From 6:00 to 10:00 pm Israeli tanks located on a hill to the east of the Beit El Military Camp that overlooks the Palestinian city of El Bireh indiscriminately fired shells into residential neighborhoods of El Bireh.
Fifty-Four year old Naim Ahmed Mohammad al-Badareen was killed by a tank shell that penetrated the wall of his home and struck him in the torso. His body was torn apart, and the collection of all of the pieces of his body took hospital workers several hours. Naim lived in a two-story building along with fourteen other members of his family including his children and grandchildren. His home was struck by a total of four shells, which caused extensive structural damage. According to initial Israeli reports shelling commenced in response to shooting by Palestinians located in El Bireh. However, documentation and affidavits collected by an al-Haq fieldworker show that there was no shooting anywhere in the vicinity of Naim’s house which is in the al-Balou’ neighborhood located on the northern side of El Bireh. The incidents to which the Israeli authorities claimed to be responding occurred across the city from al-Balou’ in the Rafat neighborhood located on the southern side of the city. This attack occurred exactly one week after Israeli Tanks opened fire upon Beit Jala, hitting the home of, and killing, Mohammad Ibrahim al- Korbi, age 19.
Soon after the outbreak of the Intifada the Israeli authorities began using helicopters and tanks to shell targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories both as a “preventative measure” against targets that it claimed were being used as staging points by Palestinian gunmen trying to launch attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers and as a “retaliatory measure”, as was the case after the killing of two Israelis in Ramallah in October. Targets that have been hit have included, but are not limited to, buildings located near main flashpoints, police installations, residential neighborhoods, businesses, industrial sites, schools, and hospitals. Every major Palestinian city and many towns and villages have been shelled. Fire from helicopter gunships, tanks, and heavy machine-guns has been indiscriminately directed towards civilian homes and businesses. Evidence gathered by al-Haq fieldworkers contradicts Israel’s claims that attacks have only targeted “strategic” or military targets, or buildings used as staging points for attacks. Twenty-eight Palestinian civilians have been killed and many have been injured in these attacks.
Israeli shelling of civilian areas is a clear violation of Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949. It is also a grave breach of the convention under Article 147, which prohibits the “extensive destruction and appropriation of property”. Additionally, it violated Articles 22, 23, and 25 of the 1907 Hague Regulations. Israel has recognized the applicability and of both the Hague convention and the Fourth Geneva Convention to the Occupied Territories
The Israeli authorities have ignored repeated condemnations of their use of tanks, gunships, and heavy weaponry against civilian areas, and will continue to do so until effective action is taken by the international community to end Israeli aggression. It is in this light that al-Haq reiterates the following demands:
1. The international community should take appropriate action to sanction Israel for its continuous shelling of Palestinian civilian areas. Israel’s targeting of civilian areas is illegal under international law and constitutes a war crime that should be investigated. Those found responsible for committing or ordering the commission of such crimes should be tried.
2. States Party to the Fourth Geneva Convention should act immediately to provide the Palestinian people with protection from Israeli human rights violations and demand an end to abuses committed by Israeli forces. Israel continues to commit grave breaches of the convention that obligate States Parties to act under Article 1, which calls for them “to respect and ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances."
3. The Security Council and the UN General Assembly must end their indefensible silence regarding Israeli’s blatant violations against Palestinian’s human rights.
4. The international community should take the necessary measures to pressure the Israeli Government to stop its excessive use of force and aggression against Palestinian civilians and to end its belligerent occupation.
5. The Security Council should reconsider its decision regarding the deployment of an international protections force for the Palestinian people and should immediately take steps to form such a force to ensure Israeli compliance with United Nations Resolutions and international law.
23.02.01
Dozens of settlers from Bita' Settlement (West of Bethlehem) threw
stones and other metal objects toward passing Palestinian cars on
the
road between Husan and Nahhalin. Several of the cars' windshields
were
damaged and broken.
24.02.01
Settlers from Itamar Settlement (North of the West Bank)
confiscated
livestock of about 150 sheep and goats, belonging to the residents
of
the Akraba' village which is located in the east of Nablus. The
settlers claim that these sheep entered the settlement's territory,
though the Palestinians insist that this land is within their
territory. Major Ghaleb Mayadema, from Akraba' Village, reported that
the settlers also attacked 3 of the sheep owners (Bilal Fahmi Mansour,
Tha'r Bani Jaber, Ahmad Shuhada). (All actions were conducted with the
use of arms.)
Settlers from the Gush Katif Settlement took over dozens of hectacres of agricultural land belonging to Khanunis (Gaza), under the protection of IDF soldiers. Previous AIC releases reported activity of confiscation and leveling of land by bulldozers in this area. Land expropriated from the Abadillah family is now leveled and surrounded by a 2-meter high fence and will be used for expanding the Gush Katif Settlement.
25.02.01
Settlers from Alei settlement uprooted more than 1000 olive trees that
belong to the Awdalla family from Cariut village, in the east of
Nablus.
26.02.01
In the Bethlehem area, bulldozers, guarded by soldiers, continued
opening roads and destroying Palestinian fields between the villages
of Kissam and Il Rashayda, as part of the expansion of Ma'aleh Amos
settlement.
27.02.01
Settlers gathered at the Tunnel Road, linking from Jerusalem to
Hebron, in order to demonstrate against the lack of security and lack
of military protection they receive. In direct response, the road was
completely closed to Palestinian vehicles.
The AIC is a Palestinian-Israeli organization which disseminates information, research and political analysis on Palestinian and Israeli societies as well as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, while promoting cooperation between Palestinians and Israelis based on the values of social justice, solidarity and community involvement.
Al-Haq is deeply concern by the death yesterday under unclear circumstances, and while being detained by the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service, of 33 year old Salim Hassan Aqra’ from Kablan in the Nablus district. According to information given by Salim’s brother, Salim was detained by the Military Intelligence Service in Nablus on 6 January 2001, and placed in detention in a Palestinian Military Intelligence prison. Requests for information regarding the reason for his detention made by his family were denied and no charges were filed. He was also forbidden to have visitors. Salim’s health quickly deteriorated, and on 22 February 2001 he was transferred to the National Hospital in Nablus. Salim’s brother reported that he was allowed to see Salim’s body prior to its transfer to Abu Dis where an autopsy is to be preformed. He stated that there were clear signs of torture upon his brother’s body.
Al-Haq views with grave concern the continued use of torture in Palestinian detention centers under the administration of the Palestinian Security Apparatuses, and calls for a full investigation into this case.Al-Haq also calls upon the Palestinian National Authority to release the results of the autopsy to be performed upon Salim’s body. The PNA must establish clear guidelines that prohibit the use of torture and force against detainees. While a directive by the civil police commander in Gaza to this effect was released in 1995, it does not have the weight of law. Al-Haq has documented reports of beatings, sleep deprivation, burning, and other methods of torture used by various Palestinian security services.
Al-Haq views with further concern the irresponsible disregard of the Palestinian Security Services of the repeated appeals that have been addressed to them by human rights organizations urging them to stop the use of torture and other cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or punishment. These actions are clear violations of international human rights instruments including the International Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on civil and Political rights.
Al-Haq condemns these gross human rights violations and demands the following:
1. That the Palestinian National Authority intervene to end these practices.
2.That an independent investigative committee be formed to look into the death of Salim Hassan Aqra’.
3.That all steps be taken to investigate and, if it can be proven that torture has occurred, prosecute those individuals who were involved in carrying out the torture of prisoners and detainees.
4. That the Palestinian National Authority take immediate measures to guarantee that the various Palestinian Security Apparatuses respect and apply the international conventions and agreements that deal specifically with the treatment of detainees and prisoners, specifically, the Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhumane or degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Body of Principles for the Protection of all Persons Under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment.
5.That the Legislative Council form a Special Committee to Supervise and monitor the conditions of the detainees and the prisoners, in prisons and places of detention, in order to guarantee that the minimum international standards for the treatment of prisoners is being implemented.
6. That, keeping in mind the pressing situation brought about by the Intifada, and the proliferation of human rights violations committed by the Israeli Occupying Forces that affect all aspects of Palestinian life, the Palestinian Legislative Council immediately draft and adopt a law that specifically prohibits torture and other inhumane practices.