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TITLE: LAW Weekly Roundup ~ March 8-14 |
AUTHOR: |
ORG: LAW |
DATE: March 16, 2001 |
Introduction
Since coming to office on 7 March 2001, the new Israeli government headed by Ariel Sharon has tightened the arbitrary siege imposed on Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps since 29 September 2000. The new Israeli apartheid-style policy isolates Palestinian population centres, effectively placing the people into geographical prisons and depriving them of the right to education, movement, medical care and work. In the early hours of Sunday 11 March, Israeli forces deployed large numbers of troops and armoured vehicles on the roads between Palestinian towns, blocking them with large concrete blocks and sand barriers and thus severely impeding the movement of Palestinians from one place to another.
On Monday 12 March, the Israeli government announced that it was going to ease the 'Security Ring' around Hebron, Bethlehem, Tulkarem and Qalqilya, but it did not do so (see LAW's 12 March 2001 report entitled 'Israeli Forces Tighten Siege on Palestinian Territories,' and our press release on 15 March 2001). During the period covered in this report, Israeli forces have continued to shoot at, beat and abuse unarmed Palestinian civilians, shell Palestinian residential areas and hold Palestinian towns and villages under siege. Israeli soldiers shot dead three Palestinians, two in the Gaza Strip and the third in the West Bank, as well as causing the deaths of two others by preventing them from passing checkpoints to reach hospitals. Israeli settlers, protected by the Israeli army and police, have also conducted further assaults on Palestinian civilians.
First: Violating the right to life and security of person
1. Deaths
· 22 year-old Ziyad Ayyad from Al Zaytoon quarter in Gaza died on Saturday 10 March after being hit by a nail bomb thrown by Israeli soldiers stationed on the road linking Netsarim and Karni crossing. Ayyad died instantly.
· 29 year-old Abdul Kadir Hamdan, a lieutenant in the military intelligence office, was shot in the chest and killed on March 12 by Israeli soldiers stationed on the Ramallah-Birzeit road.
LAW documentation indicates that a parade of Palestinian protesters clashed with Israeli troops as they tried to remove the sand barriers that had been placed on the road connecting Ramallah to Birzeit. Sixty Palestinians were wounded during the confrontation with the Israeli soldiers, who fired rubber coated steel bullets and teargas canisters. Later on, they used live ammunition against Palestinians standing on a nearby hill watching the clashes, killing Hamdan, who was dressed in civilian clothes and was not armed or taking part in the clashes. In the same incident, among the wounded were 32 year-old Ahmad Arar from Karawat Bani Zeid, who was hit in the left eye by a metal bullet, and18 year-old Hani Abdullah from Al Mizra'a Al Gharbiyi, who was hit in the nose, also by a metal bullet.
· On March 13, 39 year-old Na'eem Jami'a from Akraba, Nablus, died when Israeli troops prevented him from crossing a checkpoint on his way to hospital. Based on information gathered by LAW Society, Jami'a, a farmer and father of five, had a heart attack, so his brothers Hassan and Ahmad and his cousin Mohammad took him to hospital in Mohammad's car. However, Israeli troops delayed them at Huwara junction for at least forty minutes, before making the Palestinians turn back thus forcing them to take a long and rocky mountain track. Jami'a died before they reached the hospital in Nablus. The road usually takes 15 minutes.
· On March 14, 48 year-old diabetic Amira Abu Saif from Kako'a, Jenin, died when Israeli troops detained her family for 3 ½ hours at a checkpoint as they tried to take her to hospital in Jenin. Mohammad Abu Saif told LAW that Israeli soldiers at Al Jalami checkpoint had prevented them from travelling to hospital.
· On March 14, 18 year-old Ahmad Banar from Al Shujaiya in Gaza died after being shot twice in the chest and abdomen by Israeli soldiers. Information gathered by LAW indicates that Banar was shot from a distance of only 10 metres during clashes near Karni crossing. The Palestinian boy was left to bleed for half an hour before the Israeli forces allowed an ambulance to reach him.
· On March 14 at 6:00 pm, 17 year-old Murtaja Amer from Qalqilya, a pupil at Al Salam High School, died when Israeli soldiers reportedly shot him in the head. According to information gathered by LAW, the boy was hit by a metal bullet during clashes south of Qalqilya. Medical sources say that he was shot from close range. Among those also wounded in the clashes were:
1. Bilal Shareem (17), shot in the left foot
2. Imad Hamad (15), shot in the left eye
3. Mohammad Dawood (12), shot in the eye
4. Baha Inabi (13), shot in the right foot
5. Ala Dawood (15), shot in the left foot
6. Iyad Abtly (21), shot in the head
7. Mohammad Ibraheem Dawood (14), shot in the head
8. Amer Abu Hamid (12), shot in the left thigh
9. Thair Taha (14), shot in the back
10. Abed Al Hutari (18), shot in the chest
11. Mohammad Jabara (18), shot in the back
12. Waleed Dawood (19), shot in the abdomen
13. Thuraya Abtly (50), shot in the thigh
2. Injuries
Based on LAW's documentation, on Friday 8 March Israeli troops shot and wounded three brothers from Birzeit: Awad (39), Imad (37), and Iyyad Abu Awad (35). They were travelling from Birzeit to Ramallah when Israeli soldiers near Bet Il stopped the Palestinians' car and one opened fire at them without any provocation. Imad was critically wounded in the abdomen and is currently receiving treatement at Ramallah State Hospital. In Salem near Nablus, Hussam Sawalha (12) and Mohammad Jaboor (21) were hit by rubber coated steel bullets during clashes between Israeli troops and Palestinians on Friday.
On 10 March, Israeli soldiers in Rafah shot and wounded Rashid Al Kadi (32) in the head. On 12 March in Deir Nitham, soldiers fired rubber coated steel bullets at Palestinians. Among the wounded were Ziyad Sufi (16), who was hit in the head; Abdullah Araj (16), who was hit in the forehead; Ala Diab (18), who was hit in the right side and Bilal Masad (17), who was hit in the right shoulder.
On 14 March, they wounded the following people from the same village:
· Luay Al Tamimi (12) critically shot in the head and admitted to the intensive care unit at Ramallah hospital. LAW researchers stated that the Palestinian boy was shot from a distance of 200 metres. Yusif Al Tamimi (37) told LAW that Israeli soldiers hindered the ambulance that arrived to take the boy to hospital and delayed it for 65 minutes.
· Yusif Al Khateeb (25) shot in the thigh
· Wasif Al Tamimi (17) hit by a rubber coated steel bullet in the head
· Mohammad Al Khateeb (20) hit in the right thigh
· Ziyad Al Tamimi (16) hit in the left thigh
Second: Settler Attacks
Settlers from Susia, east of Yata, Hebron, opened fire on Palestinian shepherds on 8 March. The next day, Yacouv, a settler from the same settlement (Susia) shot and wounded Khaled Al Najar (45) a shepherd from Yata. When the Israeli police arrived, they arrested eyewitnesses Mohammad Al Najar (13), Ishak Al Jabareen and Mustafa Al Najar instead of arresting the perpetrators. On Friday, a settler wounded 35 year-old Mohammad Abu Ali from Yata as he was on his way home.
On 10 March, settlers from the Jewish enclave in Hebron assaulted Palestinians in Jabal Al Rahma, Tel Al Rmeeda, Al Sahala and Al Shuhada Street. Reuters photojournalist Mazin Da'na (37), photojournalist Hussam Abu Alan (45) and Radi Husu (15) were wounded in the attack.
Third: Shelling
In the evening of Thursday 8 March, Israeli troops on Mount Ibal and Mount Jerzeem in Nablus shelled Ras Al Ain, Sit Al Salimiya, and Al Jdeed Street. Mohammad Afuna and Faisal Adili were wounded in the incident. On 9 March Israeli forces shelled Rafah refugee camp. The shrapnel wounded Hanan Al Arian (40) and her four daughters Hiba (7), Suzan (8), Asma (12) and Amani (15). The shelling also wounded Nasser Dawood (17) in the leg and 8-months pregnant Ayida Duhan (25) in the left leg.
The shelling of Nablus on 9 March wounded Ahmad Isa (53), Jamal Kandeel (16), and Isam Ali (16). Israeli forces in the Avraham Avino enclave shelled residential areas in downtown Hebron for 70 minutes on 10 March, damaging many houses in the area and wounding 15 year-old Yasir Ishtayi in the mouth. Israeli forces shelled Nablus again on March 10 for two hours, wounding Sa' id Saleem (20) in the shoulder and leg. The shelling of Beit Hanoon by Israeli troops deployed at Eretz crossing damaged seven houses belonging to the Swailem family. On 12 March, Israeli troops shelled Rafah, burning down a barber shop belonging to Yusif Ashur and the living room of Sameer Abu Jazar.
Fourth: Siege & Curfew
In the morning of Thursday 8 March 8 2001, Israeli soldiers blocked the Birzeit - Ramallah road with barricades, isolating the east western villages of Ramallah and Al Bireh from the rest of the district, as well as completely isolating Birzeit and preventing Birzeit University's students from reaching the university. On Friday March 9, 2001, the Israeli army re-imposed a curfew on Huwara village, south Nablus, and intensified their military presence in the village near the Ramallah-Nablus bypass. On the same day, Israeli forces prevented Latin Patriarch Michel Sabbah from crossing the military checkpoint at the entrance to Ein Areek, west Ramallah.
Sabbah had been on his way to conduct Mass at the village church. Father Ra'ed Abu Salha, the Latin patriarch's secretary, confirmed in a telephone conversation with LAW that the Israeli army prevented his Excellency from passing in spite of the fact that he was in possession of a VIP card and a diplomatic passport. Moreover, Father Sahlieh said, "Israeli soldiers forced Father Jeofni Shanti, the pastor for Ein Areek's church, to sit on the ground when he tried to convince them of the importance of letting the patriarch pass."
Since Saturday 10 March 2001, Israeli forces have re-imposed the curfew on the occupied part of Hebron, as well as completely blocking off the main marketplace and encircling it with barbed wire, meaning deprivation for hundreds of Palestinian families whose only means of income is the vegetable market. It is worth mentioning that the vegetable market was closed upon the recent request of settlers living in the middle of Hebron.
On Sunday 11 March 2001, Israeli forces stationed at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Ein Areek village near Ramallah prevented 33 year-old Mu' zeiz Al Deek, 33, from Kufur Ni'mah, from crossing it. She was trying to make her way home from Ramallah, and was carrying bread, milk and her 2-month son. They told her they would only let her pass if she dropped the bread and milk, so she did.
On Monday 12 March, Israeli forces stationed at the military checkpoint at the northern entrance to Deir Nitham detained the two brothers Mus'ab (19) and Faraj Faraj (21) for about two hours after capturing them as they tried to leave their village along a dirt track for the nearby Al Nabi Saleh village. The brothers say that a military vehicle stationed at the checkpoint moved towards them once Israeli soldiers caught sight of them. In the early morning of Friday 16 March 2001, Israeli soldiers arrived with bulldozers at Sureef and Beit Ummar near Hebron and barricaded the road.
Fifth: Attacking Journalists
At 2.30pm on Thursday 8 March 2001, Israeli soldiers opened fire from a tank stationed at Netsarim intersection on three Reuters journalists on their way to Gaza to cover a PLC meeting. None of them were hurt, but the journalists were asked to leave the area at once as it is a blocked military zone. The press team included the American Christine Hedran (30), Pakistani Ahmad Bahdawa (30) and Palestinian Suhaib Hassan (24).
Sixth: Torture and Maltreatment
On Thursday March 8, attorney Midhat Deibeh (28) from Shu'fat in Jerusalem was subject to torture by Israeli soldiers. The attorney has stated to LAW that at 9:30 that morning, he was on his way to Jerusalem when Israeli soldiers stopped him at a military checkpoint near Pizgat Za'ev settlement and told him to open the boot of his car. In the boot, they found a spade and some plants. Deibeh said, "The soldier asked me what the spade was for and I told him it was for gardening. The soldier started throwing my plants on ground, so I told him to stop as what he was doing was against the law. He made me to turn around; as soon as I did he and other soldiers began hitting me on the head with something that felt like it was made of heavy rubber.Then they arrested me, claiming I had attempted to assault a soldier."
He added, "While I was in the military jeep, I saw with my own eyes how Israeli soldiers assaulted Atef Ali and Maher Haddad from Shu'fat after getting them out of their car. They were both severely injured and needed 4-5 stitches in the head. According to my medical report, I had a broken bone in my right hand and a blood clot in my right thigh. Afterwards, Atef and I were taken to the Russian Detention Centre and accused of assaulting a soldier, before being released on bail of 3,000 NIS."
On Monday 12 March 2001, Israeli soldiers detained 38 year-old mother of three In'am Al Rajabi from Hebron for three hours at Kiryat Arba' police station after stopping her with a kitchen knife she was taking to be sharpened. At around 10 am on Monday 12 March, Israeli forces assaulted 40 year-old Imad Yousef from Aneen village in Jenin. Imad stated that 3 soldiers entered his field as he was working on the land, confiscated his ID card and inspected his tractor. They ordered him to open the truck, where they found a sickle. They then told him to close it, and as he turned around to do so, one of the soldiers hit him on the back with the sickle. He fell to the ground, and three soldiers assaulted him for 15 minutes. Afterwards, he was taken to the Jenin Governmental hospital; the medical report confirms a fracture in his backbone.
Seventh: Bulldozing and demolition
On Thursday 8 March, Israeli forces at the border separating Rafah from the green line (known as 'Sofa-east Rafah') bulldozed around 117 dunums of olive trees and potato plants owned by the Jarghoun and Abu Loli families. On Friday 9 March, Israeli forces bulldozed 10 dunums of agricultural land near the Kfar Darom settlement (on the land of Deir Al Balah) planted with olives, dates and citrus trees owned by the Al Azayza, Baraka and Al Ma'ni families, as well as destroying an irrigation network. At 9.00 am on Saturday 10 March, Israeli forces bulldozed a Palestinian National Security Forces outpost 100m away from Al Breiaj refugee camp. They took over the position and stationed a tank on the hill 300m away.
On 11 March, Israeli forces at the road between Netsarim and Karni crossing bulldozed and completely demolished a cement factory owned by the Fadel Hassan brothers 700m north of the settler bypass road. As well as the building, all of the machinery inside the factory was also destroyed, with losses estimated at US $1 million. On the same day, Israeli bulldozers demolished a cement factory owned by the Abu Odeh and Al Amawi company, positioned 500m away from the same road. Losses are estimated at US $55,000. On 12 March, Israeli forces bulldozed 4 dunums of citrus trees north-east of the Netzarim settlement, as well as a 500m² animal farm, a well and a room owned by Fa'ur Al Wiheidi.
At around 10:00 am on Tuesday 13 March, Israeli forces demolished two houses, a nursery and a shed in Beit Ummar near Hebron, claiming that they had been built without permission. Wajeeh Abu Maria and Naseem Al Anani own the two houses; the nursery belonged to Othman Abu Arar and the shed to Saber Abu Maria. According to information gathered by LAW, at around 10:00am, Israeli soldiers arrived with a bulldozer and two tanks at the 120m² house of unemployed 35 year-old Wajeeh Abu Maria and informed him of their intention to demolish it. Although he began constructing it 3 years ago it was not yetcompleted. Wajeeh's family has 8 members.
Afterwards, the soldiers used the bulldozer to demolish the 160m² house of 26 year-old truck driver Naseem Anani, which was also still under construction. Both houses are opposite the main street that passes between Beit Ummar and Al Aroub camp (Area C). Israeli forces then bulldozed the 2-dunum plant nursery owned by 31 year-old Othman Abu Arar, destroying his plants. The nursery was established 5 years ago and a 7 member family relies on it as a source of income. The shed owned by Saber Abu Maria was used for stone cutting. Abu Maria provides for a family of 9.
On Tuesday and Wednesday (March 13-14), Israeli forces bulldozed 59 dunums of Palestinian agricultural land planted with olives and grapes to the north of the Netsarim settlement. The land is owned by the Al Qattawi, Dalul, Al Shawa, Shamlakh and Al Khazandar families. Three houses were bulldozed as well: the 160m² home of Muhammad Al Qattawi and his family of 5; the 250m² home of Ibrahim Dallul and his family of 10; and the 200m² home of Kamila Dallul and his family of 10. They also bulldozed 25 dunums of Palestinian land planted with olive trees and vegetables. The land, east of Al Shuja'iyeh in Gaza and near the Nahel Oz settlement, is owned by the Al Khaysee, Abu Siriyeh, Shimali, Sukkar, Samara and Hasanein families. Bulldozers also destroyed an 80m² building owned by Sulayman Shimali, as well as 16 greenhouses owned by the Abu Al Qambaz and Abu Ajweh families south of Al Mintar crossing. On Wednesday 14 March, Israeli forces bulldozed 15 dunums of land planted with olive trees and cereals opposite the border east of Deir Al Balah and owned by the Abu Mughaysab family.
LAW Society reiterates the following:
1. Israeli forces are committing increased crimes and using the Israeli wararsenal against unarmed Palestinian civilians.
2. They continue to shell Palestinian residential areas.
3. They continue to use collective punishment against Palestinians and deprive them of their basic human rights.
4. Israeli forces use settlements as bases from which to bomb Palestinian areas
5. Israeli settlers, aided by Israeli forces, still assault Palestinian civilians
6. The international community, its organizations, and the High ContractingParties of the 4th Geneva Convention have so far failed to take action to ensure Israel's compliance with the international resolutions and the Convention
LAW demands:
1. The Israeli government to immediately stop its crimes and collective punishment against Palestinians.
2. An international investigation committee to be set up, working according to UN Resolution 1322.
3. The Contracting Parties to the 4th Geneva Convention to ensure Israel's compliance with the Convention.
4. Palestinians to be placed under international protection.
5. The international community to put an end to these crimes and the Israeli occupation.
6. The international community to investigate the killing of Palestinians by Israeli soldiers. The investigation shall be in compliance with Article 146 of the 4th Geneva Convention, which stipulates "The High Contracting Parties undertake to enact any legislation necessary to provide effective penal sanctions for persons committing, or ordering to be committed, any of the grave breaches of the present Convention."
7. The Security Council to set up an international war crime tribunal to bring the Israeli war criminals and those in charge of them to justice.
LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy.
END