Israeli troops continue to commit blatant human rights violations in the areas reoccupied
· Israeli forces continue to carry out massive arrest campaigns and shell Palestinian civilian facilities
· The Israeli policy of collective punishment and oppressive measures have hit Palestinians hard; unemployment has reached record levels, those that require medical attention cannot reach hospitals and medical centers, and thousands of students have been unable to sit exams
· The situation in the Palestinian territories is on the verge of humanitarian catastrophe
· Israeli troops attack areas "B," which are under Israeli security control and carry out detention campaigns and use loudspeakers to insult and verbally abuse Palestinians
· Israeli troops committed and extra judicial execution in Gaza Strip killing two police officers
· Israeli forces continue to use excessive force against Palestinian civilians
· Israeli troops open fire on a car killing a women and her daughter
· Israeli military bulldozers destroy dozens of acres of farmland in the Gaza Strip
· Israeli forces campaign against Palestinian paramedics and journalists continues
· Israeli troops killed ten Palestinians during the period covered by this roundup:
1. Jihad Al Amarin, 46
2. Wael Al Numra, 33
3. Jiries Al Dalu, 72
4. Randa Al Hindi, 42
5. Anwar Al Hindi, 2
6. Shkri Dawood, 8
7. Khamis Sharab, 47
8. Moamar Daraghmi, 28
9. Mahmoud Basheer, 72
10. Rami Qatsh, 19
Excessive use of force and extra judicial execution
On July 5, 2002, Israeli forces opened fire at Palestinian demonstrators at Netsarim junction in the Gaza Strip wounding Talat Abu Asar, 22, in the chest. The following day, (July, 6, 2002) Israeli troops killed a Palestinian woman and her 2-year-old daughter near the same junction. According to Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), the shooting occurred at 05:45 when Randa Al Hindi, 42, was traveling with her children to Khan Yunis after a wedding party in Gaza. The shooting came from nearby Jewish settlement of Netsarim. Narjis Al Hindi, 20, was wounded in the attack.
On the same day, (July 6, 2002) Israeli troops opened fire on two Palestinians in Husan critically wounding them. According to LAW's investigations, Mahmoud Shusha, 35, and Morad Esa, 21, were at Shusha's store when Israeli troops opened fire from a military jeep wounding them in the head.
On Monday, July 8, Israeli troops at Surda roadblock opened fire at Palestinian commuters critically wounding Suhair Kadaha, 18, in the head. According to eyewitnesses, the shooting occurred when hundreds of Palestinian commuters where waiting to cross the roadblock to return home from Ramallah.
On Tuesday, July 9, Israeli border police shot and killed Mahmoud Basheer, 72, in Jerusalem. According to LAW's investigations, the elderly Palestinian man was caught in crossfire.
Extra judicial execution
On Thursday, July 4, Israeli troops committed another extra judicial execution in Gaza Strip. According to information gathered by PCHR, Jihad Al Amarin and Wael Al Numra were killed in a car explosion. Israeli military authorities have used similar tactics in the past to assassinate Palestinian activists. Eyewitnesses added that the targeted vehicle (a taxi) belonged to the two victims and that its driver escaped to an Israeli settlement in the Gaza Strip. Shelling
On July 8, Israeli troops at Neve Dakalim settlement shelled Khan Yunis causing damage to civilian facilities; no casualties were reported.
Invasion and Incursion into autonomous areas:
At 5:00pm on Thursday, July 4, 2002, Israeli troops accompanied by two military bulldozers made 300m-incursion into Al Farraheen area in Absan village in Khan Yunis during which the bulldozers under military machinery protection razed agricultural lands and demolished an outpost belonging to the border troops, 800m away from the borderline with Israel.
At around 7:00pm, Israeli troops reinforced with heavy machinery and bulldozers made 800m-incursion into Al Sunati area in Khuza'a village in Khan Yunis during which random gunfire was aimed at residential houses and agricultural lands and lands were razed. Israeli troops also bulldozed a 150m-1-story-outpost belonging to the border troops and demolished Abu Baker Al Siddeeq 60m- Mosque.
At around 10:00pm, Israeli Special Forces sneaked into Al Kharaba area, southeast Khan Yunis, 2km away from Morag settlement. The forces deployed inside agricultural lands and hindered a group of Palestinian youngsters returning home from a mosque. The youngsters were assaulted and ordered to lie on the ground handcuffed. After three hours of interrogation they were released, although Jihad Isleih was kept and taken to Morag settlement.
At around 1:00pm on Friday, July 5, 2002, an Israeli tank and bulldozer made 300m-insursion into the area located west of Salah Al Deen Main Street, near Al Shuhada' junction, south Gaza, during which 3 dunums of agricultural lands were razed.
Israeli Special Forces killed a Palestinian near his house in Khan Yunis after incursion into the area.
According to information gathered by PCHR, at around 11:45pm, a Special Force made 800m-incursion into Qizan Abu Rashwan area southwest Khan Yunis during which it sneaked into Gan Or settlement. In the meantime, Khamis Sharab, 47, was sitting with his son Firas, 20, and his friend near his house when suddenly the Special Force cut the barbed wire surrounding the lower part of his land. Sharab heard some strange move in the area so he and his son lit a torch to see what was the problem. And once Sharab shouted 'who's there?' the troops fired at him instantly killing him by three bullets in the head, chest and foot. The troops continued their incursions in the area until they reached the main street linking Khan Yunis to Rafah. There an Israeli tank was waiting for them in the area. In order to cover their withdrawal, the troops positioned at Morag settlement, 500m southeast of the area opened random fire at the area.
At around 7:00pm on Friday, July 5, 2002, Israeli troops broke into several houses in Tulkarem, arrested Abdul Kareem Abu Rabee', 26, and Muhammad Abu Saleh, 28, and drove them to unknown destination.
On Saturday morning, July 6, 2002, Israeli troops fired tear gas at Palestinians in Al Manara Square in the middle of Ramallah. As a result and elderly man was killed due to a severe amount of gas inhalation.
According to LAW's information, on Saturday morning, after the curfew was lifted in Ramallah and Al Bireh, thousands of residents rushed to local markets to purchase food. At around 8:00am tanks and troop carriers arrived to Al Manara Square in the middle of the city and soldiers opened fire and released tear gas at Al Manara and imposed curfew. As a result, Jiryes Al Dalu, 72, suffocated from gas inhalation and was taken to Ramallah Hospital, where he reached dead on arrival. The Ramallah Hospital is only a kilometer away far from where the victim was injured.
On Sunday morning, July 7, 2002, Israeli troops stationed inside tanks and armored vehicles opened fire at residents trying to enter and depart Nablus during the lifting of the curfew on the city. During the shooting Ibrahim Al Mabruk, 34, from Al Ein refugee camp was injured by a gunshot in the left side of the neck.
According to LAW, at around 10:30am, while Ibrahim Al Mabruk returned from the northwestern villages of Nablus during the lifting of the curfew on Nablus in the morning soldiers positioned at Qusein junction, chased Palestinian passersby and opened medium and heavy ammunition at them injuring Al Mabruk by heavy gunshot to the left side of the neck. He was taken to Rafidia Hospital and later transferred to Al Maqased Hospital in Jerusalem due to the seriousness of his condition.
At around 2:30pm, medical sources at Pensilon Hospital, inside the Green Line announced the death of Shukri Daoud, 8, from Qalqilia due to injuries he sustained in the past.
According to LAW, at around 3:00pm on Thursday, June 27, 2002, Israeli troops that reoccupied Qalqilia opened tank artillery and light ammunition at residential houses in the city injuring three children including Shukri Daoud who was hit by gunshot in the head. He was initially transferred to the UNRWA Hospital but due to his serious condition he was transferred to Pensilon Hospital in Israel where he remained until he died.
At around 8:00am on Monday, July 8, 2002, Israeli troops broke into a residential house in Rafidia in Nablus. Three Palestinian Special Police officers were arrested and driven to unknown destination. Prior to withdrawing Israeli troops planted explosive bombs inside the house and detonated the house from afar. Those arrested were:
· Samer Al Naser, 26, Deir Sharaf village
· Hasan Al Faqha, 24, Deir Sharaf village
· Sa'eed Marjan, 23, Kufur Qalil village
At around 1:00am on Tuesday, July 9, 2002, Israeli troops reinforced with heavy military machinery and a bulldozer made 100m-incursion into Block J adjacent to the borderline with Egypt, south Rafah. Military bulldozers demolished six residential houses under random tank artillery and ammunition. As a result, two Palestinian civilians were injured, one in serious condition. Palestinian policeman Muhammad Al Banna, 24, was taken from home after his house was stormed and searched.
Those injured were:
· Hashem Al Haj Yousef, 46, seriously hit by gunshot in the head, transferred from Abu Yousef Al Najjar Hospital in Rafah to Al Shifa' Hospital in Gaza.
· Muhammad Al Maghazi, 15, shrapnel in the head.
In the early morning, Israeli troops opened fire at a Palestinian civilian car in Al Baten area east Al Yamoun village, west Jenin, and killed Mu'ammar Daraghmeh, 28, from Tubas village.
According to information gathered by LAW, at around 2:30am that day, the Palestinian Red Crescent Hospital emergency department in Jenin was informed of someone wounded in Al Baten area. Immediately an ambulance was dispatched to the area to find Daraghmeh lying near a Palestinian civilian car. The injured was taken to Dr. Khalil Sliman Hospital in Jenin. The victim had been shot in the left thigh and was left to bleed to death without medical attention. A resident stated that at 1:30am he heard Israeli military touring the area and heard a gunshot aimed at a car on the main street. The victim's identity was clarified after reaching hospital. It is worth noting that Mu'ammar Daraghmeh is the brother of Ayman who was killed early this year.
On Wednesday morning, July 10, 2002, Israeli troops stationed inside tanks deployed around Askar old refugee camp, east Nablus, and opened heavy ammunition at Palestinian houses instantly killing Rami Qatash, 19, by a heavy gunshot that penetrated the left side of the chest and left the back.
According to LAW, at around 11:30am, several Israeli military jeeps broke into the refugee camp and ordered residents via loudspeakers to return to their homes. Some youngsters threw stones at the soldiers in protest of not lifting the curfew. In response soldiers stationed in the tanks that besiege the refugee camp opened fire at residential houses instantly killing Qatash by heavy gunshot in the left side of the chest.
Detention and maltreatment
At around 8:30pm on Friday, July 5, 2002, Israeli troops reinforced with armored vehicles and troop carriers broke into Beit Furik village east Nablus. Heavy gunfire was aimed at passersby and residential houses seriously injuring Khaled Hanani, 16, by gunshot in the abdomen. Prior to withdrawing the troops arrested four youngsters from their homes and drove them to unknown destination:
· Naseem Hanani, 15
· Abdullah Khatatbah, 16
· Salam Khatatbah, 16
· Muhammad Khatatbah, 16
The siege
At around 10:00am on Wednesday, July 10, 2002, Zuheir Awwad, 60, from Salfit village was taken to Salfit Hospital after suffering a serious heart attack. Due to the seriousness of his condition he was transferred to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. At around 10:45am, a Salfit Hospital ambulance moved towards Nablus and reached Huwwara checkpoint. At around 11am soldiers hindered the crossing of the ambulance until 1:00pm. At around 1:30pm the patient reached hospital dead a few minutes before arrival.
Closure of educational institution offices
On Tuesday, July 9, 2002, Israeli troops closed Al Quds University offices close to the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem. The University principal charge de affairs Dr. Khaled Kan'an stated to LAW that at around 9:00am a group of Israeli Police broke into the university offices and handed them an order from the Israeli Minister of Interior, Uzi Landau, to close the university offices. All university contents were confiscated. University officials protested the confiscation and closure to which the police responded by quoting a law that allows the confiscation of suspicious equipment and material. The police departed the university premises located on Al Rasheed Street at 11:20am.
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