23 mar 2001
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating at the southern entrance of Qalqilya.
As a result, Nehad ‘Abdel-Rahaman Abu El-Ya’eish, 36, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg and Mohammed Kamel Ali Ghoneim, 20, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh. Furthermore, Israeli occupation soldiers severely beat ‘Abdel-Nasser Mohammed Salem, a 24-year old passer-by who was not participating in clashes. He received serious bruises throughout the body.
Also in the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh. The Israeli forces opened fire and used tear gas against Palestinian civilians.
As a result, three Palestinian Health Relief Committees Union health workers were wounded while they were trying to offer medical assistance. They are:
1) Baschar Hashem, 22, from Ramallah, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh;
2) ‘Arafat Zayed, 24, from Ramallah, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand; and
3) ‘Eissa Rawhi, 26, who fainted and suffered from breath difficulties due to tear gas inhalation.
Additionally, the child Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahman Mahmoud Mahmoud ‘Eid, 13, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. His health condition was described as stable.
Moreover, journalist Ahmed Zaki, a 28-year-old Oman Television Channel correspondent was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left knee. Dozens of Palestinian civilians also lost consciousness and suffered from breathing difficulties due to tear gas inhalation.
Also in the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating more than 150m away from these forces positioned at the entrance of a bypass road used by settlers, near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City.
As a result, seven Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded with live bullets as follows:
1) Ahmed Talal Abu Jabal, 11, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
2) Saber Ra’fat Baker, 12, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left arm;
3) Sa’ed Musbah El-Khawar, 15, from Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;
4) Ra’ed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz El-D’alseh, 17, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;
5) Nedhal ‘Ezzat El-Sheikh Khalil, 14, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the chest;
6) Mohammed Yasser Erhim, 15, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
7) Mohammed Ismail Hamada, 19, from Jabalya, wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder.
At approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers positioned at an observation tower near Salah El-Din Gate on the border in Rafah, threw a sound bomb towards a mission of Amnesty International, while its members were in a visit to the area.
The mission, headed by the Secretary General of Amnesty International (AI) Pierre Sneih, and the Head of Public Relations at AI Kamal Smari and the Head of the Middle East Department at AI Elizabeth Hodkins as members, was in a field visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the human rights situation, to express solidarity with the Palestinian victims of the Al-Aqsa Intifada and their families, and Palestinian human rights organizations.
The mission was accompanied by Jaber Weshah, Deputy Director of PCHR, who stated that the Israeli forces threw a sound bomb toward them. In a press conference held at the Palestinian Journalist Association in Gaza on March 24, 2001, Pierre Sneih stated that the mission of Amnesty International was targeted by the Israeli occupation forces with a sound bomb during a visit to Rafah.
In the morning, the Israeli occupation forces shelled Palestinian houses in Kherbet Karma in the southwest of Hebron, from their military site in Enta’eil settlement in Zhaereya village, to the southwest of Hebron. These forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses for 20 minutes, causing severe damage.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Al-Nemsawi (the Austrian) neighborhood in the east of Khan Yunis. At approximately 21:30 local time, the same neighborhood was shelled again, and Palestinian houses in the western area of Khan Yunis refugee camp was also targeted by the Israeli occupation forces. Such shelling lasted sporadically up to 3:00 local time on the following day. It resulted in severe damage to a number of Palestinian houses. Furthermore, four Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) Nayfa Mohammed Abu ‘Aker, 35, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head, when she was passing on a street in Khan Yunis refugee camp, approximately 150m away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces;
2) Ahmed Walid El-Bashiti, 6, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh when he was playing with other children near his family’s house in Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, approximately 200m away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces;
3) Rami Kahlil ‘Oudeh, 22, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the right hand; and
4) Ayman Sufian Al-Farra, 22, wounded with a medium caliber bullet in the left foot, when he was in the market of Khan Yunis, approximately 2km away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces.
In his testimony to PCHR, Ayman Al-Farra said:
“On Friday, March 23, 2001, at approximately 10:30 (local time), I was in the market road, approximately 20m away from my home, watching some young men playing football. Then, I heard sounds of shooting, which we have gotten accustomed to hearing everyday. The source of shooting was military sites of the Israeli occupation forces at Al-Tuffah roadblock and in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, approximately 2km away from us. Suddenly, I heard the sound of an object that hit the ground.
Then, I felt severe pain in my left foot and saw it bleeding. Young men took me to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis by a civilian car. X-rays showed that I was wounded with a medium caliber bullet, and I had to undergo a surgical operation to extract it.”
In her testimony to PCHR, Nayfa Mohammed Hussein Abu ‘Aker said:
“At approximately 22:30 (local time), on Friday, March 23, 2001, I went from my house, in the south of Khan Yunis refugee camp, to my uncle’s house near Al-Shafi’ mosque, 30m away from my house. When I was approximately 5m away from my uncle’s house, I heard sounds of shooting from An Israeli military site near Al-Tuffah roadblock, 250m away. Suddenly, an explosion boomed. I felt pains in my head. I fell down on the ground with my head bleeding. Neighbors took me to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.”
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in Gizan Al-Najjar area in the southeast of Khan Yunis, to the north of Morag settlement. In his testimony to PCHR, Shukri Sha’ban Al-Najjar said that at approximately 16:00 local time, he was with some laborers cultivating vegetables from his greenhouse in Gizan Al-Najjar area, approximately 200m to the north of Morag settlement.
Then, Al-Najjar added, two tanks and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupation forces got out of Morag settlement, and started to uproot tamarisks surrounding his tract of land, approximately 100m away from Morag settlement. Approximately 15 minutes later, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire, hitting his greenhouse, so he and laborers were forced to flee. The Israeli occupation forces continued to fire artillery shells and live bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in the area up to 22:00 local time, causing the following damage:
1) Bullets penetrated the window of a balcony of a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Shukri Sha’ban Al-Najjar.
2) Bullets damaged a water saving tank and parts of the asbestos roof of a 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which ten people live, owned by Kamel Mohammed El-Dabbas.
3) Bullets broke windows and made holes in the southern façade of a 200-square-meter, one-story house, owned by Musbah Sha’ban Al-Najjar.
4) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged a water saving tank of a 400-square-meter, one-story house, owned by Nabil Mohammed Al-Najjar.
5) Bullets made holes in walls and broke windows of a 100-square-meter, one-story house, in which four people live, owned by Sa’id Suleiman Al-Najjar.
6) Bullets made holes and broke windows of a 120-square-meter, one-story house, in which three people live, owned by Yasser Mohammed Salameh Al-Najjar.
7) Bullets made holes in walls an damaged water saving tanks of a 200-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Ahmed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Al-Najjar.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating at the southern entrance of Qalqilya.
As a result, Nehad ‘Abdel-Rahaman Abu El-Ya’eish, 36, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right leg and Mohammed Kamel Ali Ghoneim, 20, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh. Furthermore, Israeli occupation soldiers severely beat ‘Abdel-Nasser Mohammed Salem, a 24-year old passer-by who was not participating in clashes. He received serious bruises throughout the body.
Also in the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces at the northern entrance of Al-Bireh. The Israeli forces opened fire and used tear gas against Palestinian civilians.
As a result, three Palestinian Health Relief Committees Union health workers were wounded while they were trying to offer medical assistance. They are:
1) Baschar Hashem, 22, from Ramallah, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh;
2) ‘Arafat Zayed, 24, from Ramallah, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right hand; and
3) ‘Eissa Rawhi, 26, who fainted and suffered from breath difficulties due to tear gas inhalation.
Additionally, the child Mohammed ‘Abdel-Rahman Mahmoud Mahmoud ‘Eid, 13, was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head. His health condition was described as stable.
Moreover, journalist Ahmed Zaki, a 28-year-old Oman Television Channel correspondent was wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left knee. Dozens of Palestinian civilians also lost consciousness and suffered from breathing difficulties due to tear gas inhalation.
Also in the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on a number of Palestinian civilians who were demonstrating more than 150m away from these forces positioned at the entrance of a bypass road used by settlers, near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City.
As a result, seven Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded with live bullets as follows:
1) Ahmed Talal Abu Jabal, 11, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
2) Saber Ra’fat Baker, 12, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left arm;
3) Sa’ed Musbah El-Khawar, 15, from Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;
4) Ra’ed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz El-D’alseh, 17, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the left thigh;
5) Nedhal ‘Ezzat El-Sheikh Khalil, 14, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the chest;
6) Mohammed Yasser Erhim, 15, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen; and
7) Mohammed Ismail Hamada, 19, from Jabalya, wounded with a live bullet in the right shoulder.
At approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers positioned at an observation tower near Salah El-Din Gate on the border in Rafah, threw a sound bomb towards a mission of Amnesty International, while its members were in a visit to the area.
The mission, headed by the Secretary General of Amnesty International (AI) Pierre Sneih, and the Head of Public Relations at AI Kamal Smari and the Head of the Middle East Department at AI Elizabeth Hodkins as members, was in a field visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the human rights situation, to express solidarity with the Palestinian victims of the Al-Aqsa Intifada and their families, and Palestinian human rights organizations.
The mission was accompanied by Jaber Weshah, Deputy Director of PCHR, who stated that the Israeli forces threw a sound bomb toward them. In a press conference held at the Palestinian Journalist Association in Gaza on March 24, 2001, Pierre Sneih stated that the mission of Amnesty International was targeted by the Israeli occupation forces with a sound bomb during a visit to Rafah.
In the morning, the Israeli occupation forces shelled Palestinian houses in Kherbet Karma in the southwest of Hebron, from their military site in Enta’eil settlement in Zhaereya village, to the southwest of Hebron. These forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses for 20 minutes, causing severe damage.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Al-Nemsawi (the Austrian) neighborhood in the east of Khan Yunis. At approximately 21:30 local time, the same neighborhood was shelled again, and Palestinian houses in the western area of Khan Yunis refugee camp was also targeted by the Israeli occupation forces. Such shelling lasted sporadically up to 3:00 local time on the following day. It resulted in severe damage to a number of Palestinian houses. Furthermore, four Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) Nayfa Mohammed Abu ‘Aker, 35, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head, when she was passing on a street in Khan Yunis refugee camp, approximately 150m away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces;
2) Ahmed Walid El-Bashiti, 6, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh when he was playing with other children near his family’s house in Al-Nemsawi neighborhood, approximately 200m away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces;
3) Rami Kahlil ‘Oudeh, 22, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the right hand; and
4) Ayman Sufian Al-Farra, 22, wounded with a medium caliber bullet in the left foot, when he was in the market of Khan Yunis, approximately 2km away from military sites of the Israeli occupation forces.
In his testimony to PCHR, Ayman Al-Farra said:
“On Friday, March 23, 2001, at approximately 10:30 (local time), I was in the market road, approximately 20m away from my home, watching some young men playing football. Then, I heard sounds of shooting, which we have gotten accustomed to hearing everyday. The source of shooting was military sites of the Israeli occupation forces at Al-Tuffah roadblock and in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement, approximately 2km away from us. Suddenly, I heard the sound of an object that hit the ground.
Then, I felt severe pain in my left foot and saw it bleeding. Young men took me to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis by a civilian car. X-rays showed that I was wounded with a medium caliber bullet, and I had to undergo a surgical operation to extract it.”
In her testimony to PCHR, Nayfa Mohammed Hussein Abu ‘Aker said:
“At approximately 22:30 (local time), on Friday, March 23, 2001, I went from my house, in the south of Khan Yunis refugee camp, to my uncle’s house near Al-Shafi’ mosque, 30m away from my house. When I was approximately 5m away from my uncle’s house, I heard sounds of shooting from An Israeli military site near Al-Tuffah roadblock, 250m away. Suddenly, an explosion boomed. I felt pains in my head. I fell down on the ground with my head bleeding. Neighbors took me to Nasser hospital in Khan Yunis.”
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in Gizan Al-Najjar area in the southeast of Khan Yunis, to the north of Morag settlement. In his testimony to PCHR, Shukri Sha’ban Al-Najjar said that at approximately 16:00 local time, he was with some laborers cultivating vegetables from his greenhouse in Gizan Al-Najjar area, approximately 200m to the north of Morag settlement.
Then, Al-Najjar added, two tanks and a bulldozer of the Israeli occupation forces got out of Morag settlement, and started to uproot tamarisks surrounding his tract of land, approximately 100m away from Morag settlement. Approximately 15 minutes later, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire, hitting his greenhouse, so he and laborers were forced to flee. The Israeli occupation forces continued to fire artillery shells and live bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in the area up to 22:00 local time, causing the following damage:
1) Bullets penetrated the window of a balcony of a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Shukri Sha’ban Al-Najjar.
2) Bullets damaged a water saving tank and parts of the asbestos roof of a 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which ten people live, owned by Kamel Mohammed El-Dabbas.
3) Bullets broke windows and made holes in the southern façade of a 200-square-meter, one-story house, owned by Musbah Sha’ban Al-Najjar.
4) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged a water saving tank of a 400-square-meter, one-story house, owned by Nabil Mohammed Al-Najjar.
5) Bullets made holes in walls and broke windows of a 100-square-meter, one-story house, in which four people live, owned by Sa’id Suleiman Al-Najjar.
6) Bullets made holes and broke windows of a 120-square-meter, one-story house, in which three people live, owned by Yasser Mohammed Salameh Al-Najjar.
7) Bullets made holes in walls an damaged water saving tanks of a 200-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Ahmed ‘Abdel-‘Azziz Al-Najjar.
22 mar 2001
At approximately 10:00 local time, after an exchange of fire between armed Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces, that were razing areas of land to the west of Al-Nemsawi neighborhood in Khan Yunis, these forces started to fire artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the area. Such shelling and indiscriminate shooting by the Israeli forces, which lasted for approximately two hours, resulted in wounding four Palestinian civilians as follows:
1) the child Mohammed Salem El-Zeini, 14, wounded with a live bullet in the shoulder when he was passing approximately 800m away from military sites of the Israeli forces;
2) ‘Abdel-Mon’em Suleiman Abu Shoqeir, 28, wounded with shrapnel in the face and the shoulder;
3) ‘Essam Mohammed Fayyadh, 27, wounded with shrapnel in the face and the eye;
4) ‘Omar ‘Abdullah Abu Setteh, 30, wounded with shrapnel in the head and the right shoulder.
Such shelling also resulted in severe damage to a number of houses and buildings as follows:
1) An artillery shell hit the southern façade of housing unit 1 of the Austrian Housing Project, and dispersed, causing damage and breaking windows of an apartment owned by Riadh ‘Ali Abu Shammaleh.
2) An artillery shell hit the western façade of building 3 of the same housing project, causing damage and breaking windows of an apartment owned by Ahmed El-Ghemari.
3) A number of artillery shells and live bullets hit six housing units owned by Al-Farra Company from the west and the south, making holes 2-7cm in diameter and breaking a number of windows.
At approximately 20:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces resumed shelling Al-Nemsawi neighborhood in Khan Yunis, and targeted the western area of Khan Yunis refugee camp and Al-Amal neighborhood. They fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and civilian facilities.
PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that six military sited of the Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of Gani Tal and Neve Dekalim settlements and Al-Tuffah roadblock, participated in such indiscriminate shelling which lasted up to 24:00 local time. Such shelling caused severe damage to a number of Palestinian houses. Furthermore, a number of Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) Sahar Mustafa Hneideq, 16, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
2) Khaled Hussein Abu Khoreis, 28, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
3) Khaled Ahmed Abu Mousa, 25, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the right hand;
4) Sami Hussein Boreis, 26, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the neck;
5) Wa’el Abu Hadrous, 31, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the neck and the left hand;
6) Noufal Ibrahim Abu ‘Awadh, 34, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
7) Mahmoud Subhi ‘Amer, 24, wounded with a live bullet in the left hand.
At approximately 10:00 local time, after an exchange of fire between armed Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces, that were razing areas of land to the west of Al-Nemsawi neighborhood in Khan Yunis, these forces started to fire artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the area. Such shelling and indiscriminate shooting by the Israeli forces, which lasted for approximately two hours, resulted in wounding four Palestinian civilians as follows:
1) the child Mohammed Salem El-Zeini, 14, wounded with a live bullet in the shoulder when he was passing approximately 800m away from military sites of the Israeli forces;
2) ‘Abdel-Mon’em Suleiman Abu Shoqeir, 28, wounded with shrapnel in the face and the shoulder;
3) ‘Essam Mohammed Fayyadh, 27, wounded with shrapnel in the face and the eye;
4) ‘Omar ‘Abdullah Abu Setteh, 30, wounded with shrapnel in the head and the right shoulder.
Such shelling also resulted in severe damage to a number of houses and buildings as follows:
1) An artillery shell hit the southern façade of housing unit 1 of the Austrian Housing Project, and dispersed, causing damage and breaking windows of an apartment owned by Riadh ‘Ali Abu Shammaleh.
2) An artillery shell hit the western façade of building 3 of the same housing project, causing damage and breaking windows of an apartment owned by Ahmed El-Ghemari.
3) A number of artillery shells and live bullets hit six housing units owned by Al-Farra Company from the west and the south, making holes 2-7cm in diameter and breaking a number of windows.
At approximately 20:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces resumed shelling Al-Nemsawi neighborhood in Khan Yunis, and targeted the western area of Khan Yunis refugee camp and Al-Amal neighborhood. They fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and civilian facilities.
PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that six military sited of the Israeli occupation forces in the vicinity of Gani Tal and Neve Dekalim settlements and Al-Tuffah roadblock, participated in such indiscriminate shelling which lasted up to 24:00 local time. Such shelling caused severe damage to a number of Palestinian houses. Furthermore, a number of Palestinian civilians were wounded as follows:
1) Sahar Mustafa Hneideq, 16, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
2) Khaled Hussein Abu Khoreis, 28, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
3) Khaled Ahmed Abu Mousa, 25, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the right hand;
4) Sami Hussein Boreis, 26, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the neck;
5) Wa’el Abu Hadrous, 31, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the neck and the left hand;
6) Noufal Ibrahim Abu ‘Awadh, 34, wounded with shrapnel of an artillery shell in the head;
7) Mahmoud Subhi ‘Amer, 24, wounded with a live bullet in the left hand.
19 mar 2001
At approximately 12:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers in a tank that were passing at the border in Rafah opened fire from machine guns at Palestinian houses near the border. As a result, four Palestinian civilians, all of them are children, were wounded when they were passing at the road of Al-Nour mosque, approximately 200m away from the border. The wounded were:
1) Abdullah ‘Ezzat Zannoun, 6, wounded with shrapnel in the right hand;
2) Mohammed Nazhmi El-Akhras, 15, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
3) Ahmed Mohammed ‘Arafat, 15, wounded with shrapnel in the right ear; and
4) Islam Abdel-Qader El-Baschiti, 17, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg.
At approximately 23:45 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned to the west of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp, and the market of Al-Amal neighborhood. This shelling continued sporadically until to 4:00 local time on the following day. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the damage resulting from the shelling were as follows:
1) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which six people live, owned by Hamada Mahmoud Khalil Shalloula.
2) The shelling made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Farhan Mohammed Khalil Shalloula.
3) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Manar Hamza Abu ‘Arqoub.
4) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which ten people live, owned by Hamza Abdel-Rahman Abu ‘Arqoub.
At approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces violently beat Samir Ali Siam, 18, from Rafah.
As a result, he received a head injury and bruises throughout the body. He was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah for treatment. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that Siam was trying to assist an old Palestinian woman from Al-Mawasi area in Rafah, through the Israeli military roadblock between Rafah and its Al-Mawasi area.
However, Israeli soldiers ordered him to leave the area without justification. They then beat him because he did not immediately leave the area and tried to discuss the their reasons for preventing him from helping the elderly woman.
At approximately 12:30 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers in a tank that were passing at the border in Rafah opened fire from machine guns at Palestinian houses near the border. As a result, four Palestinian civilians, all of them are children, were wounded when they were passing at the road of Al-Nour mosque, approximately 200m away from the border. The wounded were:
1) Abdullah ‘Ezzat Zannoun, 6, wounded with shrapnel in the right hand;
2) Mohammed Nazhmi El-Akhras, 15, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
3) Ahmed Mohammed ‘Arafat, 15, wounded with shrapnel in the right ear; and
4) Islam Abdel-Qader El-Baschiti, 17, wounded with a live bullet in the right leg.
At approximately 23:45 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned to the west of Khan Yunis, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in Khan Yunis refugee camp, and the market of Al-Amal neighborhood. This shelling continued sporadically until to 4:00 local time on the following day. PCHR’s field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the damage resulting from the shelling were as follows:
1) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which six people live, owned by Hamada Mahmoud Khalil Shalloula.
2) The shelling made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Farhan Mohammed Khalil Shalloula.
3) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Manar Hamza Abu ‘Arqoub.
4) The shelling damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which ten people live, owned by Hamza Abdel-Rahman Abu ‘Arqoub.
At approximately 17:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces violently beat Samir Ali Siam, 18, from Rafah.
As a result, he received a head injury and bruises throughout the body. He was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah for treatment. PCHR’s field officer in Rafah reported that Siam was trying to assist an old Palestinian woman from Al-Mawasi area in Rafah, through the Israeli military roadblock between Rafah and its Al-Mawasi area.
However, Israeli soldiers ordered him to leave the area without justification. They then beat him because he did not immediately leave the area and tried to discuss the their reasons for preventing him from helping the elderly woman.
18 mar 2001
At approximately 2:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the north of Beit Hanoun. This shooting lasted for approximately 45 minutes and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the roof of a 110-square-meter, two-story house, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
2) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the roof and destroyed windows of a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people live, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
3) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged water saving tanks of a 180-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Mohammed Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
4) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged windows of a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people live, owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
5) Bullets made holes in walls of a 150-square-meter, one-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Kamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
6) Bullets made holes in walls of an 80-square-meter, three-room uninhibited building, owned by Ahmed El-Z’aanin.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned to the west of Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses. This shooting lasted up to midnight and targeted a number of houses in the southwest of Khan Yunis refugee camp and a housing units owned by Al-Farra Company in Al-Nemsawi (Austrian) neighborhood, which were frequently shelled in the past months. The amage was as follows:
1) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which five people live, owned by Hussam Ahmed Hussein Abu Matroud.
2) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Ahmed Hussein Mansour Abu Matroud.
3) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Hussein Ahmed Mansour.
4) A number of windows in the western and southern façades of housing units owned by Al-Farra Company were destroyed.
At approximately 2:00 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the north of Beit Hanoun. This shooting lasted for approximately 45 minutes and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the roof of a 110-square-meter, two-story house, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
2) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the roof and destroyed windows of a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people live, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
3) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged water saving tanks of a 180-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Mohammed Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
4) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged windows of a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people live, owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
5) Bullets made holes in walls of a 150-square-meter, one-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Kamal Mohammed Hussein Abu Sweilem.
6) Bullets made holes in walls of an 80-square-meter, three-room uninhibited building, owned by Ahmed El-Z’aanin.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned to the west of Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses. This shooting lasted up to midnight and targeted a number of houses in the southwest of Khan Yunis refugee camp and a housing units owned by Al-Farra Company in Al-Nemsawi (Austrian) neighborhood, which were frequently shelled in the past months. The amage was as follows:
1) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and water saving tanks, and made holes in walls of a 120-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which five people live, owned by Hussam Ahmed Hussein Abu Matroud.
2) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Ahmed Hussein Mansour Abu Matroud.
3) Bullets damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which eight people live, owned by Hussein Ahmed Mansour.
4) A number of windows in the western and southern façades of housing units owned by Al-Farra Company were destroyed.
17 mar 2001
At approximately 8:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Nissanit settlement, north of Beit Lahai, fired at Anwar Suleiman Salem Abu Dayyeh, 21, from Um El-Nasser village, to the south of the aforementioned settlement, wounding him with a live bullet in the left leg.
In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Dayyeh said that he was passing near the village, approximately 700m to the south of Nissanit settlement, when Israeli occupation soldiers unjustifiably fired at him, when no clashes were occuring in the area then.
At approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired at a number of Palestinian civilians, who were demonstrating approximately 150m away from those soldiers, near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City.
As a result, two Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets and were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City for treatment. They are:
1) Jawdat Abdel-Hadi Hamad, 21, from Beit Hanou, wounded with a live bullet in the head (below the left eye); and
2) Mohammed Hassan El-D’aa;she, from Al-Sahti refugee camp, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.
Shooting and Assaults by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians
At approximately 13:30 local time, the corpse of child Mohammed Ismail Hashem Nassar, 10, from Al-Barid neighborhood in Jerusalem, was found between rocks, approximately 20m away from a Jewish religious school in Neve Jacob settlement, near the neighborhood.
The child had left home on Friday, March 16, 2000, to play as usual in a playground adjacent to the mentioned settlement, but he never returned home. Relatives of the child, who found his corpse, asserted that they noticed that his head was crashed as a result of having been hit with stones, bruises were seen on his back, chest and legs, and there was a cut by a sharp tool in his right wrist.
They also found two hats worn by religious Jews and four white gloves near his corpse. Israeli police sources have not yet commented on the incident. However, the child’s family accuse settlers of committing the killing of the child.
At approximately 8:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Nissanit settlement, north of Beit Lahai, fired at Anwar Suleiman Salem Abu Dayyeh, 21, from Um El-Nasser village, to the south of the aforementioned settlement, wounding him with a live bullet in the left leg.
In his testimony to PCHR, Abu Dayyeh said that he was passing near the village, approximately 700m to the south of Nissanit settlement, when Israeli occupation soldiers unjustifiably fired at him, when no clashes were occuring in the area then.
At approximately 15:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired at a number of Palestinian civilians, who were demonstrating approximately 150m away from those soldiers, near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City.
As a result, two Palestinian civilians were wounded with live bullets and were evacuated to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City for treatment. They are:
1) Jawdat Abdel-Hadi Hamad, 21, from Beit Hanou, wounded with a live bullet in the head (below the left eye); and
2) Mohammed Hassan El-D’aa;she, from Al-Sahti refugee camp, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head.
Shooting and Assaults by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians
At approximately 13:30 local time, the corpse of child Mohammed Ismail Hashem Nassar, 10, from Al-Barid neighborhood in Jerusalem, was found between rocks, approximately 20m away from a Jewish religious school in Neve Jacob settlement, near the neighborhood.
The child had left home on Friday, March 16, 2000, to play as usual in a playground adjacent to the mentioned settlement, but he never returned home. Relatives of the child, who found his corpse, asserted that they noticed that his head was crashed as a result of having been hit with stones, bruises were seen on his back, chest and legs, and there was a cut by a sharp tool in his right wrist.
They also found two hats worn by religious Jews and four white gloves near his corpse. Israeli police sources have not yet commented on the incident. However, the child’s family accuse settlers of committing the killing of the child.
16 mar 2001
In the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City. The Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinian young men who demonstrated more than 150m to the north of a settlement road leading to the Green Line.
As a result, Mohammed Jom’aa Mahmoud Abu El-‘Oun, 21, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, was killed with a live bullet in the chest that entered the heart. Additionally, another eight Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded during these clashes, which lasted up to approximately 18:00 local time. An eyewitness said:
“I was with about 200 young men and boys 150m away from the entrance of a bypass road used by settlers, where a number of Israeli occupation soldiers, reinforced with a tank, were positioned. We threw stones at those soldiers. A number of young men stepped froward up to approximately 50m away from Israeli soldiers. Those soldiers opened fire and used tear gas. At approximately 15:00 (local time), two Israeli military jeeps moved forward up to approximately 15m away from a number of young men and boys. Then, Israeli soldiers opened fire, wounding a number of them, including Abu El-‘Oun.”
The other wounded were:
1) Yusri Ibrahim Abu Ras, 18, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, critically wounded with a live bullet in the head that took its way through the eye, and he was put into the intensive care unit at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;
2) ‘Abboud Abdel-Mo’ti ‘Aashour, 15, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
3) fadi ‘Awni El-Shawa; 15, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
4) Mustafa Hussein El-Kurdi, 17, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;
5) Rami Helles, 15, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
6) Ismail ‘Awadh Quneita, 21, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City; wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
7) Ahmed Mo’in El-Baba, 15, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded shrapnel in the back; and
8) Hussein Zaki Baker, 36, from Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with shrapnel in the neck.
At approximately 19:15 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells, heavy caliber bullets, and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the wstern area of Tulkarm. As a result, a number of these houses were damaged, as their walls, windows and furniture were hit with bullets.
At approximately 21:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned east of Kfar Darom settlement in Deir El-Balah, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses, approximately 80m to the east of the aforementioned settlement. Such shelling lasted for approximately two hours and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 2-cm holes in the southern façade of a 160-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people live, owned by Yasser Oudeh Abu El-A’awar.
2) A 170-square-meter, two-story house, in which 12 people live, owned by Nasser Musleh El-Louh, was hit with three artillery shells that made 15-cm holes in the western façade, and damaged water saving tanks.
3) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged a television reception network and water saving tanks of a 170-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Yousef Musleh El-Louh.
4) A 100-square-meter, two-story house, in which five people live, owned by Mohammed Ahmed Abu Salim, was hit with two-artillery shells that made two 15-cm holes in its western façade, and with bullets that destroyed its water saving tanks, electricity network, television reception network and windows.
Shooting and Assaults by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians
At approximately 3:00 local time, Jewish settlers threw stones at a passing Palestinian civilian car on Ramallah-Nablus road, near Bourin junction. As a result, the car rolled over. Its driver, a female passenger, and her son were injured as follows:
1) Abdel-Rahamn Mohammed Mas’oud El-Khayyat, 24, from Nablus, the driver, received breaks in the right side of the head and in the spinal column, and injuries in the neck. His condition was critical and he was put into the intensive care unit at Al-Ittihad hospital in Nablus.
2) Muna Kamel Mas’ada, 49, from Seilat El-Zhaher village near Jenin, received a serious injury in the forehead and bruises throughout the body.
3) Yousef Mohammed Mas’ada, 26, from Seilat eL-Zhaher village near Jenin, received bruises in the head and the chest.
In the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli occupation forces near Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet, to the east of Gaza City. The Israeli forces fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets and tear gas canisters at Palestinian young men who demonstrated more than 150m to the north of a settlement road leading to the Green Line.
As a result, Mohammed Jom’aa Mahmoud Abu El-‘Oun, 21, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, was killed with a live bullet in the chest that entered the heart. Additionally, another eight Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded during these clashes, which lasted up to approximately 18:00 local time. An eyewitness said:
“I was with about 200 young men and boys 150m away from the entrance of a bypass road used by settlers, where a number of Israeli occupation soldiers, reinforced with a tank, were positioned. We threw stones at those soldiers. A number of young men stepped froward up to approximately 50m away from Israeli soldiers. Those soldiers opened fire and used tear gas. At approximately 15:00 (local time), two Israeli military jeeps moved forward up to approximately 15m away from a number of young men and boys. Then, Israeli soldiers opened fire, wounding a number of them, including Abu El-‘Oun.”
The other wounded were:
1) Yusri Ibrahim Abu Ras, 18, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, critically wounded with a live bullet in the head that took its way through the eye, and he was put into the intensive care unit at Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City;
2) ‘Abboud Abdel-Mo’ti ‘Aashour, 15, from Sheikh Radwan neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the head;
3) fadi ‘Awni El-Shawa; 15, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
4) Mustafa Hussein El-Kurdi, 17, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the right hand;
5) Rami Helles, 15, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with a live bullet in the abdomen;
6) Ismail ‘Awadh Quneita, 21, from Al-Shati refugee camp in Gaza City; wounded with a live bullet in the buttocks;
7) Ahmed Mo’in El-Baba, 15, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded shrapnel in the back; and
8) Hussein Zaki Baker, 36, from Al-Remal neighborhood in Gaza City, wounded with shrapnel in the neck.
At approximately 19:15 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired artillery shells, heavy caliber bullets, and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the wstern area of Tulkarm. As a result, a number of these houses were damaged, as their walls, windows and furniture were hit with bullets.
At approximately 21:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned east of Kfar Darom settlement in Deir El-Balah, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses, approximately 80m to the east of the aforementioned settlement. Such shelling lasted for approximately two hours and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 2-cm holes in the southern façade of a 160-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people live, owned by Yasser Oudeh Abu El-A’awar.
2) A 170-square-meter, two-story house, in which 12 people live, owned by Nasser Musleh El-Louh, was hit with three artillery shells that made 15-cm holes in the western façade, and damaged water saving tanks.
3) Bullets made holes in walls and damaged a television reception network and water saving tanks of a 170-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by Yousef Musleh El-Louh.
4) A 100-square-meter, two-story house, in which five people live, owned by Mohammed Ahmed Abu Salim, was hit with two-artillery shells that made two 15-cm holes in its western façade, and with bullets that destroyed its water saving tanks, electricity network, television reception network and windows.
Shooting and Assaults by Settlers against Palestinian Civilians
At approximately 3:00 local time, Jewish settlers threw stones at a passing Palestinian civilian car on Ramallah-Nablus road, near Bourin junction. As a result, the car rolled over. Its driver, a female passenger, and her son were injured as follows:
1) Abdel-Rahamn Mohammed Mas’oud El-Khayyat, 24, from Nablus, the driver, received breaks in the right side of the head and in the spinal column, and injuries in the neck. His condition was critical and he was put into the intensive care unit at Al-Ittihad hospital in Nablus.
2) Muna Kamel Mas’ada, 49, from Seilat El-Zhaher village near Jenin, received a serious injury in the forehead and bruises throughout the body.
3) Yousef Mohammed Mas’ada, 26, from Seilat eL-Zhaher village near Jenin, received bruises in the head and the chest.
15 mar 2001
At approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired a sound bomb into the yard of Al-Ibrahimia elementary school in the area controlled by the forces in Hebron. As a result, six children were wounded with shrapnel as follows:
1) Mohammed Rabah Abu Subeih, 9, whose eardrum was torn;
2) ‘Alla’ Mohammed Abu Mayyala, 9, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
3) Ahmed Nasser El-Salaymeh, 9, wounded with shrapnel in the left side of the body;
4) Tariq Kahiri Salahab, whose eardrum was torn;
5) Mohammed Tayseer Wazawaz, 11, wounded with shrapnel in the hand; and
6) Hazem Marwan Dheeb ‘Asha, 11, wounded with shrapnel in the back.
At approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers fired a sound bomb into the yard of Al-Ibrahimia elementary school in the area controlled by the forces in Hebron. As a result, six children were wounded with shrapnel as follows:
1) Mohammed Rabah Abu Subeih, 9, whose eardrum was torn;
2) ‘Alla’ Mohammed Abu Mayyala, 9, wounded with shrapnel in the head;
3) Ahmed Nasser El-Salaymeh, 9, wounded with shrapnel in the left side of the body;
4) Tariq Kahiri Salahab, whose eardrum was torn;
5) Mohammed Tayseer Wazawaz, 11, wounded with shrapnel in the hand; and
6) Hazem Marwan Dheeb ‘Asha, 11, wounded with shrapnel in the back.
14 mar 2001
At approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli forces fired on Ahmed Salem Shehadeh Bannar, 19, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, killing him with two live bullets in the chest and the abdomen.
According to eyewitnesses, clashes erupted between Palestinian youth and the Israeli occupation forces, positioned at a bypass road to the south of Al-Menatar (Karni) Outlet, east of Gaza City. Bannar moved toward Israeli soldiers who shot him from a silenced gun at a distance of approximately 30m before attempting to employ less lethal means. Bannar was evacuated by an ambulance to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City, where he died shortly following arrival.
In the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and Israeli forces at the northern entrance of Deir Nezham village, west of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian civilians, wounding five, including the 12-year-old child Lu’ai Mohammed Hussein El-Tamimi, who was critically wounded with a live bullet in the head at approximately 15:45 local time.
According to investigation by the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), an Israeli occupation soldier in a jeep shot the child from a distance of approximately 200m. The Israeli forces obstructed the evacuation of the child to hospital for an hour. The child was put into the intensive care unit at Ramallah hospital. The other wounded were:
1) Yousef Mustafa El-Khatib, 25, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
2) Wassef Yousef El-Tamimi, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
3) Mohammed Mustafa El-Khatib, 20, wounded with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the right thigh; and
4) Ziad Yousef El-Tamimi, 16, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh.
At approximately 14:00 local time, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli forces at the southern entrance of Qalqilya, lasting until 18:00 local time. The Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians and killed Murtaja Abdel-Latif Mahmoud ‘Aamer, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head, according to medical sources at Qalqilya hospital.
It is evident from the investigation that ‘Aamer was killed from a short distance. After collapsing without being noticed and his body was found in the clash area the morning of Thursday, March 15, 2001. Furthermore, 13 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded as follows:
1) Tahe’r Ziad Ahmed Taha, 14, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;
2) Thoraya Ahmed Hassanein Abtali, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh;
3) Bilal Fuad Ahmed Shereim, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
4) Mohammed Hafezh Ahmed Hammad, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right eye;
5) Mohammed Ali Ibrahim Daoud, 12, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen;
6) Beha’ Abdullah Khalil ‘Ennabi, 13, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot;
7) ‘Alla’ Ahmed Mohammed Daoud, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
8) Eyad Abdel-Fattah Abtali, 21, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
9) Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Daoud, 14, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
10) ‘Aamer Ismail ‘Awad Abu Hamed, 21, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh;
11) Abdel-Hafizh Mazen Hotari, 18, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
12) Mohammed Rashis Jebara, 18, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back; and
13) Walid Ibrahim Mohammed Mahmoud, 19, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli forces positioned near Gani Tal settlement west of Al-Sattar Al-Gharbi area in Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in thea Al-Sattar Al-Gharbi area. PCHR’s area field officer reported that bullets hit the façades of many Palestinian houses, but no injuries were reported.
On Wednesday, March 14, 2001, at approximately 8:15 local time, Amira Nasser Abu Seif, a 48 mother of five children from Taqqou’a village near Jenin, died after Israeli forces prevented her transfer to hospital. Abu Seif was a diabetic and was suffering from hyperglycemia when her son transported her by a private car at approximately 4:30 local time towards Jenin hospital.
Israeli occupation soldiers at Al-Jalama roadblock north of Jenin obstructed the passage of the car for more than 3.5 hours. At 8:10 local time, after calling a military physician to confirm her critical health condition, Israeli soldiers allowed her son to carry her 50m to reach the other side of the roadblock. From there, a Palestinian ambulance transported her to Jenin hospital, but she died upon arrival at hospital.
At approximately 11:00 local time, Israeli forces fired on Ahmed Salem Shehadeh Bannar, 19, from Al-Shojaeya neighborhood in Gaza City, killing him with two live bullets in the chest and the abdomen.
According to eyewitnesses, clashes erupted between Palestinian youth and the Israeli occupation forces, positioned at a bypass road to the south of Al-Menatar (Karni) Outlet, east of Gaza City. Bannar moved toward Israeli soldiers who shot him from a silenced gun at a distance of approximately 30m before attempting to employ less lethal means. Bannar was evacuated by an ambulance to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City, where he died shortly following arrival.
In the afternoon, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and Israeli forces at the northern entrance of Deir Nezham village, west of Ramallah. Israeli soldiers opened fire on Palestinian civilians, wounding five, including the 12-year-old child Lu’ai Mohammed Hussein El-Tamimi, who was critically wounded with a live bullet in the head at approximately 15:45 local time.
According to investigation by the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment (LAW), an Israeli occupation soldier in a jeep shot the child from a distance of approximately 200m. The Israeli forces obstructed the evacuation of the child to hospital for an hour. The child was put into the intensive care unit at Ramallah hospital. The other wounded were:
1) Yousef Mustafa El-Khatib, 25, wounded with a live bullet in the right thigh;
2) Wassef Yousef El-Tamimi, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
3) Mohammed Mustafa El-Khatib, 20, wounded with two rubber-coated metal bullets in the right thigh; and
4) Ziad Yousef El-Tamimi, 16, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh.
At approximately 14:00 local time, clashes erupted between Palestinian civilians and the Israeli forces at the southern entrance of Qalqilya, lasting until 18:00 local time. The Israeli forces opened fire on Palestinian civilians and killed Murtaja Abdel-Latif Mahmoud ‘Aamer, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head, according to medical sources at Qalqilya hospital.
It is evident from the investigation that ‘Aamer was killed from a short distance. After collapsing without being noticed and his body was found in the clash area the morning of Thursday, March 15, 2001. Furthermore, 13 Palestinian civilians, mostly children, were wounded as follows:
1) Tahe’r Ziad Ahmed Taha, 14, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back;
2) Thoraya Ahmed Hassanein Abtali, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right thigh;
3) Bilal Fuad Ahmed Shereim, 17, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
4) Mohammed Hafezh Ahmed Hammad, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right eye;
5) Mohammed Ali Ibrahim Daoud, 12, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen;
6) Beha’ Abdullah Khalil ‘Ennabi, 13, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right foot;
7) ‘Alla’ Ahmed Mohammed Daoud, 15, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left foot;
8) Eyad Abdel-Fattah Abtali, 21, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
9) Mohammed Ibrahim Mohammed Daoud, 14, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
10) ‘Aamer Ismail ‘Awad Abu Hamed, 21, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the left thigh;
11) Abdel-Hafizh Mazen Hotari, 18, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the chest;
12) Mohammed Rashis Jebara, 18, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the back; and
13) Walid Ibrahim Mohammed Mahmoud, 19, wounded with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the abdomen.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli forces positioned near Gani Tal settlement west of Al-Sattar Al-Gharbi area in Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses and farms in thea Al-Sattar Al-Gharbi area. PCHR’s area field officer reported that bullets hit the façades of many Palestinian houses, but no injuries were reported.
On Wednesday, March 14, 2001, at approximately 8:15 local time, Amira Nasser Abu Seif, a 48 mother of five children from Taqqou’a village near Jenin, died after Israeli forces prevented her transfer to hospital. Abu Seif was a diabetic and was suffering from hyperglycemia when her son transported her by a private car at approximately 4:30 local time towards Jenin hospital.
Israeli occupation soldiers at Al-Jalama roadblock north of Jenin obstructed the passage of the car for more than 3.5 hours. At 8:10 local time, after calling a military physician to confirm her critical health condition, Israeli soldiers allowed her son to carry her 50m to reach the other side of the roadblock. From there, a Palestinian ambulance transported her to Jenin hospital, but she died upon arrival at hospital.
13 mar 2001
On Tuesday, March 13, 2001, Na’eim Abdel-Nabi Abu Jame’, 39, from Aqraba village near Nablus, died after the Israeli forces at a military roadblock prevented the passage of a civilian car that tried to transport him to hospital throu. His family left at approximately 4:50 local time after he suffered from chest pains and breathing difficulties.
On the way to a hospital in Nablus, Israeli soldiers at the Hawara junction roadblock, stopped the car, checked it and denied its passage. Israeli soldiers were warned of Abu Jame’’s critical condition. His family was forced to transport him through a dirt road, but he died before arriving at hospital.
On Tuesday, March 13, 2001, Na’eim Abdel-Nabi Abu Jame’, 39, from Aqraba village near Nablus, died after the Israeli forces at a military roadblock prevented the passage of a civilian car that tried to transport him to hospital throu. His family left at approximately 4:50 local time after he suffered from chest pains and breathing difficulties.
On the way to a hospital in Nablus, Israeli soldiers at the Hawara junction roadblock, stopped the car, checked it and denied its passage. Israeli soldiers were warned of Abu Jame’’s critical condition. His family was forced to transport him through a dirt road, but he died before arriving at hospital.
12 mar 2001
At approximately 10:00 local time, clashes erupted between the Israeli forces and dozens of Palestinian youths who were attempting to reopen the road between Ramallah and Bir Zeit. They were using a bulldozer to cover the hole that had been dug by the Israeli forces near a junction leading to Beit Eil settlement as part of new measures to tighten the siege on Ramallah and isolate it from dozens of nearby towns and villages.
Israeli reinforcements, including tank and bulldozer reinforcements came to the area. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, live bullets, and rubber-coated metal bullets, wounding a number of Palestinian demonstrators.
At approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a number of Palestinian youths standing on a nearby hill, and killed Abdel-Qader Mohammed Ibrahim, 29, with a live bullet in the chest. Ibrahim was a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service. However, according to eyewitnesses, when he was shot he was unarmed and in civilian attire.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators at the entrance of Deir Nezham village, to the west of Ramallah, wounding:
1) Abdullah Tayseer Ya’cob A’araj, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
2) Ziad Yousef Dhiab Soufi, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
3) Bilal Mohammed Abdel-Hadi Mos’ad, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right shoulder; and
4) ‘Alla’ Ibrahim Hussein Dhiab, 18, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right side.
At approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli forces positioned on the Egyptian border in Rafah, fired artillery shells, heavy caliber bullets, medium caliber bullets, and tear gas canisters at Palestinian houses in Rafah refugee camp. This lasted for 1.5 hours.
At approximately 12:30, shelling resumed until 14:00 local time. As a result, Yasser Yousef Salah Abu Shammaleh, 30, from Block “O” in Rafah refugee camp, was wounded with shrapnel in the right hand. Additionally, another three Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Furthermore, a number of houses and a barbershop were severely damaged as follows:
1) A 16-square-meter barbershop in Block “O,” approximately 200m to the north of the border, owned by Younis Mohammed Abdullah ‘Aashour, was hit with an artillery shell that completely destroyed its context and burnt it.
2) A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which six people live, in Yebna area in Rafah refugee camp, approximately 100m away from the border, and owned by Samir Joma’a Hussein Abu Jazar, was hit with an artillery shell that destroyed the contents of its front room.
3) A 250-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 13 people live, in Block “O” in Rafah refugee camp, approximately 200m away from the border, and owned by Mohammed Ahmed Mahmoud El-Shae’r, was hit with three artillery shells that severely damaged one of its bedrooms.
4) An apartment in which four people live, owned by Hani Fakhry El-Jazzar, in a 150-square-meter, four-story building, was hit with an artillery shell that severely damaged its southern façade and the living room. All the apartments in the building are empty, since their owners left due to frequent shelling.
PCHR’s area field officer added that dozens of houses were also damaged by live bullets.
At approximately 10:00 local time, clashes erupted between the Israeli forces and dozens of Palestinian youths who were attempting to reopen the road between Ramallah and Bir Zeit. They were using a bulldozer to cover the hole that had been dug by the Israeli forces near a junction leading to Beit Eil settlement as part of new measures to tighten the siege on Ramallah and isolate it from dozens of nearby towns and villages.
Israeli reinforcements, including tank and bulldozer reinforcements came to the area. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters, live bullets, and rubber-coated metal bullets, wounding a number of Palestinian demonstrators.
At approximately 13:00 local time, Israeli occupation soldiers opened fire on a number of Palestinian youths standing on a nearby hill, and killed Abdel-Qader Mohammed Ibrahim, 29, with a live bullet in the chest. Ibrahim was a member of the Palestinian Military Intelligence Service. However, according to eyewitnesses, when he was shot he was unarmed and in civilian attire.
In the afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Palestinian demonstrators at the entrance of Deir Nezham village, to the west of Ramallah, wounding:
1) Abdullah Tayseer Ya’cob A’araj, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
2) Ziad Yousef Dhiab Soufi, 16, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the head;
3) Bilal Mohammed Abdel-Hadi Mos’ad, 17, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right shoulder; and
4) ‘Alla’ Ibrahim Hussein Dhiab, 18, with a rubber-coated metal bullet in the right side.
At approximately 10:00 local time, Israeli forces positioned on the Egyptian border in Rafah, fired artillery shells, heavy caliber bullets, medium caliber bullets, and tear gas canisters at Palestinian houses in Rafah refugee camp. This lasted for 1.5 hours.
At approximately 12:30, shelling resumed until 14:00 local time. As a result, Yasser Yousef Salah Abu Shammaleh, 30, from Block “O” in Rafah refugee camp, was wounded with shrapnel in the right hand. Additionally, another three Palestinian civilians suffered from tear gas inhalation.
Furthermore, a number of houses and a barbershop were severely damaged as follows:
1) A 16-square-meter barbershop in Block “O,” approximately 200m to the north of the border, owned by Younis Mohammed Abdullah ‘Aashour, was hit with an artillery shell that completely destroyed its context and burnt it.
2) A 150-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which six people live, in Yebna area in Rafah refugee camp, approximately 100m away from the border, and owned by Samir Joma’a Hussein Abu Jazar, was hit with an artillery shell that destroyed the contents of its front room.
3) A 250-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 13 people live, in Block “O” in Rafah refugee camp, approximately 200m away from the border, and owned by Mohammed Ahmed Mahmoud El-Shae’r, was hit with three artillery shells that severely damaged one of its bedrooms.
4) An apartment in which four people live, owned by Hani Fakhry El-Jazzar, in a 150-square-meter, four-story building, was hit with an artillery shell that severely damaged its southern façade and the living room. All the apartments in the building are empty, since their owners left due to frequent shelling.
PCHR’s area field officer added that dozens of houses were also damaged by live bullets.
11 mar 2001
At approximately 6:00 local time, Israeli forces positioned near Salah El-Din Gate on the Rafah-Egypt border fired at Sa’eid Kamel Abu Jazar, 17, wounding him with a live bullet in the right foot. When shot, Abu Jazar was on the street, approximately 40m away from the Israeli military site located next to a Palestinian residential neighborhood.
At approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli forces, positioned west of Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at the neighborhood market and nearby houses. This damaged the market and the façades of a number of houses. The shelling coincided with other shelling from Israeli positions near Gani Tal settlement that targeted housing units owned by Al-Farra Company. These have been shelled frequently in the past months.
At approximately 6:00 local time, Israeli forces positioned near Salah El-Din Gate on the Rafah-Egypt border fired at Sa’eid Kamel Abu Jazar, 17, wounding him with a live bullet in the right foot. When shot, Abu Jazar was on the street, approximately 40m away from the Israeli military site located next to a Palestinian residential neighborhood.
At approximately 23:00 local time, Israeli forces, positioned west of Al-Amal neighborhood in Khan Yunis, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at the neighborhood market and nearby houses. This damaged the market and the façades of a number of houses. The shelling coincided with other shelling from Israeli positions near Gani Tal settlement that targeted housing units owned by Al-Farra Company. These have been shelled frequently in the past months.
10 mar 2001
At approximately 3:30 local time, the corpse of Ziad Sa’di Abdel-Hamid ‘Ayyad, 27, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City was brought to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City once the Israeli side transferred it to the Palestinian side. According to medical sources at Shifa’ hospital, dart-like projectiles were found on ‘Ayyad’s body. According to PCHR confirming research, these new dart-like projectiles are manufactured in a needle-like and tapered-headed shape, approximately 3cm long.
Mustafa El-Ramalawi, 42, from Al-Boreij refugee camp, was also killed with these projectiles on Friday, March 2, 2001, at Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction.
Early in the morning, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, south of Gaza City, and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet opened fire on ‘Ayyad, killing him. Circumstances of this incident are not clear.
According to PCHR’s investigation, ‘Ayyad was a farmer and it is likely that he was crossing the road when Israeli occupation soldiers fired a shell on him that exploded, embedding the dart-like shrapnel throughout his body.
Israeli forces neither denied nor confirmed the use of the projectiles. The March 12, 2001 English version of Israeli Ha’arretz published a statement by an Israeli military spokesman to Reuters, in which he stated that the Israeli army “uses means best suited to overall security conditions and specific threats in the area.”
According to PCHR investigation, Israeli forces immediately and without hesitation opened fire on any Palestinian who crosses the aforementioned road. One of the most significant instances was the incident in which the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Saber Fureij Abu Zhaher, 38, from Johor El-Dik area near the said road, on January 31, 2001, killing him with more than ten live bullets throughout the body.
At approximately 8:15 local time, Israeli occupation forces fired on Riadh Rashid Khalil El-Qadhi, 32, from Rafah, wounding him with a live bullet in the head. El-Qadhi was on his land in ‘Oraybeh area, opposite to Morag settlement, to the north of Rafah, when he was fired upon. He was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah, where medical sources stated that he was in stable condition.
In his testimony to PCHR, his brother, Ziad El-Qadhi, 29, said: “On Saturday, March 10, 2001, at approximately 8:00 local time, I was with my brother Raiadh on our land in ‘Oraybeh area. We head a sound of a heavy explosion. Approximately 15 minutes later, my brother went to see the farmer named Barakat Duheir, who has land next to ours. When my brother was approximately 15m from me, Israeli occupation forces fired approximately 10 live bullets. I heard my brother crying and falling on the ground. I rushed toward him and he was bleeding from his head. Duheir and I evacuated him to hospital.”
At approximately 16:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in military sites on Johar Mount and the settlement center known as “Avraham Avino” in Hebron, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Qaitoun and Abu Sneineh neighborhoods in Hebron. This lasted for more than one hour, during which Yasser Mohammed Mahmoud Eshtayeh, 15, was wounded with shrapnel in the mouth. A number of houses were also severely damaged.
At approximately 20:00 local time, Israeli forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at the neighborhoods of Al-Dhahia, the North Mountain, the Old Town and Kellet El-‘Amoud, and Nablus center. Sa’ed Abdel-Rahim Abu Sweilem, 20, from the North Mountain, was wounded with two live bullets in the shoulder and the leg. Also, a number of houses were severely damaged.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli forces positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing and on the border to the northeast of Beit Hanoun, fired heavy caliber bullets at nearby Palestinian farms and houses. This lasted for approximately 45 minutes;
at approximately 2:00 local time on the following day, it resumed for another 30 minutes. PCHR’s area field officer reported that the shelling caused severe damage to Palestinian houses, approximately 350m away from the border. The owners left approximately 50 days ago. The houses were as follows:
1) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
2) a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people used to live, owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
3) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people used to live, owned by Kamal Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
4) a 160-square-meter, two-story house, in which six people used to live, owned by Yousef Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
5) a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by Mohammed Mohammed Hussein Sweilem; and
6) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by ‘Atta Hassan Sweilem.
Attacks and Shooting on Palestinian Civilians by Settlers
A number of Jewish settlers residing in settlement centers in the middle of Hebron under the full protection by the Israeli occupation forces, attacked Palestinian civilians in Tal Al-Romeida and Al-Sahleh neighborhoods as well as Al-Rahma Mount and Al-Shallala Street.
As a result, Radhi Dhib Houso, 15, from Tal Al-Romeida neighborhood, suffered from injuries and bruises. Additionally, settlers attacked journalist Mazen Da’na, a 37-year-old Rueters cameraman, from Hebron; Hussam ‘Allan, a 42-year-old Agence France Presse Cameraman from Al-Zhahereya village near Hebron, also received injuries and bruises.
Update:
At approximately 19:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Al-Amal neighborhood and the citrus farms area east of Beit Hanoun. Such shooting lasted for approximately 75 minutes and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 150-square-meter, one-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by As’ad Fahmi Salah.
2) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern and northern façades of a 180-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Sa’id Fahmi Salah.
3) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 200-square-meter, one-story house, in which nine people live, owned by ‘Arafat ‘Attallah El-Masri.
4) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 250-square-meter, three-story house, in which 20 people live, owned by Tawfiq Abdel-Rahman Wahdan.
5) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern and southern façades of a 200-square-meter, two-story house, in which five people live, owned by Jamal Ahmed Hussein Nashwan.
6) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern and northern façades of a 160-square-meter, one-story house, in which eight people live, owned by Musleh El-Tarabin.
Late at night, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement and Al-Tuffah roadblock, to the west of Khan Yunis refugee camp, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the western area of the aforementioned refugee camp. This shooting lasted until 3:00 local time on the following day and caused the following damages:
1) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and made holes in the roof of a 160-square-meter, tin-roofed house, in which 13 people live, owned by Zanqna Mosallam Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
2) Shooting damaged a water saving tank and made holes in the roof of a 240-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 15 people live, owned by Shehadeh Karim Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
3) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, tin-roofed house, in which 14 people live, owned by Mohammed Ali Karim Abu ‘Obeida.
4) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof of the second floor and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Rami Salem Abu ‘Obeida.
5) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which seven people live, owned by Hussein Mohammed Ali Abu ‘Obeida.
6) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 260-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 13 people live, owned by Mohammed Ali Salem Abu ‘Obeida.
7) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Shocholata Mohammed Mansour Abu Namous.
8) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 160-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 21 people live, owned by Ahmed Huseein Abu Radwan.
9) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 11 people live, owned by Jehad Abdel-Karim Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
10) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Hussein Mahmoud Ahmed Abu Khureis. Residents of this house left it several months ago because it was frequently shelled.
11) Shooting made holes in the roof of a 140-square-meter, asbestos and tin-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Hassan Mohammed Abu Namous.
12) Shooting damaged walls and concrete columns, and made holes in the western façade of a 250-square-meter, four-story house, in which 18 people live, owned by Abdullah Hassan Abu ‘Obeida.
13) Shooting damaged and made holes in the western façade of a 130-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by ‘Aadel Ali Abu ‘Obeida.
At approximately 3:30 local time, the corpse of Ziad Sa’di Abdel-Hamid ‘Ayyad, 27, from Al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City was brought to Shifa’ hospital in Gaza City once the Israeli side transferred it to the Palestinian side. According to medical sources at Shifa’ hospital, dart-like projectiles were found on ‘Ayyad’s body. According to PCHR confirming research, these new dart-like projectiles are manufactured in a needle-like and tapered-headed shape, approximately 3cm long.
Mustafa El-Ramalawi, 42, from Al-Boreij refugee camp, was also killed with these projectiles on Friday, March 2, 2001, at Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction.
Early in the morning, Israeli occupation soldiers, positioned at the road between Al-Shuhada’ (Netzarim) junction, south of Gaza City, and Al-Mentar (Karni) Outlet opened fire on ‘Ayyad, killing him. Circumstances of this incident are not clear.
According to PCHR’s investigation, ‘Ayyad was a farmer and it is likely that he was crossing the road when Israeli occupation soldiers fired a shell on him that exploded, embedding the dart-like shrapnel throughout his body.
Israeli forces neither denied nor confirmed the use of the projectiles. The March 12, 2001 English version of Israeli Ha’arretz published a statement by an Israeli military spokesman to Reuters, in which he stated that the Israeli army “uses means best suited to overall security conditions and specific threats in the area.”
According to PCHR investigation, Israeli forces immediately and without hesitation opened fire on any Palestinian who crosses the aforementioned road. One of the most significant instances was the incident in which the Israeli occupation forces opened fire on Saber Fureij Abu Zhaher, 38, from Johor El-Dik area near the said road, on January 31, 2001, killing him with more than ten live bullets throughout the body.
At approximately 8:15 local time, Israeli occupation forces fired on Riadh Rashid Khalil El-Qadhi, 32, from Rafah, wounding him with a live bullet in the head. El-Qadhi was on his land in ‘Oraybeh area, opposite to Morag settlement, to the north of Rafah, when he was fired upon. He was evacuated to Al-Joneina hospital in Rafah, where medical sources stated that he was in stable condition.
In his testimony to PCHR, his brother, Ziad El-Qadhi, 29, said: “On Saturday, March 10, 2001, at approximately 8:00 local time, I was with my brother Raiadh on our land in ‘Oraybeh area. We head a sound of a heavy explosion. Approximately 15 minutes later, my brother went to see the farmer named Barakat Duheir, who has land next to ours. When my brother was approximately 15m from me, Israeli occupation forces fired approximately 10 live bullets. I heard my brother crying and falling on the ground. I rushed toward him and he was bleeding from his head. Duheir and I evacuated him to hospital.”
At approximately 16:00 local time, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in military sites on Johar Mount and the settlement center known as “Avraham Avino” in Hebron, fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Qaitoun and Abu Sneineh neighborhoods in Hebron. This lasted for more than one hour, during which Yasser Mohammed Mahmoud Eshtayeh, 15, was wounded with shrapnel in the mouth. A number of houses were also severely damaged.
At approximately 20:00 local time, Israeli forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at the neighborhoods of Al-Dhahia, the North Mountain, the Old Town and Kellet El-‘Amoud, and Nablus center. Sa’ed Abdel-Rahim Abu Sweilem, 20, from the North Mountain, was wounded with two live bullets in the shoulder and the leg. Also, a number of houses were severely damaged.
At approximately 22:30 local time, Israeli forces positioned at Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing and on the border to the northeast of Beit Hanoun, fired heavy caliber bullets at nearby Palestinian farms and houses. This lasted for approximately 45 minutes;
at approximately 2:00 local time on the following day, it resumed for another 30 minutes. PCHR’s area field officer reported that the shelling caused severe damage to Palestinian houses, approximately 350m away from the border. The owners left approximately 50 days ago. The houses were as follows:
1) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by Jamal Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
2) a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which nine people used to live, owned by Ahmed Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
3) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people used to live, owned by Kamal Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
4) a 160-square-meter, two-story house, in which six people used to live, owned by Yousef Mohammed Hussein Sweilem;
5) a 140-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by Mohammed Mohammed Hussein Sweilem; and
6) a 150-square-meter, two-story house, in which eight people used to live, owned by ‘Atta Hassan Sweilem.
Attacks and Shooting on Palestinian Civilians by Settlers
A number of Jewish settlers residing in settlement centers in the middle of Hebron under the full protection by the Israeli occupation forces, attacked Palestinian civilians in Tal Al-Romeida and Al-Sahleh neighborhoods as well as Al-Rahma Mount and Al-Shallala Street.
As a result, Radhi Dhib Houso, 15, from Tal Al-Romeida neighborhood, suffered from injuries and bruises. Additionally, settlers attacked journalist Mazen Da’na, a 37-year-old Rueters cameraman, from Hebron; Hussam ‘Allan, a 42-year-old Agence France Presse Cameraman from Al-Zhahereya village near Hebron, also received injuries and bruises.
Update:
At approximately 19:30 local time, the Israeli occupation forces fired heavy and medium caliber bullets at Al-Amal neighborhood and the citrus farms area east of Beit Hanoun. Such shooting lasted for approximately 75 minutes and caused the following damages:
1) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 150-square-meter, one-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by As’ad Fahmi Salah.
2) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern and northern façades of a 180-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Sa’id Fahmi Salah.
3) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 200-square-meter, one-story house, in which nine people live, owned by ‘Arafat ‘Attallah El-Masri.
4) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern façade of a 250-square-meter, three-story house, in which 20 people live, owned by Tawfiq Abdel-Rahman Wahdan.
5) Bullets made 5-cm holes in the eastern and southern façades of a 200-square-meter, two-story house, in which five people live, owned by Jamal Ahmed Hussein Nashwan.
6) Bullets made 7-cm holes in the eastern and northern façades of a 160-square-meter, one-story house, in which eight people live, owned by Musleh El-Tarabin.
Late at night, Israeli occupation forces, positioned in the vicinity of Neve Dekalim settlement and Al-Tuffah roadblock, to the west of Khan Yunis refugee camp, fired artillery shells and heavy and medium caliber bullets at Palestinian houses in the western area of the aforementioned refugee camp. This shooting lasted until 3:00 local time on the following day and caused the following damages:
1) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and made holes in the roof of a 160-square-meter, tin-roofed house, in which 13 people live, owned by Zanqna Mosallam Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
2) Shooting damaged a water saving tank and made holes in the roof of a 240-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 15 people live, owned by Shehadeh Karim Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
3) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the roof and made holes in walls of a 220-square-meter, tin-roofed house, in which 14 people live, owned by Mohammed Ali Karim Abu ‘Obeida.
4) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof of the second floor and made holes in walls of a 100-square-meter, two-story house, in which 14 people live, owned by Rami Salem Abu ‘Obeida.
5) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which seven people live, owned by Hussein Mohammed Ali Abu ‘Obeida.
6) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 260-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 13 people live, owned by Mohammed Ali Salem Abu ‘Obeida.
7) Shooting damaged the asbestos roof and made holes in walls of a 80-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Shocholata Mohammed Mansour Abu Namous.
8) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 160-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 21 people live, owned by Ahmed Huseein Abu Radwan.
9) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 200-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 11 people live, owned by Jehad Abdel-Karim Zayed Abu ‘Obeida.
10) Shooting damaged water saving tanks and the asbestos roof, and made holes in walls of a 140-square-meter, asbestos-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Hussein Mahmoud Ahmed Abu Khureis. Residents of this house left it several months ago because it was frequently shelled.
11) Shooting made holes in the roof of a 140-square-meter, asbestos and tin-roofed house, in which 12 people live, owned by Hassan Mohammed Abu Namous.
12) Shooting damaged walls and concrete columns, and made holes in the western façade of a 250-square-meter, four-story house, in which 18 people live, owned by Abdullah Hassan Abu ‘Obeida.
13) Shooting damaged and made holes in the western façade of a 130-square-meter, two-story house, in which 11 people live, owned by ‘Aadel Ali Abu ‘Obeida.