5 March 2003
Information available to PCHR suggests that the six Palestinians detained by Israeli occupying forces during the onslaught on al-Boreij refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip on Monday, 3 March 2003, have been subjected to beating, torture and inhuman treatment by Israeli soldiers.
Palestinian home, destroyed by Israeli army in latest raid on Bureij camp (Photo: PCHR, 2003)
During the onslaught on al-Boreij refugee camp, Israeli soldiers detained Mohammed Saleh Taha, 64, his son: Ayman, 33; ‘Abdullah, 26; and ‘Abdul Rahman, 19, Sami Abu Humaisa, 33, and Ibrahim al-‘Abeed, 22.
According to information available to PCHR, Israeli forces have detained Mohammed Saleh Taha and his son Ayman, under strict escort, in Soroka Hospital in Beer al-Saba’. The two were injured during the Israeli onslaught on their area. The other detainees have been held in Erez detention center.
Lawyer Tamim Younis, authorized by PCHR to follow up the case of detention of these civilians, visited the six detainees in Soroka Hospital and Erez detention center on 3 March 2003. He asserted that there were signs of beating on the bodies of five of the detainees. The five had told him that they had been subjected to beating, insulting and inhuman treatment by the Israeli forces since they were detained.
During his meeting with the lawyer, Mohammed Saleh Taha said that he was injured in the head when Israeli forces destroyed the door of his house and that he didn’t gain consciousness until he was at the hospital. Israeli forces raided Taha’s house and destroyed it.
Ayman Mohammed Taha, detained in Soroka Hospital told the lawyer that he was wounded by a live bullet in the right hand while he attempted to escape during the Israeli raid of his house. He told the lawyer, that Israeli soldiers let dogs attack him after he was wounded, which caused him additional serious injuries. He was also beaten and insulted by Israeli soldiers on the way to hospital, even through he was injured.
The other detainees, who have been held in Erez detention center, stated that they were subjected to beating and cruel and degrading treatment by the Israeli soldiers who had transferred them from al-Boreij refugee camp to Erez detention center. They all sustained bruises and injuries. They have not been offered appropriate medical care; they were only checked by the physician of the detention center.
PCHR is deeply concerned about health conditions of six Palestinian detainees as it fears that they are subjected to persistent torture and inhuman conditions of detention.
PCHR calls upon the international community and concerned international organizations to immediately intervene to protect these detainees and ensure their immediate release as well as the release of other Palestinian civilians, who have been detained during arbitrary detaining campaigns by Israeli forces. These campaigns have been escalated throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories in recent months.
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