Weekly report on human rights violations

July 25-31, 2002

This week Israeli occupying forces have continued their full-scale offensive in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), killing more Palestinians, destroying public and private property and violating fundamental rights of Palestinian civilians, including the rights to life, free movement, access to adequate medical treatment, food, education and work. They have maintained effective control over most of the West Bank. Four Palestinian civilians, including a child and an old man, were killed by the Israeli occupying forces.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained military control over most of the West Bank, imposing curfews. For 12 consecutive days, Israeli occupying forces imposed a curfew on Nablus, so Palestinians were forced to challenge the Israeli military orders and went out of their houses. Secondary school students in Nablus and its refugee camp were eventually able to do the exams of the General Certificate of Education (Tawjihi) on Monday, 29 July. As a result of this delay due to Israeli measures, declaring results of the exams throughout the OPT was postponed, which may cause difficulties for students to join universities.

In an excessive use of force, Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian boy in al-Mazara’a al-Sharqia village near Ramallah on Sunday, 28 July. They fired at him from a close distance and left him bleeding for more than half an hour.

This week, Israeli occupying forces moved into Palestinian areas and shelled residential areas in the Gaza Strip. More than 10 Palestinian civilians were wounded as Israeli occupying forces shelled Khan Yunis throughout the week. On Friday, 26 July, Israeli occupying forces, covered by intense shelling, moved into al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City. They destroyed two Palestinian turnery workshops and damaged some houses and civilian facilities. Five Palestinian civilians were also wounded by Israeli shelling. On Wednesday, 31 July, Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah and demolished six Palestinian houses partially.

This week, Jewish settlers launched a series of assaults against Palestinian civilians, especially in Hebron. On Sunday, 28 July, they shot dead a 14-year-old Palestinian child. On Monday, 29 July, an old Palestinian man from al-Jeib village, northwest of occupied Jerusalem, succumbed to injuries he sustained a week before, when a Jewish settler ran him over by car.

On Sunday, 28 July, Israeli occupying forces set up two new observation points, one at the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, east of Khan Yunis, and the other inside ‘Netser Hazani’ settlement, northwest of Khan Yunis. They surrounded the observation points with concrete block. Such observation points have always posed danger to the lives of Palestinian civilians, as many civilians were killed by Israeli soldiers positioned in such points.

The Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have separated Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons, violating economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians. Thousands of Palestinians continue to be subjected to a tight military curfew imposed by Israeli occupying forces.

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