26 September - 2 October, 2002

Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians, including willful killings, extra-judicial assassinations, shelling of and incursions into Palestinian areas and agricultural land leveling.

This week, 10 Palestinian civilians, including an infant who inhaled tear gas and two children, were killed by the Israeli army. Another Palestinian civilian died from a heart attack while waiting at an Israeli military checkpoint north of Khan Yunis.

This week, Israeli occupying forces carried out a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. On 30 September, Israeli occupying forces moved into al-Shojaeya neighborhood in the east of Gaza. Israeli combat helicopters and heavy military vehicles shelled the area killing a Palestinian civilian. On 26 September, Israeli occupying forces moved into Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahia towns in the northern Gaza Strip. They arrested 6 Palestinian farmers and razed large areas of agricultural land.

On 27 September, Israeli occupying forces moved into Deir al-Balah in the central Gaza Strip. They shelled Palestinian houses, wounding 6 civilians while they were sleeping in their homes. They also raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 6 Palestinians.

On Saturday morning, 28 September, Israeli tanks positioned at the Palestinian-Egyptian border, south of Rafah, opened fire at Palestinian houses in al-Salam neighborhood adjacent to the border. A Palestinian civilian was killed by a heavy caliber bullet in the heart while he was on the roof of his house, approximately 800m away from the border.

On Thursday, 26 September 2002, Israeli occupying forces carried out a failed assassination attempt that targeted Mohammed al-Dheif, 39, from Khan Yunis, whom Israeli occupying forces claim is the leader of the military wing of Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Two of al-Dheif’s guards were killed when two Israeli combat helicopters fired two missiles at their car in a crowded street in Gaza. Forty passing civilians, including 10 children, were wounded, and a number of houses and civilian facilities were damaged. Israeli security sources admitted that the operation aimed at assassinating Mohammed al-Dheif and that he was traveling in the targeted car and was wounded and lost one of his eyes. The same sources considered the survival of al-Dhief as “a bad luck” rather than a failure.

In a series of apparent willful killing incidents, Israeli occupying forces shot dead 5 Palestinian civilians. On 26 September, an undercover unit of the Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Jenin when he was looking through his window. The unit moved into the city to arrest wanted Palestinians. On 27 September, Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian from close distance when he attempted to escape from his family’s house after they had raided it. On 28 September, Israeli occupying soldiers shot dead a Palestinian student who, together with a number of school children, threw stones at Israeli soldiers at al-Shuhada’ junction, south of Gaza City, from a distance of approximately 400m. On 30 September, Israeli occupying forces shot dead two Palestinian children in Nablus, one was playing near a house while the other was at home, when the army opened fire at Palestinian civilians who attempted to break the curfew that had been imposed on the city for around three months.

On Thursday morning, 26 September, a Palestinian infant died of tear gas inhalation as Israeli occupying forces fired tear gas canisters at Palestinian civilians in Bab al-Zawia area in Hebron.

In a continuation of the retaliatory campaigns carried out by Israeli occupying forces against families of wanted Palestinians and those who have carried out armed tacks against Israeli targets, on Wednesday, 2 October, Israeli occupying forces demolished a house in Tammun village, east of Jenin. The owner of the house and his two sons has been detained by the Israeli forces since last June.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian civilians’ economic, social and cultural rights. Thousands of Palestinians continue to be subjected to a tight military curfew imposed by the Israeli occupying forces, especially in Nablus, which has been under a curfew for around 100 days.

Israeli forces fired at Palestinian civilians who attempted to break the curfew. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces closed Abu Houli and al-Matahen military checkpoints, north of Khan Yunis. On 1 October, Israeli forces blocked cars between the two checkpoints and checked a number of Palestinian civilians. On 29 September, Ejmei’an Hammad Abu Younis, 55, from Rafah, died from a heart attack after he had been forced to wait for long hours at Abu Houli checkpoint.

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