24 - 30 October, 2002

Israeli forces have perpetrated more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians, including willful killings, extra-judicial assassinations, shelling of, and incursion into Palestinian areas, and agricultural land leveling. This week, 10 Palestinian civilians, including 6 children and an old man, were killed by Israeli forces.

Israeli occupying forces shelled Palestinian residential areas. On 24 October, Israeli forces shelled the eastern neighborhood of Jenin, killing a Palestinian civilian. On the same day, Israeli occupying forces killed a Palestinian civilian claiming that he was close to the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt, south of Rafah. Also a Palestinian civilian from Rafah was pronounced dead from serious injuries he sustained when Israeli occupying forces destroyed parts of his house on 13 October. On Wednesday 30 October, Israeli occupying forces at the separating fence between the West Bank and Israel, near Zita village in Tulkarm, shot dead a Palestinian who was close to Israeli military vehicles. The victim has not been identified.

In three incidents of apparent willful killings, Israel forces shot dead 3 Palestinian civilians. On 26 October, Israeli occupying forces shot dead a Palestinian child in al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah. On 27 October, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Jenin, and on 28 October, Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian civilian in Tulkarm refugee camp. There were no apparent reasons for any of these killings.

As a continuation of the policy of extra-judicial assassinations, officially adopted by the Israeli political and military establishments against Palestinian activists, Israeli occupying forces killed killing 4 Palestinians and critically wounded a child in the West Bank this week. On 27 October, Israeli forces assassinated 2 Palestinians in Nablus and critically wounded a child. On 29 October, a Palestinian was assassinated in Tubas village, near Jenin. On 30 October, Israeli occupying forces killed a Palestinian in Kufor Qallil village, near Nablus, who was wanted by the Israeli authorities for his activities in the Intifada.

This week, Israeli occupying forces demolished 19 Palestinian houses in Rafah and in Beit Hanina, in occupied Jerusalem.

In violation of international law and humanitarian law, which prohibit collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against the families of wanted Palestinians and of those who have carried attacks against Israeli targets, both inside the Green Line and in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Within this context, the Israeli forces destroyed 5 Palestinian houses this week.

This week, Israeli forces arrested dozens of Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. They have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT, collectively punishing the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have partitioned Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian civilians’ economic, social and cultural rights.

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