June 27 - July 03, 2002

Israeli occupying forces escalated their war against the Palestinian people under official US support and European silence, which have encouraged the Sharon government to commit more human rights violations against Palestinian civilians and property. This week, 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child and an old man were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

This week, Israeli forces continued their military operations in Palestinian areas, maintaining complete control and curfew over the main cities of the West Bank. They raided houses and arrested hundreds of Palestinians. In Hebron, Israeli occupying forces imposed a strict siege on the Palestinian security compound (Mauqata’a), and intensely shelled it, claiming that 15 Palestinian resistance men were having shelter inside. Then, they totally destroyed the building. Israeli forces declared later that they had not found any one in the building. Dozens of adjacent houses were damaged.

In a continuation of the assassination policy officially adopted by the Israeli government against Palestinian activists and political leaders, on Sunday, 30 June, Israeli occupying forces assassinated two Palestinians in Nablus, by shelling a house the two were in. On the following day, the Israeli prime minister stated that his forces carried out a successful assassination that targeted two wanted members of Hamas.

This week, Israeli occupying forces shelled and moved into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip. In Rafah, Israeli forces demolished 12 Palestinian houses totally and one house partially. In addition, more than 10 Palestinian civilians, including 4 children, were wounded by Israeli gunfire.

This week, Israeli occupying forces razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land in the Gaza Strip, especially in Beit Hanoun, Gaza City, and the villages of Khoza’a and ‘Abasan in Khan Yunis. They also raided Palestinian houses and security sites and arrested 8 Palestinians, including 6 security men.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT in a collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have separated Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces have maintained a strict siege on al-Mawasi area, isolating it from the rest of the strip. This week, Israeli occupying forces summoned 200 Palestinian civilians living in al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, 18-35 of age, and threatened to cancel their magnetic cards, which allow them to move from and into the area, if they do not collaborate with them. On Tuesday, 2 July, Israeli occupying forces at al-Matahen military checkpoint, north of Khan Yunis, which divides the Gaza Strip into two parts, checked Palestinian civilians traveling from Khan Yunis to Gaza City. Those civilians were held for hours, during which they were beaten and insulted by Israeli soldiers.

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