Palestinian Center for Human Rights 13 October 2004
Four Palestinian girls on their way to school passing wide spread destruction in Jabalia refugee camp. (PCHR)
During the two weeks of the Israeli raid on the northern Gaza Strip, Israeli forces killed 97 Palestinians, including 49 civilians, 25 of whom are children. Israeli forces wounded at least 420 Palestinians, including 150 children, many of whom have been in a serious condition and some have been rendered permanently disabled. Israeli forces razed at least 600 donums of agricultural land, destroyed 70 homes and severely damaged 200 homes, including kindergartens, schools, mosques and factories. Due to the wide scale of destruction, Palestinian families have been forced to migrate. Israeli has completely isolated several areas, such as al-Bukhari, Sha’sha’a and ‘Asaliya areas in the east of Jabalya refugee camp; and Quliabu area in Beit Lahia, denying access of these areas to medical or humanitarian assistance. Expansion of the military campaign by seizing full control over Beit Lahia. Education has been suspended.
Introduction
IOF have more violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), especially in the Gaza Strip. They have expanded the military campaign against the northern Gaza Strip, causing more casualties among Palestinian civilians. This week, 33 Palestinians, 23 of whom were civilians, including 7 children, were killed by Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip. Human rights violations perpetrated by IOF included willful and extra-judicial killings, incursions into Palestinian areas, indiscriminate shelling, land leveling and total closure imposed on Palestinian communities.
IOF have continued their wide scale offensive on the northern Gaza Strip. During the period covered by this report, 27 Palestinians, 18 of whom are civilians, including 5 children, were killed by Israeli troops. Thus, the number of Palestinians killed since the beginning of this latest offensive on 28 September 2004 has mounted to 97, including 49 civilians, 25 of whom are children. In addition, at least 420 others, mostly civilians, including at least 150 children, have been injured, many of them have been in a serious condition. Israeli troops have attacked Palestinian civilians, especially children, and escalated measures of retaliation and collective punishment through the destruction of civilian property and the internal and external closure.
Israeli troops increasingly attacked Palestinian civilians, contrary to their claims that their military campaign against the northern Gaza Strip targets members of the Palestinian resistance to prevent them from launching the Qassam rockets at Israeli towns. For example, 2 civilians were killed when the Israeli air force shelled their house, and 2 children were killed by a tank shell. An Israel F-16 fighter jet also attacked an industrial facility inside Jabalya refugee camp. One civilian was killed and the facility and a number of neighboring houses were totally destroyed. In addition, large destruction has been afflicted to houses, agricultural land and the civilian infrastructure. Israeli troops have destroyed ate least 70 houses and damaged dozens of others. They have also razed at least 600 donums of agricultural land and partially destroyed the civilian infrastructure and a number of civilian facilities, including kindergartens, schools and mosques.
In other areas of the Gaza Strip, this week, 6 Palestinians, 5 of whom are civilians, including 2 children and a mentally disabled man, were killed by Israeli troops. Two of the victims were extra-judicially killed by Israeli troops on 9 October 2004. On 13 October 2004, a schoolchild died from a wound she had sustained on the previous day. The child was hit by a live bullet in the chest when she was sitting at her desk. The other child was killed on 13 October 2004, when Israeli troops fired at him and his friends while they were playing football in Rafah refugee camp. A member of the Palestinian resistance was killed in Deir al-Balah on 11 October 2004, when he clashed with Israeli troops that moved into the town. On 8 October 2004, Israeli troops shot dead a mentally disabled Palestinian civilian in the central Gaza Strip.
This week, Israeli troops conducted 6 incursions into Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, especially in Rafah and Deir al-Balah. During these incursions, Israeli troops destroyed 23 houses, including 15 in Rafah, and razed 156 donums of agricultural land, including 86 donums in Khuza’a village, east of Khan Yunis.
In the West Bank, Israeli troops launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and their properties. They moved into various areas throughout the West Bank, injured a number of Palestinian civilians, and arrested dozens of others. They also destroyed 3 houses belonging to families of Palestinian activists. In addition, Israeli settlers continued to attack Palestinian civilians. A number of civilians were injured.
IOF have continued to construct the annexation wall inside the West Bank territory. This week, this construction took place mainly in East Jerusalem and Hebron. Israeli troops razed large areas of Palestinian agricultural land and uprooted hundreds of olive trees. They also prevented Palestinian farmers in some areas from reaching their agricultural land to cultivate olives.
IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the OPT and have imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem. They have divided the Gaza Strip into 3 separate zones by closing the coastal road between Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip, and isolated several parts of the northern Gaza Strip. They have also continued to close most border crossings of the Gaza Strip. In the West Bank, Israeli troops have continued to impose a strict siege on Palestinian communities. They have continued to impose a tightened siege on Hebron for the 2nd consecutive month. They have also imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians and arrested some of them while crossing military checkpoints. Israeli troops also imposed curfews on a number of Palestinian communities.
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