Israeli forces announced today the expension of the so-called “Operation Rainbow”, which started in the early morning hours of Tuesday, to the Brazil and Salam neighborhoods southeast of the town. This has been confirmed by reports from Palestinian sources, witnessing Israeli tanks entering these neighborhoods. The siege of Tel Al Sultan continued and is causing severe humanitarian implications due to the destruction of the water network. Israeli forces raided two areas of the city, killing 5 Palestinians. This brings the death toll in the town to 37 since the beginning of Israel’s military offensive. Read more about Rafah Daily Update, 3.00pm
The total number of Palestinians who killed in the town of Rafah since Tuesday is at least 41, including 14 children. Some 103 people have been injured; more than half of them are children. The movement of ambulance services is still obstructed by the IOF. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has documented dozens of cases of bulldozing of streets and houses in Tel Al Sultan, As-Salam and Al Brazil neighborhoods. Demolitions were carried out without warning in the majority of the documented cases. One day after the UN Security Council condemned Israeli actions, the effects of the international community’s condemnation appears limited. Read more about Rafah Daily Update, 11:00pm
Amnesty International urges the Israeli authorities to promptly carry out a thorough and independent investigation into the killing of eight Palestinians, four of them children, and the injury of dozens of others by the Israeli army during a demonstration in the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, on 19 May 2004. Amnesty International delegates were in the vicinity of the demonstration at the time of the incident. They saw Israeli army helicopters hovering over the area where the demonstration was taking place, dropping what appeared to be flares; shortly after they heard several rounds of heavy shelling. Read more about Amnesty: Call for independent investigation into Rafah killings
Four Israeli human rights organizations submitted an urgent petition this morning to the Supreme Court against the IDF Commander of the Gaza Strip, which contained a series of humanitarian demands on behalf of the residents of Rafah. They demand that the IDF: allow the unconditional evacuation of the injured from Rafah, even if there is no advanced coordination; allow the unobstructed passage of ambulances and medical equipment between Rafah and the hospitals located outside the city; prevent injury or threat to medical teams and citizens evacuating the injured or corpses; renew the supply of electricity, water, food and medical supplies to the residents of the village of Tel a-Sultan, that has been subject to total closure for more than three days. Read more about Israeli human rights groups submit humanitarian access demand to Supreme Court
“Nidal played the hero of the play who did not confess anything to the interrogators. He said that the play taught them about what to expect if they were ever arrested, and how to avoid giving up information even when manipulated. ‘Now,’ he said, ‘three of the actors are living the play in real life.’ Muhammad, who played an interrogator in the play, is lonely these days, having lost many in his circle of friends. With a forlorn air that almost suggested he only spoke to journalists because there was no one else to talk to, Muhammad said, ‘Before the arrests, there was movement in Aida, I could find people to chat with. Now, there is no one’.” Amahl Bishara and Nidal al-Azraq report on life imitating art in one West Bank refugee camp. Read more about Assume the position: a play about prison is followed by arrests
This week, Israeli forces killed 52 Palestinians, 41 of them civilians, including 9 children. In Rafah alone Israeli forces killed 45 Palestinians, including 8 who were killed when Israeli helicopters and tanks attacked a peaceful demonstration. In Rafah Israeli forces demolished 105 homes, leaving hundreds of Palestinian civilians homeless. In Jenin, Israeli forces assassinated a Palestinian. In Khan Yunis Israeli forces demolished five homes. Israeli forces razed large areas of agricultural land. Israeli forces continue to shell Palestinian residential areas. Israel continues to build its Annexation Wall in the West Bank and continues to impose a total siege. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
A United Nations human rights expert has expressed his “horror” at the ongoing Israeli military action in Gaza, where some 30 Palestinian have been killed, nearly 200 homes have been destroyed and 2,200 people left without shelter since the beginning of May. John Dugard, the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel since 1967, issued a statement yesterday calling the Israeli actions “a violation of international humanitarian law” and constituted war crimes under the Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilians in times of war. Read more about UN human rights expert voices 'horror' at Israeli action in Gaza
Israeli occupying forces have expanded their military offensive in Rafah town and refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Overnight, Israeli forces entered As-Salam and Brazil areas near the border with Egypt. At time of press, eight Palestinians, including a child, have been killed so far today. This brings the number of people killed in Rafah since Monday 17 May 2004 to 39. Eye-witnesses reported that IOF opened fire indiscriminately in these densely-populated residential areas, including from helicopter gunships and tanks. PCHR again repeats its dismay at this continuing escalation in violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, including war crimes, perpetrated by the Israeli occupying forces. Read more about Rafah: Israeli forces kill 39 Palestinians in four days
The Israeli military’s use of tanks and helicopters yesterday to fire on non-violent demonstrators in the southern Gaza Strip constituted an unlawful and unnecessary use of force, Human Rights Watch said today. At least eight people were killed and dozens were injured. “It’s outrageous that Israeli forces used battlefield weaponry to block peaceful marchers,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, executive director of Human Rights Watch’s Middle East and North Africa division. “By using heavy weapons against non-violent demonstrators, Israel has violated not only international law, but also its own open-fire regulations.” Read more about End unlawful use of force against civilians in Gaza
Early yesterday morning, IDF snipers took up positions on the roofs of houses adjacent to the home of the Hasuna family in the Tel a-Sultan neighborhood in Rafah. Around 9:30 AM, an IDF bulldozer began demolishing the family’s house without warning. Khaider Hasuna told B’Tselem: “They started demolishing the room that we were sitting in. My wife and I were screaming and our children were terrified. We took the children and went out to the yard. I saw a tank about twenty meters east of my house. The tank began to open fire rapidly toward the house.” Read more about Today's Events in Rafah
