Palestinian Center for Human Rights12 January 2003
In a further escalation of Israeli illegal military actions against Palestinian civilians and property, Israeli occupying forces invaded Khan Yunis and Beit Hanoun last night and this morning and destroyed a Palestinian house and 8 civilian facilities. They indiscriminately shelled these areas killing two Palestinians and wounding 13 others, two of whom were left in a serious condition. Some other houses and civilian facilities were severely damaged. Read more about Israeli forces invade Khan Yunis and Beit Hanoun
Israel’s military authorities have approached human rights organisations operating in the West Bank and Gaza to help with investigations into crimes committed by their troops against Palestinian civilians. Philip Jacobson reports on some unprecedented developments, due in no small part to the efforts of the family of Shaden Abu Hijleh, murdered by the IDF last fall. Read more about U.S. pressures Israel to probe crimes against Palestinians
“In Nablus, where the Abu Hijleh house echoes with a new emptiness, the family is determined that Shaden not become another nameless statistic. For some of her children, this means resisting the Palestinian glorification of martyrdom. For her family and friends, it means pursuing some measure of justice. That mission began minutes after the bullets flew.” The Christian Science Monitor’s Nicole Gaouette reports on one family’s attempts to challenge Israeli impunity in the international media—and at the International Criminal Court. Read more about IDF's murder of Palestinian grandmother tests Israeli justice system
This week, Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, demolished dozens of Palestinian homes and shelled residential areas. Consequently, more than 300 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have become homeless. Israeli forces maintained the total siege on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, separated areas, imposed round the clock curfews and prevented all Palestinians between the ages 16 and 35 from traveling abroad. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
This morning, the Supreme Court of Israel ruled to reject three disqualification decisions issued by the Central Elections Committee (CEC). The Court approved the participation of the National Democratic Assembly (NDA), and reinstated the candidacies of MKs Azmi Bishara and Ahmad Tibi, for the upcoming Israeli elections. Read more about Supreme Court of Israel ruled to reject ban on Palestinian political parties
Today, an 11-justice panel of the Supreme Court of Israel will hold hearings on an appeal against the decision of the Central Elections Committee (CEC) to disqualify the National Democratic Alliance from running in the Israeli elections. It will also hear concluding arguments submitted by Adalah challenging the CEC’s decision to ban MK Dr. Azmi Bishara, the head of the NDA list, from participating in the Knesset elections. Read more about Supreme Court hearings today on appeal against NDA disqualification
This week, Israeli forces killed fifteen Palestinian civilians, including five children. Four Palestinians were killed in extra-judicial executions. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas, accompanied by indiscriminate shelling. The Israeli retaliatory campaign against Palestinian families of wanted Palestinians and those who carried out armed attacks against Israeli targets continued. Israeli forces continued to use Palestinian civilians as human shields during military operations and a number of Palestinians were arrested. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
B’Tselem released a new case study exposing a severe incident in which IDF soldiers in Hebron abused Palestinians and used them as human shields. On December 3, four Israeli soldiers entered a barbershop in Hebron. For more than an hour they abused five Palestinian residents of the city. Read more about B'Tselem: Soldiers' Abuse of Palestinians in Hebron, 3 December 2002