At least 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been living in an atmosphere of war in the past 24 hours imposed by an escalation of attacks by Israeli Occupation Forces. In the context of this escalation, IOF committed another extra-judicial assassination in the northern Gaza Strip, which left dead 7 Palestinians (two members of the Islamic Jihad and 5 civilian bystanders, including 3 children). In addition, 19 civilians were injured. This latest attack came in the context of another wave of escalation by IOF, which has included also launching air attacks and mock air raids using F-16 fighter jets. This attack follows a statement by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he gave the Israeli military a green line to launch a wide scale military operation against Palestinians. Read more about Israeli army kills seven Palestinians in missile strike
Israeli forces committed another extra-judicial execution. Israeli forces invaded Tulkarem and two refugee camps east of the city. After they imposed a curfew on residents, Israeli soldiers tooks positions in the Marba’at Hannoun area. They stopped a car and forced the driver out, opened fire and killed him instantly. Israeli forces saw an armed Palestinian from an alley and opened fire, hitting him with two bullets in his leg and hand. He fired a few bullets at the soldiers and took refuge in a nearby house. Israeli forces fired a rocket at the building. A man was climbing the stairs. Israeli forces shot at him from close range. He was killed instantly. The two Palestinians were identified as Majed al-Ashqar and Lo’ay El-Sa’di. Read more about Israel assassinates two Palestinians in Tulkarem
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the murder of two Palestinian civilians in two incidents during the night of 13 October 2005 in the southern Gaza Strip. These incidents highlight the continuation of chaos resulting from the spread of weapons and misusing them in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The first incident occurred in Rafah, and resulted in the death of a Palestinian activist at the hands of comrades on the backdrop of an inter-factional dispute. A clan dispute in Khan Yunis resulted in the second incident, and led to the death of one man. PCHR is concerned about the escalation of incidents of misusing arms and other forms of security chaos. Read more about Human rights group concerned about security in Gaza Strip
Israeli occupation forces committed another extra-judicial execution crime yesterday evening. The victim was Nehad Khaled Abu Ghanem, 33 years old from the village of Barqeen, west of Jenin. He died after sustaining several gunshot wounds in the upper body. IOF troops chased him and fired at him from close range, killing him instantly. Initial investigations indicate that Nehad Abu Ghanem was on his way from Qabatya to his home in Barqeen. When he reached an intersection off the Jenin-Nablus road, he noticed a number of Israeli military vehicles. Israeli soldiers noticed him and chased him. Accidentally, Abu Ghanem’s car hit the wall of a house. Soldiers got out of their jeeps, surrounded Abu Ghanem and opened fire at close range while he was in his car. He died instantly. Read more about Extra-Judicial Execution in Jenin
Yesterday, two foreign journalists were kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. Although both were released a few hours later, the crime reflects the recurrence of kidnapping cases, in the absence of effective measures by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) against kidnappings and other forms of security chaos. On Wednesday, six gunmen stopped a car with five passengers, including two foreign journalists, Dion Nissenbaum and Adam Pletts. The gunmen took the journalists with them until their release later. This latest incident comes as part of a pattern of kidnappings that has recently escalated in the Gaza Strip. Read more about Gaza: Kidnapped journalists released
In the bloodiest internal clashes since the Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip last month, 3 Palestinians, including a police officer, were killed and 43 others, mostly children, were injured when armed members of Hamas exchanged fire with the Palestinian police in Gaza City on Sunday, 2 October 2005. Five of the injured are in a serious condition. Earlier, a taxi driver was killed and another one was injured in Khan Yunis, and an armed group broke into Jabalya police station and opened fire. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses grave concern regarding the series of incidents that took place in Khan Yunis, Jabalya and Gaza City, which left four Palestinians dead and injured dozens of others. Read more about Violent Clashes in Gaza
Five years since the beginning of the Intifada, Israeli occupation forces escalate attacks on Palestinian civilians and properties in the occupied Palestinian territories. This week, Israeli forces killed 8 Palestinians, four of them were extra-judicially executed in the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out 27 aerial attacks on Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and launched dozens of mock aerial raids that frightened Palestinian civilians, in particular children and damaged their property. Israeli forces invaded a number of Palestinian towns in the West Bank, raiding homes and arrested 311 Palestinians, including three human rights defenders. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
On Thursday at dawn, 29 September 2005, Israeli forces killed three Palestinians in two separate incidents in Jenin. Two of the victims were killed in Bourqin village, while the third was killed in the old town of Jenin. Israeli forces moved into Bourqin, west of Jenin. They surrounded a number of greenhouses. Soon, sounds of explosions and intense gunfire were heard in the area. They moved to the home of Yahia al Shalabi, forced the owner’s son Saher out and took him to the greenhouses and used him as a human shield. Medical teams found two bodies in the area. They were identified as Nidal Khallouf and Samer al Shalabi, Saher’s brother. They were hit by several bullets in the head and chest. Read more about Israeli forces kill three Palestinians in Jenin
Israel continued their increasingly-dangerous attacks on the Gaza Strip, especially over the past three days. These attacks coincided with large scale incursions in the West Bank, during which Israeli occupying forces arrested Palestinian civilians. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli F-16s renewed their aerial bombardment, targeting additional civilian properties in different parts of the Strip. In addition, Israel F-16 fighter jets carried out mock air raids, resulting in a state of fear among civilians. Since September 24, Israel carried out 18 aerial bombardment raids against homes, civilian properties and vehicles carrying Palestinian activists. Read more about Israel continues aerial attacks on Gaza Strip
Israeli Occupation Forces have continued their aggression on the Gaza Strip for the third day. On Saturday and Sunday, 24 and 25 September 2005, IOF launched 10 aerial attacks that extra-judicially killed four Palestinians, injured at least twenty others and destroyed a number of civilian facilities. On Monday morning, 26 September 2005, IOF launched five new aerial attacks throughout the Gaza Strip, which destroyed or damaged a number of houses and workshops and injured three Palestinian civilians, including two women. Israeli F-16 fighter jets have continued to launch side raids throughout the Gaza Strip. In addition, Israel imposed a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about More Israeli raids as Palestinians bury dead