1) At least 7 Palestinians killed by Israeli army
shelling of neighbourhood in Rafah (Palestine Monitor)
2) Hear Palestine Briefing- 16-10-02
At least seven Palestinians were killed when Israeli tanks randomly shelled
a civilian neighbourhood in Rafah, southern Gaza Strip, at around 3 p.m.
today, hitting several houses and an UNRWA school. More than forty
Palestinians were injured.
According to Dr. Ali Mousa, head of Mohammad Yousef An-Najjar
hospital in
Rafah, two women, a child and a baby are among victims. Dr. Ali fears the
death toll will rise as many of the injured are in serious condition.
Gaza has come under severe attack by the Israeli army during
this month:
since 7 October, 27 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli troops in Rafah
and Khan Younis.
For more information contact The Palestine Monitor +972 2 2985372 or
+972 (0)59 387087 and see www.palestinemonitor.org
Wednesday, 16 October 2002
Palestinians Killed:
Mahmoud Tammouna (18 years old), Tulkarem
Israeli Military Attacks
**Israeli Soldiers Kill Youth in Tulkarem
**Occupation Army Invades Bir Zeit University at Dawn, Arrests 5
Students
**Israeli Army Opens Random Fire at Jalazone Refugee Camp at Dawn
**Israeli Army Wages Attacks on Khan Younis Residential Areas
**Over 13 Civilians Wounded in Evening Attack on Rafah
Settler Attacks
**Israeli Settlers Open Fire at Bethlehem School Students
**Settlers Attack Palestinian Farmers in Salfeet
**Vast Areas of Land Bulldozed in Hebron for Settlement Purposes
Arrests and Closure Measures
**Occupation Soldiers Open Fire and Wound Civilians to Enforce
Tightened Siege
**Campaign of Random Arrests Continues in West Bank Towns
Features
**Yediot Ahronot: Soldiers Force Labor Work on Detained Youths for
Military Purposes
**********************************************************************
Contrary to Israeli claims of a partial withdrawal from areas in
Hebron and an easing of the imposed military closure on Palestinian
towns and cities, the Israeli army tightened its military grip on all
Palestinian areas, including the city of Hebron. Dozens of
Palestinian residents were randomly arrested from the various towns
and villages, and many wounded in military attacks, including
children. Israeli settlers under the protection of the Israeli army
continue to attack Palestinian farmers and to confiscate and demolish
vast areas of agricultural land.
**********************************************************************
Israeli Military Attacks
*******************
*Israeli Soldiers Kill Youth in Tulkarem*
Palestinian youth Mahmoud Tammouna (18 years old) was killed
late
last night in a shooting by the Israeli army in the eastern
residential quarter of Tulkarem. Tammouna was killed with deadly
bullets to the back and stomach
************************************
*Occupation Army Invades Bir Zeit University at Dawn, Arrests
5
Students*
The Israeli occupation army this morning besieged Bir Zeit
University, northwest Ramallah before invading and searching the
university buildings and offices. Around 5 armoured vehicles invaded
the university campus at 4:00 am, searched and vandalized its offices
and confiscated and destroyed furniture including computers and
photocopy machines.
Occupation military forces arrested a number of students after
midnight from halls of residence in the town of Bir Zeit.
The invasion of the town of Bir Zeit is the second in two days.
The
occupation army invaded the town of Bir Zeit the day before last and
besieged a student residence and threatened to blow it up on top of
the residents.
At the same time, the occupation army continues to carry out
provocative measures against university students and employees at
military roadblocks established on the road linking Ramallah to the
town of Bir Zeit and in front of the university, where students are
searched in a humiliating manner.
************************************
*Israeli Army Opens Random Fire at Jalazone Refugee Camp at Dawn*
A number of people from Jalazone refugee camp, north of Ramallah,
were wounded today when tanks based on the Nablus-Ramallah road,
separating `Beit Il' settlement and the refugee camp attacked the
camp with random heavy fire (from 2:00 am until 5:00 am).
************************************
*Israeli Army Wages Attacks on Khan Younis Residential Areas*
The Israeli occupation army waged an attack on residential areas
west
of Khan Younis (al-Amal quarter) during the busy morning hours, when
workers were going to work and students to school.
Later in the evening, the Israeli army waged an intensive attack
on
al-Farahin area, east of Khan Younis.
************************************
*Over 13 Civilians Wounded in Evening Attack on Rafah*
Over 13 civilians were wounded this evening during an Israeli
military attack on residential areas south of Rafah. Israeli military
forces attacked al-Barazil area and the surroundings of Salah al-Din
Gate with heavy machine gun fire, wounding several people, some
critically. Those critically wounded:
Ahmad Abu al-Sha'r (12 years old), while at school
Ahmad Asfour (52 years old) while inside his home
At noon today, the Israeli army established a new observation
tower
10 meters high, south of Rafah, which places the lives of residents
in danger.
************************************
*Israeli Military Attacks on Areas North Gaza Strip*
This evening, the Israeli army opened fire randomly towards
Um al-
Nasser Village, north of the Gaza Strip (Beit Lahya), while
Palestinian workers were returning home from the industrial area of
Beit Hanoun. No causalities were reported.
In a separate attack, the Israeli army this evening opened fire
randomly towards agricultural fields near `Netsarim' settlement,
south of Gaza City.
**********************************************************************
Settler Attacks
************
*Israeli Settlers Open Fire at Bethlehem School Students*
This morning, an Israeli settler opened fire at students heading
to
Tqou' Elementary School in Bethlehem. No casualties were reported,
but students suffered from a severe state of shock.
The town of Tqou' and its school are subjected to constant attacks
by
settlers and Israeli soldiers. The occupation authorities closed down
the school a few days ago for 3 days for no apparent reason.
************************************
*Settlers Attack Palestinian Farmers in Salfeet*
Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian farmers near Yassouf town,
north of Salfeet, forcing them under the threat of weapons to
evacuate their land situated near `Tfouh' settlement before
harvesting their olives. Israeli settlers under the protection of
Israeli soldiers opened fire towards the farmers who escaped for
their lives.
************************************
*Vast Areas of Land Bulldozed in Hebron for Settlement Purposes*
Armed Israeli settlers this morning invaded areas in Doura,
south of
Hebron, with bulldozers and leveled vast areas of land that belongs
to the residents. The targeted areas exceed 100 dunums
(1dunum=1000m2) of land, the majority of which is cultivated with
olive trees.
The land is located near the Israeli military camp in the area,
2
kilometers south of `Hajai' settlement on the Hebron-Thahiriya road.
2 weeks ago, Israeli land surveyors marked the mentioned land
in
preparation for bulldozing activities. The owners fear the
confiscation of their land by force and the construction of by pass
roads and new settlements.
**********************************************************************
Arrests and Closure Measures
*************************
*Occupation Soldiers Open Fire and Wound Civilians to Enforce
Tightened Siege*
Jenin
------
The Israeli occupation army opened fire at Palestinian civilians
east
of Jenin today while they attempted to reach the city. At least one
civilian was wounded in the attack. Faisal Abu Mweis (41 years old)
was hit with live ammunition in the chest and face.
The Israeli army continues to impose a tightened siege on Jenin
and
to prevent residents from moving between surrounding towns and
villages. Dozens are held up on a daily basis for several hours,
physically attacked and humiliated.
Bethlehem
-------------
The Israeli army closed road junctions in the Bilal Bin Rabah
mosque
area today with cement blocks and sand barriers, isolating the
northern areas from the city. The closure of the road prevented
access to Caritas Children's Hospital, as well as prevented movement
of all residents in the area.
Hebron
---------
Residents and officials in the city denied an Israeli claim
of a
partial withdrawal from Hebron. In fact, the Israeli army intensified
military measures and presence on the roads of the city. More army
patrols roam the city and its commercial center, stopping and
checking cars, lining up people on the walls under humiliating
conditions. Tight military measures continue to be imposed on the Old
City and its surroundings.
Ramallah
-----------
Military siege tightened severely around Ramallah. Israeli soldiers
raid homes in certain areas of the city as well as in surrounding
towns and villages.
************************************
*Campaign of Random Arrests Continues in West Bank Towns*
Tulkarem
------------
The Israeli army arrested at least 4 residents from Ein Shams
refugee
camp after invading the camp and searching several of its homes.
Bethlehem
-------------
The Israeli army arrested at least one civilian from Tqou' Village,
southeast Bethlehem during a raid of his house. Witnesses reported
that Israeli soldiers brutally attacked the residents during the raid
of the town, during which several homes were vandalized.
The Israeli army also invaded al-Khader Village twice since yesterday.
Qalqilya
-----------
The Israeli army arrested a civilian from Habla town after raiding
and brutally vandalizing his home.
Hebron
---------
The Israeli occupation army arrested at least 5 civilians from
Doura
and Yatta towns, south of Hebron during wide-scale searches and raids
of homes.
**********************************************************************
Features
*******
*Yediot Ahronot: Soldiers Force Labor Work on Detained Youths
for
Military Purposes*
Palestinian youths in Hebron reported to the Israeli daily
newspaper `Yediot Ahronot' that Israeli soldiers detain them and
force them to work on the construction of fortifications for the
Israeli army, which is based in the small Israeli settlement `Beit
Hadasa' established on confiscated Palestinian land in the city of
Hebron, near the Ibrahimi mosque.
According to the youths, Israeli soldiers have been for the
past
several weeks arresting Palestinian youths from the center of the
city and taking them to the settlement of `Beit Hadasa', Tel Rmeida
and the Ibrahimi mosque and forcing them under the threat of weapons
to carry concrete and sand bags for the construction of
fortifications for Israeli military locations that protect the
settlers of Hebron.
The youths who were forced to carryout the labor work said the
soldiers also found another form of entertainment. The young men are
asked their age and then forced to carry as many sand bags and
concrete blocks. The work continued over 5 continuous weeks and for 4-
5 hours daily.
Omar [not his real name], a Palestinian youth from Doura, near
Hebron, was among those who were forced to do this and who spoke to
the `Yediot Ahronot' newspaper. He says that several weeks ago while
on his way to the University of Hebron, an Israeli army patrol
stopped his bus and arrested 15 Palestinians. All were young except
for one man over the age of 60.
According to Omar, Israeli soldiers escorted them to a Palestinian
(high) building near `Beit Hadasa' settlement, where the Israeli army
established a military point on the roof. Those arrested were forced
to carry blocks of concrete and sand bags to the roof. "One of the
soldiers asked me how old I was, I answered `21 years old', then he
said `you are going to carry 21 bags of sand, I started the work
which took over 3 hours'."
According to Omar, the work came with threats and verbal abuse.
"They
shouted at us for not working properly, ordered us to hurry, in the
end after several hours under the sun, they released almost everyone,
except who was detained."
Another young man reported that an Israeli army patrol stopped
him in
a residential quarter near `Beit Hadasa' settlement and ordered along
with other youths, to carry bags of sand to the Ibrahimi mosque in
the city, one kilometer away from the location.
The army spokesperson commented by saying the issue would be
investigated.
Hear Palestine is a free press service offering daily mailings from the occupied Palestinian territories. Material is analysed and compiled from the Arabic press, radio and television transmissions, and direct interviews by Karma Abu-Sharif.