The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights & the Environment

 http://www.lawsociety.org/Press/Preleases/2002/April/apr5.html


UPDATE: Israeli Troops Continue Wide-Scale Assault on Palestinian People


For the eighth consecutive day, Israeli forces continue escalating their wide-scale assault
on the Palestinian people living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Israeli forces have
reoccupied most of the West Bank. Israeli forces have committed grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, i.e. war crimes and other violations of human rights. Despite this, the international
community continues to fail to intervene. Until this moment, humanitarian organizations are prevented
from providing humanitarian relief, ambulances are hindered and wounded and killed Palestinians are
not allowed to be evacuated.

Since early morning of Thursday, April 4, 2002, Israeli forces have launched a wide-scale
military assault, and have taken measures that cannot be reconciled with international
humanitarian law, in Bethlehem, Nablus, Ramallah, Hebron, Jenin, Tulkarem, Qalqiliya and Tubas.

In Bethlehem, Israeli forces continued besieging the Nativity Church, Virgin Mary, St. Mary,
and a building belonging to the Orthodox Church which has been used as a resthouse for priests
and sisters. Israeli forces have been shelling the Nativity Church to force 250 citizens to leave.
As a result, the bellringer, Samir Salman (42) was killed in the church inner yard. Israeli
forces have destroyed the church's southern gate. In the morning, a great number of Israeli
soldiers entered the southern yard.

Since this morning, Israeli forces have indiscriminately shelled Jenin and Tubas by tanks and
Apache helicopters. Israeli forces have raided Jenin hospital, al-Razi hospital, and al-Razi
Mosque. Medical personnel and hospitals have been attacked and completely paralyzed the health
system in the area. Medical personnel are prevented access to the hospitals.

Moreover, the oxygen units, water tanks and the laboratory and various windows of the Jenin hospital
were destroyed. Israeli forces also destroyed a PRCS ambulance at al-Razi hospital. There are
reports about four injured, one from Tubas and three from Jenin. These injured are still lying
on the ground since paramedics cannot reach them. In Jenin and Tubas there have been tens of
wounded and injured. Since the morning, Israeli forces have prevented journalists from access to the
cities and have forced them to leave.

Paramedics at al-Razi hospital have informed LAW that they were unable to provide aid to seven
injured, who are 100 meter away from the hospital. One person managed to evacuate the body of
an unidentified casualty. However, when a PRCS ambulance tried to reach the scene, an Israeli
tank fired heavy ammunition and destroyed the ambulance completely.

Since early morning, Israeli forces have raided Jenin refugee camp. According to eyewitnesses,
there are many injured inside the refugee camp, since paramedics are prevented access. Moreover,
through loudspeakers Israeli forces have warned medical personnel that they will shoot at any moving
vehicle.

Yesterday, in Jenin, Israeli forces killed four Palestinians: Rabee' Jalamneh (22), Ahmad Abu Al
Heija (24), Nidal Abu Al Heija (22), and Waleed Sa'eed (22).

In Qalqilia, Muhammad Al 'Aydi (23), a member of the Palestinian security forces, was killed by
gunshots in various parts of the body and left to bleed for hours before ambulances managed to
evacuate the body.

In Hebron, at 2.30 this afternoon, two Apache helicopters attacked a civilian car, in another
attempt of extra-judicial killing. The helicopters fired three missiles, however they missed the
car that was driving in Abu Ghanam street, downtown Hebron. The missiles hit another car and
destroyed it completely. There were seven persons, most of them bystanders injured in the
attack, including 11-year old Mohammad Amin Sughayer, who is in critical condition, with second and
third degree burns on 90 percent of his body.

Yesterday, in Hebron, an Israeli special unit entered the municipality area, south of the city,
and besieged the home of Hazem Qafeeshah. When he tried to escape, Israeli soldiers surrounded
the five story building and demolished it. As a result, his 20-year-old brother, Na'eem, was hit by
gunshot in the thigh, and his child Ahmad Qafeeshah was hit by two bullets in the left thigh. At
around 9 pm, Israeli forces entered Um al-Dalieh, the municipality area and Wadi
al-Harabeh quarters, south of the city. Israeli tanks and Apache helicopters fired heavy
ammunition at civilian homes. As a result two citizens were injured, Hussain Abu Hamdiyeh (10) and
Muhammad Fanoon (15).

In Nablus, Israeli troops have continued shelling Balata, Old Askar and New Askar refugee camps and
the old city with tanks and Apache attack helicopters. On Thursday, Israeli forces killed six
residents: Mahmoud Al 'Akka (42), heavy gunshot in the head while present inside his home in
Khilet Al Amoud; Ra'ed Ftooh (26) from Balata refugee camp, helicopter missile shrapnel; Sameer Abu
Al Leil (20) from Balata refugee camp, helicopter missile shrapnel; Maher Ameera (20) from
Balata refugee camp, helicopter missile shrapnel; Naser Khuram; and Ramzi Drouzeh. Moreover,
Qasem Abu Hamdan, from Balata refugee camp was seriously injured and ambulances were prevented
from evacuating him.

At around 10 am on Friday, twenty Israeli tanks entered Tubas from its eastern side and
indiscriminately shelled city quarters. As a result, 13-year-old Dima Sawafta was killed by a
gunshot in the chest while at home, ten others were variously injured, ambulances could not reach
them due to heavy gunfire. Also in Tubas, Iyad Abed Sawafta (22), a farmer, who was working on his
land, was killed. An Israeli soldier shot him, east of Tubas. Two live bullets entered his head and
chest at 1 o'clock this afternoon.

In the light of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's past and earlier Israeli military assaults
on Palestinian towns, villages and refugee camps, notably, the massacre of Palestinian and Lebanese
civilians in Sabra and Shatila (1982) and his 'Pacificication of Gaza' (1971) in which Israeli
troops imposed a policy of repression, blew up homes, bulldozing large tracts of refugee camps,
imposed collective punishment, killed Palestinian civilians, and imprisoned hundreds, LAW - The
Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment cals for immediate
effective international protection.

LAW Society strongly condemns the ongoing violations of human rights and international
humanitarian law, including those acts that amount to war crimes perpetrated by the Israeli
occupation forces with impunity and urges the international community to immediately fulfill
their moral and legal obligations to ensure Israel's respect of the Fourth Geneva Convention and end
its occupation of the Gaza strip and West Bank (including East Jerusalem).

LAW Society additionally calls for a thorough, independent, and effective international
investigation into violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the Occupied Palestinian
Territories, including war crimes, and calls for those found responsible for such actions to be
tried before an international court.

Links:

 http://www.palestinechronicle.com

 http://www.palestinercs.org (Red Crescent Medical)

 http://www.electronicintifada.net

 http://www.flashpoints.net

 http://www.palestinemonitor.org

 http://www.upmrc.org (Medical with news updates)

 http://www.palestinedaily.com

 http://www.middleastwire.com/newswire

 http://www.arabicnews.com (in English)

 http://www.arab.net

 http://www.abunimah.org

 http://www.lawsociety.org (up to minute updates)