[News] Israeli Human Rights Violations 18 - 24 March 2004

[News at freedomarchives.org]

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
http://www.pchrgaza.org/files/W_report/English/2004/25-03-2004.htm


Weekly Report: On Israeli Human Rights Violations in the Occupied 
Palestinian Territories

No. 11/2004

18 - 24 March 2004

Israeli Forces Continue to Perpetrate Crimes in the OPTs

24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children, were killed by 
Israeli forces

Israeli forces assassinated the leader of Hamas movement Sheikh Ahmed 
Yassin and killed 7 other civilians with him

Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in 
the West Bank and Gaza Strip

5 Palestinians were killed in Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis

11 houses were destroyed and 70 donums[1] of agricultural land were razed 
in the Gaza Strip

Houses were raided and a number of Palestinians were arrested

Continued indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas and 
willful killings of Palestinian civilians; 7 civilians were killed and a 
number of others were wounded

Construction of the Annexation Wallin the West Bank has continued and more 
areas of Palestinian land were seized

Israeli settlers continued their attacks on Palestinian civilians and 
properties and more than 8000 donums of Palestinian land were confiscated 
for the purpose of settlement expansion

3 Palestinian houses were destroyed by Israeli forces as part of the 
continuing campaign of retaliation against the families of Palestinians 
accused of involvement in attacks against Israeli targets

Continued use of Palestinian civilians as human shields in Israeli military 
operations

Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a total siege on the OPTs




Introduction

This week, Israeli occupying forces escalated their aggression on 
Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPTs).  They 
extra-judicially assassinated the leader of Hamas movement Sheikh Ahmed 
Yassin; willful killings perpetrated by Israeli occupying forces are human 
rights violations. Throughout the week, Israeli occupying forces also 
conducted incursions into Palestinian areas; shot at Palestinian civilians, 
including children; indiscriminately shelled residential areas and 
demolished houses; and leveled agricultural land.  Israeli occupying forces 
have also continued construction of the Annexation Wallinside the West Bank 
and have continued to impose a tight siege on the OPTs.  This week, 24 
Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children and a journalist, were 
killed by Israeli occupying forces.

  In an act of state terrorism, on Monday morning, 22 March 2004, Israeli 
occupying forces assassinated Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, 66, founder and 
political leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), immediately 
after he had left the mosque after finishing the dawn prayer.  In addition 
to Sheikh Yassin, 7 Palestinian civilians, including 3 of Sheikh Yassins 
bodyguards, were killed and 17 others injured, including two of Sheikh 
Yassin's sons.   This illegal and belligerent act is an actual 
implementation of the Israeli authoritiesthreats to assassinate Sheikh 
Yassin, which were recently articulated by Israeli political and military 
officials.

  In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying forces conducted 6 military 
incursions into Palestinian areas in the context of a plan known as 
Continuous Story.  They killed a number of Palestinians and destroyed 
civilian properties.  The widest of these incursion targeted Abasan 
village, east of Khan Yunis, on 22 March 2004.  Israeli forces killed 5 
Palestinians, including a man and his wife, and injured 9 other 
civilians.  They also destroyed 5 houses and razed areas of agricultural 
land.  In the other incursions, Israeli forces razed about 70 donums of 
Palestinian agricultural land and destroyed 11 houses.  In addition, 4 
Palestinians died from injuries sustained in previous incursions into Rafah 
and Gaza city.

  As a result of Israeli indiscriminate shelling, this week, 3 Palestinian 
civilians, including 2 children in Khan Yunis, were killed, and a number of 
other civilians were wounded.

  In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces conducted a series of military 
incursions into Palestinian areas.   A number of Palestinian civilians were 
injured.  Israeli forces also arrested dozens Palestinians.  Israeli forces 
used excessive force against demonstrations organized by Palestinian 
civilians in protest to the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.  As a 
result, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a journalist, were 
killed by the Israeli gunfire.

  In violation of article 33 of the 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the 
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which prohibits punishing 
any protected person for an offence he or she has not personally 
committed,Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against the families of 
Palestinians Israel alleges have ordered, facilitated, or carried out 
attacks against Israeli targets.  In this context, they destroyed 3 houses 
in the West Bank.

  Israeli occupying forces have continued construction of the "Annexation 
Wall" inside the West Bank.  The Israeli High Court issued a temporary 
injunction stopping the construction of the wall in Kahrabtha Bani Hareth 
village, west of Ramallah, and ordered Israeli forces to bring 500 uprooted 
olive trees to their Palestinian owners.  Israeli forces used excessive 
force against Palestinian civilians and international solidarity activists 
who protested against the construction of the wall.

  Israeli settlers escalated their attacks against Palestinian civilians 
and their properties.  In addition, Israeli occupying forces confiscated 
8866 donums of Palestinian agricultural land in the west of Jenin, for the 
purpose of the construction of an industrial zone.

  This week, Israeli occupying forces have tightened the siege imposed on 
the OPTs and imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian 
civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including Jerusalem.

  In the Gaza Strip, following the assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin on 
Monday morning, 22 March 2004, Israeli occupying forces imposed a total 
siege on the West Bank and Gaza Strip.  They closed all border crossings of 
the Gaza Strip, and portioned it into 3 isolated zones.  They also closed 
all entrances to Palestinian areas located near Israeli settlements and 
denied movement of Palestinian civilians.  Such restrictions on freedom of 
movement are in contravention of international human rights law to which 
Israel is a state party, including the International Covenant on Economic, 
Social and Cultural Rights.

  In the West Bank, Israeli occupying forces have continued to impose a 
strict siege on Palestinian communities.  They have also imposed severe 
restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  They have blocked a 
number of roads using cement blocks, sand barriers, and trenches.  They 
have also erected temporary checkpoints and arrested a number of 
Palestinians.

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