Israelis kill 27 (7 children ) so far this week!

Thursday March 20, 2003 15:37

by Sean

Palestine Center for Human Rights Weekly Report - March 20, 2003 This week, Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more illegal military actions against Palestinian civilians and civilian property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, killing 27 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 7 children.

Palestine Center for Human Rights
Weekly Report - March 20, 2003
This week, Israeli occupying forces have perpetrated more illegal military actions against Palestinian civilians and civilian property in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, killing 27 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 7 children.

In the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces conducted a series of large encroachments into Palestinian areas, using heavy military vehicles and combat helicopters.

On Monday, 17 March 2003, 11 Palestinians, mostly
civilians, including three children, were killed when Israeli occupying forces moved into Nusseirat refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip and Beit Lahia in the north.

More than 30 people were injured during the incursions. Israeli forces destroyed a house in
Nusseirat refugee camp, even though they knew well
that its owner, who is allegedly wanted by these
forces, was still inside the house. A number of
neighboring houses were severely damaged.

In two cases of apparent willful killing in less than 24 hours, undercover units of Israeli occupying forces killed 5 Palestinians in Tammoun village and 4 others, including two children, in Jenin refugee camp on Thursday evening, 13 March 2003, and Friday morning, 14 March 2003, respectively.

An tenth Palestinian was killed when he and other Palestinian gunmen confronted Israeli forces that moved into Jenin refugee camp.

Undercover units of Israeli occupying forces are
usually described as "death teams" due to the nature of killings they perpetrate against allegedly wanted Palestinians.

On its Arabic web site, the Israeli daily Yediot Aharanot quoted the commander of those units as saying that his units killed 79 Palestinians
in 2002.

Israeli occupying forces also shelled Palestinian
residential areas, killing two Palestinian civilians, including a child, in Khan Yunis and Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip.

In two cases of apparent willful killing, Israeli forces shot dead two Palestinian civilians, including a child.

Two other civilians died from previous injuries they sustained by Israeli forces. In addition, an American peace activist was killed on Sunday, 16 March 2003, by an Israeli military bulldozer in the Southern Gaza Strip town of
Rafah.

She and eight of her colleagues from the
International Solidarity Movement were trying to stop Israeli occupying forces from bulldozing a number of houses in al-Salam neighborhood of Rafah.

In violation of international humanitarian law, which prohibits collective punishment, Israeli forces took retaliatory measures against families of Palestinians who have carried out attacks against Israeli targets in the Occupied Palestinian Territories and those
wanted by Israeli forces.

In this context, they destroyed 5 Palestinian houses in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including one in Nusseirat refugee camp.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained a total siege on the OPT. They have isolated Palestinian
communities from one another.

They have partitioned the Gaza Strip into three separated zones and restricted the movement of people and goods. They have also maintained curfews on some areas in the West Bank.

Since Saturday, 15 March 2003, Israeli occupying authorities prevented Palestinians aged 16-35 from traveling abroad. A similar decision was in effect between 17 January and 3 March 2003.

On Monday, 16 March 2003, Israeli occupying forces closed Sofa and Beit Hanoun crossings in the Gaza Strip, and denied access of Palestinian workers to their work places in Israel.