Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property

April 3, 2005

Israeli Violence Escalates in Nablus

Palestinian Homes Under Fire

Israeli Tanks Target Palestinian Children

Israel Forces Palestinian Farmers from their Land

Israeli Terrorism: Homes Stolen – Beatings

Israel Racially Targets Radiation

Israeli Forces Invade Town North of Nablus

Israeli Occupation forces invaded the town of Assira Al Shamaliya, north of Nablus province, as troops along the border between Egypt and southern Gaza Strip opened fire on Palestinians and their houses. After storming the town, the Israelis went in pursuit of Palestinian vehicles, stopping many and impounding them for hours.

Residents of the Palestinian village of Kufor Qallil, near Nablus, expressed their anguish at the relentless Israeli repression, with Israeli troops occupying the village and its agricultural land. The Israelis are making farming in the area impossible. Heavy military vehicles continue to ruin crops and farmers are prevented from getting onto their land, with Israeli Occupation forces pursuing and assaulting anyone who attempts to work the land, which is located near a Jewish settlement. Palestinians in the village are under constant attack, victims of rubber bullets and teargas.

Both local and security sources confirmed that Israeli tanks stationed on the Egyptian border opened up with heavy machine-gun fire on people’s homes in the Sh'oot and Bloc 'O' quarters of Rafah. Additional gunfire followed from a nearby Israeli military post in the Salahadin Gate area. Many houses suffered structural damage and one street had to be closed because of the intensity of Israeli fire.

Local people condemned the Israeli violence, especially as there had been no Resistance activity in the area for some time.

Refugees living in the Yebna camp also complained of several shooting incidents by Israeli tanks aimed at refugee homes. The refugees said that it was particularly distressing when the tanks shot at groups of children playing near the southern edge of the camp. The children are terrified and no longer able to play outside.

The Popular Committee to Resist the Apartheid Wall organised a demonstration near a section of Israel’s Wall in the village of Nazlet Eisa. The demonstrators appealed to the world news media, begging them to inform the world of the suffering the Wall is causing, and will cause in the future. The demonstration met with intense Israeli military repression, with Israeli soldiers surrounding the demonstrators and attempting to intimidate them. The Israelis assaulted Palestinian State Minister Ahmad Al Majdalani, who was taking part in the demonstration. The Israeli violence resulted in the wounding of Fayez Al Tneib, one of the protesters.

Israel’s Daily Toll on Palestinian Life, Limb, Liberty and Property

[Source of statistics: Palestinian Monitoring Group]

Annexation of houses: 2

See Settler violence below.

Annexation Wall Building: 22 sites

Attacks: 11

Closures: 17

Destruction of property: 2

Hebron – the Israeli Army used a bulldozer to destroy Palestinian market stalls along Ash Shalala Street.

Detentions: 5

Home invasions and occupation: numerous

Tulkarem – at 2am sleep, for people in the Palestinian village of Ar Ras, was disrupted as the Israeli Army raided and broke into people’s homes. The Israelis menaced the villagers for the next two hours. That was on April 2. On April 3 the Israelis returned, repeating the raid, this time at 10:30pm, and invaded more homes until 1:30am.

From 11:50pm until 1am, the Israeli Army raided the town of Deir Al Ghusun, invading two houses and ordering one Palestinian to report to the Israeli Intelligence Service.

Also see Settler violence below.

Injuries: 1

Tulkarem – Israeli Occupation forces injured a protester in the village of Nazlat Issa as they tried to intimidate a public demonstration against Israel’s annexation Wall.

Physical assaults: 1

See Settler violence below.

Plunder: 2

See Settler violence below

Prisoners taken: 7

Raids: 19

Settler violence: 3

Jenin – a gang of Israeli settlers near the village of Sanur terrorised Palestinians who were trying to travel along the Nablus-Jenin road.

Hebron – at 9pm, a mob of Jewish settlers raided the home of a Palestinian woman, Bahiyyeh Subh Ash Sharabati, vandalised her furniture and then beat her so badly that, left with severe contusions, she had to be taken to hospital.

Jewish settlers from the Israeli outpost of Ramat Yishay in Tall Ar Rumeideh in the old city of Hebron occupied the houses of Palestinians, Joudeh Al Bakri and Zakary Al Bakri, depriving them of the title to their homes

Violations of agreements: 3

See Home invasions and occupation above.

The Israeli Army continues to impose an almost total closure of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, preventing people from crossing the Green Line. On top of this, Israel continues to impose severe restrictions on movement throughout Occupied Palestinian territory. Yasser Arafat International Airport remains closed.

"The past leaders of our movement left us a clear message to keep Eretz Israel from the Sea to the River Jordan for future generations, for the mass aliya [immigration], and for the Jewish people, all of whom will be gathered into this country."

Yitzhak Shamir - former Israeli Prime Minister

(Speaking at a Tel Aviv memorial service for former Likud leaders)

November 1990, Jerusalem Domestic Radio Service.

Nour Ghanem, a Palestinian Baby inside an Israeli Gaol

An 18-month-old Palestinian baby, Nour Ghanem, has been, over the past few days, in an Israeli prison hospital, following surgery. A statement issued on Sunday by the Bethlehem-based Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) quoted Nour’s mother, Manal, as saying that her son's condition is critical. Advocate Mahameed said that Manal Ghanem is serving a sentence of over four years along with her baby Nour, who is said to be the only child imprisoned with his mother since another Palestinian mother and her son were released two months ago.

Manal says that the Telmond prison service ordered that she be handcuffed and guarded by four gaolers while with her son in the prison hospital. The prison service ordered that she should be handcuffed, even while looking after her child. Nour has now been discharged from hospital despite the fact that he needs to be in follow up care.

PPS advocate, Raed Mahameed, who met Manal, was quoted as saying that Nour had been allowed no rights, even the right to play. He has been confined in a tiny cell with his mother and six other prison inmates for 21 hours a day. The food is unsuitable for the child and full of spices, which forces his mother to purchase milk from the prison, at double the price, to feed her baby.

Nour, who used to be very talkative, has become withdrawn since he witnessed Israeli soldiers beating several female prisoners. He has lost the ability to speak for three weeks now. Nour also gets distressed at night, waking up regularly at midnight and crying loudly. During family visits Israeli soldiers prevent Manal from letting Nour hold the hands of his three brothers – Majed (7), Neveen, (9) and Ehab (11).

Israel Exposes Palestinians to Killer Radiation

IslamOnline (IOL) www.IslamOnline.net correspondent, Adel Zaarab, reports that Israeli Occupation forces have recently set up a room for screening travellers at the main Rafah border crossing through which Palestinians have to pass to enter or leave the Gaza Strip. The bodies of Palestinians are screened as if they were airline passenger luggage, which is likely to have seriously adverse long-term health implications. Palestinian medics said that potential diseases include leukemia, sterility, congenital anomalies, cancer, mental retardation and ductless gland disorders.

"I was forced by Israeli Occupation troops to enter this scary room-like radiating device, which consists of glass and barbed wire," Mohammad Al-Sadoudi, 40, told IslamOnline.net. Israeli troops are kept at least ten metres away from it and Israeli citizens are not allowed to enter it at all. "I fear that I might be inflicted with cancer as I frequently use the (Rafah) crossing", Mohammed added.

Osama Al-Assar, the administrative director of Rafah crossing, said Israel is launching a "radioactive war" against the Palestinians. "It seems as if their daily incursions are not enough." He told IOL, "We urge media and NGOs to expose these blatant aggressions against our people."

Even pregnant women are being forced to pass through this room, day in and day out. Walid Al-Salhi, the director of preventive security at the Rafah crossing, said the room is made of lead-coated glass and contains a one-metre high cylinder-shaped device. "Doctors warn that this device produces life-threatening, bone-piercing rays and Israeli troops can easily see the body parts of Palestinians, using this technology," Salhi said.

The Gaza Community Mental Health Programme has launched a campaign against the Israeli radiation inspection system at the Rafah Crossing. As a first practical step, GCMHP has initiated a request from its partner organisation, Physicians for Human Rights in Israel, to pursue the Israeli authorities and request an enquiry into the dangers posed by the device. Should the Israelis fail to respond, the organisation intends to file a complaint to the Israeli Supreme Court.

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