IOF Kills Three Palestinian and Start Fuel Cuts in Gaza

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) launched its eighth incursion into the Gaza Strip in eight days today, Monday 29 October 2007. IOF penetrated the towns of Beit Hanoun and Rafah and killed three Palestinians; of whom one is disabled. Nine others were injured and one school bombarded. This military escalation coincides with IOF's commencement of reducing fuel supplies to the Strip.

According to field investigations by Al Mezan, at approximately 5.30am on 29 October 2007, eight Israeli armored vehicles penetrated Ashobaki area north Beit Hanoun town and took positions under helicopters cover. They opened arbitrary fire as a special force sneaked into the Agricultural College of Al Azhar University in the north of the town. The force took positions inside the College and opened fire killing a 44-year-old disabled man; Farid Ibrhim Abu Udeh. The victim was killed from a live bullet to the head while he was inside his home, which is located near the nearby Agricultural Secondary School. A 15-yar-old schoolboy, Ahmed Atta Az-Za'anin, was also shot in the chest near his school north of the town. Medical sources reported his injuries as critical.

At approximately 8.45am the IOF opened machinegun FIRE at a nearby residential area injuring 44-year-old Adnan Mahmoud Yousif, who was near his house in An-Nada neighborhood, northwest Beit Hanoun. At approximately 9.20am an Israeli helicopter gunship fired a missile that landed in the western entrance of Beit Hanoun Girls Preparatory School, which is located in Al Qaraman Street. 28-year-old Muhammad Yousif Hamad was killed and five others injured, of whom three critically, in this raid. Israeli tanks fired two artillery shells that landed in an open area near the Agricultural College; however no injuries were reported. Additionally, IOF wounded a child and a woman just before they withdrew at approximately 11am. Dozens of civilian houses, the Agricultural College, the Agricultural Secondary School, and Beit Hanoun Girls Preparatory School sustained damages in this incursion. It was reported that UNRWA's five schools and clinic in the town evacuated during the incursion.

In the same context, at approximately 1.30am on 29 October 2007, eight Israeli armored vehicles entered as deep as 1.5 kilometers into the Karem Abu Mu'aammar area east of the southern Gaza town of Rafah. The IOF opened heavy fire killing 22-year-old Ahmad Ibrahim Abu Tahoun. According to medical sources, IOF restricted the ambulances' access to the area. An ambulance managed to access to Abu Tahoun's body and collect it at approximately 6.30am, only after the IOF withdrew from the area.

According to Al Mezan's fieldworker, at approximately 1am on Sunday 28 October 2007, ten Israeli armored vehicles entered 500 meters deep west the borderline in Wadi As-Salqa village in the east of middle-Gaza town of Deir Al Balah. IOF broke into a three-story house owned by 53-year-old Hussein Ibrahim Abu Mghissib and used it as a military post. At approximately 8.30am the IOF opened fire injuring 22-year-old Ahmad Awad Al Amour with shrapnel to his chest, and 45-year-old Thurayya Muhammad Abu Mghissib with live bullets to her leg and her left arm. IOF withdrew from this area at approximately 5pm on the same day.

In addition, IOF commenced the implementation of the decision reducing fuel supplies to Gaza Strip. Al Mezan's fieldworkers reported the quantities of fuel allowed to flow into Gaza on 28 October 2007 as follows:

- 258,000 liters of fuel used for the operation of the power plant;

- 213,000 liters of diesel;

- 90,000 liters of benzene (for two days);

- 240,000 tons of cooking gas.

This represents a 50% cut in cooking gas and about 30%, cut in fuel compared with the quantities allowed into Gaza before. The same applies to the fuel used for the operation of the power plant. Al Mezan fieldworker reported that gas supply was allowed to flow in today. It is expected that Gaza will experience longer electricity cuts and more shortage in the diesel, which is necessary to operate small electric generators to compensate electricity shortage.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights reiterates its condemnation of the Israeli military escalation against civilians in Gaza. It also asserts that the reduction of fuel supplies represents a flagrant violation of the rules of the International Humanitarian Law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, that will infringe upon the population's life quickly. Therefore, Al Mezan calls on that the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to uphold its moral and legal responsibilities and intervene to immediately stop the Israeli grave breaches of the Convention and provide protection for civilians. Under rapidly increasing punitive measures Gaza faces the threat of imminent worsening of the humanitarian crisis it lives. Therefore, these measures must not be allowed to materialize.

Needed in Gaza: Israeli journalists

Gideon Levy, Haaretz, 15.10.07. The Gaza Strip has been completely closed to Israeli journalists for nearly a year. A complete blackout has been imposed on Gaza. The place so present in the public consciousness, which dictates the security and diplomatic agenda, has been closed by the Israeli authorities to the Israeli media. Long before it was declared a "hostile entity," Gaza had become a closed territory, without any media coverage or documentation. Such is Israeli freedom of the press. Anyone who expected such an intolerable reality to stir a protest was proven wrong. In any case, the readers do not want to read about it, the government and army do not want them to know and the journalists are not yearning to tell. There is no real fight for freedom of media coverage (which is also freedom of expression, information and livelihood) - not by the High Court of Justice, the Press Association and Press Council, or the Association of Civil Rights in Israel. This might have been understandable were it only for a limited time - but how long will this continue? It is hard to know what really motivates Israel to close Gaza in this way. Is it the aspiration, so easy to fulfill, that Gaza will not be exposed here? If, on the other hand, it is an exaggerated concern for our safety, I waive this right. According to our foreign colleagues' reports, it is much safer in Gaza now than it was a year ago, when we still traveled there. Armed gangs no longer roam the streets and Hamas is even willing to protect Israeli journalists. But how will we know if we are not there?

Al Mezan Lawyers Visit Al Mashtal Detention Center

On Monday 1 October 2007, Al Mezan's lawyers visited Al Mashtal detention center, which is located west of Gaza City. They met with members of the Executive Force (EF), who briefed them about the conditions of detention and interrogation.

The lawyers also met with an officer in charge of interrogation and with the legal advisor at the detention center. Both briefed them on the types of cases they handle at the detention center and the process of interrogation. They also spoke about the problems faced by the EF and their role in maintaining law and order in the Gaza Strip. They held that the EF observes the due process in all the stages of arrest and investigation.

According to the information available to Al Mezan the Al Mashtal detention center was run by the Al Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, since it took control over the Gaza Strip in mid-June 2007. A prisoner, Walid Abu Dalfeh, died under interrogation inside this center. The center was transferred to the control of the EF, which was created by the deposed government in 2006.

This visit comes in line with Al Mezan's efforts to monitor the respect of human rights; especially the rights of citizens under the custody of the EF and Al Qassam Brigades, and ensure that they are detained and interrogated in accord with a process of law that preserves their dignity, safety and rights. It also aimed to learn about the mechanisms and procedures followed by the EF when it deals with citizens' complaints and ensure that such procedures are in consistency with the Palestinian law and human rights standards.

Al Mezan's lawyers were welcomed in the detention center. Their tour was made smooth the EF. They were allowed to enter detention and interrogation rooms and interview some of the detained people, who provided information about the conditions of interrogation and detention. They made a number of comments and reservations to the EF. In principle, Al Mashtal is not legally considered a detention center under the Palestinian law. They also briefed EF officers on the relevant human rights standards that any law enforcement personnel must observe as far as procedures of arrest, detention and interrogation are involved.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights commends the commitments made by the EF to ensure respect of the law and to rectify the illegal conducts that Al Mezan had strongly criticized in the past. Al Mezan appreciates the EF’s cooperation during this visit. Nevertheless, Al Mezan asserts that the EF must comply with the rules of Palestinian law and human rights standards, particularly the Palestinian Penal Law No. 3 Year 2000, and respect the rights of all persons under their custody both before and after trial.

Israel kills 10 in Gaza, warns of big sweep

Nidal al-Mughrabi, GAZA, Sept 26 (Reuters) - Israel killed 10 Palestinians in military operations in the Gaza Strip on Wednesday and threatened a major ground sweep of the Hamas-run territory to stem rocket fire.

Following a surge in the cross-border salvoes, Israeli troops and tanks rolled into the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun, touching off clashes with local gunmen. Israeli shelling killed a gunman from the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) militant group along with three bystanders, witnesses said. An air strike killed a Hamas militant. Earlier, Israel's air force attacked a car in nearby Gaza City, killing its five occupants. They were identified as members of the Army of Islam militant group.

At least 22 Palestinians were also wounded in the fighting, among the fiercest in Gaza since Hamas Islamists seized control of it in June.

Israel, which last week declared Gaza an "enemy entity" because of the continued short-range rocket fire, signalled that it could soon order invasions of areas used for the launches.

"We are getting closer to carrying out a widespread operation in Gaza which, for many reasons, has not taken place in the past weeks," Defence Minister Ehud Barak told Israel's Army Radio.

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has come under pressure from residents of the Israeli town of Sderot, which was targeted by rockets, and rightist politicians to crack down on Gaza, some of them arguing that Hamas, which rejects the Jewish state's right to exist, is amassing arms in the territory.

Several Israeli cabinet ministers have cautioned that such a campaign could lead to heavy casualties among Israeli forces and Palestinians in the coastal territory of 1.5 million people.

Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh denounced on Wednesday "a new wave of Israeli aggression". Government spokesman David Baker said Israel would continue to take "pre-emptive measures" to prevent rocket attacks or other assaults on its citizens.

Three women killed in Gaza; Al Mezan calls for a prompt investigation

A new crime of murdering of women occurred in Gaza as three women were killed and buried in the late evening hours yesterday, Saturday 21 July 2007. This brings the toll of women killed on suspected honor grounds in 2007 to twelve in Gaza alone. Thirty Palestinian women have been killed and 72 others injured as a result of the internal acts violence, including honor-related crime, during 2007.

According to Al Mezan's field investigations, the Shuhada' Al Aqsa Hospital in Deir Al Balah received three corpses of women who apparently died from multiple stabs with sharp edges in the neck, chest and different parts of the body. One of them was subjected to strangling as the deep bruised on her neck suggest.

Al Mezan's investigations indicate that at app. 10pm on 21 July 2007, a civilian Magnum Jeep parked at the Al Shuhada Cemetery in the Wadi As Salqa area, which is located in east of middle Gaza town of Deir Al Balah. Unknown persons left the car, carried three bodies and buried them in a grave hole that was previously dug, people who live nearby reported. The incident was reported and a group of the Executive Force arrived at the scene accompanied by and ambulances, and took the bodies to the hospital.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns the continued killing of women in a flagrant violation of their right to life. The Center denounces that such acts go without adequate investigations, which keeps the conditions surrounding this type of crime unclear.

Al Mezan calls upon the Attorney General Office to open an immediate and effective investigation into this incident and bring those involved in the murdering of the three women to justice. It is the responsibility of the authorities to investigate, search for and prosecute the perpetrators of such an atrocity.

AL Mezan also seizes this opportunity to assert that the prosecution and Attorney General Office must return to perform their duties in accordance with the law. The obstruction of the work of such a main pillar of the justice establishment is extremely harmful to human rights and cannot continue whatever the reasons behind it were.

PCHR Condemns Practicing Torture in the Gaza Strip

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights. 17/07/07

PCHR has received more information and testimonies regarding scores of people who were subjected to torture, beating and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment during detention and interrogation by the Executive Forces. PCHR condemns such illegal practices and calls for stopping them, brining their perpetrators to justice, and complying with legal procedures related to arrests and detentions.

In the past days, PCHR continued to investigate the incidents that took place in Beit Hanoun and Khan Yunis towns on Thursday, 12 July 2007. During those incidents, 34 persons, most of them are members of Fatah movement and security services, were arrested. These persons stated in their testimonies to PCHR that they were subjected to torture, beating and various forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment. PCHR’s field workers reported that signs of torture were seen on bodies of those persons, and PCHR has photographs showing such signs. Such practices violate the Palestinian law, which prohibits torture, and relevant international human rights instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.

Incidents in Beit Hanoun on 12 July 2007

At approximately 16:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007, clashes erupted between a number of people and at least 20 members of the Executive Force who attempted to arrest a person once he exited a mosque in the town. Members of the Executive Force fired into the air and beat some of the protestors. Soon after, reinforcements from the Executive Force arrived at the area. The clashes lasted for nearly two hours, during which time the Executive Force arrested 14 persons from the area of clashes or during house raids.

Those persons remained in custody until Saturday evening, 14 July 2007, when they were released after a number of public figures in Beit Hanoun had intervened and pledged not to disturb members of the Executive Force while carrying out their jobs.

According to PCHR’s investigation and the released detainees’ testimonies, they were detained in 4 detention centers of the Executive Force in the northern Gaza Strip. During their detention, they were subjected to torture and beating. PCHR’s field workers reported that they saw clear signs of tortures on the detainees’ bodies, especially on the legs, the back and the shoulders. A number of the detainees also complaints that they were treated based on reckoning, especially as all detainees are members of Fatah movement, and a number of them are members of security services.

One of the detainees was Sameer Mahmoud Hamad, 37, an officer of the Preventive Security Service, was arrested by the Executive Force that raided his house near al-Farouq Mosque in Beit Hanoun at approximately 18:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was detained at Jabalya police station. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten using hands, feet and iron wires, while his hands were tied behind his back with wires.

Another detainee was Mohammed Fayez Qassem, 29, an officer of the Preventive Security Service. He was arrested by the Executive Force that raided his house during the clashes. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten all over his body while he was detained at Jabalya police station.

A third detainee was Hani Khalil Qassem, 33, a police officer. He was summoned by the Executive Force to Jabalya police station on Thursday evening, 12 July 2007. There, he was violently beaten, especially on the legs and the feet.

Incidents in Khan Yunis on 12 July 2007

PCHR had already published incidents related to a demonstration that was organized in Khan Yunis on Thursday afternoon, 12 July 2007, which was called for by factions of Palestine Liberation Organization calling for dialogues and condemning military showdown (see PCHR’s press release on 15 July 2007). At night, members of the Executive Force raided houses belonging to members of Fatah movement and security services and arrested 20 persons. In the past days, PCHR continued to investigate these incidents and collate more testimonies from the released detainees, which indicated that a number of detainees were subjected to beating, torture and various forms of cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment.

On of the detainees was Mazen ‘Abdullah Shaheen, 41, a member of the Public Security Service. He was arrested from his house at approximately 23:30 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force in the west of Khan Yunis, where he stayed in custody until Friday evening, 13 July 2007. In his testimony, Shaheen told PCHR that his hands were tied behind his back. A member of the Executive Force then shaved a part of his moustache and cut parts of his hair and beard. During interrogation, Shaheen was beaten with hands and a hose. He was even forced to stand in the middle of tires put onto one another with his head covered with a blanket.

Another detainee was Ma’moun Suleiman Wadi, 41, a member of the General Intelligence Service. The Executive Force raided his house and arrested him at approximately 00:30 on Friday, 13 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force in Bani Suhaila village, east of Khan Yunis, and then to a police station in the village. He was detained there until Sunday afternoon, 15 July 2007. He told PCHR that he was violently beaten and cold water was poured onto his body while he was blindfolded.

A third detainee was Rafeeq Mohammed Shahwan, 45, a member of the General Intelligence Service. The Executive Force raided his house and arrested him at approximately 21:00 on Thursday, 12 July 2007. He was taken to site of the Executive Force in Bani Suhaila village, where he was detained until Friday evening, 15 July 2007. He told PCHR that he was blindfolded, handcuffed and violently beaten. He lost consciousness as a result of beating.

A fourth detainee was Mursi ‘Abdullah Barbakh, 32. He was summoned to a site of the Executive Force at Bani Suhaila intersection, east of Khan Yunis. He went there at approximately 01:00 on Friday, 13 July 2007. He was then taken to a site of the Executive Force in the west of Khan Yunis. He was detained until Friday evening. He told PCHR that he was blindfolded, handcuffed and violently beaten on the back. He was moved from one site to another. In one of those sites, he was sat on a chair with his legs put on another chair and sacs of sands were put on his thighs, while he was beaten on the feet. He was then forced to jump on his feet and was violently beaten all over the body.

A fifth detainee was Sa’id Suleiman Shubair, 21, a member of the Preventive Security Service. He was arrested from his house on Friday morning, 13 July 2007. He was taken to a site of the Executive Force, where he was violently beaten throughout the body using hoses and staves. When he was released, he went to Nasser Hospital, where doctors told him that there were fractures to the chest and the right leg.

In light of the above:

1) PCHR strongly condemns such practices and calls for initiating an immediate investigation, bringing those who were involved in them to justice and taking necessary measures to ensure their non-recurrence.

2) PCHR reminds that torture is prohibited under the Palestinian law, and constitutes a grave breach of international human rights instruments, particularly the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984.

3) Stresses that arrests and detentions are regulated by the Palestinian law and fall under the mandate of judicial warranty officials, including the police, under the Attorney-General’s supervision.

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 - 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

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Walking on eggshells!

Sheba from Gaza. 17/07/07. People outside keep asking me about the situation in Gaza and I do not have an answer to this question. Honestly, I don’t. It reminds me of walking on eggshells. Either you feel you are going to slip all the time or you are going to make it to the end breaking something underneath. On the exterior level, things in Gaza look good and dandy while on the interior level there are more of interweaved dilemmas that need solutions. I perceive a solution now; one that is finite, just and effective, as more of an illusion; something you think you see or get the core of and slips right through your fingers!

A complete separation between the West Bank and Gaza is a heart ache to every Palestinian. It is every Palestinian worst nightmare. Nevertheless, it happened and it sores me just to think of it while washing the dishes or bathing my kids. The duality of governments torments, I believe, many people’s imagination and old cornerstone beliefs. And the word legitimate loses its meaning for what is legitimate for some is illegitimate for others and legitimacy itself is all meaningless to the unemployed and needy or to the strongly and prejudicially affiliated. So we are now fooling ourselves with the good legal political talk. It is more chaos inside our consciousness than “knowing-it-all”. I think Carpe Diem strategy works best now for those who have some money for it might be as I said before temporary. Should it be the next Palestinian reality to be divided with a wide difficult-to-bridge gap, we will have more regrets than we ever thought we will.

http://contemplating-from-gaza.blogspot.com/2007/07/walking-on-eggshells-people-outside.html