Update of situation in occupied Palestine for March 10, 2002
by Hear Palestine
11:58pm Sun Mar 10 '02
Several Israeli air strikes were conducted in Gaza today, including an intense hour-long siege that destroyed a Palestinian Authority building containing the Gaza headquarters of Yasser Arafat, and left the entire
facility devastated. Three Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks, and a number were injured.Another Israeli assassination attempt targeted the wrong individual today, killing the brother of a Fateh leader in the West
Bank.
Several Israeli air strikes were conducted in Gaza today, including an
intense hour-long siege that destroyed a Palestinian Authority building
containing the Gaza headquarters of Yasser Arafat, and left the entire
facility devastated. Three Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks, and
a number were injured.Another Israeli assassination attempt targeted the
wrong individual today, killing the brother of a Fateh leader in the West
Bank. Israeli forces shelled Dheishe refugee camp, injuring a number of
children while, while continuing to shell Hebron areas, and fired on
civilians throughout the West Bank and Gaza. A Palestinian attacked soldiers
guarding Netsarim settlement, killing one and injuring another.
In Tulkarem, some 70,000 Palestinians attended the funeral processions of
Palestinians killed in recent Israeli massacres there. Palestinians within
the Occupied Territorries and the "Green Line" observed a general strike
today in commemoration of the over 40 Palestinians killed on "Black
Friday",
March 8.
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Israeli State Terrorism
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Palestinians Killed
Unidentified (11 years old), Ramallah
Samer Uweis, (age unknown) Ramallah
Hamid Omran (28 years old), Nablus
Mahmoud Tayseer (16 years old), Nablus
Israeli Military Attacks
*Palestinian School Boy Killed by Occupation Forces at Ramallah Roadblock
*Occupation forces Open Fire at Civilian Car in Occupied Jerusalem
*Two Palestinian Youths Killed with Israeli Fire in Nablus
*Several wounded, including children, in Ongoing Air and Land Strikes on
Gaza Strip
*Occupation Helicopters Shell Intelligence Headquarters in Betounya
*Occupation Forces Shell Hebron Security Locations
* PA Installations Destroyed in Gaza in Major Missile Attack
*Occupation Forces Fire Missile at Deheisha Refugees; Four Children Wounded
*Occupation Forces Open Fire on Children in al-Jalazone Refugee Camp
*Occupation Forces Invade al-Irsal Area, Ramallah, Injure Civilian
Demolition Activities
*Agricultural Land Bulldozed and Home Demolished in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip*
Acts of Collective Punishment
*Thousands Imprisoned in Qalandya Refugee Camp
Sharon's army has reached its low point, converting Palestinian schools into
torture chambers (as was the case in Tulkarem) while using Israeli tanks to
destroy Red Crescent an UN ambulances transporting injured civilians to
hospitals. Its hard to imagine that such crimes are permitted by the
international community in the year 2002.
Yesterday, Israel's Hebrew language daily, 'Yediot Ahronot', in a rare
article, bluntly condemned the savage brutality of the Israeli military as
it recounted the action of an Israeli armoured unit who ground the skulls of
their Palestinian victims into the ground under their tank treads.
Who would believe that at this very moment US President George W. Bush is
waging a global campaign against terrorism?
Mr. Bush's war does not apparently target murderers of children in the
Israeli military. Throughout the week, Israeli F-16 and Apache helicopters
have attacked areas close to schools in Gaza City just as children have left
for home. In Sour Baher secondary school, Israeli paramilitary terrorists
set a bomb to detonate as students and teachers prepared to go to classes,
in an effort to kill as many students and teachers as possible. An immense
tragedy was narrowly averted thanks only to an astute teacher who spotted
the devices.
Silat al-Harithiya school has been the repeated target of Israeli military
gunfire. Dozens were wounded and hundreds suffered from shock. These are
incidents that stand apart from the daily harassment and violence visited on
Palestinian students by Israeli military who regard elementary schools as
legitimate military targets--apparently with Mr. Bush's consent.
While an increasingly unbalanced Sharon pushes his old racist vendettas
against Palestinian civilians, the question remains; how can Bush remain
silent on Sharon's atrocities as he publically roots for the condemnation of
Slobodan Milosevich in international tribunals and vows the destruction of
al Qaeda? While US casualties mount in Afghanistan, Bush could have an
incontrovertible victory over terrorism without firing a shot by pulling the
plug on Sharon's inhuman onslaught. In lieu of half-hearted condemnation,
Bush might instead halt the US annual 3 billion dollar subsidy to Israel
that makes its military occupation and massacres possible. There is no need
for the US to help Sharon negotiate a ceasefire with Palestinians--the vast
majority of fire is coming from his US made F-16 jets, Apache helicopters
and tanks.
The time has come for the US and international community to show zero
tolerance for the war crimes of Sharon and his Israeli cronies--he must
be
ordered to withdraw his troops from the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including
East Jerusalem.
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Israeli State Terrorism
******************
Israeli Military Attacks
----------------------------
*Palestinian School Boy Left to Bleed at Ramallah Roadblock*
Israeli occupation forces opened fire at an unidentified 11-year-old boy at
al-Ram military roadblock. Occupation soldiers prevented ambulances from
reaching the boy as he bled to death.
Occupation forces also opened fire at a car in the area, wounding a
60-year-old man.
------------------------------------
*Occupation Forces Open Fire at Civilian Car in Occupied Jerusalem*
Israeli occupation forces opened fire at a civilian car near Sour Baher,
south of occupied Jerusalem, claiming the car's occupants were on their way
to conduct a suicide operation. It remains unknown how many people were
killed or wounded in the car.
The area has been declared a closed military zone, while wide-scale combing
activities are being carried out.
------------------------------------
*Israeli Helicopters Assassinate Palestinian in Ramallah*
Israeli Apache helicopters assassinated Samer Uweis this morning, March 10,
in a missile attack. Uweis was driving his brother's car in al-Bireh near
al-Am'ari refugee camp when the attack occured. Israeli forces were
apparently attempting to assassinate Samer's brother, a Fateh leader, but
did not verify who was in the car before firing. A large Red Crescent
Building close to the refugee camp was targeted and a large part of it
destroyed.
Occupation forces continue to prevent Uweis's body from being transported to
Jenin, his hometown, to be buried.
------------------------------------
*Two Palestinian Youths Killed with Israeli Fire in Nablus*
Hamid Omran, 28 years old, from Deir al-Hatab was killed with Israeli
occupation fire today during an attack from 'Allon Morieh' settlement,
northeast Nablus, on Armout and Deir al-Hatab villages with heavy machine
gun fire.
Another youth, Mahmoud Tayseer, 16 years old, was shot dead by Israeli
occupation military forces near Sira Village, northeast Nablus. Tayseer was
targeted with a bullet in the chest.
------------------------------------
*Several Wounded, including children, in Ongoing Air and Land Strikes on
Gaza Strip*
The Israeli occupation conducted several military attacks on various parts
of the Gaza Strip today, March 10, invaded areas and carried out wide-scale
destruction to civilian property.
Beit Hanoun
Occupation tanks this morning shelled the eastern sector of Beit Hanoun
residential area, north of Gaza Strip, inflicting severe material damage to
homes.
Two homes were demolished.
Several fishermen were arrested.
Rafah
Israeli attack helicopters shelled the intelligence headquarters in Rafah,
south of Gaza Strip this morning, March 10.
At least three civilians were wounded early morning today during a military
invasion of Tel al-Sultan, northwest Rafah. The invasion with 15 tanks and
armoured vehicles took place under intense shelling and heavy fire attack.
Security and civil defence locations in the area were completely destroyed
during the attack.
Gaza City
A police station in the overcrowded Jabalya refugee camp was shelled this
evening with Apache rockets.
Israeli warships and helicopters this morning, March 10, shelled President
Arafat's headquarters with over 35 rockets, completely destroying the
building housing President Arafat's private office. This was the most
intense attack on President Arafat's headquarters in over 17 months of
Intifada. President Arafat had received several world leaders in the very
building which was destroyed, including Ex-US President Bill Clinton.
Fire brigades and ambulances were unable to reach the location due to the
intensity of the shelling, which lasted for over one hour and a half.
Witnesses reported that the whole area was shaken by the heavy attack and
hundreds of people took to the streets in condemnation of Israel's brutal
acts of hatred.
Israeli warships shelled the police compound in Gaza City at dawn today,
destroying one of its buildings completely. Official sources and witnesses
reported that one of the rockets almost crashed in one of the residential
towers in Tel al-Hawa area, but landed in a nearby sandy strip. At 15:30,
Israeli F-16 warplanes shelled security locations in al-Soudaniya area,
north of Gaza City. Israeli F-16 warplanes also shelled several civilian
establishment sin the same area. At least two people were wounded in the
attack.
Khan Younis
Israeli occupation forces with tanks and armoured vehicles invaded Khan
Younis from the south at dawn today under intense shelling and heavy fire
attack on homes in the area.
Witnesses reported that occupation forces destroyed and bulldozed a number
of homes and agricultural fields in the area.
------------------------------------
*Occupation Helicopters Shell Intelligence Headquarters in Betounya*
Israeli war helicopters shelled at 16:55 the Palestinian Intelligence
headquarters in Betounya, Ramallah.
Israeli tanks shelled a Force 17 location in al-Jora north of Hebron, this
morning, March 10. Occupation tanks also attacked the area with heavy
machine gun fire intermittently.
------------------------------------
*Occupation Forces Fire Missile at Deheisha Refugees; Four Children Wounded*
At least four children were wounded, one critically, when an Israeli tank
shelled residential areas of Dheishe refugee camp this morning during a
funeral. Two of the wounded children were identified:
-
Mahmoud Sajda, 13 years old, in critical condition
- Omar Rahal, 12 years old, in moderate
condition
One home was set on fire in the attack.
The refugee camp that was raided last night continues to be besieged by
dozens of tanks and armoured vehicles and occupation forces continue to be
based on building roofs that overlook the refugee camp, opening heavy
machine gun fire at the camp intermittently.
A state of severe tension overcomes various areas in Bethlehem, including
Beit Jala and al-Khader under Israeli military occupation and continuous
attacks and inhumane acts of brutality.
-------------------------------------
*Occupation Forces Open Fire at Children in al-Jalazone Refugee Camp*
Israeli occupation military forces at noon today opened fire at a number of
residents, mostly children, in al-Jalzone refugee camp, north of Ramallah.
Occupation forces continue to close the entrance of the refugee camp for the
fourth day running.
A tight military closure continues to surround Ramallah and its villages.
------------------------------------
*Occupation Forces Invade al-Irsal Area, Ramallah, and Injure Civilian*
Israeli occupation forces this afternoon invaded the al-Irsal area,
northwest Ramallah and opened fire at Palestinian civilians in the area. One
civilian was wounded.
Military reinforcements were reported for the second day at Qalandya and
Surda entrances to Ramallah.
*Agricultural Land Bulldozed and Home Demolished in Beit Hanoun, Gaza Strip*
Israeli occupation forces demolished vast areas if agricultural land in Beit
Hanoun today.
Occupation forces also demolished two homes east of Deir al-Balah today as
well as warned a third house owner in the same area of demolition plans.
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Acts of Collective Punishment
--------------------------------------
*Thousands Imprisoned in Qalandya Refugee Camp*
The residents of Qalandya refugee camp on the Jerusalem-Ramallah road have
bee prevented from leaving the refugee camp today, in the direction of
Jerusalem or Ramallah.
Muhammad al-Qatawi, 21 years old, was killed after attack soldiers at
'Netsarim' settlement. The youth opened fire at an Israeli soldier, wounding
him critically, and then stabbed an Israeli settler before he was shot dead
by occupation forces.
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Features
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*70, 000 Tulkarem Residents Burry those Killed in the latest Israeli
Massacre*
70, 000 Palestinians took part in the collective funeral of eleven
Palestinians killed in Tulkarem by Israeli forces this week. Over 16
Palestinians were killed in the Israeli massacre in the refugee camps.
The Israeli army have withdrawn from Tulkarem, but have left behind severe
destruction that has left the community devastated. Occupation forces
continue to besiege the city militarily.
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