Thursday, May 7, 2009

PCHR report 29/4-6/5/2009

Extracts from PCHR weekly report (29/4 - 6/5/2009) published on 7/5/2009

Friday, 01 May 2009

At approximately 12:45, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Jabalya town fired at Muna Selmi al-Hamadin, 30, while she was grazing animals near the border. She was wounded by a gunshot to the chest.

Saturday, 02 May 2009

At approximately 04:00, an IOF infantry unit moved nearly 400 meters into the east of Jabalya town, in the northern Gaza Strip. IOF troops opened fire at houses and agricultural areas. At the same time, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Jabalya town fired artillery shells at the area. IOF troops withdrew from the area at approximately 08:30 and no casualties were reported.

· At approximately 08:15, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Khan Yunis, opened fire at a number of Palestinian farmers who were cultivating wheat and barley in the southeast of Khuza'a village, approximately 350 meters from the border. As a result, Nafez Zaki Abu Tu'aima, 40, was lightly wounded by shrapnel from a gunshot wound to the head.

· At approximately 12:00, IOF warplanes bombarded the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt near Salah al-Din Gate and the al-Brazil neighborhood in the south of Rafah. The bombardment targeted a tunnel near Ibn Taimiya Mosque in al-Brazil neighborhood. Two Palestinians working in the tunnel were killed: Jihad Khalil Ibrahim Abu Jarada, 21; and Hamdan Fayiq Mohammed al-Astal, 20, both from Khan Yunis.

· At approximately 21:15, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Beit Hanoun town, opened fire at Palestinian houses and agricultural land in al-Boura area in the northeast of Beit Hanoun. No casualties were reported.


Sunday, 03 May 2009


At approximately 15:00, IOF troops arrested three Palestinian civilians attempting to infiltrate into Israel to search for jobs. The three were arrested east of al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip:

1. Yousef Ahmed 'Abdul 'Aati, 19;

2. Yousef Ahmed Mubarak, 19; and

3. Ahmed As'ad Hammouda, 19.

· At approximately 20:00, three Palestinian civilians, including a child, were lightly wounded when a missile left by IOF during the latest military offensive on the Gaza Strip exploded near them. Nasser al-Ghandour, 40, told a PCHR field worker that when he was on his way home in Beit Lahia town following the Sunset Prayer, he saw a mysterious object amongst the debris of a neighboring house belonging to Zakaria al-'Aaloul, which was destroyed by IOF. He got close to the object and started to check it. Soon after, his child, 14-year-old Na'el, and a neighbor, 26-year-old Fahed Hassouna, came to him. They advised him to throw the object onto the ground. As soon as he dropped the object, it exploded and its shrapnel lightly injured the three persons.

· At approximately 20:30, the ICRC informed the family of missing 12-year-old Ayman Mohammed Shamiya, from Jabalya refugee camp, that he was detained by IOF. The family were informed that the child was arrested by IOF near the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, north of Beit Hanoun town, after that he had been wounded in the feet. The child's father told a PCHR field worker that he did not know why his child was in that area. On the following day, the ICRC informed the father that his child was receiving medical treatment at an Israeli hospital.


Monday, 04 May 2009


At approximately 08:30, IOF troops positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of Gaza Valley village in the central Gaza Strip detonated a number of incendiary bombs on Palestinian agricultural areas. As a result, at least 200 donums of land planted with wheat and barley were burnt.