PCHR weekly report 21/4 -27/4/2011: 1 Palestinian farmer wounded, 2 incursions, destruction of infrastracture

extracts from PCHR weekly report 21/4 -27/4/2011:

IOF continued to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip

-A Palestinian farmer was wounded in the northern Gaza Strip

IOF conducted 25 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and two incursions into the Gaza Strip.
- IOF bulldozed eight tin-made stores owned by PADICO.




Thursday, 21 April 2011


At approximately 08:30, IOF moved approximately 200 meters into the southeast of the area adjacent to al-Mentar (Karni) crossing in the east of Shajaeya neighborhood, east of Gaza City. IOF bulldozed eight tin-made stores belonging to Palestine Development and Investment Company (PADICO) which is owned by Palestinian businessman Munib al-Masri and managed by Wadi' Mohammed Shaaban al-Masri, 48. 

The bulldozed stores were built on an area of approximately 4,200 square meters. Four of the stores contained materials, including construction materials, tin and water pumps, for Palestine Industrial Estates Development and Management Company, Gaza (PIEDCO).

Two of the stores were leased by Mohammed Alaa Subhi al-Shurafa, 44, who is the owner of WINPAL, two of them contained diapers, tissue paper and cleaning supplies, while the remaining two stores were leased by Khader Erqayeq and contained iron scrap. IOF withdrew at approximately 12:00 and deployed beyond the border after totally destroying the stores. 

At approximately 18:00, IOF positioned on the border opened fire at Palestinian farmers and shepherds who were in their farms or in the jungle in al-Qutbania area in the southeast of Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Kamel Hassan Abdullah al-Hessi, 46, fron al-Nazleh was wounded by a bullet that entered from beneath the left shoulder and exited from the center of the chest. Al-Hessi was in a farm owned by him and by Jamal Mohammed Halawa. Immediately, Halawa transferred al-Hessi on a motorcycle to Kamal Odwan Martyr Hospital. They arrived at the hospital at approximately 18:55. It was found out the bullet did not hit any of the internal organs, especially the heart, and al-Hessi's wounds were described to be between light and moderate.  

Al-Hessi said that at approximately 15:30, he headed with his sons, Tamer, 22, and Hazem, 18, and with his partner Jamal Halawa to irrigate their land which is located approximately 900 meters far from the border in the east of al-Qutbania area in the southeast of Beit Hanoun. They arrived at their land at approximately 16:00 and started to work in their farm.  At approximately 18:00, IOF positioned on observation towers on the border opened intensive fire from their machine guns at Palestinian shepherds who approached the border. Shepherds and Palestinian farmers who were in their farms fled the area. At approximately 18:20, IOF sporadically fired at the area and al-Hessi, his family and his partner lay down on the ground especially as bullets were flying above them. At approximately 18:30, al-Hessi felt he was wounded and told his partner who transferred him to Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahia on a motorcycle. After medical examination, it was found out that the bullet was just few millimeters far from the heart. 

Wednesday, 27 April 2011

At approximately 07:30, amid intensive firing, IOF moved approximately 70 meters into the east of Wadi al-Salqa village, east of Deir al-Balah. IOF bulldozed and leveled lands along the border and no casualties were reported.

Today the farmers of Beit Hanoun harvested their wheat

26 April 2011 | International Solidarity Movement, Gaza



Today the farmers of Beit Hanoun harvested their wheat. This would be unexceptional news in any other part of the world, but in Palestine things aren’t always so simple. Beit Hanoun is close to the Israeli border, a border where Israel imposes an illegal “buffer zone” in which it claims the right to shoot anyone it wishes. Israel claims the buffer zone is 300 meters wide, but farmers and scrap collectors who work along the border are often shot at at distances up to 1.5 kilometers from the border. The border is lined with massive towers containing guns, sometimes the guns fire, and people die. You won’t read about the dead in the New York Times though, they are Palestinian and their deaths are unremarkable and un-newsworthy.
In honor of the slain Italian activist Vittorio Arrigoni the Local Initiative, the group that organized today’s harvest, had decided to launch the Vittorrio Arrigoni Campaign to Harvest Wheat. Today was its first action. Vittorio had often worked with farmers to plant and harvest their crops along the buffer zone, after his death we continue to harvest in his name, in his memory.
We set out to the fields at about eleven. Loudspeaker, posters, and scythes ready. We parked the van and started to walk to the fields, playing Vittorio’s favorite song, Onadeekum, over the loudspeaker. We reached the field and set to work; kneel, cut, and make a pile of freshly shorn wheat. The field we were working in is about a kilometer from the border, it doesn’t look like much is planted closer to the border than this. It is dangerous to work close to the border. After a few minutes shots ring out. They aren’t aimed at us though, at some other unseen farmer, maybe a poor man trying to collect rocks to make cement which is in critical shortage in Gaza due to the blockade Israel imposes. Back to work we go, the wheat still needs harvesting, and there is nothing to be done about unseen shooting. Perhaps later we will read about the death of somebody in the newspaper, but you can be sure that the New York Times will make no mention of the murder. We didn’t finish harvesting the wheat today, but we will back, we will continue to challenge the illegal buffer zone that Israel imposes on Gaza.

IOF troops enter southern Gaza, bulldoze land

[ 23/04/2011 - 08:58 AM ]

RAFAH, (PIC)-- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) advanced tens of meters into eastern Rafah in the southern area of Gaza Strip on Saturday morning, local sources reported. The sources told the PIC reporter that seven army vehicles including a bulldozer advanced into eastern Rafah and leveled land amidst intermittent firing. The IOF troops routinely enter eastern Gaza border areas and bulldoze land and destroy property.

Four Palestinians wounded in Gaza by IOF fire

[ 22/04/2011 - 07:29 PM ]

GAZA, (PIC)-- Three Palestinians were wounded Friday morning in IOF shelling targeting warehouses near the Mintar crossing to the east of Gaza City, while a farmer was shot and wounded on Thursday evening by IOF troops. Spokesman for the emergency services in Gaza, Adham Abu Selmeyah, said that three Palestinians were wounded when IOF troops fired an artillery bomb towards workers in one of the factories. The wounded men who are in their 30’s and 40’s were taken to the Shifa hospital suffering moderate wounds. A Palestinian farmer was wounded on Thursday to the north of Beit Lahya when IOF troops opened fire at him, his wounds are moderate. The IOF bulldozed on Thursday a number of warehouses in the industrial area near the Mintar crossing. Army Bombards Gaza, Three Injured Friday April 22, 2011 12:27 by Saed Bannoura - IMEMC & Agencies Palestinian medical sources reported on Friday morning that three residents were wounded when the Israeli army fired artillery shells at warehouses that were previously bombarded, near the Karni Commercial terminal, east of Gaza city. Image Palestine-Info Adham Abu Salmiyya, media spokesperson of Emergency Services in Gaza, stated that the three suffered mild-to-moderate wounds, and were moved to Al Shifa Hospital. The three were only identified by their initials while their ages are 48, 41, and 31.They work at a local factory. On Thursday, a Palestinian farmer was moderately wounded after the army fired shells at Palestinian farmlands, north of Beit Lahia, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip. On Thursday morning, soldiers invaded the industrial area and an area near Al Mintar Crossing, and bulldozed several areas in the Industrial Zone and the Karni terminal. The bulldozed areas also include the warehouse that was bombarded on Friday morning.

Medics: 3 injured as Israeli tanks shell Gaza

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Three Palestinians were injured Friday in Israeli tank shelling east of Gaza City, medics said.

Palestinian medics said three factory workers sustained multiple injuries in Ash-Shuja'iyeh and were transferred to the Ash-Shifa Hospital.

An Israeli military spokesman said no tanks had opened fire in the area on Friday.

On Thursday, the Israeli army entered Gaza and demolished several buildings near the northern Karni crossing. The military said the buildings were used by "terrorist organizations," but Palestinians said they were warehouses holding goods which had entered through the crossing.

Witnesses said the buildings contained assorted equipment, children's diapers, scrap metal and cleaning detergent. The goods were damaged during the destruction of the warehouses.

The operation also damaged a room holding the electrical generators for the industrial zone near the Karni crossing, they said.

AFP contributed to this report

Medics: Farmer shot in northern Gaza

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- A farmer was hospitalized Thursday after Israeli soldiers shot him as he worked on his land in northern Gaza, medics said.

The 45-year-old man was shot in his stomach in the Abu Safieyah area of Beit Lahiya and transferred to the Kamal Adwan Hospital, medical services spokesman Adham Abu Salmiya said.

Abu Salmiya added that Israeli soldiers opened fire on residents of Beit Lahiya almost daily.

Israel unilaterally imposes a no-go zone along the border inside the Gaza Strip, and soldiers frequently shoot at Palestinians inside the area.

In Oxfam's latest report, the international organization said "In practice, Israel restricts access to agricultural land up to 1,000-1,500 metres from the fence, which accounts for more than 30% of Gaza's agricultural land and a significant number of water wells. Most of the Gaza Strip's animal production is also concentrated in this area."

PCHR weekly report 14/4 - 20/4/2011: 1 civilian killed of previous wounds, airstrike, destruction of infrastracture

extracts from PCHR weekly report 14/4 - 20/4/2011:

A Palestinian civilian from the southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah died of his wounds. 

IOF bombarded a training site of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, and a nearby school and to residential houses were damaged.


IOF continued to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip
 - IOF opened fire at Palestinian farmers and fishermen in the northern Gaza Strip, but no casualties were reported.

In the Gaza Strip, on 14 April 2011, medical sources at Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, announced that Mahdi Jumaa Abu Athreh, 22, from al-Shouka village in the southeast of Rafah, died of his wounds. According to PCHR's investigations, at approximately 08:00 on Friday, 08 April 2011, IOF fired two artillery shells at the vicinity of Gaza International Airport. Four Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded as a result. Medical sources at Abu Yousif al-Najjar hospital described the wounds of two of them, including Abu Athreh, to be serious.

On 16 April 2011, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Tunis training site which is used by members of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and which is adjacent to Tunis Primary School in the east of al-Zaytoon neighborhood, east OF Gaza city.  The windows of the school crashed as a result.

On 17 April 2011, IOF positioned in observation towers along the border in the east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip opened fire at Palestinian farmers who were on their farms in the east of Beit Hanoun. Palestinian farmers escaped in fear for their lives. 

[...]

Thursday, 14 April 2011 

At approximately 10:00, medical sources at Gaza European Hospital in Khan Younis, southern the Gaza Strip, announced that Mahdi Jumaa Abu Athreh, 22, from al-Shokeh village in the southeast of Rafah, died of his wounds. According to PCHR investigations, at approximately 08:00 on Friday, 08 April 2011, IOF fired two artillery shells at the vicinity of Gaza International Airport. Four Palestinian civilians, including a child, were wounded as a result. Medical sources at Abu Yousif al-Najjar hospital described the wounds of two of them, including Abu Athreh, to be serious.

Saturday, 16 April 2011

At approximately 01:10, an IOF warplane fired a missile at Tunis training site which is used by members of the Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and which is adjacent to Tunis Primary School in the east of al-Zaytoon neighborhood in the east of Gaza city. The windows of the school crashed as a result.

Sunday, 17 April 2011

At approximately 09:40, IOF positioned on observation towers along the border in the east of Beit Hanoun town in the northern Gaza Strip, opened fire at Palestinian farmers who were in their farms in the east of al-Qurman street, al-Naayma street and al-Masreyen street in the east of Beit Hanoun. Palestinian farmers escaped in fear for their lives and no casualties or damages were reported. 

 

Israel troops destroy structures by Gaza crossing

 Maan

 

GAZA CITY (AFP) -- Israeli troops made a brief incursion into Gaza early on Thursday to demolish several buildings which the army said were being used by "terrorist organizations".

Palestinians said the buildings were warehouses holding goods which had been transferred to the Gaza Strip via the nearby Karni crossing, which Israel shut down earlier this year.

Witnesses said the buildings contained assorted equipment, children's diapers, scrap metal and cleaning detergent. The goods were damaged during the destruction of the warehouses.

The operation also damaged a room holding the electrical generators for the industrial zone near the Karni crossing, they said.

An Israeli military spokeswoman said the operation was intended to raze buildings being used by "terrorist organizations" in the Gaza Strip.

"Israel Defense Forces dismantled structures that previously were a part of the Karni crossing, which were used by terrorist organizations to execute terrorist activities against IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians," she said.

"In light of security assessments and alerts of terrorist activity from the area, (the region's commander) Major-General Tal Russo ordered the closure and the dismantling of the Karni crossing approximately two months ago," she added.

Goods that had previously been transferred into Gaza through Karni, which sits adjacent to Gaza City on the coastal territory's eastern border with Israel, are now transferred through the Kerem Shalom crossing in the south.

Palestinian merchants and truck drivers have complained that the southern crossing is inconvenient, as it lies further than Karni from Gaza's main population center, Gaza City.

Israeli tanks open fire in northern Gaza

GAZA CITY (Ma'an) -- Several Israeli army tanks entered northern Gaza on Sunday and opened fire, witnesses said.

No injuries were reported, but residents said fields sustained heavy damage from the tanks' caterpillar tread, which ripped through crops.

Earlier Sunday, Israeli warships opened fire on fishermen off the coast of Gaza.

An Israeli military spokesperson did not immediately return calls seeking comment.

Israeli army invades into northern Gaza Strip

 

17-04-2011,14:16
 

Al Qassam website- Gaza- Israeli occupation forces (IOF) invaded into eastern Beit Hanun town in northern Gaza Strip on Sunday morning amid heavy gunfire, local sources said .

The sources reported that IOF soldiers supported with number of armored vehicles advanced 100 meters into the area and bulldozed lands and farms.

The sources said that the soldiers shot at Palestinian farmers, who were tending their land, and at nearby homes. They noted that no casualties were reported.

Israeli occupation forces conduct daily military attacks against Palestinian residents who living in their lands and farms near the isolation fence of what so-called "Israel".

ISM confirms the death of Vittorio Arrigoni

The International Solidarity Movement is shocked and deeply saddened by the killing of our friend and colleague Vittorio Arrigoni. Vik was an inspiring activist and generous soul. Please keep his family and friends in your thoughts.
We will post more information here as it becomes available.

Vittorio Arrigoni

Vittorio Arrigoni

Vittorio Arrigoni

Vittorio Arrigoni

Vittorio Arrigoni

Vittorio Arrigoni

Updated on April 15, 2011