The Israeli occupation forces continued their aggression against Palestinian civilians and their property in the Gaza strip.
At around 1 A.
M Thursday 27 June 2002 , Israeli tanks and bulldozers destroyed seven homes and completed the destruction of three others[1] in block “ O “ in Rafah refugee camp.
The ten houses are owned by the following people: Naji Abu Libdeh Mahmud Abu Libdeh.
Midhat Abu Libdeh Khalil Radwan.
Abdul Qadir Awaja Ibrahim Hdihid.
Ibrahim Abu Anza Haniya al-Ghul.
Asaad Dawud Samir Abu Libdeh.
In addition, two other homes were severely damaged in the some area and seven civilians were wounded as these as these forces opened fire on the area.
At same time, the Israeli forces positioned in the settlement of Nitzanit, north of Beit lahia, opened heavy fire on An – Nada apartment buildings, which are located opposite to the settlement.
They ordered the residents of the buildings to evacuate them through loudspeakers, people left their apartments especially after a tank shell fell near the buildings.
At approximately 2:30 P.
M Wednesday 26 June 2002 the Israeli forces handed orders of seizure of (195) dunams[2] for four Palestinian landowners.
A map that shows the land which these forces intend to seize was attached with the military orders.
The map shows that the Israeli forces intend to seize 500 dunams in the area.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights is highly concerned with the continued Israeli aggression against the Palestinian population of the OPTs, especially the escalation of homes demolition and the seizure of cultivated land.
These crimes come by the time these forces’ reoccupation of the west Bank towns and arbitrary arrests and willful killing of civilians in the OPTs.
The center condemns such mass punishment procedures which are being carried out against civilians and calls upon the International Community, especially the High Contracting Parties of the 4th Geneva Convention, to intervene immediately and stop the Israeli continuous violations of the convention.
[1] The three houses were partly destroyed previously, according to Al Mezan fieldwork unit.
[2] One dunam equals 1,000 square meters.
END