PALESTINE: Israeli atrocities escalate, says report

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

Att.Editors: The following item is by the United Arab Emirates news agency (WAM)

ABU DHABI, Mar 22 2003 (IPS) - The Israeli aggressions and atrocities against the Palestinians have escalated recently in the occupied territories, resulting in the killing of innocent civilians and demolition of infrastructures in various Palestinian cities.

According to a report released recently by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, the latest Israeli incursions in different Palestinian towns and the curfews imposed by Israeli forces have caused havoc in the areas and made life more difficult for civilians, particularly women and children, according to a report in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ‘Khaleej Times’.

The report called upon the international community to provide protection and urgent medical and humanitarian aid to the Palestinians, urging the International Red Cross Committee to consolidate its presence in all Palestinian areas. The report, which was made public by the UAE Zayed Center for Coordination and Follow-up (ZCCF), focused on the blatant violation of international laws by Israel against unarmed Palestinians.

"Many fell victims to the recent Israeli war crimes, whereby 23 civilians were killed in one week, including four children, a woman and an old man. This is in addition to the continued Israeli incursions inside cities and villages and random shooting from Israeli airplanes and military vehicles on unarmed people," said the report.

It also described the increasing Israeli retaliation against the families of the Palestinian activists, arresting of Palestinian youths, demolition of houses and perpetual blockages imposed on cities and villages.

"During the past week, many cities and refugee camps in Gaza Strip witnessed excessive Israeli incursion into the Palestinian territories, using tanks, heavy military artilleries and military airplanes. These operations resulted in killing many people and destroying houses and hundreds of agricultural fields."

The report also mentioned that within four days, the Israeli forces further penetrated into the territories under the control of the Palestinian Authority, reaching Jabalya’s outskirts, where they closed the main road linking Jabalya city with the other areas in North Gaza.

Assassinations targeting political figures and leaders of Intifada as well as civilians were also perpetrated by the Israeli forces over the past seven days, said the report.

On March 8, four Palestinian leaders were assassinated while six other Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, including one child and a woman, were also reported dead during the same period, added the report.

"The Israeli authorities continued their collective retaliation against the members of the families of the Palestinians who participated in conducting military operations against Israeli targets," said the report.