Tuesday, 23 July 2002

21 Palestinians Killed:
Iman Matar (27 years old), Gaza City
Ra'd Matar (1.2 years old), Gaza City
Mohammad Matar (4 years old), Gaza City
Diana Matar (5 years old), Gaza City
Muna al-Hweiti (30 years old), Gaza City
Subhi al-Hweiti (4 years old), Gaza City
Mohammad al-Hweiti (6 years old), Gaza City
Dunya Matar (2 months old), Gaza City
Ala' Matar (11 years old), Gaza City
Mohammad al-Shawa (40 years old), Gaza City
Ahmad al-Shawa (4 years old), Gaza City
Salah Shehadeh (49 years old), Gaza City
Leila Shehadeh (41 years old), Gaza City
Iman Shehadeh (14 years old), Gaza City
Zaher Nassar (37 years old), Gaza City
Tamer Abu Armana (23 years old), Deir al-Balah
Ahmad Ayish (20 years old), Deir al-Balah
Husein Sweidan (55 years old), Qalqilya
Unidentified, Nablus
Unidentified, Nablus
Unidentified, Nablus

Israeli Terrorism

- At Least 15 Civilians Killed in Gaza Massacre
- 2 Palestinian Civilians Killed in Deir al-Balah; Residential Areas Shelled
- Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 Palestinian Civilians in Village Invasion, Nablus
- Israeli Army Escalates Attacks in Occupied West Bank Amidst General Strike
- Israeli Army Wages Various Attacks on Residents of Khan Younis and Rafah

Over 20 Palestinians, mostly mothers and children, were killed in Israeli military escalations in occupied Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip today. The Israeli army used tanks, helicopters, and F-16 warplanes to wage attacks on residential areas, killing and wounding dozens of civilians, including infants, and causing severe destruction to civilian property. 

An Israeli F-16 warplane turned a residential building to rubble just after midnight in an overcrowded area in Gaza City, killing at least 15 civilians and leaving over 140 wounded, some critically.

In Jenin, Israeli tanks and helicopters invaded the old city this evening and opened heavy fire randomly at residential buildings. Around 12 civilians were wounded in the attack. And in Nablus, 3 unidentified civilians were killed this afternoon in Tel town during a raid by Israeli military forces under intense and random machine gun fire. In central Gaza Strip, two civilians were shot dead by Israeli occupation soldiers near `Kisofim' settlement for no apparent reason.

At the same time, Palestinian areas continue to be divided into isolated cantons. Hundreds of thousands of people continue to be placed under curfew.

Israeli Terrorism

At Least 15 Civilians Killed in Gaza Massacre
At least 15 civilians, including 9 children, were killed in an Israeli air strike on a residential building to the east of Yarmouk playground in Gaza City at dawn today:
Iman Matar (27 years old)
Ra'd Matar (1.2 years old)
Mohammad Matar (4 years old)
Diana Matar (5 years old)
Muna al-Hweiti (30 years old)
Subhi al-Hweiti (4 years old)
Mohammad al-Hweiti (6 years old)
Dunya Matar (2 months old)
Ala' Matar (11 years old)
Mohammad al-Shawa (40 years old)
Ahmad al-Shawa (4 years old)
Salah Shehadeh (49 years old)
Leila Shehadeh (41 years old)
Iman Shehadeh (14 years old)
Zaher Nassar (37 years old)

145 wounded civilians were admitted into hospital. Medical sources reported that 15 are in critical condition, 5 in intensive care and 47 required surgery.

Thousands of angry people took part in the funeral of those killed in the massacre.

2 Palestinian Civilians Killed in Deir al-Balah; Residential Areas Shelled
The Israeli army this evening shelled residential areas from `Kfar Darom' settlement. A state of fear overcomes the residents of the area.

Two Palestinian civilians were shot dead at dawn today near what is referred to as `Kisofim' in Deir al-Balah. These are:
Tamer Abu Armana, 23 years old, from al-Breij
Ahmad Ayish, 20 years old, from al-Nuseirat 

The Israeli army continues to hold their bodies.

Israeli Soldiers Kill 3 Palestinian Civilians in Village Invasion, Nablus
3 Palestinians civilians were killed today during an Israeli army invasion of a small village near Tel. The Israeli army continues to hold the bodies of the unidentified 3.

Israeli Army Escalates Attacks in Occupied West Bank Amidst General Strike
The Israeli army waged a campaign of wide-scale arrests early this morning in occupied West Bank areas, especially Ramallah, Nablus and Bethlehem and in Abu Dis, Jerusalem. The provocative actions took place amidst a general mood of anger and frustration following the Gaza City massacre, which took place at dawn today.

The Israeli army additionally escalated military attacks in various West Bank cities. Exchange of fire and challenges to the imposed curfew were also reported in several of the occupied cities. 

All Palestinian areas declared a strike today in protest against Israeli organized state terrorism and many demonstrated on the streets of their cities to express their frustration with international silence.

Jenin
Over 8 civilians were wounded this evening in Israeli military attacks in Jenin city. Additionally, Israeli soldiers raid homes and arrests people in various areas in the city.

Israeli Apache helicopters attacked the old city of Jenin this evening with heavy fire this evening. Several civilians were reportedly wounded.

One Palestinian youth was slightly wounded this evening during exchange of fire with Israeli occupation military forces invading the city.

The Israeli army invaded the city of Jenin today after having declared a lifting of the curfew for a number of hours and opened fire intensively and randomly throughout the city. A large military presence spread throughout the city to enforce the curfew.

Qalqilya
Husein Sweidan, 55 years old, from Azoun Village, east of Qalqilya, died today effected by head wounds subjected 3 days ago. Israeli soldiers shot Sweidan while he was working on his land near his village and delayed the ambulance that carried him to hospital.

Ramallah
Exchange of fire between Palestinians and Israeli occupation soldiers was reported this evening in al-Masyoun area.

The Israeli army closed all entrances to Ramallah today and carried out bulldozing activities to tighten the imposed closure. Israeli soldiers opened fire and chased Palestinian civilians attempting to cross.

This morning, the Israeli army arrested people randomly in areas north of Ramallah.

Salfeet
The Israel army early this morning raided several villages northwest Salfeet (Haris, Kufel Hareth, Deir Ishtya), carrying out wide scale home searches. A curfew was imposed on the villages since yesterday noon.

Tulkarem
Thousands of people in Tulkarem challenged the imposed curfew today and took to the streets condemning the crime committed by the Israeli government against civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Jerusalem
The Israeli army early this morning waged a campaign of arrests in Abu Dis as well as physically attacked and destroyed homes of the arrested.

Israeli Army Wages Various Attacks on Residents of Khan Younis and Rafah
Israeli attack helicopters hovered over Rafah and Khan Younis this morning spreading a state of fear and tension in the area, especially following the F-16 attack in Gaza City, which left over 15 civilians dead and dozens wounded. 

Khan Younis
This evening, the Israeli army shelled homes in al-Namsawi quarter, al-Za'ariba and Qeizan al-Najar west and south Khan Younis, south od the Gaza Strip.

A number of residential quarters in Khan Younis were also subjected to Israeli military attacks this morning. In Zu'rub area, west Khan Younis, an elderly woman was wounded. Al-Namsawi quarter was shelled and attacked with heavy machine gun fire at dawn. Two youths were wounded:
- Ramzi al-Ja'abir, 27 years old
- Ahmad al-Rish, 26 years old

The Israeli occupation army surrounded land that belongs to al-Astal family west-north Khan Younis with barbed wire for settlement expansion purposes. 

This morning the Israeli army imposed a curfew on the residents of al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Younis.

Al-Tuffah military roadblock, the only exit for al-Mawasi, remains closed.

Rafah
10 civilians were wounded in Israeli military attacks on residential areas near Salah al-Din Gate in Rafah.

Israeli tanks also invaded areas south of Rafah today.