In the context of their continuous violations of Palestinians’ human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, the Israeli forces prevented nine Palestinians from traveling on Saturday 16/2/2002.
The nine persons were on their way to Mekka, Saudi Arabia for Haj (pilgrimage) and they are: Ahmad Jabr Ibrahim al-Mishal Mahdhya Mustafa al-Nidhir Ahmad Ayish al-Nithir Issam Mustafa Qishta Fawzi Hamdan ad-Dabas Ahmad Salim al-Sawarka Muhammad Shihada Tafish Jamal al-Halabi Fathi Muhammad Shaikh al-Eid The Israeli forces crimes are still continuous in the Palestinian Territories.
At about 05:30 Saturday 16/2/2002 these forces entered about a kilometer inside the Palestinian Authority area east of al-Buraij and al-Maghazi Refugee Camps in the middle of the Gaza Strip.
They shelled the area with heavy machineguns and occupied a Palestinian National Security Forces point, called Maqbula Point, after shelling it with tanks.
Three Palestinians were killed; they are: Yehia Mas’ud Abu Jalal, 14-years-old from al-Bureij Refugee Camp, killed from a live bullet in the heart; Hasan Muhammad al-Mabhuh (al-Sakran), 22-years-old, killed from several live bullets in the head and feet; and Ramzi Mahmud Khalil al-Masri, 34-years-old, killed from shell splinters in different parts of the body.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli shelling arbitrarily targeted civilians and their houses in al-Bureij Camp and that 17 civilians were wounded; two of them are in a critical condition.
Na’il Lutfi Saqr, 28-years-old from al-Buriej, died Sunday 17/2/2002 morning from wounds he suffered on Saturday 16/2/2002.
The eastern area of the Mid Camps in Gaza witnessed frequent Israeli incursions since Wednesday 13/2/2002.
The occupation forces entered this area from several points, bulldozed land and searched houses.
Moreover, the Israeli F16s launched raids on a Palestinian National Security point in Jabalia Refugee Camp Friday 15/2/2002 evening.
They shelled the point with three missiles destroying it totally.
Abdul-Salam Salah Jum’a Yunis, 25-years-old from Rafah, was killed due to wounds from splinters and the collapse of the building.
Twenty-four other Palestinians were wounded and many houses were damaged in the area.
  Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights is highly concerned with these crimes, especially the siege imposed on the Occupied Territories, restrictions on Palestinians’ freedom of worship and the targeting of residences with shelling and destruction, which constitute part of the Israeli collective punishment procedures and grave breaches to the international law.
As such, the Center calls the international community to: Stop the state of silence and fulfill its legal and moral obligations towards Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in order to stop the Israeli war crimes perpetrated against them.
Provide Palestinian civilians ands their property with international protection as soon as possible.
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