May 30 - June 05, 2002

This week, Israeli occupying forces perpetrated more violations of human rights against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT). They invaded and encroached into Palestinian areas, such as Nablus, Jenin, Tulkarm, Qalqilya, Hebron and Rafah. This week, four Palestinian civilians, including a child were killed by Israeli occupying forces.

On Friday, 31 May, Israeli occupying forces invaded Nablus. They seized complete control over the West Bank city and its refugee camps. They raided and searched houses and arrested hundreds of Palestinian civilians. At the time of this writing, the city and its refugee camp have been subject to a full-scale offensive for six days. Movement into and out the city has been prohibited. Residents of adjacent villages have been denied access to hospitals in the city, and instead they have been forced to go to more remote hospitals in Jenin and Jericho. The Israeli offensive on Nablus coincided with school final exams, and school children were denied access to their schools to attend exams.

This week, Israeli occupying forces encroached into several areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. They shelled Palestinian residential areas, killing, wounding and arresting a number of Palestinian civilians, and razing areas of agricultural land.

On Thursday, 30 May, a Palestinian civilian was killed by Israeli occupying forces during their shelling of Khan Yunis. He bled to death. On the same day, 15 Palestinian civilians were wounded in Rafah when Israeli occupying forces shelled areas adjacent to the Egyptian border, south of the town. This week, Israeli forces razed more than 50 donums of Palestinian agricultural land in al-Qarara village in Khan Yunis, and demolished seven houses totally or partially in Rafah.

Israeli occupying forces continued to shoot at Palestinian civilians while participating in peaceful marches or traveling from one area to another. Israeli forces at military checkpoints and roadblocks fired at Palestinian civilians, including students, while traveling from one area to another. More than 20 civilians were wounded. On Tuesday, 4 June, Israeli occupying forces that raided Beit Ummar village, north of Hebron, shot dead a Palestinian child while on his way home.

Israeli occupying forces have maintained the total siege imposed on the OPT in a collective punishment of the Palestinian people. Israeli forces have separated Palestinian areas, transforming them into cantons, violating Palestinian economic, social and cultural rights. In the Gaza Strip, Israeli occupying have maintained a very strict siege on al-Mawasi area in the south.

On Tuesday, 4 June, Israeli occupying forces started digging a trench, 2m deep and 4m wide, in the area liking al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis with its extension in Deir al-Balah, totally isolating the area from the rest of the Gaza Strip. On Thursday, 30 May, Israeli occupying forces at military roadblocks north of Khan Yunis arrested more than 20 Palestinian civilians.

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