Israel decides to limit its bombardment on Palestinian targets, and focus on assassinations
* The Israeli army has decided to decrease the air raids carried by its warplanes on Palestinian targets, after it became clear that those raids don’t fulfill their purpose.
The Israeli newspaper “Haaretz” mentioned yesterday that the
Israeli military circles came to a conclusion that those air raids don’t
benefit
At the same time, and on the same topic, a senior Israeli
security source said that after
Al-Ayyam newspaper, 5.12.2000
The Palestinian territories have recently witnessed a number
of assassinations of leading Palestinian individuals committed by
Assassination was, and will remain, one of the powerful
preferred methods by
Israeli leaders have always competed to support such actions, and called for them. For example, the current right-wing Likud leader, Ariel Sharon has once said:
“We must hit them, those terrorists, wherever they are, in Arab states, or in foreign countries, you must reach them. You should hit them any time any day. You should not do that in day time, but the message is that those whom we seek must suddenly disappear”.
- In the mid forties, the Zionist militias of “Stern”
assassinated the UN convoy to
- The Israeli “Mosad” (i.e. the Israeli intelligence abroad)
arranged for, and assassinated the Egyptian scientist Samira Mousa in
California USA. Professor Mousa was well known for her studies of
radioactivity. The Egyptian government at that time announced that
Assassination attacks committed by
In 1995, Prime Minister Yetzhak Rabin was assassinated by an extremist called Yegal Amir. But it wasn’t that simple, the Italian Couiera La Sierra newspaper said on 29/3/1996 that accusations against the Internal Israeli Intelligence “Shin Bet” were presented, namely against the head of the “Shin Bet” at that time Carmi Gilon, who resigned following the accident.
Al-Hayat al-Jadida, 1.12.2000
(1) Ibrahim Bani Odeh, 34 years old, from Tammoun
village, near
The bomb that was planted in the upper part of the driver’s seat was a small sophisticated one that led to the immediate death of Ibrahim Bani Odeh, one of the leaders of Izzeddin al-Qassam militias, the military branch of the Islamic Resistance Movement, Hamas.
The bomb was planted there, in order not to leave any chance
for the victim to escape death. All evidences indicate that the Israeli
Intelligence Service “Shin Bet” has planned for this operation. Information
collected confirm that 5 of the relatives of Ibrahim
were well-known “informers” who left the village to stay in
The main suspect in the assassination is called Allan, 24
years old, one of the relatives of the victim who works in peroxiding walls
inside
On that day, Thursday 23.11.2000, the suspect called the victim at home saying that he needed to see him urgently. Few hours after that they agreed to meet near Jamal Abdel-Nasser park, in a minor road. When they met the suspect gave the victim the car keys claiming that he needed to go to Ramallah for two days. The victim offered to drive the suspect to the place where he wanted to go at that time. But the suspect refused saying he preferred to go on foot since it wasn’t far. As soon as the victim switched on the car engine and drove for about 500 meters, the car exploded, and he was killed instantly. Of course, the suspect disappeared since then and was never seen again.
From
al-Ayyam Newspaper, 25.11.2000
Nablus / The Palestinian State Security Court has sentenced Allan Bani-Odeh (24) from the village of Tammoun to death penalty by hanging, after he was convicted for two crimes: (a) participation in the killing of “martyr” Ibrahim Bani-Odeh, one of the leaders of the military branch of Hamas by arranging for an explosion in his car, and (b) spying of Israel.
The judgment was announced after a 3 hour session held in the presence of the martyr’s wife and his six children, and some Hamas and PA leaders. The court was headed by Judge Fathi Abu-Srour, and two members, judge Abdel-Karim al-Masri and advocate Ayman Mazhar. The state Attorney General was represented by Lieutenant Bassam Darwish, and the two defense lawyers were Nihaya al-Saqqa and Shaher Dweikat, both appointed by the court.
The punishment of the first crime is life sentence, and for the second is death penalty by hanging, with a condition that the more severe punishment should be adopted.
The state attorney general presented details and evidences against the suspect including the report of the explosives expert, and the medical report. He mentioned that the suspect started his collaboration with the Israeli intelligence in February 2000 and supplied them with information about Ibrahim and Hamas movement, specially in Tammoun village. The suspect met with Israeli security men more than 14 times, and was instructed to foster his relationship with the martyr.
He explained that the suspect gave his car to an Israeli
officer on Thursday 23.11.2000 (the day when the assassination of Ibrahim
occurred), then was told to give the car to Ibrahim, and go after that to meet
the Israelis near the
(2) Jamal Abdel-Razek, 30 years, from Rafah /
(3 other Palestinians were killed with Jamal in the same attack)
Jamal was one of the active leaders of Fateh movement in
south Gaza Strip, mainly in Rafah. He was imprisoned for 7 years by
Jamal released from prison in 1999, and his family (7 boys and 4 girls) wanted him to get married. But he preferred to continue his studies, therefore he joined al-Quds open
university, doing social development studies.
On
Al-Hayat al-Jadida, 23.11.00
Note:
Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli army killed the our men in cold blood, without any previous warning or questioning.
Ya’lon: We have the right to assassinate leaders of Fateh
organization
Israeli sources said yesterday the Assistant Israeli military chief Moshe Ya’lon said: The Israeli Prime Minister Ihud Barak has the right to give a green light to the Israeli army to assassinate leaders in the Fateh organization, because the Palestinians will then realize that they are paying a high cost.
Ya’lon was speaking in a meeting that was held on Tuesday (5th
December) with leaders of the Settlers’ Council in the
Al-Ayyam Newspaper, 7.12.2000
Jamal Abdel-Razek (Full testimony)
Name: Jamal Abdel-Qader Hasan Abdel-Razek, born on
2.10.1970,
Resident in Rafah, single.
Profession: Director in the Ministry of Economics and Commerce, and a student in al-Quds open university.
On 7th December 2000, his brother Khaled, told the PHRMG the following:
“When the first Intifada broke out, in December 1987, Jamal joined Fateh movement in the struggle against the Israeli occupation. He participated in demonstrations, strikes and protests on a daily basis, with motivation and courage. He also took part in the public and national committees that were organized at that time to unite the efforts and support for the Intifada. In 1989 he was arrested for the first time, for 18 months in Ansar camp in the Negev desert. When he was released, he continued in the same path, struggling against the occupation. He was arrested again in 1990 for 40 days in Khan-Yunis prison, where a bone in his chest was broken because of torture by the Israelis. In the first Intifada Jamal was injured several times by live and rubber bullets. He formed armed Fateh militias called (the Black Panther) and carried out several attacks on the Israelis, with a (Martyr) Ataya Abu Samahdana. That was in 1991, when he became ‘wanted’ by the Israelis. After 8 months, he was arrested in Jabalia refugee camp, and was charged for leading the military branch of Fateh movement in Rafah. He was sentenced for 17 years, of which he spent 10 years in different prisons inside Israel. On 9.9.1999 he was released from Nafha prison in the desert.
When al-Aqsa Intifada erupted in September 2000, Jamal formed military groups of Fateh activists to defend the Palestinian people, specially in Rafah and Khan-Yunis districts. He took part in protests in different spots; in Rafah, Netzarim, Mourag , Erez and Khan-Yunis.
On Wednesday 22.11.2000 Jamal’s friend, Awni Dheir, who was killed with him, came at about 9 in the morning to pick up Jamal to go to their university. Jamal got up, washed, had tea with his friend, put on his new jacket and showed it to his mother, who looked at him for the last time. His father advised the two men to take the eastern road to Khan-Yunis away from Mourag junction. At 9:30 they left.
Awni drove his Honda, model 1999, with Jamal sitting beside him. When they reached Mourag junction, they didn’t see any Israeli tanks or military vehicles. But there were three helicopters in the sky overhead. When the Honda reached Mourag Israeli checkpoint, there was another car (a white Mercedes taxi) before it. Suddenly an Israeli military vehicle (a soldiers carrier) blocked the way in front of the two cars,
And the Israeli soldiers, and machine-guns on a tank on the side of the road, opened fire from their automatic machines on the two Palestinian cars, mainly on the Honda, and on Jamal in particular, killing him and his friend Awni, and two Palestinians in the white Mercedes (Sami Abu-Laban and Na’el Liddawi). The Israeli soldiers fired at Jamal from all sides, using live ammunition directed mainly on his head and upper body. Hid head was smashed into pieces, and parts of his body were scattered inside the car. Driver of the white Mercedes (called Ibrahim Fojo) escaped death by hiding under the steering of his car.
After the brutal attack, an Israeli helicopter landed in the site, and took the bodies of the Martyrs to the Toffah military post in Khan-Yunis to make sure that Jamal was among the victims. The Israeli army didn’t allow any ambulances or medical teams to enter the area. The Israeli army arrested the Mercedes driver and took him to prison in Ashkelon. The assassination attack occurred at 10:30 a.m., but the Israeli didn’t give us the Martyrs bodies until after some hours, they gave them to Nasser hospital in Khan-Yunis. Most of the people who saw Jamal couldn’t recognize him because his face wasn’t there, an indication on the brutality of the Israelis.
The family was sitting at home, watching TV, when they heard on al-Jazeera station that four Palestinians were in killed in their car in Rafah. So we became worried about Jamal. Then some youths came and told us what has happened. We couldn’t inform my mother immediately, but when many people started coming to our house, she knew what happened and she became shocked and felt very sad.”
28 years, from Arraba, near Jenin, was living in Nablus and studying in al-Quds open university there. One of the leaders of the military branch of the Islamic Jihad movement. Married with three children (Sabrin 7, Suhaib 3, and Hammam 2).
On Monday 11.12.2000 at about 1 p.m. Anwar left his small bookshop outside the university building to go to his car in the parking, bus after he walked few meters he was killed by a rain of bullets fired from Israeli soldiers located on Jerzeem mountain opposite the university (overlooking the premises). An eye-witness, Salah al-Quqa 3o years old, said that he saw a man fall to the ground after he was shot, the gun-fire continued even after he fall, and his body was shaken with every bullet that entered him. In Rafidia hospital in Nablus, doctos said that 19 bullets entered the body of Anwar Hamran.
Anwar was detained by the PA, for the charge of being active in the Islamic Jihad movement. He was released from the PA prison before one month. An Israeli army spokesman claimed that Anwar used to open fire at Israeli soldiers in that place. Yet reality makes that claim unlikely to happen, since the Israeli soldiers in that site are located high up in the mountain about 500 meters way from Anwar’s bookshop. In addition, eye-witnesses testified that he was unarmed in an open yard when he was killed.
More than 3,000 were present in Anwar’s funeral, most of them students from the university of friends and relatives of the martyr.
Anwar was 15 years old when the first Intifada erupted in 1987, and when he was 18 he was arrested for 2 years because of his participation in the Intifada. He joined the Islamic Jihad movement in prison, when he was released he went to Jordan to continue his studies. He continued to be active there, so the Jordanian authorities deported him back home, but the Israelis caught him on the bridge, and detained him for 3.5 years.
When he was released in 1996 he worked as a correspondent for al-Istiqlal weekly newspaper, affiliated with the Islamic Jihad. On 17.10.1998 he was detained by the Palestinian Authority for suspicion that he had a hand in the suicide bombing that took place in West Jerusalem, since one of the two Palestinians who did it worked with Anwar in al-Istiqlal office.
On 11.10.2000, Anwar was released, and he opened a small bookshop at the entrance to al-Quds Open University in Nablus. But the Israeli authorities didn’t leave him alone, they followed him until they killed him in cold blood few meters away from his bookshop in the car parking, while his friends were around.
A boy, Rafe’ Kilani 12 years old, who was playing football in the same yard where Anwar was killed said: “We were in the yard playing football when we heard some shooting. I saw a man fall with blood covering his head, and his whole body.”
28 years, from the village of Artas, Bethlehem. One of the activists of Fateh in the district.
Another savage crime was committed by the Israeli Intelligence Service “Shin-Bet”, this time in al-Khader village south of Bethlehem against another active member in Fateh organization, Yousef Abu Sway who was shot more than 20 times, specially in his head and chest, by the Israeli army, in front of his house.
There were no confrontations in the town that day. The martyr was in front of his house with his wife and children, when the Israeli soldiers located in the military post at the by-pass road that goes through al-Khader village opened fire at Yousef hitting him directly with several bullets. He fall to the ground immediately in front of his family.
Dr. Peter Qaimari, Director of Beit-Jala hospital, said: “The bullets of the Israeli killers went through almost all the parts of his body, more than 17 bullets hit his head, neck, shoulders, chest and arms.”
Yousef’s father said: “May God have mercy on him, he was arrested by the Israelis, he loved his country so much, he was also a fugitive for some time”.
Yousef was arrested by the Israelis for 10 months, and by the PA’s preventive security service from January to September 2000, for the same charge (dealing with and smuggling weapons).
Khader Salah, an eye-witness from al-Khader village said:
“I heard some shooting from the Israeli military post overlooking the by-pass road # 60. Although everything was quite then.”
Other witnesses said they saw a white car following the martyr near Sultan Suleiman pools on the way to al-Khader.
* Source
: al-Ayyam newspaper, 13.12.2000
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 years old, from Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem. One of the active members of Fateh movement in Bethlehem District.
On Sunday 10.12.2000 at dawn (very early in the morning) a unit of Israeli special armed security men killed Mahmoud Mughrabi in Talitha Qumi street in Beit-Jala (Area C under Israeli rule). The victim was shot several times in his head and chest.
The Israeli authorities kept the martyr’s body until midday and handed it to the military collaboration (Palestinian-Israeli) who handed it by turn to the family. A huge crowd of angry Palestinians received the martyr as he arrived at his camp.
Later on, Fateh movement in Bethlehem issued a communiqué saluting the martyr and said: “Mahmoud Yousef al-Mughrabi was killed by the Israeli special units in a savage crime that indicated the continuous aggression from against the Palestinian people.”
26 years old from Hebron. One of the activists of Hamas, the Islamic Resistance Movement.
The Israeli army shot the martyr several times as he was standing in front of his shop in Wadi al-Tuffah street in the town center, opposite the Red Cross offices.
Eye-witnesses said that they heard gun-fire from automatic machine-guns, then they saw the martyr fall to the ground in front of his shop. They said that the shooting came from the top of one of the houses occupied by the Israeli army. The victim was immediately taken to al-Ahly hospital in the city, where doctors announced he was shot three times, one bullet went through his heart.
Hamas said the martyr was one of the members of the military branch of the Islamic movement.
Al-Ayyam Newspaper, 14.12.2000
(waiting for a full
testimony, soon from Rustom, Inshallah)
28 years, from the village of Artas, Bethlehem. One of the activists of Fateh in the district.
The Full testimony:
“Yousef was born in Artas village on 30.6.1972. He grew up and received his education in the village and its schools. He went to al-Khader for his secondary education. In the first Intifada he joined Fateh movement and soon became in-charge-of a Fateh strike force, but was soon arrested by Israel on 25.10.1990 for one year. He was charged with some Intifada activities such as writing graffiti on walls, throwing stones and distributing communiqués. In 1994 he was arrested once more for 10 months, this time for illegal possession of weapons. In 1998 he was arrested by the Palestinian preventive security service with two other young men (one from Subuh family from al-Khader, and one from Shalaldeh family from Se’ir, Hebron) for the charge of smuggling weapons from Jordan through the Dead Sea area. Eventually he became “wanted” by the Israelis. He was detained for 20 months in Jericho, and Bethlehem, then was released without any trial. He returned to his village, Artas, where he continued to struggle against the Israeli who listed him as “wanted”. When al-Aqsa Intifada broke out, he took part in its activities within Fateh movement. At the same time he continued to work as a worker in Afrat settlement located nearby, with no need for a permit to do so, since it is easy to reach it through the mountains.
On 12.12.2000 while coming back home, in an area close to the by-pass road near al-Khader village, an Israeli white Subaru stopped, and four armed Israelis got off and started shooting at Yousef, who was killed instantly as more than (42 bullets ??) hit his body. The Israeli military posts opposite also fired their machine-guns to cover for the assassination.
Sources of the testimony:
1) Fateh official in
Bethlehem district.
2) A nurse in al-Hussein
hospital in Beit-Jala.
3) Some neighbors close to the site where the crime took place.
13.12.2000
31 years old, a member in Izzeddin al-Qassam the military branch of Hamas Islamic movement, from
Rafah / Gaza Strip.
On Thursday 14.12.2000 the Israeli forces killed the victim at a military checkpoint in Deir el-Balah in Gaza Strip, and wounded 5 others who were with him in the same car. The body of the martyr was kept by the Israeli army, with two other injured men, for hours after the accident.
An eye-witness, Ghada Abdel-Karim Daoud, 20 years, who was in the car with the victims, said:
“I left my house in Rafah, at about 7:45 a.m. in order to go to my college in Gaza. We were 6 passengers in the car driven by the martyr. At an Israeli checkpoint in Deir el-Balah, Abu-Holy junction, the Israeli soldiers stopped the car and asked the driver for his papers. It was about 8:35 a.m. After they checked his papers, they opened fire from their automatic rifles, and from a tank which was 2.5.meters away from the car, killing the driver instantly, and wounding five others. I hid my head behind the car seat in front of me. The soldiers shouted at me to get off, I didn’t understand, at the end they waved for me to get off, so I did. I believe they meant to kill the driver.”
Another eye-witness, Salem Abu-Mustafa, who was in the car and got injured with four bullets said:
“When the car driven by the martyr stopped at the Israeli checkpoint in Deir el-Balah, the Israeli soldiers shot at the car from their gun-machines, a tank on the side of road also shot at the car. The driver was killed with several bullets, and five others were wounded, one of them seriously injured in the head. The Israeli army didn’t allow the Palestinian ambulances to come near us. They hand-cuffed us and took us to their military camp, while we were bleeding. Later, they handed us over to the Palestinian security service.”
* Source: al-Quds
newspaper, 15.12.2000
Senior sources have uncovered the fact that Israel has tried for the second time in three years to assassinate Khaled Mash’al, Chairman of the political office of the Islamic movement Hamas, during the Islamic summit in Qatar last month. The sources added that a group of Israelis holding foreign passports entered Qatar in order to assassinate Khaled Mash’al and other personalities who took part in the summit.
When Mahmoud al-Zahhar, one of the prominent leaders of Hamas in Gaza was asked about this, he replied by saying that: “The whole issue is now dealt with by the government of Qatar who has given Khaled Mash’al refuge and protection. We are in close contact with the government of Qatar to follow the developments of this subject.”
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affiars Shlomo Bin Ami has met on Monday 11.12.2000 with the Qatari Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamad Bin Jasem Al Thani in Paris, to talk over the recent attempt to kill Mash’al.
* Source: al-Quds
newspaper, 15.12.2000
Assassination
From Rafah, al-bayouk area, east of the city, married with 3 children (Riad 5, Malak 2.5, and Manar 20 days) A student inhis third year in the Islamic University in Gaza, but started to work as a taxi driver do days before his assassination to support his family.
On 16.12.2000 his cousin, Haidar Abu-Bakra, 32 years from Khan-Yunis camp, told the PHRMG:
“On Thursday 14.12.2000 Hani left his house in Khan-Yunis for Gaza, where he has started to work as a taxi driver on a Hionday, there were five people in the car including one female. When they reached the Israeli military checkpoint near Gosh-Qatif, where there was a an Israeli tank. The soldiers on the tank waved for the driver “the martyr” to stop, so he did. It was about 8 a.m. There was a military jeep on the side of the road, it moved to face the car, an the soldiers got off, and took the papers from the driver to check them. The soldiers ordered the girl to get off, and she did.
Then, the soldiers began shooting at the car, targeting the driver in particular, who was mainly shot in his head and neck. He received more than 20 bullets in different places in his body. Three of the wounded passengers were on their way to their workplaces in Gaza. The Israeli army closed the area after that, and kept the body, and tow of the wounded people, for one hour and a half, before they handed them to the Palestinian police. A third wounded person is still being treated in Israel.
It is worth mentioning that the martyr was detained by the Palestinian preventive security for two years (1996-1998) for the charge of being a member in the Izzeddin al-Qassam, the military branch of Hamas.”
From Dheisheh refugee camp near Bethlehem, born in Libya in 1975, as his parents were deported after the Israeli occupation in 1967. The whole family (Mahmoud, his parents and his four brothers) returned home four years ago, following the peace agreement, and lived in Dheisheh camp.
When al-Aqsa Intifada erupted, Mahmoud took part in the confrontations, and soon became one of the distinguished leaders in the field, forming groups of youths protesting against the Israeli occupation, throwing stones and cocktails at the Israeli who wanted so much to catch or kill him.
Palestinians who were with Mahmoud when he was killed told the PHRMG:
“On Sunday 10th December we decided to go to the tunnel area (opposite the Gilo Jewish settlement) to prepare and plant a bomb. We were three. At about 10:30 p.m. we started our operation. We went to Doha area in Beit-Jala, then through the mountans to al-Amal school, then to the west through the fence, to a spot overlooking the road leading to the tunnel main road. We entered area (C) under the Israeli rule, and sat in our place waiting for an Israeli vehicle to pass, but nothing came. So we decided to walk towards the DCO office. We walked for about 120 meters, then we sat waiting for more than one hour and a half. We saw a group of Israeli soldiers come to the area, they had a dog with them, they soon saw the hole in the fence, and looked around for few minutes. They went down to the other soldiers at the checkpoint on the main road. We couldn’t do anything then, but go back the same way we came, and this was exactly what the Israelis wanted. As soon as we walked towards al-Amal school, we heard gunfire, mahmoud was wounded in his leg. We wanted to carry him to save him, but he said, “you must run away, hurry up and go fast, don’t worry about me, God will protect me”. He gave us his gun, and we felt it was over, so we ran away very fast. It was about 2 a.m. then. Few minutes later we heard gunfire, 3 bullets were shot, we realized that Mahmoud must have been killed by the Israelis. The 3 bullets were in his head, when we left him he was alive. They killed Mahmoud in cold blood.”
13.12.2000
Preventive Security:
The Palestinian Preventive Security Service revealed that the main suspect in the assassination of “Martyr” Jamal Abdel-Razek, 27 years, that was carried out by the Israeli army on the 22nd of November, during which three other Palestinians were killed.
The suspect is called Majdy Mikkawi, 25 years, who followed and reported the moves of the martyr. He is the uncle of Jamal, and he is at present detained by the preventive security service in Gaza.
The official source in the PSS said that his service will soon hold a press conference to reveal the full details about this collaborator.
*Source: al-Quds newspaper, 17.12.2000
Assassination
28 years old, from Qalandia refugee camp, married with
two children (Budour and Oday), was considered one of the active members of Fateh
movement in the area. He worked as a taxi driver, and sometimes he did some
electrical works.
His brother Hasan said:
“Samih went to visit his sister, some people came and called him saying they wanted to see him on a private matter, he went out with them to the crushing plant area near the camp where they gave him a mobile telephone to hold, saying there would be an important call for him soon. But unfortunately the mobile phone was bombed and it exploded killing my brother.”
According to officials in Fateh movement in the camp, there was an Israeli military warplane over the camp at the time when the explosion that killed Samih happened, after midnight on the night of 17th December.
*
Al-Quds newspaper, 18th December
Some people in the camp say that the martyr was killed when a bomb that he was preparing exploded. But Fateh officer in the camp, Jamal Abu-Leil, confirmed that the martyr, who was one of the active Fateh members, was killed by Israeli agents who carefully planned his assassination. He added that an Israeli helicopter was flying over the camp at the time of the crime, which confirms this accusation.
The martyr was arrested several times by Israel, and was known for his nationalistic qualities. His family said that he left his house after the evening Ramadan breakfast, with some men who came asking for him.
It is worth mentioning here that in 1995 Israel has assassinated Yahia Ayyash, one of the leaders of Hamas military branch (Izzeddin al-Qassam) by bombing his mobile phone.
·
Al-Hayat
al-Jadida, 18.12.2000
35 years old, from al-Far’a refugee camp near Nablus, married with four children, works as an investigator in a local insurance company, and a member in Fateh movement in his camp.
On Monday 18th December, the Palestinian General Intelligence service in Tul-Karem area has found the body of Rashid buried close to a new building under construction in Nour Shams camp near Tul-Karem. The victim was stabbed several times before he was buried. The General Intelligence service has caught a Palestinian from Nour Shams camp who was in relation with the victim. Sources from Fateh oranization accused Israel of planning the killing of one of its active members.
The victim has left his camp on Friday 15th December, after the Friday prayers (midday) and went to see one of his relatives in Tul-Karem, who has phoned him earlier that day. Fateh sources explained that this crime came as part of the series of assassinations carried out by Israel through its agents in the territories.
* Sources: al-Ayyam and
al-Hayat newspapers, 19.12.00
The Question that every one in Tul-Karem asked:
Most Palestinians in Tul-Karem, Nour Shams and Far’a camps were surprised or even shocked when they knew that the suspect in the murder of Rashid Abu al-Hassan was his close friend from Nour Shams camp.
People in al-Far’a camp said that the victim went to Tul-Karem with 1200 Jordanian Dinars in order to buy two pieces of arms. He was an active member in Fateh organization in his camp. He went there following a phone call from his very close friend (the suspect). Both men went to a building that is under construction. It is believed that the victim was killed while he was praying, since the suspect is much weaker to kill him face to face. But the question remains: Why did he kill his close friend? Relatives of the suspect said that it couldn’t be for money, because if the suspect had asked the victim for sme money, he would immediately help him.
What was also surprising, was that the suspect took part in the night search for the victim before the body was discovered.
·
Source:
al-Quds, 20.12.2000
Assassination
Israel has referred to the
policy of assassinations in the first Intifada (1987-1993). The Israeli
Intelligence Service (Shin-Bet) killed some of the leaders of the Intifada,
with the help of its agents in the Palestinian community. Some of those
youngmen who were killed were:
- “Martyr” Yasser
Abu-Ghosh, one of the active members
of Fateh in Ramallah district who was shot in the main square in Ramallah, then
the Israeli soldiers tied his body to the military jeep and drove around
terrorizing the people.
- “Martyr” Atwa al-Buze’I, from the village of Deir-Ibzei’, who was an active
student in Hebron University. The Israeli undercover units stopped him in his
village and killed himin cold blood.
-
“Martyr” Jamal al-Tumeizi, from the
village of Idna near Hebron, who was also killed in cold blood. He was captured by the Israeli undercover units,
arrested for few days, then he was released. He
thought it was over, but as soon as he reached his house he was killed in front
of his family.
Other active Palestinians who
were killed included:
Abdel-Mun’em Abu-Hmeid from Ama’ari refugee camp,
Hamzeh Abu-Srour, from Bethlehem,
Those two have caused
considerable trouble to the Israeli Shin-Bet.
After the signing of the Oslo
peace agreement, Israeli didn’t stop. The Israeli intelligence planned
carefully, and killed Hani Abed, one of the active members of the
Islamic Jihad movement. Leader of the military branch of Hamas, Yahia Ayyash
was also assassinated in 1995 after the Israeli intelligence service, with the
help of a well known collaborator called Kamal Hammad, by bombing his mobile
phone in Gaza.
the assassination of
Hussein Abayat
* Following a complicated
intelligence process, the General Intelligence Service in the West Bank
arrested a collaborator, resident of Bethlehem area, who confessed under
interrogation for providing the Israelis with information that was helpful in
the assassination of Hussein Abayat, the senior Fateh leader in Bethlehem
district.
A senior officer in the GIS
said that the collaborator was Mohammed Deifallah Mohammed al-Khatib, who will
be presented to the State Security Court in the coming few days. The source
added that the GIS began a wide search and investigation immediately after the
killing of Abayat, and finally arrested the suspect 15 days ago, who confessed
for his involvement in the attack on Abayat, and in other operations. The
collaborator started his connection with the Israelis in 1990, and since then
he has been following the movements of armed Palestinians in the area to inform
his superiors, namely an Israeli officer called “Moody”.
The Palestinian source added
that the collaborator followed the movements of Abayat in particular, and on
the day of the attack, 9th November 2000, he gave detailed
information to the Israelis (kind and color of vehicle the martyr was driving,
and the streets he was taking). This information helped the Israelis shoot at
the car and kill Abayat.
The collaborator also
confessed that he helped in the operation to assassinate sheikh
Radi Safi, one of the leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement, which occurred in
1999. The operation failed because sheikh Safi was injured and transferred to
an Israeli hospital for treatment, he is still detained by the Israelis.
Al-Ayyam Newspaper, 01.01.2001
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
An Explanatory Note from al-Khatib family
* Al-Ayyam newspaper
published yesterday Monday 01.01.2001 a report saying that a collaborator was
arrested in Bethlehem and involved in the assassination of martyr Hussein
Abayat. The name of the collaborator was Mohammed Deifallah Mohammed al-Khatib,
but we in al-Khatib family deny anny connection with
this person, and deny that he belonged to our family. We demand that the
concerned authorities reveal the true name of the collaborator and present him
before Palestinian justice.
Al-Quds 02.01.2001
* Israel’s Deputy Minister of
Defense Ephraem Sneh said yesterday that the Israeli army will “continue to
(hit) Palestinians who are suspected of carrying out or planning attacks against
Israelis”. He told the Israeli military radio: “We’ll continue to (hit) those
involved in terrorist attacks, or in planning such operations” and added that
“having a position in the Palestinian Authority doesn’t provide immunity to
anyone”.
Sneh refused to answer a
question whether Israel has prepared a “list” of senior Palestinians who might
be assassinated, but simply said that “Assassinations of Palestinians who are
suspected of planning or carrying out attacks proved to be the most effective,
precise, and correct method”.
He said that choosing the
targets is a complicated process that takes in considerations both political
and military standards, and such operations will happen only if they “serve our
goals”, as he put it.
Ma’ariv newspaper mentioned
that the Israeli army and the Israeli intelligence (Shin-Bet) were recently
allowed to raise the level of the assassinations to include officials in senior
positions in the Palestinian Authority. The newspaper added that the Prime
Minister Ehud Barak himself gave the “go ahead” order to carry out the
assassination of Dr. Thabet Thabet, the Secretary-General of Fateh
movement in Tul-Karem, which took place at the beginning of this week.
Al-Ayyam,
04.01.2001
* Israel has in the last few
weeks assassinated some activists from the various Palestinian movements, in
its attempt to suppress the Intifada.
The last of these attacks was targeted against Dr. Thabet Thabet,
Secretary-General of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem, who was also the
Director-General of the Palestinian Ministry of Health in the West Bank. He was
killed in front of his house.
The Israeli campaign of
assassinations began on the 9th November when Hussein Abayat, one of
the cadres of Fateh movement in Bethlehem area was hit with a missile
fired from an Israeli military helicopter in Beit-Sahour.
Palestinians said that at
least 12 activists were assassinated by the Israeli army in the last few weeks.
Officials in the Palestinian Authority described those operations as “State
terrorism” carried out by the Israeli government.
Al-Quds,
04.01.2001
* Collaborator Mikkawi tells his story
* The Palestinian who is suspected for chasing the movements of martyr Jamal Abdel-Razek who was killed on 28th November with three others (Awni Dheir, nael Liddawi and Sami Abu-Laban) by the Israeli army revealed yesterday the details of how he informed the Israelis about the movements of the martyr on the day he was assassinated.
The collaborator, Majdy Mikkawi, the martyr’s uncle, who was arrested by the Palestinian Preventive Security Service two weeks after the accident, was clearly involved in providing the Israelis with information on the movements of the martyr, without any regard to the family relationship with the Jamal. He said: “the Israeli intelligence officer, Known to me as Mufeed, told me that they needed to information in order to protect Jamal, and not to kill him in an operation.”
Mikkawi told the Palestinian Satellite Station that he was very sorry for what he did, and he asked all collaborators to hand themselves over to the Palestinian police and stop any connection with the Israeli (Shin-Bet) who only seek to harm the Palestinian people, and will not protect them for ever.
Magdy Mikkawi, 27 years old from Brazil neighborhood in Rafah / Gaza Strip, worked in car trade. He began his collaboration with the Israelis in February 1994, following his arrest by the Israeli authorities for 28 days. He said that he decided to open a communication office with a friend before that, but the Israelis practiced pressure on him, and detained him. Inside prison, he confessed to an informer who told everything about him to the Israelis. After long refusal, he fell under their pressure and agreed to collaborate with them. They used to pay him a monthly salary of 1000 shekels. First his contact person was an Israeli officer in Rafah border, known to him as Abu-Noor, who met with him for 3 times, in Dogit settlement and Rafiah Yam settlement. Then an officer called Abu-Yousef who was his connection for 6 months, then replaced by Abu-Talal, and finally he was introduced to Mufeed, who was his connection when the assassination attack that killed Jamal Abdel-Razek occurred. Since 1996, the Israelis started paying Mikkawi 1500-2000 Shekels every month.
First the Israelis asked Mikkawi to collect information about some Hamas and Islamic Jihad members and their activities. Then When the al-Aqsa Intifada erupted, they asked him to bring them information about the armed Palestinians who used to open fire at the Israelis in Gaza Strip. He provided them with a list of armed Palestinian men who used to open fire at the Israelis at “Salaheddin Gate” at Rafah border, and the list included the martyr, Jamal Abdel-Razek. After that, the Israelis asked Mikkawi to follow Jamal and gather as much details as possible about his movements, when he questioned that, the Israelis said they wanted to protect Jamal “so that he won’t be killed in any confrontation with the Israeli army” they explained.
On the day of the assassination, Mufeed, the Israeli officer, called me and asked me to go to Jamal’s house and watch him, so I did. I entered the house because of the family relationship. I saw Jamal and his friend (Awni Dheir) put a rifle in the boot of the car.
They said they will go to Khan-Yunis to give condolences to
a friend of them whose son was killed (by the Israeli army). They left the
house at about
The collaborator, Majdy Mikkawi, said that he was surprised when Jamal was killed, he discovered that the Israeli officer, Mufeed, deceived him. He said: “I was in shock for few days, and I tried twice to kill myself”. He added that he felt very sorry for all what he did, and that Mufeed called him after the accident and assured him they won’t neglect him. But when he knew that the Palestinian Preventive Security was looking for him (two weeks after the accident), he went to them. He said they interrogated him in a normal way, and didn’t torture him.
Note: When Mikkawi was
interviewed on the Palestinian Satellite Station, he looked in good health with
no signs of torture on him.
Source: Al-Hayat al-Jadida, 04.01.2001
The Assassination series continues:
The Israeli army killed
Dr. Thabet Ahmad Thabet, the Secretary-General of Fateh movement in
Tul-Karem
* A special unit from the Israeli army assassinated yesterday Dr. Thabet Ahmad Thabet, 50 years old, the Secretary-General of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem, a member in the Supreme Fateh Committee in the West Bank, and the Director-General of Inspection in the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Dr. Thabet was killed by heavy gun-fire opened at him from an Israeli vehicle that has stopped to the West of Tul-Karem near the agricultural greenhouses, as he left his house to drive his car to go to the city, at about 10 a.m., After the first wave of shooting, few Israeli soldiers got off the military vehicle and shot at Dr. Thabet’s car from their M16 rifles, they got into their vehicle after that, and drove away towards the Taibeh checkpoint back into Israel. Medical sources in Tul-Karem hospital said Dr. Thabet was shot 15 times in his face, neck, arms and back (all in the upper part of his body).
Eyewitnesses said an Israeli van was parked in the site of the attack, to the west of the city opposite Dr. Thabet’s house, since four days, probably to observe his movements.
Palestinian sources said the shooting occurred from area C (under Israeli rule) that was about 300 meters from the house of the martyr.
Al-Quds, 01.01.2001
* The Palestinian population in Tul-Karem district said farewell to the year 2000 and entered the new century in a massive march saying goodbye to Dr. Thabet Thabet, the well respected Fateh leader who was assassinated by the Israeli army in a horrible crime.
Al-Ayyam, 01.01.2001
* Fateh movement has organized numerous marches in
all the regions, protesting against the killing of one of its senior leaders,
Dr. Thabet Thabet from Tul-Karem, who was assassinated by a special unit from
the Israeli army. Fateh movemenat has also opened “condolence houses” to
receive the public who wants to give their condolences to the movement, in
various cities, in Jenin, Hebron, Ramallah and Gaza.
Al-Hayat, 02.01.2001
* Yadiot Aharonot, the wide-spread Israeli newspaper said yesterday that Israeli security sources admitted that a special unit of sharp-shooters from the Israeli army assassinated Dr. Thabet Ahmad Thabet, the Secretary-General of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem. The newspaper said that Dr. Thabet was killed because he was responsible for giving instructions to carry out attacks against Israelis. The newspaper added that Dr. Thabet was the 10th Palestinian to be assassinated by the Shabak, the Israeli Intelligence Service, in the last few weeks.
Al-Quds, 02.01.2001
* Marwan Barghouthi, the Secretary-General of Fateh movement in the West Bank, said his organization will take revenge for the killing of its leaders and cadres. Barghouthi was speaking before a massive crowd in Ramallah yesterday protesting against the killing of Dr. Thabet Thabet, the leader of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem, by the Israeli army. Barghouthi held the Israeli government responsible for the series of assassinations that took place recently , and addressed Ehud Barak the Israeli Prime-Minister by saying; “You’ve opened the doors of hell against yourself and your people”. He threatened that “Fateh will not stand still, we’ll take revenge for the blood of our martyrs.”
Al-Ayyam, 01.01.2001
- Thabet Ahmad Thabet was born in the village of Ramin near Tul-Karem on 20.12. 1950
- He finished his university study, Bachelor degree, from Baghdad in Iraq, doing dentistry in 1973.
- He finished his Master’s degree from al-Quds open university in 2000
- He joined Fateh movement in 1968 while studying in Iraq, on his return home, he was arrested on the bridge.
- He was put under house arrest for 3 consecutive years.
- His clinic in Tul-Karem was very well known, since it was the center for organizing national and union activities.
- he participated in the formation of many local institutions and organizations.
- he became head of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem, and member of the Supreme Fateh movement in the West Bank, and member of Fateh Revolutionary Council.
Al-Quds, 01.01.2001
Affidavit of an eyewitness who was with the martyr Hani Abu-Bakra when the Israeli army killed him, the eyewitness was seriously injured in the attack
Name: Mohammed Ahmad al-Khatib, 37 years old, from Khan-Yunis, married with five children, works as an electrical engineer with UNRWA
He told the PHRMG:
“On Thursday, 14th December 2000, at about 7 in the morning, I left my house to go to the UNRWA office in Khan-Yunis where I left my car and decided to go to Gaza city to carry out some work for UNRWA. I got into a local cab (a yellow Hyondai) and sat in the middle seat in the car. After we left Khan-Yunis there were six people in the car including the driver (the driver was the martyr Hani Abu-Bakra) and one of the passengers was a girl.
When we reached the Israeli military checkpoint at Gosh Qatif junction, there was Mercedes before us. The Israeli soldier at the tank beside the road waved for the Mercedes to pass. Then he waved for us to go forward. The soldier over the second tank inside the checkpoint waved for our car to stop, so it stopped. We noticed there were five Israeli soldiers on the ground next to the Israeli tank (this was unusual) and the Israeli soldier on top of the tank was speaking on his mobile phone. The Soldiers approached the car and ordered the driver to get off. The driver wanted to get out his papers, but suddenly the five soldiers opened fire directly at the head and chest of the driver. The gunfire lasted for about five minutes, and I heard one of the soldiers say in Hebrew “I’ve terminated him.” I was injured so I pulled myself out of the car, and I laid in a pool of blood. After few minutes two I sraeli soldiers came and took me to an ambulance that drove us (myself and Abdallah Qanan, another passenger who was seriously injured) to Kfar darom settlement. An ambulance took me to Soroka hospital in Beer-Sheba’ in the Negev (inside Israel) where they conducted a surgery on my hand, and I remained in the hospital for 3 days with the police guarding my room. They didn’t allow me to speak with anyone, not even with my family on the phone. After 3 days they took me to an ambulance, in which Abdallah Qanan was sitting, but he looked very ill and very tired. They drove back to Kfar Darom settlement in Gaza Strip, and contacted the Palestinian side who sent an ambulance that took me to the Red Crescent hospital in Khan-Yunis, while Abdallah Qanan was taken to Nasser hospital in Khan-Yunis, where he passed away two days before the feast of Ramadan, on Monday 25th December, suffering from injuries he sustained in the accident. I stayed in hospital for one week, and now I am waiting to be transferred abroad for further medical treatment.”
Nabil Abdel-Razek, 25.12.2000
Victim: Said Adham Taha
al-Kharouf
35, married with 3, from Nablus
Said was visiting his friend Osama Barham, who was “wanted” by the Israelis, when Osama received a phone call from a friend of his called Majdy Qirrish who told Osama that his car was broken on the by-pass road and needed fuel. Osama wanted to go to help his friend who needed help, but Said said he would go instead, so that Osama would not take any risk. Dr. Khalil al-Arda, a brother in law of Said, went with Said as well. As soon as there car arrived to the by-pass road, Israeli soldiers opened fire extensively. Said was shot in his hand and leg and was left for hours bleeding without any help until he passed away (it was after 10 at night), and Dr. al-Arda was seriously injured, he is still in hospital inside Israel.
This affidavit was given by Wa’el Mousa Halaweh, 38 years old, from Nablus who knew the victims very well. There were no eyewitnesses at the site of the crime.
Date of affidavit: 21.12.00
Nahed Farouk Foujo, 30 years old, was the only Palestinian who survived from the massacre that took place on 22.11.00 at Mourag juction near Rafah in Gaza Strip, in which four Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army, including Jamal Abdel-Razek, one of the leaders of Fateh movement in the area.
Foujo who was released on 28.11.00 by the Israelis, said: “I left my house in the early morning for work (as a taxi driver). I waited for about one hour, when the two martyrs (who were in his taxi) Na’el Liddawi and Sami Abu-Laban got on. They had a big empty gallon with them. I understood they wanted to go to Khan-Yunis to fill it with fuel for the bakery where they worked, since there was a shortage of fuel in Rafah because of the Israeli closure. When we reached Mourag junction, an Israeli military vehicle moved from the side of the road and blocked the road before us, then there was gun-fire from all directions, like heavy rain, so I hide under the seat and covered my head, and began to read verses from the holy Qur’an. An Israeli soldier then opened the door of the taxi, when he saw me he said in Hebrew [there is one still alive] he pulled me out from the car, eye-folded me, and they took me to Gosh Qatif settlement. All through the way the Israeli soldiers were beating and insulting me. They took me to Ashqelon prison inside Israel where they kept me for 6 days under interrogation. They wanted me to confess (by force) that the two martyrs had guns and were going to carry out an attack against Israelis. They put me in cells with collaborators in order to make me speak, but I resisted all their techniques. Finally, they threw me at Erez crossing, I walked towards Gaza, a family from Jabaliya gave me refuge and was kind to me for some time.”
Source: Al-Risalah weekly newspaper, 30.11.00
Martyr: Mas’oud Hussein
Mahmoud Ayyad, 60 years old, a colonel in the PA’s Force 17 security service,
married with 4 children (Khader 38 , Nassr 34, Arwah 36 & Hassan 24) from
al-Zaitoun neighborhood in Gaza city.
On 13.02.2001 at about 9:45
a.m. the martyr was driving his car (a white Honda model 2000) to his work in
Jabalia, across Salah eddin main road in Gaza, when two Israeli Appachi
helicopters hovered over and fired four missiles hitting his car and burning
it. The martyr died instantly, people took him to al-Shifa hospital but he was
a dead body. I knew about the accident from my security service. Mas’oud was a
good man, he belonged to Fath movement, and had
nothing to do with Hizbullah in Lebanon (as the Israelis claimed). He was
detained by Israel during the first Intifada for two years.
Person who gave the
testimony: Said Hussein Ayyad, a colonel in the General Intelligence Service.
Date of testimony:
15.02.2001
Assassinations
The victim: Anwar Mustafa
Mohammed Mer’I, 35 years, from the village of Qarawat Bani Zeid, near the town
of Salfit, a member in the General Intelligence Service, married with two
daughters.
The victim was attacked in his house by a number of collaborators (at least three of them) and was stabbed 13 times. The killers fled away to Israel after they committed their crime (according to Colonel Jamal Jibara, head of the General Intelligence in Salfit). Security services also added that the victim was “wanted” by the Israelis because of his active role in the Intifada.
Jibara added that his security service has detained 7 Palestinians, some of them known as collaborators with Israel, for suspicion that they might have helped in the killing of Anwar. He explained that the killers must have fled to Israel after they committed their crime. He said that the vitim lived in a house in area B which is under Israeli military rule, and he was not armed which made it easy for the assailants to carry out their mission. He added that the victim’s wife discovered the body of her husband when she went to their house in the morning, she doesn’t stay in the house for security reasons. The body was stabbed 13 times in different places.
This was the first time the collaborators carried out the assassination directly by their own hands.
* Sources: Al-Hayat
& Al-Ayyam newspapers 17/2/2001
and Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, 19/2/2001
Assassinations
The Victim: “sergeant” ‘Ayed
Khaled Abu-Harb, 24 years old, from Nour Shams refugee camp near Tul-Karem,
works in the Navy Police service, was killed by the Israeli army on 14th
February 2001.
Palestinian security sources
said Abu-Harb was killed in an ambush planned by the Israeli army on the main
road between Tul-Karem and Nablus, near the village of Ramin (the place is in
area C under Israeli security rule), while eyewitnesses said there was an armed
confrontations between Abu-Harb and few other armed Palestinians from one side,
and more than 50 Israeli soldiers from the other side. Anyway, Abu-Harb was
shot twice in his back and abdominal, and passed away after he was taken to
Tul-Karem hospital.
Fateh movement issued a communiqué after the accident, and said the victim was a member in “Dr. Thabet Thabet brigades” (called so after one of Fateh leaders who was assassinated by Israel). Abu-Harb was one of the active members of Fateh in Nour Shams refugee camp.
* Sources: Al-Hayat,
Al-Ayyam & Al-Quds newspapers on 15.02.2001
The victim: Mahmoud al-Madani,
25 years old, from Balata refugee camp, one of the active members of Hamas
Islamic movement. He was killed on 19th February 2001.
He was killed by a special unit from the Israeli army while he was coming back from the mosque to his shop at the southern entrance to Balata refugee camp in Nablus.
Medical sources in Rafidia hospital said Madani was shot three times in his chest, and died few hours after he arrived at the hospital.
Eyewitnesses said fire was opened at the martyr from two Israeli military posts, from Jerzim mount overlooking the camp, and from Roujeeb area south of the camp.
Madani was considered pne of the well-known figures of Hamas in the area, and was arrested twice by Israel in the past, the second time released in August 1998.
Israel radio said that a special unit in the Israeli army opened fire at a Hamas activist in Nablus, who was suspected in preparing for two bombings that occurred in Netania and Khadira in the past.
* Sources: al-Quds,
al-Ayyam & al-Hayat newspapers, 20.2.2001
*
The Preventive Security Service in the West Bank has arrested 6 people
suspected of preparation and/or taking part in the killing of Anwar Mustafa
Mer’I, the sergeant in the General Intelligence Service who was killed 5 days
ago in the village of Qarawat Bani Zeid. State Attorney General of the PA
Khaled al-Qidra said the 6 suspects ae being
interrogated and they will be presented for trial soon.
-
Sources: Al-Hayat & al-Quds,
21.02.2001
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
The Palestinian security services in Nablus have arrested a number of suspects
who might have helped the Israeli forces in the killing of Mahmoud Madani (25
years old) the Hamas activist who was assassinated on the 19th
February 2001.
Governor
of Nablus, Mahmoud al-‘Aloul, said: “the victim was killed by a special unit
from the Israeli army who sneaked into his work place at the southern entrance
of Balata refugee camp, and shot him when he came back from the noon prayers,
while Israeli soldiers from the military site at Jerzim mountain opened fire to
cover for the withdrawal of the special unit from the site of the crime.”
This
was of covering for the killers was also used in the assassination of two
Palestinians previously killed during the current Intifada; Dr. Thabet Thabet
in Tul-karem and Anwar Hamran in Nablus, according to Palestinian security
sources.
According
to Israeli press sources Barak government stopped its policy of assassinations
after the killing of Dr. Thabet Thabet on the 31st December 2000,
because of the local and international criticism against Israel, but those
sources added that, soon the Israeli government decided to resume its policy of
killing the activists of the Intifada, and so killed Mas’oud ‘Ayyad, one of the
guards of President Arafat, for his infuential role in the Intifada (according
to the Israeli sources).
Shlomo
Bin ‘Ami, the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs and Police (in Barak’s
government) described the policy of assassinations in a letter to Barak,
published in Ma’ariv newspaper as “return to the dark ages”.
- Sources: Al-Ayyam, 21.02.2001
Palestinian
Security Services arrest a group of collaborators
including one Jew
Palestinian
and Israeli security sources announced yesterday that group of people suspected
for collaboration with Israel were arrested for suspicion they had had
connection with the assassination of Mahmoud Madani (25 years old, a Hamas
activist) who was killed by Israeli gun-fire on 19th February 2000.
Among
the group was a Jew, from a Syrian origin, who has been living in Nablus in the
last few months. His name is David Marssiyeh, about 50 years old, was born in
Syria for an Arab father and a Jewish mother, then traveled to France and
studied medicine. He came to Nablus 6 years ago, and lived in Alon Moreh
settlement. After the confrontations started last September, he went to live
with his mother in Nablus (Balata camp).
Source: Al-Quds and al-Hayat newspapers, 26.02.2001
Al-Ayyam newspaper added (also on 26.02.2001):
David’s
mother was a Jewish woman called Fawzieh al-Samman, who got married to a Syrian
man and had a Jewish boy they called David, Then years after that she got
married to a Palestinian called Mohammed Subhi al-Hafannawi, and lived with him
in Balata refugee camp in Nablus. Al-Hafannawi met Fawzieh in Lebanon in 1956, she converted to Islam and married him. In 1972 He
managed to bring his family to the West Bank after he got a permit from the
Israeli authorities.
Fawzieh,
the mother, who is at present 76 years old, said her Jewish son, David, was
also known as Nizar, got ill with a rare stomach disease, so his Palestinian
brother Muneer al-Hafannawi, who is relatively wealthy, asked him to come and
live with them in Nablus. So David, or Nizar, didn’t find any difficulty in
entering Israel (because he is a Jew) and went to live with “his” Palestinian
family. But after one year he left Nablus to live in Alon Moreh settlement
(near Nablus). But his illness got worse recently, so he decided to go back to
stay with his mother in Balata camp.
Israeli
sources said the PA will soon release the Jewish citizen (David), and he was
actually released on 27th February 2001, after he remained in
interrogation for 9 days. His Palestinian brother Munzer, 44 years old, is
still detained.
On
19th Frbruary 2001, Mahmoud Suleiman al-Madani, 25 years old, was
shot four times in his chest by an Israeli special unit, and he passed away 6
hours later at Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. This was the 3rd
assassination in Nablus, and the 14th since the start of al-Aqsa
Intifada on 28th September 2000. (according
to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper in London)
Hussam
Khader, member in the PLC from Balata camp in Nablus (also member in the Board
of Trustees of PHRMG) said on 20.02.2001:
“A
car drove into the area, 500 meters inside Area A, under the security rule of
the PA, and a group of armed people got off and opened fire at Mahmoud
al-Madani. Then the Israeli soldiers who were located at Jarzim mountain opened
heavy fire to cover for the assailants who drove away.” Then Khader asked about
the role of the Palestinian security services in protecting Palestinians inside
the Palestinian areas.
Madani
was one of the activists of Hamas Islamic movement in Balata camp. In the past,
he was arrested twice by Israel, in the second time he was released in 1999
after being detained for 6 months, during which he was tortured very severely.
When al-Madani was in prison he got his Tawjihi High School Certificate, after
that he joined al-Najah University in Nablus doing Islamic religious studies.
Israel
resorted to the fatal policy of assassinations against the leaders and activists
of the Palestinian Intifada, and has terminated some of them, such as the
General Secretary of Fateh movement in Tul-Karem Dr. Thabet Thabet, the
military leader of Fateh in Bethlehem Hussein ‘Abayat, and a colonel in the
Force 17 security service in Gaza Mas’oud ‘Ayyad.
Israeli
security sources (according to Ha’aretz Israeli newspaper on 20.02.2001) said:
“A
special unit from the Israeli army gunned down Mahmoud Madani, 25, who was
detained in Israeli in the past for a period of four years. There were
indications that he too part in the implementation of two bombing attacks that
occurred in Khadira (in November 2000) and in Tel-Aviv (in January 2001).”
On
20th February 2001 more than 15,000 Palestinians participated in the
march and funeral to bury the martyr Mahmoud al-Madani
in Nablus. Dr. Abdel-Aziz Rantisi, one of the prominent leaders of Hamas in
Gaza Strip said that all the Palestinians political groups and movements must
unite in the resistance against the Israeli occupation. (al-Quds newspaper, 21.02.2001)
Assassination
“Martyr” Iyad
nayef Hardan
On
5th April 2001, The Israeli occupation forces killed Iyad Nayef
Hardan, 30 years old, from the village of ‘Arraba near jenin, north West Bank. He was blown up when he tried to make a
phone call from a public telephone, two meters away from the main entrance to
the National Security HQ in Jenin.
Eyewitnesses
said that Hardan, who was the leader of “al-Quds militia” the military branch
of the Islamic Jihad movement in Palestine, was killed when he held the
telephone in the public telephone cabin in the street. It seems that
collaborators with the occupations have planted explosives in the telephone,
and as soon as Hardan held it, it was blown up by remote control.
Thousands
of angry Palestinians took part in the funeral of Hardan later, all asking for
revenge from the occupation and its agents.
Israel
said Hardan was number one on the “wanted” list of the “dangerous”
Palestinians. He was responsible for the suicide bombing that took place in Mahane
Yehuda market in West Jerusalem in September 1998, which injured 23 Israelis.
Other sources said he was also responsible for the killing of an Israeli
officer in Bedya near Tul-Karem in June 1994.
(al-Ayyam newspaper, 6/4/2001)
Israeli
Minister of Transport, Ifraim Sneh, said the assassination of Hardan will help
control the activities of the Islamic Jihad movement.
Sneh
added that Hardan was well-known for Israel. He said that Hardan was
responsible for several attacks against Israelis.
(al-Quds newspaper, 6/4/2001)
Two
months ago, an Israeli reporter said that “martyr” Anwar Hamran, who was
assassinated by Israel in Nablus was one of the aids of Iyad Hardan, the leader
of the military branch of the Islamic Jihad movement.
Iyad Hardan, the victim, was
detained twice by Israel, and the PA also detained him for three years between
1995 – 2000 .
Assassination
Person who gave the testimony: Sami Odeh Abdel-Al (cousin of the martyr)
Martyr: Mohammed ‘Atweh
Abdel-Al, 27 years old, unemployed, lived in al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah,
married with three (Hisham, 4, Anas 2, and Sundos one month).
On 4/4/2001 his cousin told the PHRMG:
[ On 2/4/2001 the martyr left his house at 9 a.m. in his
Peugeot 504 car. He went to Rafah. People said he did the noon prayers at
al-Janieh mosque. At 11:30 he came home for a short time, he noticed there were
Israeli helicopters hovering in the sky. He felt uneasy, so he went to Rafah
city again. He filled his car with petrol, and drove towards Brazil
neighborhood in Rafah, but just as he entered the area, near al-Jama’ie Club,
three missiles were fired at his car from the helicopters, burning it completely, he was killed instantly inside the car.
Mohammed was arrested three times by Israel and three times by the PA, He was released from detention by the Preventive Security few days before the eruption of al-Aqsa Intifada. He was member in the military branch of the Islamic Jihad movement. Israeli claims he was responsible for the planning of Beit-Leed attack in 1995, Kisofeem suicide bombing (committed by “martyr” Mohammed Abu-Hisham) and the Kfar-Darom attack (committed by “martyr” Ramadan al-‘Arier) ]
Person who was targeted: Abdel-hadi Abdel-Muttaleb al-Natsheh, 32 years old, married with 5 children, lives in Ras el-Jora neighborhood in Hebron.
He told the PHRMG:
“On
16/4/2001 at about 9:30 a.m. I
wanted to go to work. As I sat in my car, Peugeot 504, there was heavy gun-fire
directed at my car. It came from the top of a neighboring building (house of
As’ad al-Ja’bari). I crawled out of the car from the opposite side, and hid
behind a wall. I was hit in my left arm and I was bleeding.
I was taken to al-Ahly
hospital where they operated a surgery on my arm. I feel fine now, but need few
more days in hospital.”
“ I hold the Israeli army responsible for the attack on
me. They think that I take part in the gun-fire at the Israeli settlers in old
city of Hebron. But I don’t. There were more that 25 bullet holed in my car.”
It is worth mentioning that
Abdel-hadi was arrested twice (administrative detention) by Israel, in 1995 for
6 months, and in 1996 also for 6 months, as they suspected that he was a member
in “Hamas” the Islamic Resistance Movement.
* All three local newspapers (Al-Quds, al-Hayat al-Jadida, & al-Ayyam) newspapers (on 17/4/2001) said the victim Abdel-hadi al-Natsheh was an active member of Fateh movement in Hebron. And that Israeli soldiers positioned on the roof of one of the houses opened fire at his car as he left his house. They also reported that an Israeli helicopter hovered over the site at that time.
The person who was targeted: Naser Abu-Hmeid, 36 years, from Am’ari camp, near Ramallah, one of the well-known Fateh activists in Ramallah area.
On 13/4/2001 at about 5 p.m. the Palestinian Preventive
Security Service ended an attempt to assassinate an active member of Fateh
movement, Naser Abu-Hmeid, who was given a bombed car by a suspected
collaborator. But Abu-hmeid, had his own suspicion in
the present given to him, because the person who gave it to him insisted on
that, and so Abu-hmeid informed the PSS about the car. Experts on explosives
searched the car and discovered it had a bomb in it, so they took the car from
Am’ari camp to a the PSS headquarters in Beitunia. An
Israeli helicopter that hovered over the area burst the bomb by remote control
few minutes after the car was left away from the public.
Abu-hmeid said that some men gave him the car
as a present, but he didn’t trust them so he informed the PSS. Four suspected
Palestinians suspected for collaboration with Israel were arrested later by the
PSS.
Head of the PSS in Ramallah
and al-Bireh area, Colonel Sabri Tumeizi said:
“
Collaborators with Israel put the
bomb in the car in al-Ram area north of Jerusalem an brought the car to
Abu-hmeid to kill him. The Israeli
helicopter blew p the car in order to destroy the very sophisticated explosives
that the Israelis use in such attacks. We arrested four people for suspicion
that they had a relation with the attack, but unfortunately the main suspect,
the person who gave Abu-hmeid the bombed car, fled to Israel.”
Naser Abu-hmeid was very active in the first Intifada, he was a member in an armed Fateh group called ‘the masked lion’. He was arrested 7 times by the Israelis.
** Sources: Local newspapers (al-Quds, al-Hayat & al-Ayyam ) on 13/4/2001
The victim: Ahmad Khalil As’ad ‘Ayesh, 34 years old, from the village of Artas, south of Bethlehem, married with one daughter, 1.5 years old.
Person who gave the testimony: Mohammed Hasan Abdallah Zahran, an electrician from Dheisheh refugee camp. He was an eye-witness, so he told the PHRMG:
“On 5/5/2001 at about 8:15 in the morning I was in the village of Artas near the mosque waiting for someone who agreed to meet with me so that I could do some electricity works in his house. Suddenly I heard gun-fire from M16 automatic machine-gun, I saw two Israeli soldiers with one civilian masked Israeli about 60 meters on the hill opposite me, and there were 10 other Israeli soldiers about 50 meters up the hill away from, all armed with machine-guns. ((in Area A under full Palestinian rule)). The gun-fire lasted for one minute, then all the group went up the hill and disappeared. The Israeli army has made a temporary military post on the hill, and few minutes after the assassination was over, that post was removed.
After few minutes, people from the village gathered, and discovered that Ahmad Khalil was killed inside his house, and his niece (Nisreen Ismail Khalil ‘Ayesh, 4 years old) was lightly injured in her foot. The civilian masked Israeli must have been a professional sniper who intended to kill the victim, and the soldiers gave him cover.
There was no gun-fire from the Palestinians, there is nowhere they can shoot from, and no target.
There were some PA men in the site, 4 members from the PSS, who stood and watched everything. People asked them to shoot at the soldiers who were going up the hill (walking up the hill takes 15-20 minutes), but the PSS men refused and said there were no orders to do so.
I didn’t really know where the PSS came from, or what for. Maybe it was a coincidence.”
* The victim’s brother assured the details mentioned above.
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* All three Palestinian newspapers said Ahmad Khalil As’ad, 36 years old, was one of the leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement in Bethlehem area. And he was killed by a special unit from the Israeli army.
Al-Quds newspaper added that: The martyr was shot 15 times by the special unit, and he was detained by Israel for 8 years in the past.
* On Saturday 12th
May 2001 Israeli warplanes bombarded a car driven by Palestinian activists in
Jenin, north West Bank, killing two men and injuring
few others in the area. The two victims were: Mu’tassem Ahmad Mahmoud
al-Sabbagh (28), a well-known Fatah activist who was injured and lost one of
his legs in the first Intifada, and Nasri Abdelkader al-Jaloudi (25), a
policeman who was standing nearby.
The American made Apache
helicopters launched two rockets, the first one didn’t
hit the target (a Fiat 131 car) directly and landed in the street before it.
This gave the two men accompanying Sabbagh the chance to escape from the car,
and they were not hurt. Sabbagh couldn’t move very fast, because of his
artificial leg, so the second rocket hit the car directly damaging and burning
it completely.
The two other men, who
managed to escape death, were: Abdel-Karim Oweis and Yousef al-Rashedin, and
all three of them (with Sabbagh) were leaders of Fatah movement in Jenin
district.
Colonel Tawfik al-Tirawi,
head of the Palestinian Intelligence in the West Bank said that Israel tried to
assassinate Abdel-Karim Oweis one of his officers in Jenin district using
military helicopters. He added that Oweis was lightly injured but managed to
escape.
On the other hand, an Israeli military source said that the three Fatah activists were responsible for gun-fire attacks against Israeli targets in the area, and accused them of preparing for other attacks against Israeli soldiers and settlers.
*Source: Al-Quds newspaper, 13/5/2001
Assassinations
Israel commits a
massacre in Nablus
The Israeli occupation forces
carried out a military attack that killed eight people in the city of Nablus
yesterday (31.07.2001). The Israeli military helicopters fired missiles on a 6
floor building, directly hitting the Palestinian Media Office, affiliated with
Hamas Islamic movement.
The victims who were killed
in the attack were:
1) Sheikh
Jamal Mansour, (42 years old), one of the prominent leaders of Hamas in the
region.
2) Sheikh
Jamal Saleem, (43 years old), a well-known Hamas leader.
3) Omar
Mansour, (27 years old), member in Hamas and personal guard of Sheikh Jamal
Mansour.
4) Fahim
Dawabsheh, (32 years old) one of the workers in the office.
5 + 6)
Bilal and Ashraf Abdel-Mun’em, (6 & 9 years old), two brothers who were in
the street outside the building.
7) Mohammed al-Bishawi, (26
years old), a journalist who works for al-Najah Press Office in Nablus.
8) Othman al-Qatanani, (25 years old), a
journalist who works for Nablus Press Office.
Other Palestinians were
lightly wounded as a result of the explosion that happened after the missiles
entered the target office from the window. The apartment used as a media and research
office by Hamas members was completely destroyed. Thousands of Palestinians
gathered outside the building after they heard the explosions, they walked in a
massive march to protest against the brutal killing, and they called for
revenge from the Israeli assailants.
* Salah Noureddin Darwazeh, one of the leaders of Hamas movement in Nablus was killed on 25/7/2001 by five missiles fired by the Israeli forces at his car. Darawzeh, 37 years old and father of 6 children, was representative of Hamas in the united committee of national and Islamic groups in Nablus.
Eyewitnesses said the Israeli tanks located on “Eibal” mountain fired at Darawzeh’s car, while Palestinian sources said military helicopters fired at the car. Medical souces in Rafidia hospital said the body of Darawzeh arrived in pieces to the hospital after his car was directly hit by the missiles.
Darawzeh was detained three times by Israel, and was among the deportees to south Lebanon in 1992. Israeli military source said that Darawzeh was killed because he was preparing for an attack inside Israel.
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* Jamal Mansour (42), and Jamal Saleem (43) two leaders of Hamas movement in Nablus were killed with 6 others in an attack by the Israeli forces on an office on 31/7/2001. The six other victims were: two journalists; Mohammed al-Bishawi 26, and Othman al-Qatanani 25, Fahim Dawabsheh 32, and Omar Mansour 27, companion of Sheikh Jamal Mansour, Plus two children, Bilal and Ashraf Abdel-Mun’em, 7 and 9, who were playing outside the office.
Both figures of Hamas, Sheikh Jamal Mansour and Sheikh Jamal Samleem were among the deprtees to south Lebanon in 1992, and were well-known for their social activities. Mansour had a family of 7 members, and Saleem had a family of 9 members.
The target was an office affiliated with Hamas movement, in a 7 floor building in the city center. A military helicopter fired three rockets that went through the window and exploded inside the office killing the six men inside, and the two children outside.
Bodies of the victims were cut to pieces, and more than 100,000 Palestinians walked in their massive funeral the following day.
* Mary Robinson, the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, expressed her “deep shock” for the “deadly and brutal” attack committed by Israel in Nablus, and the escalation of violence that followed.
Robinson’s secretary in Geneva said in her press release “this daily violation to the right of life must stop”.
Mary Robinson mentioned that after her visit to the region last November, she recommended that International Observers must be deployed in the Palestinian Territories.
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* The US Administration has asked Israel to stop the assassination attacks, such as the latest attack using military helicopters on Hamas offices in Nablus this week.
The Americans have asked their Israeli counterparts to “understand the interests of Washington” in the area. Yet the US Administration didn’t publicly condemn the continuation of the Israeli government in its policy of assassinations. Washington didn’t also condemn the use of American made “Apachi” helicopters in the rocket attack on Hamas office in Nablus. Israeli sources said America fears that the Israeli attacks may harm its relations with Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan.
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* Sharon: Assassination is the best policy that meets our needs
The Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon said that the policy adopted by his government to face the Intifada, including the assassination of the Palestinian activists, was the right way to meet the security needs of the State of Israel.
The Israeli newspaper “Yediot Aharonot” mentioned yesterday that Sharon said in a meeting with activists from his Likud party that he doesn’t very much like this method, but it was the best in the current circumstances.
In addition, Sharon refused the American criticism for the policy of assassinations and said: “It seems that we progress correctly in the security field”.
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* The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs decided to launch an international campaign to explain Israel’s policy of assassinations against the Palestinian activists. The Israeli government cabinet (that includes Sharon, Benyamin Ben-Eliazer, Minister of Defence, and Shimon Peres Minister of Foreign Affairs) agreed to launch this campaign following the international criticism after the attack in Nablus which killed 8 Palestinians.
* On 23/7/2001 Mustafa Yousef Mohammed Yassin, 28 from the village of ‘Anin – Jenin district, was killed by a “special squad” from the Israeli forces who entered his house in the evening and shot him. The special force used police dogs and, a local vehicle, and dressed as chicken salesmen when they entered the village.
Locals from the village said the Israeli force also entered a chicken shop looking for
Murad Ahmad Tawalbeh, 21, who is affiliated with the Islamic Jihad movement. The Israeli military source said that Yassin refused to stop when the soldiers ordered him to do so, and explained that Tawalbeh was “wanted” because he was planning to commit a suicide attack inside Israel.
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* Palestinian sources said late last night that 6 young men from al-Far’awere killed by the Israeli forces when an explosion occurred in a garage in which they were meeting.
The 6 people were:
1. Maher Jawabreh, 24
2. Abdel-Rahman Ishtewi, 24
3. Hikmat Abu-el-Habal, 27 … (Three of them work in the military intelligence service)
4. Mohammed al-Tayeh, 23, owner of the garage
5. Muneer Abu-Jarour
and 6. Ameen al-Malek .. both from al-Far’a village.
Eyewitnesses said that Israeli military helicopters hovered over the area before the explosion took place, others said that Israeli tanks located in Alon Moreh settlement (3-4 km away) fired missiles at the garage killing the 6 men.
Palestinian security sources added that the first three victims (Jawabreh, Ishtewi and Abu-el-Habal) were known as activists in the Fateh organization military branch ‘al-Aqsa Brigades’ and they were “wanted” by Israel.
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* An Israeli force (army and police) has yesterday killed Naser Ismail Abu-Zeid, 21, from Qalandya camp, north of Jerusalem. The Israeli force chased the car driven by Abu-Zeid and shot him south of Ramallah, he was injured, then he was taken to Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem where he died.
Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli force was waiting for Abu-Zeid, who was an activist in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP). They tried to make him stop at a checkpoint in Samir-Amis area on the main road between Jerusalem and Ramallah. The Israeli radio claimed that Abu-Zeid was responsible for the killing of an Israeli settler from “Bizgat Zeev” three weeks ago. The Israeli police obtained this information from a Palestinian who is now detained by them, who provided them with all the information about Abu-Zeid.
* On Wednesday 15/8/2001, a special unit from the Israeli security forces killed
Imad Suleiman Abu-Sneineh (25) who was a well-known Fateh armed actisit.
The Israeli military sources announced that a special undercover unit (Musta’rebin)
Went in a local Arab plat car, and waited outside the house of Abu-Sneineh, in Om-el-Daliyeh neighborhood in Hebron (Area A under full Palestinian rule) and opened heavy fire at the target Imad Abu-Sneineh, when he came home at about 7:40 a.m. The Israeli security source claimed its responsibility for the killing of Abu-Sneineh, and said that he was one of the armed Fateh fighters who were “targeted” by the Israeli authorities. Source: al-Quds newspaper, on 16/8/01
The martyr Imad Abu-Sneineh had three children; Falastine (Palestine) 5 years, Samah 3 years, and Suleiman 18 months. The night prior to his killing he took part in an exchange of gun-fire with the Israeli army that lasted for 8 hours (10:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.) A member of Fateh armed fighters who was in the battle with Abu-Sneineh in the old city of Hebron said: “We told Imad to go and hide somewhere safe because we knew Israel will try to kill us, but he insisted on going home to see his children. He loved his children and his homeland so much. Israel will pay for this brutal crime.”
Sourcse: al-Hayat al-Jadida newspaper, 16/8/01
Mahmoud (27) one of the cousins Imad Abu-Sneineh told the PHRMG on 15/8/01, how the martyr was killed:
“On 15/8/01 at about 7:00 a.m. I was cleaning my shop in Abu-Sneineh neighborhood (Om el-Daliyeh road), and saw a white van waiting in the street with a blue plastic cover on its back. The van was about 200 meters from the house of the martyr. When Imad came to his house carrying some things for his family, the snipers in the van opened fire from M16 silencer rifle. I only saw the martyr fall down crying. He was hit four times, in his right eye, twice in the chest, and once in his leg. Then the van moved away towards the Israeli military collaboration office. There were four men in the van; the driver, one beside him, and two in the back who shot Imad and pulled down the cover.”
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* Sharon boasts about killing Palestinian activists
In a meeting for the central committee of the Likud party in Tel-Aviv, the Israeli Prime Minister Sharon defended his position against supporters of his rival Benyamin Netinyaho by saying that his government has two options: Either launch a massive attack on the PA, or work differently. He continued to say: “There was a military cell in Bethlehem, its not there any more. The Hamas commander in Tulkarem, he doesn’t exist anymore. In Nablus there was a man who organized attacks, he doesn’t exist anymore.”