On 19 July, Brigadier General Gaza al-Jabali ordered all police stations in Gaza to close down most summer camps without permits from the police, except those camps organized by the Political Direction in the PNA. Individuals whose camps were closed down were summoned to the police stations in Gaza, and informed on the order released by al-Jabali. They had to sign an undertaking to close down their summer camps until they obtain a permit from the police.

The summer camps which were closed down belonged to al-Khalas group, the Islamic Jihad, and the PFLP. On 16 June, al-Khalas group received an approval from the Ministry of Interior to hold the camp. The secretary of al-Khalas Yehya Moussa al-Abadleh, received a letter from Ministry of Interior representative Zacharia Abdul Rahim. On 17 June, the Ministry of Interior sent another letter to the secretary informing him that the approval for the summer camp has been postponed, and to contact Brigadier Abdul Razzaq al-Majaydeh and al-Jabali, for further information. On 31 May, al-Khalas had informed al-Jabali about these camps.

On 20 June, a meeting was held between al-Khalas group members and Brigadier Salim Wadiyeh from the Political Direction. The latter banned the formation of all camps except those conducted by the Political Direction. Al-Khalas leadership however, rejected the notion that they could not hold a summer camp.

On 17 July, according to an order from the police station in Jenin, three policemen dressed in civil arrested Hantuli Abdul Fattah Hantuli (married and father of two children, from Jenin, electrical engineer working at a building sight he owns). The arrest took place following a dispute which erupted between him and a first lieutenant earlier on that day. The first lieutenant had brought a water pump to the building sight on 15 July to be fixed. Hantuli figured out the problem with the pump. When the lieutenant arrived with his brother, Hantuli informed him that the problem was in the pump’s engine. When he asked for 120 NIS to repair it, the two became angry and refused to repair it. Hantuli asked for 10 NIS for disassembling the pump and discovering the problem which took him about 40 minutes. The first lieutenant told him: “don’t you know that I am a police officer?” his brother beat Hantuli with his fist. Then the two of them cursed him and told him: “I will pay you 100 NIS instead of 10 NIS, but I will show you.” They left the place.

Later on, the lieutenant arrived with two other policemen. They arrested Hantuli with an order on the charge of “attempting to hit the lieutenant with a hammer.” This was all a lie. In the police station in Jenin, Hantuli was released after his testimony was taken, and after signing an agreement to go back to them the next day to sign a truce with lieutenant Muhrez. The next day, Hantuli met Muhrez at the police station. Muhrez told him that he was not going to press any charges against him because many people interfered in the case. Muhrez told him that he could get his ID back and go home. The interrogators however, did not allow him to leave. “When I went to get my ID, the interrogators told me that I had to wait until Muhrez returned. Muhrez arrived two hours later, but they still did not allow me to leave. They claimed that it was not enough that Muhrez took back the charges. Four hours later, the head of Jenin police station arrived. He held me for 48 hours in a cell, and then I was presented before the Civil Public Prosecutor Usama al-Kilani who told me: “you are a trouble maker.” I asked him why he called me that when it is the first time he sees me. When I said that, he held me for another week, until I was released after paying three fines through attorney Taleb al-Buzur. I was released on 25 July, and a court hearing was held on 27 July.

A case that rings the emergency bell:

Name: ‘Ala Yehya D’eiss

Age: 21

Residence: Ras Khmeis – Shu’fat – Jerusalem

On 4 April, I was summoned to the police station in Ramallah, to meet with Brigadier Khaled Tantash. I arrived there with my brother Muhammad, who had to use the bathroom immediately. At 3:30, I entered Khaled’s office. Khaled called three other men to come and take me. They took me fast, saying: “take him quickly before his brother comes out of the bathroom.” I was forced into a white Fiat with yellow plates. They placed a shirt on my face, and the car started moving. About seven minutes later, we stopped, and I did not know where we were. We entered into a deserted house and they started beating me up and interrogating me on a house theft in Sami Ramis – Ramallah. I denied the charge. They hung my head with a hose that was in the wall, and started beating me again with their hands and feet. They took my wallet and ID away. Inside I had 200 NIS, some papers, and a phone book. They kept me there for about 20 minutes, then they placed the shirt over my head once more, and the car drove. Four minutes later, we stopped at another house. We got out of the car into another house. The latter was inhabited because there was furniture. They started beating me up again, and tied my leg with my hand. They told me that they were going to leave for an hour, and by the time they got back, I had to confess to committing the theft. When they left the house, I managed to untie myself. I opened the door and left. I discovered that I was in al-Ama’ari refugee camp. I reached the main street and took a car to al-Ram checkpoint. I told the soldiers there about what happened to me. They took me to the police in Nabi Ya’acob because I was from Shu’fat. I was then transferred to Hadassa hospital – Mount Scopus, where I received treatment. My ID is still held by the Palestinian Police.

The PHRMG never received any reply to this letter.

It is important to mention that ‘Ala’s ID is still with the police. During a telephone conversation with Khaled Tantash and ‘Ala’s brother, the former refused to return the ID to ‘Ala, because ‘Ala ran away.

In January, Baligh Muhammad Abed Jaradat stopped his car in a no parking zone in Bab al-Zawiyeh in Hebron. When he returned, his car was booted. He waited half an hour, but no police cars passed by. “I made a big mistake when I broke the lock, but I was really in a hurry. While I was breaking it, a police car arrived, and they arrested me.”

When Jaradat arrived to the headquarters, the head of police Abu al-Munther al-Tamizi, asked him to pay a fine of 150 NIS. Neither Jaradat, nor any of his friends who accompanied him to the station, had enough money. They only had 100 NIS with them. His two friends asked the officer to give them 15 minutes until they get the rest of the money, and he agreed to give them four hours, on the condition that Jaradat stays at the station until the money is brought. Meanwhile, the officer sent Jaradat to Brigadier Tareq Zeid, who was already angry. Zeid asked me: “why did you break the lock?” I told him that I did a mistake by breaking it. I told him that the police car arrived late, but I was ready to pay a fine for my mistake. Zeid answered him while he was screaming: “you are rude. Why do you speak to me like that? Stand straight.” I was standing at ease with my hands behind my back. One of his assistants approached me and slapped me on my hand. All of a sudden, Zeid ordered them to beat me up. Eight men attacked me and beat me up severely all over my body. Then Zeid approached me and stopped them. He said: “hold him for me.” They held me, and Zeid slapped me with his hand on my face over eight times. The last slap was on my eye. Then he said: “continue to beat him,” and they did. I tried to defend myself, but they were very violent. I lost consciousness and fell on the ground. When I woke up, all the policemen were around me, their feet were right next to me. My nose was bleeding, as well as my mouth. My right eye was in bad shape, because I could not see a thing. The policemen took me to one of the cells. Half an hour later, Zeid came to my cell, and attacked me once more with his hands and feet. His assistants were with him. I could not do a thing. When they were done, they left and kept me in there for two days.

Head of police in Khan Yunis beat up a porter and broke two of his teeth because he could not hear well:

Brigadier Suheil Al-Sheikh Ali (head of police in Khan Yunis) asked Abd al-Mo’ti Abdul Rahman Sharab: “Do you know who I am?”

“No,” answered Abd al-Mo’ti (30, porter, from Khan Yunis).

The Brigadier slapped the porter four times and broke two of his teeth.

On 2 July, at seven in the evening, Abd al-Mo’ti was with Bassam al-Ma’ari waiting for a cement truck to arrive near al-Qararah crossroad. There were policemen on the road, headed by brigadier Suhail Al-Sheikh. It seems that the brigadier did not hear Abd al-Mo’ti tell the truck driver: “Zuheir, open the road so we can go home early.” He must have heard Suhail rather than Zuheir. The brigadier approached Abd al-Mo’ti and asked if he knew him. That is when the brigadier slapped Abd al-Mo’ti and broke two of his teeth.

The next day, during the Friday prayers at al-Sunna mosque in Khan Yunis, Sheikh Yehya al-Ghalban talked about the behavior of PNA officials, and he mentioned what happened with Abd al-Mo’ti. The latter stood up and said: “I was the one who was beaten by Brigadier Suhail.” Hundreds of those who were praying gathered in a march and headed to the police station protesting the attack of Suhail on Abd al-Mo’ti. When they reached the police station, Brigadier Ahmad Mufreh met them and told them that he would take the case.

Following this march, Brigadier Gazi al-Jabali released an order to arrest Sheikh Yehya, but his family hid him and threatened the police to do something bad if they arrested the Sheikh.

Abd al-Mo’ti went to hospital in Khan Yunis to get a medical report on his condition, but the hospital refused to give him one when they discovered that the Brigadier was the one who attacked him. They asked Abd al-Mo’ti to get a permit from the police in order to obtain a medical report. Abd al-Mo’ti went with one of his friends to the police station to get the letter. They were both arrested by Brigadier Suhail who threatened them. After the interference of many people, the two were released.

Fining, beating, and arresting a man for two days because he did not insure his car:

On 26 March Nasser Kallab (32, builder, from Khan Yunis) and his friend Riyad Ahmad Abu Ghali (28, from Khan Yunis, has had kidney disease for 10 years), were heading to hospital to take Riyad to the doctor. On the way, they were stopped by the police at the checkpoint. The policeman asked for the papers of the car (license and insurance). Nasser told him that he had a license: “I do not have insurance because I could not pay the money. I used the car to help my friend get to the doctor.”

The policeman did not only fine Nasser, he also cursed him, and insulted him. He took them both to the police station in Khan Yunis. On the way there, he attacked them, although Nasser warned him that his friend was sick. When they reached the station, the policeman was beating Riyad all over his body. They were both arrested. Riyad’s condition deteriorated and he was treated. They were both released on 28 March.

One of Jabali’s policemen breaks the arm of one mother:

On 15 June about 60 mothers of detainees held in Israeli prisons, headed to the Ministry of Finance headquarters in Gaza to meet with Minister Muhammad Zuhdi al-Nashashibi to complain about their late payments. On 5 June, the Ministry released checks for these mothers, and they went to the post office to cash these checks. The office refused to cash them because there were no funds to cover the amounts. (This is what Handuma Rashed Washah said. She is the mother of detainee Jaber Washah who is serving a lifetime imprisonment at Nafha prison).

The mothers who headed to the ministry were forbidden from entering the building. They pushed against the doors and asked to see the minister. Handuma said that one police officer whose name she did not know, attacked her and she fell on the ground and lost consciousness. When she regained consciousness she found herself at the top floor of the ministry. One police officer was beating her with his hands and feet.

On the same day, the mothers were cursed and insulted. One police officer attacked Ms. Shahira Abu al-Naja, mother of detainee Haitham Abu al-Naja who is serving 15 years at Nafha prison. The officer broke Shahira’s arm. She said that the officer beat her up with the weapon he had in front of the Ministry building.

During the chaos, Hisham Makki (TV director) arrived. He promised the mothers to cash their checks and asked them to come to the TV building at noon. The number of mothers who went was between 8 and 10. However, the employees there refused to let them into the building and started cursing them.

Najat Ismai’il al-Faluji, mother of detainee Diya’a al-Faluji who is serving a life sentence at Nafha prison, said that one of the TV employees cursed her and spit at her, and tried to run her over with his car. The detainees in the Israeli prisons found out what happened to the mothers, and they wrote a letter which was distributed by Ms. Um Jaber Washah, saying: “we swear by the pure braids in your hair, which the Zionists could not harm, that sooner or later, we are going to teach the people who hurt you a lesson.

A complaint was received by the monitoring committee at the Legislative Council on 29 June, after a march took flight from the Red Cross to the Council in al-Gindi center in Gaza. All the mothers signed the complaint.

Attached, is the Palestinian detainees’ letter, including a letter from the detainees and liberators society. These two letters were read to the mothers during their strike at the Red Cross headquarters in Gaza.

On 12 September, policemen attacked and beat demonstrators in front of the PLC building in Gaza. The demonstration was organized by Hamas in solidarity with detainees from the Islamic movement held in Palestinian jails. This took place following the many promises made by PNA officials to release those prisoners.

When the police found out about the demonstration, it send a large number of officers who blocked the streets around the PLC building, and prevented citizens from reaching the demonstration. Some policemen attacked demonstrators by beating them up with batons.

Police arrest a victim and releases the attacker:

On 25 May, twenty men arrived in a cement truck to the house of Dr. Muhammad Zein Eddine (57) in Rimal – Gaza. They started unloading the cement from the truck into his front yard to confiscate the house. Muhammad’s wife (55), tried to stop them, but some of them beat her up and ripped her shirt. When the Doctor arrived at the house, he asked one of the neighbors to call the police, and she told him that she had done so 30 minutes earlier. One hours later, one of the neighbors went to the police while the dispute was still going on. He asked them to come at once: “are you waiting for someone to die until you get here?” When the police car arrived ten minutes later, most of the attackers had already left. The police asked for their names, and the Doctor told them two names of persons he knew, and whom he had problems with regarding the house he has been living in for ten years.

The policemen went and found one of the attackers and his two sons. The others who were found showed their ID’s that proved they were from the GI. The police asked them to come to the station for interrogation. In the station, one police officer tried to convince the doctor not to mention a word about the accident, for fear that other violent accidents might occur. The other attacker was not summoned to the police station. The next day, the Doctor and his wife were asked to go to the station. The interrogators were replaced. The couple were separated and interrogated separately. “When I arrived to the station, I was surprised when I saw that the interrogators had been replaced. My wife and I were separated and had to meet with different interrogators. The attacker who was supposed to be interrogated was not even there.”

Name: Diya’a Eddine Hasan Muhammad Hreish

Age: 26

Marital Status: Married and has three children

Residence: Jabal Al-Mintar – Beitunia

Profession: Worker

Telephone: 2900495

His mother Fakhriyeh Ahmad Hasan Khreish (47), ID number 964221246, gave her testimony, mother of five boys and three girls.

On Monday 14 December 1998, my son Diya’a went to his in-laws home in Kobar village with his wife and children. He returned to his house which is located next to ours, and he was by himself.

On Thursday 17 December, at around 11:30 in the morning, one of his in-laws (Abu Khaled) came to my house and told me: “get dressed. I want you to come to the hospital with me to visit Diya’a.” I was very surprised. Abu Khaled told me that Imran, who works with the GI, informed him that Diya'a was in the hospital. I immediately called Imran to see what was going on. He told me that when he came to work in the morning, he saw Diya’a’s name on his desk. He said that there was a dispute between Diya’a and an officer that led to Diya’a’s death. I immediately headed to the emergency room at Ramallah hospital. I asked to look at the list of patients who had been admitted the night before. I found Diya’a’s name on it. He had entered the hospital at three in the morning on Thursday, and he was dead. I went to the police to see what had happened. Interrogation officials, who refused to give their names, received me. They told me that my son attacked police officers and they were forced to shoot him and kill him. They told me that his body was transferred to the Forensic Department in Abu Dies, even though we did not approve of an autopsy being performed. We did not even receive a judicial order. On the same day, Thursday, we received the body at 3:30 in the afternoon. It was brought to his parents’ home. Six bullets were in his body. The bullets were in his jaw, in his left shoulder, and in his heart. This proves that he was deliberately killed, and not for self-defense. Aref, a shopkeeper next door told us that Diya’a was at the store on Wednesday at 10 in the evening. He told Aref that he was going to see his friend in the police who works as a guard at a car dealership office in the Industrial zone in Ramallah to get a debt of 5,000 NIS. Aref said: “I know that this guy owed Diya’a this money for four months. The police officer was delaying the payment every time.” It seems that my son got involved in a fight for his money, which led the police officer to pull his trigger. None of us were summoned to the police for an investigation. I asked for the autopsy report from prosecutor Issam al-Ansari, and he refused. We are still in search of the truth, and we will not calm down, until all is cleared up. We are suspicious of their whole story, especially since they informed us about his death twelve hours later. They claimed that he died at midnight.

We received the permit for burial, and it stated the following:

Permit for Burial

Name: Diya’a Eddine Hasan Muhammad Al-Hreish

Age: 23

Residence: Beitunia

Registration: Ramallah

Sex: Male

Religious Affiliation: Muslim

Cause of Death: Heart failure, and lung failure resulted from two gunshots which punctured the heart and led to a severe internal bleeding.

Palestinian Forensic Medicine Center

17 December 1998

Signed by the Ministry of Health

Dr. Samir Al-Arouri

Diya’a’s mother Fakhriyeh, was arrested on 23 November 1989 by the Israeli authorities. She was charged with taking part in killing collaborator Hasan Aqqileh from Beitunia. She was sentenced to a 12 year imprisonment. She spent six years in prison, and was released on 8 May 1995 during the Oslo Accords.

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