Report of the Special Committee to Investigate

Distr.
GENERAL

A/49/511
18 October 1994

Original: ENGLISH

Forty-ninth session
Agenda item 78

REPORT OF THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE TO INVESTIGATE ISRAELI
PRACTICES AFFECTING THE HUMAN RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN
PEOPLE AND OTHER ARABS OF THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES

Note by the Secretary-General

1. The Secretary-General has the honour to transmit to the members of the General Assembly the twenty-sixth report of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, which was submitted to him in accordance with paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 of Assembly resolution 48/41 A of 10 December 1993. The present report should be considered together with the Special Committee's periodic reports contained in documents A/49/67 and A/49/172, which were transmitted to the members of the Assembly on 4 February and 7 June 1994, respectively.

2. The present report contains a summary of articles and reports received during the period covered by the present document. In preparing the report, the newspapers mentioned below have been taken into account. Reference to reports appearing in the Arab press published in the occupied territories is made when they contain relevant material not found in the Israeli newspapers listed below. The terminology used in the report is that found in the original version of the summarized newspaper reports.

Israeli press Ha'aretz (Hebrew language daily)
Jerusalem Post (English language daily)

Arab press published in
the occupied territories Al-Tali'ah (Arabic language daily)
The Jerusalem Times (English language daily)

CONTENTS

Paragraphs

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

I. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 1 - 5

II. ORGANIZATION OF WORK ................................. 6 - 16

III. MANDATE .............................................. 17 - 22

IV. INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY THE SPECIAL
COMMITTEE ............................................ 23 - 680

A. General situation ................................ 33 - 243
1. General developments and policy statements ... 33 - 130
2. Incidents resulting from the occupation ...... 131 - 243
(a) List of Palestinians killed by troops or Israeli civilians ....................... 142
(b) List of other Palestinians killed as a result of the occupation ................ 142
(c) Other incidents ......................... 143 - 243

B. Administration of justice, including the right to a fair trial ............................ 244 - 315
1. Palestinian population ....................... 244 - 276
2. Israelis ..................................... 277 - 315

C. Treatment of civilians ........................... 316 - 566
1. General developments ......................... 316 - 471
(a) Harassment and physical ill-treatment ... 316 - 324
(b) Collective punishment ................... 325 - 400
(i) List of houses or rooms that were demolished or sealed ................ 325 - 348
(ii) Imposition of curfews, sealing off or closing of areas ................. 349 - 399
(iii) Other forms of collective punishment .......................... 400
(c) Expulsions .............................. 401 - 416
(d) Economic and social situation ........... 417 - 470
(e) Other developments ...................... 471 94

2. Measures affecting certain fundamental
freedoms ..................................... 472 - 524

(a) Freedom of movement ..................... 472 - 499
(b) Freedom of education .................... 500 - 508
(c) Freedom of religion ..................... 509 - 519
(d) Freedom of expression ................... 520 - 524

3. Information on settlers' activities affecting
the civilian population ...................... 525 - 566

D. Treatment of detainees ........................... 567 - 625

(a) Measures concerning the release of detainees 581 - 602
(b) Other information concerning detainees ...... 603 - 625

E. Annexation and settlement ........................ 626 - 667

F. Information concerning the occupied Syrian Arab
Golan ............................................ 668 - 680

V. CONCLUSIONS .......................................... 681 - 769

VI. ADOPTION OF THE REPORT ............................... 770

Annex. MAP SHOWING ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS ESTABLISHED, PLANNED OR UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN THE TERRITORIES OCCUPIED SINCE 1967 ....................................................

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

26 August 1994

Sir,

The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories has the honour to transmit herewith its twenty-sixth report, prepared in accordance with General Assembly resolution 2443 (XXIII) of 19 December 1968, by which the Special Committee was established, and resolution 48/41 A of 10 December 1993, the latest resolution by which the General Assembly renewed its mandate.

This report covers the period from 27 August 1993, the date of the adoption of the twenty-fifth report of the Special Committee, to 26 August 1994. The report is based on written information gathered from various sources, in particular Israeli press reports as well as articles appearing in the Arab press published in the occupied territories. It also includes oral information received by the Special Committee through testimonies of persons having first-hand experience of the human rights situation in the occupied territories. Written information concerning the period from 28 August to 30 November 1993 is reflected in the periodic report the Special Committee presented to you on 14 January 1994 (A/49/67). Written information concerning the period from 1 December 1993 to 31 March 1994 is reflected in the periodic report the Special Committee presented to you on 7 May 1994 (A/49/172). These periodic reports have been submitted in accordance with paragraph 6 of General Assembly resolution 48/41 A of 10 December 1993 in which the Assembly requested the Special Committee to submit regularly to the Secretary-General periodic reports on the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

For the purpose of collecting oral testimonies the Special Committee again organized hearings that were held at Cairo, Amman and Damascus. The Special Committee continued to monitor statements by members of the Government of Israel reflecting the policies of that Government in the occupied territories and reports on measures taken to implement them. The Special Committee further noted the letters addressed to you during the period of this report relating to its mandate and circulated as documents of the General Assembly, and received information from Governments, organizations and individuals on various aspects of the situation in the occupied territories.

In carrying out its mandate, the Special Committee benefited from the cooperation of the Governments of the Syrian Arab Republic, Jordan and Egypt and from the cooperation of Palestinian representatives. However, the Government of Israel has continued to withhold its cooperation.

His Excellency
Mr. Boutros Boutros-Ghali
Secretary-General of the United Nations
New York

In preparing its report the Special Committee has attempted to put before you a composite picture of the realities in the occupied territories as it affects the human rights of the civilian population. By this letter the Special Committee wishes to draw your attention to a number of aspects that deserve particular mention.

The period covered by the Special Committee's twenty-sixth report virtually coincides with that which has elapsed since the signing of the Declaration of Principles on Interim Self-Government Arrangements between Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on 13 September 1993 in Washington, D.C. The international community welcomed this historic event with optimism and hope that a new era of peace, justice and understanding in the region had been brought about. The agreement generated high expectations among the majority of the Palestinians and other Arabs of the occupied territories that their situation of human rights would improve. It is in this spirit that the Special Committee has approached its responsibility in carrying out its mandate.

The information contained in the twenty-sixth report of the Special Committee shows, however, that the situation of human rights in the occupied territories continues to be serious.

A major factor of tension and instability in the occupied territories is the continued existence of Israeli settlements, which represents a threat to peace and security in the region. Although no new settlements have been established during the period under review, a number of existing settlements has been expanded. The Government of Israel has pursued the policy of land confiscation, which has reportedly been intensified significantly since the signing of the Declaration of Principles and of the Israel-PLO Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area signed at Cairo on 4 May 1994.

A principal source of persistent tension among the population is the increasingly aggressive and violent behaviour of settlers, who have acted with impunity in most cases. Settlers have blocked roads, threatened, shot at and beaten Arab civilians, and have damaged or destroyed their property. They appear to have been systematically armed and their activities condoned by the Israeli Defence Forces. The most tragic example of settler violence was the massacre committed against Palestinian worshippers at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron on 25 February 1994 when at least 29 persons lost their lives and numerous others were wounded. During the hearings of the Commission that the Israeli Government established to investigate this incident, it was revealed that army orders forbade soldiers to fire at settlers, even in cases when the settlers were unlawfully shooting at Palestinian residents.

Although the overall level of violence in the occupied territories had somewhat declined since the signing of the Declaration of Principles, sporadic outbreaks have met with harsh repressive measures against the civilian population, often resulting in a large number of casualties. Numerous instances of random shooting by troops were reported, often with live ammunition and involving minors. The operation of undercover units has continued.

In addition to the measures employed to quell disturbances, the occupying forces have continued to implement measures of collective punishment such as prolonged curfews and closures. After the massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, a 24-hour curfew was imposed for five weeks on the Arab population of the city who were its victims. This curfew did not, however, apply to settlers.

These measures of collective punishment implemented after outbreaks of violence and disturbances have adversely affected the already precarious economic and social situation in the occupied territories. The negative impact of such measures was felt particularly with regard to health care and the functioning of medical institutions. The policy of economic pressure, such as the uprooting of trees and practices resulting in environmental degradation, has continued to be applied.

The closure of the occupied territories has restricted freedom of movement to a considerable extent, in particular with regard to the policy concerning the issue of entry permits into Israel or to other parts of the occupied territories. Limitations concerning freedom of movement have impeded access to holy sites and prevented students and teachers from the Gaza Strip from commuting to educational institutions in the West Bank.

Substantial deficiencies in the administration of justice have continued in the occupied territories where formal complaints against settlers have rarely been acted upon. Israelis and settlers have continued to receive more lenient sentences in contrast to the harsher ones meted out to Palestinians having committed similar offences. It has been reported that the severity of sentences imposed on the Arab population of the occupied territories has increased since the signing of the Declaration of Principles.

A positive development during the period covered by the Special Committee's twenty-sixth report was the return to the occupied territories in stages of a number of long-term deportees. An additional positive development was the granting of a certain number of residence permits with a view to family reunification.

Reports by prominent human rights organizations have revealed that particularly disquieting practices amounting to torture and ill-treatment, especially during interrogation, have continued to be practiced in Israeli detention centres even after the signing of the Declaration of Principles. The classified guidelines concerning methods of interrogation which allow for the use of "moderate physical pressure" against detainees have continued to be applied, as has confinement in isolation cells. The conditions of detention have reportedly not improved.

The signing of the Declaration of Principles and the Cairo Agreement has resulted in the release of a large number of Palestinian prisoners from detention centres in the occupied territories and Israel. More than 4,000 Palestinian prisoners were released recently within the framework of the confidence-building measures enshrined in the Israel-PLO Agreement on the Gaza Strip and the Jericho Area.

Although the number of house demolitions related to security offences and during searches for wanted fugitives has somewhat declined, houses have continued to be demolished for lack of building permits.

The Special Committee has endeavoured, within the constraints imposed on it, to provide in its periodic reports (A/49/67 and A/49/172) and in the present twenty-sixth report an objective picture of the situation of human rights in the occupied territories. The initial hope and expectations expressed by the inhabitants of the territories at the time of the signing of the historical agreement between Israel and the PLO has since given way to a feeling of disillusion among the majority of persons whom the Special Committee has interviewed. Despite the positive developments mentioned above, the status of occupation continues and Israel should abide by its obligations under the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, and other relevant international instruments. The progress made in the peace process must be accompanied by full compliance with all universally accepted standards of human rights in the true spirit of peace.

The Special Committee has once again made a number of recommendations at the end of its report. In addition to those of a general nature, the Special Committee has appealed to Israel to act in conformity with the spirit animating the peace process by giving serious consideration to a number of concrete measures (see conclusions and recommendations).

The Special Committee feels that unless definite progress is made with regard to the enjoyment of human rights by all the inhabitants of the occupied territories, there is a real danger that support for the peace process will give way to hopelessness and despair, with all the attendant consequences. The efforts of all the parties concerned should be directed towards the nurturing of a truly meaningful culture of respect for human rights in the occupied territories so that peace, understanding and mutual respect will prevail among all the inhabitants of the region.

Accept, Sir, the assurances of my highest consideration.

(Signed) Stanley KALPAGE
Chairman of the Special Committee to
Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the
Human Rights of the Palestinian People and
Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories

I. INTRODUCTION

1. The Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories was established by the General Assembly in resolution 2443 (XXIII) of 19 December 1968. By that resolution, the Assembly decided to establish the Special Committee, composed of three Member States; requested the President of the Assembly to appoint the members of the Special Committee; requested the Government of Israel to receive the Special Committee, to cooperate with it and to facilitate its work; requested the Special Committee to report to the Secretary-General as soon as possible and whenever the need arose thereafter; and requested the Secretary-General to provide the Special Committee with all the necessary facilities for the performance of its task.

2. The Special Committee is composed as follows: Mr. Stanley Kalpag�, Permanent Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations, Chairman; Mr. Ibra D�gu�ne Ka, Ambassador of Senegal to the Swiss Confederation and Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva; Mr. Abdul Majid Mohamed, Ambassador of Malaysia to the United States of America.

3. At the meetings of the Special Committee held from 1 to 7 May 1994, Mr. Zainal Azman Zainal Abidin, Ambassador of Malaysia to the Arab Republic of Egypt, attended as the representative of Malaysia.

4. Since October 1970, the Special Committee has submitted 25 reports. 1/ These reports were discussed in the Special Political Committee, which then reported to the General Assembly. 2/ On the recommendation of the Special Political Committee, the Assembly adopted resolutions 2727 (XXV) of 15 December 1970, 2851 (XXVI) of 20 December 1971, 3005 (XXVII) of 15 December 1972, 3092 A and B (XXVIII) of 7 December 1973, 3240 A to C (XXIX) of 29 November 1974, 3525 A to D (XXX) of 15 December 1975, 31/106 A to D of 16 December 1976, 32/91 A to C of 13 December 1977, 33/113 A to C of 18 December 1978, 34/90 A to C of 12 December 1979, 35/122 A to F of 11 December 1980, 36/147 A to G of 16 December 1981, 37/88 A to G of 10 December 1982, 38/79 A to H of 15 December 1983, 39/95 A to H of 14 December 1984, 40/161 A to G of 16 December 1985, 41/63 A to G of 3 December 1986, 42/160 A to G of 8 December 1987, 43/58 A to G of 6 December 1988, 44/48 A to G of 8 December 1989, 45/74 A to G of 11 December 1990, 46/47 A to G of 9 December 1991, 47/70 A to G of 14 December 1992 and 48/41 A to D of 10 December 1993.

5. The present report has been prepared in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 2443 (XXIII), 2546 (XXIV), 2727 (XXV), 2851 (XXVI), 3005 (XXVII), 3092 B (XXVIII), 3240 A and C (XXIX), 3525 A and C (XXX), 31/106 C and D, 32/91 B and C, 33/113 C, 34/90 A to C, 35/122 C, 36/147 C, 37/88 C, 38/79 D, 39/95 D, 40/161 D, 41/63 D, 42/160 D, 43/58 A, 44/48 A, 45/74 A, 46/47 A, 47/70 A and 48/41 A.

II. ORGANIZATION OF WORK

6. The Special Committee continued its work under the rules of procedure contained in its first report to the Secretary-General. 3/

7. In its resolution 48/41 A, the General Assembly:

"5. Requests the Special Committee, pending complete termination of the Israeli occupation, to continue to investigate Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, to consult, as appropriate, with the International Committee of the Red Cross according to its regulations in order to ensure that the welfare and human rights of the peoples of the occupied territories are safeguarded and to report to the Secretary-General as soon as possible and whenever the need arises thereafter;

"6. Also requests the Special Committee to submit regularly to the Secretary-General periodic reports on the current situation in the occupied Palestinian territory;

"7. Further requests the Special Committee to continue to investigate the treatment of prisoners in the occupied Palestinian territory, including Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967."

8. The Special Committee held the first of its series of meetings from 12 to 14 January 1994 at Geneva. The activities of the Special Committee during those meetings are reflected in document A/49/67 (paras. 2-6).

9. The Governments of Egypt, Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic as well as the Observer for Palestine subsequently responded to the Special Committee's request for cooperation (see A/49/67 (para. 4)), reconfirming their readiness to continue cooperating with the Special Committee.

10. The Special Committee held a second series of meetings at Geneva (25 April 1994), Cairo (27-29 April 1994), Amman (1-4 May 1994) and Damascus (5-7 May 1994). At those meetings, the Committee examined information on developments occurring in the occupied territories between December 1993 and March 1994. It had before it a number of communications addressed to it by Governments, organizations and individuals in connection with its mandate. At Cairo, Amman and Damascus the Committee heard the testimonies of persons who had just returned from or were living in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and concerning the situation in those territories.

11. At Cairo the Special Committee was received by the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs for International Political Affairs, Mrs. Gillane M. Allam. It also met with Mr. Mahmoud Karim, Director of the Palestinian Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Essam Hanafy, Director of the Israeli Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, the Special Committee visited the Palestinian Red Crescent Hospital where it heard the testimony of several patients, residents of the territories. The Special Committee also visited Rafah, bordering the Gaza Strip, where it had the opportunity to hear witnesses who had just arrived from the Gaza Strip.

12. At Amman the Special Committee was received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Talal Al Hassan. It also met with the Minister of State for Palestinian Affairs, Mr. Adel Irshaid, Mr. Asem Ghosheh, Director-General, Department of Occupied Territories Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other high-ranking officials of the Government of Jordan, and was informed about the most recent developments in the occupied territories. During its stay at Amman, the Special Committee also met with the acting Chairman of the Palestinian National Council, Mr. Saleem Zaanoon, and other high-ranking Palestinian officials. In addition, the Special Committee heard the testimony of persons who were wounded during the Hebron massacre at the King Hussein Medical Centre in Amman. While in Jordan, the Special Committee visited the King Hussein Bridge where it heard the testimony of Palestinians who had just crossed over from the West Bank.

13. At Damascus the Special Committee was received by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Nasser Kaddour. It also met with Mr. Taher Al-Husami, Director of the Department of International Organizations and Conferences, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and with Mr. Khalil Abou Hadid, International Organizations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was presented with a report concerning the human rights situation in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan. During its stay in the Syrian Arab Republic, the Special Committee visited Quneitra province, bordering the occupied Syrian Arab Golan. It met with the Governor of Quneitra and other high-ranking officials of the province and was presented with information on Israeli practices against the Syrian Arab citizens in the occupied Golan.

14. The Special Committee examined and completed the periodic report (A/49/172) updating information contained in its previous periodic report (A/49/67). It decided that any further information and evidence relevant to its mandate would be reflected, together with its conclusions, in the present report of the Special Committee.

15. On 7 May 1994, the Chairman of the Special Committee transmitted to the Secretary-General its periodic report covering the period from 1 December 1993 to 31 March 1994 (A/49/172). That report was based on written information gathered from various sources among which the Special Committee had selected relevant excerpts and summaries, which were reflected in the report.

16. The Special Committee met again at Geneva from 22 to 26 August 1994. At those meetings, the Special Committee examined information on developments occurring in the occupied territories from April to August 1994. It had before it a number of communications addressed to it by Governments, organizations and individuals in connection with its mandate, as well as records of testimonies collected during its previous series of meetings. It examined and completed the present report on 26 August 1994.

III. MANDATE

17. The General Assembly, in its resolution 2443 (XXIII), entitled "Respect for and implementation of human rights in occupied territories", decided to establish a Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Population of the Occupied Territories, composed of three Member States.

18. In its resolution 44/48 A, the General Assembly decided to change the name of the Special Committee to "Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories".

19. The mandate of the Special Committee, as set out in resolution 2443 (XXIII) and subsequent resolutions, was to investigate Israeli practices affecting the human rights of the population of the occupied territories.

20. In interpreting its mandate, the Special Committee determined that:

(a) The territories to be considered as occupied territories referred to the areas under Israeli occupation, namely, the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, the West Bank (including East Jerusalem), the Gaza Strip and the Sinai Peninsula. Following the implementation of the Egyptian-Israeli Agreement on Disengagement of Forces of 18 January 1974 and the Agreement on Disengagement between Israeli and Syrian Forces of 31 May 1974, the demarcation of the areas under occupation was altered as indicated in the maps attached to those agreements. The areas of Egyptian territory under Israeli military occupation were further modified in accordance with the Treaty of Peace between the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel, which was signed on 26 March 1979 and which came into force on 25 April 1979. On 25 April 1982, the Egyptian territory remaining under Israeli military occupation was restituted to the Government of Egypt in accordance with the provisions of the aforementioned agreement. Thus, for the purposes of the present report, the territories to be considered as occupied territories are those remaining under Israeli occupation, namely, the occupied Syrian Arab Golan, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip;

(b) The persons covered by resolution 2443 (XXIII) and therefore the subject of the investigation of the Special Committee were the civilian population residing in the areas occupied as a result of the hostilities of June 1967 and those persons normally resident in the areas that were under occupation but who had left those areas because of the hostilities. However, the Committee noted that resolution 2443 (XXIII) referred to the "population" without any qualification as to any segment of the inhabitants of the occupied territories;

(c) The "human rights" of the population of the occupied territories consisted of two elements, namely, those rights which the Security Council referred to as "essential and inalienable human rights" in its resolution 237 (1967) of 14 June 1967 and, secondly, those rights which found their basis in the protection afforded by international law in particular circumstances such as military occupation and, in the case of prisoners of war, capture. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 3005 (XXVII), the Special Committee was also required to investigate allegations concerning the exploitation and the looting of the resources of the occupied territories, the pillaging of the archaeological and cultural heritage of the occupied territories, and interference in the freedom of worship in the Holy Places of the occupied territories;

(d) The "policies" and "practices" affecting human rights that came within the scope of investigation by the Special Committee referred, in the case of "policies", to any course of action consciously adopted and pursued by the Government of Israel as part of its declared or undeclared intent; while "practices" referred to those actions which, irrespective of whether or not they were in implementation of a policy, reflected a pattern of behaviour on the part of the Israeli authorities towards the civilian population in the occupied areas.

The geographical names as well as the terminology employed in the present report reflect the usage in the original source and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Special Committee or the Secretariat of the United Nations.

21. Since its inception the Special Committee has relied on the following international instruments in interpreting and carrying out its mandate:

(a) The Charter of the United Nations;

(b) The Universal Declaration of Human Rights;

(c) The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949; 4/

(d) The Geneva Convention relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, of 12 August 1949; 5/

(e) The Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict, of 14 May 1954; 6/

(f) The Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907 respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land; 7/

(g) The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. 8/

22. The Special Committee has also relied on those resolutions relevant to the situation of civilians in the occupied territories adopted by United Nations organs, the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Economic and Social Council and the Commission on Human Rights, as well as the relevant resolutions of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Labour Organization (ILO).

IV. INFORMATION AND EVIDENCE RECEIVED BY THE SPECIAL COMMITTEE

23. In the course of carrying out its mandate, the Special Committee has relied on the following sources:

(a) The testimony of persons with first-hand knowledge of the situation of the population in the occupied territories;

(b) Reports in the Israeli press, including of pronouncements by responsible persons in the Government of Israel;

(c) Reports appearing in other news media, including the Arab language press published in the occupied territories, in Israel and the international press.

24. The Special Committee also received written statements from the Governments of Jordan and the Syrian Arab Republic.

25. The Government of Jordan has provided the Special Committee with various monthly reports on Israeli settlement and human rights violations in the occupied Palestinian territories. The reports contain information and data on confiscation of land and settlement, including settlement plans and projects, and settlement roads; encroachments on land; attacks on Arab citizens and their property, including a reference to the massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron; arrests, including mass arrests; administrative detention; sentences passed on Arab citizens; conditions in Israeli prisons and detention centres and ill-treatment of detainees, including the state of health of the detainees, malnutrition and solitary confinement; killings; violations against educational institutions; restrictions on the freedom of movement and travel as well as on measures of collective punishment such as the demolition of houses.

26. The Government of the Syrian Arab Republic has provided the Special Committee with a report prepared by the Department of International Organizations and Conferences of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which deals in particular with Israeli practices in the occupied Syrian Arab Golan. The report indicated, inter alia, that:

"Israel had enacted legislation, implemented measures and used various other means to divest the land and its population of their identity, and to Judaize and exploit that land and its resources in order to install settlements, settlers and military fortifications for purposes of subjugation, aggression and expansion at the expense of depriving the inhabitants of the Syrian Arab Golan of their fundamental freedoms and human rights."

The report indicated further that:

"This began immediately after occupation with the destruction of population centres and Arab landmarks, in particular the town of Quneitra, including places of worship, schools, health centres and archaeological sites. The number of population centres destroyed amounted to 241, while the number of displaced inhabitants amounted to more than 120,000 ...

"Israel continued to establish new settlements and to expand the area of existing settlements in accordance with a plan designed to bring the number of settlements in 1994 to 43 and the number of Israeli settlers to almost 20,000 ...

"Since its early occupation of the Golan, Israel has attempted to fabricate material, human, administrative and political justifications that enable it to annex the Golan. To achieve that aim, it employed a dual policy, covering both the land and the population, which it implemented in stages by means of a wide and provocative media campaign ...

"The occupation authorities, in particular their military forces, carried out various acts which destroyed the environment in the Golan and devastated its natural beauty and landscapes ...

"The Israeli authorities pursued a deliberate policy of imposing taxes which the Arab inhabitants of the Golan are unable to pay, since to do so would require incomes above those which they actually earn."

The report also contained information about the health situation of the inhabitants of the Syrian Arab Golan and "Israel's decreasing concern with their health situation and the creation of obstacles to local initiatives to improve that situation". Finally, the report indicated that "the Israeli occupation authorities attempt to stifle these ardent national feelings and prevent the Syrian Arab population from expressing their Arab national identity".

27. In April 1994, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations Office at Geneva issued a memorandum concerning the situation of human rights in the occupied territories following the massacre at the Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron on 25 February 1994. The memorandum mentions, inter alia, the imposition of measures of collective punishment such as closure of the occupied territories; acts of killing committed both by Israeli settlers and the Israeli armed forces; house demolition using artillery and rockets; vandalization of the environment; and the practice of torture during the "questioning of detainees in prisons, in the absence of any control or accountability".

28. In addition, the Special Committee received written information from intergovernmental organizations such as relevant specialized agencies, United Nations organs and regional organizations, as well as non-governmental organizations, individuals and Governments on the situation in the occupied territories. At its meetings, the Committee had before it several communications addressed to it directly or referred to it by the Secretary-General from sources outside and inside the occupied territories. Where necessary, the Committee has followed up information contained in those communications.

29. The Special Committee undertook a series of hearings at Cairo, Amman and Damascus during its meetings from 22 April to 7 May 1994. At those meetings, the Special Committee heard the testimony of 37 persons having first-hand knowledge of the human rights situation existing in the occupied territories. Those testimonies are contained in documents and are reflected in the present report.

30. The Special Committee has taken particular care to rely on information appearing in the Israeli press that has not been contradicted by the Government of Israel.

31. The following paragraphs contain a summary of the information examined by the Special Committee divided as follows:

(a) General situation;

(b) Administration of justice, including the right to a fair trial;

(c) Treatment of civilians;

(d) Treatment of detainees;

(e) Annexation and settlement;

(f) Information concerning the occupied Syrian Arab Golan.

32. This information has been divided into oral evidence and written information. In order to comply with restrictions on the volume of documentation now enjoined upon United Nations reports, the Special Committee has endeavoured to present the information in the most compact and concise form possible. Oral evidence, for which a full record of testimonies is available in documents A/AC.145/RT.634 and Add.1, A/AC.145/RT.635-638, A/AC.145/RT.639 and Add.1, A/AC.145/RT.640, A/AC.145/RT.641, A/AC.145/RT.642 and Add.1, A/AC.145/RT.644, A/AC.145/RT.645, A/AC.145/RT.646 and Add.1 and A/AC.145/RT.649 has been condensed to a general indication of the contents of such records. The report also attempts to summarize written information. That information is reflected in more detail in documents of the Special Committee, which are available on file in the Secretariat.

A. General situation

1. General developments and policy statements

Oral evidence

33. A witness who testified before the Special Committee offered the following explanation of the Palestinian attitude concerning the Declaration of Principles and how the situation in the occupied territories had developed since that time:

"The timing of the signature of the Declaration of Principles coincided with a situation where the Palestinian people was under a total economic blockade imposed by Israel. This is why the Palestinian people, in their majority (perhaps 80 per cent were in favour of the signature), accepted the signature.

"If the peace talks had taken place at the beginning of the intifadah, probably no one in Palestine and the Palestinian people would have agreed to the talks. But after so many years of oppression and difficult life since the intifadah, everybody was happy to see this peace process go on.

"This is why the Palestinians welcomed the peace process. There were festivities. Everybody was happy and Abu Amar, that is Mr. Arafat, asked the Fatah to stop all actions against the occupier. The Fatah responded to this positively, stopped all actions against the occupying authorities and devoted their work to security inside Gaza, to protect the security of the citizens. However, the Israeli authorities kept pursuing the Fatah militants and many Fatah people were killed.

"A long time went by after the signature and nothing happened, no peace was in prospect. This is why slowly, but surely, the Palestinian people resorted again to their actions against the Israelis." (Mr. Yahya Ahmed Yahya, witness no. 9, A/AC.145/RT.635)

34. When the Special Committee asked another witness whether he thought that there has been any noticeable change in the attitude of the occupying Power after the signing of the Agreement between the PLO and Israel in Washington, the witness stated the following:

"From my viewpoint, there has been no change at all. But rather, we see that there is now a focus on the various aspects of occupation and that all forces are being directed towards the settlements, in order to assist the settlements. That has even reinforced the violent attitude of the settlers." (anonymous witness no. 2, A/AC.145/RT.634/Add.1)

35. One witness described the situation after the signing of the Declaration of Principles in the following manner:

"Since the signing of the Declaration of Principles between the PLO and Israel, the situation has become worse. Harassment, injuries inflicted upon people and killings have increased.

"At the beginning, when the peace agreement was signed, all the Palestinians stood behind the PLO and were ready to participate in the peace process. However, when it became clear that Israel was dragging its feet between Oslo, Washington, Cairo, all those negotiations that never ended, people started doubting about the usefulness of the process. At the beginning, there were no demonstrations. Everybody kept quiet and waited to see what was going to happen. But now, people are beginning to get restless.

"It started probably about three or four months later. At the beginning, there was a withdrawal plan within a month of the signing, or we were told that the withdrawal would start a month later. But nothing happened. Then, another date was given and nothing happened. People got disappointed and started moving again because there was no peace. We were promised peace, and there is no peace. Arrests are still going on, killing, maiming, wounding.

"However, if there is a withdrawal, the repression obviously will stop and therefore the Palestinian people will become quiet again and work towards peace." (Mr. Yousri Ismail Barbakh, witness no. 6, A/AC.145/RT.635)

36. A witness who testified before the Special Committee at Cairo gave the following assessment of the situation in the context of the peace agreement:

"When we first heard that there would be a peace process, it was as if a beautiful new horizon had opened before us, to look into the future with hope. Our hearts were filled with hope at the time when the Declaration of Principles was announced. But unfortunately, until now, we have not seen any of these things they had promised us to come true. Palestinians are still being killed in the camps. The policy of bone-breaking invented by Rabin is still going on. Houses are still being demolished. Palestinians are still being arrested and detained, and if no charges are brought against these people, still the administrative detention law operates.

"Concerning the general feelings in Palestine, at the very outset of the agreement we had a great deal of hope. We had many prospects for the future. But the arbitrary actions continue to take place at the hands of the Israeli army." (Mr. Mohamed Omar, witness no. 10, A/AC.145/RT.635)

37. The Special Committee received additional testimony of the situation in the occupied territories following the signing of the Declaration of Principles:

"People are still having hopes that the future will be better and promising. Before I came here, I saw a family of 11 in the Bureij camp. The father asked me whether he would be able in the coming days to find a loaf of bread. This is as regards life itself. But as I have already mentioned, what we really see is that Israeli troops are still here as they used to be, even if they have changed places or changed their positions. ... No, they are still there, although military positions have moved from within the towns and camps to the crossroads. Courts-martial are still operating. Detainees are still in prison, they are not released yet. Has the detention campaign come to an end? Has the occupation come to an end? If these problems are not resolved, they will be a source of worry for the Palestinian people. But they should be resolved so that the Palestinians could feel that change is forthcoming." (Mr. Ibrahim Khamis Shehada, witness no. 11, A/AC.145/RT.636)

38. This information was further complemented with the testimony of another witness:

"At the outset, and in the light of the agreement signed by the PLO and the Israeli Government, we had expected that there would be categorical changes in the situation of human rights in the Gaza Strip. ... What has happened has been exactly the opposite of what we had expected, that is to say improvement.

"In the physical sense, regarding the physical presence of the occupation, according to the terms of the Declaration, there are now negotiations under way on the redeployment of the Israeli forces. What is being discussed is not a complete and an overall Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Jericho. It is a redeployment.

"As far as the legal level is concerned, five competences, or five domains of responsibilities, are going to be handed over to the Palestinians. Those are: education, health, tourism, direct taxation and social services." (Mr. Mazen Gamil Shaqurah, witness no. 12, A/AC.145/RT.636)

39. Another member of a human rights organization from the occupied territories provided the Special Committee with the following account:

"Experience has shown us that there is no credibility whatsoever when we look at the attitude of Israel as to the implementation of those agreements. As to the future, I cannot guess what the future is going to be. But, I can say that regardless of the number of agreements concluded, as long as they do not give a solution to the problems of the Palestinians, as long as there are settlers who live in the areas populated by the Palestinians, as long as there are Israeli soldiers attacking and killing, and settlers expanding on the Arab land and carrying out acts of aggression day after day after day, I believe the answer about what could happen - or what I believe could happen - has to be left to time to answer." (Mr. Mahmoud Jabarin, witness no. 20, A/AC.145/RT.641)

40. A trader from Gaza described his perception of the situation after the signing of the Declaration of Principles and what he expected for the future:

"As regards the living conditions, they are below zero. Anyone who sells anything on the street gets his money from selling to the workers who go and work in Israel. But since the closure of the occupied territories, no one goes to work in Israel and therefore no one can sell or buy anything.

"As to the violence, it is as it was before. There is no change at all. Until there is peace and until there is a withdrawal, everyone feels that violence is the only way. And as long as they are here, violence is going to continue.

"The first step is that they have to withdraw. They have to get out. Then there has to be goodwill on the basis of reciprocity. We do not expect miracles, we are not asking for miracles, we want reciprocity. All we want is that my son can get his higher education, that my second son would have a job, that personally I would have psychological security for myself, my house, my household. If these conditions were met, then life would go normally. What else can one ask for? We just want to live like human beings, not like animals ... I simply want security for myself and my family in order to be able to live normally." (anonymous witness no. 13, A/AC.145/RT.637)

41. The field worker of a human rights organization described how he perceived the situation in the Gaza Strip after the signing of the Declaration of Principles:

"I was in the Gaza Strip and I have not seen there any change since the signing of the Declaration of Principles. I heard that 70 per cent of the Israeli forces were already evacuated and deployed in the Israeli settlements. However, when you go to the Gaza Strip and walk through the streets and the camps, you do not discern any change. The military brigades are roaming the streets. The bullets are shot and heard everywhere. No change whatsoever has taken place in the Strip. People are now living in despair and frustration. They do not believe any more that there will be any withdrawal of the Israeli forces. The workers still stand from dawn to sunset at the doors of the Civil Administration to ask and wait for authorizations to work. Mothers still sit all day long in the military courts, Israeli soldiers still follow and chase wanted people. What are the changes? This is what the people ask themselves. There hasn't been any change in policy." (Mr. Bassem Eid, witness no. 17, A/AC.145/RT.639)

42. A witness informed the Special Committee about the wave of arrests that had taken place at the end of April 1994:

"During the last week, the Israelis have come up with a wave of arrests and detentions which almost took the proportions of collective arrest or collective detention. The Israeli army, with the assistance of intelligence officers and bus companies, carried out a wide campaign of arrests. Our estimate is that about 200 people were taken en bloc under administrative detention procedures, without charges, for periods that can be between one and six months ... The people targeted by the campaign are people active for or believed to be supporters of the Palestinian parties Islamic Jihad and Hamas and certain Palestinian opposition members.

"According to the information we have - and I am only sure of the figures regarding Gaza - between 200 and 250 persons have been arrested in the Gaza Strip. That concerns the wave of arrests which took place over two days recently. But besides, there still are the 'regular' monthly arrests, basically invoking security charges against the arrested persons. The average monthly rate of arrests is between 100 and 300. By the way, most of the Palestinians who are now being detained have not been charged for acts of violence, but rather for intifadah activities like writing graffiti, working for the committees, organizing meetings." (Mr. Mazen Gamil Shaqurah, witness no. 12, A/AC.145/RT.636)

43. The Special Committee heard the testimony of a housewife from the occupied territories about the feelings of the population at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Principles, the feeling of disillusion that followed and the general situation in the occupied territories:

"There is no hope at all. If there was any hope, they wouldn't have been treating us like that. The fact that they treat us like this means that there is no hope.

"Of course, we were very happy. We were mad with happiness. We were having celebrations everywhere. We were hopeful, of course, because we would like to sleep without fear. We would like to be able to let our children go out without them being shot at.

"Of course, some were opposed. But, the majority was in favour of the signing. There were celebrations everywhere.

"There was a date set for the Palestinian police to come in and start policing Jericho. We expected them and we waited for them to come. But, then, we heard that there were some problems, some points that were not yet ironed out, like the border and other details. It was delayed by 10 days. Nothing happened. Then, we realized that Israel was not really serious and was beginning to drag its feet.

"Our life is miserable. It has become worse since the signing of the Declaration of Principles. There is no work for anyone. If they want peace, why do they prevent the people from going and working? Why have they closed the territories? We have small children who are leading a very miserable life. They would like to see what meat looks like. They don't know what it looks like. One kilo of meat is about 8 or 9 Jordanian dinars. Where can we get this money if we don't have any work? ... I have four children. We can't even buy milk for the children. I had to buy a goat to be able to give them some milk - for the two small ones." (Mrs. Soumaya Yaser Melhem, witness no. 21, A/AC.145/RT.642)

44. Another witness provided the following view when asked whether he had any information about what was going to happen in Gaza after the Palestinians took over the security arrangements. His reply was:

"I have no information. Whatever the situation, even if it is bad then, it will certainly be better than under the Israelis." (anonymous witness no. 24, A/AC.145/RT.642/Add.1)

45. Accounts of the general situation prevailing in the occupied territories may be found in documents A/AC.145/RT.634/Add.1 (anonymous witness), A/AC.145/RT.635 (Mr. Yousri Ismail Barbakh), A/AC.145/RT.635 (Mr. Yahya Ahmed Yahya), A/AC.145/RT.635 (Mr. Mohamed Omar), A/AC.145/RT.636 (Mr. Ibrahim Khamis Shehada), A/AC.145/RT.636 (Mr. Mazen Gamil Shaqurah), A/AC.145/RT.637 (anonymous witness), A/AC.145/RT.639 (Mr. Bassem Eid), A/AC.145/RT.640 (Mr. Mahmoud Jabarin), A/AC. 145/RT.642 (Mrs. Soumaya Yaser Melhem), A/AC.145/RT.642/Add.1 (anonymous witness).

Written information

46. On 1 April 1994, it was reported that Israeli lookout posts had disappeared in the Gaza Strip, that hundreds of troops had decamped from built-up areas and that army convoys were shifting mobile offices to the border with Israel. Offices of the Gaza City prison were also being removed to a ground near the Erez checkpoint, which was becoming a new complex for the Israeli Civil Administration. (The Jerusalem Times, 1 April 1994)

47. On 1 April 1994, it was reported that a Palestinian investment company had been established with the mission to build the infrastructure and develop a strategy for investments in the Palestinian autonomous areas. Palestinians from the occupied territories were expected to own 51 per cent of the new company's working capital of $200 million, while the rest would be shared by Palestinians in the diaspora and Jordanian businessmen. (The Jerusalem Times, 1 April 1994)

48. On 1 April 1994, a number of Palestinian human rights organizations (Al-Haq, Palestine Human Rights Information Centre, Quaker Legal Service, Information and Legal Aid Centre, Mandela Institute, Centre for International Human Rights Enforcement) expressed their deep concern over the increasing tension in the occupied territories, which could lead to serious repercussions for the lives of the civilian Palestinian population. The organizations cited amongst the reasons for the tension the following elements:

(a) Hebron has been under a 24-hour curfew for four weeks, which was causing total paralysis of the economic and social life of the community;

(b) The one-year closure of the occupied territories had been strengthened; permits previously issued have been revoked;

(c) No effective measures had been taken to reduce the presence of armed settlers in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip or to curtail their unrestrained harassment of and violence against the Palestinian residents;

(d) The Israeli authorities have detained at least 600 Palestinians, nearly replacing the number of prisoners previously released as a "confidence-building measure" following the massacre. (The Jerusalem Times, 1 April 1994)

49. On 4 April 1994, the Bank of Jordan opened its first branch in Ramallah. Israel and Jordan signed a memorandum of understanding in December allowing Jordanian banks which had branches in the West Bank before 1967 to reopen. The bank would be the second Jordanian bank to reopen in the territories. In 1986, Israel allowed the Cairo-Amman Bank to open a branch offering limited services in Nablus. (Jerusalem Post, 4 April 1994; Ha'aretz, 5 April 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 8, 9 and 15 April 1994)

50. On 4 April 1994, Muslim leaders reopened the Temple Mount in Jerusalem to non-Muslims for the first time since the Hebron massacre. They had closed the area to non-Muslim visitors on the grounds that Jewish extremists supposedly planned an attack on the Temple Mount. (Jerusalem Post, 7 April 1994)

51. On 5 April 1994, the army began removing its main headquarters in Gaza City as part of an expedited effort to complete most of the evacuation by the following week. However, military sources emphasized that essential combat troops would remain until a full redeployment order was issued. In Jericho, evacuation was all but completed, following a week of accelerated activity. (Ha'aretz, 5, 6 April 1994; Jerusalem Post, 6 April 1994)

52. On 6 April 1994, representatives of the Fatah and of the Palestinian police did not attend the ceremony for the handing over by the Israeli authorities of offices of the police centre in Gaza City to the Palestinians. (Ha'aretz, 7 April 1994)

53. On 8 April 1994, a report by the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners showed that, as at 1 March 1994, there were 11,315 Palestinian political prisoners. Of this number, 3,860 prisoners were detained in regular prisons while 7,335 were held in military prisons. (The Jerusalem Times, 8 April 1994, Al-Tali'ah, 14 April 1994)

54. On 11 April 1994, undercover troops captured Rassam Siam (or: Rassin Bader al-Siam), 32, in the Jabalia refugee camp. Siam, a wanted Hamas fugitive, was considered by the military authorities to be the head of the military wing of Hamas in the Jabalia area. Between four and seven other Arabs, including another wanted fugitive, were reportedly also arrested for helping Siam. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 12 April 1994)

55. On 11 April 1994, the High Court of Justice agreed to review the army's open-fire orders in response to a petition by a reserve soldier, who had asked that the regulations be tightened. Yoav Hess asked that the rules be tightened so that soldiers might only shoot if their lives were in immediate danger. Under the existing regulations, troops could open fire without warning at any armed Palestinian, even if there was no direct threat. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 12 April 1994)

56. On 13 April 1994, it was reported that Maj.-Gen. Ilan Biran, 48, was appointed as the new Officer Commanding (OC) of the Central Command. He was to replace Acting OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Danny Yatom who had temporarily taken over the position after the death of Maj.-Gen. Nehemia Tamari in a helicopter crash in January. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 13 April 1994)

57. On 17 April 1994, it was reported that the Peace Watch group had stated in a report that Fatah had been involved in 37 acts of violence against Israelis in which five people were killed since the signing of the Declaration of Principles. The non-partisan group indicated that the PLO had violated three of four obligations it undertook in the Declaration, including a commitment to end its own "terrorist" activities and to encourage putting an end to violence by all Palestinians. The group stated that Israel had violated a commitment to prevent its civilians from attacking Palestinians. In six incidents, Israeli civilians had killed 36 Palestinians, including 29 in the Hebron massacre. (Jerusalem Post, 17 April 1994)

58. On 19 April 1994, military sources announced that, in a firm attempt to stem the current wave of "terrorist" attacks against Israelis, the army had arrested "more than 300" (possibly up to 362) suspected Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists in pre-dawn raids throughout the territories. Several guns were found during the raids. (Ha'aretz, 20 April 1994; Jerusalem Post, 20, 21 April 1994; also referred to in Al-Tali'ah, 21 April 1994)

59. On 21 April 1994, a resident of Ramallah, 31, who had collaborated with the Civil Administration and the police in the territories, started a hunger strike in front of the office of the Prime Minister in Jerusalem to protest against the fact that he was not granted an Israeli identity card, a weapon and some financial help, despite the fact that his life was in danger. (Ha'aretz, 22 April 1994)

60. On 22 April 1994, the Fatah Hawks and the Izz Al-din al-Qassam, the armed wings of Fatah and Hamas movements, signed a six-point agreement pledging to settle internal Palestinian disputes peacefully in the Gaza Strip. The agreement included a pledge by Izz Al-din al-Qassam to suspend attacks for one month on Palestinians they considered as "collaborators" with the General Security Service (GSS). By the time the month was over, the PLO was expected to be in charge of the administration in Gaza. The accord did not refer to violence against Israelis. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 24 April 1994)

61. On 24 April 1994, the Government denied allegations by Amnesty International that the army had engaged in systematic torture of Palestinians. In a statement from London, Amnesty charged that thousands of Palestinians in the territories were detained on security grounds each year and subjected to "torture or ill-treatment" during interrogation. (Jerusalem Post, 24 April 1994)

62. On 25 April 1994, it was reported that the security authorities had started to issue Israeli identity cards to more than 100 Palestinians who had collaborated with the Israeli authorities and to their families. Twenty families of collaborators from the village of Fahme, located in the northern West Bank, had already received IDs. (Ha'aretz, 25 April 1994)

63. On 27 April 1994, a senior PLO official announced that the PLO would not pardon hundreds of Palestinians who were accused of collaboration with Israel, despite pressure from Israel to do so as part of their limited autonomy agreement. (Jerusalem Post, 28 April 1994)

64. On 27 April 1994, it was reported that two Israeli Arabs were among the 29 suspects arrested for involvement in the 13 April suicide bombing of the Hadera central bus station in which five Israelis were killed. Both were from West Barta'a, the Israeli half of a village that spreads to both sides of the Green Line in the Wadi Ara area. The other suspects were from East Barta'a and nearby Yabad. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 27 April 1994)

65. On 27 April 1994, it was reported that OC Central Command Maj.-Gen. Ilan Biran had ordered a freeze of the activities of the special IDF cells that were operating against stone-throwers in the West Bank, reportedly in order to check the procedures for opening fire and to avoid unnecessary shooting. (Ha'aretz, 27 April 1994)

66. On 28 April 1994, it was reported that some 450 Hamas activists had been arrested by the security forces so far. (Ha'aretz, 28 April 1994)

67. On 1 May 1994, it was reported that an Israeli Arab man was arrested for giving his identity card to the "terrorist" who was responsible for the 6 April suicide car bomb attack in Afula. The card was used to get past army roadblocks. Eight people died in the attack. (Jerusalem Post, 1 May 1994)

68. On 1 May 1994, it was reported that Hamas had rejected the offer of Foreign Minister Shimon Peres to release its leader, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, in return for ending violence and beginning negotiations. (Jerusalem Post, 1 May 1994)

69. On 3 May 1994, it was reported that the use of live ammunition against Palestinian rioters had been all but forbidden on the eve of the signing of the agreement concerning the implementation of autonomy in Gaza and Jericho, under new guidelines issued by the Central Command. The new guidelines stipulated that live ammunition could only be used in the event of "a real life-threatening situation". A Central Command source stated that those guidelines applied especially to situations where IDF soldiers were present when riots and stone-throwing took place. The idea was to disengage, rather than allow the outbreak of clashes that eventually cost lives. (Jerusalem Post, 3 May 1994)

70. On 5 May 1994, it was reported that the Al-Haq organization had warned against illegal practices and provocative acts by the IDF in the village of Abu Deis. Al-Haq mentioned among those practices their daily presence near academic institutions, verbal abuse, throwing of sound and gas bombs, the use of rubber and live bullets, raids on houses and destruction of property, as well as the beating of children and youths. (Al-Tali'ah, 5 May 1994)

71. On 10 May 1994, the IDF withdrew at midnight from the Deir el-Balah refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, handing over control of the camp to the Palestinian police. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 11 May 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 13 May 1994)

72. On 12 May 1994, the IDF transferred five of its facilities in the Gaza Strip over to Palestinian control. Two camps in Rafah, the adjacent police station, an army base in Deir el-Balah and an outpost in Bureij were handed over to Palestinian representatives. A full transfer of power was not to be completed until the Palestinian Authority was established. (Jerusalem Post, 13 May 1994)

73. On 13 May 1994, the IDF withdrew formally from Jericho. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 15 May 1994)

74. On 14 May 1994, the IDF pulled out of Gaza's sprawling Jabalia refugee camp early in the morning, in an unannounced move aimed at avoiding attacks by local gunmen eager to turn the withdrawal into a bloodbath. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 15 May 1994)

75. On 17 May 1994, Israel formally transferred political power to the Palestinian Authority in the Gaza Strip. However, the IDF delayed its full evacuation pending the official establishment of the authority. Over 28 governmental departments that had handled 38 areas of civilian government were handed over in the transfer of power. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 18 May 1994)

76. On 18 May 1994, the IDF completed its withdrawal from the area of Palestinian self-rule in the Gaza Strip. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 19 May 1994; also referred to in Al-Tali'ah, 19 May 1994)

77. On 19 May 1994, Palestinian police chief, Gen. Nasser Yusef, stated that Israelis visiting the ancient synagogue in Jericho were no longer permitted to carry guns, thereby opening the way for the first important dispute over the interpretation of the Cairo Agreement. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 20 May 1994)

78. On 21 May 1994, the IDF and the Palestinian police began conducting joint patrols on three east-west roads in the Gaza Strip. IDF soldiers and Palestinian policemen also set up new checkpoints on the main north-south road while motorists were asked to show identification papers and open the trunks of their cars. The IDF checked cars with Israeli licence plates while the Palestinian police examined cars with Gaza licence plates. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 22 May 1994)

79. On 23 May 1994, a Gazan who had cooperated with the Israeli authorities reportedly surrendered himself to the Palestinian police, the first such move by a Palestinian. (Jerusalem Post, 26 May 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 27 May 1994)

80. On 26 May 1994, it was reported that Jerusalem police chief Arye Amit had stated that uprising-related unrest had increased sharply in the capital in 1994. He indicated that the major contributing factor was the Hebron massacre, which had sparked off widespread unrest among Arabs in the city and had yet to subside. The number of uprising-related incidents, however, had begun to fall since the peak reached immediately after the massacre. (Jerusalem Post, 26 May 1994)

81. On 26 May 1994, a member of the Palestinian National Authority, Freih Abu Middein, is reported to have described the economic situation in the Gaza Strip as appalling. Abu Middein warned about an imminent threat of starvation in the Gaza Strip caused by the recent closure of the territories. The Israeli Government ordered the closure of the Strip as a result of the killing of two Israeli soldiers at the Erez checkpoint. (Al-Tali'ah, 26 May 1994; The Jerusalem Times, 27 May 1994)

82. On 27 May 1994, it was reported that four youths (a 19-year-old and three minors) from Jebel Mukaber (East Jerusalem) were arrested on suspicion of involvement in two stabbing attacks on Jews and of involvement in several stone-throwing and car-burning incidents in Jerusalem. They did not have previous criminal records. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 27 May 1994)

83. On 27 May 1994, according to reporters who visited Jericho a week before, armed Jewish settlers moved around in total freedom in the city. Reporters also stated that there were joint Palestinian-Israeli patrols in Jericho and that the synagogue was guarded by Palestinian policemen. (The Jerusalem Times, 27 May 1994)

84. On 29 May 1994, Hamas distributed a leaflet in Gaza in which it promised to stop killing Palestinians allegedly cooperating with Israel if the police could do a better job of stopping the "collaborators". The leaflet indicated that "the movement has stopped killing collaborators for the time being, to give the Palestinian police an opportunity to fulfil its role". The implication was that the police should either arrest people Hamas considered collaborators or let Hamas deal with them. The announcement was made two days after two Palestinians were found dead in Gaza City, with a note by Hamas on their bodies claiming responsibility for the killings. They were the first Palestinians murdered as "collaborators" since a one-month agreement concluded between Fatah and Hamas to suspend such killings expired on 22 May. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 30 May 1994)

85. On 29 May 1994, Israeli Television reported that the Israeli Government intended to close down some Palestinian institutions around East Jerusalem. Israeli Police Minister, Moshe Shahal, also indicated that Israel would not allow Palestinian police units to be active in East Jerusalem to protect those institutions. (Al-Tali'ah, 2 June 1994; The Jerusalem Times, 3 June 1994)

86. On 31 May 1994, Defence Minister Oded Ben Ami told the Jerusalem Post that "All of the (Palestinian) institutions must be removed from Jerusalem and must be relocated in Jericho". According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli Telecommunications Department refused to provide the new offices of the Palestine Economic Council for Development and Reconstruction (PECDAR), located in East Jerusalem, with telephone lines. The Telecommunications Department indicated that the lines would be provided only if PECDAR moved its offices to Jericho. (Al-Tali'ah, 2 June 1994; The Jerusalem Times, 3 June 1994)

87. On 1 June 1994, Israeli media reportedly announced that tens of the right-wing groups in Israel had succeeded in seizing a number of Palestinian houses in East Jerusalem. They were reportedly supported by Jewish donors and were campaigning widely to inhabit the houses soon. The Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem, Shmuel Meir, announced: "All these houses were being bought legally and they are all located in Wadi Joz, Ras El Amoud and Sheikh Jarrah; all outside the Old City". At the same time, the Jerusalem municipality decided to demolish all the houses that were built "illegally" in East Jerusalem, whose number is estimated at 2,000. (The Jerusalem Times, 3 June 1994)

88. On 7 June 1994, the police, together with the GSS, arrested 12 suspected arms dealers who allegedly sold weapons to Arabs living in the territories. Six of the suspects were Israeli Arabs from Kalansuwa and Tira, five were residents of the northern West Bank, while one was from the Gaza Strip. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 8 June 1994)

89. On 7 June 1994, a high-ranking army source stated that the number of Israeli policemen patrolling the territories was insufficient and that the burden of law enforcement fell on the army, which was ill-equipped to carry out such missions. A new police command, which was created as a result of the Oslo Accords and which would be responsible for Jewish residents in the territories, was taking too long to develop. (Jerusalem Post, 7 June 1994)

90. On 7 June 1994, the Palestine Human Rights Information Centre organized a demonstration to protest an appeal made by extreme right-wing Members of the Knesset (MKs) that the orders to demolish 240 Arab-owned homes in East Jerusalem be carried out. (The Jerusalem Times, 10 June 1994)

91. On 8 June 1994, a bill was passed during its preliminary reading that entitled victims of "terrorist" acts to receive the same benefits as war casualties. Remembrance Day was extended to include victims of terrorism. (Jerusalem Post, 9 June 1994)

92. On 9 June 1994, the Israeli Supreme Court was to examine the petition filed by MK Awazi Landa concerning the 240 houses, owned by Palestinians that were threatened with demolition in East Jerusalem. (Al-Tali'ah, 9 June 1994)

93. On 10 June 1994, it was reported that the Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip had begun to arrest "collaborators". (Ha'aretz, 10 June 1994)

94. On 11 June 1994, the holder of the justice portfolio in the Palestinian self-rule authority stated that the Palestinian police in the Gaza Strip had detained 26 persons suspected of aiding Israel, including 2 women. (Jerusalem Post, 12 June 1994)

95. On 12 June 1994, it was reported that during the past months, an increasing number of residents of East Jerusalem had applied for Israeli citizenship. (Ha'aretz, 12 June 1994)

96. On 15 June 1994, during a Knesset press conference organized by Likud MK David Mena, two Palestinians from the territories, Mahmoud Ya'acub Diab, from Ramallah, and Na'aman Muhamad Sharkiyeh from Kfar Yamoun, complained that the Government was not doing enough to protect and provide for them, such as moving them to Israel, arming them and giving them jobs. They estimated the number of Palestinian collaborators at 7,000. During the same press conference, Likud MK David Mena called for the immediate release of 19 persons who were arrested by the Gaza police. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 16 June 1994)

97. On 15 or 16 June 1994, for the first time, three bodies of Palestinians were returned by the IDF for reburial to their families after being exhumed. One of the bodies was that of a Palestinian gunman who was killed during a gun battle with IDF troops near Hebron in 1989. (Ha'aretz, 15 June 1994; Jerusalem Post, 16 June 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times , 17 June 1994)

98. On 21 June 1994, at a Jerusalem press conference marking the issuing of one of its reports, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel came out strongly in favour of the Government's obligation to protect collaborators from revenge by the PLO in the wake of the autonomy agreement. (Jerusalem Post, 22 June 1994)

99. On 22 June 1994, in a rowdy debate, the Knesset overrode government opposition and approved in a preliminary reading a bill instructing the Minister of the Interior to grant permanent resident status to certain Palestinian informants. According to MK Zevulun Hammer, some 1,000 Palestinians were killed by their co-nationals during the six years of the uprising, based on the claim that they had collaborated with Israel. (Jerusalem Post, 23 June 1994)

100. On 22 June 1994, Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Ehud Barak informed the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that the number of attacks in the areas under autonomy, the administered territories, and inside Israel had dropped dramatically in the past four months, but that the decline might be temporary. Barak also stated that there were frequent incidents of Palestinian incursions and theft across the Gaza border, which was "problematic". (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 23 June 1994)

101. On 24 June 1994, a new police district was formed for the West Bank because of the "new reality" created by the Gaza/Jericho accord. The district was established to better serve the residents of the territories and to facilitate police operations in view of the additional police responsibilities under the accord. There are currently 1,100 policemen in Gaza and the West Bank, with plans to double the size of the force. (Jerusalem Post, 26 June 1994)

102. On 26 June 1994, the Cabinet adopted the findings and recommendations of the Shamgar Commission's report on the Hebron massacre, which found that Baruch Goldstein alone was responsible for the murders of 29 Muslim worshippers at the Machpelah Cave. According to the 338-page report, despite the numerous operational deficiencies the Commission uncovered and even if the operations had worked according to plan, the 25 February massacre could not have been prevented. Both the military and political echelons were exonerated. The principal findings were the following: Baruch Goldstein acted alone in planning the massacre in advance and told no one of his plan beforehand; Palestinian testimony of army and Jewish help in the massacre was discounted as contradictory and inconsistent; no fragments were found that would support the testimony of survivors concerning a grenade explosion; the political leadership and security forces could not have been expected to predict such an attack. The principal recommendations were to ban Jewish settlers and off-duty soldiers from entering the Cave with weapons, to separate Jewish and Arab worshippers with barriers, separate entrances and different schedules; to create a special guard unit for the Cave, to modify open-fire orders to include Jewish settlers in extreme circumstances and to enforce the law equally for both Arabs and Jews. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 27 June 1994)

103. On 27 June 1994, it was reported that steps to improve police operations at the Machpelah Cave and elsewhere in the territories had been taken in anticipation of the findings of the Shamgar report. The establishment of a new police district in the territories had been hastened by the massacre and a new Border Police unit had been trained specifically to guard the Machpelah Cave. (Jerusalem Post, 27 June 1994)

104. On 27 June 1994, it was reported that so far, the Israeli Government had paid damages to the families of five persons who were killed in the Machpelah Cave on 25 February 1994 and to 20 persons who had been injured. Some 30 additional requests were currently being considered by the Civil Administration. The rest of the victims had not yet presented claims for damages. According to the criteria established by Israel, the relatives of a single man who was killed were entitled to receive NIS 85,000. For victims who were married, with or without children, the amount would be between NIS 127,500 to 210,000 (with six or more children). For persons injured, Israel was paying between NIS 25,500 (for light injuries) to 210,000 (for serious injury of a father of six). (Ha'aretz, 27 June 1994)

105. On 28 June 1994, Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee that the Government had established a special authority, headed by former intelligence chief Shlomo Gazit, to deal with the situation of Palestinian informants. He also stated that any informant who wanted to do so could move to Israel and obtain an identity card. However, many problems still existed in connection with the plan and it would not be possible to rehabilitate informants everywhere. (Jerusalem Post, 29 June 1994)

106. On 1 July 1994, Palestinian officials are reported to have rejected the final results of the inquiry conducted by the Shamgar Commission on the events surrounding the Hebron massacre that took place on 25 February 1994. (The Jerusalem Times, 1 July 1994)

107. On 1 July 1994, the United Nations Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) issued a statement announcing that it would move its headquarters to the Gaza Strip from Vienna by the end of next year. UNRWA employs 8,000 Palestinians in Gaza, Jericho and the territories and is implementing projects worth $80 million. (Jerusalem Post, 3 July 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 8 July 1994)

108. On 7 July 1994, it was reported that Amnesty International had criticized Israel in its annual report, alleging use of systematic torture and ill-treatment during interrogation, which included beatings, hooding with dirty sacks, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement and prolonged shackling to small chairs. The report also criticized Palestinian armed groups for engaging in torture and deliberate and arbitrary killings. The report stated that the number of armed attacks by Palestinians had increased and that 35 Israeli civilians, 25 members of the security force and over 100 Palestinian civilians had been killed. The report also cited the killing of 150 Palestinian civilians by the IDF, the arrest of some 13,000 Palestinians for security reasons, including 300 administrative detentions, and the fact that 15,300 Palestinians had been tried before military courts. Israel did receive positive comments, however, regarding its permitting many deportees to return and for cancelling the law forbidding contacts with the PLO. An IDF spokesman responded to the report by saying that Amnesty had ignored the situation in the field, especially with regard to armed gunmen. The Justice Ministry denied that Israel held prisoners of conscience or that torture was permitted. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 7 July 1994)

109. On 8 July 1994, according to the Mandela Institute for Political Prisoners, which is based in Ramallah, 7,170 Palestinian prisoners were still detained in 20 Israeli prisons and detention camps. The Institute's monthly survey showed that there were at least 35 women prisoners and that the majority of prisoners were detained in military detention camps. (The Jerusalem Times, 8 July 1994)

110. On 13 July 1994, it was reported that the Jerusalem police had arrested 15 Palestinian youths from three different gangs who were suspected of throwing stones and bottles at Jews and IDF soldiers in the Old City of Jerusalem during the previous few months. The youths were aged 13 to 18 and more arrests were expected. (Ha'aretz; Jerusalem Post, 13 July 1994)

111. On 13 July 1994, it was reported that the debriefing carried out by the commander of the IDF forces in the West Bank, Maj.-Gen. Shaul Mofaz, concerning the circumstances of the death of Azzam Jamil Nasser, 18, from Beit Furik, who was shot during a clash with the army in Nablus on 24 or 25 June 1994, showed that the soldiers who fired did not adhere to the open-fire regulations and fired although their life was not in danger. After receiving the results of the investigation, Maj.-Gen. Mofaz ordered that all units in the West Bank be informed about the rules for opening fire with live ammunition and rubber bullets. (Ha'aretz, 13 July 1994)

112. On 15 July 1994, the Palestinian negotiator, Khalil Tufakji, revealed that the Israeli authorities were planning to intensify the expansion of settlements in the Arab neighbourhoods of Jerusalem before the resumption of talks concerning the future of East Jerusalem. The plan, called "The Eastern Gate", is aimed at filling the northern area of Jerusalem with Israeli neighbourhoods. (The Jerusalem Times, 15 July 1994)

113. On 24 July 1994, it was reported that Colonel Shaul, the commander of an IDF unit in the Gaza Strip, was severely reprimanded for his responsibility in giving unclear orders to soldiers who shot to death a youth in the Bureij refugee camp, in February 1994. (Ha'aretz, 24 July 1994)

114. On 24 July 1994, senior army sources indicated that the IDF had reduced its forces in the Hebron region and elsewhere in the West Bank as compared with the forces deployed after the Machpelah Cave massacre. The cutback followed the army's assessment that the number of massive disturbances in the region had declined significantly, would continue to do so and that regular army soldiers needed to continue their training. However, the IDF also stated that it was prepared for possible attacks by Hamas or Jewish extremists. (Jerusalem Post, 25 July 1994)

115. On 25 July 1994, the head of the GSS presented figures that indicated a drastic drop in the number of uprising-related casualties and incidents since the implementation of autonomy in Gaza and Jericho. Eight Israelis were killed and 29 wounded in Israel and the territories during the months of May, June and July, as compared with 28 killed and 121 wounded during the preceding three months of February, March and April. The number of Palestinians killed since self-rule began decreased from 34 to 10. During the last three months, the number of violent incidents dropped from 480 to 60 inside the Green Line, from 22 to 6 in the Gaza District and from 98 to 33 in Jerusalem. (Jerusalem Post, 26 July 1994)

116. On 26 July 1994, in a videotaped message and a leaflet, Hamas offered to return the body of a missing soldier, Ilan Sa'adon, who was abducted in the Negev desert in May 1989 and presumed to have been killed by Hamas gunmen, in exchange for the release of several prisoners: the spiritual leader of Hamas, Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, as well as Sheikh Abdel-Karim Obeid and Sheikh Mustafa Dirani. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 27 July 1994)

117. On 27 July 1994, Police Inspector-General Assaf Hefetz called on the Palestinian police to return to Israel Palestinians wanted by the Israeli authorities. He stated that Jericho and Gaza had become places of asylum for Palestinian criminals and terrorists, claiming that the Palestinian police had failed to live up to their commitment to help to apprehend "terrorists" fleeing into areas under their jurisdiction. Hefetz added that with regard to criminals, however, the Palestinian police was co-operating with the Israeli authorities. Moreover, he indicated that the police force would be doubled in Hebron as part of an overall police redeployment in the territories. (Jerusalem Post, 28 July 1994)

118. On 28 July 1994, military sources indicated that an IDF investigation had determined that a Palestinian policeman had fired the shot that killed Border Policeman Jacques Attias during riots by Arab workers at the Erez checkpoint. The IDF has demanded that Palestinian policemen who fired at Israeli forces be put on trial. (Jerusalem Post, 29 July 1994)

119. On 1 August 1994, it was reported that a "terrorist" cell affiliated with the PLO and Hamas had lately been uncovered by the Jerusalem Police. The 11 members, aged between 16 to 25, were from the village of El-Zayim in the eastern part of Jerusalem, and would be charged for nine fire-bombings and dozens of stone-throwing incidents. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 1 August 1994)

120. On 7 August 1994, the members of the Temporary International Presence in Hebron (TIPH) left the town after their three-month mandate had expired. The TIPH began functioning on 8 May 1994. During the previous three months, there had been a decrease in clashes, but an increase in hit-and-run shootings against Israelis, often outside Hebron. (Jerusalem Post, 7 and 8 August 1994)

121. On 10 August 1994, Danish officials and media indicated that the report presented by the TIPH stated that Israeli soldiers were hostile and uncooperative during the TIPH's four-month mission in the city. According to the report, the Israeli army was hostile towards the observers and was not willing to cooperate in a way that would enable them to carry out their duties. For example, the army restricted movement by imposing curfews without any military justification, thus limiting the observers' possibilities to observe the situation and report on it. (Jerusalem Post, 11 August 1994)

122. On 12 August 1994, Israeli police uncovered a Hamas cell described as one of the most dangerous by Police Minister Moshe Shahal. The police stated that this locally based Izz Al-din al-Qassam "terrorist" cell was responsible for the kidnapping and murder in April of Second Lieutenant Shahar Simani and another soldier. The cell was made up entirely of East Jerusalem residents. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 14 August 1994)

123. On 14 August 1994, it was reported that 15 members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP had been arrested in the area of Ramallah. Most of them were students of Bir Zeit University. (Ha'aretz, 14 August 1994)

124. On 16 August 1994, it was reported that according to the commander of IDF forces in Gush Katif (Gaza Strip), Maj.-Gen. Doron Almog, 39 shooting attacks reportedly all by Hamas activists, have been carried out against Israeli citizens and IDF forces since the Israeli army evacuated the Gaza Strip. (Ha'aretz, 16 August 1994)

125. On 17 August 1994, Foreign Minister Shimon Peres and PLO chief negotiator Nabil Shaath agreed to the deployment of 400 temporary international civilian observers in Gaza. A temporary presence in Gaza (similar to the TIPH) was called for as part of the Israel-PLO accords of last September. (Jerusalem Post, 18 August 1994)

126. On 22 August 1994, security forces arrested 12 Islamic activists in the villages of Zawiya and Kabatiya near Jenin. Although none of the 12 was a fugitive, they were nevertheless brought in for questioning in connection with Islamic Jihad and Hamas activities. (Jerusalem Post, 23 August 1994)

127. On 24 August 1994, Itim reported that the security forces in the Jenin area had arrested three Fatah activists in addition to the arrest of 12 Hamas and Islamic Jihad activists announced by the army on 22 August. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 24 August 1994)

128. On 24 August 1994, it was reported that the IDF had begun to evacuate an undisclosed number of outposts in populated areas throughout the northern West Bank (Samaria) and planned to proceed with what army sources termed as an "adjustment of deployment". The army source cited emphasized that the purpose was to remove IDF outposts from heavily populated Palestinian villages and small towns in order to avoid unnecessary friction. (Jerusalem Post, 24 August 1994)

129. On 25 August 1994, it was reported that security forces had captured the members of a Fatah "terrorist" cell suspected of killing nine persons and one Arab policeman. They were captured near the city of Kalkiliya. The cell members were from Tulkarm, Kalkiliya, Kaddum and Danaba. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 25 August 1994)

130. On 26 August 1994, it was reported that the Palestinian police and the Palestinian Security Service had turned over to Israel four Palestinian youths who were involved in the murder of a Palestinian woman in Ramallah and who had escaped to Jericho. (Ha'aretz, 26 August 1994)

2. Incidents resulting from the occupation

Oral evidence

131. A witness provided the Special Committee with additional information concerning the killing of civilians:

"After the signing of the Declaration of Principles, despite the limited redeployment of the Israeli army, still and unfortunately, I have to say, the number of Israeli army troops inside the Gaza Strip has increased, so much so that it is the highest figure since the beginning of the intifadah. They behave as if they are going to withdraw tomorrow, but at the same time they act as if they are going to stay there forever. Under that very dense presence of the Israeli army, the daily violations continue, the killings, the wounding. When I speak about injuries here, I do not speak about rubber bullets, but I speak about permanent handicaps, like people who go blind and lose their eyesight, or people who remain alive after serious injuries, but are however 'clinically dead'." (Mr. Mazen Gamil Shaqurah, witness no. 12, A/AC.145/RT.636)

132. A field worker of the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem described the situation with regard to the orders for opening fire:

"The soldiers serving in the occupied territories did not apply the firing orders as provided by the Military Attorney-General, in collaboration with the Israeli Ministry of Justice. From the cases of martyrdom I personally investigated, it appears clearly that, contrary to the regulations, fire had been opened aiming at the upper part of the body. Most of the wounds and injuries I investigated showed that shooting had aimed at the head, neck or chest, resulting in death afterwards. It became clear to me also from my field investigations that sometimes the soldiers opened fire not with a view to wound, but with a view to kill.

"The problem is that each soldier is working on his own. The Military Prosecutor-General authorizes the commanders to have certain terms of reference in case the life of the soldiers is exposed to danger, but these terms of reference do not indicate what is meant by 'threat to life' and the seriousness of the threat. When the soldier sees a youth escaping, he thinks that his life is in danger and he opens fire at his back. Opening fire at the back of a person means, in fact, that there is no danger to the life of the soldier." (Mr. Bassem Eid, witness no. 17, A/AC.145/RT.639)

133. The witness described to the Special Committee a particularly disquieting case concerning the use of plastic bullets:

"I'll give you the example of a child, aged one year and a half, who was killed in the Jabalia camp. He was standing next to his father. An officer fired a plastic bullet, which killed the child at once. When we investigated the accident, we realized that the officer had fired at a distance of 30 metres, contrary to the orders that stipulate a distance of 70 metres at least for the firing of plastic bullets." (Mr. Bassem Eid, witness no. 17, A/AC.145/RT.639)

134. The same witness related the case of a young man who had been shot in the back:

"Another incident occurred on 13 April 1994 at the Jalazun camp. A youth, Awadallah Hassan Indash, aged 23, was the victim. At about 4.30 in the afternoon of that day, two soldiers were posted on the roof of a house in the camp. When this youth came near them, they called him and asked him about his job. He said that he had parked his car and intended to go home. One of the two soldiers asked him where his house was and he pointed with his finger towards his house. The soldier told him to go. When he turned round to go home, the soldier fired a bullet at him, which hit him in the lower back, resulting in his immediate death." (Mr. Bassem Eid, witness no. 17, A/AC.145/RT.639)

135. An additional problem was the application of the rules for opening fire concerning vehicles:

"Firing at cars has become a phenomenon, although there are special firing orders to aim at tyres. I have not seen a single case where the bullets had hit the tyres, but many cases leading to the death of the person or persons inside the car ... I have with me the photo of a car driven by Palestinian citizens where you see that the Israeli soldiers opened fire aiming at the front of the car. This resulted in the immediate death of the driver. It means that there was an intention to kill him and not to wound him, because orders provide that the soldiers should aim at the tyres of cars only and not at the windshield." (Mr. Bassem Eid, witness no. 17, A/AC.145/RT.639)

136. A witness whose leg had been amputated and who testified before the Special Committee provided the following information:

"The dum-dum bullets are used, these hollow bullets that are prohibited internationally, but they are still used by the Israeli army. ... I was wounded by a dum-dum bullet. I was taken to Nasser Hospital in Gaza, but they could not do anything about my leg and it had to be amputated about six days after my injury." (Mr. Yousri Ismail Barbakh, witness no. 6, A/AC.145/RT.635)

137. Another witness described what happens to persons who had been arrested:

"When somebody wanted by the Israeli authorities is being arrested and lying down, he is still fired at. Evidence of that is the killing of Selim Wafi, who fell a martyr in the city of Rafah. He had just been arrested and was lying on the ground. They could have taken him in, but they opened fire and he died." (Mr. Mohamed Omar, witness no. 10, A/AC.145/RT.635)

138. One witness who testified before the Special Committee spoke about her disillusion after the signing of the Declaration of Principles, with particular reference to the activities of undercover units:

"After the signing of the Declaration of Principles, our situation as Palestinians has become worse than before in all aspects of life. The situation is very difficult. Life has become very difficult. There is no work for anyone. We cannot walk outside the houses at night. There is a curfew. During the day, the Israelis who are called the 'special forces' are disguised as Arabs. They walk in the streets like we do during the day and, all of a sudden, they take hold of someone. They beat them. They kill them. They take their cars. So, they take a car from anyone who has a car. They pull him out of the car and take the car. They drive that car and everyone thinks it is a Palestinian car. They can do whatever they want using that car. These are the worst of all in Israel, whether the military or the settlers. The special forces are the worst and they make our life hell." (Mrs. Soumaya Yaser Melhem, witness no. 21, A/AC.145/RT.642)

139. Another witness described the case of a person who was killed by an undercover unit:

"After the Declaration of Principles until 28 April 1994, 68 Palestinian citizens were killed in the Gaza Strip alone. Twenty-two of them were under 18 years of age. Twenty-three of the 68 were killed by the special units. I will give you two examples of the work of these special units.

"The first example is that of Ahmad Abu Al Rish, 27 years, from Khan Younis. He was a member of the Fatah Hawks. He had been released by the Israeli military authorities and 15 days after his release he was killed by members of the special units dressed up in the traditional national Palestinian dress and using two Palestinian vehicles, two lorries transporting vegetables.

"The second example concerns the killing of six Palestinian citizens in the Jabalia camp. On 28 March, six people belonging to the Fatah leadership were murdered. They were not from the military branch. They were circulating a political leaflet when they were attacked by people in two cars, a Peugeot 404 and a Peugeot 504, who opened fire indiscriminately. The killing was deliberate and carried out in cold blood." (Mr. Ibrahim Khamis Shehada, witness no. 11, A/AC.145/RT.636)

140. A field researcher from the Palestine Human Rights Information Centre described the little regard for the life of Palestinian civilians shown by the Israeli soldiers who fired at wanted fugitives from the Mohammad Ali Mokhtasseb Children's Hospital in Hebron:

"The Israeli soldiers ordered three Arabs to go and search the building. One of the three Arabs was Mokhtar El Hai. So, they were ordered to search the building and they didn't find anything. While they were still in the building, the soldiers started firing bullets and rockets and, according to the three Arabs concerned (I met them later on and received their testimonies), they had to hide in the building for one hour while it was being fired at. Finally, Mokhtar put up a white flag out of the window, having torn a piece of clothing, and started shouting that they were still inside the building and that there were no suspects in the building. The soldiers then let them out. They asked him to take his clothes off when he came out of the building because they thought that he had surrendered. When he talked to the Israeli intelligence officer who had ordered him to go in, this same intelligence officer said that 'these soldiers are crazy because they thought you were the ones who were wanted'. This is how you can see that the life of an individual is not worth anything in the view of the occupation authority." (Mr. Mahmoud Jabarin, witness no. 20, A/AC.145/RT.640)

141. Testimonies relating to the incidents linked with the popular uprising may be found in documents A/AC.145/RT.635 (Mr. Yousri Ismail Barbakh), A/AC.145/RT.635 (Mr. Mohamed Omar), A/AC.145/RT.636 (Mr. Ibrahim Khamis Shehada), A/AC.145/RT.636 (Mr. Mazen Gamil Shaqurah), A/AC.145/RT.639 (Mr. Bassem Eid), A/AC.145/RT.640 (Mr. Mahmoud Jabarin) and A/AC.145/RT.642 (Mrs. Soumaya Yaser Melhem).

Written information

142. The following abbreviations of the names of newspapers are used in the tables:

H Ha'aretz
JP Jerusalem Post
AT Al-Tali'ah
JT The Jerusalem Times

(a) List of Palestinians killed by troops or Israeli civilians

Date	Name and age	Place of residence	Remarks and source
7 April 1994	Ali Taleb (Abdallah al-) Imawi, 19	Shati' refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Shot dead by soldiers after he fired at Israelis at a bus stop in Ashdod. One Israeli man was killed. (H, JP, 8 April 1994)
7 April 1994	Name not reported, 15	Bala (or Balata refugee camp) (West Bank)	Threw stones at soldiers who fired back. Died on the way to hospital. (H, JP, 8 April 1994)
9 April 1994	Atef Juma Abed (or Obeid), 18 or 19	Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood (Gaza Strip)	Shot by soldiers after he threatened them with an axe at the Erez checkpoint. Was shot after soldiers called out to him to halt. (H, JP, 10 April 1994)
12 April 1994	Fatma Sami Abdallah, 18, pregnant	El-Jib (West Bank)	Fatally wounded in her home by a stray bullet fired by a settler who was shooting at stone-throwers. The settler was arrested. (H, JP, 13 April 1994; also referred to in AT, 14 April 1994; JT, 15 April 1994)
12 April 1994	Awad (Hassan) Tabash, 23	Jalazone refugee camp (West Bank)	Died in hospital after he was shot by soldiers when he threw stones at Israeli cars on the Ramallah-Nablus road. (H, JP, 13 April 1994)
15 April 1994	Nidal Tarawi, 38	Balata refugee camp	Died from inhaling tear-gas thrown at him by soldiers. (JT, 18 April 1994)
16 April 1994	Awad Nimer a-Matar (or Nahed Awda Matir), 19	Kalandia refugee camp (West Bank)	Died of wounds sustained on 15 April. Shot by the army after he threw stones at an IDF patrol in the refugee camp. (H, JP, 17 April 1994; also referred to in 21 April 1994)
20 April 1994	Yassin (Mahmoud) Hamad, 23	Kalandia refugee camp (or El-Bireh) (West Bank)	Died of wounds sustained on 19 April during a clash with soldiers. (H, JP, 21 April 1994; also referred to in AT, 21 April 1994)
21 April 1994	Hassan Firi (or Hassan Youssof Hassan el-Rafid), 24	Sajaiya neighbourhood (Gaza Strip)	Died of wounds sustained a day earlier, during a clash with soldiers. (H, JP, 22 April 1994)
23 April 1994	Mahmoud Touman, 17	Khan Younis refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Shot dead by settlers after he had stabbed a woman in the Neve Dekalim settlement. (H, JP, 24 April 1994)
23 April 1994	Shafik (Maher Mahmoud) Ishawa (or Shawa), 11	Sajaiya neighbourhood (Gaza Strip)	Died of wounds sustained on 11 April, when he was shot by soldiers who were firing at stone-throwers. (H, JP, 24 April 1994)
26 April 1994	Kamil Oridat (or Kamal) Hussein (Mahissan) Waridat, 35	Dahariye near Hebron (West Bank)	Shot dead by a soldier as he was crossing a square near a military checkpoint in Hebron. (According to other accounts, he reportedly pulled a knife or tried to stab a soldier. However, two Palestinian eyewitnesses maintained that he had not pulled a knife when he was shot and may even have been unarmed. Other witnesses stated that after the shooting, an officer came in a jeep, placed a knife beside the body and drove away. Military sources stated that the IDF was investigating the different accounts of the incident.) (H, JP, 27 April 1994; also referred to in JT, 29 April 1994)
9 May 1994	Ahmed Ibrahim Tabash, 13	Khan Younis refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Initial reports indicated that he had been shot by soldiers who were responding to repeated incidents of stone-throwing in the area of Neve Dekalim. Arab sources, however, stated that he was shot by a settler when youths threw stones at tractors doing groundwork at the settlement. (JP, 10 May 1994; also referred to in JT, 13 May 1994)
17 May 1994	Bashar Zaban, 22	Nablus (West Bank)	Shot by a Bezeq security officer (or settler) after he had tried to snatch the officer's weapon. Died in hospital. (JP, 18 May 1994; also referred to in JT, 3 June 1994)
22 May 1994	Jihad (Ibrahim Mohammed) Asfur, 22	Abassan (Gaza Strip)	Islamic Jihad activist, on the wanted list. According to the IDF, he opened fire, together with his accomplices, and threw a grenade at soldiers who had tried to arrest fugitives in Hebron. As the pursuit went on and moved to Kafr Tufah, troops used anti-tank missiles to demolish the hide-out where the men had fled. (H, JP, 23 May 1994; also referred to in JT, 27 May 1994)
27 or 28 May 1994	Kamal Karani, 21	Kalkiliya (West Bank)	Shot during a car chase that began when a suspicious car refused to stop on the orders of civil guard volunteers. Karani was shot after the driver of the car had tried to run over one of the civil guards. Burglary equipment was reportedly found in the car. (JP, 29 May 1994)
30 May 1994	Mohammed Mer'i, 10	Jenin	Died in an explosion. (JT, 3 June 1994)
31 May 1994 "	Abdul Munem Hamid, 25 Zuhair (Ramadan Rushdi) Farah, 28	Am'ari refugee camp (West Bank) A-Ram (East Jerusalem)	Wanted for involvement in the murder of GSS officer Noam Cohen in February. Reportedly found with a loaded pistol. Killed by security forces in the village of A-Ram, near northern Jerusalem. No additional details were provided. Both men were Hamas fugitives. (H, JP, 1 June 1994; also referred to in JT, 3 June 1994)
11 June 1994	Siham Sweity, 37	Kasser Ekeb (West Bank)	Bystander. Shot by soldiers during clashes. Died in hospital. According to witnesses, was hit when soldiers fired at protesters who were throwing stones at them in the Ramallah area. (H, JP, 12 June 1994; also referred to in JT, 16 June 1994)
25 June 1994	Azzam (Mahmud) Nasasrah, 18	Beit Furik/Beit Surith (West Bank)	Shot by soldiers during demonstrations demanding the release of more prisoners. Died in hospital. Investigation under way. (H, JP, 26 June 1994; also referred to in JT, 1 July 1994)
1 July 1994	Ayud Abu Snina, 31	Silwan (East Jerusalem)	Shot in the head near the Givat Shaul gas depot in Jerusalem. The Sword of David group took responsibility for the killing. Police are conducting an investigation into whether the killing was criminally motivated or committed by Jewish extremists. (H, JP, 3 July 1994; also referred to in JT, 8 July 1994)
11 July 1994 "	Ali Osman Muhammad (Hamed) Alassi, 30 Bishar Al Amudi, 27	Bani Hassan (West Bank) Nablus (West Bank)	Both were Hamas members wanted for over a year. The two had barricaded themselves in an apartment in Nablus and were killed in the ensuing exchange of fire with undercover units and the members of the GSS. Anti-tank missiles were fired at the building. The two were reportedly armed with revolvers and grenades. (H, JP, 12 July 1994; also referred to in JT, 15 July 1994; AT, 20 July 1994)
17 July 1994 "	Riyad Yassin, 27 Yasser (as) Sultan, 25	Khan Younis (Gaza Strip) Jabalia/Rafah refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Both were killed during riots at the Erez checkpoint. According to Palestinian sources, they were killed by army gunfire. (H, JP, 18 July 1994)
22 July 1994	Ali Amour, 40	Yatta village	Died when a bomb left by Israeli soldiers exploded. (JT, 29 July 1994)
22 July 1994	Mahmoud Knein, 28 (or Mohammed Jabr, 25)	Nablus (West Bank)	Shot during riots when soldiers opened fire at a vehicle fleeing from the police. Investigation under way. (H, JP, 24 July 1994; also referred to in JT, 29 July 1994)
12 and 13 August 1994	Tarek Abu Arafa	East Jerusalem	Hamas cell member. Killed in a shoot-out with the police in the A-Ram neighbourhood of East Jerusalem. According to the police, the gunmen ignored calls to surrender and exchanged fire with police. (H, 15 August 1994; JP, 14, 15 August 1994; also referred to in JT, 19 August 1994)
16 August 1994	Ragheb Rafik Abadin, 22	Beit Hanina/A-Ram (East Jerusalem)	Died in hospital after he was critically wounded on 12 or 13 August in a shoot-out with the security forces in East Jerusalem. (H, 18 August 1994; JP, 15, 18 August 1994; also referred to in JT, 19 August 1994)
			According to witnesses, Arafa and Abadin were not killed during the shoot-out as they did not fire at the Israeli forces but were rather killed "in cold blood". The IDF spokesman denied the allegations. (H, 23 August 1994)
17 August 1994	Iyad Hamed Abu Ghanem, 17	Rafah (Gaza Strip)	Shot by IDF soldiers when he tried to infiltrate the road on the Israel-Egypt border in the Rafah area. According to witnesses, did not endanger soldiers' lives and was not issued a warning before being shot. Palestinian and Israeli officials were conducting joint investigation. (H, 18, 21 August 1994; JP, 18 August 1994; also referred to in JT, 19 August 1994)
19 and 20 August 1994	Name not reported	Ramallah (West Bank)	Killed during disturbances in Ramallah, when the members of an undercover unit fired at residents who were throwing stones and bottles. (H, 21 August 1994)

(b) List of other Palestinians killed as a result of the occupation

Date	Name and age	Place of residence	Remarks and source
2 April 1994	Khaled Halabi, 32	Khan Younis refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Fatah Hawk. Blew himself up in the Khan Younis refugee camp while preparing a bomb. (JP, 3 April 1994)
2 April 1994	Fayez (al) Hindi, 45	Jabalia refugee camp (Gaza Strip)	Shot several times. (H, JP, 3 April 1994)
9 April 1994	Dib Otman Da'as, 55	Haja (West Bank)	Shot by two masked men. Had a gun. (H, JP, 10 April 1994)
13 April 1994	Amar Amarna, 21	Yabad (West Bank)	Died when he detonated a home-made pipe bomb strapped to his body in a suicide attack in Hadera in which five people were killed. (H, JP, 15 April 1994)
16 April 1994	Name not reported	Hirbet Aslad (West Bank)	Head of the village. Shot dead at home by two masked men. (H, 17 April 1994)
23 April 1994	Joudeh Abu Snineh, 32	Hebron (West Bank)	Shot dead by Palestinian gunmen. (H, JP, 24 April 1994)
27 May 1994 "	Hassam Darwish (or Hussan Doshan), 35 Abdel Wahab Ghali or Radi, 31	Gaza City (Gaza Strip) "	Both were tortured. Both were found hanging from lamp posts. They were the first Palestinians murdered by Hamas as "collaborators" since a one-month agreement concluded between Fatah and Hamas to suspend such killings had expired on 22 May. (H, 29 May 1994; JP, 29, 30 May 1994)
19 June 1994	Name not reported	Kalkiliya (West Bank)	Body found near the city. Possibly a criminal offender. Investigation under way. (H, 20 June 1994)
23 June 1994	Nasser (Ashak) Sallouha, 20 or 22	Sheikh Radwan neighbourhood (Gaza Strip)	Hamas activist. Suspected of being the victim of a possible revenge killing in retaliation for the murder of a collaborator. (H, JP, 24 June 1994; also referred to in JT, 1 July 1994)
28 June 1994	Mahmud Abu Salim	Balata refugee camp (West Bank)	Killed during a fight between alleged collaborators and residents of the camp. (H, 29 June 1994)
26 July 1994	Shamih Mahmoud Diab, 53	Ikhtaba (West Bank)	Arab police officer. Shot dead in an ambush in his village, as he returned from work. (H, JP, 27 July 1994)

(c) Other incidents

Written information

143. On 1 and 2 April 1994, a Fatah Hawk activist blew himself up in the Khan Younis refugee camp, while preparing a bomb (see list). A resident of the Jabalia refugee camp was murdered (see list), while his brother was injured by bullets for the same reasons. Between 10 and 20 Arab residents were wounded during incidents in the territories over the weekend. According to Palestinian sources, in the Gaza Strip, 11 persons were injured in the Nuseirat refugee camp, while four were injured in Gaza City. Clashes broke out in the Jabalia, Maghazi and Shati' refugee camps. In the West Bank, three persons were injured by IDF gunfire in Nablus and two were injured in Hebron. In Jericho, dozens of Palestinians pelted the police station with stones and bottles. Troops fired stun grenades. A resident of the Dugit settlement, in the northern Gaza Strip, escaped unharmed when five shots were fired at him as he left the settlement in his car. Police later blew up a car found near the site of the attack which they believed to be booby-trapped. An IDF soldier and a Border Policeman were wounded in two separate stone-throwing incidents in Kalkiliya and in the Jabalia refugee camp. An Israeli man was slightly wounded when he was stoned as he was passing through Al Jib, near Ramallah. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 3 April 1994)

144. On 3 April 1994, two reserve soldiers and a Palestinian were slightly wounded when shots were fired at the army headquarters in Gaza City. Three assailants were caught during a swift operation. Palestinian sources reported that nine residents were injured during clashes with the army in Rafah, the Jabalia refugee camp, in Khan Younis and in the Shati' refugee camp. They also reported stone-throwing incidents in Gaza City. Incidents also took place in Ramallah and in Hebron, where two residents were wounded. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 4 April 1994)

145. On 4 April 1994, even though the IDF began moving out of Deir el-Balah, Palestinian youths threw stones at the army with slingshots. Troops chased them, firing plastic bullets and tear-gas and wounding two Arabs. Stones were also thrown at soldiers in Jericho while they were evacuating the Civil Administration facilities in that city. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 5 April 1994)

146. On 5 April 1994, Palestinian sources reported incidents in the Jabalia refugee camp, where three to six persons were injured. Four additional residents were reported wounded by IDF gunfire, one of them seriously, in the village of Beit Omar, after they had thrown stones at Israeli vehicles on the Jerusalem-Hebron road. Several vehicles were damaged. Similar incidents were reported in the Dheisheh refugee camp, but with no injuries. Stone-throwing incidents were also reported in Gaza City, in Ramallah and in Hebron. Minor unrest broke out in Jericho before the return of Palestinian deportees. According to Palestinian sources, three residents were wounded. In Hebron, Israeli soldiers shot and wounded three Palestinian students during clashes. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 6 April 1994)

147. On 6 April 1994, seven persons were killed (Asher Attia, 48; Vered Mordechai, 13; Maya Elharar, 17 or 18; Ilana Schreiber, 41 or 45; Meirav Ben-Moshe, 16; Ayala Vahaba, 40; and Fadiya Shalabi, 25) and 43 to 52 persons were wounded, several seriously, when a car bomb, apparently detonated by a suicide attacker, Raid (or Raed Abdullah Ahmed) Mohammed Zakarna, 21, from Kabatiya (West Bank). Zakarna was a wanted Hamas activist. Hamas claimed responsibility for the attack in reprisal for the Hebron mosque massacre (Hamas indicated that the man's name was Raed Mohammed Zaharneh, 21). The Islamic Jihad also claimed responsibility for the killing (also referred to in Al-Tali'ah, 7 April 1994; The Jerusalem Times, 15 April 1994). Six soldiers were slightly injured by a grenade thrown at an IDF unit in Gaza City. Soldiers fired back, but did not injure anyone. Stone-throwing incidents were reported throughout the territories, especially in Rafah and Jabalia, where two residents were reportedly injured. A Border Policeman was slightly wounded by stones in Rafah. A shot was fired at a police jeep near the Shati' refugee camp. There were no injuries or damage. Two petrol bombs were hurled at a building in Gaza City, without causing any harm. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 7 April 1994; also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 8, 15 April 1994)

148. On 7 April 1994, an Israeli man was killed (Yishai Gadassi, 31, from Kvutzat Yavne) and three or four other Israelis were wounded when a lone "terrorist" fired an automatic weapon at soldiers and civilians waiting at a bus stop at the Ashdod junction. The gunman was shot dead by soldiers (see list) (also referred to in The Jerusalem Times, 15 April 1994). Hamas and the Islamic Jihad both took responsibility for the attack. IDF soldiers shot and killed a youth who was throwing stones at them in the West Bank (see list). Clashes with the army during which 13 residents were injured were reported in the Gaza Strip (refugee camps of Jabalia, Rafah, Shati', Bureij, Maghazi and in Gaza City). One youth was wounded by IDF gunfire in Kabatiya during confrontations between Palestinian residents and IDF forces. Two Israelis were injured by knife-wielding attackers in two separate incidents at the Gaza border, near the Kissufim border crossing and near the Erez junction. An Israeli from the Emmanuel settlement suffered a concussion when his car overturned near Kalkiliya after it was stoned in Ramallah. Two Israelis were slightly wounded by stones. In Maaleh Levonah, an Egged company bus driver was moderately injured by glass fragments, after the bus he was driving was stoned. Two petrol bombs were thrown at an IDF patrol in Jericho; a third bomb was thrown in Ramallah. There were no injuries or damage. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 8 April 1994)

149. On 8 and 9 April 1994, soldiers at the Erez checkpoint fatally shot a Palestinian youth after he had threatened them with an axe (see list). A person was shot dead by two masked men (see list). Palestinian sources reported many clashes in the territories during which some 10 residents were injured (Jabalia, Shati', Gaza City, Ramallah). Between 8 and 20 persons were wounded (gunshot wounds and tear-gas inhalation) in Hebron during a clash between the army and hundreds of Palestinians that took place near the bus carrying the visiting United States civil rights leader, the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Some of the stone-throwers used the bus as a shelter. An officer was struck in the head by a rock in the same incident. A young woman was stabbed and seriously wounded by an Arab in Jerusalem as she walked through a public park. Three petrol bombs were thrown at an IDF patrol in Hebron. There were no injuries or damage. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 10 April 1994)

150. On 11 April 1994, soldiers shot and reportedly wounded two to four Palestinians who rioted in Hebron. Palestinian sources reported that three residents were also injured by IDF soldiers in Rafah, Khan Younis and in Jabalia. Two knife-wielding 15-year-old Arab girls attacked a soldier and a Border Policeman near the Western Wall in Jerusalem, but were detained before being able to inflict any wounds. In another stabbing attempt, a woman from Bethlehem pulled out a knife and lunged at a Border Policeman who was on duty at the Machpelah Cave. She was apprehended before she could cause any injury. (Ha'aretz, Jerusalem Post, 12 April 1994)

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