>1. 1 killed, 48 injured During 13 Hours of IOF Incursions
>2. Balata Refugee Camp Imprisoned By Army and Roadblocks
>1. >Nablus >1 killed, 48 injured During 13 Hours of IOF Incursions Tuesday, June >4th 2003 > >The Israeli Occupation Forces and Border Police held a strong >military presence in the city of Nablus today with tanks, APCs >(armoured personel carriers), hummers, jeeps and an Apache >helicopter. This incited many confrontations between the armed forces >and stone throwing youths where one Palestinian civilian was killed >and 48 were injured. The armed forces used live bullets, rubber >bullets and teargas. Many family homes and office buildings in the >centre of the city and the Askar & Balata Refugee camps were occupied >by the army, holding families (including women and children) and >office workers hostage. > >At 6.30am, an APC and 2 jeeps parked at the east side of the Balata >refugee camp, the end of Market Street (the Main Street) which is a >heavy populated civilian area. They were randomly beeping their >horns, sounding sirens and shooting live rounds while there was very >little local presence on the streets. This continued for 2 hours >until it incited responses from stone throwing youths. The armed >forces responded to this with live bullets, rubber bullets and >teargas. An international presence in the area witnessed this >incursion which had no evident military or security purpose. > >In the centre of the city at least 5 buildings, 3 family homes and 2 >office buildings, were being occupied by the armed forces. >International volunteers were informed that an elderly couple in one >of the the family homes, in need of medical treatment, were being >held hostage. Four internationals approached the residence to try to >negotiate with the armed forces, two were allowed enter. The armed >forces, 8 soldiers who were using the residence for surveillance and >to sleep, had occupied the house from 2.30am the previous night. The >elderly couple, who lived there with their daughter, both needed >medical attention, the father following heart surgery and the mother >following back surgery. After negotiations with the soldiers the >internationals were able to bring the mother to hospital in an >ambulance which was waiting outside. Despite being in need of medical >treatment the soldiers refused to allow the father to leave. He was >concerned about leaving the soldiers in his house and with his >daughter alone for fear of them damaging the house and mistreating >his daughter. The soldiers also refused to allow the daughter of the >house to accompany her mother to the hospital despite her mother >being very traumatised and distressed. > >The internationals went to the remaining 4 occupied buildings in the >city but were refused entry to all of them, despite bringing food for >the children of one house and stating a concern for the welfare of >all those being held. > >Four family homes were occupied in the Askar refugee camp and 1 in >the Balata refugee camp. (For more information see report "Occupied >Houses in Nablus" 3 Jun 03) > >2 tanks and 6 jeeps (IOF & Border Police) drove around the centre of >the city for most of the day, leading to many confrontations with >stone throwing youths. Again the internationals who were in the area >observing the incursion could not see any military or security >reasons for the army's strong presence. > >At 5pm 2 IOF jeeps were parked 500m from the main entrance to Balata >refugee camp. While a soldier from one jeep was washing his >windscreen, a soldier from the other jeep sang the Israeli national >anthem over his loudspeaker. Surely actions like this must raise the >question of why the army is here – for reasons of security/military >or reasons of incitement? > >These increased military measures come 6 days after the "Roadmap" >peace talks in Jordan between Abu Mazen and Ariel Sharon where it was >agreed that the restrictions put in place by the IOF on movement >would be eased around the West Bank. > >For more information, contact: >John + 972 (0)59 318 324 > >___________________________________________________________________ >2. > >Nablus >Balata Refugee Camp Imprisoned By Army and Roadblocks 12.15pm, >Wednesday, June 4th 2003 > >Following a 13 hour Israeli Occupation Forces incursion yesterday >(see report "1 killed, 48 injured During 13 Hours of IOF Incursions", >June 4th 2003), today the IOF have had a constant presence in the >camp since 6.30am this morning. Tanks, APCs (armoured personnel >carriers), jeeps, hummers and a bulldozer have been driving around >the camp, parking for some time and then driving deeper into the >camp. At 6.30am an APC and 2 jeeps parked at the east side of the >camp, at the end of Market Street (the Main Street), beeping their >horns and sounding sirens randomly until at 8.30am the children of >the camp responded by throwing stones. Responses have been taking >place ever since. Warning shots of live rounds & rubber bullets and >teargas has been used against these children who are responding to >the army's presence. > >The camp has been enclosed by 6 roadblocks. Large mounds of earth and >4 foot square concrete blocks, were put in place by the IOF last >night. These roadblocks block the 2 main streets and other streets of >the camp and severely hinder vehicular movement iin and around the >camp, including emergency medical services. At 9.30am the local >community, along with internationals, responded to the army's closure >by opening a path in one roadblock. They have been prevented in >continuing their non-voilent resistance because of the heavily armed >military presence in the area. > >These increased military activities and restrictive measures come 7 >days after the "Roadmap" peace talks in Jordan between Abu Mazen and >Ariel Sharon where it was agreed that the restrictions put in place >by the IOF on movement would be eased around the West Bank. > >For more information, contact: >John + 972 (0)59 318 324
|