>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