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Human Rights Report No. 198
Human Rights Summary:
Date of incident: July 7, 2005 Description of Incident Approximately at 1:00 a.m. on Thursday July 7, an estimated 60 soldiers entered Hares by foot. At 3:00 am residents heard loud shouting, sound bombs and gunshots coming from several locations around the village. At least 13 jeeps and one large military vehicle were observed entering the village during the operation. Israeli soldiers entered at least 5 houses and detained four men from the village. During the operation, soldiers fired gunshots into three houses and shot inside one. Soldiers used 2 men as human shields, including one 16-year old boy. Soldiers also beat two women, including a woman who is 8 months pregnant. The incursion lasted approximately 5 and one half hours, from 1:00 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. Arrest of Zahran Kamal (19 years old) Accounts taken by IWPS from residents of the house: The army came at 2:00 a.m. and threatened to destroy their house if they did not open the door. Soldiers fired sound bombs in the street and shot bullets at the house. The soldiers threw large rocks through the front window. At first the family assumed it was settlers. Then the army forced a neighbor at gunpoint to knock on their door. When they opened the door, the army forced everyone to sit outside. There were 12 people in the house, mostly women and small children. They took Zaharan Kamal from the house and tied his hands, blindfolded his eyes, and took him away. They proceeded to search the house with a dog, but they did not find anything. When the father asked why they were taking his son, the army said that it wanted to ask him questions and would release him in half an hour. The response given to the mother when she asked the same question was only a spat of swearing. The location of the son and the reason for his detention are not known at this time. IWPS members observed and photographed the bullet holes in the house and damage to property. Arrest of Wa’il Mashour Sultan (26 yrs.) and Rifa’at Mashour Sultan Accounts taken by IWPS from residents of the house: Before the army came to the house, they went to the neighbor’s house. The family heard shouting, shooting, and sound bombs from the neighbor’s house for about 1 and ½ hours. Soldier’s forced their neighbor to come and knock on their door. When they opened the door, there were approximately 15 soldiers. The soldiers forced everyone in the house to sit outside in the street. They beat one of the brothers on his arm and threatened to shoot him if he did not tell them where his two brothers, Wa’il and Rifa’at, were. Wa’il and Rifa’at were eventually found and detained. They blindfolded them, tied their hands and legs together, and put them in the jeep. The soldiers took the dogs to smell the detained brothers and then took the dogs to search inside the house. One woman reported that the army took a gold ring and over $1,000 Jordanian dinars from her handbag. One soldier threatened to beat the wife of one of the brothers when she tried to stop the soldiers from taking her husband. No reason was given for the detention. The location of the two brothers is not known at this time. 16-Year-Old Boy Used As Human Shield Accounts taken by IWPS from residents of the house: Family members were asleep when the army arrived at about 3:00 a.m. The soldiers hid behind the wall and threw large rocks at the door, shouting for them to open the door. The family thought that it was settlers, not the army. Two sisters were alone in the house with their 11 children. The army was shouting bad words and began shooting at the door and shooting sound bombs in the garden. When one of the women opened the door, the soldiers forced everyone to go outside, saying they would shoot everyone and destroy the house in one minute, if they did not get out. There were approximately 20 soldiers, some inside and some behind the house. Some had their faces painted black. The soldiers took her 16-year-old son and kicked him in the legs and put a gun to his shoulders and forced him to go to his neighbor’s house and knock on the door. The 16-year-old boy was released after about 2 hours. Two Women Beaten During House Search Statement by residents in the house: Family members were all sleeping when the army came at 3:00 a.m., throwing sound bombs and shooting at the house. The army told the family on a loud speaker to come out of the house. They hit the father with their fists. Then they beat the brother, choking him and stomping him with their boots. His foot was injured and he had to seek medical attention. They fired bullets inside the kitchen and two bedrooms. They shot bullet holes in a framed verse from the Quran. The soldiers beat the wife with the gun and ordered her to take off her clothes, but she refused. They threatened to kill her if she did not disclose her husband’s location. They also took the brother’s wife who is 8 months pregnant and beat her in her stomach. Before the soldiers entered the house, they used 2 dogs that had camera devices attached to their heads, to search the house. They forced all the children and young people to sit outside and pointed their guns at the children, while others searched the house. There were approximately 30 soldiers. IWPS members observed and photographed bullet holes in the front of and throughout the house, as well as damage to property. Arrest of Sabri Ahmed Abed Souf (19 years old) As witnessed by IWPS members: At approximately 3:00 a.m. the army surrounded the house and began shouting and shooting sound bombs. They forced all the people outside. They searched the home and detained the 19-year-old son of the household, Sabri Ahmed Abed Souf. His location and reason for detention is not known at this time. IWPS members photographed damaged property at the house.
Report by: Cathy and Shannon
The International Women's Peace Service, Hares, Salfit, Palestine.
Tel: (09) 251 66 44 Operating out of Hares, in the Salfit region of the West Bank, the International Women's Peace Service monitors and responds to human rights abuses in the area.
http://www.miftah.org |