LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights
and the Environment
Special Report on the First Year of the Palestinian Intifada -
Extracts,
29 September, 2001
Introduction
The ongoing Palestinian Intifada has entered its second year. On
Friday September 29, 2000, Israeli troops stormed the Noble
Sanctuary (Al-Haram al-Sharif) and opened fire on Palestinian
worshippers, killing four and wounding more than 200. Consequently,
clashes broke out between Palestinians and Israeli occupation
forces and a fifth Palestinian was killed. On the third day, ten
more Palestinians were killed. On the following day, violent
clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and Israeli
soldiers and spread to all main Palestinian cities. Eleven
Palestinians were killed. On the third day ten more Palestinians
were shot to death by Israeli troops. On the fourth day,
Palestinians living inside the Green Line clashed with Israeli
police and border guards, and 16 Palestinians were killed,
including seven from within the Green Line. The Intifada
intensified and more Palestinians fell victim to the Israeli
excessive and disproportionate use of force.
The Israeli occupation forces committed blatant human-rights
violations during the first year of the Intifada. According to
LAW's documentation, excessive force has been used against the
Palestinian stone-throwers, even though such stone-throwing was not
life-threatening to the soldiers. Evidently, excessive and
disproportionate use of force by Israel was aimed at causing as
many Palestinian casualties as possible.
Excessive Use of Deadly Force
According the LAW's documentation, many Palestinians died from
tear-gas inhalation and from rubber-coated steel bullets. In
several cases, tear-gas inhalation caused spasms and fits, which
raised fears amongst Palestinian medical sources that Israeli
forces were using a new type of tear gas. Furthermore, LAW's
documentation proved that rubber-coated steel bullets used by
Israeli forces were fatal when used at close range.
LAW's documentation shows that 678 Palestinians were killed during
the first year of the Intifada, as follows:
• 578 Palestinians were killed by Israeli soldiers
• 23 Palestinians were killed by Israeli settlers
• 28 Palestinians were killed in circumstances in which
Israeli forces were suspected to be involved in their deaths
• 22 Palestinians died at Israeli military roadblocks after
being prevented from crossing for emergency medical reasons
• 27 Palestinians died in suicide bombings.
The number of Palestinians killed includes 30 females, 19 of whom
were shot dead by Israeli troops and Jewish settlers, 8 died at
Israeli military roadblocks, and 3 died under suspicious
circumstances. The figure also includes 173 children under 18 years
of age: 162 were shot dead by Israeli troops, 7 died under
suspicious circumstances, and 4 died at military roadblocks.
Furthermore, those killed include 4 Palestinian doctors, a German
doctor, 3 paramedics, 3 Palestinian journalists and 95 police
officers. One hundred and sixty-two Palestinians were killed during
Israeli shelling and 35 Palestinians were assassinated by Israeli
forces. Seventeen Palestinians were killed during extra-judicial
executions of Intifada activists.
The Wounded
According the LAW's documentation, 10,596 Palestinians sustained
gunfire and shrapnel wounds, including 6,722 in the West Bank and
3,874 in the Gaza Strip. Additionally, thousands of Palestinians
sustained injuries from tear- gas inhalation, from falling while
trying to escape indiscriminate Israeli shelling of Palestinian
homes, and from being physically attacked by Israeli troops and
settlers.
Extra-Judicial Execution
Israeli forces assassinated 35 Palestinians during the first year
of the Intifada: 33 civilians and two policemen. Seventeen
Palestinian passersby died simply because they were present at the
scene of these extra-judicial executions. Weaponry used to carry
out these assassinations included sniper fire, helicopter gunship
missile fire, tank-fire and explosive devices planted in vehicles
and telephone booths. The killings were carried out under
circumstances that demonstrate complete disregard for the risk
involved to the lives of innocent bystanders. Some of those
targeted were gunned down in town centers, or even in taxis while
other passengers were present.
Sharon's government has continued the policy of extra-judicial
execution initiated by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
