Daily Newsletter
Date: 20/02/2004
News:
Khan Younis: 2 Palestinians Killed in Al-Matahin at
Dawn
Bethlehem: 7 Residents Arrested from Beit Sahour
Khan Younis: Two Children Wounded in Israeli Fire
Feature Stories
Jayous Residents Look to Lahai Court for Support
Mohammad Abu Jamous Absent from Olympics Athena 2004
Khan Younis: 2 Palestinians Killed in Al-Matahin at
Dawn
Two Palestinians were shot dead at dawn today in al-Matahin area, north of
KhanYounis.
The Israeli army invaded the area within 300 meters and opened fire
towards homes in the area, killing two civilians: Muhannad Abu Hatab and Muwafaq al-A’raj.
The Israeli army declared killing the two men under claims that they tried to sneak
into ‘Kisofim’ military base in the area.
Bethlehem: 7 Residents Arrested from Beit SahourThe
Israeli army arrested 7 residents from Beit Sahour this morning during a campaign of home
raids and searches. Among them are:
- Nader Harmas
- Nael Harmas
-
Mohammad Darweesh
- Mahmoud al-Adabira
- Salah al-Hamouri
- Ghassan
Khairat
Khan Younis: Two Children Wounded in Israeli FireTwo
children were moderately wounded today in Israeli fire south of the Gaza
Strip.
Israeli soldiers based in the surroundings of ‘Neveh Dkalim’ settlement
opened fire randomly for no apparent reason towards homes in al-Amal quarter, west of Khan
Younis wounding two children:
- Mohammad Arafa (12 years old)
- Khalil
Ramadan (11 years old)
Jayous Residents Look to Lahai Court for Support
WAFA
- The residents of Jayous Town, Qalqilya, await anxiously the “Isolation Wall” trial ehich
is to tale place in the International Court of Justice, Lahai this week (23 February 2004).
The Israeli “Isolation Wall” looted and isolated all of the town’s agricultural land.
The residents of the town, located north of Qalqilya, say that they look to the
international court for support amidst the silence they received from the international
community despite the great injustice done to them by the Israeli occupation
authorities.
Jayous is one of the most devastated Palestinian villages as a result
of the establishment of the wall.
Over 9000 dunums (1dunum=1000m2) out of 12500
dunums (the area of the town) were confiscated for the purpose of the wall, leaving over
70% of the residents without land and source of income.
Head of the town’s council
Fayez Salim says the wall leaves hundreds of families that depend on their land for
livelihood without hope, pointing out that in addition to over 100 farmers whose land was
completely destroyed under the wall, 300 other families lost their only source of income
since their land is currently behind the wall.
He adds that the residents of the
town feel bitterness towards Arab and international incapacity vis-à-vis the issue of the
wall. He also sees that obtaining a legal position from the internal court is important in
turning the issue into a political one and that through the decision of the court the
United Nations would be able to exert pressure on Israel to end the construction of the
wall and remove it.
The wall, which is made of fences, ditches and roads, is built
6 kilometers into the town and away from the “Green Line” and isolates all of the town’s
agricultural land, leaving behind only the homes of the residents. This represents a
catastrophe for the residents of the town who depend solely on agriculture.
From
within the Citrus, Almond, Guava and Olive trees that richly cover the land of Jayous, the
“wall” bends, cutting through these farms and causing great destruction and disfiguration.
Jayous Municipality estimates the size of production from the land now isolated behind the
wall at 9 million kilograms of vegetables and fruits yearly.
The resident
Abdellatif al-Hilo, whose land has been totally isolated behind the wall, sees that raising
the case in the International Court of Justice as extremely important. He says that
listening to the residents’ testimonies in the court is a historical documentation of the
struggle. He also stresses the importance of media coverage of the decision to be released
by the court.
Since the start of the establishment of the wall in Jayous at the end
of 2002, the residents have not been able to reach their land.
Head of the town’s
council says that reaching the land is now impossible and is subject to the mood of the
soldiers based at the metal gates that were set up within the wall to separate them from
their land.
He also denied Israeli claims that the Israeli army is issuing
permissions to owners of isolated land and described the claim as a “con”. He said that
most of the permissions which were issued to farmers in the town were to dead people or
people living abroad, and also to old people or children who cannot work.
During the
past olive season, dozens of the residents were forced to stay in tents on their land
behind the wall until the end of the harvest, for fear of being prevented from crossing the
gates that now separate them from their land.
Another problem which the residents of
the town face is water. All artesian wells have been confiscated along with the land. Head
of the council says that all six wells are now completely gone and water networks
destroyed, which means Jayous is currently without a source of water.
The wall
leaves no land or water for the residents of Jayous, who await the trial to convene in the
hopes that this would trigger world conscience to support them in pressuring the Israeli
occupation to remove the wall that stands on their land and livelihood.
Mohammad Abu Jamous Absent from Olympics Athena 2004Mohammad Abu Jamous, Palestine’s sports champion and a member of the Palestinian team to
take part in the Olympics Athena 2004 was among the 15 people killed in the Israeli
invasion of Shaja’iya and Rafah last week.
Abu Jamous was born in 1981 and grew up
in Rafah refugee camp. He was the leading Palestinian weight champion and was chosen among
several to take part in the Olympics, which are to be held in the Greek capital this
August.
Abu Jamous was a leading Palestinian sportsman and has a long list of
achievements and titles.
Abu Jamous came from a poor family that lives in a refugee
camp in Rafah and supported his family. He became a member of the youth sports club in
Rafah when he was 16 years old when he won the 1500-meter race in the Gaza Strip. He won
the gold medal for the 3000-meter race when he was under 20 years old and represented
Palestine in a race held in Portugal in the year 2000. He then became one of the top 100
world champions under the age of 20 years.
He was sent to Egypt to take part in
the Arab championships that were held in Sa’id Port and won the gold medal for the 5000-
meter race.
Abu Jamous had great hopes of becoming a world champion. He was sent to
Saudi Arabia to be trained in professional clubs and was then sent to Morocco during the
summer of 2001 for three months for training as the best Palestinian long distance runner.
He trained in the Zamalik Egyptian sports club in May 2002 where he won the gold meral for
the 5000-meter where he also broke the Palestinian record for under 20 years by (52.14
minutes).
He received several offers after this victory from the Zamalik Club.
However, he received the news that his cousin, also a sportsman was killed in Rafah and he
left Cairo immediately.
