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HEAR PALESTINE
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Thursday, 19 December 2002

NEWS
**11-Year Old Girl Killed in Random Israeli Military Attack in Rafah
**Tulkarem: Occupation Army Invades Refugee Camp, Demolishes Home
**Jenin: Occupation Army Invades City and Refugee Camp at Dawn
**Hebron: Israeli Supreme Court Postpones Looking into Home Demolition Cases
**Nablus: Palestinian Youths Take Down Metal Gate Dividing the City
**Bethlehem: Israeli Soldiers Attack Journalists Near Church of Nativity
**Salfeet: Campaign of Raids and Arrests
**Ramallah: Child Wounded in Qalandya; Tightened Military Measures in
BirZeit

FEATURES
**The Busses: Nothing New Under the Rain
**The Resident Al-Qudra: We Have No Choice But to Stay

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NEWS
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*11-Year Old Girl Killed in Random Israeli Military Attack in Rafah*

Nada Madhi (11 years old) was killed at noon today with a heavy bullet in
the chest while inside her home in Sha'boura quarter, Rafah refugee camp.
Tanks supporting bulldozers carrying out activities near the border strip
(that separates Palestine and Egypt) in a limited invasion of the area
opened fire randomly at the residential area for no apparent reason.

Residents reported that the area was quiet at the time and that the attack
was completely unprovoked.

Madhi's home and several other homes were targeted with several heavy
bullets.

Nada was standing by the window of her home, 1 km away from Salah al-Din
Gate, at the time.

The funeral of Alaa al-Sfoudi (16 years old) killed yesterday took place
today.

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*Tulkarem: Occupation Army Invades Refugee Camp, Demolishes Home*

The Israeli occupation army lifted the curfew imposed on Tulkarem until this
evening. Israeli Special Forces kidnapped supermarket owner Muahmmad
al-Jayous from the city today and took him to an unknown destination.

After midnight, the Israeli occupation army invaded Tulkarem refugee camp
under the cover of helicopters and besieged the home of Burhan Sarhan, whose
son Sarhan is accused by the occupation authorities of being behind the
Kibutz Metzer operation.

Occupation soldiers ordered the residents of the building to come out and
forced them to wait outside in the cold, while they demolished the home of
Burhan Sarhan on the third floor, before arresting him.

Several adjacent homes were damaged as a result.

The occupation army withdrew from the refugee camp, after interrogating
several people, at 5:00 am. Occupation soldiers destroyed what was left of
the "Martyrs" monument at the entrance of the refugee camp before
withdrawal.

Military reinforcements were carried out in Shweikeh suburb where residents
were stopped and searched tightly.

Occupation soldiers invaded Kufer al-Libid Village under fire and arrested
Samer Barhoush from his home and confiscated his computer. The youth is a
student at Al-Quds Open University.

The Israeli army at dawn raided Far'on Village, south Tulkarem, and broke
into several homes. The residents reported that a large military force under
the cover of helicopters invaded the village at dawn and blew up the
entrances of the home of Rashad Idwan. The home was searched tightly and the
residents forced out for no apparent reason. Israeli soldiers also raided
al-Farah building in the same residential quarter and arrested the resident
Majdi Hassouna.

Before withdrawal, occupation soldiers fired a sound bomb at the home of
Basim Abu Firas, head of the Far'on Village Council, which shocked the
family, especially the children who were sleeping.

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*Jenin: Occupation Army Invades City and Refugee Camp at Dawn*

At 4:00 am, the Israeli occupation army invaded the city of Jenin and its
refugee camp under fire.

Israeli soldiers raided homes after blowing up front doors, mainly in the
Old City, under claims of searching for "wanted" people.

At least 5 people were arrested from al-Mirah quarter, the eastern quarter
and the Old City and at least 3 residents were arrested from the refugee
camp.

The Israeli army withdrew from the city at 6:00 am, only to spread
intensively around the city and its entrances.

Israeli occupation soldiers invaded Kufer Ra'i Village last night and
arrested 3 brothers and a 4th shop owner.

Residents in villages and towns around Jenin are unable to move due to the
heavy military presence in the area.

The Palestinian Red Crescent in the city of Jenin reported that occupation
soldiers in the city have attacked ambulances and medics in recent days.

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*Hebron: Israeli Supreme Court Postpones Looking into Home Demolition Cases*

The Israeli Supreme Court yesterday postponed declaring a decision
concerning the case raised by the owners of the 22 ancient homes facing
Israeli military demolition orders near al-Ibrahimi mosque until the
beginning of next month.

At the same time, the court permitted the continuation of the settlement
road construction activities between 'Kiryat Arba'' settlement and
al-Ibrahimi mosque. The road cuts through land that belongs to the families
of Jaber and Da'na.

A curfew continues to be imposed on the residents of Hebron for the 42nd day
running amidst oppressive measures carried out against them.

An ambulance transporting patients to hospital was stopped today. The medics
were lined up against the walls and physically attacked and humiliated. The
ambulance was searched in a provocative manner.

The Israeli army invaded Yatta and besieged a home that belongs to one of
the "wanted" people and searched it tightly. Similar activities in another
home were carried out in Doura.

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*Nablus: Palestinian Youths Take Down Metal Gate Dividing the City*

At around 1:00 pm today, a number of Palestinian youths destroyed the metal
gate separating the city into 2 parts and isolating the refugee camps from
the rest of the city. The youths also took away all the barriers placed in
the area.

A heavy Israeli military presence is reported at the entrances of Nablus,
where the curfew was lifted this morning until 6:00 pm. No one was allowed
to enter the city from surrounding villages.

Wide-Scale combing activities took place between the villages and towns
surrounding Nablus city. Israeli soldiers chased residents attempting to
move between the villages or to reach their agricultural land.

Hawara village continues to be placed under tight curfew. Roadblocks spread
in the area to prevent movement.

The Israeli army carried out home raids and searches last night and at dawn
today in the city of Nablus, arrested at least 3 people. The invading
soldiers reportedly wounded 4 residents in physical attacks during brutal
home searches.

Confrontations broke out between the residents and occupation soldiers,
which resulted until last night in 15 Palestinian youths wounded, 3
critically.

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*Bethlehem: Israeli Soldiers Attack Journalists Near Church of Nativity*

Israeli occupation soldiers at noon today attack a group of Palestinian
journalists while carrying out their work in the courtyard of the Church of
Nativity. The journalists are Moussa al-Sha'ir (AP photographer), Iyad Hamad
(TNB photographer), Abu Joseph Handal and Youssif al-Shomali (BBC
photographer).

The journalists reported that around 12 Israeli soldiers coming out from
inside the church with their machineguns surprised them.

The photographers immediately took pictures of this, which is when soldiers
started attacking them and confiscated their identity cards and cameras.

At dawn, the Israeli army raided 2 homes in Ayda refugee camp and arrested
the residents Raja Harazallah and Ahmad al-Jawarish.

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*Salfeet: Campaign of Raids and Arrests*

Israeli occupation soldiers at dawn today invaded Mazari' al-Noubani area
and searched several of its homes.

The Israeli army also tightened the imposed military siege on Kufel Haris
and Deir Istya Villages, preventing all movement between the villages of
Salfeet.

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*Ramallah: Child Wounded in Qalandya; Tightened Military Measures in
BirZeit*

A 5-year old girl was wounded in an Israeli random shooting near Qalandya
refugee camp. The girl was in her father's car at the time. Medical sources
reported that the girl who was wounded by bullet and glass shrapnel in the
face was in stable condition.

The father reported that Israeli soldiers opened fire at his car for no
apparent reason except provoking people while he was parked in front of the
refugee camp's bakery.

The Israeli army tightened military closure and measures in BirZeit, north
Ramallah, which has been subjected to continuous raids and arrests in the
past 10 days.

A military roadblock was set up at the University junction where a campaign
of searches was carried out against students mainly. Military reinforcements
were also carried out at the military roadblock separating Ramallah and the
town of BirZeit.

Residents in BirZeit reported that Israeli soldiers open fire randomly at
night and make loud provocative noises.

The town of Beit Rima was invaded last night and 2 of its residents
arrested.

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FEATURES - Clippings from the Arabic Press
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*The Busses: Nothing New Under the Rain*
By Muhammad Daraghma (Al-Ayam daily newspaper)

Those who headed to the military roadblocks yesterday, after they heard the
news about the occupation authorities allowing movement of busses and
passengers between he cities, did not find anything new under the heavy
rain.

They stood in long queues behind military roadblocks, while occupation
soldiers hiding behind their sand barricades allowed only a limited number
of people to cross, and prevented access to those who did not meet the new
conditions imposed.

Conditions for crossing: obtaining permission from the 'civil administration
' (occupation authorities), obtaining a teacher, student, doctor or
journalist card, or a medical report. In most cases, women are allowed to
cross.

Anger burst out among dozens of people who went to the roadblocks yesterday
hoping to cross but who were turned away. One resident from Bita Village,
who was heading with his child to the doctors, lost his temper at the
soldier who ordered him to return to where he came from, but allowed his
12-year old daughter to cross.

"This is a child, she would not be able to manage by herself in Nablus,"
said the father addressing the soldier, who replied coldly, "This is not my
problem, you are not allowed to cross."

"Look at her eyes, illness is clear in front of you," he told the soldier,
who refused to reply.

After a despairing argument, the father lost his temper and started
screaming at the soldier, "You are not human beings, you are monsters." Two
soldiers headed towards him and forced him to be quiet and to leave the
roadblock.

The soldiers were not satisfied with denying the man and his daughter access
and forcing them to go back to their home, but closed the military roadblock
in the face of hundreds of people heading from several villages to the city
for a long period of time.

Busses had started moving from Nablus to Ramallah at 7:00 am.

After the news came out that occupation soldiers are following the same
measures at military roadblocks, a large percentage of the people decided
not to head to the military roadblocks.

Hundreds of travelers went back to using the same old alternative routes
after realizing that the new transport system is nothing but an annoying
silly joke.

A resident from Askar refugee camp who owns a shop in al-Ram, north
Jerusalem, as he returned from Hawara military roadblock said, "Nothing new,
we'll go back once again to taking routes through mountains."

"These are not humans, they are gangs, they thrive on torturing us," said
that shop owner Ibrahim Abdallah angrily.

The occupation authorities recently informed bus companies of a decision
that permits busses to transport residents between cities and asked for the
drivers' identity cards for the issuing of crossing permissions.

A number of companies sent busses to military roadblocks yesterday to
transport people.

Those who managed to travel from Nablus to Ramallah yesterday said that the
only difference was the presence of busses that take passengers through main
roads.

A dialogue is taking place in the Palestinian political sphere concerning
the latest Israeli move. Some warn against the political repercussions of
such new measures while others say it is difficult to refuse any right that
was taken away from them, including using the main roads.

Owners of public bus services seem positive concerning at the new system
after 2 years of a complete halt in their work and movement.

These companies used to transport mainly students and employees who work in
official institutions. Many employees have had to move to Ramallah since the
siege.

More companies are preparing to send their busses in the next few days.

************************************

*The Resident Al-Qudra: We Have No Choice But to Stay*
By Hassan Jaber (Al-Ayam daily newspaper)

The family of Fakhri al-Qudra (25 years old) lives on edge, but enjoys a
high level of patience inside their home, which is threatened with
demolition by the occupation army at any minute.

Inside the home, the family remembers many incidents that they passed
through, only to become more determined in facing the tanks and the
settlers, who look to the day they demolish their home and remove it.

Al-Qudra says, "We insist on staying no matter what the cost is, and I think
of how the confrontations would be with the soldiers when they come to
demolish the house."

He continues, "We realize that they might come any minute to demolish out
home and throw us out on the streets as they have done with dozens of other
families, but we have no choice but to stay."

An Israeli military force had come to the house of al-Qudra, south of 'Kfar
Darom' settlement, established on confiscated Palestinian land east of Deir
al-Balah, and ordered them to evacuate the house in preparation for
demolition.

Al-Qudra said, "They used the same excuse, 'The settlement is being
subjected to fire from around the house'."

He added, "They ordered me to evacuate the house, but I refused, where do I
go, this is my land and my ancestors' land and I will stay even if they
demolished the house on top of our heads."

Al-Qudra lives with his family and children (16 members) in the house since
1990 on his land which he inherited from his father and grandfathers.

He says, "The family owns this land since dozens of years, before the
adjacent land was confiscated and the settlement 'Kfar Darom' established on
it."

Al-Qudra works with his children in agriculture, but lost their work after
the occupation army prevented them from reaching their land located near the
barbed wire that surround the settlement.

The home of Al-Qudra family is located 70 meters away from the settlement
fence, a fact that makes them a favorite target for provocations by the
soldiers and the settlers.

He says, "Five days ago, occupation soldiers came to the area and claimed
that the settlement was subjected to shooting, and when I said to them, 'The
shooting came from inside the settlement', they started shouting and
threatening."

He adds, "They brought bulldozers and started to demolish green houses and
small agricultural houses that belong to my sons, as well as demolished the
fence around the house (130 meters) and a pool where we have fish."

Al-Qudra says, "The series of demolition in this area is continuous since
several months." His relatives' homes and farms in the area were demolished
under the same pretexts.

Al-Qudra sais, "What takes place here is criminal, they open fire
continuously and kill people and no body charges them."

He said, "When they demolished out land, I was trying with my children to
fix it and work on it, over 20 soldiers arrived and placed their machineguns
in my face and threatened to shoot if we did not stop working."

Al-Qudra complained at the silence of human rights and legal organizations
especially after he informed several sides of the intention of the
occupation army to demolish his home.

He says he feels sometimes that he is on the verge of going insane. "They
all just stand watching, nobody does anything."