Contents

On 13 July 1992, Yitzhak Rabin gave his inaugural speech to the Israeli Knesset and a vote of confidence brought him and his party into power. Rabin's election was heralded in the US and Europe as an indication that Israel was now ready and willing to enter into serious peace negotiations with Palestinians in the Occupied Territories and with neighboring Arab states. Rabin's verbal promises to bring about changes in the Occupied Territories and the announcement of a 'freeze' on settlement activities, despite the facts on the ground, led to his securing the US loan guarantees. With the next round of peace negotiations entering a critical phase, how seriously can Palestinians take Rabin's reported commitment to peace?

In the last month the Israeli government has said they are considering amending the law banning meetings with the PLO. And as we go to press, promises are being made that, among other things, 800 prisoners will be released, and that sealed roads and blocked entrances to villages and refugee camps will be dismantled. Are these merely cosmetic changes which, in reality, will change very little for the majority of Palestinians in the Occupied Territories?

There has been no noticeable change of policy concerning Israeli repressive actions in the Occupied Territories, despite the change in government. Israel continues to violate the 4th Geneva Convention and the 1907 Hague Regulations concerning the behavior of a belligerent occupying power. Human rights violations continue daily: Palestinians are still living under the threat of being permanently or temporarily deported, arrested and detained without trial, tortured and held in dehumanizing prison conditions which lead to a slow psychological and physical death. Since Rabin's election, one Palestinian has died in detention. Israel's undercover units, operating as death squads, continue to hunt down and kill 'wanted' and other Palestinians.

No less serious is the daily grind of occupation through economic repression. Punitive measures such as hefty taxation means Palestinians are in effect financing the military occupation. Over 1,300 military orders govern daily existence. New orders and amendments to existing orders are drawn up over night and there is no one particular place where these orders are made public. The military orders give no benefit to the civilian population under occupation; rather, they are designed to provide a 'legal' cover for Israel's illegal activities in the Occupied Territories.

Collective punishment continues to be one of Israel's main repressive tactics, illustrated by the curfew imposed on Nablus and the surrounding refugee camps and villages during the 4-day siege of An-Najah University. Travel restrictions are being imposed on whole villages and electricity and water supplies continue to be cut off for varying lengths of time. And Palestinians cannot begin building a just society while the Israeli authorities continue to sack educators and health workers for 'security' or rather political reasons.

Conditions in the Gaza Strip should be of major concern in the next round of peace negotiations. With thousands of workers now prohibited from leaving the Strip to their jobs inside Israel, unemployment, poverty, and the deteriorating health conditions are creating an intolerable and explosive situation. The majority of students from the Gaza Strip are prohibited from travelling to other parts of the Occupied Territories to continue their studies. Israel's methods for 'imprisoning' and monitoring nearly one million Palestinians in the Strip becomes ever more sophisticated with the continued use of magnetic cards, green cards, an elaborate border control post at Erez checkpoint, among others. And restrictions are often imposed on Palestinians from the West Bank travelling to the Gaza Strip. The majority of people from both areas continue to be banned from entering East Jerusalem.

Travel restrictions to and from the Occupied Territories have been highlighted recently in the dehumanizing and intolerable conditions Palestinians are facing at the border crossing between Jordan and the West Bank. Tens of thousands of people are stranded in 'Amman because Israel has imposed unreasonable restrictions on the numbers being able to cross daily. This has become more critical since the Israeli authorities closed the Damiya Bridge in the north at the end of 1991.

Despite Rabin's declaration of a 'freeze' on settlement activities, large tracts of land continue to be expropriated, homes bulldozed or blown up and olive trees (one of the mainstays of Palestinian agriculture) uprooted by their thousands. Rabin is making the superfluous distinction between 'political' and 'strategic' settlements and contrary to his stated 'freeze' policy, he has announced that construction will continue on around 10,000 housing units over the next year. This could mean additional 60,000 settlers in the Occupied Territories. All settlement activity, including land expropriation, bulldozing, the construction of housing units and roads, must be halted - not 'frozen' because 'frozen' implies that the whole process can be thawed out and continued at a future date.

 In this report we highlight the continued violations being carried out against Palestinians by Rabin's government, a continuation of the previous government's policies. As Palestinian representatives enter the next round of peace negotiations in Washington DC, it is imperative that the US and other western governments put pressure on Israel to start dismantling immediately the most brutal aspects of the occupation. A continuation of Israel's repressive policies in the Occupied Territories will only affect negatively the population's readiness to support and take seriously the peace talks. Once again we stress that time is running out. What Palestinians need and demand is an immediate change in policy not a change of faces...

In 1988, when PM Rabin was Defence Minister, undercover units were secretly established in the ranks of the Israeli army. It was the task of these units to capture 'wanted' Palestinians using what became known as the 'shoot-to-kill' policy. For over 2 years, the Israeli authorities denied the existence of these units yet it was well known that undercover units were entering Palestinian areas disguised as 'Palestinians' to carry out raids. Soldiers from the units have testified that they were told in oral briefings that even in the case of stone-throwers they should 'fire at the centre of the mass without giving any warning and without first firing into the air or at the legs ... even after the incident has ended and the danger has passed' (see Activity of the Undercover Units in the Occupied Territories, B'Tselem, May 1992). Ironically, members of undercover units complain that they are too restricted by open-fire regulations.

In mid-June 1992, the Israeli daily Ha 'aretz reported that' these units were using helicopters to hunt down the 'wanted'. The Israeli censor banned the reporting of the units' activities and it is not clear how long they have been operating in this way. B'Tselem reports that various military sources have denied the existence of a policy of 'liquidating wanted persons', but testimonies collected indicate that 'even if there is no official policy which permits such killing, in practice the phenomenon exists'.

According to the Israeli Army Command, the undercover units are considered an 'elite' and are attracting large numbers of Israeli youth to their ranks. The new government is continuing with the policy of giving the undercover units carte blanche to hunt down Palestinians. From mid-July to mid-August, the following people are known to have been killed by undercover units:

* 'Immad Yousef Shqeiqat (27) from Jab'a near jenin was shot dead by an undercover unit who raided the village. He was shot in the shoulder and the back and was taken to alIttihad Hospital in Nablus where he died. He was 'wanted' for 2 years for alleged membership of the Black Panthers.

* Yasser Ahmad an-Namrouti (28) from Khan Younis Refugee Camp was shot dead in a-Zaitoun neighbourhood in Gaza City by an undercover unit. An-Namrouti was hiding with a friend in an orchard when an undercover unit attacked. As the 2 men tried to run away an-Namrouti was f atally shot.

* Nour a-Deen al-'Aqad from Khan Younis was chased into a house and killed by an undercover unit. Eye witnesses said that the unit came after a masked Palestinian who was seen writing slogans on a nearby wall. The undercover unit chased him indoors and shot him from a distance of less than 2 metres. B'Tselem was reported as saying this was a clear violation of orders and that the unit could have arrested him instead.

During the Intifada years, hundreds of Palestinians have been forced into hiding because they have been targetted as 'wanted' by the Israeli authorities, either for their political affiliations or activities and often for no apparent reason. There are numerous cases where Palestinians do not know that they are 'wanted', or have no idea why, and even in some instances people are led to believe that they are lwanted' when in fact they are not. Under a new policy (Military Order No. 1396, in effect from 28 May 1992) twanted' Palestinians are being sentenced 'in absentia' to 7 years imprisonment if they do not turn themselves in to the Israeli authorities. This sentencing is being done without people first being arrested and brought to trial. West Bank attorney lbraheem Barghouthi said that the new military order is not only against the 'wanted' but against Palestinians in general. He added that the order allows any Israeli officer, whether he is security or not, to sentence any person to 7 years imprisonment 'in absentia' if the individual does not show up for an interview. He said that it is unjust to consider not coming to an interview as a crime. Examples during July of the methods being used by the Israeli military to capture the 'wanted' are as follows:

* The military posted a list of 19 names of 'wanted' activists from several villages near Ramallah calling on them to turn themselves in or face being killed.

* The family of 'Adnan 'Omar Salman (29) from a-Ta'amra near Bethlehem was informed that their son was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment 'in absentia'.

Ahmad Mahmoud Sunjuq (25) and Ghassan 'Ali Sunjuq (23) were sentenced to 7 years imprisonment.

* 7 'wanted' people from Tamoun near jenin were each sentenced to 7 years imprisonment 'in absentia'. Their f amilies were given 30 days to turn them in to the authorities.

* The 60-year-old f ather of one of the 'wanted', 'Awwad Ikmeel from Qabatia, was put under administrative detention. His son Ahmad is allegedly the leader of the Black Panther group in the Jenin area. His detention is meant to force the son to turn himself in to the authorities. The family also received an order for the sealing of their house.

* The family of detainee Nasser Muharrimed al-Khateeb (20) from Balata Refugee Camp called all local and international human rights organisations to intervene and find out where their son is being detained. Khateeb, who was 'wanted', turned himself in to the authorities on 14 July.

* Mahmoud Abu Hassan (23) from Jenin, was killed in an armed clash with the military. Abu Hassan, nicknamed Zara'eeni, was 'wanted' for alleged membership of the Black Panthers. According to the Israeli newspaper Hadashot, the Israeli authorities buried his body in a military cemetery in the Jordan valley. Zara'eeni's body was finally returned to his family on 29 July at the request of MKs Tawfeeq Zayyad and Tamar Gozansky. The father reported that the face was disfigured beyond recognition and parts of the body were cut off.

Five Palestinians have died in detention this year, one since the new government took power. Mustafa Mahmoud Barakat (23) from 'Anabta near Tulkarem died after being tortured in the interrogation unit of Tulkarem Detention Centre. Barakat arrived from Jordan on 29 July after graduating from college. He was told on his arrival to report for an interview at the Civil Administration on 3 August at which time he was arrested. On 4 July his family was notified of his death. An IDF spokesperson claimed that Barakat's death was caused by an asthma attack. An autopsy report showed that his death came after he was hooded for a long period to extract a 'confession' from him. Three human rights organisations - Al-Haq, PHRIC and the Mandela Institute - have accused the Israeli Shin Bet (General Security Services) of being responsible for his sudden death.

Inhuman conditions are the order of the day in Israel's prisons and detention centres. Recent reports highlight that prisoners are being denied their basic human rights and according to a recent report on Hebron Prison, 438 detainess there are crowded into 30 cells (see Hebron Prison: A View From Inside, AIC, July 1992). In Dhaharia Prison 200 prisoners went on hunger strike in July to protest against prison conditions. The prisoners demanded: a halt to putting prisoners in solitary conf inement, improvement in health conditions, more break hours, an improvement in the quality of food and toilets in the rooms.

Some prisoners are still being held after their sentence has ended. Eleven prisoners, all from the exile who were arrested between 1985 and 1986, went on hunger strike in several prisons at the end of July in protest at their continued detention. Most. of them were sentenced to 3-4 years imprisonment and have not been released because, according to the Israeli authorities, Israel cannot find a country to take them.

The administration of Telmond Women's Prison banned visits from prisoners' families for 2 months, during which time prisoners are also denied their break-time and the right to buy from the canteen.

Palestinian prisoners in Nafha Prison wrote to MK Hashem Mahamid in August demanding that he intervene immediately to put a stop to their haby the prison authorities.

Lawyers are subject to harassment and their work is being obstructed. Palestinian lawyers were prevented from entering Ramallah Military Court on 10 August and were informed that they must now observe new regulations. Lawyers are now required to wait outside for a soldier to search and accompany them into the court.

Palestinian children are frequently targets of the Israeli military. On 28 July, around 500 children from refugee camps in the Rafah area (southern Gaza Strip) were held in Ansar 2 Detention Centre in Gaza City. The children were on a summer camp day trip and travelling in 7 buses when they were stopped by the military. A-Shaab newspaper reported that the children were singing nationalist songs and shouting slogans when soldiers opened f ire on the bus, wounding one child in the head. The military searched each bus, each child, and then detained them in Ansar 2. Military officials reported that the children were held for 'security reasons'. One of the guides accompanying the children, 'Amer Subhi Abu Ni'ama, was arrested. The children were only released when Red Cross representatives and UNRWA officials arrived.

Children and adolescents make up a large percentage of those who have been killed and injured by the military. On 25 July, 4-year-old Na'eem Kameel Abu Ammouneh was shot dead by troops while he was travelling in the back seat of his father's car in Khan Younis (southern Gaza Strip). The military opened f ire on the car when it neared a roadblock. Na'eem's father said that he was given no prior warning to stop.

The following people were injured by the Israeli military from mid-July to mid-August:

*Immad Shawkat Lubbadeh (28) from Nablus was critically in ured in the back near the Red Crescent Society in Nablus. The Society wrote to PM Rabin protesting against soldiers opening fire near their offices.

* Ra'ed 'Issa al-Janazreh (19) was injured in the arm and abdomen in clashes with the military in Beit Fajjar near Bethlehem.

* Raji Mahmoud al-Batat (32) from Dhaharia near Hebron was injured when the army opened fire on a local car near a military post in the village.

* 'Ali Hassan al-Hamarneh (16) from al-Maghazi Refugee Camp was hospitalised after being shot in a clash with the military.

* Nizar Radwan Shurafa (15) from Shweike near Tulkarem was injured in the head and back after being severely beaten by soldiers.

* Jaber Sha'ban was severely injured when he tried to stab a soldier at Erez checkpoint in Gaza. Military sources said that he is from Beit Lahia, but sources in Beit Lahia said there is no one of that name in the village.

* Soldiers attacked a family in Nablus at around llpm on the night of 29 July. Sameer 'Omar Sleiman al-Ateeri (40) was injured in the right eye, face and head. His wife Su'ad was injured in the f ace and the chest by f lying glass and both were hospitalised. It was reported that a military patrol opened f ire for no reason. Al-Ateeri was only admitted to the Hadassa Hospital in West Jerusalem on payment of NIS10,000.

Yasser Jum'ah Badawi (20), Nasser Mahmoud 'Aweis (23), Majed Isma'eel al-Masri (21), 'Abd Allah Daoud 'Abd alKader (32), all from Balata Refugee Camp, Muharruned lbraheem Tayem (19) from 'Ain Beit Ilma Refugee Camp, and Bilal Dweikat (28) from 'Askar Refugee Camp were deported to Jordan after the 4 day seige of an-Najah University in Nablus from 13-17 July. An agreement was reached between the Israeli authorities and Palestinian community leaders that the 6 'wanted' activists would be deported to Jordan for 3 years through the Red Cross. IDF coordinator in the Occupied Territories, General Dani Rothschild, told Israeli TV that it is not clear whether the 6 'wanted' had weapons with them or not, which was the initial reason given by the Israeli military to justify their seige of the university.

Eleven Palestinian detainees, who were arrested during different periods, have been under threat of deportation since the beginning of this year. The Israeli authorities proposed in July to temporarily deport them for 3 years. At a press conference on 30 July a statement was read on their behalf rejecting this proposal.

Under the pretext of 'security', teachers risk being fired from their teaching posts in government schools (controlled by the Israeli government as the occupying power and directly run by the Israeli Civil Administration) in the Occupied Territories. From mid-July to mid-August, the following teachers were fired from their posts (in all cases but one the reason given was 'security'):

* Adeeb Shareef 'Ayyash (jama'een Boys Secondary School) - no reason given

* 'Abas 'Ali al-Masri (from Tamoun near jenin)

* Bassem Hamza Subuh (Silwad Boys Secondary School)

* Na'eem Ahmed Abu Zeina ('Abwein Secondary School)

* Nabeel Jameel 'Abd Allah (Mazara' an-Noubani village school)

* Nassr Allah 'Abd a-Rahman Ghaffar (Talfeet village school)

* Nabeel Jameel 'Abd Allah (from 'Aroura near Ramallah)

* Ahmad Mustafa al-Osta (Rujeeb School)

* 'Amer Mahmoud 'Awad Allah (Qasrah Secondary School)

All Palestinian newspapers are subject to harsh censorship. And several Palestinian newspapers are banned from the Occupied Territories, including the recently closed Arabic weekly, a-Siyaseh (based in Haifa). Anyone with a West Bank or Gaza Strip ID card found with a 'banned' newspaper, eg. Al-Ittihad, faces a fine or imprisonment.

One method of curtailing the work of journalists is to restrict their freedom of movement. Gazan journalist Muneer Abu Reziq was recently denied the right to renew his magnetic card, which bars him from leaving the Gaza Strip, therefore preventing him from carrying out his work.

At the beginning of August over 60,000 Palestinians were stranded on the Jordanian side of the Allenby Bridge (the border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan). The build-up in the numbers waiting to cross is due to Israeli restrictions which only allow between 1,000 to 3,000 people through each day. A follow-up committee established to look into the dehumanising conditions on the Bridge demanded that the Israeli authorities allow at least 6,000 people to cross each day.

Elsewhere, whole villages are subject to travel bans for varying lengths of time. Residents of 'Abwein near Ramallah were banned in July from leaving the country for more than 3 weeks. Workers from the village feared their jobs were in jeopardy as a result of the ban.

The following examples are given to illustrate that land expropriation, new building and road construction have taken place since the Labour government's election to power in June.

West Bank

Beit Arye Settlement (west of Lubban al-Gharbia)

Machinery is in place for laying the foundations of new buildings and 28 new foundations were already in place by mid-July. Building is still going on to finish partially built housing units. According to the Jerusalem Post, 300 housing units are currently under construction and considered legitimate by the government since the work is being privately f inanced.

Bruqeen - Haris (near Nablus)

200 olive trees were bulldozed mid-July to make way for a new settlers' road between the villages.

Revava Settlement (west of Haris, near Nablus)

Foundations were laid around mid-July for 7 new housing units and building continues in the settlement.

Burkan Settlement (between Haris and Beita)

Eight new housing units were added to the settlement at the end of July.

Beit Fureek & Al-Yanoun (near Nablus)

On 3 August 1992, a meeing took place between the Mukhtars ('heads') of Beit Fureek village (Suleiman Za'mout, 'Abdallah Qassem, and Muhammed Saleh) and the Guardian of Absentee Property. The official told them that a decision had been taken to open a new 1.8km long (and 8m wide) military road which will pass through al-Yanoun to Beit Fureek. The military official also informed them that a military camp will be built in Beit Fureek. The total area of confiscated land from the 2 villages will be 700 dunams owned by Zuhdi andYusef Sbeih from Yanoun and 16 people from Beit Fureek.

Al-Luban A-Sharqia (near Nablus)

88 dunams were expropriated from al-Luban a-Sharqia for the expansion of Eli Settlement and to build a new settlers' road. On 29 July, around 35 new housing units were brought into the settlement. The land is planted with 540 olive and almond trees.

Ma'ale Betar Settlement (near Bethlehem)

At the beginning of August foundations were laid for a new school and for a housing unit. Work has also started on a road to link Betar Atlit and Ma'ale Betar.

Qiryat Arba/Har Sina Settlement (near Hebron)

92 foundations were laid for housing units on 8 August.

Bet El Settlement (near Jalazon Refugee Camp/Ramallah) 7 new building units were started mid-July.

Ariel Settlement (near Nablus)

On 10 August foundations were laid for a cinema. Around 34 trucks arrive daily bringing prefabricated homes to the settlement.

Gaza Strip

Nezarim Settlement (near Gaza City)

After the middle of July construction work was started on one new building and plans have been drawn up for a sewage system.

Kefar Darom Settlement (near Deir al-Balah)

Foundations were started mid-July for 2 new buildings and 9 other buildings are in the preliminary stage of construction. The construction of a sewage system is already underway.

Newe Deqalim Settlement (near Khan Younis) Construction started mid-July on 12 buildings.

Deir Al-Balah

Three greenhouses (each on one dunam of land) were recently constructed for the Gosh Kateef settlements. These greenhouses are being built on land which was confiscated in May 1992 between Deir al-Balah and the settlements.

Rafah area

214 dunams of land belonging to the Abu Dhair family was previously confiscated and on 29 July 1992 was bulldozed for purposes unknown. The family has documents proving their ownership.

The Israeli authorities continue to demolish Palestinian properties in the Occupied Territories, including East Jerusalem. At the end of July, a large demolition campaign took place in the Gaza Strip. Ten house owners were given 48 hours to evacuate their homes in order for the demolitions to be carried out. House owners were ordered to pay the military's demolition costs. Failure to do so can lead to 10 years imprisonment, a fine or both. A-So'oud Greek Orthodox Church in Jabal a-Zaitoun (Mount of Olives) in East Jerusalem was demolished for 'lack of permit'. The church was built in an area which the Israeli authorities claim is 'green land'. Demolitions orders continue to be issued. The Jabal al-Mukaber mosque was given a demolition order by Jerusalem Municipality because of 'lack of permit'.

The Arnona Tax, a property tax levied by the Jerusalem Municipality, discriminates heavily against Palestinian residents in East Jerusalem. The Municipality charges $45 for each square metre of property in return for general municipal services for businesses and private residences. However, the majority of the services are never provided or the quality is extremely poor compared to services for Israelis in West Jerusalem. The tax is widely considered to be illegal since it violates the 4th Geneva Convention as East Jerusalem is part of the Occupied Territories.

Raids by tax officials in cooperation with the Israeli military continues. Peoples' household goods, money and jewellery are frequently confiscated for, in many cases, alleged non-payment of taxes.

In order to create an atmosphere conclusive to peaceful negotiations, the following demands are examples of some of the measures the Israeli government should implement immediately in the Occupied Territories. These demands do not constitute part of a political solution nor are they listed in order of importance. They are practical measures which can be implemented easily, speedily and without any cost to the Israeli government.

1. All official records and files to be made public. The Palestinian peace negotiating team should have access to all information concerning the Occupied Territories, including the budget, land registration records, population registration files and information on water resources.

2.Family reunification applications should be approved for Palestinians living in exile and whose relatives and/or property are still in the Occupied Territories. This particularly applies to Palestinians who resided, or whose ancestors resided, in this country prior to occupation.

3.Palestinians who lost their Israeli identification card because they were unable to return to renew their documents, due to unavoidable circumstances, should be permitted to permanently return to their homes and f amilies.

4. The numbers of residents and visitors wishing to cross the bridge should be increased. Entrance and permit procedures should be made easier and the number of permits increased.

5. Cancel administrative detention. Administrative detainees and all others who are being held without charges should be released immediately. Detention camps, especially Ansar 3 (Ketziot) should be closed. Prison conditions should immediately improve.

6. Deportees and their families should be allowed to return to their homes and the policy of temporary and permanent deportation should cease.

7. Applications for building permits should be facilitated and the zoning plans of villages and municipal councils approved to a level relative to the natural growth of the population.

8. House demolitions and sealings, whether for 'security' or 'lack of permit' reasons must stop. Sealed houses should be reopened and individuals whose homes were demolished should be allowed to rebuild again on the land of the demolished houses.

9. All tree uprootings should be halted immediately.

10. Land confiscation, expropriation, and all other forms of land acquisition should cease. Seized land should be returned to its rightful owners.

1 1. The practice of declaring whole areas of land 'closed' for 'security' or 'military' purposes should cease.

12. Censorship of newspapers and all other publications should end. The policy of declaring areas in front of local and foreign media offices 'closed' should cease. More permits should be approved for starting new local newspapers and newspapers and press offices which have been closed should be reopened.

13. There should be freedom of expression, including political expression, and freedom to organise political meetings, affiliate to political organisations and publish political publications.

14. Applications for the setting up of local TV and radio stations should be approved.

15. Cancel all travel restrictions and facilitate and approve applications for permits and travel documents. Restrictions on the travel of people under the age of 35 should be lifted.

16. Cancel the policy of closing areas and imposing curfews. The policy of preventing residents of the West Bank from entering the Gaza Strip and Jerusalem and vice versa should end. All road blocks and checkpoints at the entrances to villages, refugee camps and towns etc should be removed and the practice stopped.

17. Terminate all policies relating to the closure of schools and universities. Halt the policy of dismissing teachers on 'security' grounds. All other job dismissals on ?security' grounds should also cease.

18. Lift all measures restricting the development and growth of the Palestinian economy. Make public the budget for the Occupied Territories and reduce taxation to a level relative to the economic status of Palestinians.

19. Halt the confiscation of property and arbitrary tax collection. Tax collection should not involve the Israeli military and the procedural obstacles in tax offices should cease.

20. Export applications and other relevant applications should be facilitated and approved.