Israel continues assaults on refugee camps, rounds up hundreds of young men and children
Palestine-Regional, Politics, 3/12/2002

The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC) denounced Israel's ongoing war against the Palestinian people, especially its latest tactic of arbitrarily rounding up hundreds of men and boys in the West Bank and holding them in makeshift prisons.

In a statement, ADC points out that in the refugee camp of Deheisheh and town of Qalqilyah, specifically, Israeli forces arrested over 1,000 young men and boys who were forced to take off their shirts and jackets and put them in a plastic bag before being handcuffed, blindfolded and placed in prison camps. After seizing the area over night, Israeli occupation troops had demanded that the male population aged between 13 and 45 "gather peacefully" in a school yard, saying that they would be "peacefully released" afterwards.

Reportedly hundreds remain imprisoned and subject to serious abuses including being beaten by soldiers. Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Ben-Eliezer said that his troops were "arresting men between the ages of 13 and 45 years of age" in the camps. Reports indicate that Israeli forces are currently starting a massive assault on Jabalya refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

ADC President Ziad Asali said "this policy of rounding up hundreds of men, and even many young children, without any reason and holding them in internment camps without charge is yet another outrageous violation of human rights, the Geneva Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the Child by the Israeli occupation authorities. Calling 13 year old boys 'men' and kidnapping them en mass is simply monstrous. Prime Minister Sharon has vowed to 'batter' and 'beat' the Palestinians into submission and this kind of mass punishment is obviously part of that reprehensible policy. Such measures can only deepen the Palestinian commitment to resist Israeli occupation, as well as intensify the conflict as Sharon has said he intends to do. Only a swift and complete end to the occupation can bring peace to Israelis and Palestinians."

Elsewhere in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel, at least 6 Palestinians were killed, including 17 year old Ayman Mehena, who was shot dead, and two friends walking with him in the main street of Beit Amra village wounded, when Israeli soldiers opened fire on them. In the past 17 months of conflict, the occupation has cost the lives of at least 1,471, including 1,135 Palestinians and 332 Israelis, most of them civilians and many of them children on both sides.

ADC has declared March 30, the Palestinian "Land Day," to be a day of support for a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians marked by two major demonstrations in Washington, DC and Los Angeles, CA.

The demonstrations will be held under the topic "End the Occupation, End the Violence."

Previous Stories:
  Arab League committee dedicates $ 55 million per month for Palestinians   (3/11/2002)
  UN security council: postponing debate on Palestinian issue to study pre Arab summit initiatives   (3/1/2002)
  Moussa, Arafat reciprocates messages   (2/20/2002)

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