The Palestine Monitor, September 28th, 2002
More than 1,914 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli soldiers, settlers or police since September 2000. Also counted among these are those who died as a direct result of the Israeli occupation, i.e. those denied access to life saving medical treatment when ambulances were stopped and turned away at checkpoints, and the unborn babies who died when their mothers could not reach hospital because of closure or curfew:
…· 71 Palestinians have died after being prevented access to medial treatment, 21 of those were children, 13 were newborn babies.
…· 169 have died in extra judicial assassination attacks, of these 31 were bystanders at the time and 44 were “unintended” victims killed as they were with the victim. 22 were children.
…· 22.5% were aged 18 or younger, i.e one out of every five killed
…· 60% were shot with live ammunition
…· 85% were civilians or not involved in any violent action or attack at the time they were killed
…· 17 medical personnel were killed while on duty
An estimated 41,000 Palestinians have been injured in the same period: 2,500 of those are permanently disabled, 500 of whom are children
The prolonged Israeli closure of the Occupied Territories has destreoyed the Palestinain economy and lead to serious damage to infrastructure and civil society:
…· 75 % of the Palestinian population live in poverty (less than US$ 2 per
day) and unemployment has reached 65%.
…· 30% of children under 5 years of age suffer from chronic malnutrition, 21
% from acute malnutrition
…· 45% of children under 5 and 48% of women of childbearing age suffer from moderate to mild anemia
…· During the first 15 months of the Intifada the occupation caused physical damage amounting to US$ 305 million. During the month long invasion in March and April 2002, the Israeli army destroyed and looted US$ 361 million worth of property
This violent and dangerous occupation regime is now being met by a popular non-violent resistance, including peaceful marches in the streets with people protesting the three-month long curfew regime, the siege and the continued killing of innocent people.
Source: The Palestine Monitor
