Statistics for the Palestinian Intifada

28 September, 2000 - 1 March, 2004

Palestinians killed 1
(Shuhada)

2,859 deaths including 527, or 19% children (below 18 years). At least 82% civilian. 600 killed by heavy weapons. 1,728 killed by live ammunition. 308 in assassination attacks/extrajudicial killings (grave breach of the 4th Geneva Convention and as such considered war crimes). 152 of those were bystanders or “unintended” victims, killed as they were with the victim, 35 were children and 25 were women. Investigations were not conducted, granting immunity to Israelis and allowing them to act unlawfully.2

Palestinians injured +41,000 3

West Bank4 :35.7% children, 32.4% by live ammunition, 64.9% upper body, 39% moderate-severe (16,673 cases, 28/02/02)
Gaza Strip 5 : c.20% children, 37% live ammunition, 60% upper body, (6000 cases - 6/3/02)
UNICEF estimates 7000 children injured.6

Permanent Disabilities

Estimated at 2,5007. Estimated 500 Palestinian child disabled.8

Attacks on Emergency Medical Personnel and Services 9

25 (1 German) physicians / nurses / ambulance drivers killed while on duty (opening fire on ambulances/shelling of residential areas).10

425 PRCS and Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees (UPMRC) Emergency Medical Technicians and first aid workers injured (including 2 physicians). 121 ambulances were attacked and damaged.

36 PRCS and UPMRC ambulances destroyed.

197 attacks on PRCS ambulances by live ammunition, rubber bullets, and/or stones thrown by Israeli settlers.

991 incidents of denial of access to PRCS ambulances at roadblocks were reported.
85 Palestinian deaths due to prevention of access to emergency health care or treatment of chronic diseases. 290 counts of hospitals and clinics attacked and damaged. 71 emergency personnel and volunteers arrested since the invasion on 29 Match 11. During the long invasion in March/April 2002, UPMRC staff were stopped, detained and denied access up to 3 times daily, since April 2002 the mobile clinics severely obstructed.

Attacks on Hospitals
(wounding patients, cutting off electricity supplies)

Shelling of French hospital (Bethlehem), damages estimated at $25,000,12
Al Hussein hospital (Bethlehem).13

Live ammunition fired at Beit Jala, A-Dibs, French Hospitals in Bethlehem.14
Al Alia Hospital (Hebron) on 3 occasions,15

Al Yamama (Bethlehem), PRCS Maternity Hospital (Ramallah) and Ramallah General Hospital shelled;16 access denied to Khalid hospital (Ramallah) for several days17
Settlers attacked Augusta Victoria Hospital (Jerusalem), shot security officer (automatic gun).18

During the long invasion in March/April 2002 a large number of hospitals and medical clinics were attacked throughout the West Bank.

Journalists

12 Journalists killed by Israeli forces, (1 Italian, 1 British),

295 journalists wounded as a result of gun shots, physical assault or other means of attack,

167 journalists attacked by Israeli soldiers, 94 attacks on press and media establishments,

46 incidents of press and media equipment damaged19; beaten, detained, equipment confiscated or destroyed; 5 Palestinian journalists arrested and currently in administrative detention.20

31 March 2002: Ramallah and El-Bireh declared closed military areas preventing journalists from entering the area and demanding reporters within the area to exit immediately.

April 2002: International Press Association declares the West Bank the second most dangerous place for journalists to work after Afghanistan.

Types of Ammunition used 21

Bullets: 5.56 mm (223 caliber),

7.02 mm, 9 mm, 50 caliber, 500 mm, 800 mm, rubber coated steel, plastic.
Missiles. Tank Fire. F-16 fighter jets


Reoccupation and incursions

Reoccupation of ‘A’ areas (prior to the major Israeli military operations in March/April and June 2002): Worst cases: Bethlehem (10 days), Jenin (40 days), Ramallah & El Bireh (20 days), Tulkarem, Qalqilya. Invasions into ‘A’ areas: Beit Rima, Deir Ghassana, Beit Lahia

February-March 2002: Sharon launches attacks against Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. Balata camp (Nablus) is particualry harshly attacked. 180 Palestinians, mainly refugees die in the span of two weeks (28 February-12 March) Major destruction and damage to private property.

29 March-1 May 2002: Israeli tanks invade all major towns in the West Bank except Hebron and Jericho. Towns placed under 24 hrs curfew, medical personnel and ambulances systematically attacked vandalism and major destruction to civil infrastructure, almost 260 Palestinians die. International outcry, UN Special Envoy declares that events in Jenin were “horrific beyond belief” and “morally repugnant”22

19 June: Israeli government launches second large-scale invasion into all West Bank towns and villages (expect Jericho). Complete reoccupation of the West Bank. Over the last month 2 million Palestinians have had 24hrs curfew imposed upon them

Closures and curfews
Collective punishment:
Affects 3 million Palestinians in West Bank & Gaza Strip. The most severe and sustained set of movement restrictions imposed since the beginning of the occupation in 196723.

- No access to medical care

- Movement restrictions on medical personnel / supplies

Internal closures and siege: 120 Israeli checkpoints in WB & GS. These and road blocks divide West Bank into 300 separate clusters and the Gaza Strip into 3 separate clusters.

Severe internal closure: West Bank: 66% of days, Partial internal closure: West Bank: 34%, Gaza 94% of days24

Closure causes humanitarian problems such as water and gas shortages (ed Beit Furik & Beit Dajan). Other examples: Residents of Al Mawasi ‘tagged’ with identity numbers, so that Israeli army can permit them minimum movement in and out of area. Israel erected electric gate at entrance to al Sifa, residents permitted movement in/out only from 7-9am and 3-5pm.

May 2002: Israeli government introduces new personal permit regime and makes movement between Palestinian towns in the West Bank impossible. The Bantustanization of the Palestinian territories is complete. Construction of “separation” fence between the West Bank and Israel started.

External closures: West Bank and Gaza Strip sealed off from the rest of the world.
Gaza International airport been closed since February 2001; “safe passage” between Gaza Strip & West Bank closed since Oct. 2000 (Oslo accords forbid its closure); frequent lengthy closure of bridge to Jordan, border with Egypt (Rafah entrance), entrances to Israel (Al-Mintar and Beit Hanoun crossings).

Since the beginning of March 2002 the Israeli army has repeatedly invaded areas under Palestinian control and placed towns and villages under prolonged curfew.

See Reoccupation and incursions


Palestinian arrests and detention by Israeli authorities

It is estimated that since the 29th of March 2002, 15,000 Palestinians have been detained,

6,000 of who remain in prison.

Of these, 1,700 Palestinians are under administrative detention25 meaning they have not had a trial, and are imprisoned without charges being brought against them.
350 Palestinian children currently held in Israeli prisons and detention centers inside Israel and in the West Bank.

Of these around 30 are held in administrative detention26. Many of the prisoners are subjected to torture and do not receive adequate medical care.


Property Damage
Attacks on residential areas (Collective punishment)

During the first 15 months of the Intifada physical damage amounted to US$ 305

million27. During the month long invasion in March/April the Israeli army destroyed and looted US$ 361 million worth of property28

Since the beginning of the Intifada until February 2002: Shelling & demolition destroyed 720 homes completely, and 11,553 damaged.

73,600 people were affected29.

30 mosques,

12 churches30,

134 water wells31, cemeteries.

34,606 olive & fruit trees uprooted32 & 1162.4 dunums of land confiscated33, 14,339 dunums of land bulldozed or burned34.

During the March-April invasion: 881 homes destroyed,

2,883 houses in refugee camps damaged affecting 22,500 people living in those houses35.

Gaza strip: more than 601 houses completely demolished, approx.

16,000 dunums (16 million square meters of land), mostly agricultural razed by the Israeli army36


Education
(Collective punishment)

MoE reports 850 schools temporarily closed,

8 schools turned into military barracks.

185 schools were shelled and fired upon by Israeli soldiers;
11 schools completely destroyed,

9 vandalized.

15 schools used as detention centers and army barracks.

132 Palestinian students killed and 2,500 injured on their way to or from school
1135 school days have been lost because of Israeli attacks37.

During the long invasion in March/April 2002

54, 730 teaching sessions per day were lost due the complete cessation of classes.

Economic conditions
(Collective punishment)

Total income losses to Palestinian economy est. between $ 3.2-10 billion (income only, does not include cost of destruction of public and private property).
Daily domestic losses: $6.0 – 8.6 million/business day
Total wage income loss: $59.4 million

Unemployment: Gaza 67%, West Bank 48%

75% of Palestinians living in poverty (less than $2 a day): 84.6% in Gaza and 57.8% in the West Bank38

Economic losses forcing 69% of Palestinian firms either to shut down or reduce production39

51% drop in GNP.40 Israel prevents 125,000 Palestinians from going to work41. The World Bank estimates that in case of a solution to the conflict and lifting of the closure it will take at least 2 years for the Palestinian economy to restore to a pre-Intifada per capita income level42

UN Resolutions/ Reports:
Condemning Israel for disproportionate and excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians and failure to adhere to international laws.
For more details see United Nations


7 May 2002: UN General Assembly,
10th Emergency Special Session resumed. Resolution ES-10/10: condemns the attacks committed by Israel against the Palestinian people, particularly in the Jenin refugee camp, and also condemns the refusal by Israel to cooperate with the Secretary-General’s fact-finding team to Jenin RC. Demands that Israel cease all hindrances and obstacles to the work of humanitarian org. and UN agencies in the OPT.

19 April 2002: Security Council resolution 1405: calls on Israel to lift the restrictions imposed on the operations of humanitarian organizations and welcomes the initiative of the Secretary-General to send a fact finding team to develop accurate information regarding events in the Jenin RC. (Israel refused to cooperate with the fact-finding team)

30 March 2002: Security Council resolution 1402: calls on Israel to withdraw its troops from Palestinian cities

15 April 2002: UN Human Right Commission condemns Israel for mass killings of Palestinians, blames Israel for “gross violations” of humanitarian law and affirms the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to resist the Israeli occupation
20 Dec 2001: General Assembly calls for halt to violence, implementation of Mitchell Report, reiterates applicability of IV Geneva Convention

6 Dec 2001: 114 Signatories to IV Geneva Convention issued joint declaration condemning Israel for indiscriminate and disproportionate use of violence and call for Israel to abide by international humanitarian law

3 Dec 2001: General Assembly votes on 6 resolutions criticizing Israel, areas include – status of Jerusalem, illegal Israeli settlements, inalienable rights of Palestinian people to self determination.

23 Nov 2001: UN Committee Against Torture, condemning Israeli practices
7- 13 Nov 2000: Mary Robinson, UN Human Rights Commissioner visits the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Following this she recommended the establishment of an international monitoring presence in the OPT.

20 Oct 2000: UN General Assembly, 10th Emergency Special Session

19 Oct 2000: UN Commission on Human Rights, 5th Special Session

11-15 Oct 2000: Special Rapporteur to the Commission on Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

7 Oct 2000: UN Security Council Resolution 1322: deplores the provocation carried our at the Al-Haram Al-Sharif in Jerusalem on 28 September 2000, calls upon Israel to abide by its legal obligations and responsibilities under the 4th Geneva Convention


Foreign Government
comments on Israel

April 10 2002: USA, EU, Russia and UN jointly call on Israel to immediately withdraw from Palestinian territories

April 16 2002: EU Commissioner on Development and Humanitarian Assistance says Israel impedes efforts of rescue workers and ridicules humanitarian law


Other International Comment
Various International agencies, condemning Israel / calling on halt to violence

Physicians for Human Rights (USA and Israel)

Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN) - Denmark

International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) - Paris

International Committee of Jurists (ICJ) - Sweden

Human Rights Watch - New York

Amnesty International

International Committee of Red Cross

For more details see respective websites, or Palestine Monitor


International Laws/ Resolutions violated

UN resolutions 242, 338/4th Geneva Convention/Hague Regulations/UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials/International Covenant of Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights/Convention on Elimination of All forms of Racial Discrimination/Convention on Rights of the Child and others


Note: reported figures are conservative since not all cases are documented. Additionally some figures are based on reports that are not up-to-date (please note the date of information source)


1 Health, Development, Information, and Policy Institute (HDIP)statistics based on infomation available at time of calculation

2 B’Tselem report: Illusions of restraint: Human Rights Violations During the Events in the Occupied Territories 29th September – 2nd December, 2000

3 Statistics can only account for those who went to health centers

4 Ministry of Health

5 Palestinian Center for Human Rights

6 UN Special Rapporteur of Commission on Human Rights, report March 2002, reported in DCI-PAL press release, 19th March, 2002

7 General Union of Disabled Palestinians

8 UN Special Rapporteur of Commission on Human Rights, report March 2002, reported in DCI-PAL press release, 19th March, 2002

9 Palestinian Red Crescent Society, 27th October 2001
Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees

10 Palestinian Center for Human Rights: 28th June, 2002

11 Palestinian Red Crescent Society 10th July, 2002,

12 Director, Holy Family Hospital, Bethlehem

13 During Israeli occupation of Bethlehem 19th - 29th October, 2001

14 Al- Ayyam newspaper, 19th Oct, 2000

15 LAW Society, Nov 4th and 8th 2000

16 During 3 day invasion and occupation of Ramallah, (12th-15th March, 2002)

17 During Israeli occupation of Ramallah, October 2001

18 LAW Society, Oct 29th 2000

19 Palestinian National Authority State Information Service

20 Information from the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, Ramallah

21 Al-Haq

22 Terje Rød Larsen in BBC interview, 19 April 2002

23 A report by the Gaza office of the UN Middle East envoy Terje Rød-Larsen, February 2001.

24 UNSCO: “The Impact on the Palestinian economy of confrontation, border closures and mobility restrictions’, (Oct 2000 -30th Sept, 2001)

25 LAW Society (press release), 17th July, 2002

26 DCI information received August, 2002

27 UNSCO

28 Does not include income losses and social and humanitarian costs. Assessment made by international donors

29 Palestinian Humanitarian Disaster, U.S. Agency for International Development, July 10, 2002

30 Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace

31 Al-Mezan 2001

32 LAW Society, 29th Nov 2001 (figure from beginning of 2000)

33 LAW Society, 29th Nov 2001, (figure from beginning of 2000)

34 LAW Society, 29th Nov 2001, (figure from beginning of 2000)

35 Palestinian Center for Human Rights, 3rdJune, 2002

36 Ibid

37 Ministry of Education, 17 Jan 2002, information for Ministry of Education schools only, (from 28th Sept, 2000)

38 PCBS, April 2002

39 All above stats: UNSCO: ‘The Impact on the Palestinian Economy of Confrontation, Border Closures and Mobility Restrictions’, Oct 2000 - 30th Sept, 2001

40 Report by the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation

41 Associated Press, 29th Oct, 2000

42 World Bank report, March 2002

The Palestinian Monitor