February 25, 2002

For the 2d time in 2 days at the same location, IDF soldiers open fire on a Palestinian car that had been given IDF approval to cross a Nablus checkpoint to deliver a pregnant Palestinian woman in labor to a hospital. The woman's husband is killed instantly, her father-in-law left paralyzed, while she is ordered to strip, is left bleeding on a cold stretcher for 45 mins. before the IDF transports her to a hospital, where she delivers a healthy baby. The soldiers brigade cmdr. issues a statement saying the soldiers acted "according to procedures." Nr. Bethlehem, an AMB gunmen fire on a Jewish settler vehicle, seriously wounding a pregnant Jewish settler en route to a Jerusalem hospital, killing her father, another passenger; the woman delivers a healthy baby. An AMB mbr. opens fire on at a bus stop in Neve Ya'aqov settlement, wounding 5 settlers, 3 policemen before being shot, wounded, arrested. Nr. Tulkarm, a 15-yr.-old Palestinian girl runs toward an IDF checkpoint wielding a knife, is shot dead by troops; she leaves a suicide note denouncing the Israeli occupation. The IDF directs shells, heavy machine gun fire at residential areas of al-Khadir, Rafah, Tal Sultan. Jewish settlers erect new caravans in Itamar settlement. (BBC, HP 2/25; MM, NYT, WP, WT 2/26; PCHR 2/27; JP 3/8)