A Report on the Damages Which Resulted from the Vicious Military Israeli Bombardment for the Cities, Villages, Camps of Bethlehem District Till the 7th of November 2000

Since the 28th of September 2000, Israel has launched its systematic destructive military practices against the unarmed Palestinian population in different areas of Palestine. In order to estimate the property losses, the appointed National Emergency Committee started its mission to evaluate the damages that resulted from the vicious Israeli bombardment of the cities, villages, and the camps of Bethlehem district on the 10th of October 2000. The committee conducted daily visits to the bombarded and affected sites, simultaneously registering and documenting the damages scientifically and objectively. Till the 7th of November, the committee had 466 field visits witch included close monitoring and evaluation of all the damaged sites in the district.

Below is the statistical information regarding the number of the damaged buildings. The Israeli bombardments caused conspicuous building damages as follows:

It is worth mentioning that 90% of the damages occurred due to the direct heavy machine-gun shots, as well as incendiary bombs, and 10% of the damages due to the direct shooting of missiles from helicopter and heavy artillery.

Further, the bombardment included seven different educational institutions distributed as follows:

1.     The Wadi Di’mess Elementary School, and the Chile Secondary School for Girls in Beit Jala. Both are public schools and sponsored by the Palestinian Ministry of Education

2.     The Elementary El-Khader School for Girls in El-kahder.

3.     The Tqo’a Secondary School for Girls and the Tqo’a Secondary School for boys which are also public schools.

4.     The Aida School for Girls in Aida Camp that is sponsored by UNRWA.

5.     Bethlehem University that is sponsored by the Vatican.

The random Israeli bombardment has included the religious sites in the Bethlehem district including Aida Camp mosque, The Franciscan Nun Convent in Aida camp, in addition to the YMCA quarter that is a Christian Institution in Beit Sahour.

The bombardment has grievously affected as well many economical and tourist facilities including Bandak and Abu Shaibeh Companies for Cutting Marble in the Aida Camp area, Abu Aita Factory for Macaroni products in Beit Sahour, paradise Hotel in Bethlehem, and the Olive press in Beit Jala. 

The district’s infrastructure has been fundamentally affected by the Israeli heavy bombardment including electricity, sewage, and telecommunication facilities. Two main electricity generators have been hit. The first provides the city of Bethlehem with electricity, and the other provides the city of Beit Sahour. Considerable efforts and expenses were needed to partially fix the damages in order to secure the electricity supply for both areas. 

Up until the above-mentioned date, twelve reports on the damages to cars were submitted. However, the size of the losses and the direct property damages resulting from the inhuman and vicious Israeli bombardment is continuously escalating.

Consequently, and due to this unremitting destructive practice, the National Committee is still making consecutive daily field visits to the affected sites in the Bethlehem district. Such irrational and brutal actions, mainly the use of gun and artillery power against unarmed people, confirms the blatant policy of the Israeli Military Forces to jeopardize if not destruct the economic, educational and political well being of the Palestinian Nation.

Source: National Emergency Committee. Palestinian Contractors Union.
Bethlehem District., November, 2000   

Prepared by:  
The Applied Research Institute – Jerusalem