| PCHR Press Release | |
Date: 19 January 2008
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have intensified their war
crimes in the Gaza Strip with total disregard for civilian lives.
During the last three days, nine Palestinians, including
four civilians, have been killed by the IOF. Three of
the civilian victims were women. In addition, 57
other people were inured, the majority of whom were
also civilians. On January 18th shrapnel from a bomb
fired from an Israeli fighter jet onto a
governmental building hit a nearby wedding
celebration, killing one woman and injuring dozens of others.
According to preliminary investigations carried
out by PCHR, at approximately 15:40 on Friday, January 18th,
an IOF fighter jet fired a bomb at a 5-story building near
the Palestinian Governmental Complex in the densely populated
Tal El-Hawa Quarter of Gaza City. The bomb hit and
completely destroyed the building. Flying debris and
shrapnel from the bombing killed 52 year old Haniya
Hussein Abd El-Jawwad, who was on her way to her
nephew's wedding celebration, some 120 meters from
the targeted building. In addition, fourty six civilians,
including nineteen children and three women, were
injured by the blast. A large number of houses
and vehicles in the area also sustained damage.
The targeted building was empty, and is no longer
used by the Government in Gaza as it had previously
been bombed twice.
In addition to inflicting death and injuries at a
civilian wedding on January 18th, the IOF also
committed two extra-judicial executions on January 17th.
At approximately 19:25 on Thursday, 17 January, the
IOF fired a rocket at the Sheikh Zayed intersection in
Beit Lahia. A vehicle was traveling in the targeted area,
as well as a donkey cart with several passengers. The
rocket exploded 3 meters away from the cart, killing 52
year old Mariam Mohammad Ahmad El-Rahel, and her
22 year old son, Mohammad Saleh El-Rahel. Her
seventeen year son, Mansour, was seriously injured
by the bomb. Another five civilian bystanders were
also injured, including two children. The Israeli media
stated that IOF sources claimed the bombing had
targeted a group of resistance activists traveling in
a vehicle in the target area.
The second extra-judicial execution also occurred
on Thursday, 17 January. At approximately 13.20,
an IOF plane fired two rockets at a civilian vehicle
near Sheikh Zayed intersection in Beit Lahia. The
vehicle sustained a direct hit, and its two occupants
were killed immediately. They were identified as 30
year old Ra'ad Shehda Abu Fuol, an activist in
Al-Quds Battalions, and his 35 year old female
civilian neighbour, Fatheya Yusef El-Hassoumi.
IOF air strikes also killed four resistance activists
in separate incidents on January 18th and 19th.
At approximately 7:30 on Friday, 18 January, an
IOF plane fired a rocket at a group of resistance
activists, east of Jabaliya city in the northern Gaza
Strip. Two of the activists, 18 year old Mahmoud
Ramadan El-Borsh, and 21 year old Ismail
Mohammad Redwan were killed. Three civilian
bystanders were also injured.
At approximately 1:15 on Saturday, 19 January, an
IOF plane fired a rocket at a group of resistance activists
engaged against an IOF force east of Jabaliya city.
One activist, 27 year old Ehab Ali El-Banna, was killed.
Two civilians were also injured. Approximately two and
half hours later, an IOF plane fired a rocket at a second
group of activists, killing 26 year old Ali Jum'a Ahmad
Jum'a. Three other activists were injured.
These war crimes coincide with the closure of all border
crossings to the Gaza Strip, which also threatens to
exacerbate the humanitarian crisis in Gaza at all levels.
PCHR condemns these latest crimes, and:
1. Affirms that these crimes are a continuation of
Israeli war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory
(OPT) that totally disregard the lives of Palestinian civilians.
2. Calls upon the international community to act
immediately to stop these crimes; and renews its call to
the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva
Convention to fulfill their responsibility under
Article 1 of the Convention, in order to ensure that
it is respected under all circumstances, and their
responsibility under Article 146 to pursue persons
suspected of perpetrating serious violations of
the convention. PCHR notes that IOF violations are
considered war crimes under Article 147 of the
Convention and under its first protocol.
Public Document
**************************************
For more information please call
PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on
+972 8 2824776 - 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal,
PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail:
Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
__,_._,___
0 Have Your Say!:
Post a Comment