IOF Kill Mother in front of her Children inside their House in Khan Yunis

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the killing
of a mother in front of her children yesterday, during an IOF incursion into
New Abasan town, east of Khan Yunis.

PCHR investigations indicate that at approximately 16:30 on Wednesday,
7 May, IOF troops raided the house of Majdi Abd El-Raziq El-Daghma
during an incursion into New Abasan.

The troops opened the outside metal door, then blew up the wooden interior door.
The force of the blast killed 33 year old Wafa Shaker El-Daghma instantly. The
IOF troops then stormed into the house and covered her body with a rug, having
ascertained that she was dead. The troops then detained her 3 children, who had
all witnessed the killing of their mother, in one of the rooms of the house. A
soldier remained on guard at the entrance to the room. The children, who
included a two year old, were confined inside the room for the next six
and a half hours.

At approximately 23:00 the children were finally able to leave the room after the
IOF withdrew from the house. Twelve year old Samira ran to a neighboring house,
and the neighours called an ambulance. Wafa Shaker El-Daghma's body was
immediately transferred to Naser hospital in Khan Yunis.

In addition to the killing of Wafa Shaker El-Daghma one Palestinian resistance
member was also killed, and twenty three others were injured. IOF also
damaged 22 houses, destroying several in the process.

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights:

- Reiterates its condemnation of the killing of Wafa El-Daghma, which represents
a continuation of Israeli war crimes in the OPT and is another clear indicator of
IOF disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. The Centre considers these
actions to be acts of reprisal and collective punishment, and therefore in
violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention (1949).

- Affirms that IOF uses excessive force against Palestinian civilians without
any threat to the lives of IOF troops, which is a violation of International Humanitarian Law.

- Calls upon the international community to act immediately to stop
these crimes; and renews the call to the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth
Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligation under Article 1 of the Convention
to ensure that it is respected at all times, and their responsibilities under Article
146 to pursue perpetrators of serious violations of the Convention, which are
determined in Article 147 that lists violations of the Convention amounting to war crimes.