Ref: 114/2007

Date: 03 September  2007

Time: 12:00 GMT

PCHR Calls for Investigation into the Killing of a Child at Rafah International Crossing Point

PCHR calls for opening an investigation into the killing of a 16-year-old child, who was participating in a demonstration organized by Hamas on Saturday calling for opening Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 19:00 on Saturday, 1 September 2007, Mohammed Fat’hi Qudaih, 16, from Abasan village near Khan Yunis, was admitted into Martyr Abu Yousef al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah after he had been wounded by a gunshot to the head. As he was in a serious condition, he was transferred to Gaza European Hospital in Khan Yunis, but he died soon. Qudaih was wounded by a gunshot when members of the Executive Force and the Security and Protection Unit of then Ministry of Interior in the dismissed government fired into the air in the vicinity of Rafah International Crossing Point to prevent a number of young men from crossing the border through the crossing point. Thousands of Hamas’ supporters organized a demonstration near the crossing point, in protest to its closure.

In his testimony to PCHR, an eyewitness said:

“After the afternoon prayer, I went to participate in a demonstration called for by Hamas. We traveled in buses from Khan Yunis towards Rafah International Crossing Point. We demonstrated nearly 200 meters away from the border. In the meantime, a number of vehicles of the Executive Force and the Security and Protection Unit of then Ministry of Interior arrived at the area and its members formed human and car shields to prevent thousands of people from getting close to the border. They requested us to move back and started to push us, so we moved back, but some people did not move. Soon after, I heard sounds of shooting and I saw members of the Executive Force and the Security and Protection Unit of then Ministry of Interior firing into the air. I then saw a child falling onto the ground, nearly 10 meters away from me, and only 4 meters away from the members who were shooting. A number of young men attempted to evacuate the child to the hospital, but members of the Executive Force intervened and evacuated him to the hospital. The child was wounded in the head.”

PCHR condemns the killing of the child, and:

1)      Calls upon the Palestinian National Authority to investigate the killing and declare the results of the investigation.

2)      Stresses that the right to peaceful assembly, including demonstrations, is ensured by the Palestinian Basic Law and the Law of Public Meetings #12 of 1998, provided that the peaceful nature of an activity is maintained.