A
new report released today
reveals
the true extent of child killings by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip during
its 23 day offensive on Gaza between 27 December 2008 and 18 January 2009.
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is publishing
War Crimes Against Children in response to the unprecedented
number of children killed by Israeli forces in its latest operation; a total
of 313 children under the age of eighteen. Containing numerous eye witness
testimonies, the report brings to light Israel’s widespread targeting of
unarmed civilians, including children, throughout the offensive.
‘Operation Cast Lead’ was the biggest Israeli military
operation in the Gaza Strip in nearly 42 years of occupation. 1,414
Palestinians were killed, and PCHR investigations have found the
overwhelming majority, 83 per cent, were civilians. One of the cases in the
report is that of 18 month old Farah al-Helu, who was killed on 4 January.
The al-Helu family had been told to evacuate their house in Zaytoun, eastern
Gaza, but while they were attempting to flee, Israeli soldiers opened fire
on them. Farah was shot in the stomach and bled to death two hours later.
War Crimes Against Children
exposes the abject failure of Israeli authorities to uphold international
humanitarian law, which provides protection for children in armed conflict
and the lack of adequate precautions taken to distinguish between civilians
and military targets. The report also details indiscriminate shelling of
homes and schools where internally displaced people were sheltering, the
psychological impact of the offensive, and the alarming scale of physical
injuries inflicted on young people.
“We are calling for an independent full-scale investigation
into all documented attacks on civilians during the offensive,” said Raji
Sourani, director of PCHR. “Israel must be held fully accountable for the
crimes it has perpetrated against Gaza’s civilian population, including
alleged war crimes against children. We cannot allow the lives of these
children to just be statistics in the history books of the Middle East.”
PCHR is calling on the international community to urge Israel
to respect and uphold the human rights of Palestinians in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory. “Urgent measures are needed in order to prevent
further deaths,” added Mr Sourani.
The Centre is also recommending the urgent establishment of
an independent committee to investigate the child killings. The committee must
meet international standards of independence and transparency and publish
its findings publicly.
Read the report in English.
For more
information or to arrange an interview with eye witnesses included in this
report, please contact PCHR’s press officer on 00972-5988-27697 or pchr@pchrgaza.org
Editor’s notes:
-
War Crimes Against
Children is released 14 May 2009.
-
PCHR uses the
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) definition of a ‘child’ as a
boy or girl under the age of eighteen.
-
In addition to the 313
children who lost their lives at the hands of Israeli forces, seven
Palestinian child combatants were also killed.
-
A list of the names of
all 313 children killed is included as an appendix to the report.
-
PCHR was established in
1995 and is a non-governmental organisation based in Gaza City,
dedicated to protecting human rights, promoting the rule of law and
upholding democratic principles in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
It holds Special Consultative Status with the Economic and Social
Council of the United Nations, is an affiliate of the International
Commission of Jurists-Geneva, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights
Network and the Arab Organization for Human Rights. PCHR received the
1996 French Republic Award on Human Rights and
the 2002 Bruno Kreisky
Award for Outstanding Achievements in the Area of Human Rights.
