Ref: 33/2008
Date: 17 April 2008
Time: 09:00 GMT
IOF Kill 13 Palestinian Civilians,
Including a Journalist and 8 Children, in Juhor al-Dik Village in Central Gaza
Strip
In the past 24 hours, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have
escalated attacks against the Gaza Strip, while have maintained the tightened
siege imposed on Strip. On Wednesday evening, 16 April 2008, and in less than
half an hour, IOF killed 13 Palestinian civilians, including a journalist, 8
children and 2 brothers, and wounded 32 others, including 17 children and a
woman, in Juhor al-Dik village in the central Gaza Strip. They also razed large
areas of agricultural land and demolished a number of houses during an incursion
into the village. PCHR’s investigations strongly indicate that IOF used
excessive force and willfully targeted journalists in spite of the clear
markings on their suits and vehicles.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
04:00, IOF moved nearly 1,200 meters into Juhor al-Dik village in the central
Gaza Strip. They raided and searched a number of houses and started to raze
areas of agricultural land. At approximately 07:00, IOF fired a tank shell at a
house belonging to Salem ‘Ali Abu Sa’id, 73. Abu Sa’id and his daughter-in-law,
36-year-old Hala ‘Atiya, were wounded by shrapnel to their shoulders. Medical
sources described Abu Sa’id’s wounds as serious. At approximately 16:30, an IOF
aircraft that provided air cover for the incursion fired 2 missiles at a number
of Palestinian civilians who gathered near al-Ihsan Mosque, nearly 300 meters
away from the area in which IOF troops were deployed. As a result, 9 Palestinian
civilians, including 6 children and 2 brothers were killed, and 18 others,
including 12 children were wounded. The civilians who were killed were
identified as:
1)
Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed, 45;
2)
Sofian Ahmed Mohammed, 41;
3)
‘Abdullah Maher Abu Khalil, 15;
4)
Tariq Fareed Abu Taqiya, 16;
5)
Islam Hussam al-‘Eissawi, 16;
6)
Talha Hani Abu ‘Ali, 13;
7)
Bayan Sameer al-Khaldi, 17;
8)
Mohammed Mohammed al-‘Assar, 17;
and
9)
Fadi Jamal Musran, 20.
Fadel Shana’a, 23, a cameraman of Reuters, accompanied by Wafa
Abu Mezyed, 25, a soundman, arrived at the area to photograph the children who
were killed by Israeli missiles. When they finished photographing, they got on a
Reuters vehicle, which was clearly marked with the press badge. They then
traveled back to continue their work in the area. They stopped hundreds of
meters away from the area where IOF troops were deployed. They got out of the
vehicle and a number of children gathered around them. Soon after, IOF fired a
tank shell at them. Shana’a was instantly killed and Abu Mezyed was wounded. Abu
Mezyed was able to flee from the area. IOF soon fired another shell that hit the
back of the vehicle and heavily damaged it. Three civilians, including 2
children, were also killed by the attack, and 12 others, including 5 children,
were wounded. The civilians who were killed were identified as:
1)
Ahmed ‘Aaref Farajallah, 14;
2)
Ghassan Khaled Abu ‘Otaiwi, 17; and
3)
Khalil Isma’il Dughmosh, 22.
At approximately 21:30, IOF troops redeployed outside the village
after razing at least 200 donums
of agricultural land and demolishing 6 houses.
PCHR strongly condemns and expressed utmost concern over these
crimes, and:
1)
Asserts that these latest crimes
are part of a series of continuous crimes committed by IOF in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT) with total disregard for the lives of Palestinian
civilians.
2)
Warns of further escalation in
attacks against Palestinian civilians in light of statements and threats by
Israeli political and military officials, which may cause more civilian
casualties in the Gaza Strip.
3)
Expresses utmost concern over
continued crimes committed by IOF against journalists and media professionals,
and stresses that such crimes aim at silencing the press and prevent journalists
from covering crimes committed by IOF against civilians.
4)
Calls upon the international
community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and calls upon the High
Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention, Relative to the Protection of
Civilian Persons in Time of War, to fulfill their obligation under article 1 of
the Convention to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and
their obligation under article 146 to search for and prosecute those who are
responsible for perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention. Such breaches
constitute war crimes according to article 147 of the Convention and the
Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to
the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).
