Ref: 43/2008

Date: 08 May 2008

Time: 11:00 GMT 

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.