Ref: 100/2009
Date: 25 August
2009
Time: 09:30 GMT
Israeli Escalates Violence: At Least 4
Palestinians Killed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
strongly condemns attacks perpetrated by Israeli forces in the evening
of 24 August, and the morning of 25 August 2009. Three Palestinians were
killed while a fourth is missing consequent to Israeli gunfire in the
northern Gaza Strip and aerial bombardment along the Egyptian border,
south of Rafah. .
According to investigations conducted by
PCHR, at approximately 15:15 on Monday, 24 August 2009, Israeli troops
positioned to the northwest of Beit Lahia town in the northern Gaza
Strip (along the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel) fired at two
Palestinian civilians from Beit Lahia who got close to the border.
Sa’id ‘Ata al-Hussumi, 16, was instantly killed by two bullets to the
chest, and Mas’oud Mohammed Tanboura, 19, was seriously wounded by
several bullets to the chest.
Al-Husumi and Tanboura were working in a
farm in Beit Lahia town, approximately 350 meters away from the border
fence. They attempted to get close to the border to find metal wires to
sell them. They were unarmed.
Israel has illegally prohibited movement
near the border fence in the north and in the east of the Gaza Strip.
The prohibition applies to within a distance of 300 meters from the
border fence inside the Gaza Strip. Accordingly, Palestinian farmers are
denied access to their lands. Thus, they are denied their right to
cultivate these lands or even to approach them. In many cases,
Palestinians come under Israeli gunfire from distances that exceed 300
meters. PCHR has documented many deaths, including children, as a
result of Israeli forces firing at civilians while in the proximity of
these areas.
In the early morning of Tuesday, 25 August
2009, an Israeli warplane fired a missile at a tunnel near the Salah
al-Din Gate in the south of Rafah town on the Palestinian-Egyptian
border. Two brothers, Mansour ‘Ali al-Batniji, 30, and Na’el ‘Ali al-Batniji
, 20, were killed, and their other brother, Ibrahim, 35, is missing.
Another 6 Palestinians were also wounded.
PCHR strongly condemns such escalation by
Israeli forces, and:
-
Reiterates its condemnation of such
crimes which are part of a series of war crimes committed by Israeli
forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
-
Calls upon the international community
to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and renews its call
for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to
fulfill their obligations.
