Israeli
Forces Kill Six
In Gaza Camp offensive
By Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
5 July 2007
PCHR
Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) have killed six activists of the Palestinian
resistance and have wounded four others and six civilians, including
two children and a journalist, in the context of an offensive on al-Boreij
refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip that has been ongoing since Thursday
morning, 5 July 2007. According to investigations conducted by PCHR,
IOF have prevented Palestinian medical crews from attending the wounded.
According to investigations
conducted by PCHR, at approximately 02:30 on Thursday, 5 July 2007,
an IOF infantry unit moved nearly 1,000 meters into al-Boreij refugee
camp in the central Gaza Strip. IOF troops clashed with activists of
the Palestinian resistance. In these clashes, three resistance activists
were killed:
1) Mohammed Nayef 'Owaidat,
24;
2) Ahmed Suleiman al-Qrainawi, 23; and
3) Mohammed Jawad Siam, 35.
Later, military reinforcements,
including aircrafts, arrived at the area to support the infantry unit.
IOF raided a number of houses and transformed them into military sites.
At approximately 04:30, an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society
moved towards the area as it received information that people were wounded
in the area. IOF fired at the ambulance and held it medical crew, consisting
of 'Azmi Hisham Abu Dala, 25, and Mohammed Khamis al-Salhi, 39, inside
a house for four hours. IOF then released the medical crew, but kept
the ambulance in the area. At approximately 11:00, a number of activists
of the Palestinian resistance clashed with IOF. Soon, IOF fired an artillery
shell at them. As a result, two resistance activists were instantly
killed and a third one was wounded, but died from his wound at Shifa
Hospital in Gaza City:
1) Mohammed Subhi Nour, 23;
2) Mohammed 'Awadh Abu Gharqoud, 22; and
3) Ahmed Nabeel Abu Jild, 21.
Additionally, six civilians,
including two children and a cameraman of al-Aqsa Television, and four
resistance activists were wounded by the IOF gunfire. Preliminary investigation
conducted by PCHR's team revealed that the cameraman, Emad Ghanem, 22,
was shot deliberately. Ghanem was first shot and fell down on the ground
before he was shot for the second time while laying on the ground beside
his camera. He currently suffers severe wounds as his both legs were
amputated. IOF have also razed areas of agricultural land and have destroyed
a number of roads. The IOF military operation is still ongoing, which
threatens the lives of Palestinian civilians.
PCHR is gravely concerned
over this latest escalation by IOF, and:
1) Condemns these latest
crimes, which are part of a series of continuous crimes committed by
IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in disregard for the lives
of Palestinian civilians, considering them a form of collective punishment
against the Palestinian civilian population in violation of Article
33 of the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons
in Time of War of 1949.
2) Points out that IOF do
not pay attention to the principles of necessity and proportionality
in using their full-fledged arsenal in civilian populated areas.
3) 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, as 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).
Leave
A Comment
&
Share Your Insights
Comment
Policy
Digg
it! And spread the word!
Here is a unique chance to help this article to be read by thousands
of people more. You just Digg it, and it will appear in the home page
of Digg.com and thousands more will read it. Digg is nothing but an
vote, the article with most votes will go to the top of the page. So,
as you read just give a digg and help thousands more to read this article.