The Final Toll for Bloodiest Day since Beginning of Return and Breaking Siege March in the Gaza Strip, 42 civilians, including 5 children, were killed while 1697 others, including 288 children, 70 women, 12 journalists, and 3 paramedics, were wounded

May 15, 2018

Ref: 53/2018

Date: 15 May 2018

Time: 12:00 GMT

Since yesterday morning, 14 May 2018, and until now, the Israeli forces killed 42 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children and a person with mobility impairment. Moreover, 1697 civilians, including 228 children, 70 women, 12 journalists, and 3 paramedics, were wounded. After hundred thousands of Palestinian civilians, including elderlies, women and children, headed to border fence area with Israel in the eastern and northern Gaza Strip, upon a call by the Supreme National Authority of the Return and Breaking Siege March.

PCHR is still investigating into the circumstances of the killing of 17 other persons, including 2 children in the Eastern Cemetery, east of Jabalia in the northern of the Gaza Strip.

PCHR is still investigating into the circumstances of the killing of 17 other persons, including 2 children in the Eastern Cemetery, east of Jabalia in the northern of the Gaza Strip. It should be noted that the abovementioned area was not among the declared demonstration areas. All the persons killed arrived on the same time at the northern Gaza Strip’s hospitals, and all of them were hit with live bullets to the upper part.

Since 30 March 2018 and until know, the death toll has reached 84, including 11 children, 2 journalists, and 3 persons with disability, while the number of those wounded increased to 5061 civilians, including 855 children, 157 women, 51 journalists, and 28 paramedics.

Field Observations by PCHR’s Fieldworkers Confirm the Following:

The demonstrations have been entirely peaceful, and the fieldworkers have not witnessed any armed manifestations despite the state of outrage and fervor prevailing among the demonstrators who were hundreds of thousands.
An outstanding participation of women and children in the demonstrations.
The Israeli Forces unprecedentedly and heavily stationed along the border fence and inside the military sites surrounding the area along with intensive flight of the Israeli warplanes.
Tear gas canisters were intensively and unprecedentedly fired from the drones and by the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence or in the military sites. The tear gas has spared none, including PCHR’s staff that was in the field.
Ambulances, medical staff, and field clinics were deliberately and directly targeted and prevented from approaching those wounded in addition to causing injuries among them.
Journalists are directly targeted, causing injuries among them.
The Israeli fire targeted the upper part of the body as dozens sustained wounds to the head and chest and many are in critical condition; thus, the number of deaths is likely to increase.

Those killed on Monday were as follows according to the governorate:

Northern Gaza Strip

Mos’ab Yousef Ibrahim Abu Lilah (28), from al-Shaiekh Redwan neighborhood, was hit with live bullet shrapnel to the back and settled below heart, which caused bleeding;
Mohamed Ashraf Moahmed Abu Sitah (25), from Beit Hanoun, was hit with a live bullet to the chest;
Mohamed Hussni al-Najjar (33), from Jabalia, was hit with a live bullet to the chest; and
Sa’di Sa’ied Fahmi Abu Salah (16), from Beit Hanoun, was hit with a live bullet to the abdomen.

Injuries:

276 civilians, including 50 children and 10 women

Gaza City

‘Alaa Anwar Ahmed al-Khateeb (27) was hit with a live bullet to the head;
Ahmed Majed Qasem ‘Atallah (27) was hit with a live bullet to the right thigh, which cut the main artery;
Zaied Mohamed Hasan Omar ( al-‘Amareen), 22, was hit with a live bullet to the chest;
Ahmed Zuhair Hamed al-Shawa (23) was hit with a live bullet to the chest;
Taher Ahmed Madi (24) was hit with a live bullet to the neck;
Fadel Mohamed ‘Atah al-Habashi (34) was hit with a live bullet to the neck;
Samer Nael ‘Awni al-Shawa (22) hit with a live bullet to the abdomen;
Mahmoud Wael Mahmoud Jundiyia (19) hit with a live bullet to the chest;
Yazan Ibrahim Mohamed al-Tobasi (23) hit with a live bullet to the right eye;
‘Emad Mohamed Khalil al-Naffa (24) was hit with live bullet shrapnel to the left shoulder, neck and back; and
Talal ‘Adel Ibrahim Matter (16) was hit with a live bullet to the head.

Injuries: 650 civilians, including 21 women, 125 children, 7 journalists and 2 paramedics Central Gaza Strip:

Wissal ‘Ezzat al-Sheikh Khalil (14) from al-Maghazi was hit with a bullet to the head;
Mahmoud Yehia ‘Abdul Wahhab Hussein (24) from al-Bureij was hit with a bullet to the abdomen;
Ahmed ‘Abdullah ‘Abdullah al-‘Adeini (37) from Deir al-Balah was hit with a bullet to the abdomen;
Mukhtar Kamel Salem Abu Khammash (23) from deir al-Balah was hit with a bullet to the chest;
Mohammed Samir Mohammed Idweidar (29) from al-Nussairat was hit with a bullet to the abdomen;
‘Ezz al-Deen Mousa Mohammed al-Sammak (14) from al-Bureij was hit with a bullet to the abdomen; and
‘Abdul Rahman Sami ‘Aqel Abu Matter (18) from al-Nussairat was hit with a bullet to the head.

Injures:300 civilians, including 22 women, 56 children, 1 paramedic and 1 journalistKhan Younis:

Anas Hamdan Salem Qudeih (21) from ‘Abasan al-Kabirah was hit with a bullet to the chest.
‘Obaydah Salem ‘Abed Raboh Farhanah (30) from Bani Suheilah was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Belal Ahmed Saleh Abu Daqqah (26) from ‘Abasan al-Kabirah was hit with a bullet to the head.
Jihad Mufeed ‘Abdul Men’em al-Farra (30) from al-Qararah was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Fadi Hassan Salman Abu Selmi (Abu Salah) (30) from ‘Abasan al-Kabirah was hit with a bullet to the chest, noting that his legs were amputated in a previous Israeli bombing.
‘Ezz al-Deen Nehro Salman al-‘Aweiti (24) from Ma’en was hit with a bullet to the head.
‘Abdul Salam Yousif ‘Abdul Rahman ‘Abdulah Wahab (39) from al-Satar al-Gharbi was hit with a bullet to the head.
Ahmed Mohammed Ibrahim Hamdan (28) from al-Amal neighborhood was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Ahmed ‘Adel Mousa al-Sha’er (16) from Qayzan al-Najjar was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Mahmoud Rabah ‘Alian Abu Mo’amar (28) from Ma’en was hit with a bullet to the head.
Kamel jihad Kamel Muhanna (20) from al-Qararah was hit with a bullet to the head.
Mahmoud Saber Hamad Abu T’eimah (20) from ‘Abasan was hit with a bullet to the head.
Mahmoud Soliman Ibrahim ‘Aqel (33) from ‘Abasan al-Kabirah was wounded to the right knee and left thigh.
Mohammed Hasan Musatafa al-‘Abadlah (25) from al-Qararah was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Ahmed Salem ‘Alian al-Jorf (24) from ‘Abasan al-Jadidah was hit with a bullet to the pelvis.
Mohamed ‘Abdel Rahman ‘Ali Meqdad (28) from ‘Abasan al-Kabirah was hit with a bullet to the head.

Injuries:361 civilians, including 43 children, 16 women and 3 journalistsRafah:

Mo’atasem Fawzi Abu Louli (20) was hit with a bullet that shattered his head.
Mohammed Mahmoud ‘Abdel Mo’ati ‘Abdel ‘Aal (39) was hit with a bullet to the chest.
Ahmed Fawzi Kamel al-Tatar (28) was hit with a bullet to the shoulder and back.
‘Ali Mohammed Ahmed Khafajah (21) was hit with a bullet to the head.

Injuries:110 civilians, including 14 children, 1 woman and 1 journalist

PCHR condemns these crimes and warns of continuous use of lethal force against Palestinian civilians. Thus, PCHR:

PCHR stresses that this ongoing policy by Israel violates the Rome STATUTE OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT (ICC) and Fourth Geneva Convention, and its practices qualify to war crimes. Thus, PCHR calls upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation into these crimes in addition to prosecuting and holding accountable all of those involved in issuing decisions and orders in the Israeli forces at the political and security level and those applying the orders.
PCHR asks for the presence of international observers from the United Nations (UN) bodies in the Gaza Strip to make sure that these demonstrations are totally peaceful and even if the Israeli authorities denied their access to Gaza, they can observe from the Israeli side of the borders.
PCHR condemns this new crime committed by the Israeli forces, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.
PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.