Ref: 16/2007
Date: 08 March 2007
Time: 13:30 GMT
A Palestinian Dies and 8 Others Injured at Rafah International Crossing Point Due to Congestion and Rushing
On Thursday morning, 8 March 2007, a Palestinian civilian died from a heart attack and 8 others were injured at Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border due to congestion and rushing. A number of these Palestinians were injured by gunshots fired by Palestinian security forces, which intervened to stop the rushing of people into the crossing point.
Thousands of Palestinian headed to the crossing point in the early morning to travel abroad. As a result of congestion and rushing, at approximately 08:30, ‘Omar Isma’il Qaza’er, 61, died from a heart attack, when he was at the crossing point to travel abroad. The crossing point was opened at 09:30. At approximately 11:00, people started to rush into the crossing point. Palestinian security forces attempted to stop them and opened fire. As a result, 3 people were wounded:
1) Ghali Mohammed al-Jabali, 32, wounded by a gunshot to the right thigh;
2) Ahmed Sameer Darwish, 19, a security officer, wounded by a gunshot to the buttocks; and
3) Yousef Nassar Eshtaiwi, 15, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot.
Five others, including 3 women, sustained bruises.
The Palestinian Border Crossings Department declared on Monday, 5 March 2007, that IOF agreed to open Rafah International Crossing Point for 4 days starting on Tuesday morning, 6 March 2007. Thousands of Palestinians headed to the crossing point on Tuesday to travel abroad. On Tuesday, 958 Palestinians were able to travel abroad, and 1240 others were able to travel back to the Gaza Strip. The crossing point was over-crowded at both sides as thousands of Palestinians were waiting to be allowed to travel to and from the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of persons were seen surrounding busses that transport travelers in an attempt to have a place in them.
However, on Wednesday, 7 March 2007, the crossing point was not opened. On Thursday morning, 8 March 2007, the crossing point was opened and thousands of Palestinians headed to it in an attempt to travel abroad. The crossing point witnessed congestion and rushing, so it was closed at 11:00.
Rafah International Crossing Point has been closed since 25 June 2006, in violations of the right to freedom of movement. Thousands of Palestinians, including patients who are in need for medical treatment abroad and hundreds of families who have come to the Gaza Strip to visit relative, have not been able to travel. The crossing point is opened for limited hours on separate weeks and often witnesses congestion and rushing due to the high number of Palestinians wishing to travel through it.
PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene and force Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to respect International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law and allow free passage at Rafah International Crossing Point, which is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to the outside world. PCHR calls also upon the EU observers working at the crossing point to abstain from contributing to any action that may constitute a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilian population, as collective punishment constitutes a grave breach of International Humanitarian Law, especially the Fourth Geneva Conventions, to which EU States are High Contracting Parties.
