Ref: 108/2011
In the past 24 hours, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have
escalated attacks against the Gaza Strip, and Israeli warplanes launched a
series of air strikes targeting several activists of Palestinian resistance
groups throughout the Gaza Strip. As a
result of these attacks, 9 members of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of
Islamic Jihad) have been killed, and another 5 Palestinians, including two
civilians, one of whom is a 15-year-old child, were wounded. A number of training sites of resistance
groups and a police station have been destroyed, and a number of nearby
buildings and facilities were damaged. Following the first attack, in which 5 Palestinians were killed, IOF took
responsibility for it, and an IOF spokesman claimed that the Israeli air force
launched air strikes in the context of an operation, in which the Israeli
Internal Security Service was involved, against a cell of Islamic Jihad accused
of launching Grad rockets at Israeli towns. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) warns of further
escalation of such attacks, and expresses concern for the lives of Palestinian
civilians, especially because the Gaza Strip is one of the most densely
populated areas in the world.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
13:15 on Saturday, 29 October 2011, Israeli warplanes fired 3 missiles at a
training site of the al-Quds Brigades (the armed wing of Islamic Jihad) known
as Muhajer (Immigrant) located in a former Israeli settlement in the western
part of Rafah, a town in southern Gaza Strip. As a result, 5 activists of the al-Quds Brigades were killed:
1- Ahmed Khalil al-Sheikh Khalil, 36, from
Rafah;
2- Mohammed Ahmed ‘Aashour, 26, from Khan
Yunis;
3- ‘Abdul Karim Mousa Shatat (al-Masri), 30,
from Khan Yunis;
4- Bassem Mohammed Abu al-‘Ata, 33, from Gaza
City; and
5- Hassan Mohammed al-Khudari, 27, from Gaza
City.
Additionally, 3 activists were moderately wounded.
At approximately 20:30 that same day, an Israeli warplane fired a
missile at two activists of the al-Quds Brigades while they were walking near
al-Murabetin Mosque in al-Salam neighborhood in the south of Rafah. The two activists were instantly killed. They were identified as:
1- Suleiman Mahrous Abu Fatma, 21; and
2- Sami Hamad Abu Sabt, 23, both from
Rafah.
A civilian bystander, ‘Essam Mohammed Abu Qershain, 36, was
moderately wounded by shrapnel.
At approximately 21:45 of the same evening, an Israeli warplane
fired a missile at a number of activists of the al-Quds Brigades, south of Wadi
al-Salqa, a village located east of the central Gaza Strip town of Deir
al-Balah. The missile landed near a
house, and wounded an activist. Additionally,
15-year-old Rawand Tayseer Abu Mughassib, was lightly wounded in the left hand
while she was on her way to her grandmother’s house in the area, according to
her father. Three houses were also
damaged in the attack.
Shortly thereafter, at approximately 22:30, an Israeli warplane
fired a missile at two activists of the al-Quds Brigades who were near the
landing ground located near Ansar security compound in the west of Gaza
City. The two activists were instantly
killed. They were identified as:
1- Mardi Nahidh Mohammed Hajjaj, 24; and
2- Suhail Ibrahim Jundiya, 27, both from
al-Shuja’iya neighborhood in Gaza City.
On Sunday early morning, 30 October 2011, Israeli warplanes
launched 5 air strikes on 4 sites in Gaza City and Khan Yunis. No casualties were reported, but Palestinian
civilians were extremely terrified by attacks.
PCHR reiterates condemnation of these crimes and:
1- Stresses that these crimes form part of
systematic violations perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territory,
particularly the Gaza Strip, which reflect Israeli forces disregard for the
lives of Palestinian civilians;
2- Warns
of further escalation in hostilities, which may result in the targeting of
civilians and their property, in light of statements made by Israeli politicians
and military leaders;
3- Calls
upon the international community to immediately take an action to stop such
crimes and reiterates its call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth
Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1 which stipulates
“the High Contracting Parties undertake to respect and to ensure respect
for the present Convention in all circumstances,” and their obligations
under Article 146 which requires that the Contracting Parties prosecute persons
alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These
grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention
and under Protocol I Additional to Geneva Conventions.
