Ref: 157/2014
Date: 24 November 2014
Time: 12:00 GMT

In excessive use of force, on Tuesday morning, 22 November 2014, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian near the border fence, east of Jabalia, while hunting birds, and in the afternoon wounded a child in al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR and statement of Abdul Hadi Mohammed Abu Zerr (37), at approximately 06:30 on Tuesday, 22 November 2014, Abu Zerr and his friend Fadel Mohammed Halawa (32) were on a motorbike heading to al-Khour area to the northeast of al-Shuhada cemetery, east of Jabalia in the north of the Gaza Strip. They placed a net to hunt birds 500 meters away from the border fence with Israel, east of Jabalia town, while there were other bird hunters in the area. About an hour later and due to the bad weather, they took their net and left. About 50 meters away from that area, Israeli forces stationed along the border opened fire at them. As a result, Halawa sustained was wounded by a bullet that entered the back and exited the abdomen, while a bullet hit the ground so close to Abu Zerr’s feet. Halawa was taken to Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahia by an ambulance belonging to the hospital. However, doctors’ efforts to save his life failed and Halawa was pronounced dead of his wound at approximately 11:00 on the same day.

In another incident, at approximately 17:30, 17-year-old Abdul Razeq Sa’d al-Qadi, from Rafah, sustained a bullet wound to the chest (the bullet entered and exited) while he was with his friends near al-Matar Street in al-Shouka village, southeast of Rafah, about 1,500 meters away from the border fence. Israeli forces heavily fired live ammunition and flash bombs at the area, where the abovementioned boy was present.
It should be noted that border area between the Gaza Strip and Israel has witnessed a number of shooting incidents by Israeli forces following the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip. As a result of these attacks, 10 Palestinian civilians, including 3 children, have been wounded.

PCHR is strongly condemns these crimes, which further prove the use of excessive force by Israeli forces against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for their lives. Therefore, PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under Article 146 to 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 Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions.