PRESS RELEASE

Israeli Forces Shot Dead a Member of a Medical Team

12 Dead and Hundreds injured

Ref.,: 109/2000

Date: 14 p.m GMT, 30^th September 2000

PCHR follows with deep concern the continued bloodshed perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Territories. According to the most recent information, more than 120 casualties were reported in the Gaza Strip. One of the medical team personal, Bassam Faiz Al-Bilbaisi, 50 years old from Gaza, was pronounced dead this afternoon after having being shot in the chest. Al-Bilbaisi was an ambulance driver with the Palestinian Red Crescent and was wearing the official white uniform while driving his ambulance.

The child Mohammed Jamal Al-Derra, 12 years old from Breij, was killed by bullet shots in both neck and stomach. And Mohammad Al-Atl, 26 years old. Medical resources at Shifa hospital announced that both Mohammed Nawaf Owaimer, 15 years old from Deir Al-Balah and Khalid Abdel Razzag Hmaid, 16 years old from Rafah, were clinically dead. Both Owaimer and Hmaid were injured this morning with bullet wounds inflicted by Israeli occupation forces.

PCHR notes that the recent escalation and the extensive use of live ammunition against civilians, specially medical personal and children, supports the fact that Israeli forces refereed to the excessive use of force indiscriminately. PCHR, once again, call the international community and the high contracting parties to the Forth Geneva Convention to immediately intervene to stop the Israeli killing series against Palestinian civilians. Moreover, PCHR call the UN special rapporteur to Palestinian and Arab occupied territories to carry out ad hoc investigation in regard to Israeli occupation forces’ sever violations against Palestinian civilians.