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Press Release

Israeli open fire at Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis

Ref: 120/2002
Date: 8 October 2002

Monday morning, Israeli occupying forces opened fire at Palestinian medical facilities and personnel at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis, after the incursion and missile attacks in Khan Yunis during the night, in which 14 Palestinians, including 4 children and a woman, were killed and more that 80 wounded.

At approximately 08:10 on Monday, 7 October 2002, Israeli forces in military locations in the vicinity of “Neve Dekalim” settlement, west of Khan Yunis, opened fire at Nasser Hospital, approximately 600m to the east.  As a result of the indiscriminate shooting, which continued for some minutes, 4 Palestinian civilians inside the hospital, including two staff members, were wounded and the buildings were severely damaged.

The hospital is clearly marked and known as one of the main medical facilities that serve the southern Gaza Strip and the Israeli Army knows well the position of the hospital and its subordinate buildings.  When Israeli forces opened fire at the hospital, hundreds of Palestinian civilians had gathered outside to find out the faith of relatives wounded during the Israeli invasion of Khan Yunis on Monday morning.  (See PCHR’s press release on 7 October 2002)

Those wounded inside the hospital were:

 1. Nafe’ Burhan al-Bura’ei, 22, a maintenance worker at the department of nephritic diseases, critically wounded by a live bullet in the head while near the department.  He was evacuated to Shifa’ Hospital in Gaza where he was pronounced clinically dead.
 2. Jibril Jaber ‘Ateya ‘Aabed, 49, a driver of the hospital, wounded by a live bullet in the chest.
 3. Munther Radwan al-Tubji, 25, wounded by a live bullet in the left thigh.
 4. ‘Aadel Yousef Eslayeh, 36, wounded by shrapnel in the face.

In his testimony to PCHR, Jebril Jaber ‘Aabed, a driver of Nasser Hospital, said:

“I was called to hospital at approximately 01:30 on Monday, 7 October 2002, after the hospital declared a state of emergency when Israeli occupying forces invaded parts of Khan Yunis.  I carried out my duties until Israeli tanks withdrew from those areas.  At approximately 08:15, while I was in the facility designed for ambulances in the eastern part of the main building of the hospital, I felt that a live bullet hit me in the chest.  I also heard sounds of live bullets hitting walls.  Immediately, those who were near me moved me to the reception department, where I received medical treatment.”

Targeting civilians and medical facilities and denying secure movement of medical personnel constitute war crimes under international humanitarian law. During the intifada dozens of Palestinian medical facilities have been repeatedly attacked by the Israeli occupying forces, causing hundreds of casualties among on-duty doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers.  Since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada, 15 Palestinian medical personnel have been killed and more than 250 wounded by Israeli occupying forces.

PCHR strongly condemns such war crimes committed by the Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians.  PCHR considers that the failure and silence of the international community towards war crimes committed by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians encourage Israel to commit more war crimes.  PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to end its silence and immediately intervene to put an end to Israel’s disregard for international humanitarian law.  PCHR also reminds the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 of their legal obligations not only to respect the Convention, but also to ensure respect for it, and consequently take crucial steps to stop Israeli flagrant violations of the Convention.

“End”