Ref: 12/2019
On Friday evening, 25 January 2019, in excessive use of force against peaceful protesters on the 44th Friday of the March of Return and Breaking the Siege, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian civilian and wounded 117 others, including 25 children, 3 women and 3 paramedics, in eastern Gaza Strip.
According to observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers, though the demonstrators were around tens of meters away from the border fence, the Israeli forces who stationed in prone positions and in military jeeps along the fence continued to use excessive force against the demonstrators by opening fire and firing teargas canisters at them. As a result, many of the demonstrators were hit with bullets and teargas canisters to their head without posing any imminent threat or danger to the life of soldiers.
On this Friday, the Israeli forces have increasingly targeted the medical personnel in the field and wounded 3 of them, including 2 paramedics in eastern Gaza City and another paramedic in eastern Jabalia. All of this indicates an Israeli systematic policy to target the medical personnel and obstruct their humanitarian action that is guaranteed with protection under the international humanitarian law.
On 25 January 2019, the incidents were as follows:
At approximately 14:30, thousands of civilians, including women, children and entire families, started swarming to the five encampments established by the Supreme National Authority of Great March of Return and Breaking the Siege adjacent to the border fence with Israel in eastern Gaza Strip cities. Hundreds, including children and women, approached the border fence with Israel in front of each encampment and gathered tens of meters away from the main border fence, attempting to throw stones at the Israeli forces. In Rafah, a group of demonstrators approached the border fence. Although the demonstrators gathered in areas open to the Israeli snipers stationed on the top of the sand berms and military watchtowers and inside and behind the military jeeps, the Israeli forces fired live and rubber bullets in addition to a barrage of teargas canisters. In Khan Yunis, the Israeli forces pumped wastewater at the demonstrators. The Israeli shooting, which continued at around 17:00, resulted in the killing of Ihab ‘Atallah Hussain ‘Abed (24), from Rafah. Ihab was hit with a live bullet to the chest while participating in demonstrations in eastern Rafah.
Moreover, in excessive use of force against peaceful protesters, 117 Palestinian civilians, including 25 children, 3 women and 3 paramedics, were wounded in eastern Gaza Strip. In addition, dozens of demonstrators, paramedics and journalists suffered tear gas inhalation and seizures due to tear gas canisters that were fired by the Israeli forces from the military jeeps and riffles in the eastern Gaza Strip.
The following table shows the number of civilian victims due to the Israeli forces’ suppression of the Great March of Return since its beginning on 30 March:
| Notes | Medical Crews | Journalists | Women | Children | Total | Casualties |
| Among those Killed, there were 8 Persons with Disabilities and a girl. | 3 | 2 | 2 | 36 | 184 | Killed |
| Among those wounded, 516 are in serious condition and 101 had their lower or upper limbs amputated; 89 lower-limb amputations, 2 upper-limb amputations, 10 finger amputations and 17 children had their limbs amputated according to the Ministry of Health. The number of those wounded only include those wounded with live bullets and directly hit with tear gas canisters as there have been thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation and sustained bruises. | 168 | 173 | 307 | 1942 | 10,514 | Wounded |
PCHR emphasizes that continuously targeting civilians, who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious violation of the rules of international law, international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and Fourth Geneva Convention. Thus, PCHR calls upon the ICC Prosecutor to open an official investigation in these crimes and to prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at the security and political echelons.
PCHR hereby condemns the excessive use of force and commission of crimes by the Israeli forces despite the prevailed calmness, believing it is as a result of Israel’s enjoying impunity thanks to the U.S. and so encouraging the Israeli forces to commit further crimes upon an official decision by the highest military and political echelons.
PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territories.
