Ref:
113/2011

On Monday, 14 November 2011, the French Consul in the
Gaza Strip, Majdi Jameel Yaseen Shaqqoura, 44, and his two children were
wounded in an Israeli attack on the Palestinian Navy site in the southwest of
Beit Lahia, located in northern Gaza.  They were in their home when they were injured
by shrapnel.  Additionally, as a result
of the same attack the consul’s wife suffered from hemorrhage that led to a
miscarriage.

According to investigations conducted by the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) Majdi Shaqqoura was in his home, located
behind al-Nawras Resort in al-Soudaniya area, southwest of Beit Lahia, at the
time of the attack.  Shaqqoura was
watching TV in the house’s sitting room which is surrounded by large windows,
together with his relative and three children: Arwa, 9, Rawan, 13, and
Mohammed, 8.  At 2:00 in the morning they
suddenly heard an explosion that rocked the house.  In his testimony to PCHR, Shaqqoura said that
windows of the sitting room broke in the blast.  Him and his relative rushed to protect the
children. Then a second explosion took place which broke all the windows, and
resulted in shrapnel injuries to Shaqqoura’s leg and Rawan’s hand and back.   Shaqqoura added that, at the same time, his
wife Majda Shaqqoura, 42, and her brother were on their way to the home in her
car.  They were 150 meters away from the
bombardment site.  As a result, Majda
suffered from a hemorrhage injury.  Her
brother transported her to al-Awda Hospital, where she miscarried, being in the
second month of her pregnancy.

At approximately 01:55 on Monday, 14 November 2011,
the Israeli warplanes launched four missiles at a Palestinian Navy site located
at the beach, in front of al-Nawras Resort, in the al-Soudaniya area.  This area is located in the southwest of Beit
Lahia, in the northern Gaza Strip.  The
attack resulted in the killing of first sergeant Mohammed Zaher Zaki al-Kilani,
22, from Beit Lahia, whose body was torn into pieces.  The Civil Defense found al-Kilani’s body
buried under the rubble after approximately one hour of searching for him.  Five other members were wounded, one of whom
sustained serious wounds.  The attack
resulted in the full destruction of the Navy’s site, which is has an approximate
surface of 2,000 square meters.  The
building consists of an operation office, bedroom, place for prayer,
administration office, office of the site’s chief, and five additional offices
for meetings and detention.  Besides, a
blue Magnum jeep and a motorbike were destroyed.

Additionally, two other civilians were wounded by
glass shrapnel throughout their bodies and were transported to the hospital for
treatment.

PCHR reiterates its 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 reflects 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; and

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.