Ref: 42/2006

Date:  07 May 2006

Time: 12:00 GMT 

Two Palestinian Civilians Killed and 6 Others Wounded by IOF Artillery Shelling of the Northern Gaza Strip

In the past two days, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have escalated artillery shelling of the northern Gaza Strip, targeting Palestinian civilians and their property.  Two Palestinian farmers have been killed and 6 other civilians, including a woman, have been wounded by IOF artillery shelling.     

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 19:15 on Saturday, 6 May 2006, IOF positioned at the Gaza Strip border, east of Jabalya, fired a number of artillery shells at Beit Lahia town.  One of the shells fell near an elderly Palestinian civilian, 65-year-old Mousa Salim Mousa al-Sawarka, while he was grazing his camels in the al-Khousa area to the north of Beit Lahia.  He was killed instantly by shrapnel to the head.

IOF began shelling the north and east of Beit Lahia town on the morning of Saturday 6 May 2006 and 4 Palestinian farmers were wounded as a result.  The targeted areas are only 300 meters away from Palestinian residential areas. 

At approximately 09:00 on Sunday, 7 May 2006, IOF resumed artillery shelling of Beit Lahia town.  A shell landed on agricultural land in the north of Beit Lahia.  As a result, Hassan Hussein Khader al-Shaf’ei, 55, was killed by shrapnel throughout the body, while he was farming his land.  The location of the attack was only 500 meters from the area where the first victim was killed.  Earlier, at approximately 08:45, Fatema Mohammed Sahweel, 59, was wounded by shrapnel to the right eye, when a number of shells fell near her house in the east of Beit Hanoun. 

PCHR is increasingly concerned over continued IOF artillery shelling of Palestinian houses and civilian facilities in the northern Gaza Strip.  In the past 20 days, 6 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children, have been killed, and at least 60 others, including 21 children, have been wounded by IOF shelling.  In addition, 2 members of the Palestinian National Security Forces were killed, while they were attempting to deactivate an unexploded shell fired by IOF.  IOF positioned at the eastern and northern borders of the Gaza Strip have continued to shell the northern Gaza Strip for more than two months.  In addition to casualties among Palestinian civilians, IOF artillery shelling has severely damaged houses, farmland and civilian facilities, and has created an atmosphere of fear in the area.  PCHR is concerned that such IOF shelling may cause further casualties among Palestinian civilians, as it targets Palestinian civilian populated areas. 

In light of the above:

1)       PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes and reiterates its calls for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to meet their obligations to ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

2)       PCHR calls upon Palestinian resistance groups to abstain from launching any military attacks from inside or near civilian areas or that target civilians.  

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