Date: 03 / 07 / 2009 Time: 20:53 | |
A women's bloc affiliated with the Popular Struggle Front condemned the death that Israel's military insisted was a mistake, according to a statement.
Hiam Abu A'yesh, 17, was killed and her 24-year-old brother Husam was also injured by shrapnel from an Israeli shell that struck the family's home in the Juhor Ad-Dik neighborhood in the Strip late on Thursday.
A member of the Central Committee of the Front, Nosra Al-Qubalany, called on the international community to break its silence and accept responsibility for the ongoing "comprehensive and systematic war that aims to break [Palestinians'] will and steadfastness."
Al-Qubalany insisted that Amnesty International, which days before issued a scathing indictment of Israel's actions in Gaza, needs to take "serious steps" to maintain international law by bringing Israeli leaders to justice on war crimes charges.
Shortly following Thursday evening's deadly incident, Israel's military insisted it had nothing to do with the girl's death, according to a spokesperson quoted in Israeli news reports, adding that its soldiers acted appropriately and professionally.
Nevertheless, just after midnight on Friday the Israeli news agency Ynet, quoting army officials, reported that a probe into the clash ultimately showed that the 17-year-old Palestinian girl was killed by the country's military.
