IOF Open Fire at Areas near the Borders Southeast of Deir Al Balah Town

19-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 10am on Saturday 19 February 2011, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at the Kooz Abu Hamam area southeast of Deir Al Balah town in Middle Gaza district. No casualties or injuries were reported.

IOF Kills Three Palestinian Civilians in North Gaza, Al Mezan Calls International Community to Provide Protection for Civilians

17-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 1:30am on Thursday 17 February 2011, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire and artillery shells under the cover of aircrafts at three Palestinian men who where near the separation fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel in the north of the Gaza Strip. The three were in the As-Siafa area, northwest of Beit Lahyia town, in the North Gaza district. The shooting lasted for about one hour.

At approximately 8:20am on the same day, the dead bodies of the three men were transferred by an ambulance to the Kamal Odwan Hospital in Beit Lahiya town. Al Mezan identified the names of the three men as follows:

·         Jihad Fathi Mohammed Khalaf, 20, from Jabalia;

·         Ashraf Abdel Lateef  Rasheed Iqteefan, 32; from Gaza city; and

·         Tala't Mohammed Salama Ar-Rawagh, 40, from Gaza city.  

The IOF announced that it killed three Palestinians who approached the separation fence to smuggle into Israel through the separation fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. However, Al Mezan’s investigations found that the three were civilians working in the area with other people.

According to Al Mezan's field investigations, the dead bodies were defaced and torn apart. Their dead bodies were carried on horse-driven carts by workers who were with the victims in the area for about one kilometer, then an ambulance carried them to hospital.

The field investigations by Al Mezan indicated that the three victims were in the area to collect seashells to sell them. They are used to go to this coastal area west of the As-Siafa area, not far from the separation fence. The three victims were dressed in civilian clothes and did not carry any weapons on them. They did not form any threat to the IOF when they were attacked.

Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns the killing of three Palestinian civilians by the IOF. This conduct contravenes with international law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War (of 1949) and the basic principles of distinction and proportionality. Similar violations by the IOF occur frequently as IOF systematic attacks civilians and their property in areas near the border in the context of enforcing a security buffer zone along the border fence.

Al Mezan calls on the international community to promptly intervene to provide protection to Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory; including the Gaza Strip. The international community has an obligation to take steps to bring the deliberate killing, forced displacement and abuse Palestinian civilians to an end. The IOF violent, illegal enforcement of the security buffer zone has caused numerous deaths and injuries to civilians and prevented Palestinian farmers from access to their land; thus deepening the humanitarian and human rights crisis in the Strip.

Ends

IOF Shoots Palestinian Civilian Collecting Scrap and Rubble East of Gaza City

17-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 13:00 pm on Thursday 17 February 2011, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a group of Palestinian civilians as they were collecting scrap materials and rubble from the destroyed structures west of Karni Crossing, east of Al Sheja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza city. As a result, Mustafa Khader Al Manasra, 17, and Waleed Khalil Jendea, 19, were injured, both in their right legs. Medical sources described their injuries as moderate.

PCHR weekly report 10/2 - 16/2/2011: 4 workers including 1 child injured, 1 incursion

extracts from PCHR weekly report 10/2 - 16/2/2011:

IOF continued to target Palestinian workers, farmers and fishermen in border areas in the Gaza Strip.

- 4 Palestinian workers, including a child, were wounded. 

In the Gaza Strip, IOF conducted one limited incursion into the southern Gaza Strip, during which they leveled areas of Palestinian land.

Saturday, 12 February 2011

At approximately 12:15, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north west of Beit Lahia town fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of "Elli Sinai" used to stand. As a result, Mahran Rezeq Tanboura, 25, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left knee, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border.  At approximately 13:00, Israeli soldiers fired the workers again. As a result, 'Aashour Mohammed Shkhaidem, 29, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left knee, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border. 

In the evening, Israeli soldiers positioned at the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the east of Gaza City fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials in the east of al-Shuja'iya neighborhood east of Gaza City. As a result, Mohammed Sa'id Eshtaiwi, 16, from al-Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, was wounded by a bullet to the right leg, when he was nearly 800 meters away from the border.

Monday, 14 February 2011

 


At approximately 09:50, Israeli soldiers stationed on observation towers on the border between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the north west of Beit Lahia town fired at a number of Palestinian workers who were collecting scraps of construction materials from a site where the evacuated Israeli settlement of "Elli Sinai" used to stand. As a result, Suleiman Salem Abu Rkab, 20, from Beit Lahia, was wounded by a bullet to the left leg, when he was nearly 200 meters away from the border.

Limited IOF Incursion East of Khan Younis

15-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 8:30am on Tuesday 15 February 2011, Israeli tanks accompanied by armored bulldozers moved about 300 meters into the Al Fukhari town east of Khan Younis district. Bulldozers leveled lands that had been razed before. At approximately 12:30pm on the same day the force withdrew from the area. No casualties or injuries were reported in this incursion.

IOF Shoots Palestinian Collecting Scrap Northwest of Beit Lahyia

14-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 9:45am on Monday 14 February 2011, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a group of Palestinian civilians who were collecting scrap and rubble from the destroyed structures near the border fence between Gaza and Israel. The group was about 200 meters from the border fence near the evacuated settlement Eli Sinai northwest of Beit Lahyia, in the North Gaza district, when IOF fired at them. As a result,Suliman Salim Mohammed Abu Rekab, 20, who is a resident of Gaza city, was injured in the left leg. Medical sources at Kamal Odwan Hospital described his injury as light.

IOF Shoots Palestinian Collecting Scrap North of Beit Lahyia

12-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 1:10pm on Saturday 12 February 2011, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a group of Palestinian civilians as they were collecting scrap and rubble from the destroyed structures near the border fence between Gaza and Israel. The group was about 200 meters from the border fence near the evacuated settlement Eli Sinai northwest of Beit Lahyia, in the North Gaza district, when IOF fired at them. As a result, Ashour Mohammed Ashour Shkhedem, 29, was injured in the right knee. Medical sources at Kamal Odwan Hospital described his injury as moderate.

IOF Fires at Palestinian Farmers North of Beit Lahiya

12-2-2011

Al Mezan

At approximately 12:40pm on Saturday 12 February 2011, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at Palestinian farmers who were in their fields near the separation fence between Gaza Strip and Israel, north of Beit Lahiya. No casualties or injuries were reported, but farmers were terrified and abandoned their farms.

IOF Shoots Palestinian Collecting Scrap Northwest of Beit Lahyia

12-2-2011

Al Mezan


At approximately 12:15pm on Saturday 12 February 2011, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a group of Palestinian civilians as they were collecting scrap and rubble from destroyed structures near the border fence between Gaza and Israel. The group was about 200 meters from the border fence near the evacuated settlement Eli Sinai northwest of Beit Lahyia, in the North Gaza district when IOF fired at them. As a result, Mahran Rezeq Tanboura, 24, was injured in the left knee. Medical sources at Kamal Odwan Hospital described his injury as moderate, as the bullet exited from the knee.

IOF Shoots Palestinian Civilian Collecting Scrap East of Gaza City

12-2-2011

Al Mezan 


At approximately 3:30pm on Saturday 12 February 2011, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) opened fire at a group of Palestinian civilians as they were collecting scrap and rubble from the destroyed structures west of Karni Crossing, east of Al Sheja'iya neighborhood in the east of Gaza city. As a result, Mohammed Sa'eed Hussein Ishtewi, 16, who is from Gaza city, was injured in the right leg.