PCHR condemns assassination of Gazan at Sunday

[sister herb]

1 Palestinian Man Assassinated, Another Wounded

Wednesday October 10, 2012 01:02 by PCHR

8 civilians, including 4 children and 1 woman, Injured In The Attack

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the assassination, on Sunday, 07 October 2012, of 1 Palestinian man and the severe injury of another. 8 civilian bystanders, including 4 children and 1 woman, were also wounded in the attack.

PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately act to stop these actions by Israel’s forces and renews its call for the Higher Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1 of the Convention to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 17:10 on Sunday, an Israeli warplane fired two missiles at two men in civilian clothing who were riding a motorcycle, as they were passing by Taha Hussain Elementary School in the Al-Brazil neighborhood, south of Rafah.

It should be noted that the attack was carried out at the end of the school day, moments before the students began to leave the school.

The targeted persons, Abd-Allah Hassan Mikawy (24) and Tal'at Khalil Al-Darbi (23), both from Rafah, sustained burns and shrapnel wounds throughout their bodies. Their condition was described as critical.

Abd-Allah Hassan Mikawy was transported to Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City. His leg was amputated but he died of his wounds on Monday evening. Tal'at Khalil Al-Darbi was transported to Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis, where his leg was amputated, according to medical sources.

8 civilian bystanders were wounded in the attack, including 4 children and 1 woman, the mother of 2 of the wounded children.

They were visiting the woman’s family home at the time of the attack. The wounded were transported to Abu-Yousif Al-Najjar hospital in Rafah, and their wounds were described as moderate. The victims were identified as:

1- Sabrin Hussain Al-Qatrous (Al-Maqousi) (23), from Jabalia Camp, who was wounded inside her parents' house;

2- Bisan Muhammad Al-Maqousi, (1 month), from Jabalia Camp, who was wounded inside her grandparents' house;

3- Nassim Muhammad Al-Maqousi (2), from Jabalia Camp, who was wounded inside his grandparents’ house;

4- Malak Hisham Abu-Jazar (3), from Al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, who was wounded in front of her family home;

5- Bashir Mustafa Keshta (10), from Al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, who was wounded while walking in the street;

6- 'Awad Muhammad Abu-'Armana (30), from Al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, who was wounded in front of his house;

7- Juhad Housni Al-Qatrous (27), from Al-Brazil neighborhood in Rafah, who was wounded in front of his house; and

8- Abdul-Hadi Mahmoud Abu-Mor (56), from Al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah, who was wounded while on his way to the mosque attend Al-Maghreb (Sunset) prayer.

Israeli radio quoted military sources, reporting that the raid had targeted two alleged members of the Global Jihad organization. The report alleged that the men were planning a complex military attack in Sinai that was scheduled to be carried out in the coming period.

PCHR reiterates condemnation of these crimes, expresses utmost concern over such escalation, and:

1- Stresses that these crimes form part of systematic violations perpetrated in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly the Gaza Strip, which reflect Israeli forces’ disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians; and

2- Calls upon the international community to immediately take an action to put an end to 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 obligation 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 Additional Protocol I of the Geneva Conventions.

Public Document

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For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza , Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 - 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.

http://www.imemc.org/article/64368

[sister herb]

Gaza - Occupied Lives: No child should have to go through this
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

Nassim and Bisan Al-Maqousi sustained shrapnel wounds from the attack

October 10, 2012

On Sunday, 07 October 2012, at approximately 5.30pm, Israel’s forces launched 2 missiles targeting 2 men on a motorbike as they were passing by Taha Hussain Elementary School in the Al-Brazil neighborhood of Rafah, in the southern Gaza Strip. Subsequently, 1 of the targeted men died of shrapnel wounds, while the other had one of his legs amputated, according to medical sources. 8 civilian bystanders, including 4 children and 1 woman, were also wounded in the attack. Israel’s forces often use airstrikes for extra judicial execution of suspected members of armed groups in densely-populated areas of the Gaza Strip. Israel refers to these as 'targeted killings’. However, on many occasions such attacks also injure and kill civilians who are in the vicinity of the target. Sabrin Al-Maqousi (23), and her 2 children, Bisan (1 month) and Nassim (2), were wounded in the attack. Her cousin, Jehad Al-Qatrous (27), was also wounded in the same attack.

Sabrin lives in Jabalia but she was with her children, visiting her family in Rafah, when the attack happened. She recalls: "My son Nassim was sitting at the entrance of the house when the missiles were launched. I rushed to bring him inside and found that he had already been injured by shrapnel. He just kept saying, "There is some blood on me, there is some blood on me." Some people came and put him in a car to take him to hospital. I was trying to calm my other baby down when I noticed that she was also bleeding from her head. Both of the children were then rushed to the hospital. It was only after they left, that I felt a sharp pain in my leg. I had also been hit by shrapnel, and was bleeding. My cousin, who lives next door, was also injured, and we were both rushed to hospital in an ambulance."

The casualties were first taken to Abu-Yousif Al-Najjar hospital in Rafah. The hospital was overcrowded, so they were all transferred to the European hospital, where they received treatment for their injuries: "They removed the shrapnel from our bodies, and the baby and I were discharged after about 5 hours. However, Nassim was admitted because his wounds were more serious. My cousin had shrapnel lodged in his legs. One piece of shrapnel was removed, but the doctor said that the other one requires surgery. He also temporarily lost his sense of hearing because one of his ears had been injured."

Bisan Al-Maqousi (1 month), who was injured by shrapnel during the attack

Sabrin fears for the safety and security of her children and her entire family. She is both distressed and worried about future attacks and the consequences for her family and loved ones: "When I came back home, I kept crying. I woke up several times that night, fearing that something else was going to happen. I was both angry and sad about what had happened to my family. We had just come to visit my family and have some fun with them, but we ended up wounded. My children are not even old enough to understand what happened to them. Nassim is only aware that he was hurt by Israel’s forces and nothing else beyond that. He cannot walk around as he used to before, and he is scared. I am also really scared by what happened and how sudden it was. What if it had been worse? Our entire lives would have been changed by it."

Since the attack, Sabrin says that her constant hope has been for peace and to feel safe once more: "When I saw my children wounded and being taken away, I became psychologically affected. It was almost as if I wasn’t there. You only expect such things to happen on TV, but not to you and your family. I witnessed Operation Cast Lead and I have seen attacks on the tunnels in Rafah, but none of those things scared me as much as seeing my own children hurt. It is completely unacceptable for children to be wounded in this manner. I really hope for a change to the situation in Gaza. Nobody should have to go through this and especially no child should have to go through this."

The direct targeting of a civilian object constitutes a war crime, as codified in Article 8(2) (b) (ii) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Similarly, under Article 53 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the destruction of private property is prohibited unless rendered absolutely necessary by military operations. Intentionally launching an indiscriminate attack constitutes a war crime as defined in Article 8 (2) (b) of the Rome Statute of the ICC. Furthermore, according to the principle of proportionality, which is codified in Article 51 (5) (b) of Additional Protocol 1 to the Geneva Conventions, an attack that may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects or a combination thereof is considered excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated.

http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m91715&hd=&size=1&l=e

[جوري]

I am sick of the ***** Israel.. may God hasten her demise in shaa Allah and her supporters!

[جوري]

I am surprised this thread isn't getting any attention amongst our more vocal anti killing malala atheists.. No Enya songs to kill the Zionists to promote freedom?

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[sister herb]

:nervous: Be carefull sister; killing zionists may be anti-semitic but asking to kill taliban isn´t. With Enya or not.

[sister herb]

I just today read news from some churches in USA:

The Israeli Radio reported that 15 church organizations in the United States issued a statement calling on the United States to review the financial aid to Israel, and to question its unconditional financial assistance to the country, adding that this unconditional aid will not help improve the situation but will only sustain the status quo of the Israeli military occupation of the Palestinian territories.

And answer was of course:

The call caused controversy while former official of the American Israeli Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), MJ Rosenberg, wrote an angry column nearly describing the 15 Church organizations as “anti-Semites.

http://www.imemc.org/article/64383