Since the morning, the Israeli occupation forces continued shooting towards Palestinian civilians in several areas of the Gaza Strip. More than 16 Palestinian civilians were wounded in the vicinity of the settlement of Kfar Darom near Deir El-Balah, including the child Ismail Mohammed Abu Jayyab, 13 years old, from Deir El-Balah, who was wounded by a bullet in the head, and was evacuated to Shifa' Hospital in Gaza in a critical condition. A driver of a UN ambulance, Mohammed El-Danaf, 47 years old, was also wounded by a bullet in the knee, while he was relieving the wounded.
PCHR's field officer in Deir El-Balah reported that the Israeli occupation forces used live ammunition against youth and children, and that he saw some people, including the child Abu Jayyab, being wounded without hearing the sounds of shooting, as the Israeli occupation forces used silencers. The PCHR's field officer added that Jewish settlers threw stones towards Palestinian cars, under the protection of the Israeli occupation forces, and that they also participated in aggressions against Palestinian demonstrators.
In Khan Yunis, clashes broke out between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces near the Israeli military outpost, known as "Al-Nouria Outpost," to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis. PCHR's field officer in Khan Yunis reported that the Israeli occupation forces used tear gas against demonstrators and the adjacent houses to the Israeli military outpost. As a result, dozens of Palestinian civilians, including some children, were hurt due to inhaling tear gas.
In the area of Erez to the north of the Gaza Strip, clashes broke out this morning between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces which responded using tear gas bombs. PCHR's field officer in the area reported that a tear gas bomb hit and damaged an ambulance of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
In Rafah, PCHR's field officer reported that sounds of shooting and explosions were heard last night in the area adjacent to Salah El-Din Gate on the borders with Egypt. The PCHR's field officer added that 3 people were wounded by splinters of shells unleashed by the Israeli occupation forces, and that facades of two houses were damaged.
The Israeli occupation forces continued to reinforce their presence in the Gaza Strip. Yesterday afternoon, the Israeli occupation forces established a new military outpost on a 2-donum area near Kissufim Road which links Gush Qattif Settlement Block with the Green Line. Eyewitnesses stated that two tanks in addition to a large number of troops were deployed in the new military outpost, and that Israeli military patrols were seen moving along the mentioned road. It is worth mentioning that the new Israeli military outpost is the forth of its kind along the road leading to Kissufim Border Crossing between the Gaza Strip and Israel.
The Israeli occupation continue to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories, and Gaza International Airport is still closed contrary to the Israeli claims that it was reopened this morning.
Dear Friends,
We thank the honorable friends throughout the world that stood in steadfastness with the Palestinian people as they face, with bare hands, Israel's military machine and extremist settlers. We gratefully appreciate your solidarity with the just cause of our people who have been fighting for dignity, independence and freedom against thirty-three years of belligerent occupation.
We salute the braves in the Israeli peace movement who held firm to the struggle for a just and permanent peace driven by a certainty that a prompt end to the Israeli occupation is the only option to achieve peace and peaceful co-existence in this part of the world.
Dear Friends,
Since it inception, the Barak government represents the Center of Israel's political mainstream. This government proved beyond doubt it only wants to impose its own concept of peace on the Palestinian people and the Arab World in accordance with Israeli conditions. Barak's government is influenced by remnants of the dying ideology of Greater Israel and driven by a conceited military might of a super power believing that it can coerce the region into accepting its custom-made designs.
The course championed by Barak poses a real threat to the concept of peace in the region. This also poses a grave danger to the Israeli society. It would weaken Israeli peace movement and intensify extremist and radical Israeli forces. The Israeli government does not want to see an independent Palestinian state. Rather, it wants a disfigured protectorate with a permanent presence of its occupation forces on Palestinian soil under alleged security pretences. Israeli politicians do not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Palestine and do not wish to recognize Palestinian refugees' right to return although they form a majority of the Palestinian people. Instead, the current Israeli government reneged its own signature on several transitional agreements. In the current muscle-flexing military operation Israel's government hopes to impose its self-tailored designs through bombardment, killing and maiming thousands of Palestinian civilians.
The Palestinian reaction was obviously decisive and affirmed their wish for a just peace. Yet, they will persevere in their struggle for national dignity and independence within their own state with Jerusalem as its capital and for Palestinian refugees' right to return in accordance with United Nations Resolutions 242, 338 and 194.
Dear Friends,
All indicators prove that Barak's government does not wish to carry on with the peace process in a manner that would accede to the minimum of Palestinian aspirations. The Palestinian people have already conceded to an historic compromise when they accepted to establish a state on 1/5th of Historic Palestine.
The policies by Israel's leaders who want to fragment that 1/5th even further are pushing the Palestinian people and leadership into a corner. These policies are responsible for any form of extremism that may surface in the Palestinian society. Israeli occupation with its immoral, illegal punitive measures such as willful killings, arbitrary imprisonment, house demolition, vandalizing crops, daily humiliation and despising of Palestinians driven by Israeli superiority complex, continue undeterred. Extremism and violence are a direct result of such practices. The belligerent occupation is the root cause of all these tragedies and thus it must end.
Meanwhile, and in light of the absence of international will to effect implementation of international legitimacy, and the Israeli failure to generate a new political leadership capable of making peace with the Palestinian people, a ceasefire and redeployment of Israeli troops are no more than superficial measures. The situation continues to be explosive as long as the Israeli occupation remains and as long as the Palestinian people are left alone to face the barbaric Israeli military machine.
The Palestinian people, in light of the horrible situation, calls upon the international community of states and the Arab and international solidarity movement, to continue with their efforts to end Israel's campaign of aggression and terror against the Palestinian people. The only approach to ensure this goal is the prompt provision of international protection for our people. The international would not only safeguard Palestinian lives, it would help the resumption and continuance of negotiations and ensure its successful completion. As the negotiations progress the international forces would ensure honest implementation of any agreements reached.
Dear Friends,
We thank you for the much-appreciated efforts to express solidarity
with the Palestinian people. Your indispensable valuable role proves that
our people are not alone under this brutal siege. Let us forcefully
struggle together for an international protection for the Palestinian
people. The Israeli occupation must leave.
The Palestinian Council for Justice and Peace (PCJP)
P.O.Box 874-Ramallah/19545-Jerusalem
Tel:972-2-2986601/Fax:972-2-2980426
E-Mail :pcjp@palnet.com
Press Conference
5th Special Session
Commision on Human Rights
The Commission has to maintain and to evaluate the human rights situation according to the standards under its mandate.
The political process has failed to secure the human rights benefits that are fundamental to a just and lasting peace. The last two weeks of violence are the evidence of this.
The Commission's position is and should remain that the advancement of peace in the Middle East can only occur with an improvement in basic human rights and the guarantees of respect in accordance with international humanitarian and human rights law and the relevant resolutions.
The Sharm el Sheikh memorandum will certainly advance the dialogue between the parties in the peace process but it is not intended to tackle human rights issues that rest at the heart of the conflict between these peoples.
The Commission, as the pre-eminent human rights institution, should not forego its responsibilities but take opportunity to address the current violence and its causes, and cannot therefore rely upon this political process to deal with this.
We urge the Commission to establish a human rights mandated body to conduct an independent inquiry into the recent violence of the last weeks. A mechanism that can and will be seen to act justly and thus advance the cause for peace.
Organizaci?n Mundial Contra la Tortura (OMCT) Apartado postal 21 8 rue du Vieux-Billard CH-1211 Ginebra 8 Suisse / Suiza Tel. : 0041 22 809 49 39 Fax : 0041 22 809 49 29 E-mail : omct@omct.org URL : http://www.omct.org
The Israeli occupation forces continued to shoot fire towards Palestinian civilians in several areas of the Gaza Strip. This afternoon, several areas of the Gaza Strip, specially Rafah, Khan Yunis, the vicinity of the settlement of Kfar Darom near Deir El-Balah and the area of Erez in the northern part of the Gaza Strip, witnessed clashes between Palestinian demonstrators and the Israeli occupation forces. As a result, more than 100 Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets shot by the Israeli occupation forces. The wounded were evacuated to hospitals in Khan Yunis and Gaza.
Clashes in the vicinity of the settlement of Kfar Darom have continued up to the time of issuing this press release. Since this morning, more than 59 Palestinians have been wounded in the mentioned area by live ammunition, nine of whom are in critical conditions. In the area of Erez, 8 Palestinians were wounded by live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets shot by the Israeli occupation forces, and more than 30 Palestinians were hurt due to inhaling tear gas. According to PCHR's field officer in the area of Erez, clashes are still continuous there. In the area adjacent to the Israeli military outpost, known as "Al-Noria Outpost," to the west of the refugee camp of Khan Yunis, More than 50 Palestinian civilians were wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets, and dozens, including some children, were hurt due to inhaling tear gas as a result of clashes with the Israeli occupation forces. In Rafah, PCHR's field officer reported that the Israeli occupation forces shot fire at Palestinian demonstrators and wounded two of them.
The Israeli occupation forces fenced an 80-donum area in Al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis, near the settlement of Neve' Dekalim on the southern side, with barbwire, and annexed it to the settlement. PCHR referred in a previous press release to sweeping the mentioned areas by the Israeli occupation forces to annex it to the mentioned settlement. This action threatens the safety of Palestinian civilians who pass along the way leading from Khan Yunis to the seacoast as a result of expanding the mentioned settlement. The Israeli occupation forces are now sweeping a jungle area along the public road near the area of Erez in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
PCHR is deeply concerned about escalating the excessive use of force by the Israeli occupation forces against Palestinian civilians. PCHR observes the Israeli occupation forces' reinforcement and expansion of their outposts contrary to the claims of the Israeli mass media about decreasing the friction with Palestinian civilians. PCHR asserts that the Gaza Strip is still under total siege, as the Israeli occupation forces continue to close all border crossings and Gaza International Airport.