7 apr 2018
By Ben White
A week on from Israel’s deadly crackdown on Palestinian protests in the occupied Gaza Strip on Land Day it is clear that the killing of demonstrators constituted a case of pre-meditated murder. The evidence is overwhelming and almost entirely provided by Israeli officials themselves.
First, consider the Israeli authorities’ preparations and open threats in the lead up to Friday, 30 March. Two days in advance, the head of the Israeli armed forces proudly told local media that there would be more than 100 snipers positioned around the Gaza Strip, mostly from “special units,” who would be authorised to live fire on Palestinian demonstrators.
Meanwhile, a government spokesperson even threatened protesters with a tweeted video of an unarmed Palestinian civilian being shot by an Israeli soldier. No wonder, then, that human rights groups like Amnesty International and B’Tselem warned – ahead of time – that Israeli forces were preparing to “shoot-to-kill unarmed Palestinian demonstrators”.
As an article in Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post put it, after last Friday’s bloodshed, “Israeli statements leading up to the incident focused on its readiness to use live fire as opposed to describing how involved its legal apparatus would be in projecting restraint”.
It should be noted that Israeli officials’ open threats have been cited by the army’s admirers as mitigation – “Palestinians were warned!” they say. Though it seems ridiculous to have to point this out, declaring in advance your intent to commit criminal acts not only fails to absolve you, but actually constitutes an important part of the evidence of your guilt.
On the day itself, and in its immediate aftermath, the response of Israeli officials to international criticism was also instructive.
One notable example was the Israeli military tweeting – then deleting – a statement that proudly took ownership of every shot fired: “nothing was carried out uncontrolled,” the IDF Spokesperson said, “everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed”.
Army spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, meanwhile, explicitly justified the shooting of an unarmed Palestinian as he fled, an incident caught on camera: the young man in question, he said, was “one of the most active participants in rolling burning tyres toward the fence”.
Political leaders were equally unrepentant, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring: “Well done to our soldiers”. A spokesperson for the ruling Likud party, Eli Hazan, told Israeli television that all 30,000 protesters – men, women and children – were “legitimate targets”.
The next piece of evidence is the Israeli army’s rules of engagement and open fire regulations, “which allow snipers to shoot anyone approaching the fence with the intent of breaching it and entering Israel”. This week, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman affirmed the rules would stay the same: “if there are provocations, there will be a reaction of the harshest kind like last week.”
The Israeli military has repeatedly insisted that it shot “instigators” and individuals who approached the Gaza Strip perimeter fence; “an unarmed person would be allowed within 100 metres (330 feet) of the border before soldiers opened fire” (my emphasis), according to one report.
As Israeli media has noted, “even the…[army] spokesperson’s statements” themselves “testify to the fact that there is some concern that gunfire was initiated not only when there was a specific and concrete danger from Palestinians, but was also aimed at specific individuals”.
These two justifications for opening fire – the targeting of ‘instigators’ and anyone who approaches the fence – directly contradict Israel’s obligations under international law, which prohibits lethal force except in the case of an imminent threat to life.
As Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director for Human Rights Watch, told The Telegraph: “Senior Israeli officials continue to order soldiers to fire on ‘instigators’ and those who approach the border regardless of whether they pose an imminent threat, a flagrantly unlawful policy that could subject them to prosecution by the International Criminal Court.”
Israeli legal experts have also spoken out, affirming that an attempt to cross the Gaza fence does not constitute a justification for live fire against civilians. As one senior Israeli professor put it, “the fence…is not more sacred than human life, and that includes the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza”.
The rot, however, goes right to the top. As has been noted, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, the head of Southern Command, and the Gaza Division chief “were all present on the ground” on Friday, 30 March – it “beggars belief that they weren’t monitoring use of live (sniper) fire”.
Amos Harel, the military correspondent for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, noted that “testimonies of correspondents on the Israeli side about the rate of firing and Palestinian reports of 800 people wounded attest to very permissive orders given to the snipers”. Harel has also suggested that the army could have been motivated by a desire “to counter claims of weakness” in the media.
Human Rights Watch has stressed that the killing and maiming of Palestinian protesters was “unlawful” and “calculated”. In a striking call for soldiers to disobey illegal orders, B’Tselem was clear that “in line with the instructions given to the civilian leadership, the preparation by senior military officials did not focus on attempting to minimize the number of casualties. Quite the contrary…”
Of course, events in Gaza need to be placed in the context of Israeli occupation forces routinely shooting Palestinian civilians, in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Those who pull the trigger, and those who give the orders, are almost never held to account. Systematic impunity for those who injure and kill makes for trigger-happy soldiers because they do not fear accountability.
As Palestinians in the besieged enclave gear up for another Friday of protest, Israeli officials – political and military – are doubling down on their threats, and illegal rules of engagement. International pressure is likely the only way to end the Israeli authorities’ policy of shoot-to-kill.
- Ben White is a British journalist and activist who primarily writes about the Israel-Palestine conflict. His article appeared in MEMO.
A week on from Israel’s deadly crackdown on Palestinian protests in the occupied Gaza Strip on Land Day it is clear that the killing of demonstrators constituted a case of pre-meditated murder. The evidence is overwhelming and almost entirely provided by Israeli officials themselves.
First, consider the Israeli authorities’ preparations and open threats in the lead up to Friday, 30 March. Two days in advance, the head of the Israeli armed forces proudly told local media that there would be more than 100 snipers positioned around the Gaza Strip, mostly from “special units,” who would be authorised to live fire on Palestinian demonstrators.
Meanwhile, a government spokesperson even threatened protesters with a tweeted video of an unarmed Palestinian civilian being shot by an Israeli soldier. No wonder, then, that human rights groups like Amnesty International and B’Tselem warned – ahead of time – that Israeli forces were preparing to “shoot-to-kill unarmed Palestinian demonstrators”.
As an article in Israeli newspaper The Jerusalem Post put it, after last Friday’s bloodshed, “Israeli statements leading up to the incident focused on its readiness to use live fire as opposed to describing how involved its legal apparatus would be in projecting restraint”.
It should be noted that Israeli officials’ open threats have been cited by the army’s admirers as mitigation – “Palestinians were warned!” they say. Though it seems ridiculous to have to point this out, declaring in advance your intent to commit criminal acts not only fails to absolve you, but actually constitutes an important part of the evidence of your guilt.
On the day itself, and in its immediate aftermath, the response of Israeli officials to international criticism was also instructive.
One notable example was the Israeli military tweeting – then deleting – a statement that proudly took ownership of every shot fired: “nothing was carried out uncontrolled,” the IDF Spokesperson said, “everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed”.
Army spokesperson Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, meanwhile, explicitly justified the shooting of an unarmed Palestinian as he fled, an incident caught on camera: the young man in question, he said, was “one of the most active participants in rolling burning tyres toward the fence”.
Political leaders were equally unrepentant, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declaring: “Well done to our soldiers”. A spokesperson for the ruling Likud party, Eli Hazan, told Israeli television that all 30,000 protesters – men, women and children – were “legitimate targets”.
The next piece of evidence is the Israeli army’s rules of engagement and open fire regulations, “which allow snipers to shoot anyone approaching the fence with the intent of breaching it and entering Israel”. This week, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman affirmed the rules would stay the same: “if there are provocations, there will be a reaction of the harshest kind like last week.”
The Israeli military has repeatedly insisted that it shot “instigators” and individuals who approached the Gaza Strip perimeter fence; “an unarmed person would be allowed within 100 metres (330 feet) of the border before soldiers opened fire” (my emphasis), according to one report.
As Israeli media has noted, “even the…[army] spokesperson’s statements” themselves “testify to the fact that there is some concern that gunfire was initiated not only when there was a specific and concrete danger from Palestinians, but was also aimed at specific individuals”.
These two justifications for opening fire – the targeting of ‘instigators’ and anyone who approaches the fence – directly contradict Israel’s obligations under international law, which prohibits lethal force except in the case of an imminent threat to life.
As Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director for Human Rights Watch, told The Telegraph: “Senior Israeli officials continue to order soldiers to fire on ‘instigators’ and those who approach the border regardless of whether they pose an imminent threat, a flagrantly unlawful policy that could subject them to prosecution by the International Criminal Court.”
Israeli legal experts have also spoken out, affirming that an attempt to cross the Gaza fence does not constitute a justification for live fire against civilians. As one senior Israeli professor put it, “the fence…is not more sacred than human life, and that includes the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza”.
The rot, however, goes right to the top. As has been noted, the Israeli military’s chief of staff, the head of Southern Command, and the Gaza Division chief “were all present on the ground” on Friday, 30 March – it “beggars belief that they weren’t monitoring use of live (sniper) fire”.
Amos Harel, the military correspondent for Israeli newspaper Haaretz, noted that “testimonies of correspondents on the Israeli side about the rate of firing and Palestinian reports of 800 people wounded attest to very permissive orders given to the snipers”. Harel has also suggested that the army could have been motivated by a desire “to counter claims of weakness” in the media.
Human Rights Watch has stressed that the killing and maiming of Palestinian protesters was “unlawful” and “calculated”. In a striking call for soldiers to disobey illegal orders, B’Tselem was clear that “in line with the instructions given to the civilian leadership, the preparation by senior military officials did not focus on attempting to minimize the number of casualties. Quite the contrary…”
Of course, events in Gaza need to be placed in the context of Israeli occupation forces routinely shooting Palestinian civilians, in both the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Those who pull the trigger, and those who give the orders, are almost never held to account. Systematic impunity for those who injure and kill makes for trigger-happy soldiers because they do not fear accountability.
As Palestinians in the besieged enclave gear up for another Friday of protest, Israeli officials – political and military – are doubling down on their threats, and illegal rules of engagement. International pressure is likely the only way to end the Israeli authorities’ policy of shoot-to-kill.
- Ben White is a British journalist and activist who primarily writes about the Israel-Palestine conflict. His article appeared in MEMO.
Nine Palestinians were injured during Saturday’s protests on the eastern border of the Gaza Strip, according to medical sources.
Palestinian Health Ministry affirmed that three peaceful protesters were injured as Israeli soldiers opened gunfire at demonstrators to the east of Gaza City.
Meanwhile, five protesters were shot and injured by Israeli forces to the east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip.
Earlier Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot and injured by a live bullet, led to a fracture in his leg.
More than 29 Palestinian protesters have been killed by Israeli troops at Gaza's eastern border since the start of the Great Return March on March 30.
Israeli Soldiers Shoot Three Palestinians, One Seriously, In Gaza
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Saturday, that Israeli soldiers shot three young Palestinian men, including one who suffered a serious injury, in Malka area, east of Gaza city.
The Ministry said the three Palestinians were all shot with live fire and added that one of them is in a serious condition after being shot in the abdomen.
Media sources in Gaza said the soldiers sporadically opened fire on Palestinian protesters in the area, which is one of five main areas of protests near the border fence, across the Gaza Strip.
In related news, the Health Ministry issued a statement condemning the systematic Israeli policies in targeting journalists and medical teams and added that the army shot and moderately injured three medics and caused eight others to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, since the protests started on March 30.
It added that the soldiers also caused damage to three Palestinian ambulances after targeting them with live fire and gas bombs.
Spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, called on the international community and all legal and human rights organizations to ensure protection to all medical teams, and journalists, as stated by the Fourth Geneva Convention and International Humanitarian Law.
He added that, on Friday, Israeli soldiers killed ten Palestinians, including a journalist, and injured 1354 others; 491 of them were shot with live rounds, including expanding bullets, and that 33 are still in critical conditions.
Palestinians Killed By Israeli Army Fire On April 6, 2018
Hamza Abdul-al, 20
Yassar Mortaja, 31
Tha’er Mohammad Rabe’a, 30
Ala’ Yahya az-Zamily, 17
Osama Khamis Qdeih, 38
Ibrahim al-‘Orr, 20
Sidqi Faraj Abu ‘Oteiwi, 45
Mohammad Sa’id Mousa al-Hajj Saleh, 33
Hussein Mohammad Madhi, 16
Majdi Ramadan Shbat, 38
Palestinian Health Ministry affirmed that three peaceful protesters were injured as Israeli soldiers opened gunfire at demonstrators to the east of Gaza City.
Meanwhile, five protesters were shot and injured by Israeli forces to the east of al-Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza Strip.
Earlier Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot and injured by a live bullet, led to a fracture in his leg.
More than 29 Palestinian protesters have been killed by Israeli troops at Gaza's eastern border since the start of the Great Return March on March 30.
Israeli Soldiers Shoot Three Palestinians, One Seriously, In Gaza
The Palestinian Health Ministry has reported, Saturday, that Israeli soldiers shot three young Palestinian men, including one who suffered a serious injury, in Malka area, east of Gaza city.
The Ministry said the three Palestinians were all shot with live fire and added that one of them is in a serious condition after being shot in the abdomen.
Media sources in Gaza said the soldiers sporadically opened fire on Palestinian protesters in the area, which is one of five main areas of protests near the border fence, across the Gaza Strip.
In related news, the Health Ministry issued a statement condemning the systematic Israeli policies in targeting journalists and medical teams and added that the army shot and moderately injured three medics and caused eight others to suffer the effects of teargas inhalation, since the protests started on March 30.
It added that the soldiers also caused damage to three Palestinian ambulances after targeting them with live fire and gas bombs.
Spokesperson of the Health Ministry in Gaza, Dr. Ashraf al-Qedra, called on the international community and all legal and human rights organizations to ensure protection to all medical teams, and journalists, as stated by the Fourth Geneva Convention and International Humanitarian Law.
He added that, on Friday, Israeli soldiers killed ten Palestinians, including a journalist, and injured 1354 others; 491 of them were shot with live rounds, including expanding bullets, and that 33 are still in critical conditions.
Palestinians Killed By Israeli Army Fire On April 6, 2018
Hamza Abdul-al, 20
Yassar Mortaja, 31
Tha’er Mohammad Rabe’a, 30
Ala’ Yahya az-Zamily, 17
Osama Khamis Qdeih, 38
Ibrahim al-‘Orr, 20
Sidqi Faraj Abu ‘Oteiwi, 45
Mohammad Sa’id Mousa al-Hajj Saleh, 33
Hussein Mohammad Madhi, 16
Majdi Ramadan Shbat, 38
The Israeli occupation authorities have decided to ban the entry of car tires into the Gaza Strip until further notice.
Raed Fattouh, head of a Palestinian Authority committee responsible for coordinating the entry of goods into Gaza, said in statements on Friday that the Israeli authorities informed them that they had decided to block the entry of all types of tires into Gaza until further notice.
This move came in response to the "Friday of Burned Tires" protests in Gaza during which Palestinian youths set dozens of tires on fire to block the view of Israeli snipers stationed behind Gaza's eastern border fence to shoot and kill unarmed protesters.
Burning tires is an old form of Palestinian popular resistance that first emerged during the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987.
At least 29 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the launch of the Great March of Return on 30th March along Gaza's border with the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories in demand of Palestinian refugees' right of return.
After the Israeli soldiers killed 17 peaceful demonstrators on the first Friday of the Great March of Return, protesters started to think of simple methods that would minimize the number of casualties by blocking the Israeli snipers' view, so they decided to burn dozens of tires near the border.
A youth campaign has been launched since last Sunday in Gaza to collect tires of all sizes and types and transfer them to the border areas where protests take place.
Raed Fattouh, head of a Palestinian Authority committee responsible for coordinating the entry of goods into Gaza, said in statements on Friday that the Israeli authorities informed them that they had decided to block the entry of all types of tires into Gaza until further notice.
This move came in response to the "Friday of Burned Tires" protests in Gaza during which Palestinian youths set dozens of tires on fire to block the view of Israeli snipers stationed behind Gaza's eastern border fence to shoot and kill unarmed protesters.
Burning tires is an old form of Palestinian popular resistance that first emerged during the First Palestinian Intifada in 1987.
At least 29 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli gunfire since the launch of the Great March of Return on 30th March along Gaza's border with the 1948 occupied Palestinian territories in demand of Palestinian refugees' right of return.
After the Israeli soldiers killed 17 peaceful demonstrators on the first Friday of the Great March of Return, protesters started to think of simple methods that would minimize the number of casualties by blocking the Israeli snipers' view, so they decided to burn dozens of tires near the border.
A youth campaign has been launched since last Sunday in Gaza to collect tires of all sizes and types and transfer them to the border areas where protests take place.
Palestinian Health Ministry strongly condemned on Saturday Israeli systematic policy of targeting medics while transferring injured protesters as Israeli forces continue violent suppression of the Great Return March along Gaza eastern borders.
Spokesperson for the ministry Ashraf Qudra said that three medics were moderately injured during the events, while eight others suffered breathing problems after inhaling Israeli teargas.
Two ambulances were also targeted and damaged by Israeli forces, he continued, urging international community to provide protection to medical personnel.
31 Palestinians, including three children, were killed by Israeli gunfire since the start of the Great March of Return on March 30, while 2850 others were injured.
Spokesperson for the ministry Ashraf Qudra said that three medics were moderately injured during the events, while eight others suffered breathing problems after inhaling Israeli teargas.
Two ambulances were also targeted and damaged by Israeli forces, he continued, urging international community to provide protection to medical personnel.
31 Palestinians, including three children, were killed by Israeli gunfire since the start of the Great March of Return on March 30, while 2850 others were injured.
The Journalist Support Committee said that 10 Palestinian journalists was injured by live ammunition and gas canisters fired at them directly by Israeli soldiers as they were covering Friday’s protests in different Gaza border areas.
In a press release, the committee said that six journalists, working for different news agencies, suffered live bullet injuries on Friday, including Yasser Murtaja who was shot with an explosive bullet in his abdomen and died later on Saturday.
It also noted that dozens of other journalists suffered from their exposure to tear gas fumes after soldiers targeted their crews before they were provided with on-site medical assistance by Palestinian paramedics.
The committee appealed to the International Federation of Journalists to form an urgent commission of inquiry to probe Israel’s recent assaults on journalists in Gaza.
In a press release, the committee said that six journalists, working for different news agencies, suffered live bullet injuries on Friday, including Yasser Murtaja who was shot with an explosive bullet in his abdomen and died later on Saturday.
It also noted that dozens of other journalists suffered from their exposure to tear gas fumes after soldiers targeted their crews before they were provided with on-site medical assistance by Palestinian paramedics.
The committee appealed to the International Federation of Journalists to form an urgent commission of inquiry to probe Israel’s recent assaults on journalists in Gaza.
The Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PCJ) has mourned journalist Yasser Murtaja, who died at dawn Saturday after he succumbed to injuries he sustained from Israeli sniper fire as he was covering Friday’s protests east of the Gaza Strip.
“The martyrdom of Murtaja and the injury of seven other journalists reflect that the occupation army insists on committing deliberate crimes against Palestinian journalists,” the syndicate stated in a press release.
The syndicate affirmed that it would work on holding Israel accountable for its crimes at international tribunals and conferences, and called on the UN and its institutions to immediately provide protection for Palestinian journalists.
“The martyrdom of Murtaja and the injury of seven other journalists reflect that the occupation army insists on committing deliberate crimes against Palestinian journalists,” the syndicate stated in a press release.
The syndicate affirmed that it would work on holding Israel accountable for its crimes at international tribunals and conferences, and called on the UN and its institutions to immediately provide protection for Palestinian journalists.
The US on Friday blocked, for a second week running, a UN Security Council (SC) statement supporting the right of Palestinians to demonstrate peacefully and endorsing secretary-general Antonio Guterres’ call for an independent investigation into the killing and injury of protesters in Gaza.
Earlier on Friday, Kuwait, which represents Arab countries at the council, circulated a draft press statement to member states that reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to peaceful protest and called for an independent and transparent probe of the clashes over the past week.
On Twitter, Kuwait’s UN mission said the UNSC “should address this matter and have a unified positions… What is happening is a violation of international law.”
Earlier on Friday, Kuwait, which represents Arab countries at the council, circulated a draft press statement to member states that reaffirmed Palestinians’ right to peaceful protest and called for an independent and transparent probe of the clashes over the past week.
On Twitter, Kuwait’s UN mission said the UNSC “should address this matter and have a unified positions… What is happening is a violation of international law.”
Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza Strip said that 29 Palestinians were killed since thousands of Palestinians in Gaza launched the “Great March of Return” on March 30.
Spokesman for the Ministry, Asharaf Qudra, reported that 2850 others were injured as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue violent suppression of the peaceful protest along Gaza borders.
At least 1,296 have been injured with live ammunition, 79 of them are in critical condition, he added.
According to the source, the data did not include the two young men who were shot dead near the border fence as their bodies are still held by Israeli authorities.
Friday’s protests marked one week since the beginning of the "Great March of Return," a weeks-long protests in which almost 1.3 million of Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants who are refugees are demanding their right to return to their original homelands.
The six-week protest is set to end on May 15th, the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or “catastrophe,” when the state of Israel was created, leaving some 750,000 Palestinians and millions of their descendants as refugees.
Spokesman for the Ministry, Asharaf Qudra, reported that 2850 others were injured as Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continue violent suppression of the peaceful protest along Gaza borders.
At least 1,296 have been injured with live ammunition, 79 of them are in critical condition, he added.
According to the source, the data did not include the two young men who were shot dead near the border fence as their bodies are still held by Israeli authorities.
Friday’s protests marked one week since the beginning of the "Great March of Return," a weeks-long protests in which almost 1.3 million of Gaza’s 2 million inhabitants who are refugees are demanding their right to return to their original homelands.
The six-week protest is set to end on May 15th, the 70th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba, or “catastrophe,” when the state of Israel was created, leaving some 750,000 Palestinians and millions of their descendants as refugees.
Hamza Abdul-al, 20
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two Palestinian civilians, including a photojournalist, were injured on Friday at the border protests, and died of their injuries overnight.
The two were wounded when Israeli soldiers attacked protesters who were gathered in the north, east, and southern borders of Gaza. They were identified as Yassar Mortaja, 31 (journalist), and Hamza Abdul-al, 20.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, said that photojournalist Yassar Mortaja, 31, died of a gunshot wound he sustained on Friday while documenting the protest.
He was wearing a Press vest and was clearly performing his duty as a journalist when he was targeted by the Israeli sharpshooters stationed at the military base on the Gaza border.
The Palestinian Health Ministry reported that two Palestinian civilians, including a photojournalist, were injured on Friday at the border protests, and died of their injuries overnight.
The two were wounded when Israeli soldiers attacked protesters who were gathered in the north, east, and southern borders of Gaza. They were identified as Yassar Mortaja, 31 (journalist), and Hamza Abdul-al, 20.
Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesperson of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, said that photojournalist Yassar Mortaja, 31, died of a gunshot wound he sustained on Friday while documenting the protest.
He was wearing a Press vest and was clearly performing his duty as a journalist when he was targeted by the Israeli sharpshooters stationed at the military base on the Gaza border.
Yassar Mortaja, 31 (journalist)
Dr. al-Qidra reported that Mortaja was shot with a live round in his abdomen while covering a protest in east Khan Younis, near the border fence that imprisons Gaza. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died after several hours.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the killing of Mortaja, and called on international journalist organizations to take a stand for the journalists in Gaza, who are being directly targeted by Israeli forces. In addition to killing Mortaja, the soldiers shot and wounded seven journalists who were covering the protests in Gaza on Friday April 6th.
The Syndicate said they intend to take the case of Mortaja to international court, and to international organizations, and to call on the United Nations to stop the violations, and to implement their own resolutions condemning Israel’s repeated attacks on journalists.
Hamza Abdul-al, 20, from Zoweida village in Deir al-Baleh District in central Gaza, also died Friday night of injuries sustained during the protest earlier that day. Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra of the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death at the hospital where he was taken after being shot with a live round by Israeli forces.
Following the death of the two Palestinians, Dr. al-Qidra said that the Israeli soldiers have killed ten Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Friday April 6th and injured 1,354, including 491 shot with live rounds and expanding bullets. 33 of those who were shot are still in critical condition.
Doctors at the Gaza Central Hospital reported that many of those who were injured by live fire were hit by expanding bullets, which tear apart internal organs and tissues once they enter the body. These types of bullets are illegal under international law for use against a civilian population.
Dr. al-Qidra reported that Mortaja was shot with a live round in his abdomen while covering a protest in east Khan Younis, near the border fence that imprisons Gaza. He was rushed to the hospital, where he died after several hours.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate condemned the killing of Mortaja, and called on international journalist organizations to take a stand for the journalists in Gaza, who are being directly targeted by Israeli forces. In addition to killing Mortaja, the soldiers shot and wounded seven journalists who were covering the protests in Gaza on Friday April 6th.
The Syndicate said they intend to take the case of Mortaja to international court, and to international organizations, and to call on the United Nations to stop the violations, and to implement their own resolutions condemning Israel’s repeated attacks on journalists.
Hamza Abdul-al, 20, from Zoweida village in Deir al-Baleh District in central Gaza, also died Friday night of injuries sustained during the protest earlier that day. Dr. Ashraf al-Qidra of the Palestinian Health Ministry confirmed his death at the hospital where he was taken after being shot with a live round by Israeli forces.
Following the death of the two Palestinians, Dr. al-Qidra said that the Israeli soldiers have killed ten Palestinian civilians in Gaza on Friday April 6th and injured 1,354, including 491 shot with live rounds and expanding bullets. 33 of those who were shot are still in critical condition.
Doctors at the Gaza Central Hospital reported that many of those who were injured by live fire were hit by expanding bullets, which tear apart internal organs and tissues once they enter the body. These types of bullets are illegal under international law for use against a civilian population.
