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<div class="header reader-header reader-show-element"> <font
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href="https://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=12310">https://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=12310</a></font>
<h1 class="reader-title">On 54th Friday of Great March of Return
and Breaking Siege, Israeli Forces Kill Palestinian Child and
Wound 93 Civilians, including 17 Children, 4 Women, 3
Paramedics, and Journalist</h1>
April 12, 2019</div>
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<p>On Friday evening, 12 April 2019, in excessive use of
force against peaceful protesters on the 54<sup>th</sup>
Friday of the March of Return and Breaking the Siege,
Israeli forces killed a Palestinian child and wounded 93
civilians, including 17 children, four women, three
paramedics, and a journalist, in eastern Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>According to observations by PCHR’s fieldworkers, the
Israeli forces who stationed in prone positions and in
military jeeps along the fence with Israel continued to
use excessive force against the demonstrators by opening
fire and firing tear gas canisters at them. As a
result, dozens of the demonstrators were hit with
bullets and teargas canisters without posing any
imminent threat or danger to the life of soldiers.</p>
<p>On Friday, 14 April 2019, the incidents were as
follows:</p>
<p>At approximately 16:00, thousands of civilians,
including women, children and entire families, started
swarming to the five encampments established by the
Supreme National Authority of Great March of Return and
Breaking the Siege adjacent to the border fence with
Israel in eastern Gaza Strip cities. Hundreds, including
children and women, approached the border fence with
Israel in front of each encampment and gathered tens of
meters away from the main border fence, attempting to
throw stones at the Israeli forces and firing incendiary
balloons along the border fence. Demonstrators chanted
slogans, raised flags and, attempted to approach the
border fence, set fire to tires and tried to throw
stones at the Israeli forces. Although the demonstrators
gathered in areas open to the Israeli snipers stationed
on the top of the sand berms and military watchtowers
and inside and behind the military jeeps, the Israeli
forces fired live and rubber bullets in addition to a
barrage of tear gas canisters. The Israeli shooting,
which continued at around 19:00, resulted in the killing
of Maysara Mousa Suliman Abu Shalouf (15), from ‘zbit
Beit Hanoun. At approximately 17:00, Maysara sustained a
live bullet wound that entered his left waist and
settled in the pelvis while standing few meters away
from the border fence in eastern Jabalia. He was left
bleeding for 20 minutes because medical personnel were
unable to access him. After that, he was taken to a
medical point and then referred to the Indonesian
Hospital, where his death was declared at approximately
17:55.</p>
<p>Moreover, 93 civilians, including 17 children, four
women, three paramedics, and a journalist, were wounded.
Forty-four of them were hit with live bullets and
shrapnel, 46 were directly hit with tear gas canisters
and three were hit with rubber bullets. In addition,
dozens of civilians suffered tear gas inhalation and
seizures due to tear gas canisters that were fired by
the Israeli forces from the military jeeps and riffles
in the eastern Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>The following table shows the number of civilian
victims due to the Israeli forces’ suppression of the
Great March of Return since its beginning on 30 March:</p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><strong>Wounded</strong></td>
<td><strong>Killed</strong></td>
<td> </td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2319</td>
<td>44</td>
<td>Children</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>360</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>Women</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>194</td>
<td>2</td>
<td>Journalists</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>190</td>
<td>3</td>
<td>Medical Crews</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>–</td>
<td>8</td>
<td>Persons with Disabilities</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>12056</td>
<td>203</td>
<td><strong>Total</strong></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td>Among those wounded, 543 are in serious
condition and 136 had their lower or upper limbs
amputated; 122 lower-limb amputations, 14
upper-limb amputations, and 25 children had their
limbs amputated according to the Ministry of
Health. The number of those wounded only include
those wounded with live bullets and directly hit
with tear gas canisters, as there have been
thousand others who suffered tear gas inhalation
and sustained bruises.</td>
<td><strong>Notes</strong>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>PCHR reiterates Palestinians’ right to peaceful
assembly to confront Israel and its forces’ denial of
the legitimate and inalienable rights of the Palestinian
people, including the right to self-determination, right
to return and right to end the occupation of the
Palestinian territory.</p>
<p>PCHR stresses that the Israeli forces should stop using
excessive force and respond to the legitimate demands of
the demonstrators, particularly lifting the closure
which is the real solution to end the humanitarian
crisis in the Gaza Strip.</p>
<p>PCHR emphasizes that continuously targeting civilians,
who exercise their right to peaceful assembly or while
carrying out their humanitarian duty, is a serious
violation of the rules of international law,
international humanitarian law, the ICC Rome Statute and
Fourth Geneva Convention.</p>
<p>Thus, PCHR reiterates its call upon the ICC Prosecutor
to open an official investigation in these crimes and to
prosecute and hold accountable all those applying or
involved in issuing orders within the Israeli Forces at
the security and political echelons.</p>
<p>PCHR also emphasizes that the High Contracting Parties
to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention should fulfill
their obligation under Article 1; i.e., to respect and
ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances
and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute
persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth
Geneva Convention.</p>
<p>PCHR calls upon Switzerland, in its capacity as the
Depository State for the Convention, to demand the High
Contracting Parties to convene a meeting and ensure
Israel’s respect for this Convention, noting that these
grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147
of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to
the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of
Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the
occupied territories.</p>
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<div class="moz-signature">-- <br>
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415 863.9977
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