"Eight children, journalist among yesterday's Gaza dead"
---
Report, PCHR, 17 April 2008
 |
| A wounded Palestinian is evacuated after an Israeli artillery strike hit the place in southeast Gaza City, 16 April 2008. (Wissam Nassar/MaanImages) |
In the past 24 hours, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have escalated attacks against the Gaza Strip, while they maintained the tightened siege imposed on Strip. On Wednesday evening, 16 April 2008, and in less than half an hour, IOF killed 13 Palestinian civilians, including a journalist, eight children and two brothers, and wounded 32 others, including 17 children and a woman, in Juhor al-Dik village in the central Gaza Strip. They also razed large areas of agricultural land and demolished a number of houses during an incursion into the village. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights's (PCHR) investigations strongly indicate that IOF used excessive force and willfully targeted journalists in spite of the clear markings on their suits and vehicles.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:00, IOF moved nearly 1,200 meters into Juhor al-Dik village in the central Gaza Strip. They raided and searched a number of houses and started to raze areas of agricultural land. At approximately 7:00am, IOF fired a tank shell at a house belonging to Salem 'Ali Abu Sa'id, 73. Abu Sa'id and his daughter-in-law, 36-year-old Hala 'Atiya, were wounded by shrapnel to their shoulders. Medical sources described Abu Sa'id's wounds as serious. At approximately 4:30pm, an IOF aircraft that provided air cover for the incursion fired two missiles at a number of Palestinian civilians who gathered near al-Ihsan Mosque, nearly 300 meters away from the area in which IOF troops were deployed. As a result, nine Palestinian civilians, including six children and two brothers were killed, and 18 others, including 12 children, were wounded. The civilians who were killed were identified as:
Fadel Shana'a, 23, a cameraman of Reuters, accompanied by Wafa Abu Mezyed, 25, a soundman, arrived at the area to photograph the children who were killed by Israeli missiles. When they finished photographing, they got in a Reuters vehicle, which was clearly marked with the press badge. They then traveled back to continue their work in the area. They stopped hundreds of meters away from the area where IOF troops were deployed. They got out of the vehicle and a number of children gathered around them. Soon after, IOF fired a tank shell at them. Shana'a was instantly killed and Abu Mezyed was wounded. Abu Mezyed was able to flee from the area. IOF soon fired another shell that hit the back of the vehicle and heavily damaged it. Three civilians, including two children, were also killed by the attack, and 12 others, including five children, were wounded. The civilians who were killed were identified as:
- Mahmoud Ahmed Mohammed, 45;
- Sofian Ahmed Mohammed, 41;
- 'Abdullah Maher Abu Khalil, 15;
- Tariq Fareed Abu Taqiya, 16;
- Islam Hussam al-'Eissawi, 16;
- Talha Hani Abu 'Ali, 13;
- Bayan Sameer al-Khaldi, 17;
- Mohammed Mohammed al-'Assar, 17; and
- Fadi Jamal Musran, 20.
At approximately 9:30pm, IOF troops redeployed outside the village after razing at least 200 donums of agricultural land and demolishing six houses.
- Ahmed 'Aaref Farajallah, 14;
- Ghassan Khaled Abu 'Otaiwi, 17; and
- Khalil Isma'il Dughmosh, 22.
PCHR strongly condemns and expressed utmost concern over these crimes, and:
1) Asserts that these latest crimes are part of a series of continuous crimes committed by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) with total disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians.
2) Warns of further escalation in attacks against Palestinian civilians in light of statements and threats by Israeli political and military officials, which may cause more civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip.
3) Expresses utmost concern over continued crimes committed by IOF against journalists and media professionals, and stresses that such crimes aim at silencing the press and prevent journalists from covering crimes committed by IOF against civilians.
4) Calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention, Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, to fulfill their obligation under Article 1 of the Convention to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under Article 146 to search for and prosecute those who are responsible for perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention. Such breaches constitute war crimes according to Article 147 of the Convention and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).
Related Links--MORE--
Here is more on the dead reporter (strange the MSM isn't focusing on him when they focused so much on the Iraqi reporters recently released):
"Israeli forces in Gaza "willfully kill" journalist"
Report, PCHR, 17 April 2008
 |
| Fadel Shana'a (MaanImages) |
According to information obtained by PCHR, and the testimony of Wafa Abu Mezyed, a Reuters soundman who was wounded in the attack, at approximately 17:00 on Wednesday, 16 April 2008, Fadel Subhi Shana'a, 23, a cameraman, and Wafa Younsi Abu Mezyed, 25, a soundman, both working for Reuters, were near al-Ihasn Mosque in Juhor al-Dik village, southeast of Gaza City, documenting crimes committed by IOF in the area. When they finished their work, Shana'a and Abu Mezyed traveled in their sport utility vehicle bearing "TV" and "Press" markings towards Salah al-Din Street to leave the village. Abu Mezyed Sated:
"When we were traveling towards Salah al-Din Street, Israeli military vehicles were nearly 700 meters away from us. We stopped and got out of the vehicle and Shana'a started to [document] the military vehicles. We were wearing bulletproof suits and carrying cameras. When I was driving a number of children away from us, I was surprised by a shell falling near Shana'a who was standing near the vehicle. I saw him falling on the ground and I was wounded by shrapnel to the left hand. Another shell hit the back of the vehicle, and I was wounded by shrapnel to the pelvis and the right foot. I cried and ran towards ambulances to save us."
Immediately, ambulances evacuated Shana'a and Abu Mezyed to al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Deir al-Balah. According to medical sources, Shana'a was brought the hospital dead.
Reuters stated on its web site that "Shana'a was covering events in the Gaza Strip for Reuters on a day of intense violence." "He had stepped from his car to film an Israeli tank dug in several hundred meters [yards] away, when an explosion killed him and two youth passing by. Video from Shana's camera showed the tank opening fire. Two seconds after the shot raises dust around its gun, the tape goes blank -- seemingly at the moment Shana was hit," the statement added."
--MORE--
If you want, you can watch the disturbing video of the event, readers:
"Watch Israel deliberatly murder Reuters cameraman (Warning: the video footage above contains images of a graphic nature)"
"The editor-in-chief of Reuters demanded that Israel launches a "thorough and immediate investigation" into the killing of one of its cameramen in the Gaza Strip yesterday (David Byers writes).
Footage of Fadel Shana, 23, being killed by a tank shell in the Gaza Strip has been released by the news agency, which said that the cameraman was hit despite clear markings that showed him to be a journalist.
After medical examinations of Shana's body, Reuters said that Israel had used a controversial type of tank shell which scatters metal darts, or flechettes, around the surrounding area after exploding, risking civilian casualties. Israel refused to comment on the report, but stated that the weapons were not illegal.
Footage released by Reuters shows Mr Shana filming a tank positioned a few hundred yards away in the distance, over the Israeli border.
The film shows a tank firing its shell, which explodes causing the picture to go blank as the camera is thrown from Mr Shana's hand.
It then cuts away to a film made by another cameraman positioned nearby, which shows the devastation left by the shell, including two youths who had been passing the scene lying dead in the road.
Mr Shana, who was from Gaza and had covered the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians for the last three years, died instantly.... Reuters said that an X-ray conducted at Gaza City's Shifa Hospital last night had found numerous metal darts had wounded him, landing in his chest and legs, which the organisation said showed that flechettes had been used.
Asked about the weaponry used, an Israeli army spokeswoman said: "The Israel Defence Forces do not, as a rule, comment on the weapons they use. But its weapons are legal under international law.
"Flechettes are legal under international law and a petition filed in the Supreme Court against their use was rejected."
So that makes it all right, 'eh, mass-murderer?
The spokeswoman added: “We wish to express sorrow for the death of the Palestinian cameraman. It should be emphasised that the area in which the cameraman was hurt is an area in which ongoing fighting against armed, extreme and dangerous terrorist organisations occurs on a daily basis.
“The presence of media, photographers and other uninvolved individuals in areas of warfare is extremely dangerous and poses a threat to their lives.”
Several hundred people, including local journalists, attended Mr Shana’s funeral procession early today. His body was draped in a Palestinian flag and his shattered camera and flak jacket were borne aloft on a separate stretcher...."
--MORE--VIDEO
Did you hear the Palestinians wailing and screaming during the two-minute video, readers?
