Response to Beit Hanoun Tragedy

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel

Response to Beit Hanoun Tragedy

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel's statistics on children injured in the last four months:

1) One third of the civilians killed in Gaza are children. Not including the recent incidents in Beit Hanoun, 247 Palestinians have been killed, amongst them 155 civilians including 57 children.
2) Of the 996 injured, one third (337) are children.
3) 96 children have died in 2006.

Including the recent events in Beit Hanoun, the number of children killed in 2006 so far is more than double the 52 killed in 2005.

Given the events of the past few days and especially the tragedy in Beit Hanoun this morning, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel calls on the Israeli military to stop immediately all activity which endangers civilians, especially children. The Israeli military must comply with international law. Israel must take full responsibility for the civilians it has injured, especially the children amongst them.

In addition, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel's petition with other human rights organizations to the Israeli High Court on artillery fire into the Gaza Strip is still pending. The organizations and their lawyer will attempt legal procedures in order to expedite the High Court's decision on the matter. The organizations hope the High Court will force Israel to comply with international law, and reject the shrinking of the "safety zone" to 100 meters. Even in its previous format of 300 meters the zone did not properly protect civilians.

For more information:

Maskit Bendel, Director Occupied Territories Project, +972-54-7700477
Shabtai Gold, Public Outreach, +972-54-4860630

To download the full report:
http://www.phr.org.il/phr/article.asp?articleid=395&catid=42&pcat=42&lang=ENG

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