Palestinian farmers in Abassan Al-kabera village

7am, Monday 13 April 2009: Five International Human Rights Workers will be accompanying 15 Palestinian farmers in Abassan Al-kabera village, east of Khan Younis

Farmers and international accompaniers were last fired upon in Al Faraheen by Israeli forces on the 8th of April. When accompanying farmers on the 18th of February, Israeli forces shot a Palestinian farmer in the leg. International Human Rights Workers will accompany Palestinian farmers approximately 500 metres from the 'Green Line'.

This action comes after farm worker Mohammad Il Ibrahim, 20, was shot in the right leg as the farmers, together with the international Human Rights Workers, attempted to leave the area having worked on their land for 2 hours in full view of the Israeli forces situated along the 'Green Line'.

"Around 10.15am, the farmers were preparing to leave the area. They had loaded 2 trucks with produce and were ready to drive off, but one of the vehicles had broken down. As Mohammad, and several others, were trying to push the truck away, we heard several shots and Mohammad was hit in the right leg. We are clearly civilian farmers and internationals with visible vests and a megaphone. The shots that caused the injury were not warning shots to signal to leave the area, because we were already leaving the area. They continued to fire at us, even after Mohammad was being evacuated. The shooting from Israeli forces was purely a show of aggression." Jenny Linnel (Britain) – International Human Rights Worker

Mohammed al-Buraim is the fourth Palestinian farmer to be shot by Israeli forces in the 'buffer zone' in the last months. The three shootings prior to Mohammed's were: on 18 January, Maher Abu-Rajileh (24) from Khoza'a village, was killed by Israeli soldiers while working on his land 400m from the Green Line; on 20 January, Israeli soldiers shot Waleed al-Astal (42) of Al Qarara (near Khan Younis) in his right foot; and on 27 January, Anwar al-Buraim was shot in the neck and killed.

ENDS

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