Spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights: Ravina Shamdasani
Location: Geneva
Subject: (1) Yemen
(2) Israel / occupied Palestinian territory
(1) Yemen
We strongly condemn a series of rocket and mortar attacks against several residential areas and markets in Taizz between
3 and to 8 June 2016, which killed 18 civilians, including seven children, and injured 68 others. Several markets were
hit while full of people who were shopping ahead of Ramadan.
According to several victims injured during an attack near the Delux Market on 3 June, the shelling originated from the
Tabat Al-Sofitel hill, in the eastern part of the city of Taizz, which is currently under the control of the Popular
Committees affiliated with the Houthis and forces loyal to former President Saleh.The shelling on civilian areas
continued until the evening of 4 June and restarted on the 6th, when several houses in the Al Ta’iziyah and Al-Qahirah
districts were hit, killing three civilians and injuring twelve others, including nine children.
Another very serious incident took place in the early hours of 8 June when a school near the Al-Thawrah hospital was
hit, killing five people, including three children. All victims belonged to a marginalized community, the
Al-Muhamasheen, and had taken refuge in the school after having been forced to flee their homes due the ongoing
violence. According to eyewitnesses, the shelling also came from the Tabat Al-Sofitel Hill.
Since 26 March 2015 and up to 8 June 2016, we have documented a total of 3,539 civilians killed and 6,268 injured.
(2) Israel / occupied Palestinian territory
The High Commissioner condemns the gun attack in Tel Aviv on Wednesday in which four Israelis were killed and a number
were injured. This is the largest loss of Israeli life in a single attack since the current surge in violence.
We are also deeply concerned at the response of the Israeli authorities, which includes measures that may amount to
prohibited collective punishment and will only increase the sense of injustice and frustration felt by Palestinians in
this very tense time. The response has included the cancelling of all 83,000 permits granted to West Bank and Gaza
residents to travel during Ramadan, the suspension of 204 work permits of individuals in the alleged attackers' extended
families, and the sealing off of their entire home town by the Israeli security forces.
Israel has a human rights obligation to bring those responsible to account for their crimes. And this it is doing.
However the measures taken against the broader population punish not the perpetrators of the crime, but tens - maybe
hundreds - of thousands of innocent Palestinians.
ENDS