PNGO Condemns Israeli Atrocities against Palestinians

in the Gaza Strip and Reiterates its Call for International Investigation in Gaza Strip Killings

June 29, 2006

Following a series of attacks by the Israeli occupation army in the Gaza Strip against Palestinian families including the June 9, 2006 and June 13, 2006 attacks that led to the murder of 19 Palestinians and injury of 47 others, Palestinian members of Hamas carried out a raid on an Israeli military positions near the Gaza Strip on June 25, 2006 that led to the capture of Israeli soldier.

On June 27, 2006, the Israeli occupation army launched a large scale military assault on the Gaza Strip. The raid began after Israel rejected demands of the captors of the Israeli soldier who called for the release of all Palestinian females and Palestinians below the age of eighteen in Israeli prisons. The latest and ongoing Israeli invasion into the Gaza strip is closely linked to an ever increasing number of Israeli raids and killings, which only in June left 25 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children, dead and injured 88 others, including 22 children. These latest atrocities are outcomes of the ongoing Israeli occupation, under which 9493 Palestinians (including 314 children under the age of 18) are currently detained or imprisoned without fair trial.

In the early morning hours of June 28, 2006, Israeli aircrafts attacked the main bridge connecting Northern and Southern Gaza Strip as well as the Gaza City power station, cutting power to much of the area. Roughly two-thirds of Gaza’s 1.3 million residents have been left without electricity. Transportation to and from the north of the Strip has been completely cut off as a result, threatening people’s lives and security by depriving them access to health and educational institutions. The power outages also affect water supplies as many of the newer multi-story buildings in Gaza are dependent on electrical water pumps. At the moment, the Gaza Strip water wells are not operating and approximately 900,000 persons will have no access to drinking water within the next 24 hours.

To impose further fear among Palestinians, the Israeli occupation army distributed leaflets warning residents of Beit Hanun to leave their homes as the army will begin targeting populated areas. Leaflets were also distributed to residents of the Sajaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza City. The leaflet stated, « The Israeli army is operating throughout the Gaza Strip, and will be conducting military operations in your area. In the interests of your security and us avoiding harm to innocent civilians who are not involved in operations against our forces, avoid moving in the area. »

To further suffocate the population, the Rafah International Crossing Point has been completely was closed since June 25, 2006, leaving hundreds of Palestinian travelers stuck on the Egyptian side of the border. Among these travelers are women, children, elderly and ill persons returning after medical treatment in Egypt. They are enduring inadequate living and health conditions while waiting to enter Gaza. The Israeli occupation army has also closed other crossings into Gaza Strip including El-Muntar (Karni) Commercial Crossing ; Beit Hanoun (Erez) Crossing - designated for workers, humanitarian cases and international workers ; Sofa Crossing - designated for construction material ; and Kerem Shalom Crossing - used for food and medical humanitarian assistance.

According to various Israeli sources including the Israeli daily, Yediot Ahronot, the invasion of Gaza was planned much earlier than the kidnapping of the Israeli soldier.

PNGO strongly condemns the criminal actions committed by the Israeli Occupation Army against the Palestinian people. Israel continues to ignore all international treatments, international human rights and humanitarian law.

PNGO calls upon the international community to provide immediate protection for Palestinian lives and property, as stipulated in International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

PNGO calls upon the Government of Israel to immediately release Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention centers.

PNGO calls upon the international community to exert pressure on Israeli government to respect International Humanitarian Law, especially the Fourth Geneva Convention.

PNGO calls for the immediate end to collective punishment imposed by the Israeli occupation army against the Palestinian people.

PNGO calls upon Israel and the international community to immediately end the closure and isolation that is worsening an already dire situation in the Gaza Strip. The continuation of the closure will have catastrophic effects on the living conditions of civilians and accentuate the existing problems of poverty and unemployment.

PNGO reiterates its call to the United Nations to deploy a team of international experts to the Gaza Strip, with a mandate to carry out an independent and thorough investigation into the growing number of killings of Palestinians by Israeli forces.

PNGO reiterates its call to the international community, governments and international Human Rights organizations for immediate intervention into the ongoing Israeli military invasions in Gaza and pressure the Israeli government to end these atrocities. PNGO especially calls upon the international community to take immediate action to bring the Israeli perpetrators to international justice and call for an end of the ongoing occupation.

June 29, 2006

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