930 people killed in Gaza and more 4,280 wounded

930 people killed in Gaza and more 4,280 wounded. New bombs violate international law
Palestinian National Initiative
13 January 2009
Ramallah, 13-01-09: For the 18th consecutive day, Israel continued its attacks on the Gaza Strip. By air, by land and by sea Gazans are besieged.

Since the beginning of the raids, at least 9300 people have reportedly been killed (including more than 231 children and 98 women), and more than 4,280 have sustained heavy injuries, including 411 seriously wounded. The majority of the casualties are civilians and 48% are children and women. At least 22 families were reportedly struck, killing fathers, mothers and children.

To Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, the Secretary General of the Palestinian National Initiative, "despite international pressure including a binding UN Security Council Resolution, Israel has decided to continue its campaign of death and destruction, violating various international law and first, by imposing collective punishment."

1. The Use of prohibited weapons. Such as the use of Phosphoric bombs, in contravention to the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons of 1980, which bans the use of incendiary devices against personnel in densely inhabited civilian areas. The use of weaponized white phosphorous was reported yesterday in the northern border-town of Beit Lahiya, which set hit homes ablaze.

2. The Targeting of civilians. As of today casualties, the majority of the casualties are civilians and 48% are children and women. 1/3 of the dead and injured in Gaza are children. It is a fact now that Israel is mainly targeting the civilian unarmed population of Gaza. UN schools converted into shelters for refugees were targeted, along with many civilian zones such as universities, residential buildings, markets and Mosques.

3. The Targeting of the Press. In contravention of the Article 79 of the first additional protocol supplement to the Geneva conventions of 1949 states that targeting a member of the press is a crime under international law. On Friday, a Israeli air strikes slammed into the Jawhara building, home to over 20 local and international media outlets and offices. Furthermore, 3 media officers were reported killed in strikes on their homes, such was the radio journalist Ala Mortaji who was killed by an Israeli tank attack upon the home of and his mother. She is suffering severe injuries resulting in the amputation of both of her arms.

4. The Targeting of Humanitarians. The United Nations pulled out its entire foreign national staff after they bore the brunt of repeated Israeli attacks on their permanent positions and their rescue attempts. Saturday in the Northern Gaza Strip, the Norwegian aid agency (NPA) reported that an Israelis fired a missile at the car of its aid workers, although the car was "clearly marked with the NPA logo". Officials said it would have been "impossible to miss that this was a humanitarian vehicle." Furthermore, the area was reported without military targets.

Dr. Mustafa Bargouthi also expressed his deepest concerns regarding the imminent risk of water sewage in the Gaza Strip. "Due to the lack of fuel, water pumps have been out of order for months. Now, Gazans are unable to be provided with sane water as a result of the ongoing Israeli destruction in the area."

"Gazans are sinking further into the humanitarian crisis. The Israeli aggression on our civilians and civilians infrastructure should be ended now", he said.


Contacts:
+972 (0) 599 94 00 73
bahiaamra@gmail.com

For more information on the use of White Phosphorus Bombs, Please visit: http://palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article764



http://www.palestinemonitor.org/spip/spip.php?article783