The Israeli occupation forces have escalated crimes and assaults against the Palestinian peaceful demonstrators along eastern boarder of the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupation's crimes include the use of internationally prohibited shots against the unarmed demonstrators in the peaceful Great Return March, ignoring international condemnations and demands to stop targeting unarmed civilians.

Since the series of demonstrations known as the "March of Return" began on March 30, the Israeli occupation's attacks on peaceful demonstrators have killed dozens, wounded thousands, caused amputations of lower and upper limbs and physical disabilities to 21 citizens who have joined the list of citizens having physical disabilities, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MOH). Preliminary estimates show that about 450 wounded citizens need to undergo therapeutic rehabilitation after their exposure to bullet injuries that crippled and paralyzed them.

The Israeli Occupation Forces do not exempt disabled people from fire. They killed 3 disabled people during their participation in the peaceful "March of Return" demonstrations. The three murdered PwD were Ahmad Aqel, 25, from Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip, suffered from a physical disability, and Tahreer Wahba, 18, from Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip, suffered from hearing impairment, and Shadi al-Kashef, 33, from Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip, suffered from hearing impairment. Earlier, on December 15^th, 2017, the Israeli occupation forces shot dead the wheelchair bound Ibrahim Abu Thuraya, 30, in the east of Gaza, while participating on Friday protests against US President Donald Trump's decision to recognize Jerusalem as the Israeli capital.

Accordingly, the Rehabilitation Sector of the Palestinian NGOs Network deplores the Israeli Occupation Forces' actions against peaceful demonstrators, especially Persons with Disabilities (PwD). The Rehabilitation Sector states the following:

1. Affirms the right of Palestinian people in all its social strata and political forces to demonstrate peacefully and struggle against the occupation, as stipulated in the international law, until attainment of liberation and legitimate rights and establishment of an independent state of Palestine with its capital Jerusalem.


2. Affirms rejection and condemn the Israeli occupation forces' direct targeting of peaceful demonstrators particularlyPwD with internationally banned live ammunition, which is considered a war crime.


3. Calls upon the international community and the international organizations to support the Palestinian people to achieve their legitimate inalienable rights and exercise pressure on the Israeli occupation to respect and apply the international conventions and international law and bring the Israeli war crimes perpetrators to the international courts.


4. Calls upon the international community to quickly intervene to protect the Palestinian society and its different social segments, especially PwD.


5. Calls upon the Palestinian Authority (PA) and its ministries and institutions to assume responsibility for the wounded and the families of Palestinian victims and abide by the rights of People with Disabilities (PwD) as stipulated in the local laws in force and the International Conventions on (PwD).


6. Affirms the right of the wounded, including those who suffer amputations and physical disabilities, to access medical treatment and rehabilitation services including nursing care, physiotherapy, and assistive tools and compensatory tools. It should be noted that the severe funding deficit and the lack of aids to People with Disabilities, undermines the ability of our institutions with the wounded and various disability cases. Hence, we call upon donors to speed up funding and provide necessary treatment and equipment. for the Palestinian people to be able to deal with such cases.