During the 42nd week of the demonstrations in Gaza, Israeli forces used lethal and other forms of excessive force Palestinian protesters. The documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights shows that on Friday, 11 January 2019, Israeli forces killed one woman and injured 145 other protesters, including 24 children, three women, two journalist, and one paramedic. 68 protesters were injured by tear gas canisters.
Al Mezan’s documentation shows that on Friday, 11 January 2019:
- At 3:50pm, Israeli forces shot Amal Al-Taramsi, 44, a resident of Shaikh Radwan neighborhood in north Gaza City, with a live bullet in the head at the demonstration in east Gaza City. She was shot at a distance of about 200 meters away from the fence.
- Mustafa Al-Sinwar, 22, a paramedic with a volunteer medical team, was wounded by a tear gas canister that hit him in the neck. He was wounded while providing medical aid the demonstration in east Khan Younis district. Medical sources said Al-Sinwar’s injury was serious.
- An ambulance of the Ministry of Health was partially damaged when Israeli forces targeted it with a tear gas canister.
- Hosni Salah, 25, a journalist with AFP, was wounded by a tear gas canister that hit him on the face at the demonstration in east Middle Gaza district.
- Hussein Karsou’, 44, a journalist with Global News, was wounded by tear gas canister that hit him on the face at the demonstration in east Gaza district.
Since the start of the protests on 30 March 2018, 257 Palestinians have been killed in the Gaza Strip. Of the total fatalities, 181 were killed at the protests, including 35 children, two women, two journalists, three paramedics, and eight persons with disability, including one child. Another 13,751 persons have been wounded, including 2,846 children, 605 women, 159 paramedics, and 143 journalists. Of those wounded, 7,451 were hit by live fire, including 1,369 children and 148 women.
Al Mezan reiterates its condemnation of the use of lethal and other excessive force by the Israeli forces, including sharpshooters, to police demonstrations. Al Mezan expresses deep concern at the continued attacks on unarmed protesters, paramedics and journalists. The right to peaceful assembly and free expression are fundamental rights and must be respected. Unarmed protesters not posing any serious or imminent threat to the Israeli forces must not be shot.
Al Mezan urges the international community to take effective action to ensure respect for international law and provide meaningful protection for unarmed protesters. The duty to protect is a principal legal requirement and is a test of the authenticity of the international community’s commitment to their legal obligations, moral standards and humanitarian objectives vis-à-vis the Palestinian population.
Al Mezan calls on the international community to support accountability mechanisms and ensure that victims of violations have access to justice and redress in accordance with international law. In this vein, the international community is called upon to support the UN Commission of Inquiry’s impartial and independent investigation into the apparent unlawful deployment of force against the unarmed protesters, journalists and paramedics.