930 people killed in Gaza and more 4,280 wounded. New bombs violate international law

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@xxxxxxxxx

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
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