Al Mezan Denounces IOF's Deliberate Killing of Journalist Fadel Shana'a

On 16 April 2008, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued committing crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), which included the deliberate shelling of a press crew that resulted in the killing of 23-year-old photographer Fadel Sobhi Shana'a.
Military operations were carried out in Joher Adeek village and Al Bureij refugee camp that killed thirteen people, including eight children.
According to Al Mezan field investigations, most of the people killed were civilians.
Press crews were covering the IOF incursion in Joher Adeek and had stopped on the main street that runs through the village.
According to Al Mezan investigations, Shana'a was accompanied by his assistant, 23-year-old Wafa'a Younis Abu Mazeed, both of Reuters News Agency.
They stopped at the entrance of the village and set-up their camera equipment to capture footage of IOF tanks.
Without warning, a missile landed directly on them.
A number of journalists, who were about 100 meters from the attack, came to their aid.
These journalists were Mohammad Al Baba of the French Press Agency, photographer Asharaf Abu Amra, and Ma'an News Agency photographer Wesam Nassar.
According to Al Baba, Shana'a was targeted directly and only twenty meters were between him and Shana'a.
Furthermore, three civilians were killed in this shelling, including two children.
They were walking near the Reuters car at the time and were identified as 17-year-old Ghassan Khaled Abu Atewi of Al Mughraqa village, 17-year-old Ahmed Aref Farajallah of An Nusairat refugee camp, and 21-year-old Khalil Ismail Doghmush.
It is noteworthy that Shana'a was the victim of previous IOF missile attacks.
On 27 August 2006, he was injured in a shelling of a Reuters armored jeep.
Since the outbreak of Al Aqsa Intifada in October 2000, ten journalists were killed by the IOF, including Shana'a, and 150 were injured.
Al Mezan offers its condolences to the family of Shana'a, Reuters News Agency, and all journalists in general.
The Center condemns strongly this crime that prevents the reporting of IOF crimes committed in the OPT.
Due to the severity of the attack, Al Mezan believes that the IOF deliberately killed Shana'a since two missies landed in the area less than five minutes apart.
The car was marked PRESS clearly and Shana'a was wearing a vest with PRESS written on it.
The IOF has high-tech means of monitoring the area and can recognize the people before launching attacks.
Also the television camera was clear and the crew was working in an open area in daylight.
This attack is a gross violation of the principles of human rights, particularly Article 19 of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
It also constitutes a gross violation of the rules of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which ensures protection for journalist in time of war, who are considered civilians.
According to Article 79 from the First Additional Protocol of the Geneva Convention (1949) concerning the Protection of Civilians in the Time of War stipulates the following protections for journalists: Journalists engaged in dangerous professional missions in areas of armed conflict shall be considered as civilians.
They shall be protected as such under the Conventions and this Protocol, provided that they take no action adversely affecting their status as civilians, and without prejudice to the right of war correspondents accredited to the armed forces.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights calls on the international community to intervene immediately to protect civilians and journalist in the OPT.
Al Mezan appeals to the International Federation of Journalists, and international, regional (Arab), and local press associations to show their solidarity and exert pressure on their governments.
The international community must abide with their obligations under international law and prosecute those who order and commit such war crimes.
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