In a new escalation of the extra-judicial killing of Palestinians, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed four Palestinians by helicopter missiles yesterday, Sunday, 24 August, 2003, in Gaza City.
At approximately 9:45 pm yesterday, Israeli helicopters fired missiles on a group of Palestinians at Gaza beach.
Four people were killed, as a result: Ahmad Rushdi Ishtiwi, aged 24; Waheed Hamid Al Hams, aged 20; Muhammad Kan’an Abu Libdeh, aged 21; Ahmad Muhammad Abu Hlal, aged 23.
In addition, two bystanders were injured: Muhammad Uthman Ghanim, aged 20, and Yousif Al Hafi, aged 50.
This operation comes two days after the assassination of Ismail Abu Shanab, a senior political leader of Hamas.
According to Israeli sources, Ahmad Ishtiwi was located in the IOF’s recently published “black list”.
In view of the escalation of Israel’s extra-judicial killing policy, Al Mezan re-emphasizes the fact that such acts are war crimes lacking any legal basis according to the international law.
It is worth mentioning that the IOF shelled several areas in southern the Gaza Strip a few hours later.
As per information provided by the Center’s fieldwork unit, the area near the borderline and Tel As Sultan in Rafah was shelled, damaging a water well and the An Nemsawi area in Khan Younis.
These attacks indicate Israel’s intention to escalate military operations in the OPT.
Al Mezan calls upon the international community to intervene immediately to protect the civilian population under the Israeli occupation in the OPT.
The international community should fulfil its moral and legal responsibilities under the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of August 12, 1949, and the international human rights law, and bring the Israeli criminals who ordered and perpetrated these crimes to justice.
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