Category: Features

Free Gaza Movement launches its “Right to Read” Campaign

Free Gaza Movement

9 June 2009

In partnership with Al-Aqsa University, the Free Gaza Movement (FG) is launching its “Right to Read” campaign which will use the FG fleet to deliver textbooks and other educational supplies to universities throughout the occupied Gaza Strip.

“This is not a charitable endeavor,” notes FG Chair Huwaida Arraf. “Rather it is an act of solidarity and resistance to Israel’s chokehold on Gaza and attempt to deny Palestinians education. Dr. Haidar Eid, a professor at Al-Aqsa University and coordinator in Gaza for the campaign adds, “Education is a right. Yet throughout history, societies have used access to education as a weapon of oppression. We refuse to let Israel blockade our students’ thirst for knowledge. We welcome working with Free Gaza and others to break this siege against our people’s greatest resource.”

According to UNWRA, Israel’s blockade restricts paper, ink, and other learning materials from entering into Gaza. As a result of Israel’s hermetic closure of and repeated military attacks on the Gaza Strip, an entire generation of students in Gaza is growing up stunted intellectually and academically; they are trying to learn in circumstances that no student should have to endure. More than one-third of Gaza’s children and university students started the school year missing necessary textbooks and vital school supplies.

Al Aqsa University serves nearly 14,000 students, both male and female. During the assault, it sustained nearly $1.4-million worth of damage including significant damage to its library. Fourteen students and one professor were killed during the assault. This effort allows individuals as well as institutions around the world to support Palestinians’ rights to education by donating new and used copies of textbooks to be delivered by the FG fleet.

The first “Right to Read” shipment will be sent on FG’s Summer of Hope July voyage to Gaza To learn more about the program and to send books, please visit the FG campaign web page at http://freegaza.org/right-to-read?lang=en.

Funeral for Yousef ‘Akil’ Srour held in Ni’lin

6 June 2009

The funeral for Yousef Tzadik ‘Akil’ Srour was held in Ni’lin on Saturday, 6 June 2009. Srour was murdered by Israeli forces on Friday, 5 June 2009, during a demonstration against the construction of the Apartheid Wall on Ni’lin’s land. Akil frequently participated in the unarmed demonstrations against the construction of the Apartheid Wall. He was known as a leader amongst the demonstrators, always ready to help another. According to an eyewitness from the village, “The soldier was to our right and Akal was running to the left to help an injured man… when he was shot in the heart.”

Residents of Ni’lin, amongst others, drove behind the vehicle bringing Srour’s body back to Ni’lin. The procession reached Ni’lin from Ramallah around 12:30pm. People marched through the village, carrying Srour’s body to his home, the mosque and finally to the place of burial. Sour’s brother and other Ni’lin residents spoke of Akil’s kindness and dedication to his village after his burial.

To date, Israeli occupation forces have murdered five Palestinian residents and critically injured 1 international solidarity activist during unarmed demonstrations in Ni’lin.

  • 29 July 2008: Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 28 December 2008: Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22) was shot in the back with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 28 December 2008: Mohammed Khawaje (20) was shot in the head with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition. He died in a Ramallah hospital 3 days later on 31 December 2008.
  • 5 June 2009: Yousef Akil Srour (36) was shot in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.

In total, 35 people have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition: 7 were shot with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and 28 were shot with 0.22 caliber live ammunition.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Ni’lin consisted of 57,000 dunums in 1948, was reduced to 33,000 dunums in 1967, is currently 10,000 dunums and will be 7,500 dunums after completion of the Wall.

Additionally, a tunnel for Palestinians is being built underneath road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into an Israeli-only road. Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

Israeli forces kill Palestinian demonstrator in Ni’lin

For Immediate Release:

Friday, 5 June 2009 at 2:50pm: Israeli forces have killed a demonstrator in the West Bank village of Ni’lin.

The Israeli army shot Yousef Akil Srour, aged 36 years in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition. He was dead upon arrival to Ramallah Hospital.

Yousef Akil Srour is the 5th Palestinian to be killed by the Israeli army in Ni’lin during a demonstration against the theft of his land for the construction of the Annexation Wall.

Israeli forces shot Mohammad Mouslah Mousa, aged 15 years, in the lower chest shortly before shooting Srour. He was taken to Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Ramallah.

Additionally, the army shot another 3 demonstrators today with 0.22 caliber live ammunition; one in the leg, one in the side and one in the shoulder.

As of Friday, 5 June 2009, Israeli forces have shot 35 people with live ammunition during demonstrations in the village of Ni’lin.

Srour, in the ambulance after being shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces
Srour, in the ambulance after being shot with live ammunition by Israeli forces

To date, Israeli occupation forces have murdered five Palestinian residents and critically injured 1 international solidarity activist during unarmed demonstrations in Ni’lin.

  • 29 July 2008: Ahmed Mousa (10) was shot in the forehead with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 28 December 2008: Arafat Rateb Khawaje (22) was shot in the back with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.
  • 28 December 2008: Mohammed Khawaje (20) was shot in the head with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition. He died in a Ramallah hospital 3 days later on 31 December 2008.
  • 5 June 2009: Yousef Akil Srour (36) was shot in the chest with 0.22 caliber live ammunition and pronounced dead upon arrival at a Ramallah hospital.

In total, 35 people have been shot by Israeli forces with live ammunition: 7 were shot with 5.56mm caliber live ammunition and 28 were shot with 0.22 caliber live ammunition.

Since May 2008, residents of Ni’lin have been organizing and participating in unarmed demonstrations against construction of the Apartheid Wall. Despite being deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice in 2004, the Occupation continues to build the Wall, further annexing Palestinian land.

Ni’lin will lose approximately 2,500 dunums of agricultural land when construction of the Wall is completed. Ni’lin consisted of 57,000 dunums in 1948, was reduced to 33,000 dunums in 1967, is currently 10,000 dunums and will be 7,500 dunums after completion of the Wall.

Additionally, a tunnel for Palestinians is being built underneath road 446. This tunnel will allow for the closure of the road to Palestinian vehicles, turning road 446 into an Israeli-only road. Ni’lin will be effectively split into 2 parts (upper Ni’lin and lower Ni’lin), as road 446 runs between the village. The tunnel is designed to give Israeli occupation forces control of movement over Ni’lin residents, as it can be blocked with a single military vehicle.

Open letter from Gaza to the government and people of Spain

30 May 2009

We write to you as Palestinians from Gaza to express our dismay at the proposal of the Spanish parliament to restrict the universal jurisdiction of Spain, particularly with regard to breaches of international humanitarian law. The proposal called for the existing legislation to be modified so that cases may only be pursued if they involve Spanish victims or if the accused is present on Spanish soil.

At approximately midnight on 22 July 2002, an Israeli Air Force fighter jet dropped a 2,000 lb bomb on the densely populated Daraj neighborhood of Gaza city. The main target of the attack was the family home of Salah Shehada, Commander of the military wing of Hamas. The bomb killed Shehada and an additional seventeen civilians, including his wife, his daughter, eight children (including a 2-month old baby), two elderly men, and two women. In addition, seventy seven people were injured, eleven houses were completely destroyed and thirty two houses damaged, leaving many families homeless.

The Government of the State of Israel confirmed that it was fully aware that Shehada’s wife and daughter “[w]ere close to him during the implementation of the assassination … and there was no way out of conducting the operation despite their presence1.” The practice of wanton willful killing of civilians exemplified in this extra-judicial assassination is not an isolated incident. It is one instance in an ongoing, comprehensive policy targeting us the civilian Palestinians of the Gaza strip and systematically denying us our rights to movement, work, medical care, study, livelihood and increasingly life itself.

In spite of Israel’s alleged unilateral withdrawal from the Strip, it still maintains a permanent military presence in Gaza’s territorial waters and controls the movement of people and goods onto the strip by land, air or water in addition to movement within the strip through targeting anyone entering the “no go” zone designated by the Israeli military. Israel also continues to control Gaza’s population registry. Yet, Israel claims that it is no longer the occupying power in the Gaza strip and uses this excuse in addition to the results of 2006 democratic election to intensify it’s policy of siege and lethal attacks on us, Gaza’s civilians.

On the 29th of February 2008 Matan Vilnai, Deputy Defense Minister of the State of Israel, threatened us with a bigger Shoah (holocaust) and lived up to his word. During the following Israeli military assault on the Gaza Strip conducted in February 2008 dubbed as “Operation Hot Winter” The Israeli Occupation Forces killed 107 Palestinians including 64 children. The European Union, including Spain, not only refrained from taking action against the State of Israel for its policy of systematic mass murder, but announced its intent to upgrade its relations with the State of Israel. This announcement was the green light Israel needed to continue and escalate its policies, resulting in January 2009 assault on besieged Gaza.

The 1.5 million Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip, 80 per cent of whom are refugees expelled from their homes by Zionist forces in 1948, were subjected to 22 days of relentless Israeli state terror, whereby Israeli warplanes, in a repeat of what happened at Al-Darraj on 22.July.2002, systematically targeted civilian areas, reducing whole neighborhoods and vital civilian infrastructure to rubble, including several run by the UN, where civilians were taking shelter. International human rights organizations are now calling for a war crimes investigation into Israel’s military assault on Gaza in which the Israeli Occupation Forces killed 1,440 Palestinians of whom 431 were children, and injured 5380.

One ray of hope for us in this time was the decision of Judge Fernando Andreu of the Spanish Audencia Nacional (National Court) to continue the investigation into the events surrounding the al-Daraj bombing of July 2002. We consider this decision a manifestation of Europe’s promise and commitment to the principle of “never again” to stand by in silence while ethnic cleansing is taking place. We have hope that it will serve as a deterrent to other would be war criminals.

If the Spanish parliament’s resolution calling on the government to limit Spain’s universal jurisdiction mechanisms is accepted, it will lead to continued impunity for war criminals and complicity with future war crimes including the ongoing collective punishment and genocide directed against us, the civilian population of the Gaza strip.

Signed by:

-The One Democratic State Group – Gaza
-University Teachers’ Association in Palestine – Gaza
-Palestinian Student’s Campaign for the Academic Boycott of Israel
-Arab Cultural Forum – Gaza
-Al-Quds Bank for Culture and Information Society
-Society Friends for Rehabilitation of Visually Impaired

Spanish translation:

Carta abierta desde Gaza al gobierno y la población de España,

Os escribimos con consternación debido a la propuesta del Congreso de los diputados para restringir vuestra jurisdicción universal. En particular en lo que se refiere a las violaciones del Derecho Internacional Humanitario. La propuesta de modificación pretende conseguir que se actúe solo en casos en los que haya víctimas españolas o los acusados se encuentren en suelo español.

En la medianoche del 22 de Julio de 2002, un caza de combate de la Fuerza Aérea Israelí lanzó una bomba de casi dos toneladas sobre el barrio de Al Daraj, en la ciudad de Gaza. El objetivo principal de dicho ataque era la casa de Salah Sehadeh, Comandante del brazo armado de Hamas. La bomba le asesinó a él, a su guardaespaldas y a 14 civiles, incluyendo a su mujer, ocho niños (uno de ellos era un bebé de dos meses), dos ancianos y dos mujeres. Además alrededor de 150 civiles resultaron heridos, ocho casas fueron destruidas, nueve más resultaron dañadas y otras 21 sufrieron daños considerables, lo que derivó en dejar a decenas de familias sin hogar.

Los oficiales del ejército de ocupación israelí han reconocido que decidieron lanzar la bomba a sabiendas de que Sehadeh se encontraba junto a su mujer y su familia, asesinándola intencionalmente. La decisión de atacar fue tomada asumiendo que al menos 10 civiles morirían junto a él. La práctica de asesinatos selectivos, ejemplificada a través de este caso de ejecución extrajudicial no es de ninguna manera una práctica aislada. Es parte de una política en marcha que señala como objetivo al conjunto de los civiles de Gaza y niega sistemáticamente el derecho a la libertad de movimientos, trabajo, tratamiento medico, estudio, vida digna y, cada vez más, el derecho a la vida en su conjunto.

Pese a la supuesta retirada unilateral israelí de la Franja de Gaza, aún se mantiene una presencia militar constante en sus aguas territoriales, se restringe el movimiento de ciudadanos y bienes desde y hacia la Franja. También existe una zona de no-acceso dentro del territorio, decidida por el ejército israelí. Israel controla el censo de población. Y aún así Israel asegura que no es la potencia ocupante y utiliza esta excusa, junto al resultado de las elecciones de 2006 para mantener su bloqueo y ataque continuado contra nosotros, los civiles de Gaza.
El 29 de Febrero de 2008, Matan Vilnai, Vice-Ministro de Defensa del Estado de Israel nos amenazó con un “holocausto” aún mayor y cumplió su palabra. A lo largo del siguiente ataque militar contra la Franja de Gaza, desarrollado el mismo 2008, bajo la denominación “invierno caliente”, el ejército israelí asesino a 107 palestinos, entre ellos 64 niños. La Unión Europea, incluyendo a España, no solo no movió un dedo contra las actividades de Israel y su política de asesinatos masivos sino que anunció que elevaría sus relaciones con el Estado de Israel. Este anuncio constituyó la luz verde que Israel buscaba para continuar e incrementar su castigo contra Gaza, como pudimos observar los pasados meses de diciembre y enero

El millón y medio de palestinos de la Gaza asediada, el 80% de los cuales son refugiados expulsados de sus hogares por las milicias sionistas en 1948, han sido sometidos a 22 días de terror ininterrumpido en los que los aviones y tanques israelíes repitiendo a escala masiva lo que ya había sucedido en Julio de 2002 en el barrio de Al Darraj. Destruyeron sistemáticamente todo tipo de instalaciones civiles, reduciendo a escombros barrios enteros e incluso instalaciones de la Media Luna Roja y las Naciones Unidas donde miles de civiles buscaban refugio. Diversas organizaciones internacionales investigan la comisión de crímenes de Guerra durante un ataque que ha asesinado a 1440 palestinos, entre los cuales había 431 niños, y ha herido a otros 5380.

La decisión del Juez Andreu, miembro de la Audiencia Nacional, de continuar con la investigación de los hechos alrededor del bombardeo de Al-Darraj en Julio de 2002 era para nosotros un rayo de esperanza. La considerábamos una manifestación europea del “nunca más” al silencio frente a la limpieza étnica. Esperábamos que esto sirviera para evitar que los crímenes de Guerra se repitan y continúen impunes.

Si la resolución del Congreso de los Diputados que le pide al Gobierno que limite la jurisdicción universal se aprueba finalmente, incrementará la impunidad de los criminales de Guerra y cubrirá de complicidad con los crímenes de guerra a quienes la han impulsado y la aprueben

Firmado por:

-Grupo para un Estado único y democrático. Franja de Gaza.
– Asociación de Profesores de Universidad de Palestina. Franja de Gaza.
-Campaña de Estudiantes Universitarios por el Boicot académico al Estado de Israel.
– Forum Cultural árabe – Gaza
– Banco Al-Qud para la cultura y la información.
-Sociedad de rehabilitación de los deficientes visuales de la Franja de Gaza.

An independent fact-finding committee calls for the prosecution of Israeli political leaders and members of the military

30 May 2009

An independent fact-finding committee (IFFC) established by the League of Arab States (LAS) to investigate and report on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law arising out of Israel’s offensive in Gaza from 27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009, code named Operation Cast Lead, has submitted a report to the LAS in which it finds that there is sufficient evidence to substantiate prosecutions of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The report also finds that the Israeli political leadership is responsible for such crimes.

The IFFC, comprising of Professor John Dugard (South Africa, Chairman), Professor Paul de Waart (the Netherlands) , Judge Finn Lynghjem (Norway), Advocate Gonzalo Boye (Chile / Germany), Professor Francisco Corte Real (Portugal) and Ms Raelene Sharp (Australia: Rapporteur), bases its findings on a visit to Gaza, during which it interviewed victims and witnesses of the conflict and visited sites of destruction, and on official publications of the Israeli government and NGO’s operating in the Territory. This evidence showed convincingly that the IDF had failed to distinguish between military and civilian targets in killing over 1,400 Palestinians (of which at least 850 were civilians, including 300 children and 110 women) and wounding over 5,000, and in destroying over 3,000 homes, damaging a further 11,000 and destroying or damaging hospitals, mosques, schools, factories, businesses, UN properties and government buildings.

On the basis of these facts and information collected in Gaza the IFFC found that the IDF had committed four separate war crimes:

  • Indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks on civilians;
  • Killing, wounding and terrorizing civilians;
  • Wanton destruction of property not justifiable on grounds of military necessity; and
  • Attacks on hospitals and ambulances and obstruction of the evacuation of the wounded.

The IFFC also found that the IDF had committed crimes against humanity in that it had committed acts of murder, persecution and inhumane acts as part of a widespread and systematic attack on a civilian population.

The IFFC examined the firing of rockets by Palestinian militants from Gaza during the conflict, which had caused the death of four Israeli civilians and wounded 182, and traumatized the population of Southern Israel . It found that the evidence showed that these militants were responsible for the commission of the war crimes of indiscriminate attacks on civilians; and the killing, wounding and terrorization of civilians.

The weaponry used by the IDF in Operation Cast Lead was examined by the IFFC, which found that Israel had used white phosphorus in violation of international law by using it as an incendiary weapon in densely populated neighbourhoods.

The IFCC considered the internal investigation conducted by the IDF which found that that the IDF had acted in accordance with the requirements of international law in the course of Operation Cast Lead . It rejected the conclusions of this investigation on the grounds that it was not an independent investigation, that it failed to consider most of the allegations made against the IDF and that it had not had regard to Palestinian sources. While the IFFC was prepared to accept that some buildings destroyed had been used to store munitions and that the Palestinians had on occasion used civilians as human shields, this could not explain or justify the heavy loss of life and injury and the massive destruction of property.

The IFCC considered the question whether the IDF had committed acts of genocide in the course of its offensive. Here it found that while IDF actions met some of the requirements for the crime of genocide, Israel lacked the necessary special intention to destroy in whole or in part a national or ethnical group as required by the Genocide Convention because its operation had been motivated by an intention to collectively punish the people of Gaza in order to compel the population to reject Hamas or subdue the population into a state of submission. The IFCC rejected Israel ’s claim that it had acted in self-defence as Israel ’s actions failed to satisfy either the legal or the factual requirements for this defence.

The IFCC made a number of recommendations to the LAS. It recommended that the LAS should:

  1. endorse the request of the Palestinian Authority that the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza be investigated and prosecuted by the International Criminal Court;
  2. request the Security Council of the United Nations to refer the situation in Gaza to the International Criminal Court as it had done in the case of Darfur with a view to prosecution of those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity;
  3. request the General Assembly of the United Nations to ask for an advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of Operation Cast Lead; and
  4. recommend to states which recognize the principle of universal jurisdiction for international crimes that they prosecute Israeli political and military leaders for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity.