Tag: Gaza - Page 144 - International Solidarity Movement

Israeli forces kill unarmed demonstrator in Gazan ‘buffer zone’

International Solidarity Movement

28 April 2010

Ahmad Sliman Salem Dib, 19, died of blood loss at 4:30 pm today, following emergency surgery.

Dib was shot in the leg by an Israeli sniper at a non-violent demonstration, with more than 200 participants, which marched towards the Israeli imposed buffer zone near Nahal Oz crossing with Israel east of Gaza City. Dib was urgently transferred by an ambulance to Shifaa Hospital in the Gaza City, bleeding heavily. The injury proved fatal because the bullet severed the femoral artery, shattered the femur bone, and damaged the surrounding muscle and other tissues.

Regular popular demonstrations are being are held in protest of the arbitrary decision by Israel to instate a 300 metre buffer zone as no-go area for Palestinians where a “shoot to kill” policy is implemented. People have been shot regularly as far as 2 kilometres away from the border.c

British ISM activist and eyewitness Adie Mormech stated: “We were standing next to a gathering of young men behind a large rock, most of whom were chanting and waving flags, about 50 metres from the border fence. Although some of the men were throwing stones from the ground, we didn’t see any reach the fence, let alone go over it. Suddenly to our left, in front of the rock where 10 people had gathered about 30 metres from the fence, there was a single shot without any warning, and a young man was carried away. I could see the bullet had blown apart a large section of the top his leg, with a large amount of blood. He was carried about 100m with blood pouring down his leg before a waiting ambulance drove him away.”

For footage of the shooting, provided by B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights organization, see: http://blip.tv/file/3548946

According to Eva Bartlett, Canadian ISM activist and eye witness: “Israel’s policy of using live ammunition for crowd dispersal is part of its complete disregard for the lives of a million and a half Palestinians living in brutal conditions under the ongoing Israeli siege on Gaza. International observers play a critical role in documenting and potentially deterring Israel’s violence, but are denied access to Gaza.”

British ISM activist Rada Daniell added that “The popular resistance demonstrations will continue up and down the border until Palestinians have access to their most arable farmland, which is effectively annexed by the Israeli imposed 300m buffer zone on the Gazan side, and until the siege is lifted from the Gaza Strip. Bianca, a Maltese international activist who was shot at noon on Saturday in the leg, will rejoin the other internationals regularly attending and reporting on the local initiatives against the buffer zone.”

Dib’s death comes after live ammunition was used at three non-violent Gaza Buffer Zone demonstrations in five days. More than twenty rounds were fired at yesterday’s demonstration in Al Faraheen, east of Khan Younis. On Friday, Palestinians Hind Al Akra (22) and Nidal Al Naji (18), and ISM activist Bianca Zammitt were shot with live ammunition in Maghazi.

Malta protests to Israel over shooting of national in Gaza

Ha’aretz

25 April 2010

Malta filed an official protest with Israel on Sunday after a Maltese woman was shot and injured by Israel Defense Forces soldiers during a protest in Gaza on Saturday.

In a statement, the Maltese Foreign Ministry said it “deplored and condemned in the strongest possible terms” the shooting of Bianca Zammit in Gaza on Saturday. The protest note was sent to the Israeli government via the Maltese Embassy in Israel.

Malta said the Israeli soldiers’ attack was “totally unwarranted” and called for a thorough investigation into the incident which took place near a refugee camp.

A foreign ministry spokesman said Malta expects a thorough investigation of the incident, which could have led to far more serious consequences. Two others were injured in the incident.

Foreign Minister Tonio Borg is expected to raise the issue on Monday during a meeting of European Union foreign ministers.

Zammit, 28, a pro-Palestinian activist, is being treated at the Al-Aqsa hospital after she was shot in the leg during the protest near the Al-Maghazi refugee camp in Deir Al-Balah, central Gaza. A bullet went through a muscle in one of her legs but missed the bone.

Speaking from hospital, Zammit told The Sunday Times of Malta: “We were not doing anything illegal. I don’t expect to be shot for holding a Palestinian flag or holding a camera, especially since we were chanting peaceful songs.”

The protestors were pushing into a 300-metre-deep area declared as a no-go zone by Israel on the Gaza side of the frontier last January.

Israeli forces shoot unarmed demonstrators in Gazan ‘buffer zone’

ISM Gaza

24 April 2010

UPDATE: Video has been added to this post. Please see below

El Maghazi, Deir Al Balah, Gaza, Occupied Palestinian Territories, 24th April 2010, 12PM – At a peaceful nonviolent demonstration against the forceful cessation of farming within what Israel defines as a “buffer zone,” which was attended by 150 people, two Palestinians demonstrators and one International activist were shot. Israeli soldiers opened fire on the demonstrators from the border fence. Nidal Al Naji (18) was shot in the right thigh. Hind Al Akra (22) was shot in the stomach and is undergoing emergency surgery. Bianca Zammit (28) from Malta was filming the demonstration when she was shot in her left thigh. The wounded are currently being treated in Al Aqsa Hospital.

Shortly after 11 a.m., women and men, including 6 ISM activists, marched from Al Maghazi towards the Israeli fence closing off the Gaza strip. After being met with live ammunition upon cresting a ridge, some demonstrators continued walking forward. This group included six women, two ISM activists and 20 men. The 20 male demonstrators reached the border fence. Zammit was shot while filming the demonstration between the ridge and the fence, at a distance of roughly 80-100 meters. Hind Al Akra, also standing between the ridge and the fence, was shot in the stomach, and Niadal al Naji was shot in the leg near the fence. Demonstrators carried the wounded back across rough terrain to taxis for transport to Al-Aqsa Hospital.

The demonstrations are held in protest against the arbitrary decision by Israel to instate a 300 metre buffer zone as no-go area for Palestinians where “shoot to kill” policy is implemented. People have been shot regularly as far as 2 kilometres away from the border. Popular Campaign for the Security in the Buffer Zone, an umbrella organization that includes organizations representing farmers and Gaza residents living near the border, and also a number of political parties are present at many of these demonstrations.

Those venturing to the border regions to gather rubble and steel do so as a result of the siege on Gaza which, along with Israel’s 23 day winter war on Gaza, has decimated Gaza’s economy, including 95 percent of Gaza’s factories and businesses, according to the United Nations. Additionally, these recycled construction materials are vital in Gaza where the Israeli-led siege bans all but under 40 items from entering.

The siege prevents vitally needed construction materials from entering Gaza, where over 6,400 houses were destroyed or severely damaged in the Israeli war on Gaza, and nearly 53,000 sustained lesser damages. Hospitals and medical centres, schools, kindergartens and mosques are among the other buildings destroyed and damaged during the Israeli war on Gaza.

Gazans fired upon with live ammunition at demonstration

ISM Gaza

20th April 2010

gazanow — Gazans march for unfettered access to farmlands

Israeli army shot several rounds of live ‘warning’ fire at about 150 peaceful protesters who entered the so called ‘security belt.’ This belt consists of 300 meters of Palestinian land alongside the borderline. Israelis enforce a no-go ‘rule’ for Palestinians with lethal weapons.

As for the Israeli army, they cross to the Palestinian side regularly. Their tanks leave a fresh trail of destruction in the fields upon each incursion.
The demonstration took place at noon, 19th April 2010, in the Nadha border area near the town of Rafah in the south of Gaza Strip. The organisers were the Popular Campaign Against the Buffer Zone, a coalition of people living and farming in a buffer zones across Gaza and a number of political parties and civil society organizations.

A group of about 20 local women, some carrying pictures of their family members in Israeli jails and local residents, joined the march. This area has been exposed to the extreme violence over the years resulting in loss of lives and destruction of property. Several local men talked about family members killed by Israelis and the injuries they themselves sustained.

They marched with the ISM volunteers to about 30 metres from the border, where Israelis placed a barbed wire following the previous demonstration which ended with marchers walking to the border fence and putting several Palestinian flags.

This time they were met with repeated bursts of fire lasting altogether for about 10 minutes.

At the other side near the Israeli observation tower, the two army jeeps which where there when the demonstrators arrived with the ‘hammer’ positioned couple of hundred metres away, were joined by another five jeeps with soldiers being positioned inside and outside their vehicles.
Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Youth shot in the leg by Israeli Soldiers near the Nahal Oz border crossing

ISM Gaza

14th April 2010

Mahmoud Shawa a 19 year old resident of Shaja’iyya district of Gaza City, received a wound from a live round in his leg while participating in a peaceful demonstration near Nahal Oz border crossing. Mahmoud was urgently transported by an ambulance to the Shifa Hospital in Gaza City bleeding heavily and suffering from shock.The bullet entered at the back of the knee area and exited at the other side and the x-ray shows that it nearly missed the bone.

gazamah2 — Mahmoud being treated for a gunshot wound

The demonstration was a part of regular weekly protests against the 300 metre buffer zone imposed by Israel as a no-go area for Palestinians, where live fire is frequently used against the ‘trespassers’. A group of over one hundred local residents and activists from different civil society organizations and political parties started marching towards the border at 11.30. They came under the extensive live fire almost from the start which came from about 20 Israeli soldiers and at least 5 army vehicles which were visible at the other side of the border wire.

The majority of demonstrators marched to about 400 metres away from the border line and a group of about 30 including Mahmoud, went further waving Palestinian flags. Mahmoud was wounded on the spot about 150 meters from the border wire. The opposition to the buffer zone has been on the increase in the recent months mobilizing with burgeoning numbers of participants. The protests now take place almost daily in different locations alongside the border. Unfortunately firing at peaceful demonstrators have also become more frequent with 4 demonstrators receiving bullet wounds in the recent Land Day demonstrations in Abbassin and Magazi areas.