Ref# : 2018
Date: 21/April/2018
Press Release
The Israeli occupation forces have continued to violate human rights by targeting the Palestinian children
The International Commission (ICSPR) calls for the prosecution and accountability of the occupation army for deliberately targeting the children in eastern Gaza Strip.
The International Commission to Support Palestinian Rights (ICSPR) Strongly condemns the continued Israeli occupation forces and their snipers deployed along the border fence for killing and injuring the demonstrators in Gaza, especially the children who participated in the return marches and camps, demanding their right to return to their homelands, since 30 March 2018 on the anniversary of Palestinian Land Day, for the fourth consecutive Friday. According to data published by the Palestinian Ministry of Health and the follow-up of the international Commission team, since the beginning of the events to date, as a result of the use of excessive and lethal force against the peaceful demonstrators, 39 Palestinians were killed, including 4 children, and 4924 civilians were injured including 671 children, by live and explosive bullets. The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) Affirms that the excessive use of force by the Israeli occupation forces against peaceful civilians, especially children, through the firing of live and explosive bullets and large quantities of tear gas deliberately at children, resulting in the killing and maiming of dozens of children,And affirms that these acts constitute violations of human rights conventions, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989 and its Protocol, and constitute grave breaches of the need to provide special protection for children and not to endanger them in accordance with the provisions of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and its Additional Protocol I of 1977, which amount to war crimes against humanity under the Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute of 1998). The International Commission to Support Palestinians’ Rights (ICSPR) considers that the practices of the occupation forces against children prove again that the Israeli crimes came in accordance with a systematic plan reinforced by a decision and protection at the level of Israeli political and military leadership. For that, ICSPR demands the following: 1. ICSPR Affirms that the Israeli occupation forces deliberately target peaceful children, constitute grave violations of the special rules of protection of children under the rules of international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, and describes them as war crimes against humanity in accordance with the Rome Statute establishing the Permanent International Criminal Court 2. ICSPR demands the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to form an urgent special commission of inquiry on the occupation forces violations of international human rights and humanitarian law against peaceful demonstrators, especially children. Investigators should have the authority to investigate facts and circumstances, collect evidence and identify responsibility for violations to end the status of impunity and achieving accountability 3. ICSPR warns the Israeli occupation forces against the policy of continuing targeting civilians and demonstrators, especially children, and to take legal responsibility for this, and also warns the international community of the continued silence on Israeli crimes against demonstrators. This is considered a green light for the occupation forces. It also warns of the fall of hundreds of victims and demands political, diplomatic and legal pressure to be exerted on the Israeli occupation in order to stop the commission of any crime of the participants in the Great Return March. 4. ICSPR Calls upon the Palestinian leadership and diplomacy to activate its role by referring files of physical violations and Israeli war crimes under Article 14 of the Rome Statute, which will ensure that Israeli criminals are not exempted from punishment 5. ICSPR urges the International Solidarity Movement and all Palestinian people and all Arab, regional and international organizations to act on all legal, political, diplomatic, human rights and popular levels to ensure the peaceful protection of the demonstrators, especially the children participating in marches and return camps.
Done,
