Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, March 4, 2018
In a new crime, on Saturday, 03 March 2018, the Israeli forces killed a Palestinian farmer after opening fire at him when he was in his agricultural land near the border fence with Israel in Khuza’ah village, east of Kahn Younis. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) revealed that the shooting occurred in light of full calmness in the area and the farmer was in an agricultural area without posing any threat to the life of Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence adjacent to the land.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 12:30 on Saturday, 03 March 2018, the Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israel near the Military gate next to al-Najjar neighborhood in Khuza’ah village, east of Khan Younis, fired 2 bullets at farmer Mohammed ‘Ata ‘Abed al-Mawla Abu Jame’a (59) while he was working in his land that is 200 meters away from the border fence. As a result, he was hit with a bullet to the right thigh and taken by an ambulance to the Gaza European Hospital. He was then admitted to the Operation Room for internal bleeding. At approximately 17:30, medical sources at the hospital declared he succumbed to his injury.
PCHR condemns this crime which further proves that Israeli forces continue to use lethal force against Palestinian civilians for shooting to kill even if there was no danger threatening the soldiers’ life.
PCHR also reiterates its call upon the international community to act immediately to stop the Israeli crimes and upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the oPt.