Defence for Children International – Palestine Section (DCI/PS)- July 26,
2006
DCI/PS@dci-pal.org
As Israel 's siege on the Gaza Strip passes the one month milestone, Defence
for Children International – Palestine Section (DCI/PS) would like to draw
attention to the 31 Palestinian children whose deaths expose anew the
degradation of the principles of international humanitarian law. The death of these
children implicates both the parties to the conflict as well as those States
not directly involved, but who, as third parties, are legally bound to enforce
these principles.
Recalling that the Gaza Strip has been under belligerent occupation by
Israel since 1967, and that it remains under occupation despite the 12 September
2005 ‘disengagement' of Israeli troops, the attacks by both the Israeli army
and Palestinian armed groups in the past month have been characterized by
their lack of respect for the customary international law principle of
distinction. This principle requires combatants at all times to distinguish between
civilians and civilian objects, and military objectives. The Israeli tactics in
Gaza have also been condemned as disproportionate by the EU and the UN
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator
in that the incidental loss of Palestinian lives, injury of Palestinians and
damage to Palestinian civilian infrastructure has been excessive in relation
to the military advantage understood to be gained by Israel . Israeli air, sea
and ground troops have opened fire in civilian areas in the dense population
centers of Gaza cities and refugee camps, including near hospitals, schools,
and in crowded residential housing complexes on numerous occasions.
The following children have been killed by Israeli military actions in Gaza
since 26 June 2006:
1. Anwar Isma'el Atallah, 12 years old
2. Saleh Sleman Al Jemasi, 16 years old
3. Ruwan Fareed Hajjaj, 5 years old
4. Khalid Nidal Abed Al Karim Wahbeh, 1 year old
5. Mahfouth Farid Nasseer, 15 years old
6. Ahmad Ghaleb Abu Amshah, 16 years old
7. Ahmed Fathi Odah Shabat, 16 years old
8. Waleed Mahmoud Al Zinati, 12 years old
9. Salah Adeen Hammad Abu Maktuma, 17 years old
10. Ibrahim Ali Khatoush, 15 years old
11. Mahmoud Muhammad Al Asar, 15 years old
12. Ibrahim Ali Al Nabaheen, 15 years old
13. Ahmad Abdil Mina'm Abu Hajaj, 16 years old
14. Nasrallah Nabil Abu Selmieh, 5 years old
15. Aya Nabil Abu Selmieh, 7 years old
16. Iman Nabil Abu Selmieh, 11 years old
17. Yahya Nabil Abu Selmieh, 9 years old
18. Huda Nabil Abu Selmieh, 13 years old
19. Basma Nabil Abu Selmieh, 15 years old
20. Sumaia Nabil Abu Selmieh, 16 years old
21. Raji Omar Deif Alla, 16 years old
22. Muhanna Sa'ed Mesleh, 16 years old
23. Ahmad Rawhee Abdo, 13 years old
24. Ali Kamil Al Najar, 13 years old
25. Fadwa Faisel al 'Urouqi, 13 years old
26. Mohammad Awad Muhra, 17 years old
27. Khitam Muhammad Tayeh, 11 years old
28. Nadee Habib Al Ataar, 11 years old
29. Saleh Ibrahim Nasser, 13 years old
30. Bashir Abdullah Awad Abu Thaher, 12 years old
31. Sabrine Naser Habib, 3 years old
DCI/PS recalls that one of the predominant reasons for restrictions
enshrined in the ius in bello (the law governing the conduct of warfare, or
international humanitarian law) is to regulate combatant behavior such that acts will
not be taken which are so grave as to prevent the return to peace. At a time
when international political actors are calling for a return to the logic of ‘
durable solutions' to stop the current escalation in violence, DCI/PS
asserts that nations at war remember no injuries as acutely as they remember the
death of their children. Thus, DCI/PS believes that any effective solutions to
the current crisis and the crisis of the future must include a reiterated
commitment to the principles of international humanitarian law, and particularly
those principles relating to the protection of the civilian population and
civilian infrastructure.
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