Ramallah, 01-11-06: Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, member of Palestinian parliament and Palestinian National Initiative head, calls on the international community to take urgent action to end Israeli attacks in the northern Gaza Strip, in which so far 6 Palestinians have been killed and up to 50 injured.
The Israeli army invaded the town of Beit Hanoun early Wednesday morning, launching a series of air and ground attacks. Three Palestinians were killed in a targeted air strike, which injured more than 18 others, and a further three Palestinians, including an 18-year-old civilian, were killed by Israeli tank fire.
The killings come as Israel‘s re-invasion of the Gaza Strip enters its fifth month. Since the invasion began on 28 June 2006, more than 280 Gazans have been killed, including up to 137 under the age of 16, 29 women, and 12 elderly people. Up to 5,200 Palestinians have also been injured during the same period, including 750 who have suffered permanent disabilities as a result of their injuries.
Dr. Barghouthi pointed out that Gaza‘s crumbling health infrastructure is ill able to cope with such high numbers of deaths and casualties, victims of Israel’s ongoing military invasions and attacks. The Gazan health sector has been crippled in recent months under the pressure of a humanitarian crisis caused by a halt in funding to the Palestinian Authority by the international community and by Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax-money, together with prolonged border closures and the deliberate destruction of civilian infrastructure by Israel in June 2006, including Gaza‘s only domestic power station.
As Israel continues its violations against International Humanitarian Law, Dr. Barghouthi calls on the International Community to abide by its obligation as States parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, while respecting the Charter and international law, to ensure compliance by Israel with International Humanitarian Law as embodied in that Convention.
He also warned that Israel‘s ongoing attacks in the Gaza Strip threaten to undermine talks towards the formation of a Palestinian national unity government.