Without Posing Any Threat to Soldiers’ Life, Israeli Forces Kill Two Palestinian Children and Wound 2 Others in Southern Gaza Strip

Nahostpolitik

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, February 18, 2018

In a new war crime and without any justification or reason endangering soldiers’ life, on Saturday afternoon, 17 February 2018, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian children and wounded 2 others after the Israeli forces fired artillery shells at them near the border fence with Israel in al-Shokah village, east of Rafah City.  Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) emphasize that the shelling violates the principle of distinction and military necessity, and use of force was unjustifiable, socially that the two killed children and the other wounded were only unarmed civilians who did not carry out any act that would endanger the life of Israeli soldiers.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 21:30 on Saturday, 17 February 2018, Israeli forces stationed along the border fence with Israeli near al-Shokah village, east of Rafah City, fired around 10 artillery shells and opened fire at 4 Palestinian children, who were 30 to 50 meters away from the fence intending to sneak into Israel to work there, according to the testimony of one of the two wounded children.  Shrapnel of artillery shells and live bullets hit the four children in various parts of their bodies.  Two of them were immediately transferred to Abu Yousif Annajar Hospital in Rafah City as they ran to the west until the medical staffs evacuated them.  The doctors described their condition as moderate while the medical crews could not reach the two other children as it was very late and increasingly dangerous…

http://pchrgaza.org/en/?p=10406