Israeli aggression, siege and closure continue to kill Palestinian children

(Beit Hanina, 6 May 2002) -- As the Israeli army continues to promote the myth of withdrawal from the Palestinian territories, the situation on the ground remains highly critical for the Palestinian civilian population. The Israeli army has merely redeployed to surround the areas they previously invaded and the military closure and siege is still in force disrupting and directly threatening the lives of thousands of Palestinians every day. The Israeli military aggression continues as the army has re-invaded several Palestinian cities over the last few days killing a number of Palestinians among them several children.

The military closure, enforced by numerous military checkpoints throughout the West Bank, has been tightened and is continuing to pose a direct threat to people‚s life. Villages in the rural areas remain completely isolated and cut off from the city centres and vice versa. This poses a critical threat to people‚s lives as they are prevented from reaching necessary medical treatment and efforts to provide humanitarian assistance have in many instances been hindered. The closure also continues to strangle the Palestinian economy and people‚s ability to maintain their normal daily and social life. Yesterday the closure claimed a new life when 35-year-old Rahme Ali Mirraiye near Jenin lost her newborn baby girl at a military checkpoint. The Israeli army prevented Rahme from reaching hospital in Jenin and she gave birth in a taxi. The infant died shortly before reaching the hospital.

Three other Palestinian children were killed during Israeli invasions into Palestinian areas yesterday. A 9-year-old boy, Tamer Abu Sirriye from the Tulkaram refugee camp, was killed by Israeli troops who fired live ammunition at a group of children during a protest against the Israeli invasion of Tulkaram. Just outside Jenin a mother and her two children were killed by Israeli fire. Fatima Ibrahim Zakarna (32), Basel 5 years old and Abir 3 years old were working and playing in a field when an Israeli military vehicle opened fire on them and killed them instantly. The Israeli army claimed one of their tanks hit a landmine and they opened fire in a defensive act. The Israeli so-called defensive acts have killed more than 240 Palestinian children, or approx. 25% of the Palestinians killed since the Intifada began.