Alwaght- UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein on Friday condemned Israeli regime's use of excessive force against Palestinians in Gaza amid new peaceful rallies against the Tel Aviv regime.
He noted that use of excessive force, resulted in many deaths and injuries sustained by Palestinians, including children, in Gaza over the past month. He also called for those responsible to be held accountable.
During the past four weeks, 42 Palestinians have been killed and over 5,500 injured – 1,739 by live ammunition fired by the Israeli regime forces – along the fence in Gaza. Those killed were taking part in peaceful demonstrations as part of the “Great March of Return”. All of those killed were unarmed civilians and presented no apparent threat to Israeli regime forces at the time of their killing or injury. Under international law, Palestinians have the right to peaceful assembly and expression.
Children suffering
The impact on children is of great concern. Since 30 March 2018, four children have been shot dead by Israeli forces, three of them by a bullet to the head or neck. A further 233 children have been injured by live ammunition, with some sustaining injuries that will result in lifelong disabilities, including through the amputation of limbs. “The use of excessive force against any demonstrator is reprehensible, but children enjoy additional protection under international law,” said Zeid. “It is difficult to see how children, even those throwing stones, can present a threat of imminent death or serious injury to heavily protected security force personnel.” “Images of a child being shot as he runs away from Israeli security forces are downright shocking,” he added, referring to the case of 14 year-old Mohammad Ayyoub who was killed by a bullet to the head on 20 April.
Day of Catastrophe
The Palestinian Great March of Return peaceful protests," will last until May 15, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of Nakba Day (Day of Catastrophe) on which Israel was created.
Every year on May 15, Palestinians all over the world hold demonstrations to commemorate Nakba Day, which marks the anniversary of the forcible eviction of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from their homeland by Zionist in 1948.
More than 760,000 Palestinians - now estimated to number nearly five million with their descendants - were driven out of their homes on May 14, 1948.
Since 1948, when the fake Israeli entity was created, it has denied Palestinian refugees the right to return, despite UN resolutions and international law that upholds people’s right to return to their homelands.
These year’s Land Day demonstrations come at a time when Palestinian anger is already high over Trump's decision in December 2017 to recognize al-Quds (Jerusalem) as Israeli regime capital.
