NEWS UPDATE

28 June 2010

On 27 May 2010, Adalah and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights sent a letter to the Israeli Attorney General (AG) and the Military Attorney General (MAG) demanding the opening of a criminal investigation into the killing of Ahmad Deeb by the Isareli military on 28 April 2010. Adalah Attorney Haneen Naamnih prepared the letter.

Mr. Deeb, 21 years old, was participating in a peaceful protest with other Palestinians and international demonstrators near the 'buffer zone' in Gaza. The demonstration was held to protest against Israel's decision to impose an ever-widening 'buffer zone' that prohibits Palestinians from entering the area. The 'buffer zone' is a no-go military area that extends deep inside the Gaza Strip's northern and eastern borders. This year alone dozens of people have been injured and 22 people killed by Israeli violence directed at people in the 'buffer zone'.

According to demonstrators' testimonies and video evidence, the Israeli military forces opened fire in the direction of the demonstrators who were standing some distance away from the where the soldiers were stationed. As a result of the indiscriminate firing of live ammunition, Mr. Deeb was shot and injured in the right groin area. He was taken to the Al Shifa Hospital in East Gaza, where he later died as a result of his injury.

Such demonstrations against the imposition of the 'buffer zone' take place on a weekly-basis against the arbitrary decision by Israel to prohibit Palestinians from entering the area. These regular, peaceful demonstrations do not cause harm or threaten harm to Israeli soldiers.

The human rights organizations assert that the testimonies clearly indicate that the Israeli army violated Israeli criminal law as well as international law. Therefore a criminal investigation must be opened and the responsible individuals should be prosecuted and punished.

The Letter (Hebrew)