RAMALLAH, June 15, 2009 (WAFA)- Three Palestinian Human Rights Organizations demanded investigation into killing two Palestinian girls, Suad and Amal Abed Rabbo, at close range by Israeli soldiers during the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip in December2008 and January 2009.
Adalah, Al-Mezan and Al-Haq demanded this investigation after the Israeli army has continued to deny charges that its soldiers and officers allegedly committed war crimes during The Israeli Offensive against the Gaza Strip (27 December 2008 to 18 January 2009).
In a letter Adalah sent to the Military Advocate General (MAG) and the Attorney General, (AG), on June 4, 2009, Adalah demanded that they open a criminal investigation into suspected war crimes in relation to specific incidents involving two families from the Abed Rabbo neighborhood, east of the Jabaliya town. In the letter, Adalah Attorney Fatmeh El-'Ajou relied on testimonies and affidavits gathered by the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in the Gaza Strip and Al-Haq.
A list of full names and personal details of the witnesses to the shootings, the injury of members of the Abed Rabbo family, and the killing of Adham Naseir, as well as witnesses to the actions of the army in preventing medics from conveying the injured to hospital has been appended by the human rights organizations' complaint to the MAG and the AG.
These testimonies, according the organizations, confirm the allegations of war crimes amounting to grave breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL), namely targeting and killing civilians not taking part in the hostilities. Furthermore, the soldiers prevented the wounded from receiving medical assistance and being removed from their homes and the streets which resembled a battlefield.
The Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip has resulted in the extensive destruction of private property not demanded by military necessity, which is a war crime, amounting to a grave breach of IHL. Therefore, Adalah argued, the Israeli authorities must immediately open a criminal investigation into these incidents and bring those responsible to justice.
