GAZA, December 1, 2015 (WAFA) – Israeli armed forces Tuesday opened fire on Palestinian farmers to the east of Gaza city, but there were no reports of casualties.

WAFA correspondent said that Forces stationed at watch towers along the borderline to the east of al-Shaja'ieh to the east of Gaza city, opened its heavy machine gunfire toward farmers and prevented them from approaching and tending to their land.

To be noted, Israeli army often targets farmers and residents along the border areas, in a constant breaching of the Egyptian-brokered ceasefire agreement reached between the Israeli and Palestinian sides on august 26^th, following 51 days of relentless war on the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Israeli troops routinely open fire at Palestinian farmers and other civilians if they approach borderline lands.  Israel has unilaterally declared a buffer zone extending between 500 meters and 1500 meters into the Strip, effectively turning local farms into no-go zones.

According to a United Nations’ OCHA, 17 percent of Gaza's total land area and 35 percent of its agricultural land lie within the buffer zone as of 2010, directly affecting the lives and livelihoods of more than 100,000 Gaza residents.

“Israeli forces’ use of live ammunition has placed up to 35 percent of Gaza’s agricultural land off-limits to farmers,' it said.

According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), The Israeli military has issued directives prohibiting any Palestinian presence on land within Gaza abutting the territory’s perimeter fence, currently up to 300 meters from the fence, but Israeli forces have frequently shot at Palestinians beyond that distance.

Under international human rights law, “lethal force may only be used when strictly necessary to prevent an imminent threat to life. Israeli soldiers do not face an imminent lethal threat from unarmed Palestinian civilians in areas of Gaza near the perimeter fence.”

HRW noted that under the laws of war, attacks may only be directed at military objectives, such as enemy combatants.

“Forces must do everything feasible to verify that targets are military objectives, and if there is doubt, must cancel the attack. While civilians who take a direct part in hostilities are subject to attack, merely entering a prohibited area does not meet that requirement. Military personnel who willfully kill civilians are committing a war crime.”

HRW noted that the economy of the Gaza Strip has been severely harmed by Israel’s and Egypt’s border closures, with unemployment at almost 40 percent and more than 70 percent of the population receiving humanitarian assistance.

Israel has imposed a tightened blockade since 2007 after Hamas won the democratic legislative elections and took over power in the strip.

T.R.