Their deaths bring to 62 the total number of Palestinians killed by Israeli gunfire on Monday, when thousands of Palestinians protested as the US officially moved its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The three men were 20-year-old Mohamed Mazen Alyan, 58-year-old Moein Abdel-Hamid al-Saai, and 21-year-old Ahmed Samara, the Hamas-run ministry said in a statement yesterday. The ministry said Alyan was wounded east of the Al-Bureij refugee camp, while other medical sources reported Al-Saai was wounded to the east of Gaza City. Samara was wounded east of Jabalia, in the north of the enclave.
Since March 30, Palestinians have been marching to demand the right to return to their homes in territory seized by Israel in the 1948 war surrounding the creation of the Jewish state.
A total of 119 Palestinians have since been killed by Israeli gunfire on the border between the Gaza Strip and the Jewish State, according to authorities in Gaza, which is run by the Hamas.
Israel says it has done everything it can to limit civilian casualties and has used lived ammunition only as a last resort.
The Israeli army insists its actions are necessary to defend the border and prevent mass infiltrations. It accuses Hamas of using the demonstrations to approach and damage the border fence, including laying explosive devices and attacking soldiers.
UN RESOLUTION
WELCOMED
Executive Committee Member of Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) Hanan Ashrawi welcomed the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) adoption of resolution that calls for the formation of an independent international commission of inquiry to investigate the recent Israeli killings along Gaza border.
She remarked, “On behalf of the Palestinian leadership and the people of Palestine, we express our deep appreciation to the members of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) who assumed a principle stand by overwhelmingly voting in favour of this resolution that constitutes a true investment in justice and affirms the international community’s commitment to seeking accountability for Israel’s egregious violations.”
Palestinian news agency (WAFA) quoted Ashrawi as saying “the resolution sends a clear and strong message to Israel that its unlawful and immoral actions will not be ignored, condoned or tolerated.”
“Those countries who voted against the UNHRC resolution are complicit in Israel’s illegal behaviour and continued war crimes. Rather than respecting and acting in accordance with international law and that belief that human life must be protected, the United States and Australia are once again placating the Israeli government at the expense of our fundamental human rights and freedoms,” Ashrawi added.
The PLO Executive Committee member expressed her hope that such a positive step will be followed by “serious punitive measures, including legal, political and economic sanctions, to curb Israel’s gross violations indefinitely.”
