PHR-Israel and GCMHP File New Petition

PHR-Israel and GCMHP File New Petition: Stop the Booms Over Gaza Immediately

11 December 2005

***Press Release***

Due to the continued use of “sonic booms” by the Israeli Air Force over the Gaza Strip, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme have filed a joint appeal requesting an injunction from the Israeli High Court to stop the use of the booms.

This is a continuation of the original principle petition filed on 2 November 2005 by the two organizations. That petition has essentially been put on hold, as the court has asked for the petitioners and the state to present their legal opinions on the current status of the Gaza Strip. This will take several months, according to the court declared timetable.

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme have declared the use of sonic booms illegal, as it is collective punishment against the entire population of the Gaza Strip. In the principle petition filed last month, the two organizations showed the psychological damage that can and is being caused by the booms, specifically in an expert opinion presented to the court by Dr. Eyad Sarraj of GCMHP.

The original press release can be found here

A press release on the court hearing from 14 November

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