Deafening silence from the international community

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 15, 2018

Dr. Ashrawi: “The deafening silence from the international community has emboldened Israel to commit war crimes”

PLO Executive Committee Member Dr. Hanan Ashrawi strongly condemned Israel’s largest military operation since the aggression of 2014 in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Fifteen-year-old Amir al-Nimra and sixteen-year-old Louay Kaheil were killed as they were playing in a public park in the al-Katiba area of Gaza City, and at least fifteen others were wounded when Israeli warplanes targeted and heavily shelled various areas in Gaza. Another teenager, fifteen-year-old Othman Rami Hillis, was shot in the chest and killed by Israeli forces as he participated in the Great March of Return protestson Friday:

“Israel is deliberately targeting and killing Palestinian children. Such a brutal and criminal campaign against the people of Gaza is allowed to persist by the international community’s inaction and American collusion with the military occupation. The targeting of public places and playgrounds constitutes a war crime and violates international law and international humanitarian law.

Since March 30, 140 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, and roughly 15,000 Palestinians have been injured. As long as the world remains silent, Israel’s systematic campaign of brutalizing and terrorizing innocent Palestinians will only continue.

We urge all members of the international community, as well as all relevant organizations, to intervene immediately and to exhibit the moral and political courage necessary to put an end to Israel’s unlawful and immoral behavior and to adopt punitive measures and sanctions. Failure to provide protection for the Palestinian people will lead to further escalation and result in more bloodshed.”

In addition, Dr. Ashrawi denounced the Israeli closure yesterday of Al-Quds University’s Hind Al-Husseini College Campus in occupied East Jerusalem; the College was hosting a two-day academic conference:

“Such an incident is part of Israel’s ongoing policy that targets Palestinian institutions and undermines academic freedom and education in Jerusalem. Israel’s draconian measures and egregious violations clearly serve its plan to complete the total annexation and isolation of Palestinian Jerusalem.”

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