Israeli warplanes targeted a policeman on a motorcycle, resulting in his instant killing At approximately 10:30am on 30 April 2013, Israeli Forces targeted a motorcycle ridden by a policeman, Haythem Iyad Al Mishal, 26, killing the man.
According to Al Mezan’s field investigations, the Israeli warplanes fired one missile targeting the motorcycle near a military training site owned by the Palestinian resistance factions.
The site is located northeast Al-Shate’ refugee camp, near to Al-Maqousi compound and west of the city of Gaza.
This escalation comes just days after Israel’s attack on two Palestinian sites in the south of the Gaza Strip.
Israeli rhetoric has attempted to justify these serious measures within the context of security and self-defense; however, targeted killings are in contravention to the ceasefire agreement of 21 November 2012, the ceasefire ending the eight-day Operation codenamed Pillar of Defense.
Over the past few months Israel has violated the ceasefire agreement dozens of times by firing on civilians in the land and sea buffer zones.
This is seen within the wider context of rigid closure of the Gaza Strip resulting in the collective punishment of the Gazan people and a humanitarian crisis.
Al Mezan condemns the targeted killing by Israel and the continued violation of the ceasefire agreement; and warns the International community of the potential for increased Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip.
Al Mezan encourages the international community, especially the high contracting parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to intervene immediately and halt the Israeli violations against the civilians of Gaza and bring an end to the immunity that Israel continues to enjoy.
Al Mezan asserts that the failure of the international community in obliging Israel to uphold mechanisms of accountability contribute and encourage the Israeli government to disregard its legal obligations under international law.
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