Time: 9pm

On 12 April 2019, the 54^th Friday of the Great March of Return (GMR) demonstrations, Israeli forces continued using excessive force in policing unarmed protesters. Documentation by Al Mezan Center for Human Rights that Israeli forces used live ammunition, plastic-coated steel bullets, and tear gas canisters, resulting in the injury of 125 protesters, of them 39 children, three women, three paramedics, and one journalist. 44 of those injured were wounded by live fire and 44 by tear gas canisters.

The documentation by Al Mezan shows that on Friday:

• -- At 5pm, Maysara Abu Shalouf, 15, a resident of Beit Hanoun town, was injured from a live bullet that pierced his stomach and exited through his back while at the demonstration in east Jabalia refugee camp in North Gaza district. Maysara was rushed to the Indonesian Hospital, where he was pronounced dead of his injury at 5:55pm on the same day.
• -- Mahmoud Al-Khatib, 28, was injured in his right thigh with a tear gas canister.
• -- Fadi Al-Hamayda, 22, was injured in his left knee with a tear gas canister. Both of Mahmoud and Fadi are paramedics volunteering with a youth medical team and were injured while evacuating casualties at the demonstration in east Rafah.
• -- Bilal Abu Fool, 31, a paramedic volunteering with the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, was injured in his left hand with a tear gas canister at the demonstration in theceast of the North Gaza district.
• -- Ahmed Al-Zree’i, 22, a photojournalist and a correspondent to Al-Hadath Palestine Agency, was injured in his pelvis with a plastic-coated steel bullet while covering the demonstration in the east of Al Bureij refugee camp in the Middle Gaza district.

Al Mezan’s documentation shows that from 30 March 2018, Israeli forces have killed 280 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Of the total fatalities, 203 were killed at the protests, including 44 children, two women, three paramedics, two journalists, and eight persons with disability. Another 16,105 persons have been wounded, including 3,598 children, 724 women, 185 paramedics, and 160 journalists. Of the wounded, 8,235 were wounded from live fire, including 1,577 children and 160 women. 

Al Mezan condemns the use of excessive and other unlawful force by the Israeli forces, including sharpshooters, to police demonstrations. Al Mezan also expresses deep concern at the continued, deliberate attacks on unarmed protesters, including children, as well as on paramedics and journalists. Al Mezan stresses that the right to peaceful assembly and free expression are fundamental rights and must be respected. Unarmed protesters not posing any serious or imminent threat to the Israeli forces must not be shot.

Al Mezan reiterates its support of the latest UN Commission of Inquiry report, which concluded that Israeli forces have committed serious violations of international law in their response to the Palestinian protests, including by applying lethal and other excessive and unnecessary force. In light of this report and its recommendations, Al Mezan stresses its demand that the international community ends its silence on the aggravating human rights situation in the oPt, in particular Gaza. The lack of effective action encourages human rights abuses. Al Mezan calls on all countries to pursue coherent and consistent policy that ensures human rights are protected and promoted for all peoples.

Al Mezan calls on the UN Human Rights Council to maintain the independent monitoring of protests so that ongoing abuses are properly documented. Al Mezan also calls on the International Criminal Court, in line with the Rome Statute, to exercise its jurisdiction by credibly investigating and prosecuting those who committed or ordered committed serious human rights violations.