Friday 30 March 2012 marks Land Day among Palestinians.
 It is an occasion that Palestinians have commemorated since 1976 by gathering to protest against Israel’s systematic seizure of Palestinian lands.
 In 1976, Israel responded to Palestinian protests in Israel very violently; killing and injuring dozens of them, when they took to the streets in protest of the systematic confiscation of their land.
This year, the protests have taken the form of a general strike and popular demonstrations.
 This year, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed and injured dozens of demonstrators and arrested hundreds of Palestinians within Israel.
  On this day, Palestinians renew their steadfastness in holding onto their lands.
 This year Palestinians celebrated the occasion amidst an intensive Israeli campaign to seize more Palestinian lands in the West Bank, particularly Jerusalem, in order to change the territory’s demographic composition with the goal of eliminating any future opportunity to establish an independent Palestinian state on the territory occupied by Israel since 1967.
 On Friday, Palestinians in Israel, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip launched protests to once again demonstrate their steadfastness and defense of their lands, and to express their rejection of Israel’s settlement policy and its consequences for Palestinians’ economic, social, cultural, and political rights, as well as their indispensable, just, and inalienable right to self-determination.
  In this context, at approximately 1:40 pm on Friday 30 March 2012, IOF opened heavy fire with live ammunition and launched tear gas canisters at a peaceful demonstration near the Erez crossing on the Gazan border.
 The demonstrators were about 50 meters away from the separation fence between Gaza and Israel when the IOF opened fire on them.
 The firing continued until 7:00 pm on the same day.
 As a result, Mahmoud Mohammed Yihya Zaqout, 18, was killed instantly after he sustained a bullet wound in the neck.
 41 other demonstrators were injured, including 17 minors.
  Medical sources at Kamal Odwan Hospital described the injuries of three as critical, and referred them to Ash-Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.
 Two of the injured were admitted to Al Awda Hospital, and six to Balsam Hospital.
 35 people sustained bullet and shrapnel wounds; two suffered medical problems due to inhalation of tear gas; and four sustained bruises from falling.
  In a separate incident, at approximately 1:30 pm on the same day, the IOF units stationed east of Abasan village in eastern Khan Younis district opened fire at a peaceful demonstration on the border, where the protestors had raised Palestinian flags over the separation fence.
 As a result, five persons, including a minor, were injured and admitted to Nasser and Gaza European Hospitals.
 The firing frightened the other demonstrators and forced them to leave.
  In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the IOF used excessive force to disperse the peaceful demonstrations.
 As a result, dozens of people were injured and tear-gassed.
  Tear gas was used heavily against demonstrators in Ramallah, Bethlehem, and Hebron.
 The IOF completely closed West Bank and tightened its restrictions on movement of Palestinians into Jerusalem.
  The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly condemns Israel’s use of excessive and lethal force against demonstrators protesting Israeli seizure of their lands.
  Al Mezan emphasizes that the Palestinian protests come at a time when the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has condemned Israel’s settlement enterprise, which is considered a crime under international humanitarian law.
  The UNHRC has also decided to dispatch a fact-finding mission to investigate the social, economic, and cultural impacts on the human rights of Palestinians in the occupied Palestinian territory.
  Al Mezan also condemns Israel’s continuous takeover of Palestinians’ land inside Israel, particularly the Israeli plans currently being implemented in the Negev.
 These plans include forcible evacuation of tens of thousands of Palestinians Bedouins, particularly under the program known as the “Prawer Plan.
”   Therefore, Al Mezan calls on the international community to promptly intervene to end Israel’s continuous violations of international humanitarian law in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), particularly excessive and lethal use of force, the illegal ongoing confiscations of Palestinian territory, the construction of new settlements, and the expansion of existing settlements.
 These practices violate IHL and impede any opportunity to achieve a just peace based on international law.
 They also hinder the efforts of the international community to maintain international peace and security.
  In this connection, Al Mezan also notes that the failure of the international community to act on its legal obligation to pursue accountability for violations committed against the civilian population in the oPt in the past has only encouraged Israel to continue its attacks and other violations.
  End