The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) strongly condemns the latest Israeli aggression against Beit Hanoon, northern Gaza, and its residents. Israeli Special Forces, backed by tanks and helicopter gun ships, killed 8 Palestinians including a woman in early on Thursday, July 8th, 2004.

Backed by military vehicles, snipers on rooftops and helicopter firing gunship missiles, the occupation troops raided the town of Beit Hanoon in Gaza. Some exchange of fire erupted between the invaders and a few resistant fighters defending their home town. Israeli troops occupied homes, kicking residents out while turning their homes into a military post using it to fire at neighboring homes in the northern Gaza town. At least 25 Palestinians were wounded and eight killed, five of which were unarmed bystanders, as the invasion continues.

The names and ages of the Palestinians killed by Israeli troops in Beit Hanoon this morning: A Jameeleh Hamadan 42-year-old mother, 47-year-old Youssef AlZa’aneen, 45-year-old Nahad Abu Odeh and his 30-year-old cousin Zaher Abu Odeh, 42-year-old Naim AlKafrani and 25-year-old Tareq AlKafrani and 39-year-old NasserAldeen Abu Harbeed.

Israel’s assaults against Palestinian residents in Gaza constitute an escalation by Ariel Sharon’s radical right wing government against the Palestinian people. Since the announcement of Sharon’s ‘disengagement plan,’ Israel has escalated its policy of harsh militarism and uncompromising battering of a predominantly civilian Palestinian population in Gaza. The international community, with all its governments, institutions, and civil society must hold the Israeli government accountable for its actions, and should not allow such dangerous and irresponsible policies to continue unchallenged.

MIFTAH calls upon the international community, specifically the representatives of the foreign governments in Israel and the Palestinian Authority, to intervene, address and stop such Israeli assaults against the Palestinian people. We urge the international community to adopt a clear position against injustice and to put an end to Israel’s systematic killings which only undermines any progress towards peace, through bringing an end to the illegal and immoral occupation of the Palestinian territories, Gaza and West Bank including east Jerusalem, occupied in 1967.