International Community Must Intervene Immediately to Stop Carnage in the Occupied Gaza Strip
By Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations’ Network
October 04, 2004

The Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations’ Network (PNGO) calls upon the international community to intervene immediately to stop the massacres committed by the Israeli occupation army against the civilian population of Beit Hanoun, Beit Lahiya and the Jabaliya refugee camp in the Northern Gaza Strip. Since the start of the Israeli military incursion on Wednesday, 29th September 2004, more than 40 Palestinians, mostly unarmed civilians, have been killed and hundreds injured. Israel sent over 100 tanks into Northern Gaza after the Israeli government ordered a major military operation. The ongoing large-scale Israeli army operation is strongly reminiscent of the disastrous invasions of the West Bank the Israeli military undertook in the spring of 2002.

The Israeli occupation forces have employed heavy imprecise weaponry, such as tank shells and missiles fired from Apache helicopters, in densely populated areas. Civilians, among them many children, have been killed or injured close to schools, at funerals, in their homes, in the street or in the market. The carnage has been accompanied by house demolitions and the destruction of the electricity, water and telephone infrastructure. In addition, the Israeli authorities have completely sealed off Gaza to all international and Palestinian humanitarian workers since Friday, 24th September, meaning that the Palestinian population has been denied essential relief assistance.

PNGO calls upon the international community to take immediate action to stop the massacres committed by the Israeli military in Northern Gaza. Words of condemnation of Israeli army atrocities, as issued in the past, are not enough. PNGO urges world leaders, especially the representatives of the UN, the EU, Russia and the US, to actively stop Israeli violations of International Law and send an international peace force to the Gaza Strip for the protection of the Palestinian civilian population. PNGO calls upon the UN Security Council to convene an urgent meeting and to issue and enforce a UN Security Council Resolution demanding that the Israeli government respect International Law and the Fourth Geneva Convention and immediately stop the massacres carried out by its troops in the Gaza Strip.

PNGO reiterates that it is the responsibility of the international community to take action. Failure to do so is not merely morally wrong, it is complicity in war crimes.

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