-Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM

Organization: ISM Media Office
Date: Fri, 11 Apr 2003 22:32:03 +0200
Subject: [palsolidarity] Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM
activist in the
head

Yebna, Rafah

Israeli soldiers shoot another ISM activist in the head

Between 4:30 and 5:00 PM today Israeli snipers shot
another ISM activist in the head. Tom Hundall from
Manchester Britain is currently in critical condition in a
helicopter on his way from Europa Hospital in Khan Younis
to a hospital in Bir Sheva. He is 22 years old.

According to Laura, the activists were being shot at while
protecting some children from Israeli gunfire. Tom was in
plain view of the sniper towers and was wearing a bright
orange fluorescent jacket with reflective stripes. The nine
ISM activists and many children were in the process of
leaving the area. Sniper fire from the tower was hitting
the wall close beside the children, who were afraid to move.
Tom was attempting to bring them to safety when he was shot.
There was no shooting or resistance coming from the
Palestinian side at all.

According to Laura, the plan had been to put up a tent where
a tank parks itself every night in front of a Mosque. The
soldiers in the tank shoot down the street, terrorizing
people who come to pray. The group had discovered earlier
that the tank was already in place and had begun firing into
the air. The Palestinian organizers felt the plan had become
unworkeable, and the action was abandoned.

Laura and two Palestinians decided to go assess the
situation. She soon realized that the tank had moved from
where it had been. It was now possible to set up the tent.
She spoke to Tom D by phone and they decided to meet at the
roadblock. The Israeli snipers in the eastern tower began
shooting in Laura?fs path.

When they arrived at the roadblock, the rest of the group
was already there. The snipers began firing again: this
time at the wall of the building next to the activists. As a
result, the group began the process of leaving.

Tom saw a little boy in an open space, clearly visible to
the tower. Tom went to get him out of the way. He looked
back and saw two more girls whom he also went to retrieve.
As he went to get them, he was shot in the back of the head.
He fell to the ground in a pool of blood. The ambulance
arrived quickly, after about two minutes.

For years the Israeli army has killed Palestinian civilians
with impunity. Now they are targeting unarmed international
peace activists and human rights workers. On March 16,
Rachel Corrie was run over and killed by a bulldozer
operator in Rafah while trying to prevent home demolitions.
On April 5, in Jenin, Brian Avery was shot in the face by an
APC in an unprovoked attack on a clearly unarmed group of
internationals. Six months ago in Jenin, Caoimhe Butterly
was shot in the leg and UN official Ian Hook was murdered.

We ask the world community to stand up and demand that
Israel honor international agreements protecting civilians,
whether they are internationals or Palestinians, and hold
Israel accountable for these crimes against humanity. And
we demand an end to the illegal and brutal occupation that
these murders defend.

For more information contact:
Allison 067 742 780
Raf 054 389 466
Nick 055 874 693
Alice 067 857 069

Tom
ISM Media Coordinator
Beit Sahour, Occupied Palestine
02-277-4602
067-862-439
052-360-241