Comunicato International Solidarity Movement

["Michela La Perna" <michela.lp at katamail.com>]

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 Lauraâs 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