www.chinaview.cn 2003-11-06 20:38:17
GAZA, Nov. 6 (Xinhuanet) -- Israeli army forces have carried out 157 assassination operations against Palestinians since the outbreak of the intifada, or uprising, in September 2000, a report by Palestinian humanitarian institution said Thursday.
A total of 309 Palestinians were killed and 627 others injured in the Israeli operations, according to the report issued by the Gaza City-based Palestinian Center for Human Rights.
"Out of the 309 Palestinians killed, 114 of them were innocent civilians who happened to be at the scene of the crime, and 38 werechildren," the report said.
"The Israeli army still continues to carry out illegal crimes, assassination operations and physical eliminations, alleging that the victims were involved in attacks carried out against Israeli targets," it said.
"What worries the most is that these crimes...that contravene the Geneva Convention are still perpetrated in the midst of the international community's silence," it added.
The report warned that such a silence could encourage Israel to carry out more crimes against the Palestinians whom Israel accuses of planning or perpetrating attacks against its targets.
"In all cases, the Israeli army has never presented any proofs that the victims were actually involved in attacks against Israel and directly executed these individuals without arresting them or presenting them to any trials," the report said.
"The period between the beginning of last May until the end of September has witnessed an unprecedented escalation regarding military assassination operations carried out in the Palestinian territories," it said.
The report noted that the escalated Israeli operations have mostly targeted the leaders of the Islamic resistance group Hamas in the Gaza Strip and a large number of its prominent representatives were killed. Enditem
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