[Dr. Aaron Lerner - IMRA: If the various Palestinian "freedom fighters"
weren't exploiting the Rafah Crossing to enable "resistance" (or put in
plain language "terrorists use the crossing as part of plots to murder
Israelis") then the security situation at the crossing would not be a
problem and, in turn, it would be operating without a hitch. But PCHR
doesn't opt to call on the "freedom fighters" to cease and desist. They also
don't see fit to suggest that the Palestinian security forces should have
anticipated the situation and set up in advance to avoid the incident.

Question: If Israeli security forces respond the same way will PCHR accept
the behavior?]
==========

PCHR
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
Press Release

Ref: 16/2007
Date: 8 March 2007
Time: 12:30 GMT

A Palestinian Dies and 8 Others Injured at Rafah International Crossing
Point Due to Congestion and Rushing

On Thursday morning, 8 March 2007, a Palestinian civilian died from a heart
attack and 8 others were injured at Rafah International Crossing Point on
the Egyptian border due to congestion and rushing. A number of these
Palestinians were injured by gunshots fired by Palestinian security forces,
which intervened to stop the rushing of people into the crossing point.

Thousands of Palestinian headed to the crossing point in the early morning
to travel abroad. As a result of congestion and rushing, at approximately
08:30, 'Omar Isma'il Qaza'er, 61, died from a heart attack, when he was at
the crossing point to travel abroad. The crossing point was opened at 09:30.
At approximately 11:00, people started to rush into the crossing point.
Palestinian security forces attempted to stop them and opened fire. As a
result, 3 people were wounded:

1) Ghali Mohammed al-Jabali, 32, wounded by a gunshot to the right
thigh;
2) Ahmed Sameer Darwish, 19, a security officer, wounded by a gunshot
to the buttocks; and
3) Yousef Nassar Eshtaiwi, 15, wounded by a gunshot to the left foot.

Five others, including 3 women, sustained bruises.

The Palestinian Border Crossings Department declared on Monday, 5 March
2007, that IOF agreed to open Rafah International Crossing Point for 4 days
starting on Tuesday morning, 6 March 2007. Thousands of Palestinians headed
to the crossing point on Tuesday to travel abroad. On Tuesday, 958
Palestinians were able to travel abroad, and 1240 others were able to travel
back to the Gaza Strip. The crossing point was over-crowded at both sides as
thousands of Palestinians were waiting to be allowed to travel to and from
the Gaza Strip. Hundreds of persons were seen surrounding busses that
transport travelers in an attempt to have a place in them.

However, on Wednesday, 7 March 2007, the crossing point was not opened. On
Thursday morning, 8 March 2007, the crossing point was opened and thousands
of Palestinians headed to it in an attempt to travel abroad. The crossing
point witnessed congestion and rushing, so it was closed at 11:00.

Rafah International Crossing Point has been closed since 25 June 2006, in
violations of the right to freedom of movement. Thousands of Palestinians,
including patients who are in need for medical treatment abroad and hundreds
of families who have come to the Gaza Strip to visit relative, have not been
able to travel. The crossing point is opened for limited hours on separate
weeks and often witnesses congestion and rushing due to the high number of
Palestinians wishing to travel through it.

PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately intervene and
force Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to respect International Humanitarian
Law and International Human Rights Law and allow free passage at Rafah
International Crossing Point, which is the sole outlet for the Gaza Strip to
the outside world. PCHR calls also upon the EU observers working at the
crossing point to abstain from contributing to any action that may
constitute a form of collective punishment against the Palestinian civilian
population, as collective punishment constitutes a grave breach of
International Humanitarian Law, especially the Fourth Geneva Conventions, to
which EU States are High Contracting Parties.

Public Document
**************************************
For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8
2824776 - 2825893
PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
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