2009-02-19

Israeli forces shoot Palestinian farmer in Al Faraheen

from International Solidarity Movement

11am 18th February 2009, Al Faraheen, Gaza Strip: Israeli forces have shot a twenty year-old Palestinian farmer as he worked his land in the village of Al-Faraheen, east of Khan Younis in the Gaza Strip.

Currently 3 Palestinian farmer and 5 international Human Rights Activists are attempting to return to retrieve the farmer’s broken truck.
International Human Rights Activists were accompanying the group of farmers at the time as they worked approximately 500m from the ‘Green Line’.

Mohammad Il Ibrahim, 20, was shot in the right leg as the farmers, together with the international Human Rights Activists, attempted to leave the area having worked on their land for 2 hours in full view of the Israeli forces situated along the ‘Green Line’.

As the farmers were loading up the parsley and spinach from the agricultural lands shots were fired from Israeli forces on the border. Mohammad was shot in the right leg and evacuated, while still under fire, to hospital.

Around 10.15am, the farmers were preparing to leave the area. They had loaded 2 trucks with produce and were ready to drive off, but one of the vehicles had broken down. As Mohammad, and several others, were trying to push the truck away, we heard several shots and Mohammad was hit in the right leg.

We are clearly civilian farmers and internationals with visible vests and a megaphone. The shots that caused the injury were not warning shots to signal to leave the area, because we were already leaving the area. They continued to fire at us, even after Mohammad was being evacuated. The shooting from Israeli forces was purely a show of aggression.

Jenny Linnel (Britain) – International Solidarity Movement

International Human Rights Activists have repeatedly witnessed Palestinian farmers being shot at by Israeli forces as they attempt to work on agricultural land situated within 700m of the ‘Green Line’.

On Tuesday 27th January 2009, in Al Faraheen, Israeli forces shot at several farmers, killing a 27 year old farmer.

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