High Court petitioned to rescue 8 Fatah members from Gaza
Center for Defense of Individual demands Israel save eight Palestinians targeted by Hamas. 'Individual’s outcry must not be subject to cynical political considerations,' group says
HaMoked: Center for the Defense of the Individual filed Friday a petition with the High Court of Justice demanding that Israel rescue eight Fatah members left in the Gaza Strip after last Saturday’s Fatah-Hamas clashes.
HaMoked claims in its petition that the eight men are wanted and persecuted by Hamas operatives, asking the government to state its reasons for not allowing the men to leave the Strip for the West Bank or any other place in order to save their lives.
The State was orderded to submit its response by 6 pm.
However, according to HaMoked, the Fatah members were forced to leave their shelter three days ago for fear of being captured by Hamas operatives. Ever since then, the eight men have been left homeless in a dangerous zone near the Israel-Gaza separation fence. The petition further claimed that their food and drink supply was cut off due to Hamas' threats, leaving them starving as well as homeless.
HaMoked further stated in its plea that two of the eight Fatah members are under severe health conditions and that Hamas even published a wanted ad with one of the members’ photos. The petition also argued that The Physicians for Human Rights Association approached the humanitarian center at the Erez Crossing Thursday, asking it to coordinate the evacuation of the eight members to a safe haven. Phone calls between the various humanitarian associations and the Israeli and Palestinian civil administrations achieved nothing.
According to HaMoked, on Friday it contacted IDF Lieutenant Colonel Uri Zinger, who told them the request for the eight’s release was submitted to a higher command and that an answer would not be received before Sunday. HaMoked has asked the court to call for an urgent hearing on Friday so as to save the lives of the eight members.
“The moment in which a person begs for their life is when one should remember that saving another's soul is equal saving the entire world and that an individual’s outcry must not be subject to cynical political considerations,” stated the petition.
