The Israeli bulldozer that ran over and killed American peace activist Rachel Corrie, 23, in the Gaza Strip today had killed before. A few weeks ago, on March 3, an Israeli bulldozer killed a nine-month pregnant Palestinian woman, Nuha Sweidan, while destroying the house next door in a dilapidated Gaza refugee camp. Palestinian witnesses said that Mrs. Sweidan, 33, bled to death under the rubble as she cradled her 18-month-old daughter. Her unborn baby also died.
Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan probably never met, but they will forever be linked as victims of Israel's 35-year occupation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
They are both victims of Israeli war crimes. The Geneva Conventions stipulate that civilian populations are to be respected and protected during hostilities. Civilians are not to be attacked directly, regardless of the motivation, even in retaliation for attacks on other civilians. To attack civilian populations intentionally is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and thus a war crime. Both Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan were killed during military actions against a civilian population, in Rachel's case, during a house demolition.
Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan probably never met, but they will forever be linked as victims of Israel's 35-year occupation of Palestinian lands in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
They are both victims of Israeli war crimes. The Geneva Conventions stipulate that civilian populations are to be respected and protected during hostilities. Civilians are not to be attacked directly, regardless of the motivation, even in retaliation for attacks on other civilians. To attack civilian populations intentionally is a grave breach of the Geneva Conventions and thus a war crime. Both Rachel Corrie and Nuha Sweidan were killed during military actions against a civilian population, in Rachel's case, during a house demolition.