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Amnesty International Condemns Killing of Rachel Corrie - Group Calls for Investigation, Suspension of Weapons Transfers

Amnesty International 17 March 2003

Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) today condemned the killing of Rachel Corrie and called for an independent investigation of her death. The organization also renewed a call for a suspension of US transfers to Israel of military equipment, including bulldozers, which have been used to commit human rights abuses. Amnesty International has consistently condemned violations by all parties to the conflict and called on these parties to take all possible measures to bring to an end the killing and wounding of civilians. 

LAW fears more human rights violations during a war on Iraq

LAW 18 March 2003

LAW fears an increase of punitive home demolitions, intended to punish the families of ‘wanted’ political activists, of suicide bombers and other armed combatants. Since the beginning of the Intifada, at least 1,133 homes have been demolished. In the past two weeks, 17 homes have been demolished as collective punishment. LAW fears an increase in home and land destruction on security pretexts, particularly around the Egypt-Palestine border in Gaza, and around the northern West Bank sections close to Israel’s apartheid wall. In the past two weeks, 15 homes were demolished on security pretexts. 

Four eyewitnesses describe the murder of Rachel Corrie

Tom Dale, Greg Schnabel, Richard Purssell and Joe Smith 19 March 2003


American peace activist Rachel Corrie was murdered by an Israeli bulldozer driver on 16 March 2003 while attempting to defend a Palestinian doctor’s home from demolition. Four of the seven other International Solidarity Movement members present have written down their recollections of the incident: Tom Dale (US), Greg Schnabel (UK), Richard Purssell (UK), and Joe Smith (US). Courtesy of the International Solidarity Movement. 

"I made them a stadium in the middle of the camp"

Tsadok Yeheskeli 31 May 2002

This interview was first published in Yediot Aharonot, Israel’s most widely circulated tabloid paper, on 31 May 2002. It is an eyewitness testimony concerning what happened in Jenin, as told by a member of the Israeli military who was proud of his actions. Shortly after publication, the unit to which the man belongs received from the army command received an official citation for outstanding service. Courtesy of Gush Shalom. 

Activists demand immediate halt of Caterpillar bulldozer sales to Israeli Defense Forces

18 March 2003

“SUSTAIN (Stop U.S. Tax-funded Aid to Israel Now) joins hundreds of other organizations in calling for international attention to and protection of the Palestinian people. SUSTAIN asks American citizens to contact the Caterpillar corporation to express their outrage at the killing of Rachel Corrie, and to demand an end to all sales of the company’s products to the Israeli military.” 

Of broken bodies and unbreakable laws

Laurie King 19 March 2003


“Rachel Corrie died for the sins of all High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions who have neglected to discharge their legally binding obligations to protect human rights and prevent impunity for confirmed rights violators. It should not fall on the shoulders of college seniors from Olympia, Washington to rectify the tragedies that nation states helped to create and are obligated to prevent.” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani traces the sources of Rachel Corrie’s courage to the principles of International Humanitarian Law while noting that her murder highlights the urgency of halting Israeli impunity. 

International, Israeli, Palestinian health workers call on Israeli Government to guarantee health workers protection

World Health Organization 15 March 2003

In an unprecedented call for protection, international, Israeli and Palestinian aid agencies joined together today to call upon the Government of Israel to ensure that its military respects the neutrality of all health personnel, services and property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) including east Jerusalem. Since the start of the current conflict in September 2000, 25 Palestinian health workers, including ambulance drivers, doctors, nurses and medical volunteers, have been killed and 419 have been injured. 

Fury from Qalqiliya

Robyn Long Qalqiliya, Palestine 18 March 2003


Sundes, an eight year old girl living in Qalqiliya, lead me upstairs to the room where her mother, Suher al Hindi, was killed last fall when shot by Israeli soldiers through a window in their home.