Almost 3,000 Palestinians, more than 500 of them children, have been killed in the Gaza Strip during the Al-Aqsa Intifada, according to a report by the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza City.

More than 7,000 houses have been bulldozed, with almost 3,000 entirely destroyed, the report said.

The report comes on the seventh anniversary of the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada on 28 September 2000 when Likud opposition leader Ariel Sharon made a provocative visit to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem . Thousands of security forces were deployed in and around the Old City and ensuing clashes with Palestinian protestors left in the first two days alone five Palestinians dead and over 200 injured. The incident soon sparked a widespread uprising in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and brought the peace process to a halt.

"Friday 28th September commemorates the 7th anniversary of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in the occupied Palestinian territories. This anniversary comes amidst an escalation in Israeli aggression against the Palestinian territories, and the continuation of the serious and planned violations of international law, which are considered war crimes against humanity. These crimes have culminated in the killing of 11 Palestinians, and the wounding of 26 others on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning," the report said.

The report also pointed out that in the seventh year of the Al-Aqsa Intifada the siege imposed on the Palestinian territories is being tightened and is taking the form of racial discrimination. The Gaza Strip is now an open air prison, with Palestinian civilians deprived of their right to travel and move freely, and the movement of goods in and out of Gaza Strip is prohibited. As a result, the Palestinian economy has been destroyed and unemployment and poverty are prevalent in Palestinian society. In addition, Palestinians are being assassinated by Israeli forces in the Occupied Territories .

Such Israeli practices represent numerous violations of international law, namely the fourth Geneva Convention. Those who convened and signed the Geneva Convention must take immediate measures to stop Israeli war crimes and provide protection for the Palestinian people, the report concluded.

Source: Maan News Agency