Solidarity for Palestinians Human Rights (SPHR) strongly condemns Israel's killing of US peace activist Rachel Corey in the southern part of the Gaza Strip on Sunday.

Rachel Corey, a 23-year old US citizen from Olympia, Washington, was attempting to prevent an Israeli army bulldozer from demolishing a Palestinian home in Al-Salam neighbourhood in the southern Gaza Strip. Eyewitnesses said that the Israeli army bulldozer ran over Rachel Corey and covered her with sand, thereby crushing her chest and skull.

Like many foreign peace activist in the occupied Palestinian territories who have exhibited an unwavering commitment to uphold the rights of the Palestinian people over the past two years, Rachel had placed her own life in danger in a most powerful expression of solidarity with the Palestinian people and protest against Israel's illegal occupation and human rights violations.

Israel's demolition of Palestinian homes in the occupied Palestinian territories continues to be one of the harshest Israeli occupation policies against the Palestinian people, and a grave human rights violation. Since June 1967, Israel has demolished more than 6000 Palestinian homes in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and more than 2,500 in occupied east Jerusalem. It is estimated that, since the first Intifada of 1987, Israel has made more than 16,000 Palestinians completely homeless.

It is for such reasons that people like Rachel feel compelled to risk their  lives in order to provide protection to the Palestinians.

The Israeli government must be held accountable for its killing of Rachel Corey, and for the killing of all innocent civilians, Palestinians and non-Palestinians. The Israeli military institution must not be allowed to
behave as an entity above the law, and must be held responsible for its illegal
actions in the Palestinian territories.

SPHR urges the Canadian government to clearly condemn Israel's killing of innocent lives, and calls upon the representatives of the international community in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories to take immediate action collectively voicing their protest against Israel's brutal military measures in the Palestinian territories.?