(sonic booms) contradiction to Geneva Convention & International Convention for Rights of Children
Living with supersonic booms

Supersonic booms created by IAF jets as part of effort to deter terror groups in Gaza taking their toll on Israeli communities in area;

Kibbutz Nirim resident says, ‘All day long there are booms. It is most frightening during the night; you have to sleep really well not to wake up from them.’

IDF: Artillery fire toward Gaza aimed at providing maximum security for residents

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3161359,00.html

Anat Bershkovsky

The supersonic booms created by IAF jets as part of the efforts to deter terror groups in Gaza, in light of the recent Qassam onslaughts, have taken their toll on Israeli communities in the area.

Moreover, the booms are often accompanied by IDF artillery fire, as additional artillery batteries have been positioned in the area as of late.

“All day long there are booms. It is most frightening during the night; you have to sleep really well not to wake up from them," Kibbutz Nirim Secretary Horatio Winitzky says.

“The children are scared because they don’t understand, but the adults are also afraid,” Winitzky adds. “We are trying to continue with the daily routine, but it is very unpleasant to live like this.”

Aryeh Itzik, a resident of nearby kibbutz Nir-Oz, which is situated along the border with Gaza south of the Kissufim crossing, told Ynet that, “Today (Saturday) the supersonic booms began at 7 a.m.; they were our wakeup call. The blasts occur every 20 minutes to an hour, and it sounds as though a bomb is falling right into the house.”

“Last week, on the eve of the second Sukkot holiday, the alert system was activated due to a real Qassam attack in the area, and we were told to remain in our homes. This was the first time something like this has happened since I came to the kibbutz in 1971,” he said.

“Last week, in light of the Qassam warnings, we were prevented from working in the fields close to the (security) fence for two days; it is obvious that when you don’t tend to the fields for two days the produce is damaged.”

'Maximum security'

The kibbutz distributed beepers to provide its members with information explaining the source of the explosions.

Aryeh’s 18-year-old daughter Tahal said, “The public must be informed that the explosions are caused by our forces and not by the Qassams.”

An IDF source said in response that “Following the IDF’s withdrawal from Gaza and in light of the reality in Gaza, the army is operating against the terror groups, mainly to prevent Qassam and mortar fire in accordance with the political echelon’s instructions.

“The diverse activity is aimed at providing maximum security for residents of the around-Gaza communities,” he added.


Hanan Greenberg contributed to the report

..............

Petition: IAF booms hurting Gazans

Petitioners argue Israel Air Force supersonic booms over Gaza Strip causing anxiety to children; court petitioned to halt booms

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3163182,00.html

Tal Rosner

The Gaza Community Mental Health Program and the "Physicians for Human Rights - Israel’ group have petitioned the High Court of Justice to immediately halt Israel Air Force supersonic booms over the Gaza Strip during flights over the area.

The petition included the professional opinion of psychiatrists who argued that the booms are causing considerable emotional damage to the Palestinian population and children in particular.

Physicians argue that the supersonic booms heard in Gaza overnight have caused anxiety to children who live in constant fear because they cannot differentiate supersonic booms from missile explosions. Most children suffering from anxiety have nightmares and complain of dizziness and headache, the physicians added.

The Gaza Community Mental Health Program stresses in the petition that it is opposed to the firing of Qassam rockets into Israel, acknowledging the fact that the booms are a reaction to such attacks.

“It is a collective and inappropriate punishment that hurts the honor and rights of the residents, and it is in contradiction to the Geneva Convention and the International Convention for the rights of children,” claims the ‘Physicians for Human Rights — Israel’ group.

Israeli citizens living in communities around Gaza have also complained of the booms caused by IAF flights over the Gaza Strip.