The Independent: Palestinians 'terrorised' by sonic boom flights

The Independent publication (www.independent.co.uk) reported Thursday that :"Human rights groups launched a High Court battle to stop the 'physical and mental harm' to Gaza's civilian population they say is caused by Israel's new weapon against militant attacks: the sonic boom."

Israel, the occupation power of the Palestinian lands, says this is an additional arsenal in its weopons that is more human then the targeted assassinations Israel has to carry.

The Independent reported that Physicians for Human Rights-Israel and the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme are filing judicial action since "Miscarriages have increased sharply and children have been driven to panic by Israeli jets systematically breaking the sound barrier over Gaza, according to a petition filed with the court yesterday."

The groups say the fear and damage caused, particularly to children, by the "mock air raids" - a response to two phases of about 80 Qassam rocket attacks into Israel in September and October - are a form of "collective punishment" against the civilian population as a whole and therefore violate international law.

The report said " A medical opinion submitted to the court by Dr Eyad el-Sarraj, a prominent Gaza psychiatrist, points out that the flights have often been timed when children are on their way to and from school. Dr Sarraj says there is already evidence the flights are triggering in young children 'poor concentration leading to low academic achievement... fear of losing a close relative... fantasies, nightmares, depressive thoughts, glorification of violence, increased feelings of vulnerability and alertness'. He said this was because 'loud sounds are associated with danger in the minds of children, who are unable to comprehend the distinction between real shelling and mock air raids'."