28 june 2013
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) greatly welcomes the decision of the Paris Court of Appeal, issued on Wednesday 26 June 2013, which convicted Philippe Karsenty, a French journalist, of defamation of the French national television channel France 2, and fined him €7,000 Euros. PCHR asserts that this ruling is a moral, legal and humanitarian victory, especially after Israel and its allies tried to deny its responsibility by all means and methods of manipulation, including the targeting of France 2 and its correspondent in Gaza.
PCHR also asserts that the court's decision is a victory for truth and Palestinian victims in the face of the continued attempts to discredit and forge the facts, and mislead the public opinion by Israel.
Karsenty had issued a report in 2004 accusing France 2 of falsely depicting the death of Mohammed al-Dura in 2000. This report completely denied the killing of al-Dura and claimied that there is no evidence that such an incident took place. These allegations were supported by official government bodies in Israel and Israeli and international media in a vulgar and despicable manner in order to deny the killing of Mohammed al-Dura, which was one of the prime motives for the outbreak of al-Aqsa Intifada.
The Court's decision on the killing of al-Dura restores the faith and trust in the French judiciary and its role as guardian of justice, the rule of law and redress for victims, particularly in such cases which have been in the center of legal and media conflicts in relation to the Palestinian cause in the past 10 years. For the past decade, PCHR has closely followed the updates and course of the case, especially since PCHR compiled the complete legal documentation related to the case, including the affidavit of Talal Abu-Rahma, photographer for France 2, who witnessed and filmed the incident.
Furthermore, PCHR notes that even though it has the complete legal file on the incident of the Mohammed al-Dura killing, the organisation has not been called to appear before the court to display the facts related to the case, for example, but not limited to, the killing of the ambulance driver, Bassam al-Belbeysy, who tried to rescue al-Dura, and the affidavits of two other media workers who were present at the scene and witnessed the killing of al-Dura.
The attempts to deny the killing of Mohammed al-Dura by Israeli forces, in spite of local and international media and human rights organizations' documentation of this horrifying crime, comes in the context of continued Israeli attempts to deny its crimes against Palestinian civilians, and discredit evidence which prove that war crimes have been committed against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
In this regard, Israeli forces 12 years after the incident, which took place in September 2000, formed an official investigation committee in September 2012. The investigation is called the "Israeli Government Review Committee," at the instructions of Israeli Prime Minister as a proactive step to disrupt the court's decision. The committee's report, issued on 19 May 2013, reached the following conclusions: "There is no evidence that Mohammed or his father, Jamal, were wounded in the incident; the two were not struck by bullets at all; and the Israeli forces bear no responsibility for the incident."
PCHR refuted, at the time, the report of the Israeli Government Review Committee, pointing out that this examination, and previous investigations into the matter, conducted by the Israeli authorities failed to meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness, and effectiveness. PCHR also confirmed that it carried out an extensive investigation of the incident after it occurred, the findings of which completely contradict the assertions of the Israeli report. As part of its investigations, PCHR's lawyers collected affidavits from the following persons: 1. Mr. Talal Hassan Abu Rahma, a photographer for France 2 television who witnessed the incident; 2. Mr. Ma'ali Suleiman Hussain Selmi, head of the reception department at Shifa hospital in Gaza City; and
3. Mr. Fathi Ahmed Mas'oud al-Louh, an ambulance driver present at the Martyrs junction on the day of the incident and who was seriously injured by Israeli gunfire.
As part of the eyewitness testimonies, Abu Rahma, who was present during the incident, stated that the Israeli forces fired intensively and intermittently at Mohammed and Jamal. The victims were then evacuated to Shifa hospital by ambulance, where Mohammed was pronounced dead on arrival. Another eyewitness, Al-Louh also stated that, while tending to a number of injured persons, he himself was injured by a rubber coated metal bullet in his right leg, and shortly after that he was injured when a live bullet grazed the top of his head.
In the light of the above, PCHR:
1. Confirms that Israeli attempts to obscure and forge the truth are desperate and obvious to the world, and aim to deny the suffering of Palestinians and their right to receive justice and redress;
2. Asserts that it will continue to prosecute Israeli war criminals and bring them to justice, demanding the international community to hold its responsibility to stop Israeli crimes and redress Palestinian victims; and
3. Calls upon the international community for an independent investigation of the incident, and to publish its results, prosecute the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
PCHR also asserts that the court's decision is a victory for truth and Palestinian victims in the face of the continued attempts to discredit and forge the facts, and mislead the public opinion by Israel.
Karsenty had issued a report in 2004 accusing France 2 of falsely depicting the death of Mohammed al-Dura in 2000. This report completely denied the killing of al-Dura and claimied that there is no evidence that such an incident took place. These allegations were supported by official government bodies in Israel and Israeli and international media in a vulgar and despicable manner in order to deny the killing of Mohammed al-Dura, which was one of the prime motives for the outbreak of al-Aqsa Intifada.
The Court's decision on the killing of al-Dura restores the faith and trust in the French judiciary and its role as guardian of justice, the rule of law and redress for victims, particularly in such cases which have been in the center of legal and media conflicts in relation to the Palestinian cause in the past 10 years. For the past decade, PCHR has closely followed the updates and course of the case, especially since PCHR compiled the complete legal documentation related to the case, including the affidavit of Talal Abu-Rahma, photographer for France 2, who witnessed and filmed the incident.
Furthermore, PCHR notes that even though it has the complete legal file on the incident of the Mohammed al-Dura killing, the organisation has not been called to appear before the court to display the facts related to the case, for example, but not limited to, the killing of the ambulance driver, Bassam al-Belbeysy, who tried to rescue al-Dura, and the affidavits of two other media workers who were present at the scene and witnessed the killing of al-Dura.
The attempts to deny the killing of Mohammed al-Dura by Israeli forces, in spite of local and international media and human rights organizations' documentation of this horrifying crime, comes in the context of continued Israeli attempts to deny its crimes against Palestinian civilians, and discredit evidence which prove that war crimes have been committed against Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).
In this regard, Israeli forces 12 years after the incident, which took place in September 2000, formed an official investigation committee in September 2012. The investigation is called the "Israeli Government Review Committee," at the instructions of Israeli Prime Minister as a proactive step to disrupt the court's decision. The committee's report, issued on 19 May 2013, reached the following conclusions: "There is no evidence that Mohammed or his father, Jamal, were wounded in the incident; the two were not struck by bullets at all; and the Israeli forces bear no responsibility for the incident."
PCHR refuted, at the time, the report of the Israeli Government Review Committee, pointing out that this examination, and previous investigations into the matter, conducted by the Israeli authorities failed to meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness, and effectiveness. PCHR also confirmed that it carried out an extensive investigation of the incident after it occurred, the findings of which completely contradict the assertions of the Israeli report. As part of its investigations, PCHR's lawyers collected affidavits from the following persons: 1. Mr. Talal Hassan Abu Rahma, a photographer for France 2 television who witnessed the incident; 2. Mr. Ma'ali Suleiman Hussain Selmi, head of the reception department at Shifa hospital in Gaza City; and
3. Mr. Fathi Ahmed Mas'oud al-Louh, an ambulance driver present at the Martyrs junction on the day of the incident and who was seriously injured by Israeli gunfire.
As part of the eyewitness testimonies, Abu Rahma, who was present during the incident, stated that the Israeli forces fired intensively and intermittently at Mohammed and Jamal. The victims were then evacuated to Shifa hospital by ambulance, where Mohammed was pronounced dead on arrival. Another eyewitness, Al-Louh also stated that, while tending to a number of injured persons, he himself was injured by a rubber coated metal bullet in his right leg, and shortly after that he was injured when a live bullet grazed the top of his head.
In the light of the above, PCHR:
1. Confirms that Israeli attempts to obscure and forge the truth are desperate and obvious to the world, and aim to deny the suffering of Palestinians and their right to receive justice and redress;
2. Asserts that it will continue to prosecute Israeli war criminals and bring them to justice, demanding the international community to hold its responsibility to stop Israeli crimes and redress Palestinian victims; and
3. Calls upon the international community for an independent investigation of the incident, and to publish its results, prosecute the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
27 june 2013
Gaza government praised the ruling of a French court invalidating claims by right wing Israeli institutions about the videotape documenting martyrdom of Palestinian child Mohammed al-Dura. The court fined the Israelis 7,000 Euros (NIS 33,000) in the defamation case filed by France 2 TV.
Ihab al-Ghussein, head of the media office of Gaza government, stated that the court's decision was a victory for the martyr Mohamed al-Durra who was killed twice. The first was on September 30, 2000 by Israeli bullets, while the second was by the Israeli attempts to evade accountability for the heinous crime.
Al-Ghussein praised the court's ruling and expressed his appreciation for France 2's efforts over the past year in the defamation case.
He considered the court's decision as a big boost to continue the efforts made, under Gaza government's support, to prosecute the occupation leaders for their crimes against the Palestinian people.
A report by the Israeli government had questioned the videotape which confirms that Mohammed al-Dura was killed 11 years ago in the arms of his father by the Israeli soldiers' gunfire. However, the French judiciary confirmed that the tape has documented the truth.
Ihab al-Ghussein, head of the media office of Gaza government, stated that the court's decision was a victory for the martyr Mohamed al-Durra who was killed twice. The first was on September 30, 2000 by Israeli bullets, while the second was by the Israeli attempts to evade accountability for the heinous crime.
Al-Ghussein praised the court's ruling and expressed his appreciation for France 2's efforts over the past year in the defamation case.
He considered the court's decision as a big boost to continue the efforts made, under Gaza government's support, to prosecute the occupation leaders for their crimes against the Palestinian people.
A report by the Israeli government had questioned the videotape which confirms that Mohammed al-Dura was killed 11 years ago in the arms of his father by the Israeli soldiers' gunfire. However, the French judiciary confirmed that the tape has documented the truth.
26 june 2013
Fawzi Barhoum, Hamas movement spokesman, considered that the ruling of a French court invalidating claims by right wing Zionists about the videotape documenting martyrdom of Palestinian child Mohammed al-Dura, reveals an Israeli attempt to falsify the facts. A report by the Israeli government had questioned the videotape which confirms that Mohammed al-Dura was killed 11 years ago in the arms of his father by the Israeli soldiers' gunfire.
However, the French judiciary confirmed that the tape has documented the truth.
Barhoum said in a press statement that the French court's decision reveals that the occupation has tried to falsify the facts, in order to cover up the crimes of its leaders against the Palestinian people.
Hamas spokesman called for prosecuting the occupation for its crimes in the national and international courts and for supporting the Palestinian people and punishing the Israeli criminals, as he said.
However, the French judiciary confirmed that the tape has documented the truth.
Barhoum said in a press statement that the French court's decision reveals that the occupation has tried to falsify the facts, in order to cover up the crimes of its leaders against the Palestinian people.
Hamas spokesman called for prosecuting the occupation for its crimes in the national and international courts and for supporting the Palestinian people and punishing the Israeli criminals, as he said.
Mohammad Al-Azraq 27
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian fighter died Monday [June 24], of wounds suffered three years ago when the Israeli army attempted to assassinate him.
The sources said that Mohammad Al-Azraq, 27, member of a group calling itself the “Army of Islam” was hit by shrapnel in the head, while another fighter identified as Mohammad An-Namnam, was immediately killed.
Al-Namnam is from the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a Palestinian fighter died Monday [June 24], of wounds suffered three years ago when the Israeli army attempted to assassinate him.
The sources said that Mohammad Al-Azraq, 27, member of a group calling itself the “Army of Islam” was hit by shrapnel in the head, while another fighter identified as Mohammad An-Namnam, was immediately killed.
Al-Namnam is from the Jabalia refugee camp, in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
25 june 2013
The Palestine prisoners center for studies charged the Israeli occupation authority (IOA) with practicing systematic torture against Palestinian prisoners with full authorization by the judicial system. It said in a statement on Tuesday that the general committee against torture received 900 complaints from liberated prisoners over the past few years detailing their torture at the hands of Israeli jailors, who were not prosecuted or interrogated about such practice.
It also charged the Israeli judiciary with complicity as none of the interrogators was investigated over the use of cruel interrogation means.
The center, in a report on the occasion of the international day against torture, said that the IOA was legalizing torture without any humanitarian consideration.
It said that the practice led to the martyrdom of 71 prisoners the latest being Arafat Jaradat from Al-Khalil.
It also charged the Israeli judiciary with complicity as none of the interrogators was investigated over the use of cruel interrogation means.
The center, in a report on the occasion of the international day against torture, said that the IOA was legalizing torture without any humanitarian consideration.
It said that the practice led to the martyrdom of 71 prisoners the latest being Arafat Jaradat from Al-Khalil.
22 june 2013
Arab Knesset member Mohamed Baraka said that the killing of a Jewish settler suspected as an Arab man by an Israeli policeman on Friday reflected that there are racist orders given to Israeli policemen and soldiers to kill Arabs easily and arbitrarily. Baraka stated that the Israeli claim that the Jewish victim was shouting "Allahu Akbar" in order to justify his killing vindicated that such expression is an enough reason for the Israeli security and military units to kill a Palestinian Arab.
He demanded the Israeli occupation authority and its security and military institutions to stop what he described as the slow massacre that targets the Palestinian Arabs, especially that the Jewish settlers encourage the opening of gunfire at the Palestinian natives in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
An Israeli policeman shot dead a Jewish settler on Friday morning at the Aqsa Mosque's western wall (Al-Buraq wall) mistaking him for a Palestinian Arab, according to the police account.
"There was a Jewish guy, an Israeli guy, who was in the bathroom area," the police added
The police claimed that the Jewish man, 46, shouted for some reason 'Allahu Akbar' when a policeman spotted him and fired several fatal shots at him.
The killer policeman told investigators that he thought the man was pulling something from his pocket as he shouted and was about to attack him.
He demanded the Israeli occupation authority and its security and military institutions to stop what he described as the slow massacre that targets the Palestinian Arabs, especially that the Jewish settlers encourage the opening of gunfire at the Palestinian natives in the West Bank and Jerusalem.
An Israeli policeman shot dead a Jewish settler on Friday morning at the Aqsa Mosque's western wall (Al-Buraq wall) mistaking him for a Palestinian Arab, according to the police account.
"There was a Jewish guy, an Israeli guy, who was in the bathroom area," the police added
The police claimed that the Jewish man, 46, shouted for some reason 'Allahu Akbar' when a policeman spotted him and fired several fatal shots at him.
The killer policeman told investigators that he thought the man was pulling something from his pocket as he shouted and was about to attack him.
21 june 2013
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Press TV has conducted an interview with Khalid Amayreh, a Palestinian journalist in al-Khalil, to further talk about the mistreatment of Palestinian children by Israeli forces. What follows is an approximate transcription of the interview.
Press TV: Khalid Amayreh, you heard our guest there in London [Richard Millet]. What do you think? Amayreh: Actually, although the UN report indicts Israel, but in my opinion, it is an understatement. It remains an understatement because the Israeli treatment of Palestinian children is too ugly and too notorious to be described in decent language. |
It goes beyond the pale of decency and common sense. In order to actually obtain solid evidence, we need a genuine investigation into what Israel has been doing. But the fact that thousands of Palestinian children have been killed and maimed both in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip shows that Israel is guilty of crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Palestinian kids are killed, are murdered knowingly and deliberately by the Israeli armed forces and if the Israeli troops succeed in concealing evidence, indicting evidence, they just escape with impunity. This is what is happening with most cases of abuse against Palestinian kids by the Israeli occupation army.
Press TV: Khalid Amayreh, our guest n London talks about Hamas and the rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip. Another detail behind this report was that disproportionate use of air strikes coming from Israel in which it concentrated on densely packed population in the Gaza Strip.
I mean, we saw that unfold in 2008 of how Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip. So they do have a point there. We do not need any facts; we saw that on the TV screens, didn’t we?
Amayreh: Actually, Hamas is a red herring for Israel just as Fatah and other Palestinian resistance have been red herring for the Israelis. There is no cemetery in this conflict.
We are talking about a powerful state which also has the United States at her beck and call, ganging up on helpless people who want freedom from this Nazi-like regime. Hamas has no choice but to establish a kind of deterrence vis-à-vis Israel which uses the state of art of American technology of death to target innocent Palestinians, helpless Palestinians. All you have to do is just to look at the casualties.
You know, for every five hundred or for every Israeli child killed inadvertently by Hamas or other Palestinian organizations, there are at least five hundred or a thousand Palestinian kids killed knowingly and deliberately by the Israeli army. One raid by an F-16 warplane can kill dozens of people, but thousands and thousands of Palestinian rockets launched by Hamas killed or injured only a dozen Israelis, or maybe 10 or 15 or 12.
So these rockets are psychological in nature. They are almost innocuous; they cannot be compared to the notorious and evil Israeli machine of death which kills Palestinians in the thousands.
Press TV: When Richard Millet talks about two Israelis being killed, I am not too sure if it was intentional or not, that we have seven thousand Palestinian children languishing in jails.
Their reports that Israeli soldiers are using Palestinian children to look into buildings, into bags that are maybe filled explosives, does it justify the case of Israel doing this on the Palestinian children? If you can explain to our guest in London.
Amayreh: Well, actually, I can say that the issue here is much deeper than just targeting Palestinian children. Israel is occupying our people; Israel is practicing racism against our people and I can say that the occupation is an act of rape. So the people under occupation have inherent, intrinsic and legitimate right to resist their occupier.
You cannot tell a woman you have no right to resist your attacker. I mean, nobody would buy this talk but Israel is trying to actually tell the international community that the Palestinians are the villains and Israel which has been occupying our land for 67 years and killing our people is the underdog. Israel is not the underdog; Israel is the criminal aggressor and it should be treated as such by the rest of the world.
Press TV: That is not what I understood from you, Khalid Amayreh. Richard Millet is saying that you want Israel to disappear. Is that what you meant? I do not think that is the statement that I comprehended for any of the statements that you made.
Amayreh: I am not sure I heard the question correctly but Israel is practicing hegemony against its neighbors. Israel is trying to actually subjugate everybody. Israel is the only country in the world that does not say openly where her borders lie.
So Israel actually has killed the possibility of the two-state solution. A country that builds settlements on occupied territories, a country that transfers hundreds of thousands of settlers to live on land that belongs to another people, does this country want peace?
Press TV: Let me ask you this: what do you think is stopping Israel and the Palestinians of coming to the table? Or maybe I should rephrase that question. Do you the US has helped or has hindered or hurt chances especially under the Obama administration for Israel and Palestine to come to the negotiating table?
Amayreh: Well, the Palestinian state is a police state without a state and the PA or the PLO recognized Israel in 1993 but instead of reciprocating the Palestinian recognition, Israel refused to recognize a Palestinian state.
Instead, Israel indulged an intensive building of settlement expansion in the West Bank so much so that there is no room left for a viable and territorial contiguous Palestinian state. Israel has killed irreversibly, has decapitated the possibility of...
Palestinian kids are killed, are murdered knowingly and deliberately by the Israeli armed forces and if the Israeli troops succeed in concealing evidence, indicting evidence, they just escape with impunity. This is what is happening with most cases of abuse against Palestinian kids by the Israeli occupation army.
Press TV: Khalid Amayreh, our guest n London talks about Hamas and the rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip. Another detail behind this report was that disproportionate use of air strikes coming from Israel in which it concentrated on densely packed population in the Gaza Strip.
I mean, we saw that unfold in 2008 of how Israel bombarded the Gaza Strip. So they do have a point there. We do not need any facts; we saw that on the TV screens, didn’t we?
Amayreh: Actually, Hamas is a red herring for Israel just as Fatah and other Palestinian resistance have been red herring for the Israelis. There is no cemetery in this conflict.
We are talking about a powerful state which also has the United States at her beck and call, ganging up on helpless people who want freedom from this Nazi-like regime. Hamas has no choice but to establish a kind of deterrence vis-à-vis Israel which uses the state of art of American technology of death to target innocent Palestinians, helpless Palestinians. All you have to do is just to look at the casualties.
You know, for every five hundred or for every Israeli child killed inadvertently by Hamas or other Palestinian organizations, there are at least five hundred or a thousand Palestinian kids killed knowingly and deliberately by the Israeli army. One raid by an F-16 warplane can kill dozens of people, but thousands and thousands of Palestinian rockets launched by Hamas killed or injured only a dozen Israelis, or maybe 10 or 15 or 12.
So these rockets are psychological in nature. They are almost innocuous; they cannot be compared to the notorious and evil Israeli machine of death which kills Palestinians in the thousands.
Press TV: When Richard Millet talks about two Israelis being killed, I am not too sure if it was intentional or not, that we have seven thousand Palestinian children languishing in jails.
Their reports that Israeli soldiers are using Palestinian children to look into buildings, into bags that are maybe filled explosives, does it justify the case of Israel doing this on the Palestinian children? If you can explain to our guest in London.
Amayreh: Well, actually, I can say that the issue here is much deeper than just targeting Palestinian children. Israel is occupying our people; Israel is practicing racism against our people and I can say that the occupation is an act of rape. So the people under occupation have inherent, intrinsic and legitimate right to resist their occupier.
You cannot tell a woman you have no right to resist your attacker. I mean, nobody would buy this talk but Israel is trying to actually tell the international community that the Palestinians are the villains and Israel which has been occupying our land for 67 years and killing our people is the underdog. Israel is not the underdog; Israel is the criminal aggressor and it should be treated as such by the rest of the world.
Press TV: That is not what I understood from you, Khalid Amayreh. Richard Millet is saying that you want Israel to disappear. Is that what you meant? I do not think that is the statement that I comprehended for any of the statements that you made.
Amayreh: I am not sure I heard the question correctly but Israel is practicing hegemony against its neighbors. Israel is trying to actually subjugate everybody. Israel is the only country in the world that does not say openly where her borders lie.
So Israel actually has killed the possibility of the two-state solution. A country that builds settlements on occupied territories, a country that transfers hundreds of thousands of settlers to live on land that belongs to another people, does this country want peace?
Press TV: Let me ask you this: what do you think is stopping Israel and the Palestinians of coming to the table? Or maybe I should rephrase that question. Do you the US has helped or has hindered or hurt chances especially under the Obama administration for Israel and Palestine to come to the negotiating table?
Amayreh: Well, the Palestinian state is a police state without a state and the PA or the PLO recognized Israel in 1993 but instead of reciprocating the Palestinian recognition, Israel refused to recognize a Palestinian state.
Instead, Israel indulged an intensive building of settlement expansion in the West Bank so much so that there is no room left for a viable and territorial contiguous Palestinian state. Israel has killed irreversibly, has decapitated the possibility of...
An Israeli security guard shot dead a Jewish visitor at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the holiest site where Jews can pray, on Friday, apparently mistaking him for a Palestinian militant.
"There was a Jewish guy, an Israeli guy, who was in the bathroom area," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
"He for some reason shouted 'Allahu Akbar'," Rosenfeld said. "A security guard drew his weapon and fired several shots at the suspect... He died from his wounds a few moments ago."
The shooting took place shortly before 8 a.m. as the plaza in front of the Wall filled with worshipers for morning prayers ahead of the start of the Jewish Sabbath at sundown.
The site was closed to the public for at least an hour afterwards.
Paramedic Zeevi Hessed told news website NRG that his team rushed to the scene as reports of a shooting came in.
"When we reached the place, we saw him lying at the Western Wall plaza," he said. "He had been shot in several parts of his body... Sadly there was nothing we could do but declare him dead."
Rosenfeld said that an investigation had been opened into the shooting.
Public radio quoted the private security guard as telling police investigators that he thought the man, 46, was pulling something from his pocket as he shouted, and was about to attack him.
It said that police found nothing suspicious on the man's person.
Privately-owned Channel 10 TV said the dead man was believed to be mentally disturbed.
It cited witnesses as saying that the guard fired between seven and 10 bullets and that the fire was unjustified and that the man appeared to be a harmless eccentric.
Rosenfeld said the circumstances were still unclear.
"We're looking into the background: why the security officer opened fire and what the motives were of the guy, the 46-year-old -- it's very strange behavior."
The Western Wall is venerated by Jews as the last remnant of the wall supporting the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Above it is the compound housing the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently break out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces.
Jews are not allowed to pray inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
"There was a Jewish guy, an Israeli guy, who was in the bathroom area," police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told AFP.
"He for some reason shouted 'Allahu Akbar'," Rosenfeld said. "A security guard drew his weapon and fired several shots at the suspect... He died from his wounds a few moments ago."
The shooting took place shortly before 8 a.m. as the plaza in front of the Wall filled with worshipers for morning prayers ahead of the start of the Jewish Sabbath at sundown.
The site was closed to the public for at least an hour afterwards.
Paramedic Zeevi Hessed told news website NRG that his team rushed to the scene as reports of a shooting came in.
"When we reached the place, we saw him lying at the Western Wall plaza," he said. "He had been shot in several parts of his body... Sadly there was nothing we could do but declare him dead."
Rosenfeld said that an investigation had been opened into the shooting.
Public radio quoted the private security guard as telling police investigators that he thought the man, 46, was pulling something from his pocket as he shouted, and was about to attack him.
It said that police found nothing suspicious on the man's person.
Privately-owned Channel 10 TV said the dead man was believed to be mentally disturbed.
It cited witnesses as saying that the guard fired between seven and 10 bullets and that the fire was unjustified and that the man appeared to be a harmless eccentric.
Rosenfeld said the circumstances were still unclear.
"We're looking into the background: why the security officer opened fire and what the motives were of the guy, the 46-year-old -- it's very strange behavior."
The Western Wall is venerated by Jews as the last remnant of the wall supporting the Second Temple, which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD.
Above it is the compound housing the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest site in Islam.
Known to Jews as the Temple Mount, the compound is a deeply sensitive location where clashes frequently break out between Palestinian worshipers and Israeli forces.
Jews are not allowed to pray inside the Al-Aqsa mosque compound.
12 june 2013
Khaled Jamal Kharboush 27
Palestinian medical sources reported on Tuesday evening [June 11 2013] that a young Palestinian man died of serious injuries suffered in 2004 when undercover forces of the Israeli army tried to assassinate him, in Tulkarem refugee camp, in the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem.
The sources said that, on April 4 2004, Khaled Jamal Kharboush, 27, was shot and seriously injured by a live round fired by undercover soldiers, and was moved to the Thabit Thabit Hospital in Tulkarem.
He suffered a gunshot injury that penetrated his head through his right eye leading brain damage and tetraplegia.
Back then, Israeli soldiers invaded the hospital and kidnapped the seriously wounded man, and took him to an Israeli hospital. 40 days later, the soldiers handed Kharboush back to the Palestinians.
He was transferred to a number of Palestinian hospitals, before being moved to various medical centers in Italy, Russia, Lebanon and Syria.
On May 4, he was moved to medical center in Jordan. A few days ago, he suffered brain hemorrhage and went into deep coma until he was pronounced dead on Tuesday.
The Hamas movement said that was one of its senior fighters, and that Israel repeatedly tried to assassinate him since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in late September 2000.
Palestinian medical sources reported on Tuesday evening [June 11 2013] that a young Palestinian man died of serious injuries suffered in 2004 when undercover forces of the Israeli army tried to assassinate him, in Tulkarem refugee camp, in the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem.
The sources said that, on April 4 2004, Khaled Jamal Kharboush, 27, was shot and seriously injured by a live round fired by undercover soldiers, and was moved to the Thabit Thabit Hospital in Tulkarem.
He suffered a gunshot injury that penetrated his head through his right eye leading brain damage and tetraplegia.
Back then, Israeli soldiers invaded the hospital and kidnapped the seriously wounded man, and took him to an Israeli hospital. 40 days later, the soldiers handed Kharboush back to the Palestinians.
He was transferred to a number of Palestinian hospitals, before being moved to various medical centers in Italy, Russia, Lebanon and Syria.
On May 4, he was moved to medical center in Jordan. A few days ago, he suffered brain hemorrhage and went into deep coma until he was pronounced dead on Tuesday.
The Hamas movement said that was one of its senior fighters, and that Israel repeatedly tried to assassinate him since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in late September 2000.
23 may 2013
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) refutes the findings of the recently-published report from the Israeli Government Review Committee, titled 'The France 2 Al-Durrah Report, its Consequences and Implications', released on 19 May 2013. The report examines the incident involving the killing of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy, Mohammed al-Durrah, which occurred on 30 September 2000 at the Netzarim junction in the Gaza Strip.
PCHR said in a press statement that the Government Review Committee was set up in September 2012 upon the instruction of the Israeli prime minister, twelve years after the incident took place. The committee claims to have extensively reviewed material related to the incident. Its key findings were as follows: there is no evidence that Mohammed or his father, Jamal, were wounded in the incident; the two were not struck by bullets at all; and the Israeli forces bear no responsibility for the incident.
PCHR carried out an investigation of the incident after it occurred, the findings of which completely contradict the assertions in the Israeli report. As a part of its investigations, PCHR's lawyers collected affidavits from the following persons:
1- Mr. Talal Hassan Abu Rahma, a photographer for France 2 television who witnessed the incident;
2- Mr. Ma'ali Suleiman Hussain Selmi, head of the reception department at Shifa hospital in Gaza City; and
3- Mr. Fathi Ahmed Mas'oud al-Louh, an ambulance driver who was present at the Netzarim junction on the day of the incident and was seriously injured by Israeli gunfire.
Abu Rahma, who was present during the incident, stated that Israeli forces fired intensively and intermittently at Mohammed and Jamal. The victims were then evacuated to Shifa hospital by ambulance, where Mohammed was pronounced dead on arrival. Mas'oid al Louh, who was present at the Netzarim junction on the day when the incident took place, stated that he had witnessed Israeli forces firing live bullets that day. Al-Louh also stated that, while tending to a number of injured persons, he himself was injured by a rubber coated metal bullet in his right leg, and shortly after that he was injured when a live bullet grazed the top of his head.
Israel, as an occupying power, is obliged to ensure that its forces respect and protect the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. However, PCHR's investigation indicates that Israeli forces arbitrarily deprived Mohammed of his right to life, in violation of Article 6(1) of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, Israeli forces disregarded Articles 9 and 10 of the 1990 UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, according to which they should not have fired at Mohammed and Jamal, as they did not pose any imminent threat of death or serious injury to the soldiers or any other person.
In light of the above:
a) PCHR strongly disputes the Israeli committee's conclusions in the report;
b) PCHR strongly condemns Israel's 12-year delay in examining the incident. This report challenges the very authenticity of the report which first brought the incident to attention. Given the nature of the incident, and the potential human rights violations related to it, this delay, in itself, constitutes a violation of customary international law norms, which establish that unreasonably prolonged delays in the examination and investigation of human rights violations result in a situation of impunity. The report does not provide any justification for this delay;
c) PCHR believes that this examination, and previous investigations into the matter, conducted by the Israeli authorities failed to meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness, and effectiveness; and
d) PCHR calls for an independent international investigation of the incident.
PCHR said in a press statement that the Government Review Committee was set up in September 2012 upon the instruction of the Israeli prime minister, twelve years after the incident took place. The committee claims to have extensively reviewed material related to the incident. Its key findings were as follows: there is no evidence that Mohammed or his father, Jamal, were wounded in the incident; the two were not struck by bullets at all; and the Israeli forces bear no responsibility for the incident.
PCHR carried out an investigation of the incident after it occurred, the findings of which completely contradict the assertions in the Israeli report. As a part of its investigations, PCHR's lawyers collected affidavits from the following persons:
1- Mr. Talal Hassan Abu Rahma, a photographer for France 2 television who witnessed the incident;
2- Mr. Ma'ali Suleiman Hussain Selmi, head of the reception department at Shifa hospital in Gaza City; and
3- Mr. Fathi Ahmed Mas'oud al-Louh, an ambulance driver who was present at the Netzarim junction on the day of the incident and was seriously injured by Israeli gunfire.
Abu Rahma, who was present during the incident, stated that Israeli forces fired intensively and intermittently at Mohammed and Jamal. The victims were then evacuated to Shifa hospital by ambulance, where Mohammed was pronounced dead on arrival. Mas'oid al Louh, who was present at the Netzarim junction on the day when the incident took place, stated that he had witnessed Israeli forces firing live bullets that day. Al-Louh also stated that, while tending to a number of injured persons, he himself was injured by a rubber coated metal bullet in his right leg, and shortly after that he was injured when a live bullet grazed the top of his head.
Israel, as an occupying power, is obliged to ensure that its forces respect and protect the human rights of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. However, PCHR's investigation indicates that Israeli forces arbitrarily deprived Mohammed of his right to life, in violation of Article 6(1) of the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Moreover, Israeli forces disregarded Articles 9 and 10 of the 1990 UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, according to which they should not have fired at Mohammed and Jamal, as they did not pose any imminent threat of death or serious injury to the soldiers or any other person.
In light of the above:
a) PCHR strongly disputes the Israeli committee's conclusions in the report;
b) PCHR strongly condemns Israel's 12-year delay in examining the incident. This report challenges the very authenticity of the report which first brought the incident to attention. Given the nature of the incident, and the potential human rights violations related to it, this delay, in itself, constitutes a violation of customary international law norms, which establish that unreasonably prolonged delays in the examination and investigation of human rights violations result in a situation of impunity. The report does not provide any justification for this delay;
c) PCHR believes that this examination, and previous investigations into the matter, conducted by the Israeli authorities failed to meet international standards of independence, impartiality, transparency, promptness, and effectiveness; and
d) PCHR calls for an independent international investigation of the incident.
22 may 2013
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights strongly denounced the Israeli authorities’ denial of its responsibility for the killing of the child Mohammed al-Durra during the second Palestinian uprising in 2000, saying that it is "a new Israeli attempt to exempt forces from responsibility for violations of International law."
The Israeli government’s investigation committee, which was formed in September 2012 in order to conduct investigations into the killing of the Palestinian child, Mohammed al-Durra, stated that at the end of the film that captured the incident and was aired by the French television channel France 2, al-Durra was still alive.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns "Israel’s policy of denial as an attempt to escape its responsibility for the death of Mohammed. The formation of the investigation committee came 12 years after the incident, heard no witnesses and reviewed no credible resources about the event."
The French channel’s correspondent who filmed the incident where Jamal al-Durra and his young son were targeted and were trying to protect themselves from live fire.
The Israeli occupation forces continue to mislead public opinion regarding its actions in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), especially in the Gaza Strip, the center noted.
Al Mezan stressed that “Israel has thus far refused to cooperate with almost all of the UN investigative missions to the oPt.”
Israel has amended its laws to prevent Palestinians' access to any form of justice or redress within the Israeli justice system. This development entrenches a serious state of impunity and denial of any remedies for Palestinians affected by Israel’s occupation of the oPt and acts as encouragement to the Israeli occupying forces to violate the rules of international law, the center added in its press release.
The center concluded by stressing that the international community's failure to stand by its obligations has further encouraged Israel to continue with its crimes and policies of denial and impunity, with complete disregard to its obligation under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.
The Israeli government’s investigation committee, which was formed in September 2012 in order to conduct investigations into the killing of the Palestinian child, Mohammed al-Durra, stated that at the end of the film that captured the incident and was aired by the French television channel France 2, al-Durra was still alive.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns "Israel’s policy of denial as an attempt to escape its responsibility for the death of Mohammed. The formation of the investigation committee came 12 years after the incident, heard no witnesses and reviewed no credible resources about the event."
The French channel’s correspondent who filmed the incident where Jamal al-Durra and his young son were targeted and were trying to protect themselves from live fire.
The Israeli occupation forces continue to mislead public opinion regarding its actions in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), especially in the Gaza Strip, the center noted.
Al Mezan stressed that “Israel has thus far refused to cooperate with almost all of the UN investigative missions to the oPt.”
Israel has amended its laws to prevent Palestinians' access to any form of justice or redress within the Israeli justice system. This development entrenches a serious state of impunity and denial of any remedies for Palestinians affected by Israel’s occupation of the oPt and acts as encouragement to the Israeli occupying forces to violate the rules of international law, the center added in its press release.
The center concluded by stressing that the international community's failure to stand by its obligations has further encouraged Israel to continue with its crimes and policies of denial and impunity, with complete disregard to its obligation under International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.
20 may 2013
The father of Muhammad al-Dura, who was shot dead by Israeli forces in 2000, said Monday that he was not surprised by Israel's refusal to take responsibility for his son's death.
"Every year the Israelis come up with a new narrative," Jamal al-Dura told Ma'an. "Yes, Muhammad is still alive in our hearts and in the hearts of the Arab and Islamic nation as well as all the noble people who support the Palestinian cause."
France 2 reporter Charles Enderlin's reportage on the incident shows the death of 12-year-old Muhammad in the arms of his father in Sept. 30, 2000 after being caught in the crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants at the start of the second intifada.
An Israeli report by the ministry of international affairs and strategy said raw footage of the incident showed that Muhammad was seen alive in the video.
"Israel committed that crime in cold blood, and they know quite well that Muhammad and the Palestinian people are going after them," Jamal al-Durra told Ma'an.
"Who showered Muhammad and his father with bullets while they were unarmed?" he asked.
Muhammad was the eldest son in the al-Dura family. A year after his death, the family had another boy and named him after Muhammad. He is now 11 years old.
"I am proud that my father named me after my brother who died a martyr," he told Ma'an.
In response to an AFP query Enderlin, the Jerusalem correspondent for the television channel that broadcast the original news report, said: "We are ready for an independent public inquiry."
"We have always said, including to the supreme court, that we were ready for an independent public inquiry by international standards."
Philippe Karsenty, director of watchdog group Media Ratings, was convicted of defamation in 2006 for accusing France 2 of doctoring the images in the original report, but the ruling was overturned in 2008.
An appeals court in Paris will issue its final ruling on the affair on Wednesday.
"Every year the Israelis come up with a new narrative," Jamal al-Dura told Ma'an. "Yes, Muhammad is still alive in our hearts and in the hearts of the Arab and Islamic nation as well as all the noble people who support the Palestinian cause."
France 2 reporter Charles Enderlin's reportage on the incident shows the death of 12-year-old Muhammad in the arms of his father in Sept. 30, 2000 after being caught in the crossfire between Israeli soldiers and Palestinian militants at the start of the second intifada.
An Israeli report by the ministry of international affairs and strategy said raw footage of the incident showed that Muhammad was seen alive in the video.
"Israel committed that crime in cold blood, and they know quite well that Muhammad and the Palestinian people are going after them," Jamal al-Durra told Ma'an.
"Who showered Muhammad and his father with bullets while they were unarmed?" he asked.
Muhammad was the eldest son in the al-Dura family. A year after his death, the family had another boy and named him after Muhammad. He is now 11 years old.
"I am proud that my father named me after my brother who died a martyr," he told Ma'an.
In response to an AFP query Enderlin, the Jerusalem correspondent for the television channel that broadcast the original news report, said: "We are ready for an independent public inquiry."
"We have always said, including to the supreme court, that we were ready for an independent public inquiry by international standards."
Philippe Karsenty, director of watchdog group Media Ratings, was convicted of defamation in 2006 for accusing France 2 of doctoring the images in the original report, but the ruling was overturned in 2008.
An appeals court in Paris will issue its final ruling on the affair on Wednesday.
|
The brother of Muhammad al-Dura holding a photo of his namesake.
Israeli forces have killed 1,397 Palestinian children in the occupied Palestinian territories since 2000, the year of Muhammad al-Dura's disputed death, according to Defense for Children International Palestine. |
14 may 2013
"MADA" is Disappointed With Newseum- Washington DC Decision to Dishonor Two Palestinian Journalists
Mohamed Salama and Hussam Al Koumi
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms(MADA) expresses its disappointment and astonishment with Newseum decision to revoke its decision to honor the Palestinian Journalists Mohamed Salama and Hussam Al Koumi, who were killed by Israel Occupation Forces during their coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza last December.
The dishonoring decision by Newseum was made after they came under pressure from the Israeli lobby and Jewish institutions in the United States. Newseum informed MADA of their decision to enlist Al Koumi and Salama to the Journalists Memorial Rededication list, and requested MADA to provide contact information of the journalists' families to inform them regarding the honoring for being killed while exercising their profession.
The Newseum Journalists Memorial Dedicated includes "the names of 2246 journalists who have been killed over the past decades, with a special honor for 84 journalists have been killed over the past year (including Al Koumi and Salama), according to their print adds, in the ceremony they organized on Saturday, 13/05/2013, to honor journalists whose names appear on the list, but we were surprised they deleted the names of the Palestinian Journalists .
It's important to know that International institution working in the field of Media Freedoms such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, and others consider Al Koumi and Salama journalists killed in the line of duty.
The news of dishonoring the Palestinian Journalists by Newseum provoked many activists for freedom of expression and Palestine, who did not hesitate to express their disappointment and anger via Newseum's facebook page, and by publishing articles condemning this decision.
MADA expresses once again its disappointment by the decision by Newseum and its submission to Israeli pressure, with more than 20 Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli fire and who paid with their lives for their dedication in covering news since 2000.
Israeli Pressure Forces Newseum to Drop Palestinians from List
Pressure from Israel and pro-Israel groups forced Newseum, a Washington-based memorial for fallen journalists, to remove the names of two Palestinian journalists killed in the Gaza Strip in 2012 in an Israeli airstrike from its list of journalists it honored on Monday.
Only two days after Newseum has included Mahmoud al-Kumi and Hussam Salama, Al-Aqsa TV cameramen from the Gaza Strip who were killed when an Israeli missile hit their marked vehicle while covering the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in November, it amended the number of journalists it has honored from 84 to 82.
The new list did not include the names of Kumi and Salama, prompting Newseum to justify its action by claiming it needed time to look into whether they were real journalists or not.
“Serious questions have been raised as to whether two of the individuals included on our initial list of journalists who died covering the news this past year were truly journalists or whether they were engaged in terrorist activities,” said the organization in its response to its decision to remove names of the Palestinian journalists.
“We take the concerns raised about these two men seriously and have decided to re-evaluate their inclusion as journalists on our memorial wall pending further investigation,” it added.
The Palestinian Center for Development and Media Freedoms(MADA) expresses its disappointment and astonishment with Newseum decision to revoke its decision to honor the Palestinian Journalists Mohamed Salama and Hussam Al Koumi, who were killed by Israel Occupation Forces during their coverage of the Israeli aggression on Gaza last December.
The dishonoring decision by Newseum was made after they came under pressure from the Israeli lobby and Jewish institutions in the United States. Newseum informed MADA of their decision to enlist Al Koumi and Salama to the Journalists Memorial Rededication list, and requested MADA to provide contact information of the journalists' families to inform them regarding the honoring for being killed while exercising their profession.
The Newseum Journalists Memorial Dedicated includes "the names of 2246 journalists who have been killed over the past decades, with a special honor for 84 journalists have been killed over the past year (including Al Koumi and Salama), according to their print adds, in the ceremony they organized on Saturday, 13/05/2013, to honor journalists whose names appear on the list, but we were surprised they deleted the names of the Palestinian Journalists .
It's important to know that International institution working in the field of Media Freedoms such as the Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters without Borders, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers, and others consider Al Koumi and Salama journalists killed in the line of duty.
The news of dishonoring the Palestinian Journalists by Newseum provoked many activists for freedom of expression and Palestine, who did not hesitate to express their disappointment and anger via Newseum's facebook page, and by publishing articles condemning this decision.
MADA expresses once again its disappointment by the decision by Newseum and its submission to Israeli pressure, with more than 20 Palestinian journalist killed by Israeli fire and who paid with their lives for their dedication in covering news since 2000.
Israeli Pressure Forces Newseum to Drop Palestinians from List
Pressure from Israel and pro-Israel groups forced Newseum, a Washington-based memorial for fallen journalists, to remove the names of two Palestinian journalists killed in the Gaza Strip in 2012 in an Israeli airstrike from its list of journalists it honored on Monday.
Only two days after Newseum has included Mahmoud al-Kumi and Hussam Salama, Al-Aqsa TV cameramen from the Gaza Strip who were killed when an Israeli missile hit their marked vehicle while covering the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in November, it amended the number of journalists it has honored from 84 to 82.
The new list did not include the names of Kumi and Salama, prompting Newseum to justify its action by claiming it needed time to look into whether they were real journalists or not.
“Serious questions have been raised as to whether two of the individuals included on our initial list of journalists who died covering the news this past year were truly journalists or whether they were engaged in terrorist activities,” said the organization in its response to its decision to remove names of the Palestinian journalists.
“We take the concerns raised about these two men seriously and have decided to re-evaluate their inclusion as journalists on our memorial wall pending further investigation,” it added.
7 may 2013
Israel raids on Syria killed at least 42 soldiers
Israeli armored personnel carrier and Merkava tanks maneuver in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on May 6
Israeli air raids on three military sites near Damascus killed at least 42 soldiers at the weekend, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in an updated toll on Monday.
"At least 42 soldiers were killed in the strikes, and another 100 who would usually be at the targeted sites remain unaccounted for," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
The Britain-based monitoring group had earlier given a toll of at least 15 soldiers killed.
Syria says Israel targeted three military sites near Damascus early Sunday, with a diplomatic source in Beirut saying the raids targeted a military facility, weapons depot and anti-aircraft unit.
It has yet to give an official toll, but the foreign ministry said in a letter to the United Nations that the Israeli "aggression" caused deaths, injuries and serious destruction.
The attacks, which residents said sounded like an earthquake and lit up the night sky, were the second time in a week that Israel has reportedly targeted Syrian sites.
An senior Israeli source said the strikes targeted weapons destined for Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is allied with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Elsewhere in the country on Monday, the Observatory said Syrian military planes bombed the districts of Qabun and Jubar in the capital.
They also targeted the rebel-held town of Qusayr in central Syria, which regime troops are trying to recapture with support from Hezbollah fighters.
In the north, fighting raged around Abu Dhrur airport in Idlib province and Minnigh airport in Aleppo province, where rebels have reportedly seized large swathes of territory.
The army took control of a string of villages in the south of Aleppo province, and eight soldiers, including two officers, were killed when rebels shot down a helicopter in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the watchdog added.
Violence throughout Syria on Sunday killed at least 137 people, according to the organization, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers on the ground.
The dead included 47 rebels, 49 civilians and 41 soldiers, including the 15 killed in the Israeli attacks.
Israeli air raids on three military sites near Damascus killed at least 42 soldiers at the weekend, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said in an updated toll on Monday.
"At least 42 soldiers were killed in the strikes, and another 100 who would usually be at the targeted sites remain unaccounted for," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.
The Britain-based monitoring group had earlier given a toll of at least 15 soldiers killed.
Syria says Israel targeted three military sites near Damascus early Sunday, with a diplomatic source in Beirut saying the raids targeted a military facility, weapons depot and anti-aircraft unit.
It has yet to give an official toll, but the foreign ministry said in a letter to the United Nations that the Israeli "aggression" caused deaths, injuries and serious destruction.
The attacks, which residents said sounded like an earthquake and lit up the night sky, were the second time in a week that Israel has reportedly targeted Syrian sites.
An senior Israeli source said the strikes targeted weapons destined for Lebanese group Hezbollah, which is allied with the regime of Syrian President Bashar Assad.
Elsewhere in the country on Monday, the Observatory said Syrian military planes bombed the districts of Qabun and Jubar in the capital.
They also targeted the rebel-held town of Qusayr in central Syria, which regime troops are trying to recapture with support from Hezbollah fighters.
In the north, fighting raged around Abu Dhrur airport in Idlib province and Minnigh airport in Aleppo province, where rebels have reportedly seized large swathes of territory.
The army took control of a string of villages in the south of Aleppo province, and eight soldiers, including two officers, were killed when rebels shot down a helicopter in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor, the watchdog added.
Violence throughout Syria on Sunday killed at least 137 people, according to the organization, which relies on a network of activists, doctors and lawyers on the ground.
The dead included 47 rebels, 49 civilians and 41 soldiers, including the 15 killed in the Israeli attacks.
