20 aug 2013
Majed Lahlouh 22
A youngster was killed and five others were wounded during confrontations that erupted with Israeli forces in Jenin Tuesday morning.
PNN reporter said that the 22-year-old Majed Lahlouh has been killed, while five others were wounded during clashes with the forces. The wounded injuries were described as ranging from slight to moderate.
More than 20 military vehicles raided Jenin refugee camp at dawn, and violent confrontations erupted. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition, causing the injury to four Palestinians and dozens suffered suffocation due to tear gas inhalation.
A youngster was killed and five others were wounded during confrontations that erupted with Israeli forces in Jenin Tuesday morning.
PNN reporter said that the 22-year-old Majed Lahlouh has been killed, while five others were wounded during clashes with the forces. The wounded injuries were described as ranging from slight to moderate.
More than 20 military vehicles raided Jenin refugee camp at dawn, and violent confrontations erupted. Israeli forces fired tear gas canisters and live ammunition, causing the injury to four Palestinians and dozens suffered suffocation due to tear gas inhalation.
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The martyr, Lahlouh, was shot and killed with a direct bullet to his heart and was then taken to Dr. Khalil Sulaiman Hospital in the city where he was announced dead.
Israeli forces withdrew from the refugee camp several hours later. Israeli forces raided the area more then once during the last 24 hours. Report: Young Palestinian killed in Jenin during IDF operation Palestinian sources reported that a young Palestinian man was killed Monday night in clashes in Jenin refugee camp after an IDF force entered the area for an operational activity. |
A Palestinian man has been shot dead by Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank, with no further details released yet.
19 aug 2013
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Israel's handling of Palestinian prisoners' corpses is often disorganised, angering relatives of the dead
Exhumed from an Israeli-numbered grave to be handed over to his family for proper burial, the man in "Casket 5056" lies in a Palestinian morgue a year on - unidentified and unclaimed. Since 1967, Israel has been withholding the bodies of an unknown number of Palestinians interred in numbered instead of named graves. The Palestinian Campaign to retrieve the bodies of Palestinian and Arab war victims and determine the fate of the missing has documented more than 60 cases of missing Palestinians and about 370 others buried in numbered graves in Israeli-controlled cemeteries. |
In May 2012, Israel handed the Palestinian Authority (PA) 91 bodies it had been holding for decades. They were all buried except the man in Casket 5056, whom Israel said was Nasser al-Bouz.
Nasser, who would be 48 years old today, was on Israel's most-wanted list for establishing Fatah's military wing during the First Intifada. In July 1989, his family said he received a message from then PLO chairman Yasser Arafat urging him to head to Tunisia for his safety. He was last seen alive near his hometown of Nablus in August 1989.
"We were told he's in an Israeli secret prison," Wael al-Bouz, Nasser's brother, told Al Jazeera. "Some said he was in a Jordanian prison. Others told us they met him in Germany."
Reports about Nasser's whereabouts contradicted each other. The family, however, was eager to learn anything they thought could help determine his fate. "We knew a lot of the reports were rumours," Wael said. "But we were lost. We wanted to believe he was alive."
The family said Israel never acknowledged detaining or killing Nasser. When his brothers learned his name was on the list of bodies Israel was handing over to the PA last year, they were shocked.
The wrong person
Although they were to receive Nasser in a coffin, his brothers thought they would finally get closure. But it wasn't long before their wound was reopened. "When we opened the casket, we knew the remains were not for Nasser," Wael said.
The family was told that the remains were of a Palestinian killed in May 1989 - three months before the family said they last saw Nasser. That aside, dental records, marks from gunshot wounds, and the clothes size made the family even more suspicious.
DNA tests were performed in Jordan, twice. The results both times came back negative: the remains did not belong to Nasser al-Bouz. Worse yet, the remains in Casket 5056, which the Israelis handed over as Nasser al-Bouz, were found to belong to more than one person.
Lawyers at the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center said it was not the first such case. DNA tests had to be performed multiple times in five other cases of Palestinians buried in numbered graves, before the remains were matched with the corresponding details in Israeli files.
"This is indicative of other mistakes," said Issam Aruri, director of the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center. Bodies in numbered graves are often buried in adjacent rows. The tombs are shallow and bulldozers are used whenever an exhumation takes place. Until 2000, the bodies were not buried in boxes, rather interred in graves with metal plates indicating codes of classified files.
"What they did with non-Jewish bodies - they have this kind of discrimination - is that they don't admit that we are entitled to the same rights and to the same dignity, whether alive or dead."
Not far from Nablus, another Palestinian family has been waiting to properly bury its son for 33 years.
Anis Doleh of Qalqilya died in the Israeli prison of Askalan. In August 1980, he collapsed in his prison cell of a heart attack after joining a 30-day hunger strike.
The family tried to retrieve his body from the Israeli authorities several times. They received answers such as that Anis was released on August 31, 1980 - the date he died.
Futile correspondence
For years, the family was caught in a vicious cycle of futile correspondence with the Israeli authorities.
The family petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to demand the release of Anis' remains, armed by letters he sent while in prison, reports from the ICRC that Doleh was imprisoned and died while in custody, as well as a reference for a post-mortem issued by the Israeli Abu Kabir Forensic Institute dating back to May 3, 1982.
The appeal was turned down in March 2013. In its decision, the Israeli court said that it has been too long since Doleh's death, and given that the search results of various Israeli authorities didn't yield anything, there would be no use in issuing a decision in favour of the family's demand to release Anis' remains.
"They're lying," declared Hasan Doleh, Anis' brother. "He can't just evaporate." The family is not excluding any options. "Did they steal his organs?" Hasan asked. "Did they use his body for medical training?"
Although there is no indication to what might have happened to Anis' remains, Doleh's fears were rendered legitimate a couple of years ago, when Israeli pathologists admitted they harvested organs from dead bodies without permission of their families.
When asked for a justification of the mistakes made, the Israeli army said transferring bodies to the Palestinian Authority was a gesture of goodwill. "The bodies in question were transferred to the PA bearing the same names as they were given upon their burial," the Israeli army said in a statement to Al Jazeera. "The PA agreed to accept the bodies without conducting a preliminary DNA test."
Because of this, the Jerusalem Center filed another petition earlier this year to the Israeli Supreme Court, this time demanding the establishment of a DNA database.
The Israeli authorities are expected to take samples from the bodies they are withholding, ensure the remains in each casket belong to one person and match the results with their records, Aruri explained. But he is not hopeful. "All we need to fold this page is some effort and good will," he said. "The Israelis are showing neither."
Earlier, the Israeli authorities had offered to hand over about 80 Palestinian corpses. The families were reluctant to receive them, and the Jerusalem Center advised the PA against accepting them - because they were to be handed over unidentified.
"We don't want to get them in a pile," Aruri said. "We don't want to exhume bodies from Israeli-numbered graves to bury them in Palestinian-numbered graves."
Unidentified and unclaimed
At the Abu-Dis Institute of Forensic Medicine lies a body of the man thought to be Nasser al-Bouz. "Technically, the remains can be kept here for another year or two," said Dr Saber al-Aloul, head of the institute.
Since they are unidentified and unclaimed, the remains are to be kept accessible at the morgue for possible DNA matching in the near future. "The procedures to dig a grave are religiously, legally and technically exhausting," al-Aloul said.
According to al-Aloul, the remains belong to a male between 30 and 40 years of age, who died at least 15 years ago. The man in question apparently died of multiple gunshots to his head. "No injuries were found in upper or lower limbs, reinforcing doubts that this person might have been executed," al-Aloul told Al Jazeera.
Somewhere, a family of a Palestinian or an Arab may be living the agony of al-Bouz's family and the fears of the Dolehs - not knowing whether their son is dead or alive. They endure the painful wait to properly bury a loved one, and have his name engraved on a tombstone - where they go to visit, plant a rose, and say a prayer.
Nasser, who would be 48 years old today, was on Israel's most-wanted list for establishing Fatah's military wing during the First Intifada. In July 1989, his family said he received a message from then PLO chairman Yasser Arafat urging him to head to Tunisia for his safety. He was last seen alive near his hometown of Nablus in August 1989.
"We were told he's in an Israeli secret prison," Wael al-Bouz, Nasser's brother, told Al Jazeera. "Some said he was in a Jordanian prison. Others told us they met him in Germany."
Reports about Nasser's whereabouts contradicted each other. The family, however, was eager to learn anything they thought could help determine his fate. "We knew a lot of the reports were rumours," Wael said. "But we were lost. We wanted to believe he was alive."
The family said Israel never acknowledged detaining or killing Nasser. When his brothers learned his name was on the list of bodies Israel was handing over to the PA last year, they were shocked.
The wrong person
Although they were to receive Nasser in a coffin, his brothers thought they would finally get closure. But it wasn't long before their wound was reopened. "When we opened the casket, we knew the remains were not for Nasser," Wael said.
The family was told that the remains were of a Palestinian killed in May 1989 - three months before the family said they last saw Nasser. That aside, dental records, marks from gunshot wounds, and the clothes size made the family even more suspicious.
DNA tests were performed in Jordan, twice. The results both times came back negative: the remains did not belong to Nasser al-Bouz. Worse yet, the remains in Casket 5056, which the Israelis handed over as Nasser al-Bouz, were found to belong to more than one person.
Lawyers at the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center said it was not the first such case. DNA tests had to be performed multiple times in five other cases of Palestinians buried in numbered graves, before the remains were matched with the corresponding details in Israeli files.
"This is indicative of other mistakes," said Issam Aruri, director of the Jerusalem Legal Aid and Human Rights Center. Bodies in numbered graves are often buried in adjacent rows. The tombs are shallow and bulldozers are used whenever an exhumation takes place. Until 2000, the bodies were not buried in boxes, rather interred in graves with metal plates indicating codes of classified files.
"What they did with non-Jewish bodies - they have this kind of discrimination - is that they don't admit that we are entitled to the same rights and to the same dignity, whether alive or dead."
Not far from Nablus, another Palestinian family has been waiting to properly bury its son for 33 years.
Anis Doleh of Qalqilya died in the Israeli prison of Askalan. In August 1980, he collapsed in his prison cell of a heart attack after joining a 30-day hunger strike.
The family tried to retrieve his body from the Israeli authorities several times. They received answers such as that Anis was released on August 31, 1980 - the date he died.
Futile correspondence
For years, the family was caught in a vicious cycle of futile correspondence with the Israeli authorities.
The family petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court to demand the release of Anis' remains, armed by letters he sent while in prison, reports from the ICRC that Doleh was imprisoned and died while in custody, as well as a reference for a post-mortem issued by the Israeli Abu Kabir Forensic Institute dating back to May 3, 1982.
The appeal was turned down in March 2013. In its decision, the Israeli court said that it has been too long since Doleh's death, and given that the search results of various Israeli authorities didn't yield anything, there would be no use in issuing a decision in favour of the family's demand to release Anis' remains.
"They're lying," declared Hasan Doleh, Anis' brother. "He can't just evaporate." The family is not excluding any options. "Did they steal his organs?" Hasan asked. "Did they use his body for medical training?"
Although there is no indication to what might have happened to Anis' remains, Doleh's fears were rendered legitimate a couple of years ago, when Israeli pathologists admitted they harvested organs from dead bodies without permission of their families.
When asked for a justification of the mistakes made, the Israeli army said transferring bodies to the Palestinian Authority was a gesture of goodwill. "The bodies in question were transferred to the PA bearing the same names as they were given upon their burial," the Israeli army said in a statement to Al Jazeera. "The PA agreed to accept the bodies without conducting a preliminary DNA test."
Because of this, the Jerusalem Center filed another petition earlier this year to the Israeli Supreme Court, this time demanding the establishment of a DNA database.
The Israeli authorities are expected to take samples from the bodies they are withholding, ensure the remains in each casket belong to one person and match the results with their records, Aruri explained. But he is not hopeful. "All we need to fold this page is some effort and good will," he said. "The Israelis are showing neither."
Earlier, the Israeli authorities had offered to hand over about 80 Palestinian corpses. The families were reluctant to receive them, and the Jerusalem Center advised the PA against accepting them - because they were to be handed over unidentified.
"We don't want to get them in a pile," Aruri said. "We don't want to exhume bodies from Israeli-numbered graves to bury them in Palestinian-numbered graves."
Unidentified and unclaimed
At the Abu-Dis Institute of Forensic Medicine lies a body of the man thought to be Nasser al-Bouz. "Technically, the remains can be kept here for another year or two," said Dr Saber al-Aloul, head of the institute.
Since they are unidentified and unclaimed, the remains are to be kept accessible at the morgue for possible DNA matching in the near future. "The procedures to dig a grave are religiously, legally and technically exhausting," al-Aloul said.
According to al-Aloul, the remains belong to a male between 30 and 40 years of age, who died at least 15 years ago. The man in question apparently died of multiple gunshots to his head. "No injuries were found in upper or lower limbs, reinforcing doubts that this person might have been executed," al-Aloul told Al Jazeera.
Somewhere, a family of a Palestinian or an Arab may be living the agony of al-Bouz's family and the fears of the Dolehs - not knowing whether their son is dead or alive. They endure the painful wait to properly bury a loved one, and have his name engraved on a tombstone - where they go to visit, plant a rose, and say a prayer.
18 aug 2013
Ibrahim Jeradeh: ‘I have no hatred of the British or the Jews.
A sandy track flanked by tall cypress trees, a limestone arch, a low wall against which deep red roses are in bloom, an emerald lawn studded with marble headstones. Away from the ubiquitous drab of Gaza City lies a corner of a foreign field that is forever England.
Or, rather, England and the Commonwealth. The graves of 3,217 servicemen who died in Gaza during the first world war lie in this small oasis located behind the walls and fences that enclose the tiny coastal territory. Almost 800 of the headstones are without names, marked "Soldier of the Great War, known unto God".
In the softening light of a warm afternoon, Palestinian families meander between the uniform ranks of graves, planted with rosemary and geraniums. Some come simply to appreciate the tranquility of the cemetery; others are looking for a pleasant picnic spot or a rare place for children to kick a ball about.
The former are welcomed, but the latter are shooed away by Ibrahim Jeradeh, who was employed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for 45 years to care for the cemetery. Now aged 76, Jeradeh still lives in a tied house on the site thanks to his son succeeding him as head gardener. Jeradeh was awarded an MBE for his long service to the Commonwealth. He proudly shows off the medal, along with a framed certificate signed by the Duke of Kent in "grateful recognition of outstanding contribution to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission".
"They invited me to London, but I didn't go," says Jeradeh, while his grandson serves glasses of sweet tea on a silver tray as the call to prayer carries across the cemetery from a nearby mosque. "Why would I need to go there? Everyone comes to me."
The MBE was delivered with a printed card instructing that it should be worn with morning dress (on the left side of the coat, at the top pocket position), or evening dress. Jeradeh offers to pin it to the sleeveless woollie over his jalabiya, a traditional long Arab robe.
He started work in the cemetery more than half a century ago, under the watchful eye of his father, who was the first head gardener. Both his father and he were required to comply with the British retirement age of 65, although Jeradeh insists he hasn't stopped working. He dismisses any suggestion that the family has ownership of the post, saying he and his son applied and were selected for the post of head gardener.
The cemetery's construction was completed in 1920, two years after the end of the first world war. In 1917 there were three Battles of Gaza between the allied powers and the forces of the Ottoman empire, with only the last, in November, ending in the capture of Gaza by the British Egyptian expeditionary force, led by Field Marshal Edmund Allenby. The dead of the Great War were joined at the cemetery by 210 Commonwealth soldiers who fell in the second world war, and another 30 who died later. There are also 234 graves of non-Commonwealth soldiers.
Control of Gaza passed from the Turks to the British in 1918, at the end of the war; then to the Egyptians after the 1948 war that followed Israel's declaration of a state. For the past 46 years, since the 1967 six-day war, Israel has kept a tight grip on Gaza, first through full occupation, then by enforcing a stringent blockade that has been eased but not lifted in the past three years. Israel controls Gaza's borders (except for one crossing to Egypt), sea space and air space.
The dead have not been allowed to rest in unbroken peace. Twice in the past decade, the cemetery has been hit by Israeli shells during periods of conflict in Gaza. In 2006, Israel paid £90,000 in compensation to the CWGC for damage caused in an airstrike; and in 2009 around 350 headstones needed repair after several shells struck the cemetery during Israel's three-week offensive Operation Cast Lead.
"In history, everything changes, but there have been wars here for thousands of years," reflects Jeradeh, whose shelves are full of books on history, geography, medicine, agriculture and philosophy.
In contrast to many Palestinians, he harbours no resentment against the British for having endorsed a Jewish state on their land. "I have no hatred of the British, or the Jews. The Earth does not belong to us, but to God," he says. Now he counts his blessings: a home in a green and mostly quiet corner of Gaza; nine daughters, four sons and "maybe 50" grandchildren. His wife, whom he married aged 18, has been bedridden for the past nine years following a stroke, "but we are still in love".
His "simple life" has been a good one, he says; the dead have been comfortable companions. "I'm happy and at peace. What more do I want?"
A sandy track flanked by tall cypress trees, a limestone arch, a low wall against which deep red roses are in bloom, an emerald lawn studded with marble headstones. Away from the ubiquitous drab of Gaza City lies a corner of a foreign field that is forever England.
Or, rather, England and the Commonwealth. The graves of 3,217 servicemen who died in Gaza during the first world war lie in this small oasis located behind the walls and fences that enclose the tiny coastal territory. Almost 800 of the headstones are without names, marked "Soldier of the Great War, known unto God".
In the softening light of a warm afternoon, Palestinian families meander between the uniform ranks of graves, planted with rosemary and geraniums. Some come simply to appreciate the tranquility of the cemetery; others are looking for a pleasant picnic spot or a rare place for children to kick a ball about.
The former are welcomed, but the latter are shooed away by Ibrahim Jeradeh, who was employed by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for 45 years to care for the cemetery. Now aged 76, Jeradeh still lives in a tied house on the site thanks to his son succeeding him as head gardener. Jeradeh was awarded an MBE for his long service to the Commonwealth. He proudly shows off the medal, along with a framed certificate signed by the Duke of Kent in "grateful recognition of outstanding contribution to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission".
"They invited me to London, but I didn't go," says Jeradeh, while his grandson serves glasses of sweet tea on a silver tray as the call to prayer carries across the cemetery from a nearby mosque. "Why would I need to go there? Everyone comes to me."
The MBE was delivered with a printed card instructing that it should be worn with morning dress (on the left side of the coat, at the top pocket position), or evening dress. Jeradeh offers to pin it to the sleeveless woollie over his jalabiya, a traditional long Arab robe.
He started work in the cemetery more than half a century ago, under the watchful eye of his father, who was the first head gardener. Both his father and he were required to comply with the British retirement age of 65, although Jeradeh insists he hasn't stopped working. He dismisses any suggestion that the family has ownership of the post, saying he and his son applied and were selected for the post of head gardener.
The cemetery's construction was completed in 1920, two years after the end of the first world war. In 1917 there were three Battles of Gaza between the allied powers and the forces of the Ottoman empire, with only the last, in November, ending in the capture of Gaza by the British Egyptian expeditionary force, led by Field Marshal Edmund Allenby. The dead of the Great War were joined at the cemetery by 210 Commonwealth soldiers who fell in the second world war, and another 30 who died later. There are also 234 graves of non-Commonwealth soldiers.
Control of Gaza passed from the Turks to the British in 1918, at the end of the war; then to the Egyptians after the 1948 war that followed Israel's declaration of a state. For the past 46 years, since the 1967 six-day war, Israel has kept a tight grip on Gaza, first through full occupation, then by enforcing a stringent blockade that has been eased but not lifted in the past three years. Israel controls Gaza's borders (except for one crossing to Egypt), sea space and air space.
The dead have not been allowed to rest in unbroken peace. Twice in the past decade, the cemetery has been hit by Israeli shells during periods of conflict in Gaza. In 2006, Israel paid £90,000 in compensation to the CWGC for damage caused in an airstrike; and in 2009 around 350 headstones needed repair after several shells struck the cemetery during Israel's three-week offensive Operation Cast Lead.
"In history, everything changes, but there have been wars here for thousands of years," reflects Jeradeh, whose shelves are full of books on history, geography, medicine, agriculture and philosophy.
In contrast to many Palestinians, he harbours no resentment against the British for having endorsed a Jewish state on their land. "I have no hatred of the British, or the Jews. The Earth does not belong to us, but to God," he says. Now he counts his blessings: a home in a green and mostly quiet corner of Gaza; nine daughters, four sons and "maybe 50" grandchildren. His wife, whom he married aged 18, has been bedridden for the past nine years following a stroke, "but we are still in love".
His "simple life" has been a good one, he says; the dead have been comfortable companions. "I'm happy and at peace. What more do I want?"
12 aug 2013
Resident Injured East Of Gaza
Palestinian medical sources have reported Sunday [August 11, 2013] that the Palestinian man who was shot and killed by Israeli army fire on Saturday at night has been identified. A Palestinian was shot and injured east of Gaza Sunday.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that Israel handed, on Sunday, the body of Hussein Abdul-Hadi Awadallah, 30, to the Palestinian side, and added that the slain man is from An-Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
Furthermore, Al-Qodra said that, on Sunday, Israeli soldiers, manning a military across the border east of Gaza city, fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian lands and homes, wounding one Palestinian identified as Mahmoud Samir Jundiyya, 25.
Jundiyya was shot in his right foot, and was moved to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza suffering moderate injuries.
Human Rights groups in the Gaza Strip the ongoing Israeli military escalation and ongoing violations against the Palestinians, their lands and property.
They said that, since the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the resistance in Gaza in November 22 of last year, Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Palestinians, injured and kidnapped dozens, in addition to injuring and wounding more than 40 fishermen, and confiscated several Palestinian fishing boats.
Palestinian medical sources have reported Sunday [August 11, 2013] that the Palestinian man who was shot and killed by Israeli army fire on Saturday at night has been identified. A Palestinian was shot and injured east of Gaza Sunday.
Dr. Ashraf Al-Qodra, spokesperson of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, stated that Israel handed, on Sunday, the body of Hussein Abdul-Hadi Awadallah, 30, to the Palestinian side, and added that the slain man is from An-Nusseirat refugee camp, in central Gaza.
Furthermore, Al-Qodra said that, on Sunday, Israeli soldiers, manning a military across the border east of Gaza city, fired rounds of live ammunition at Palestinian lands and homes, wounding one Palestinian identified as Mahmoud Samir Jundiyya, 25.
Jundiyya was shot in his right foot, and was moved to the Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza suffering moderate injuries.
Human Rights groups in the Gaza Strip the ongoing Israeli military escalation and ongoing violations against the Palestinians, their lands and property.
They said that, since the Egyptian-mediated ceasefire deal was reached between Israel and the resistance in Gaza in November 22 of last year, Israeli soldiers shot and killed six Palestinians, injured and kidnapped dozens, in addition to injuring and wounding more than 40 fishermen, and confiscated several Palestinian fishing boats.
11 aug 2013
The United Nations says the Israeli regime dropped over four million cluster bombs in Lebanon during the 2006 war.
Explosion of an Israeli cluster bomb has killed an 18-year-old boy in Lebanon’s southern town of Hasbaya, a report says.
The Daily Star said that the incident took place in Hallat Village on Sunday, when Hisham Abdel-Al stepped on the cluster bomb, which had been left in the region since the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.
According to a report by the United Nations, the Israeli regime dropped some four million cluster bombs in Lebanon during the July-August 2006 war.
Hundreds of Lebanese people have been wounded in cluster-bomb related incidents since 2000, when the Israeli military withdrew from south of Lebanon.
The Lebanese army, along with international organizations, has been working since 2006 to remove the deadly ordnance from the south.
Explosion of an Israeli cluster bomb has killed an 18-year-old boy in Lebanon’s southern town of Hasbaya, a report says.
The Daily Star said that the incident took place in Hallat Village on Sunday, when Hisham Abdel-Al stepped on the cluster bomb, which had been left in the region since the Israeli war on Lebanon in 2006.
According to a report by the United Nations, the Israeli regime dropped some four million cluster bombs in Lebanon during the July-August 2006 war.
Hundreds of Lebanese people have been wounded in cluster-bomb related incidents since 2000, when the Israeli military withdrew from south of Lebanon.
The Lebanese army, along with international organizations, has been working since 2006 to remove the deadly ordnance from the south.
Hussein Abdul-Hadi Awadallah, 30
Saturday August 10 2013, Israeli military sources have reported that a Palestinian youth was shot and killed by army fire, near the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip.
The army claimed that the soldiers noticed the Palestinian allegedly trying to cross the border fence, ordered him to stop, and shot him dead after he failed to heed to their demands.
The army further claimed that the Palestinian youth carried what was described as a “suspicious object”, and that he was “in an area where Palestinian fighters had previously laid explosives”.
Israel Ynet News reported that several soldiers arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
The Ynet added that Israeli Army Engineering Corps also arrived at the scene to determine whether the Palestinian carried explosives, but did not reveal any further information, except that the Air Force was also called to the scene.
Israelis kill unarmed Palestinian on Gaza border
Israeli military forces have shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza Strip border.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said on Saturday that the man, who was not immediately identified, was killed after he climbed over the separation fence.
The Israeli official claimed that the man was carrying a suspicious item that the troops could not see clearly.
The spokeswoman did not clarify what the man was carrying when he was shot by Israeli troops, but another military source said the man was not carrying any weapons.
The Israeli regime imposed land, aerial, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, took over the administration of the territory.
The blockade has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.
IOF kills Palestinian young man east of Bureij refugee camp in Gaza
A Palestinian citizen was killed on Saturday evening by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stationed to the east of Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The Hebrew radio reported that a Gazan young man was shot dead after he crossed the perimeter fence and headed towards Alomim settlement.
Palestinian citizens, in turn, reported they heard the sound of gunfire east of Bureij refugee camp and saw the arrival of military reinforcements at the fence.
For his part, spokesman for the Palestinian health ministry Ashraf Qudra confirmed that the Palestinian side received the body of a young man in his twenties, noting that the name of the victim is still unknown.
Saturday August 10 2013, Israeli military sources have reported that a Palestinian youth was shot and killed by army fire, near the border fence, east of the Gaza Strip.
The army claimed that the soldiers noticed the Palestinian allegedly trying to cross the border fence, ordered him to stop, and shot him dead after he failed to heed to their demands.
The army further claimed that the Palestinian youth carried what was described as a “suspicious object”, and that he was “in an area where Palestinian fighters had previously laid explosives”.
Israel Ynet News reported that several soldiers arrived at the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
The Ynet added that Israeli Army Engineering Corps also arrived at the scene to determine whether the Palestinian carried explosives, but did not reveal any further information, except that the Air Force was also called to the scene.
Israelis kill unarmed Palestinian on Gaza border
Israeli military forces have shot dead an unarmed Palestinian man on the Gaza Strip border.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said on Saturday that the man, who was not immediately identified, was killed after he climbed over the separation fence.
The Israeli official claimed that the man was carrying a suspicious item that the troops could not see clearly.
The spokeswoman did not clarify what the man was carrying when he was shot by Israeli troops, but another military source said the man was not carrying any weapons.
The Israeli regime imposed land, aerial, and naval blockade on the Gaza Strip in June 2007 after the Palestinian resistance movement, Hamas, took over the administration of the territory.
The blockade has had a disastrous impact on the humanitarian and economic situation in the impoverished enclave, having turned the territory into the world’s largest open-air prison.
IOF kills Palestinian young man east of Bureij refugee camp in Gaza
A Palestinian citizen was killed on Saturday evening by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) stationed to the east of Bureij refugee camp in the Gaza Strip. The Hebrew radio reported that a Gazan young man was shot dead after he crossed the perimeter fence and headed towards Alomim settlement.
Palestinian citizens, in turn, reported they heard the sound of gunfire east of Bureij refugee camp and saw the arrival of military reinforcements at the fence.
For his part, spokesman for the Palestinian health ministry Ashraf Qudra confirmed that the Palestinian side received the body of a young man in his twenties, noting that the name of the victim is still unknown.
6 aug 2013
Israel has waged war on Palestinians for many decades now. The last several years have seen an unprecedented amount of violence towards and incarceration of Palestinian minors. The image above was posted on the personal Instagram account of Mor Ostrovski, a 20-year old Israeli soldier in a sniper unit. It shows the back of a palestinian child in the crosshairs of a rifle.
Alray recently reported statistics from the Ministry of Information in Ramallah that state 1,518 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces since September 2000, and an additional 6,000 children have been severely injured. Another 9,000 children have been arrested in the same time period.
That amounts to one Palestinian child murdered every three days for 13 years. That’s an average of at least 3 children severely injured every 2 days, and 2 children arrested on a daily basis. Currently almost two hundred and fifty Palestinian minors are being held in prison by Israel; 47 of them are children under 16 years of age.
Alray recently reported statistics from the Ministry of Information in Ramallah that state 1,518 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces since September 2000, and an additional 6,000 children have been severely injured. Another 9,000 children have been arrested in the same time period.
That amounts to one Palestinian child murdered every three days for 13 years. That’s an average of at least 3 children severely injured every 2 days, and 2 children arrested on a daily basis. Currently almost two hundred and fifty Palestinian minors are being held in prison by Israel; 47 of them are children under 16 years of age.
3 aug 2013
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Amina Abed Rabbo
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Thursday prevented a Palestinian ambulance from transferring an elderly woman in an emergency to hospital, which resulted in her death. Coordinator of youth against settlement group Issa Amro said that Israeli soldiers hindered for about 20 minutes the transference of an elderly woman named Amina Abed Rabbo to hospital in Al-Khalil city. Amro added that the woman was suffering from a brain stroke and needed urgent medical treatment in hospital. |
He noted that the media unit of the group videotaped the soldiers as they were deliberately delaying the ambulance on Al-Ashuhada'a street in Tel Armida area.
Video- Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo: A life under occupation
On the 2nd of August, Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo passed away in Hebron. She was 71 years old and suffered a stroke. However, Amena might still have been with us, had the Israeli military let the ambulance through the many checkpoints. The journey to the hospital that should have taken three minutes was prolonged by more than one and a half hours due to restrictions and harassment by Israeli occupation forces. Amena died in the ambulance before reaching proper care. This incident was merely the last of many injustices that marked Amena’s life from the age of seven.
Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo was originally from the Khema neighbourhood of Ramle in current Israel. She was seven years old when the war broke out in 1948. Her family was forcibly driven from their home following the creation of the state of Israel. In the chaos that followed, Amena was parted from her family. At the time she was blind on one eye, causing her to be easily disoriented. In her distress she fell and lost sight on her good eye, leaving her completely blind. Amena spent a month on her own, before a friend of the family recognized her on the street and reunited her with her mother, father and three siblings.
Reunited, the family fled to the West Bank city of Hebron in an attempt to start a new life. The family was never offered any compensation for neither the home nor the land taken from them and upon reaching Hebron they spent three years living under a tree. Hereby the family is one of many unrecognized refugees within Palestine.
In 1951 Amena’s brother had managed to save enough money to buy the family a house, in which she lived the rest of her life. For a period Amena’s life was relatively calm in Hebron, but this changed following the outbreak of the first intifada in 1987. At this time, the Israeli occupying forces in the West Bank constructed roadblocks throughout the city of Hebron and made it impossible for Palestinians to drive within the city. To Amena this meant she could no longer leave her house. Due to her invalidity she needed a car get around and this was no longer permitted to Palestinians.
These roadblocks are still intact today and are part of the reason Amena did not make it to the hospital in time. During the last years of her life Amena lived with her nephew’s family of ten in what is now the Israeli controlled H2 area of Hebron. Five days prior to her death, her nephew took her to the hospital where she spent three days. As she got a little better the doctors allowed her to go home. But the following day Amena suffered a stroke. The family immediately called for an ambulance. As it had not turned up after thirty minutes the family called once again. They were told that the ambulance had left on time but had been held back at the checkpoint. The soldiers guarding the checkpoint would not let them through without a written permit, even though Red Crescent ambulances should be able to pass freely without question. After another thirty minutes the ambulance personnel did manage to persuade Israeli soldiers to let them through but only until the next roadblock.
This meant that the family had to carry Amena from their house to the roadblock. This path is rocky and hilly and it took the family another thirty minutes to get there. Finally in the ambulance they were once again stopped at the very same checkpoint that had withheld the ambulance earlier, this time for fifteen minutes. All in all, the trip to the hospital was delayed by approximately an hour and forty five minutes. This trip, from the family home to the nearby hospital of Al Khalil, would have taken three minutes if protocol had been respected.
Upon arriving to the hospital doctors quickly realised that Amena’s condition was now so critical that she had to be taken to a hospital with more expertise. This hospital, Al Ahlil, is only seven minutes away, but Amena died on the way.
During the last couple of days, Amena’s family has held her funeral, but the grief is still with them. Her nephew, Rami Abed AlFatah Hamdan, is a human rights student and is considering filing a complaint in the hope that this will not happen to another family in the future. As he says, having unrestricted access to ambulances is our right, a right that needs to be enforced in Hebron. He feels he has nothing left to lose, and this incident has only confirmed his resolution to work with human rights. When asked if the soldiers have expressed any guilt, he simply smiles sadly and says: “If they felt guilt, they would never have stopped the ambulance”.
Unfortunately this is not an incident that stands alone. Ambulances in the Hebron area are often withheld and harassed when trying to reach patients. Hence, in 2008 a woman gave birth at a checkpoint and the same year a man died without receiving medical care. Nor is Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo’s story as a refugee within Palestine unusual. Inspite of peace talks in Ramallah, Israel continues its plan to demolish 30000-40000 Bedouin homes as described in the Prawer Plan and has just approved a 1000 new settlements in the West Bank. Stories like Amena’s are a symptom of the Israeli occupation forces systematic attempt to drive Palestinians from their homes and making their lives as difficult as possible. According to analysts this is part of a policy of ethnic cleansing aiming to expel all remaining Palestinians and Arab Bedouins from Palestine.
The internationally recognised researcher and author Ilan Pappe describes this in his book “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” and in interview with the ISM:
“But then I checked the American State Department website about ethnic cleansing and the description of what ethnic cleansing is and it fitted so well with what was and is going on in Palestine. This description does not only describe an act of expulsion but also its’ legal implications, which is in this specific case, is a crime against humanity. It also says very clearly that the only way to compensate an ethnic cleansing is to ask the people who were expelled whether they want to return or not.”
Read the full interview here.
Video- Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo: A life under occupation
On the 2nd of August, Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo passed away in Hebron. She was 71 years old and suffered a stroke. However, Amena might still have been with us, had the Israeli military let the ambulance through the many checkpoints. The journey to the hospital that should have taken three minutes was prolonged by more than one and a half hours due to restrictions and harassment by Israeli occupation forces. Amena died in the ambulance before reaching proper care. This incident was merely the last of many injustices that marked Amena’s life from the age of seven.
Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo was originally from the Khema neighbourhood of Ramle in current Israel. She was seven years old when the war broke out in 1948. Her family was forcibly driven from their home following the creation of the state of Israel. In the chaos that followed, Amena was parted from her family. At the time she was blind on one eye, causing her to be easily disoriented. In her distress she fell and lost sight on her good eye, leaving her completely blind. Amena spent a month on her own, before a friend of the family recognized her on the street and reunited her with her mother, father and three siblings.
Reunited, the family fled to the West Bank city of Hebron in an attempt to start a new life. The family was never offered any compensation for neither the home nor the land taken from them and upon reaching Hebron they spent three years living under a tree. Hereby the family is one of many unrecognized refugees within Palestine.
In 1951 Amena’s brother had managed to save enough money to buy the family a house, in which she lived the rest of her life. For a period Amena’s life was relatively calm in Hebron, but this changed following the outbreak of the first intifada in 1987. At this time, the Israeli occupying forces in the West Bank constructed roadblocks throughout the city of Hebron and made it impossible for Palestinians to drive within the city. To Amena this meant she could no longer leave her house. Due to her invalidity she needed a car get around and this was no longer permitted to Palestinians.
These roadblocks are still intact today and are part of the reason Amena did not make it to the hospital in time. During the last years of her life Amena lived with her nephew’s family of ten in what is now the Israeli controlled H2 area of Hebron. Five days prior to her death, her nephew took her to the hospital where she spent three days. As she got a little better the doctors allowed her to go home. But the following day Amena suffered a stroke. The family immediately called for an ambulance. As it had not turned up after thirty minutes the family called once again. They were told that the ambulance had left on time but had been held back at the checkpoint. The soldiers guarding the checkpoint would not let them through without a written permit, even though Red Crescent ambulances should be able to pass freely without question. After another thirty minutes the ambulance personnel did manage to persuade Israeli soldiers to let them through but only until the next roadblock.
This meant that the family had to carry Amena from their house to the roadblock. This path is rocky and hilly and it took the family another thirty minutes to get there. Finally in the ambulance they were once again stopped at the very same checkpoint that had withheld the ambulance earlier, this time for fifteen minutes. All in all, the trip to the hospital was delayed by approximately an hour and forty five minutes. This trip, from the family home to the nearby hospital of Al Khalil, would have taken three minutes if protocol had been respected.
Upon arriving to the hospital doctors quickly realised that Amena’s condition was now so critical that she had to be taken to a hospital with more expertise. This hospital, Al Ahlil, is only seven minutes away, but Amena died on the way.
During the last couple of days, Amena’s family has held her funeral, but the grief is still with them. Her nephew, Rami Abed AlFatah Hamdan, is a human rights student and is considering filing a complaint in the hope that this will not happen to another family in the future. As he says, having unrestricted access to ambulances is our right, a right that needs to be enforced in Hebron. He feels he has nothing left to lose, and this incident has only confirmed his resolution to work with human rights. When asked if the soldiers have expressed any guilt, he simply smiles sadly and says: “If they felt guilt, they would never have stopped the ambulance”.
Unfortunately this is not an incident that stands alone. Ambulances in the Hebron area are often withheld and harassed when trying to reach patients. Hence, in 2008 a woman gave birth at a checkpoint and the same year a man died without receiving medical care. Nor is Amena Abed AlFatah Abed Rabo’s story as a refugee within Palestine unusual. Inspite of peace talks in Ramallah, Israel continues its plan to demolish 30000-40000 Bedouin homes as described in the Prawer Plan and has just approved a 1000 new settlements in the West Bank. Stories like Amena’s are a symptom of the Israeli occupation forces systematic attempt to drive Palestinians from their homes and making their lives as difficult as possible. According to analysts this is part of a policy of ethnic cleansing aiming to expel all remaining Palestinians and Arab Bedouins from Palestine.
The internationally recognised researcher and author Ilan Pappe describes this in his book “The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine” and in interview with the ISM:
“But then I checked the American State Department website about ethnic cleansing and the description of what ethnic cleansing is and it fitted so well with what was and is going on in Palestine. This description does not only describe an act of expulsion but also its’ legal implications, which is in this specific case, is a crime against humanity. It also says very clearly that the only way to compensate an ethnic cleansing is to ask the people who were expelled whether they want to return or not.”
Read the full interview here.
2 aug 2013
PLO Executive Committee member, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, strongly denounced Israeli minister of Industry, Trade and Labor, Neftali Bennett's recent statements regarding Palestinian prisoners – 'If you catch terrorists, you have to simply kill them.' Bennett also declared that he has 'killed lots of Arabs' in his life and that 'there's no problem with that.'
Dr. Ashrawi stressed, "It is astounding that Neftali Bennett, an Israel government official and Knesset member, has a complete disregard for due process, human rights, and the value of life."
She added, "What makes it even more chilling and disturbing is the fact that Bennett believes that it is acceptable to imply that the killing of Palestinians is an ordinary event that Israelis should indulge in with equanimity and undeterred by any moral or legal consideration."
"Such horrific statements betray a culture of hate and racism, even at the highest executive level, which is the outcome of decades of Israeli military occupation with impunity and the deliberate dehumanization of its Palestinian victims," concluded Dr. Ashrawi.
Dr. Ashrawi stressed, "It is astounding that Neftali Bennett, an Israel government official and Knesset member, has a complete disregard for due process, human rights, and the value of life."
She added, "What makes it even more chilling and disturbing is the fact that Bennett believes that it is acceptable to imply that the killing of Palestinians is an ordinary event that Israelis should indulge in with equanimity and undeterred by any moral or legal consideration."
"Such horrific statements betray a culture of hate and racism, even at the highest executive level, which is the outcome of decades of Israeli military occupation with impunity and the deliberate dehumanization of its Palestinian victims," concluded Dr. Ashrawi.
1 aug 2013
On 22 July 2013, B'Tselem appealed to the Military Advocate General (MAG) against the decision to close the investigation into the killing of Ibrahim Sarhan without serving any indictments. The MAG corps notified B'Tselem that the "investigation file was closed after no evidence was found, at the level required in criminal matters, for the commission of an offense and for necessary measures". The appeal was filed after a review of the investigation file revealed that there was solid evidence that the fatal shooting of Sarhan was carried out in violation of the open-fire regulations and without any justification. A breach of open-fire regulations constitutes a criminal offense. When the regulations have been clearly violated, such as in this case, criminal sanctions must be taken and the soldier who fired the shots must be charged and tried.
Ibrahim Sarhan was shot and killed on 13 July 2011, at around 5:00 A.M. during a military operation for arresting wanted individuals in Al-Far'ah Refugee Camp, Tubas District. Sarhan was not one of the wanted individuals. According to testimonies in B'Tselem's possession and the investigative materials in the file, Sarhan came across a force numbering a few soldiers while walking through the camp. He put his hands up as ordered by one of the soldiers, but then turned around and fled the area. The soldier began a suspect apprehension procedure: he called on Sarhan to stop, fired one shot in the air, and then shot at Sarhan, hitting his thigh. Sarhan managed to flee and hid in a nearby home, but was later found by the soldiers who had gone searching for him. The soldiers gave Sarhan primary medical care, and because of his serious condition, decided to evacuate him in a Palestinian ambulance that had arrived at the scene. Sarhan died of his wounds en route to the hospital.
The soldier who shot Sarhan justified his shooting on three counts: 1) Sarhan resembled the description he had been given of one of the wanted individuals; 2) In his opinion, Sarhan fit the definition of a "fleer", a category of open-fire regulations during an arrest operation; and 3) Sarhan appeared to have committed a dangerous crime simply by virtue of his behavior. According to the soldier "when a local runs like that, he has something to lose", and if he did not have something to lose, "He would try to prove his innocence. He would talk. Heed the 'waqef' [stop, in Arabic] call and answer our questions". B'Tselem stated in its appeal that none of these reasons could justify the shooting: 1) The alleged physical resemblance was based on a very general description of the wanted person; 2) The investigation gave to a clear definition of a "fleer", which Sarhan did not meet; 3) Most importantly, open-fire regulations permit shooting at a person in cases of mortal danger, or in arresting a person suspected of a dangerous crime. However, when Sarhan was shot, none of the soldiers were in any kind of danger, and Sarhan was not suspected of any offense, certainly not a dangerous crime. The open-fire regulations stress that both disobeying an order to stop and fleeing do not, in and of themselves, suggest involvement in a dangerous crime.
Open-fire regulations do leave a great deal up to the soldiers' discretion, but not on every matter. Where the regulations make a clear determination, such as the prohibition on shooting people who are only suspected of fleeing, there is no room for making a personal choice. The purpose of open-fire regulations is to establish safety precautions and reduce the inherent risk involved in using weapons, particularly the risk of harming innocents and causing disproportionate harm.
Conducting an investigation simultaneously with an operational inquiry:
Ibrahim Sarhan was the first Palestinian killed by the military in the West Bank after the new investigation policy was introduced. According to this policy, the MAG Corps orders an immediate Military Police investigation in every case in which a Palestinian who did not participate in hostilities was killed in the West Bank.
The investigation file indicates that the MAG corps did instruct the Military Police to open an investigation on the day of the incident, but that despite the latter's efforts, operational military officials as well as high ranking officials of the Military Police Investigation Unit prevented the investigators from obtaining the soldiers' testimonies for seven days from the day of the incident place, until after the operational inquiry was concluded on July 19, 2011.
The fact that the operational inquiry was held before testimonies were collected not only delayed the criminal investigation, but also influenced the testimonies the soldiers gave during this investigation. In their testimonies, soldiers who participate in an operational inquiry are not allowed to divulge information they discover through the inquiry. When giving testimony, the soldiers involved in this incident refrained from answering the investigators' questions because they could not recall whether they knew a specific detail prior to the operational inquiry or not. This impeded the effectiveness of the investigation. Another issue that arose was misuse of this provision, for example, when the company commander refused, during his testimony, to say which soldier had fired the shots and provide the names of the other soldiers in the force. It is quite a stretch to accept his account that despite his role in the operation, he learned which soldiers made up which force only during the operational inquiry. The fact that the Military Police investigator who took his statement accepted this argument is perplexing. In addition to these issues, the Military Police failed to take any other investigative actions while the operational inquiry was going on, such as confiscating the weapons of the persons involved in the incident. After the fact, it was found that there was no dispute regarding the identity of the shooter, but this could not have been known in advance.
Unlike the situation in the past, operational inquiries no longer form the basis for deciding whether or not to launch a criminal investigation into incidents in which a Palestinian who is not taking part in hostilities is killed in the West Bank. However, the fact that such inquiries still have precedence over the criminal investigation is very troubling. The nature of the inquiry, in which all those involved give their account of the incident together, enables these individuals to – deliberately or not – coordinate their versions of the events. Moreover, the individuals who conduct the operational inquiry are authorized to take investigative actions such as collecting evidence from the scene, processing weapons and more, which could compromise the integrity of the evidence. In this situation, the inquiry does more than just jeopardize the integrity of the evidence. It effectively delays the investigation, undercuts its effectiveness and denies the investigators access to important information immediately after the incident, which is the window of time most crucial for collecting evidence.
Ibrahim Sarhan was shot and killed on 13 July 2011, at around 5:00 A.M. during a military operation for arresting wanted individuals in Al-Far'ah Refugee Camp, Tubas District. Sarhan was not one of the wanted individuals. According to testimonies in B'Tselem's possession and the investigative materials in the file, Sarhan came across a force numbering a few soldiers while walking through the camp. He put his hands up as ordered by one of the soldiers, but then turned around and fled the area. The soldier began a suspect apprehension procedure: he called on Sarhan to stop, fired one shot in the air, and then shot at Sarhan, hitting his thigh. Sarhan managed to flee and hid in a nearby home, but was later found by the soldiers who had gone searching for him. The soldiers gave Sarhan primary medical care, and because of his serious condition, decided to evacuate him in a Palestinian ambulance that had arrived at the scene. Sarhan died of his wounds en route to the hospital.
The soldier who shot Sarhan justified his shooting on three counts: 1) Sarhan resembled the description he had been given of one of the wanted individuals; 2) In his opinion, Sarhan fit the definition of a "fleer", a category of open-fire regulations during an arrest operation; and 3) Sarhan appeared to have committed a dangerous crime simply by virtue of his behavior. According to the soldier "when a local runs like that, he has something to lose", and if he did not have something to lose, "He would try to prove his innocence. He would talk. Heed the 'waqef' [stop, in Arabic] call and answer our questions". B'Tselem stated in its appeal that none of these reasons could justify the shooting: 1) The alleged physical resemblance was based on a very general description of the wanted person; 2) The investigation gave to a clear definition of a "fleer", which Sarhan did not meet; 3) Most importantly, open-fire regulations permit shooting at a person in cases of mortal danger, or in arresting a person suspected of a dangerous crime. However, when Sarhan was shot, none of the soldiers were in any kind of danger, and Sarhan was not suspected of any offense, certainly not a dangerous crime. The open-fire regulations stress that both disobeying an order to stop and fleeing do not, in and of themselves, suggest involvement in a dangerous crime.
Open-fire regulations do leave a great deal up to the soldiers' discretion, but not on every matter. Where the regulations make a clear determination, such as the prohibition on shooting people who are only suspected of fleeing, there is no room for making a personal choice. The purpose of open-fire regulations is to establish safety precautions and reduce the inherent risk involved in using weapons, particularly the risk of harming innocents and causing disproportionate harm.
Conducting an investigation simultaneously with an operational inquiry:
Ibrahim Sarhan was the first Palestinian killed by the military in the West Bank after the new investigation policy was introduced. According to this policy, the MAG Corps orders an immediate Military Police investigation in every case in which a Palestinian who did not participate in hostilities was killed in the West Bank.
The investigation file indicates that the MAG corps did instruct the Military Police to open an investigation on the day of the incident, but that despite the latter's efforts, operational military officials as well as high ranking officials of the Military Police Investigation Unit prevented the investigators from obtaining the soldiers' testimonies for seven days from the day of the incident place, until after the operational inquiry was concluded on July 19, 2011.
The fact that the operational inquiry was held before testimonies were collected not only delayed the criminal investigation, but also influenced the testimonies the soldiers gave during this investigation. In their testimonies, soldiers who participate in an operational inquiry are not allowed to divulge information they discover through the inquiry. When giving testimony, the soldiers involved in this incident refrained from answering the investigators' questions because they could not recall whether they knew a specific detail prior to the operational inquiry or not. This impeded the effectiveness of the investigation. Another issue that arose was misuse of this provision, for example, when the company commander refused, during his testimony, to say which soldier had fired the shots and provide the names of the other soldiers in the force. It is quite a stretch to accept his account that despite his role in the operation, he learned which soldiers made up which force only during the operational inquiry. The fact that the Military Police investigator who took his statement accepted this argument is perplexing. In addition to these issues, the Military Police failed to take any other investigative actions while the operational inquiry was going on, such as confiscating the weapons of the persons involved in the incident. After the fact, it was found that there was no dispute regarding the identity of the shooter, but this could not have been known in advance.
Unlike the situation in the past, operational inquiries no longer form the basis for deciding whether or not to launch a criminal investigation into incidents in which a Palestinian who is not taking part in hostilities is killed in the West Bank. However, the fact that such inquiries still have precedence over the criminal investigation is very troubling. The nature of the inquiry, in which all those involved give their account of the incident together, enables these individuals to – deliberately or not – coordinate their versions of the events. Moreover, the individuals who conduct the operational inquiry are authorized to take investigative actions such as collecting evidence from the scene, processing weapons and more, which could compromise the integrity of the evidence. In this situation, the inquiry does more than just jeopardize the integrity of the evidence. It effectively delays the investigation, undercuts its effectiveness and denies the investigators access to important information immediately after the incident, which is the window of time most crucial for collecting evidence.
31 july 2013
Naftali Bennett talks to students at a pre-military religious school, north-east of Ashkelon on January 20, 2013
The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday called on Israel to investigate remarks made by Israel's Economy and Trade Minister, which made claims about killing Palestinians.
Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right Jewish Home partner, commented to Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot following news of a Palestinian prisoner release that: "If you catch terrorists, you have to simply kill them."
"I've killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there's no problem with that," he went on to say.
The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that based on these confessions, "the Israeli government has to open a transparent and legal investigation into these remarks and allow Palestinian rights advocates to follow the investigation."
The ministry urged Palestinian, Israeli and international rights organizations to take Bennet's remarks seriously and hold him accountable.
On Tuesday, the General Delegation of the PLO to the United States strongly condemned the "racist" remarks and called for international action.
"It is extremely alarming that a public Israeli official at the ministerial level calls for murder and utters explicitly racist remarks without being held accountable."
The Palestinian Authority Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday called on Israel to investigate remarks made by Israel's Economy and Trade Minister, which made claims about killing Palestinians.
Naftali Bennett, leader of the far-right Jewish Home partner, commented to Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot following news of a Palestinian prisoner release that: "If you catch terrorists, you have to simply kill them."
"I've killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there's no problem with that," he went on to say.
The PA Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that based on these confessions, "the Israeli government has to open a transparent and legal investigation into these remarks and allow Palestinian rights advocates to follow the investigation."
The ministry urged Palestinian, Israeli and international rights organizations to take Bennet's remarks seriously and hold him accountable.
On Tuesday, the General Delegation of the PLO to the United States strongly condemned the "racist" remarks and called for international action.
"It is extremely alarming that a public Israeli official at the ministerial level calls for murder and utters explicitly racist remarks without being held accountable."
Naftali Bennett.
I can't wait for the liberal Zionists to wrap their arms around this one! Economy and trade minister Naftali Bennett, a key coalition partner in Netanyahu's government, drops the veil. David Sheen mentioned this in his post on racism yesterday. Here is the Jerusalem Post's report on the rightwing leader's comments during a Cabinet meeting about releasing Palestinian prisoners:
According to Yediot Aharonot, Bennett said, “If you catch terrorists, you simply have to kill them.”
National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror reportedly responded by saying that “this is not legal.”
Bennett then allegedly retorted, “I have killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there is no problem with that.”
Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, co-executive director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, told The Jerusalem Post that it is unacceptable that Bennett generalizes that all Arabs are terrorists and that “in no country would they allow a minister to speak about its citizens using this kind of language.”
In any other country, such a minister would be dismissed, he said.
Furthermore, Be’eri- Sulitzeanu finds it problematic that nobody is complaining about this.
“He cannot talk like this about citizens of the state,” he said. “We are not at war with all Arabs, but with some of them.”
I can't wait for the liberal Zionists to wrap their arms around this one! Economy and trade minister Naftali Bennett, a key coalition partner in Netanyahu's government, drops the veil. David Sheen mentioned this in his post on racism yesterday. Here is the Jerusalem Post's report on the rightwing leader's comments during a Cabinet meeting about releasing Palestinian prisoners:
According to Yediot Aharonot, Bennett said, “If you catch terrorists, you simply have to kill them.”
National Security Adviser Yaakov Amidror reportedly responded by saying that “this is not legal.”
Bennett then allegedly retorted, “I have killed lots of Arabs in my life – and there is no problem with that.”
Amnon Be’eri-Sulitzeanu, co-executive director of the Abraham Fund Initiatives, told The Jerusalem Post that it is unacceptable that Bennett generalizes that all Arabs are terrorists and that “in no country would they allow a minister to speak about its citizens using this kind of language.”
In any other country, such a minister would be dismissed, he said.
Furthermore, Be’eri- Sulitzeanu finds it problematic that nobody is complaining about this.
“He cannot talk like this about citizens of the state,” he said. “We are not at war with all Arabs, but with some of them.”
30 july 2013
Naftali Bennett.
When Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected as Israeli Prime Minister in January 2013, many political pundits predicted that we could now expect to see a kinder, gentler Knesset. Other analysts, myself included, feared that the new crop of legislators would be even crueler and more racist than their predecessors. An overview of the past six months would sadly seem to confirm the prognostications of the pessimists.
To believe that with the ultra-Orthodox parties cut out of the coalition, level-headed leadership would ensue requires one to consciously ignore the endless stream of supremacist statements by top politicians from the largest parties in the government: Likud, Yesh Atid and HaBayit HaYehudi. Public comments made by parliamentarians in the last 24 hours alone perfectly encapsulate the frightening lows that this country's leaders have sunk to.
Yesterday, on July 29, 2013, Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported that the leader of HaBayit HaYehudi, Israel's Minister of Industry Trade and Labor and of Religious Affairs Naftali Bennett said, "I've killed many Arabs in my life and there's no problem with that." Asked to clarify his statement, Bennett's spokesperson told 972 Magazine that he was speaking not of all Arabs, but of Arab militants who are captured -- in other words, prisoners of war.
Today, July 30, 2013, the ultra-Orthodox website BeHadrei Hadarim reported that David Lau, who began a ten-year term as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel less than a week ago, castigated Jewish youth for watching sports broadcasts, since the players are just "niggers". News site Maariv NRG uploaded a YouTube video that contained an audio file of Lau making the racist statements.
The first English-language Israeli news site to run the story, Ynet, completely buried the lead of the story -- the rabbi's revolting racism - and focused instead on his aversion to sports. Worse still, they intentionally mistranslated the word he used, "kushim", which means niggers, as "black men", which in Hebrew is actually "shchorim", or "anashim shchorim".
Bennett saw fit to respond to Lau's statement over Facebook, not condemning him for saying them, but rather condemning "the media" for "hounding" Lau. Bennett termed the comments "jovial", "marginal" and "insignificant" and announced his support for Lau.
The anti-Arab and anti-African racism of Israel's top political and religious leaders is not reserved for the realm of words alone. The government continues apace with its dual human removal projects: the Prawer-Begin plan to dispossess Bedouin Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel of their lands, so that they can be appropriated for Jewish settlements; and the Yishai-Saar plan to expel all African asylum-seekers from the country.
The objectives of the Netanyahu government are no secret: to reduce the number of non-Jewish people living in the country and to reduce the amount of land that the remaining non-Jewish people live on. Confident of the ability to carry out these plans, Israel's political and religious leaders make no attempt to hide the hate that lies behind them.
When Benjamin Netanyahu was re-elected as Israeli Prime Minister in January 2013, many political pundits predicted that we could now expect to see a kinder, gentler Knesset. Other analysts, myself included, feared that the new crop of legislators would be even crueler and more racist than their predecessors. An overview of the past six months would sadly seem to confirm the prognostications of the pessimists.
To believe that with the ultra-Orthodox parties cut out of the coalition, level-headed leadership would ensue requires one to consciously ignore the endless stream of supremacist statements by top politicians from the largest parties in the government: Likud, Yesh Atid and HaBayit HaYehudi. Public comments made by parliamentarians in the last 24 hours alone perfectly encapsulate the frightening lows that this country's leaders have sunk to.
Yesterday, on July 29, 2013, Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot reported that the leader of HaBayit HaYehudi, Israel's Minister of Industry Trade and Labor and of Religious Affairs Naftali Bennett said, "I've killed many Arabs in my life and there's no problem with that." Asked to clarify his statement, Bennett's spokesperson told 972 Magazine that he was speaking not of all Arabs, but of Arab militants who are captured -- in other words, prisoners of war.
Today, July 30, 2013, the ultra-Orthodox website BeHadrei Hadarim reported that David Lau, who began a ten-year term as the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel less than a week ago, castigated Jewish youth for watching sports broadcasts, since the players are just "niggers". News site Maariv NRG uploaded a YouTube video that contained an audio file of Lau making the racist statements.
The first English-language Israeli news site to run the story, Ynet, completely buried the lead of the story -- the rabbi's revolting racism - and focused instead on his aversion to sports. Worse still, they intentionally mistranslated the word he used, "kushim", which means niggers, as "black men", which in Hebrew is actually "shchorim", or "anashim shchorim".
Bennett saw fit to respond to Lau's statement over Facebook, not condemning him for saying them, but rather condemning "the media" for "hounding" Lau. Bennett termed the comments "jovial", "marginal" and "insignificant" and announced his support for Lau.
The anti-Arab and anti-African racism of Israel's top political and religious leaders is not reserved for the realm of words alone. The government continues apace with its dual human removal projects: the Prawer-Begin plan to dispossess Bedouin Palestinian Arab citizens of Israel of their lands, so that they can be appropriated for Jewish settlements; and the Yishai-Saar plan to expel all African asylum-seekers from the country.
The objectives of the Netanyahu government are no secret: to reduce the number of non-Jewish people living in the country and to reduce the amount of land that the remaining non-Jewish people live on. Confident of the ability to carry out these plans, Israel's political and religious leaders make no attempt to hide the hate that lies behind them.
26 july 2013
Ahmed al-Ja’abari, former commander of Hamas Izzeddin Qassam Brigades
A report says the Israeli military had attempted to abduct the former commander of Hamas military wing some four years before killing him in order to swap him with then-captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
According to a Thursday report by the Israeli news website Walla, the Israeli military dispatched troops to the Gaza Strip in 2008 to ambush Ahmed al-Ja’abari as he was on one of his routine roads.
The Israeli regime intended to capture the Hamas commander and use him as leverage to secure the release of Shalit, who was in captivity of the Palestinian resistance movement between June 2006 and October 2011.
However, the mission, which involved both the Israeli military and Shin Bet security service, failed on the designated day as Ja’abari’s car proceeded in a different direction than the expected one, the report said.
Israel assassinated Ja’abari, the commander of Izzeddin Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike in November 14, 2012 at the beginning of an eight day offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip, which killed over 160 Palestinians and injured some 1,200 others.
An Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement between the Tel Aviv regime and Hamas put an end to the Israeli war on Gaza on November 21, 2012.
A report says the Israeli military had attempted to abduct the former commander of Hamas military wing some four years before killing him in order to swap him with then-captive Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.
According to a Thursday report by the Israeli news website Walla, the Israeli military dispatched troops to the Gaza Strip in 2008 to ambush Ahmed al-Ja’abari as he was on one of his routine roads.
The Israeli regime intended to capture the Hamas commander and use him as leverage to secure the release of Shalit, who was in captivity of the Palestinian resistance movement between June 2006 and October 2011.
However, the mission, which involved both the Israeli military and Shin Bet security service, failed on the designated day as Ja’abari’s car proceeded in a different direction than the expected one, the report said.
Israel assassinated Ja’abari, the commander of Izzeddin Qassam Brigades, in an airstrike in November 14, 2012 at the beginning of an eight day offensive on the blockaded Gaza Strip, which killed over 160 Palestinians and injured some 1,200 others.
An Egypt-mediated ceasefire agreement between the Tel Aviv regime and Hamas put an end to the Israeli war on Gaza on November 21, 2012.
3 july 2013
Thousands of Palestinians attended on Tuesday evening the funeral of the slain teenager Moataz Sharawna, 19, in Dura town, south of Al-Khalil city. The Palestinian information center (PIC) reporter said that the funeral procession started before the afternoon prayer and headed to Ashamiya cemetery where the mourners participated in the burial service.
During the procession, the mourners chanted slogans urging the armed resistance factions to avenge Sharawna's death.
Israeli soldiers had shot dead Sharawan at dawn Tuesday before he was run over by a military jeep.
Mu'ataz Sharawneh
By Khalid Amayreh
Mu'ataz Sharawneh, 18, didn't kill or injure any Israeli. He didn't threaten to kill or injure any Israeli. And at no point, did he pose any threat or risk to Israelis, soldiers and civilians alike..
Yet, the Gestapo-like soldiers shot him in the head and prevented ambulances from transferring him to hospital.
According to eyewitnesses and relatives, he was run over by an Israeli armored vehicle, apparently to ascertain his death.
A relative said Sharawneh was on his way home from a wedding around 1.00 am when he saw Israel soldiers shoot on Palestinian boys, some of whom were hurling stones on the occupation vehicles. Dura is supposed to be under full Palestinian Authority control according to the Oslo accords. However Israel decided unilaterally to reoccupy all areas previously controlled, even symbolically, by the PA.
Kamel Hmeid, PA governor of Hebron , said that Sharawneh had only tried to hoist a Palestinian flag when he was shot and run over by an Israeli armored vehicle.
One eyewitness, Basel Nassar, said Israeli soldiers kicked and beat Sharawneh with the butt of their rifles after he fell to the ground.
Nasser said the soldiers kept him lying on the ground for almost 30 minutes before a local ambulance rushed him to hospital.
According to Dr.Walid Zalloum, director of the Hebron Government Hospital in al-Khalil, Sharawneh was hit with a single bullet, which penetrated his back and stayed in his chest.
The body, said Zalloum, also had signs of tires, indicating that Sharawneh had also been run over by a vehicle.
The Israeli occupation army has a notorious history of shooting and running over Palestinian victims of Israeli terror to make sure they are dead. This is known as "death verification technique."
The Sharawneh family lives just one block from this writer's home. His father Idris Sharawneh died 8 years ago which means the young boy spent much of his childhood an orphan.
The boy wanted to grow up and get a decent education in order to support his mother and siblings. Now, an indifferent Israeli bullet fired by indifferent hands put an end to his dreams…and life.
The manner in which the young man was killed demonstrates that Israel murders Palestinians with a shocking ease and indifference. But this is no news for the Palestinians, Israelis and the world. Murdering Palestinians, especially children, has always been a modus operandi and way of life for most Israelis.
The unjustified murder of Sharawneh is by no means an anomaly and didn't occur by mistake. It represents the norm not the exception. Israel has always been a murderous state from Day one.
This writer, for example, lost all his three paternal uncles in 1953 to Israeli bullets. They were not “terrorists” or anything of this sort as some people who are influenced by Israeli propaganda might think. They were simple shepherds who wouldn't hurt a fly.
So far, and despite the passage of more than 60 years, we haven't received a mea culpa from the Israeli state. No apology, no acknowledgment, no admission of guilt, no compensation, nothing.
This is while Jewish and Zionist circles continue to demand reparations and compensations from Europeans for alleged crimes against Jews dating back to the 19th and 18th centuries.
I am not against the pursuit of justice, even belatedly. However, when a Jew is allowed to seek redress whereas an Arab is denied the same right, then we are not talking about the establishment of justice, but rather the establishment of injustice and racism. It is sad that most Jews and Israelis pay no attention to the plights and grievances of their victims.
Back to the Sharawneh. Israel never loses an opportunity without asserting her claims of desiring peace with its neighbors, particularly the Palestinians.
However, one would have to be totally idiotic to believe these claims. In the final analysis, a state that orders it soldiers to shoot children and young boys who pose no real risk to soldiers inside armored military vehicles in the head and chest is a criminal state par excellence. This is the very least that can be said in this regard.
Unfortunately, the Palestinians are a helpless people who lack the means to defend and protect themselves.
This is why the world at large has a moral obligation to protect Palestinian children in particular and Palestinians in general from Israel's bullets and death machine.
Failing to do so would transform our world into a real jungle where the strong devours the weak.
Is this the kind of world the international community wants to see happen?.
During the procession, the mourners chanted slogans urging the armed resistance factions to avenge Sharawna's death.
Israeli soldiers had shot dead Sharawan at dawn Tuesday before he was run over by a military jeep.
Mu'ataz Sharawneh
By Khalid Amayreh
Mu'ataz Sharawneh, 18, didn't kill or injure any Israeli. He didn't threaten to kill or injure any Israeli. And at no point, did he pose any threat or risk to Israelis, soldiers and civilians alike..
Yet, the Gestapo-like soldiers shot him in the head and prevented ambulances from transferring him to hospital.
According to eyewitnesses and relatives, he was run over by an Israeli armored vehicle, apparently to ascertain his death.
A relative said Sharawneh was on his way home from a wedding around 1.00 am when he saw Israel soldiers shoot on Palestinian boys, some of whom were hurling stones on the occupation vehicles. Dura is supposed to be under full Palestinian Authority control according to the Oslo accords. However Israel decided unilaterally to reoccupy all areas previously controlled, even symbolically, by the PA.
Kamel Hmeid, PA governor of Hebron , said that Sharawneh had only tried to hoist a Palestinian flag when he was shot and run over by an Israeli armored vehicle.
One eyewitness, Basel Nassar, said Israeli soldiers kicked and beat Sharawneh with the butt of their rifles after he fell to the ground.
Nasser said the soldiers kept him lying on the ground for almost 30 minutes before a local ambulance rushed him to hospital.
According to Dr.Walid Zalloum, director of the Hebron Government Hospital in al-Khalil, Sharawneh was hit with a single bullet, which penetrated his back and stayed in his chest.
The body, said Zalloum, also had signs of tires, indicating that Sharawneh had also been run over by a vehicle.
The Israeli occupation army has a notorious history of shooting and running over Palestinian victims of Israeli terror to make sure they are dead. This is known as "death verification technique."
The Sharawneh family lives just one block from this writer's home. His father Idris Sharawneh died 8 years ago which means the young boy spent much of his childhood an orphan.
The boy wanted to grow up and get a decent education in order to support his mother and siblings. Now, an indifferent Israeli bullet fired by indifferent hands put an end to his dreams…and life.
The manner in which the young man was killed demonstrates that Israel murders Palestinians with a shocking ease and indifference. But this is no news for the Palestinians, Israelis and the world. Murdering Palestinians, especially children, has always been a modus operandi and way of life for most Israelis.
The unjustified murder of Sharawneh is by no means an anomaly and didn't occur by mistake. It represents the norm not the exception. Israel has always been a murderous state from Day one.
This writer, for example, lost all his three paternal uncles in 1953 to Israeli bullets. They were not “terrorists” or anything of this sort as some people who are influenced by Israeli propaganda might think. They were simple shepherds who wouldn't hurt a fly.
So far, and despite the passage of more than 60 years, we haven't received a mea culpa from the Israeli state. No apology, no acknowledgment, no admission of guilt, no compensation, nothing.
This is while Jewish and Zionist circles continue to demand reparations and compensations from Europeans for alleged crimes against Jews dating back to the 19th and 18th centuries.
I am not against the pursuit of justice, even belatedly. However, when a Jew is allowed to seek redress whereas an Arab is denied the same right, then we are not talking about the establishment of justice, but rather the establishment of injustice and racism. It is sad that most Jews and Israelis pay no attention to the plights and grievances of their victims.
Back to the Sharawneh. Israel never loses an opportunity without asserting her claims of desiring peace with its neighbors, particularly the Palestinians.
However, one would have to be totally idiotic to believe these claims. In the final analysis, a state that orders it soldiers to shoot children and young boys who pose no real risk to soldiers inside armored military vehicles in the head and chest is a criminal state par excellence. This is the very least that can be said in this regard.
Unfortunately, the Palestinians are a helpless people who lack the means to defend and protect themselves.
This is why the world at large has a moral obligation to protect Palestinian children in particular and Palestinians in general from Israel's bullets and death machine.
Failing to do so would transform our world into a real jungle where the strong devours the weak.
Is this the kind of world the international community wants to see happen?.
In an excessive use of lethal force, on Tuesday, 02 July 2013, Israeli forces killed a 19-year old Palestinian civilian in Dura, southwest of Hebron, when Israeli forces, which moved into the village and fired live bullets, sound bombs, and tear gas canisters at a group of young men, who threw stones at them.
According to investigation conducted by Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and testimonies given by witnesses, at approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Dura town, southwest of Hebron in the south of the west Bank. A number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones from a distance of 2 meters at the Israeli forces.
A number of soldiers got out of their vehicles and chased the young men, who fled to an entrance that leads to Karisa neighborhood in the centre of the town, as Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, sound bomb and tear gas canisters. Mo'ataz 'Abdel Fatah al-Sharawnah (19) was hit by a sound bomb thrown at his chest from a distance of around 18 meters and fell onto the ground.
Meanwhile, his brother, Saher, approached Mo'ataz to try to rescue him, but Israeli soldiers fired at him. As a result, he sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder and he then escaped. However, he was arrested several meters away by Israeli special forces. A number of Israeli soldiers gathered around Mo'ataz, who was lying on the ground, and violently stepped on his chest and abdomen. They then left, and a number of young men brought an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society to transfer him to the Society's station. He was then transferred to Hebron Governmental Hospital where he passed away a few minutes later. According to medical sources at hospital, he died due to sustaining a cut in the chest and bruises causing him extensive bleeding.
It should be mentioned that the dead body was transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Dis to reveal the real reasons of death.
PCHR expresses deep concern for such crimes which reflect the continued use of excessive force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in disregard for their lives.
PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its call for the parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 to fulfill their obligations under Common Article 1; i.e., to respect and to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Article 85 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions.
According to investigation conducted by Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) and testimonies given by witnesses, at approximately 01:00, Israeli forces moved into Dura town, southwest of Hebron in the south of the west Bank. A number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones from a distance of 2 meters at the Israeli forces.
A number of soldiers got out of their vehicles and chased the young men, who fled to an entrance that leads to Karisa neighborhood in the centre of the town, as Israeli soldiers fired live ammunition, sound bomb and tear gas canisters. Mo'ataz 'Abdel Fatah al-Sharawnah (19) was hit by a sound bomb thrown at his chest from a distance of around 18 meters and fell onto the ground.
Meanwhile, his brother, Saher, approached Mo'ataz to try to rescue him, but Israeli soldiers fired at him. As a result, he sustained a bullet wound to the shoulder and he then escaped. However, he was arrested several meters away by Israeli special forces. A number of Israeli soldiers gathered around Mo'ataz, who was lying on the ground, and violently stepped on his chest and abdomen. They then left, and a number of young men brought an ambulance of Palestine Red Crescent Society to transfer him to the Society's station. He was then transferred to Hebron Governmental Hospital where he passed away a few minutes later. According to medical sources at hospital, he died due to sustaining a cut in the chest and bruises causing him extensive bleeding.
It should be mentioned that the dead body was transferred to the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Dis to reveal the real reasons of death.
PCHR expresses deep concern for such crimes which reflect the continued use of excessive force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians in disregard for their lives.
PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its call for the parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 1949 to fulfill their obligations under Common Article 1; i.e., to respect and to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Article 85 of Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions.
2 july 2013
A picture of Muatazz Idreis Sharawnah, 19, in Hebron's public hospital. Sharawnah died of injuries sustained after being hit by an Israeli military vehicle during clashes in the West Bank city of Dura, Hebron district on 2 July 2013
Medical sources confirmed that Palestinian martyr Moataz Sharawna who died at dawn Tuesday was shot by Israeli soldiers before being run over by a military truck, during clashes in Dura. The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had opened fire during clashes in the Dura city in al-Khalil, in the southern occupied West Bank.
The al-Khalil public hospital's director Walid Zalloum said in a press statement that "martyr Sharawna arrived to the hospital at dawn in a serious condition after being run over by an Israeli military vehicle."
Zalloum asserted that forensics confirmed that Moataz Sharawnah, 19, was shot with an Israeli explosive bullet in the back before he was struck by the army truck.
Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Dura
A Palestinian man died Tuesday morning from injuries sustained after midnight when he was struck down by an Israeli military vehicle in the Dura city in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
A Palestinian security source told Ma'an that the military vehicle deliberately hit Muatazz Idreis Sharawnah, 19, during clashes between Israeli troops and young Palestinian men in the city.
Locals said Israeli forces impeded the access of Palestinian Red Crescent Association paramedics when they attempted to reach Sharawnah to offer emergency care and evacuate him to hospital.
Medics from Hebron's public hospital declared Sharawnah dead on Tuesday morning.
Locals said Sharawnah was a student at the Palestinian Authority Military Academy in Jericho.
Israeli forces deployed heavily in the city and erected a number of checkpoints following the incident.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the army was aware of the incident and would be providing a comment once they have more details.
Forensics confirm Dura man shot by Israeli forces
Medical sources confirmed that Palestinian martyr Moataz Sharawna who died at dawn Tuesday was shot by Israeli soldiers before being run over by a military truck, during clashes in Dura. The Israeli army confirmed that its forces had opened fire during clashes in the Dura city in al-Khalil, in the southern occupied West Bank.
The al-Khalil public hospital's director Walid Zalloum said in a press statement that "martyr Sharawna arrived to the hospital at dawn in a serious condition after being run over by an Israeli military vehicle."
Zalloum asserted that forensics confirmed that Moataz Sharawnah, 19, was shot with an Israeli explosive bullet in the back before he was struck by the army truck.
Palestinian killed by Israeli forces in Dura
A Palestinian man died Tuesday morning from injuries sustained after midnight when he was struck down by an Israeli military vehicle in the Dura city in the southern West Bank district of Hebron.
A Palestinian security source told Ma'an that the military vehicle deliberately hit Muatazz Idreis Sharawnah, 19, during clashes between Israeli troops and young Palestinian men in the city.
Locals said Israeli forces impeded the access of Palestinian Red Crescent Association paramedics when they attempted to reach Sharawnah to offer emergency care and evacuate him to hospital.
Medics from Hebron's public hospital declared Sharawnah dead on Tuesday morning.
Locals said Sharawnah was a student at the Palestinian Authority Military Academy in Jericho.
Israeli forces deployed heavily in the city and erected a number of checkpoints following the incident.
An Israeli military spokeswoman said that the army was aware of the incident and would be providing a comment once they have more details.
Forensics confirm Dura man shot by Israeli forces
Muatazz Idreis Sharawnah, 19
Palestinian Killed In Hebron
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a young Palestinian man was killed on Tuesday at dawn [July 2 2013] after being rammed by an Israeli military jeep during an invasion into Doura town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The youth has been identified as Mo’taz Idrees Sharawna, 19; he suffered very serious injuries, and died of his wounds at a local hospital.
Local sources said that young man climbed onto a military jeep during the invasion, and that the soldiers drove their jeep faster, throwing him onto the ground before ramming into him.
Clashes have been reported between dozens of local youths and the invading soldiers, at least one youth have been injured.
Media sources in Hebron have reported that Sharawna is a student at a security college in Jericho.
Palestinian killed in IDF operation in south Mount Hebron
A Palestinian was killed in south Mount Hebron during an IDF operation Monday night. Preliminary details revealed that the Palestinian was shot due to unknown circumstances during a riot on site.
A military official confirmed the details of the incident and informed the circumstances are being examined. Security forces in the area are preparing for further riots in response to the event.
Palestinian killed by IDF fire in south Mouth Hebron
Palestinian Security Academy cadet shot during clashes with IDF forces in south Mount Hebron, dies of wounds
A Palestinian was killed in the village of Dura in the south Mount Hebron from IDF fire late Monday night. A riot broke out on site, in which the Palestinian was shot under unclear circumstances. A military official confirmed the details and informed that the circumstances behind the event were being examined. Security forces in the area are preparing for further riots in response to the event.
The deceased, Muatez Edris Sharuna, 19, was a cadet in the Palestinian Security Academy in Jericho. Initially it was reported he was run over and killed by a military jeep during clashes between young Palestinians and IDF forces on mission, yet it later turned out that he was shot and died of his wounds.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, during a nighttime operation in Dura, Palestinians rioted and threw stones at the soldiers on site, and they responded with crowd-control measures.
During the event, it was reported that a Palestinian was injured by gunfire. He was evacuated by a Red Crescent ambulance and later on died of his wounds. It was further stated that the IDF is investigating the circumstances behind the event. Three months ago, a Palestinian was killed and two more were injured, one of them severely, in clashes with IDF soldiers in the Al-Fawar refugee camp south of Hebron. According to the Palestinians, they were hit by live rounds fired by IDF soldiers. The incident occurred one week before the arrival of US President Barack Obama to the region.
Palestinian Killed In Hebron
Palestinian medical sources have reported that a young Palestinian man was killed on Tuesday at dawn [July 2 2013] after being rammed by an Israeli military jeep during an invasion into Doura town, near the southern West Bank city of Hebron.
The youth has been identified as Mo’taz Idrees Sharawna, 19; he suffered very serious injuries, and died of his wounds at a local hospital.
Local sources said that young man climbed onto a military jeep during the invasion, and that the soldiers drove their jeep faster, throwing him onto the ground before ramming into him.
Clashes have been reported between dozens of local youths and the invading soldiers, at least one youth have been injured.
Media sources in Hebron have reported that Sharawna is a student at a security college in Jericho.
Palestinian killed in IDF operation in south Mount Hebron
A Palestinian was killed in south Mount Hebron during an IDF operation Monday night. Preliminary details revealed that the Palestinian was shot due to unknown circumstances during a riot on site.
A military official confirmed the details of the incident and informed the circumstances are being examined. Security forces in the area are preparing for further riots in response to the event.
Palestinian killed by IDF fire in south Mouth Hebron
Palestinian Security Academy cadet shot during clashes with IDF forces in south Mount Hebron, dies of wounds
A Palestinian was killed in the village of Dura in the south Mount Hebron from IDF fire late Monday night. A riot broke out on site, in which the Palestinian was shot under unclear circumstances. A military official confirmed the details and informed that the circumstances behind the event were being examined. Security forces in the area are preparing for further riots in response to the event.
The deceased, Muatez Edris Sharuna, 19, was a cadet in the Palestinian Security Academy in Jericho. Initially it was reported he was run over and killed by a military jeep during clashes between young Palestinians and IDF forces on mission, yet it later turned out that he was shot and died of his wounds.
According to the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, during a nighttime operation in Dura, Palestinians rioted and threw stones at the soldiers on site, and they responded with crowd-control measures.
During the event, it was reported that a Palestinian was injured by gunfire. He was evacuated by a Red Crescent ambulance and later on died of his wounds. It was further stated that the IDF is investigating the circumstances behind the event. Three months ago, a Palestinian was killed and two more were injured, one of them severely, in clashes with IDF soldiers in the Al-Fawar refugee camp south of Hebron. According to the Palestinians, they were hit by live rounds fired by IDF soldiers. The incident occurred one week before the arrival of US President Barack Obama to the region.
