12 june 2014
Few days ago 30-year-old Alaa Audah was killed by the Israeli soldiers in southern Nablus at Zaatara checkpoint, which has become a place to kill and terrorize Palestinian citizens. The Zaatara checkpoint is one of dozens inside the occupied Palestinian territories, restricting the movement of people and goods. It's the only passage between the northern and central West Bank areas and has witnessed many crimes of "willful killings" by Israeli forces against Palestinian citizens.
A taxi driver, Walid Obeid, told PIC's correspondent that Zaatara is the worst military checkpoint in the West Bank, being a compulsory passage for the Palestinians and the settlers in the region. It is surrounded by military towers and checkpoints linking four main crossroads, he added.
Lawyer Mohammed Kamanji, coordinator of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Jenin, said in statements to the PIC that the Israeli forces have executed many Palestinians at the Zaatara checkpoint, based on fabricated and unconvincing stories, which proves that a group of extremist soldiers are controlling the checkpoint.
A report published by the Israeli Walla website on June 5 mentioned that the soldier who killed Alaa Audah at Zaatara checkpoint is the same one who killed Bashir Habanin in November 2013, at the same roadblock.
"A number of Israeli border guards at Zaatara checkpoint claimed that a Palestinian man standing at the bus station near the checkpoint was carrying an improvised weapon and firing it repeatedly and that the soldiers shot him "to prevent causalities". The young man died on the spot and the soldier who committed the crime received a certificate of appreciation from the Israeli police chief Danny Danino," the report said.
Concerning the execution of the martyr Alaa Audah, the Israeli forces claimed that the victim opened fire at them, so one of the soldiers shot and killed him. PCHR said there were no eyewitnesses in the area at the time to deny or confirm that claim, while the soldier's story contradicts with the one told by the spokesman for the Israeli army, which confirms that the story is fabricated.
Human rights activist Kamanji noted that the Zaatara checkpoint has a strategic importance to the occupation, as it separates the northern part of West Bank from the rest of its areas.
There are more than 90 military checkpoints in the West Bank, where the Palestinian citizens are exposed to daily oppression, killing, intimidation and detention, Kamanji stated.
He added that the checkpoints have prevented economic growth, as they affect the transport of goods between the cities, and prevent territorial contiguity between the provinces.
A taxi driver, Walid Obeid, told PIC's correspondent that Zaatara is the worst military checkpoint in the West Bank, being a compulsory passage for the Palestinians and the settlers in the region. It is surrounded by military towers and checkpoints linking four main crossroads, he added.
Lawyer Mohammed Kamanji, coordinator of the Independent Commission for Human Rights in Jenin, said in statements to the PIC that the Israeli forces have executed many Palestinians at the Zaatara checkpoint, based on fabricated and unconvincing stories, which proves that a group of extremist soldiers are controlling the checkpoint.
A report published by the Israeli Walla website on June 5 mentioned that the soldier who killed Alaa Audah at Zaatara checkpoint is the same one who killed Bashir Habanin in November 2013, at the same roadblock.
"A number of Israeli border guards at Zaatara checkpoint claimed that a Palestinian man standing at the bus station near the checkpoint was carrying an improvised weapon and firing it repeatedly and that the soldiers shot him "to prevent causalities". The young man died on the spot and the soldier who committed the crime received a certificate of appreciation from the Israeli police chief Danny Danino," the report said.
Concerning the execution of the martyr Alaa Audah, the Israeli forces claimed that the victim opened fire at them, so one of the soldiers shot and killed him. PCHR said there were no eyewitnesses in the area at the time to deny or confirm that claim, while the soldier's story contradicts with the one told by the spokesman for the Israeli army, which confirms that the story is fabricated.
Human rights activist Kamanji noted that the Zaatara checkpoint has a strategic importance to the occupation, as it separates the northern part of West Bank from the rest of its areas.
There are more than 90 military checkpoints in the West Bank, where the Palestinian citizens are exposed to daily oppression, killing, intimidation and detention, Kamanji stated.
He added that the checkpoints have prevented economic growth, as they affect the transport of goods between the cities, and prevent territorial contiguity between the provinces.
11 june 2014
Muhammad Ahmad al-Awour 30
An Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian in Gaza on Wednesday after new rocket fire from the territory prompted Israel's premier to warn he holds President Mahmoud Abbas responsible.
Two Palestinians were also wounded in the evening raid in the northern Gaza Strip, the emergency services said.
The dead man and one of the wounded were traveling on a motorbike and were the apparent targets. A young boy, who was passing by on foot, was also wounded.
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for Gaza's health ministry, identified the victim as Muhammad Ahmad al-Awour, 30.
The An-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, said that al-Awour was affiliated to the group.
The Israeli military said it had targeted "terrorists affiliated to the international jihad," its designation for Al-Qaeda inspired groups in Gaza.
The victim's mother told Ma'an that when the Israeli missile targeted Muhammad, he was on his way to bring her food. She highlighted that he asked her and his wife a day before to invite his aunts and married sisters to a dinner at his home in Beit Lahiya.
"All invitees arrived, but the host hasn't arrived because Israeli occupation's warplanes surprised him while he was on his way home," she said.
"Muhammad wasn't going to launch missiles at them. We had a kind of family gathering, and he went to bring some food for us, but he never came back, and we received the news of his martyrdom."
Abbas, who swore in a new merged government for the Palestinian territories last week replacing the Hamas administration in Gaza, condemned the rocket fire, which Israeli officials said hit the Eshkol region without causing any casualties or damage.
"Abbas is responsible and accountable for rockets that are fired at Israeli towns and cities by terrorists in the Gaza Strip," Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter.
Another Netanyahu spokesmen released a statement demanding that Abbas disarm "terrorist" organizations in Gaza.
"Abbas claims that the new Palestinian government honors all previous commitments. So why has he not disarmed the terrorist organizations in Gaza as he is obligated to do," Mark Regev asked.
Israel had previously held Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from Gaza, regardless of who carried it out.
The Palestinian president's bureau denounced the airstrike and urged the Israeli government to stop its escalation in Gaza immediately.
"We hold the Israeli government responsible for this escalation which we view as an attempt to create tension and drag the area into violence," a statement released by Abbas' office said.
An Israeli blockade on Gaza has been in place since 2006, limiting imports and exports and leading to major economic decline and a wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
Israel has killed over 60 Palestinians since last July and injured more than a thousand in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.
An Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian in Gaza on Wednesday after new rocket fire from the territory prompted Israel's premier to warn he holds President Mahmoud Abbas responsible.
Two Palestinians were also wounded in the evening raid in the northern Gaza Strip, the emergency services said.
The dead man and one of the wounded were traveling on a motorbike and were the apparent targets. A young boy, who was passing by on foot, was also wounded.
Ashraf al-Qidra, spokesman for Gaza's health ministry, identified the victim as Muhammad Ahmad al-Awour, 30.
The An-Nasser Salah al-Din Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Resistance Committees, said that al-Awour was affiliated to the group.
The Israeli military said it had targeted "terrorists affiliated to the international jihad," its designation for Al-Qaeda inspired groups in Gaza.
The victim's mother told Ma'an that when the Israeli missile targeted Muhammad, he was on his way to bring her food. She highlighted that he asked her and his wife a day before to invite his aunts and married sisters to a dinner at his home in Beit Lahiya.
"All invitees arrived, but the host hasn't arrived because Israeli occupation's warplanes surprised him while he was on his way home," she said.
"Muhammad wasn't going to launch missiles at them. We had a kind of family gathering, and he went to bring some food for us, but he never came back, and we received the news of his martyrdom."
Abbas, who swore in a new merged government for the Palestinian territories last week replacing the Hamas administration in Gaza, condemned the rocket fire, which Israeli officials said hit the Eshkol region without causing any casualties or damage.
"Abbas is responsible and accountable for rockets that are fired at Israeli towns and cities by terrorists in the Gaza Strip," Ofir Gendelman, a spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, wrote on Twitter.
Another Netanyahu spokesmen released a statement demanding that Abbas disarm "terrorist" organizations in Gaza.
"Abbas claims that the new Palestinian government honors all previous commitments. So why has he not disarmed the terrorist organizations in Gaza as he is obligated to do," Mark Regev asked.
Israel had previously held Hamas responsible for all rocket fire from Gaza, regardless of who carried it out.
The Palestinian president's bureau denounced the airstrike and urged the Israeli government to stop its escalation in Gaza immediately.
"We hold the Israeli government responsible for this escalation which we view as an attempt to create tension and drag the area into violence," a statement released by Abbas' office said.
An Israeli blockade on Gaza has been in place since 2006, limiting imports and exports and leading to major economic decline and a wide-reaching humanitarian crisis.
Israel has killed over 60 Palestinians since last July and injured more than a thousand in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.
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Muhammad Ahmad al-Awour 30
An Israeli airstrike on Gaza killed one Palestinian and wounded two on Wednesday evening after rocket fire from the territory on southern Israel, emergency services said. The strike, which hit the northern Gaza Strip, came little more than a week after a Palestinian unity government was sworn in, replacing separate administrations in Gaza, run by Hamas, and in the West Bank run by loyalists of President Mahmud Abbas. Fighter Assassinated, Two Palestinians Injured, By Israeli Missile In Gaza |
Palestinian medical sources have reported that one Palestinian was killed, and two were seriously injured, when an Israeli war jet fired a missile targeting a fighter northwest of Gaza city.
The al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said the fighter has been identified as Mohammad Nasr (Abu Al-Khattab), 24 years of age.
His body was severely mutilated when an Israeli missile struck him as he was driving his motorcycle in the Sudaniyya area.
Two civilians were injured in the blast, one seriously, the Palestinian TV has reported.
The Israeli army said “it targeted fighters planning to attack Israeli targets”.
On Wednesday evening, a Palestinian child was killed and a young man was wounded in an explosion that took place in a home in the at-Tuffah neighborhood, in Gaza City, medical sources said.
The child Khalil al-Ghaseen, 13 years of age, died of serious injuries he suffered in an explosion that took place in his family’s home, in Jaffa Street in Gaza City.
The sources added that a young man suffered life-threatening injuries due to the blast, and was moved to a local hospital. The police are said to be investigating the causes of the blast.
The al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said the fighter has been identified as Mohammad Nasr (Abu Al-Khattab), 24 years of age.
His body was severely mutilated when an Israeli missile struck him as he was driving his motorcycle in the Sudaniyya area.
Two civilians were injured in the blast, one seriously, the Palestinian TV has reported.
The Israeli army said “it targeted fighters planning to attack Israeli targets”.
On Wednesday evening, a Palestinian child was killed and a young man was wounded in an explosion that took place in a home in the at-Tuffah neighborhood, in Gaza City, medical sources said.
The child Khalil al-Ghaseen, 13 years of age, died of serious injuries he suffered in an explosion that took place in his family’s home, in Jaffa Street in Gaza City.
The sources added that a young man suffered life-threatening injuries due to the blast, and was moved to a local hospital. The police are said to be investigating the causes of the blast.
A vigil held in Ramallah on May 17 after the death of Nadim Nuwara
An autopsy ordered on the body of a Palestinian teenager killed during Nakba Day demonstrations last month concluded that his death was caused by an Israeli bullet, a source close to the matter told Ma'an.
The killing of Nadim Nuwara, who was 15 at the time of his death, has been a source of controversy, as Palestinian medical sources and eyewitnesses have said that Israeli soldiers shot him while Israeli security sources have disputed the claim, despite the existence of a video footage showing the incident from a number of angles.
Nuwara's body was exhumed on Wednesday and an autopsy was performed at the Palestinian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.
The autopsy -- which was performed by a team of specialists led by the head of the institute, Saber al-Aloul, with the presence of Danish, Portuguese, American, and two Israeli doctors -- concluded that the Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli forces.
The source added that the exhumed body was in a good condition and had not decomposed yet, so doctors had no difficulties in locating the places where the bullet entered and exited the body, and even found fragments of it remaining in the body.
Samples of the bullet fragments and the body was taken for testing in order to prepare a report that will be published in the coming days.
Nadim Nuwara was killed alongside Muhammad Audah Abu al-Thahir, 17, as they participated in protests to mark the 66th anniversary of the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" when Zionist militias expelled 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what became Israel in 1948.
The protests took place near the Ofer Detention Center near Ramallah and became part of an international controversy over Israel's army's regular use of excessive force against Palestinian protesters.
An autopsy ordered on the body of a Palestinian teenager killed during Nakba Day demonstrations last month concluded that his death was caused by an Israeli bullet, a source close to the matter told Ma'an.
The killing of Nadim Nuwara, who was 15 at the time of his death, has been a source of controversy, as Palestinian medical sources and eyewitnesses have said that Israeli soldiers shot him while Israeli security sources have disputed the claim, despite the existence of a video footage showing the incident from a number of angles.
Nuwara's body was exhumed on Wednesday and an autopsy was performed at the Palestinian Institute of Forensic Medicine, the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said.
The autopsy -- which was performed by a team of specialists led by the head of the institute, Saber al-Aloul, with the presence of Danish, Portuguese, American, and two Israeli doctors -- concluded that the Palestinian youth was killed by Israeli forces.
The source added that the exhumed body was in a good condition and had not decomposed yet, so doctors had no difficulties in locating the places where the bullet entered and exited the body, and even found fragments of it remaining in the body.
Samples of the bullet fragments and the body was taken for testing in order to prepare a report that will be published in the coming days.
Nadim Nuwara was killed alongside Muhammad Audah Abu al-Thahir, 17, as they participated in protests to mark the 66th anniversary of the "Nakba" or "catastrophe" when Zionist militias expelled 750,000 Palestinians from their homes in what became Israel in 1948.
The protests took place near the Ofer Detention Center near Ramallah and became part of an international controversy over Israel's army's regular use of excessive force against Palestinian protesters.
Attorney General Muhammad Abd al-Ghani al-Uweili has stated that the body of Nadim Nuwara will be exhumed and taken to the Palestinian Institute of Forensic Medicine for an investigation into the exact nature of his death.
Police, along with medical teams and legal officials, will exhume the body in accordance with Palestinian and Islamic law, the statement said, according to Ma'an.
Palestinian medical teams will seek the assistance of international experts for the investigation, al-Uweili said.
Nuwara, along with another Palestinian teenager, Muhammad Audah Abu al-Thahir, were both shot dead by Israeli forces on the 66th anniversary of the Nakba, during protests which were organized near Ofer prison, just outside Ramallah.
Video footage of the incident clearly shows that neither of the boys were involved in the clashes which surrounded their deaths. Palestinian medics say the deaths were caused by live fire, though the Israeli army denies this claim.
The decision to exhume Nuwara's body was made upon receiving official permission from Nuwara's family and a fatwa issued by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
See related article: Siam Nowarah's Letter to the International Community
Police, along with medical teams and legal officials, will exhume the body in accordance with Palestinian and Islamic law, the statement said, according to Ma'an.
Palestinian medical teams will seek the assistance of international experts for the investigation, al-Uweili said.
Nuwara, along with another Palestinian teenager, Muhammad Audah Abu al-Thahir, were both shot dead by Israeli forces on the 66th anniversary of the Nakba, during protests which were organized near Ofer prison, just outside Ramallah.
Video footage of the incident clearly shows that neither of the boys were involved in the clashes which surrounded their deaths. Palestinian medics say the deaths were caused by live fire, though the Israeli army denies this claim.
The decision to exhume Nuwara's body was made upon receiving official permission from Nuwara's family and a fatwa issued by the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem.
See related article: Siam Nowarah's Letter to the International Community
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has succeeded in ensuring remedy for the family of 'Ahed al-Telbani, from al-Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, who was killed by the Israeli forces 13 years ago. Following years of legal work and persistent follow-up, a settlement was concluded with the Israeli Military Advocate General’s representatives to pay 175,000 NIS for the heirs of the aforementioned civilian in exchange for closing the case. Procedures to deliver this amount to the family are now in process.
On 31 January 2001, Israeli forces stationed at al-Shuhadaa’ intersection "previously called Netzarim", south of Gaza City, opened fire at a cap belonging to al-Telbani from a very close range while he was passing the intersection. As a result, he was killed.
On 07 February 2001, PCHR followed up the case after being given a power of attorney by the family of the victim, who is married and a father of 8 children. PCHR submitted complaints to each of the Israeli Military Advocate General and the Israeli Ministry of Defense to take the necessary legal action to hold the perpetrators accountable for willfully killing al-Telbani. In 2004, PCHR filed a case before the District Court of al-Gedera on behalf of the heirs of al-Telbani. Over the past years, the lawyers at PCHR’s Legal Unit followed up the case until the Court decided on 15 February 2010 to dismiss the proceedings. Eyewitness were not able to give their testimonies before the court as the Israeli authorities refused to give them necessary permits to pass via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to attend the court's sessions.
On 31 December 2010, PCHR appealed the court’s decision and managed to get the case back on the court roll as the court accepted the affidavits of the eyewitnesses instead of their testimonies in person before the court.
Several court hearings in the case were held over the past years, during which PCHR supported its claim by evidences confirming the Israeli forces’ responsibility for al-Telbani’s death in circumstances that did not require the use of weapons. According to eyewitnesses, the area then did not witness any clashes and passing through the intersection was permitted. This means that the Israeli forces willfully killed al-Telbani in a blatant violation of the most basic concepts of humanity, domestic laws and international human rights instruments.
This is not the first time that PCHR achieves success in regard to efforts to prosecute war criminals via Israeli courts. PCHR had achieved other successes in this field, the latest of which was in October 2013, when PCHR succeeded in ensuring a compensation of 498,000 NIS for the families of 3 Palestinian children, who were killed by Israeli forces in 2001, i.e. around 166,000 NIS for each family.
In this context, PCHR emphasizes two facts. First, PCHR’s lawyers have exerted extraordinary efforts for long years to achieve these results and that way to access to justice, even though in regards to a limited number of cases, is difficult and painstaking and requires abnormal efforts. Second, these successes by all standards and criteria are limited ones and only for exceptional cases as thousands of cases, which PCHR filed on behalf of the Palestinian victims, have not been settled yet or were dismissed due to the issuance of military orders, amendments to the legislations or decisions taken by judges while considering the cases.
PCHR will continue its efforts to prosecute suspected Israeli war criminals before Israeli courts, or national courts of other countries based on the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure that Israeli war criminals do not evade justice, and to ensure remedy for thousands of Palestinian civilians who have been affected by Israeli practices and crimes.
On 31 January 2001, Israeli forces stationed at al-Shuhadaa’ intersection "previously called Netzarim", south of Gaza City, opened fire at a cap belonging to al-Telbani from a very close range while he was passing the intersection. As a result, he was killed.
On 07 February 2001, PCHR followed up the case after being given a power of attorney by the family of the victim, who is married and a father of 8 children. PCHR submitted complaints to each of the Israeli Military Advocate General and the Israeli Ministry of Defense to take the necessary legal action to hold the perpetrators accountable for willfully killing al-Telbani. In 2004, PCHR filed a case before the District Court of al-Gedera on behalf of the heirs of al-Telbani. Over the past years, the lawyers at PCHR’s Legal Unit followed up the case until the Court decided on 15 February 2010 to dismiss the proceedings. Eyewitness were not able to give their testimonies before the court as the Israeli authorities refused to give them necessary permits to pass via Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing to attend the court's sessions.
On 31 December 2010, PCHR appealed the court’s decision and managed to get the case back on the court roll as the court accepted the affidavits of the eyewitnesses instead of their testimonies in person before the court.
Several court hearings in the case were held over the past years, during which PCHR supported its claim by evidences confirming the Israeli forces’ responsibility for al-Telbani’s death in circumstances that did not require the use of weapons. According to eyewitnesses, the area then did not witness any clashes and passing through the intersection was permitted. This means that the Israeli forces willfully killed al-Telbani in a blatant violation of the most basic concepts of humanity, domestic laws and international human rights instruments.
This is not the first time that PCHR achieves success in regard to efforts to prosecute war criminals via Israeli courts. PCHR had achieved other successes in this field, the latest of which was in October 2013, when PCHR succeeded in ensuring a compensation of 498,000 NIS for the families of 3 Palestinian children, who were killed by Israeli forces in 2001, i.e. around 166,000 NIS for each family.
In this context, PCHR emphasizes two facts. First, PCHR’s lawyers have exerted extraordinary efforts for long years to achieve these results and that way to access to justice, even though in regards to a limited number of cases, is difficult and painstaking and requires abnormal efforts. Second, these successes by all standards and criteria are limited ones and only for exceptional cases as thousands of cases, which PCHR filed on behalf of the Palestinian victims, have not been settled yet or were dismissed due to the issuance of military orders, amendments to the legislations or decisions taken by judges while considering the cases.
PCHR will continue its efforts to prosecute suspected Israeli war criminals before Israeli courts, or national courts of other countries based on the principle of universal jurisdiction to ensure that Israeli war criminals do not evade justice, and to ensure remedy for thousands of Palestinian civilians who have been affected by Israeli practices and crimes.
10 june 2014
Muhammad Mufeed Yousif Mustafa Thahir 20
A young Palestinian man from a northern West Bank village is believed to have been shot dead by Israeli forces six days ago when he was trying to enter Israel without permission.
Muhammad Mufeed Yousif Mustafa Thahir, a 20-year-old engineering student from the Nablus-area village of Yasid, was found dead last Friday, two days after he tried to enter Israel with a friend to find work.
The friend, Fadi Halayqa from al-Shuyukh village in Hebron, told Ma'an that after he and Thahir walked for two hours in an attempt to bypass al-Jabaa military checkpoint, he heard heavy gunfire and started to run back.
"I ran for about five minutes then stopped and hid. When I looked around I couldn't see Muhammad," he told Ma'an.
Halayqa highlighted that he and Muhammad wanted to work during the summer holiday to help pay their university tuition fees.
"I am sure Muhammad was shot dead by Israeli soldiers," he said.
Two days later, Muhammad's family was notified that he was dead.
"The Israeli forces handed over Muhammad's identity card and his mobile phone, but they have refused to deliver his body," says Muhammad's uncle Osama Thahir.
"They summoned us to Israeli intelligence office in Etzion ... and told us he was dead, but the intelligence officer refused to explain how he died.
"When we asked whether he was shot at, an officer said they were trying to reveal the real cause of death."
He said the body of Muhammad was being held at Israel's Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return emails and phone calls seeking comment.
A young Palestinian man from a northern West Bank village is believed to have been shot dead by Israeli forces six days ago when he was trying to enter Israel without permission.
Muhammad Mufeed Yousif Mustafa Thahir, a 20-year-old engineering student from the Nablus-area village of Yasid, was found dead last Friday, two days after he tried to enter Israel with a friend to find work.
The friend, Fadi Halayqa from al-Shuyukh village in Hebron, told Ma'an that after he and Thahir walked for two hours in an attempt to bypass al-Jabaa military checkpoint, he heard heavy gunfire and started to run back.
"I ran for about five minutes then stopped and hid. When I looked around I couldn't see Muhammad," he told Ma'an.
Halayqa highlighted that he and Muhammad wanted to work during the summer holiday to help pay their university tuition fees.
"I am sure Muhammad was shot dead by Israeli soldiers," he said.
Two days later, Muhammad's family was notified that he was dead.
"The Israeli forces handed over Muhammad's identity card and his mobile phone, but they have refused to deliver his body," says Muhammad's uncle Osama Thahir.
"They summoned us to Israeli intelligence office in Etzion ... and told us he was dead, but the intelligence officer refused to explain how he died.
"When we asked whether he was shot at, an officer said they were trying to reveal the real cause of death."
He said the body of Muhammad was being held at Israel's Institute of Forensic Medicine in Abu Kabir.
An Israeli army spokeswoman did not immediately return emails and phone calls seeking comment.
An international team of doctors from Denmark and the United States is expected to investigate the death of the Palestinian teenager who was shot dead during Nakba Day near Beitunia town west of Ramallah by an Israeli soldier few meters away. Israeli media reported that the Palestinian teenager’s father has accepted the autopsy of his son's body to investigate into his death’s causes and circumstances.
The investigation into the teenager's death is expected to be completed on the 11th of June.
An Israeli soldier has been suspended for firing "rubber bullets" toward two Palestinian teenagers which led to their immediate death. However, facts and eyewitnesses confirmed that live bullets were used during the incident.
The investigation into the teenager's death is expected to be completed on the 11th of June.
An Israeli soldier has been suspended for firing "rubber bullets" toward two Palestinian teenagers which led to their immediate death. However, facts and eyewitnesses confirmed that live bullets were used during the incident.
Roni Numa, right, with former IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi, 2010
Israeli Brigadier General Roni Numa was promoted to head the Israeli military’s ‘Depth Corps’ this week, despite having ordered the ‘neutralization’ of a Palestinian civilian in 2001.
The Palestinian man was killed in the operation, and his wife and children who were in the car with him during the assassination were wounded. They later filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government for the death.
The Israeli military stated that “nothing about the incident discredits” Numa, and that he is the best person to head the ‘depth Corps’. This is despite the fact that an Israeli court ruled that the order given by Numa to the men under his command that they should kill the Palestinian civilian “should not have been given”.
The incident took place near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem in October, 31 2001. The Battalion 202 of the Paratrooper Brigade commanded by Numa was stationed there, and one soldier pointed out to Numa that a Palestinian man came every day for a week to park his car in a certain place and talk on the phone. The soldier argued that this was suspicious behavior, and Numa approved an assassination of the Palestinian.
Abdallah Jarousha was the victim of the attack – he had been attempting to visit his sister, whose home was located on the other side of where the soldiers were stationed. Unable to reach his sister’s home, he would return home and try again the next day.
During the over ten years of legal proceedings and appeals, the Israeli court system sided with the prosecution that the Israeli military properly followed rules of engagement in the incident, stating “the deceased had implicated himself by his actions and had become ‘a legitimate target.’”
The case was closed last month, with no fault admitted by the officer. He has been promoted several times since the incident, and this latest appointment is a major advancement in his career. The Israeli spokesperson said that Numa is “is a valued officer with vast leadership and field experience who fought, led and commanded many missions over the years that led to his deserved advancement.”
IDF officer promoted despite role in Palestinian's death
Brig. Gen. Roni Numa was found by state and military prosecutors to have approved operation that killed a man against rules of engagement; Army: Nothing about the incident discredits his conduct.
The appointment of Brig. Gen. Roni Numa as the head of the Israeli army's “Depth Corps” and the Military Colleges, as well as his promotion to major general, was approved last week. This occured despite the fact that the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Military Advocate General determined that, in 2001, Numa approved an operation in which a Palestinian was killed in violation of the Israel Defense Forces' rules of engagement.
The criminal case in the matter was closed, though the Military Advocate General Corps noted in its decision that “in advance, the firing, as was approved, should not have been approved.”
The event took place in October 31, 2001, when after the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi by Palestinian terrorists in a Jerusalem hotel, IDF troops took up positions at the outskirts of Palestinian cities. Battalion 202 of the Paratroop Brigade, commanded at the time by Numa, was stationed on the outskirts of Tulkarem. One of the positions was commanded by a company commander name Ofir. Ofir claimed that every day for a week a Palestinian would come and park his car in a suspicious fashion near the position and speak on the telephone. In all these instances, after the telephone call, the position was fired upon.
Ofir concluded that the Palestinian was directing the fire at the soldiers and decided to “neutralize” him. He asked his battalion commander, Numa, for permission to act. There was a dispute later as to exactly what Ofir requested, and what Numa approved.
Ofir claimed the order was to neutralize the man, even if he was killed in the process. He said he had pressured Numa for almost a week and a half and they spoke about it a number of times. After not receiving approval a few times, Numa approved, said Ofir.
Numa, on the other hand, provided a number of different versions. At first he said he gave Ofir permission to intercept the vehicle. Later he said he could not rule out Ofir’s version in which there was approval to kill the Palestinian, but in a third questioning he returned to his first version, and said he only gave approval to shoot at the tires of the car, as required by the rules of engagement.
The day after receiving approval, at 7 A.M. the Palestinian arrived at the position once again with his son. His sister and her husband and two children were also in the car. An armored personnel carrier blocked their way at a corner, and the car turned around and drove off. At this point Ofir ordered two snipers to open fire on the car. The Palestinian was wounded by a bullet in the back, and died later in the hospital.
The Palestinian was Abdallah Jarousha, a businessman from the Tulkarem refugee camp, whose sister lived in the house next to the soldiers’ position. Jarousha would visit his sister every day, and on the day of the shooting he picked up his sister and they drove to see another relative. When the armored personnel carrier blocked their way, they turned around to go back home. The soldiers interpreted this as fleeing the scene, and shot Jarousha.
In March 2002, the family, with the aid of Hamoked: The Center for the Defense of the Individual, a human rights organization, decided to investigate the matter. After a year the Military Advocate General decided to open an investigation. Only in late 2004, three years after the event, were people summoned for questioning. The two soldiers who fired had already finished their military service, and Ofir left the army in 2006 with the rank of major.
In 2008, after three years of deliberations by the Military Advocate General and after a petition to the High Court of Justice, the Military Advocate General decided to close the case without putting anyone on trial.
HaMoked decided to appeal the military prosecutor’s decision to close the case. This appeal took three more years. The prosecution stated that the deceased had implicated himself by his actions and had become “a legitimate target.” Nonetheless, the prosecution said in response that the requirement for strictly following the rules of engagement was reiterated and emphasized. “At the same time, concerning the conclusion that must be made from the event, we were of the opinion that an after-the-fact investigation cannot draw conclusions about the behavior of the forces at the time of the event, and there is no place to take criminal action.”
In 2012 the family and HaMoked decided to appeal to the High Court of Justice to ask for the company commander and the sniper to be put on trial. In July 2013 the High Court ordered the military prosecution to explain why it decided not to pass the case on to the attorney general. Last month the case was finally closed when the deputy state prosecutor announced that the explanations of why no trial was held were acceptable.
Since then Numa has advanced in the IDF. He was appointed commander of the Nahal infantry brigade and later an aide to Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. He became the commander of Division 98 and the Tze’elim training base. Last Thursday IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz announced Numa’s latest promotion.
The IDF Spokesman said: “Brig. Gen. Roni Numa, who will soon be appointed commander of the Depth Corps and be promoted to the rank of general, is a valued officer with vast leadership and field experience who fought, led and commanded many missions over the years that led to his deserved advancement. The attempt to besmirch the officer over an event that took place in 2001 when he was a lieutenant colonel, distorts reality and is disconnected from the facts. The incident was examined by all the judicial bodies, including the High Court of Justice. None of these examinations led to any action or reproach against Brig. Gen. Numa personally, nor called for his advancement to be stalled. The incident, as well as the investigation into all of its military and legal aspects, is very familiar to the IDF, and inasmuch as there is nothing about it that discredits [Numa’s] conduct, no reason was found that would disqualify Brig. Gen. Numa from serving altogether deservedly as commander of the Depth Corps, as he is in no need of any character witnesses to testify that he is reaching the rank of IDF general on the strength of his many accomplishments and abilities.”
Israeli Brigadier General Roni Numa was promoted to head the Israeli military’s ‘Depth Corps’ this week, despite having ordered the ‘neutralization’ of a Palestinian civilian in 2001.
The Palestinian man was killed in the operation, and his wife and children who were in the car with him during the assassination were wounded. They later filed a lawsuit against the Israeli government for the death.
The Israeli military stated that “nothing about the incident discredits” Numa, and that he is the best person to head the ‘depth Corps’. This is despite the fact that an Israeli court ruled that the order given by Numa to the men under his command that they should kill the Palestinian civilian “should not have been given”.
The incident took place near the northern West Bank city of Tulkarem in October, 31 2001. The Battalion 202 of the Paratrooper Brigade commanded by Numa was stationed there, and one soldier pointed out to Numa that a Palestinian man came every day for a week to park his car in a certain place and talk on the phone. The soldier argued that this was suspicious behavior, and Numa approved an assassination of the Palestinian.
Abdallah Jarousha was the victim of the attack – he had been attempting to visit his sister, whose home was located on the other side of where the soldiers were stationed. Unable to reach his sister’s home, he would return home and try again the next day.
During the over ten years of legal proceedings and appeals, the Israeli court system sided with the prosecution that the Israeli military properly followed rules of engagement in the incident, stating “the deceased had implicated himself by his actions and had become ‘a legitimate target.’”
The case was closed last month, with no fault admitted by the officer. He has been promoted several times since the incident, and this latest appointment is a major advancement in his career. The Israeli spokesperson said that Numa is “is a valued officer with vast leadership and field experience who fought, led and commanded many missions over the years that led to his deserved advancement.”
IDF officer promoted despite role in Palestinian's death
Brig. Gen. Roni Numa was found by state and military prosecutors to have approved operation that killed a man against rules of engagement; Army: Nothing about the incident discredits his conduct.
The appointment of Brig. Gen. Roni Numa as the head of the Israeli army's “Depth Corps” and the Military Colleges, as well as his promotion to major general, was approved last week. This occured despite the fact that the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Military Advocate General determined that, in 2001, Numa approved an operation in which a Palestinian was killed in violation of the Israel Defense Forces' rules of engagement.
The criminal case in the matter was closed, though the Military Advocate General Corps noted in its decision that “in advance, the firing, as was approved, should not have been approved.”
The event took place in October 31, 2001, when after the assassination of Tourism Minister Rehavam Ze’evi by Palestinian terrorists in a Jerusalem hotel, IDF troops took up positions at the outskirts of Palestinian cities. Battalion 202 of the Paratroop Brigade, commanded at the time by Numa, was stationed on the outskirts of Tulkarem. One of the positions was commanded by a company commander name Ofir. Ofir claimed that every day for a week a Palestinian would come and park his car in a suspicious fashion near the position and speak on the telephone. In all these instances, after the telephone call, the position was fired upon.
Ofir concluded that the Palestinian was directing the fire at the soldiers and decided to “neutralize” him. He asked his battalion commander, Numa, for permission to act. There was a dispute later as to exactly what Ofir requested, and what Numa approved.
Ofir claimed the order was to neutralize the man, even if he was killed in the process. He said he had pressured Numa for almost a week and a half and they spoke about it a number of times. After not receiving approval a few times, Numa approved, said Ofir.
Numa, on the other hand, provided a number of different versions. At first he said he gave Ofir permission to intercept the vehicle. Later he said he could not rule out Ofir’s version in which there was approval to kill the Palestinian, but in a third questioning he returned to his first version, and said he only gave approval to shoot at the tires of the car, as required by the rules of engagement.
The day after receiving approval, at 7 A.M. the Palestinian arrived at the position once again with his son. His sister and her husband and two children were also in the car. An armored personnel carrier blocked their way at a corner, and the car turned around and drove off. At this point Ofir ordered two snipers to open fire on the car. The Palestinian was wounded by a bullet in the back, and died later in the hospital.
The Palestinian was Abdallah Jarousha, a businessman from the Tulkarem refugee camp, whose sister lived in the house next to the soldiers’ position. Jarousha would visit his sister every day, and on the day of the shooting he picked up his sister and they drove to see another relative. When the armored personnel carrier blocked their way, they turned around to go back home. The soldiers interpreted this as fleeing the scene, and shot Jarousha.
In March 2002, the family, with the aid of Hamoked: The Center for the Defense of the Individual, a human rights organization, decided to investigate the matter. After a year the Military Advocate General decided to open an investigation. Only in late 2004, three years after the event, were people summoned for questioning. The two soldiers who fired had already finished their military service, and Ofir left the army in 2006 with the rank of major.
In 2008, after three years of deliberations by the Military Advocate General and after a petition to the High Court of Justice, the Military Advocate General decided to close the case without putting anyone on trial.
HaMoked decided to appeal the military prosecutor’s decision to close the case. This appeal took three more years. The prosecution stated that the deceased had implicated himself by his actions and had become “a legitimate target.” Nonetheless, the prosecution said in response that the requirement for strictly following the rules of engagement was reiterated and emphasized. “At the same time, concerning the conclusion that must be made from the event, we were of the opinion that an after-the-fact investigation cannot draw conclusions about the behavior of the forces at the time of the event, and there is no place to take criminal action.”
In 2012 the family and HaMoked decided to appeal to the High Court of Justice to ask for the company commander and the sniper to be put on trial. In July 2013 the High Court ordered the military prosecution to explain why it decided not to pass the case on to the attorney general. Last month the case was finally closed when the deputy state prosecutor announced that the explanations of why no trial was held were acceptable.
Since then Numa has advanced in the IDF. He was appointed commander of the Nahal infantry brigade and later an aide to Chief of Staff Dan Halutz. He became the commander of Division 98 and the Tze’elim training base. Last Thursday IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz announced Numa’s latest promotion.
The IDF Spokesman said: “Brig. Gen. Roni Numa, who will soon be appointed commander of the Depth Corps and be promoted to the rank of general, is a valued officer with vast leadership and field experience who fought, led and commanded many missions over the years that led to his deserved advancement. The attempt to besmirch the officer over an event that took place in 2001 when he was a lieutenant colonel, distorts reality and is disconnected from the facts. The incident was examined by all the judicial bodies, including the High Court of Justice. None of these examinations led to any action or reproach against Brig. Gen. Numa personally, nor called for his advancement to be stalled. The incident, as well as the investigation into all of its military and legal aspects, is very familiar to the IDF, and inasmuch as there is nothing about it that discredits [Numa’s] conduct, no reason was found that would disqualify Brig. Gen. Numa from serving altogether deservedly as commander of the Depth Corps, as he is in no need of any character witnesses to testify that he is reaching the rank of IDF general on the strength of his many accomplishments and abilities.”
8 june 2014
Imad Shokri Salem 51
Palestinian men pay a visit to the body of Emad Salem in his house before his funeral in Beit Lahiya, the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, June 8, 2014
Palestinian fisherman Imad Shokri Salem, 51, died on Sunday morning of wounds suffered in shooting by Israeli navy while he was fishing off al-Sudaniya shore, north of the Gaza Strip, two weeks ago.
The Palestinian fisherman passed away after having undergone a surgery at Kamal Udwan hospital due to a serious chest injury caused by the Israeli gunshot.
Gaza fisherman shot by Israel 2 weeks ago succumbs to his wounds
A Palestinian fisherman shot by the Israeli navy two weeks ago succumbed to his wounds Sunday morning, Gaza medical authorities said.
Spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that 52-year-old Imad Shukri Salim was announced dead Sunday morning.
Salim was shot in the chest by Israeli navy two weeks ago while he was fishing off the coast in the area of al-Sudaniya in the northern Gaza Strip, al-Qidra said.
Israeli forces shot two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the al-Sudaniya area in the month of May alone/
Palestinian fishermen are only allowed to go three nautical miles from Gaza's shore, even though an agreement previously settled on 20 nautical miles.
Israeli naval forces frequently harass Palestinian fishermen who near the three-mile limit, as well as those inside the zone.
There are 4,000 fishermen in Gaza. According to a 2011 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross 90 percent are poor, an increase of 40 percent from 2008 and a direct result of Israeli limits on the fishing industry.
Palestinian men pay a visit to the body of Emad Salem in his house before his funeral in Beit Lahiya, the northern Gaza Strip on Sunday, June 8, 2014
Palestinian fisherman Imad Shokri Salem, 51, died on Sunday morning of wounds suffered in shooting by Israeli navy while he was fishing off al-Sudaniya shore, north of the Gaza Strip, two weeks ago.
The Palestinian fisherman passed away after having undergone a surgery at Kamal Udwan hospital due to a serious chest injury caused by the Israeli gunshot.
Gaza fisherman shot by Israel 2 weeks ago succumbs to his wounds
A Palestinian fisherman shot by the Israeli navy two weeks ago succumbed to his wounds Sunday morning, Gaza medical authorities said.
Spokesman for the Gaza Ministry of Health Ashraf al-Qidra told Ma'an that 52-year-old Imad Shukri Salim was announced dead Sunday morning.
Salim was shot in the chest by Israeli navy two weeks ago while he was fishing off the coast in the area of al-Sudaniya in the northern Gaza Strip, al-Qidra said.
Israeli forces shot two Palestinian fishermen off the coast of the al-Sudaniya area in the month of May alone/
Palestinian fishermen are only allowed to go three nautical miles from Gaza's shore, even though an agreement previously settled on 20 nautical miles.
Israeli naval forces frequently harass Palestinian fishermen who near the three-mile limit, as well as those inside the zone.
There are 4,000 fishermen in Gaza. According to a 2011 report by the International Committee of the Red Cross 90 percent are poor, an increase of 40 percent from 2008 and a direct result of Israeli limits on the fishing industry.
