Press Release

November 22, 2000
Press Release Index
Four Palestinian Civilians Killed by Israeli Occupying Forces, Extra-Judicial Killings Continue in Gaza Strip
Today, November 22, 2000 at 8:30am, four Palestinian civilians were killed in cold blood and one was injured when Israeli tanks opened fire on two Palestinian civilian cars near the Israeli military checkpoint by Moraj settlement west of Rafah. According to testimonies gathered by the al-Mezan Center in Gaza, the two cars were traveling along the road near the Moraj Settlement when a tank located approximately 50 meters in front of them at the Moraj junction opened fire. The front car was hit and both occupants, ‘Awni Isma'el Dhier (37) and Jamal Abdil Raziq (29), were injured.  Several Israeli military jeeps quickly surrounded the car.  Israeli soldiers exited from the jeeps, approached ‘Awni and Jamal’s car, and shot both men repeatedly from a distance of no more than one meter. 

In the same incident, another Palestinian civilian car driving behind ‘Awani and Jamal’s car was hit by direct fire from the tank. Sami Nasir Abu Laban (30) and Na’el Salim al-Liddawi (29) were killed and Nahid Fojo, the driver, was injured. Nahid tried to escape from his car and was arrested by the Israeli soldiers.  Al-Haq expresses concern over the well being of Nahid Fojo, who is presently being detained by the Israeli Occupying Forces.  Reports indicated that the Palestinians in both cars were unarmed and that the occupants of the second car were driving from Rafah to the University in Khan Younis.

The Israeli Forces later confirmed that this was a pre-planned operation intended to assassinate Jamal Abdil Raziq. In a previous incident on November 9, 2000, Hussein Bayyat was assassinated after an Israeli Helicopter gunship launched a missile at his car in the West Bank town of Beit Sahour killing him instantly.  

Al-Haq views with concern this latest development in the Palestinian Occupied Territories and reiterates that willful killing constitutes a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention as defined in Article 147. Article 146 imposes an obligation on the States Parties to the Convention, especially those who have incorporated it into their domestic legislation, to investigate and prosecute in their domestic courts those who order or commit grave breaches of the convention.  

In light of the continuous violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the deterioration of the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories Al-Haq calls upon the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to fulfill their legal obligations by calling upon the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1 of the Convention “to respect and ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances” and to pressure the Israeli government to abide by its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Conventions.

It is al-Haq’s view that the Government of Israel continues to conduct itself in a manner totally in disregard of international humanitarian law and international human rights principles.  Al-Haq urges the international community to support the deployment of an international protection force by the United Nations to ensure the safety and security of Palestinian civilians. 
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