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Demonstrations and rallies were held throughout the Occupied Territories today in
commemoration of al-Nakba, which is held every year to remember Palestinian displacement
and to demand the right of return for Palestinian Refugees, as well as to protest against the
continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. In acts of civil disobedience
against the restrictions placed upon the Palestinian people by Israeli Forces, groups of protestors
throughout the territories marched to checkpoints and roadblocks where they were met with
violent responses from Israeli forces.
In Ramallah protestors marched to a checkpoint at the northern edge of the city where they were
met with live and rubber bullets. Al-Haq monitored the protest and by all accounts it was
generally peaceful and no threat was posed to the Israeli soldiers when they opened fire. At the
time of the writing of this news update two Palestinians had been killed and ten Palestinians and a
French journalist had been wounded, one critically. Abdel Jowad Shehadeh (20) from Gaza was
killed by a snipers bullet, which entered his neck and exited through his head. He was a member
of the Palestinian police force. Burham Shakhir (22) from A-Ram was also killed in Ramallah.
He was shot in the neck with a live bullet. The journalist was struck in the chest by live
ammunition, but was saved by a bulletproof vest. All of those injured today are currently being
treated at the Ramallah municipal hospital.
This morning at Kalandia Refugee camp between Jerusalem and Ramallah peaceful protests
turned into clashes when Israeli forces attacked protestors with teargas and clubs. A march by
prominent Palestinian leaders, including several Palestinian members of the Israeli Knesset,
proceeded from A-Ram near Jerusalem to a military roadblock near to the Kalandia camp. As
the protestors approached the checkpoint the Israeli soldiers stationed there opened fire upon the
protestors with teargas and charged the crowd wielding clubs.
Clashes also broke out in Bethlehem and Hebron. Nine Palestinians have been reported
wounded by rubber bullets in the Bab al-Zawieh and Al-Shalaleh Road areas of Hebron. Two
Israeli soldiers were wounded near al-Fawar Refugee Camp near the village of Dura next to
Hebron. The area was immediately designated a closed military zone and travel too and from the
village has been prohibited.
In Gaza another two Palestinians were killed today. Mahmoud Mohammad Jihad Abu Jaser (18)
was killed in Beit Hannoun. He was shot in the chest with live ammunition during clashes between
stone throwers and Israeli soldiers. At this time clashes are continuing in Erez and al-Mantar in
Gaza.
This morning Abed Hakim al-Manameh (35) from al-Maghazi Refugee camp was also killed
when an Israeli tank shelled his car. This case is still being investigated by al-Haq. Al-Manameh
was one of Sheikh Ahmed Yassins personal bodyguards. Sheikh Yassin is the spiritual leader of
Hamas. Three other men were in the car with al-Manameh when he was killed. His car was in
an area under Palestinian control when it was fired upon. Israeli forces briefly entered the area to
retrieve the body of al-Manameh and to arrest one of the others in the car.
Al-Manamehs body is still in the custody of the Israeli authorities. The Israeli authorities have claimed that the
occupants of the car had been involved in the firing of two mortars at Kibbutze Kfar Aza earlier in
the morning. Israeli forces also opened fire in the area where al-Manameh was killed using
heavy machineguns. At least four Palestinians were reported injured.
In response to recent events al-Haq now calls upon the United Nations High Commissioner for
Human Rights to send several special rapporteurs to the Occupied Territories. Al-Haq makes a
specific request for the visit of Dr. Asma Jahangir, Special Rapporteur of the Commission On
Human Rights on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. |