| Press
Release
October 18 2000 |
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Clashes continues for the nineteenth consecutive day with more settlers violence in spite of the recent declaration in the Sharm al- Shiekh Summit |
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| Confrontations
continued throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip for the nineteenth
consecutive day. Israeli occupation forces continued to use excessive
force- þ live ammunition, rubber- coated high velocity steel bullets
and tear gas. Areas of heaviest clashes were in Qalqilya, Ramallah, Nablus,
al- Bireh, Hebron, Bethlehem, Rafah , Khan Younis and Dier al- Balah.
Hebron, in area H2 of 35,000 Palestinians, remains under curfew. Al-Haq received reports of one Palestinian killed today, Musa Shehadeh Eid,54 years old from Gaza and a 13 years old Muhammad Abu Jiab, also reported to be in serious conditions from live bullet wound to the head. An UNRWA ambulance driver reported to al- Haq that Mohammad Abu Rayyash, 16 years old from Qalqilya, was injured from high velocity explosive bullet, also to the head. Settler lawlessness continues. Yesterday, Israeli settlers shot and killed Farid Musa Issa Nasasra, 28 years old, a father of 2 from Biet Fourik. An eyewitness reported to al- Haq that a group of settlers from the Itimar settlement were gathering near a group of Israeli soldiers, then the settlers opened fire on Farid and his family who were working in an olive grove. Farid was hit in the left side under his heart with live ammunition. Eyewitnesses called the Governor pf Nablus’ office requesting an ambulance. Israeli soldiers did not allow the ambulance to enter to treat Farid who was bleeding badly, and instead, he was transferred by civilian car to the ambulance at the check point. After 25 minutes Farid reached the ambulance and died shortly after. Al- Haq calls upon the international community to intervene immediately to exert pressure on Israel to comply with international humanitarian law and the principles of proportionality in order to for the Israeli military authorities to cease the use of force immediately. Al- Haq also calls for the Israeli authorities to act responsibly and control settlers militias and bring those guilty of acts of violence to justice. Al- Haq reiterates its call for the international community to implement mechanisms to guarantee the protection and safety of civilians under occupation The Sharm al-Sheikh Summit, and its outcome of recommendations, was void of any mention of Israel’s obligations to act according to international humanitarian law and international human rights principles. The Israeli government has been acting in total disregard of international humanitarian law. Because the United States Government refuses to pressure the government of Israel to abide by its obligations under international law, the atmosphere will continue to deteriorate to the detriment of the Palestinian people. Al-Haq considers that the United States Government’s position as it was reflected in the Sharm al-Sheikh statement, did not act objectively to find mechanisms to form a non-biased international commission of inquiry as to the causes of the three weeks of violence under the auspices of the United Nations, to examine Israel's recent and ongoing violations of international humanitarian and human rights law in order to bring all those responsible of committing war crimes to justice, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1322 |