THE PEACE PROCESS? 1 PALESTINIAN SHOT DEAD, 12 INJURED DEFENDING LAND AGAINST CONFISCATIONS AND SETTLEMENT EXPANSION
On Sunday 10 November, the Israeli army shot and killed 36 year old, Atallah Hassan Eid Amireh from Naalin village and injured 12 other Palestinians during a protest against Israeli land confiscation. The protest was organized by the Land Defense Committee in the Ramallah area against continued Israeli confiscations of Palestinian land. The Israeli government intends to use the confiscated Palestinian land to expand Jewish settlements as part of its overall strategy to encircle the city of Ramallah with Jewish settlements. The protest yesterday focused on the confiscation of Palestinian land from Der Qadees which will be used to expand the ultra-orthodox Jewish settlement of Kiryat Sefer. It was only a few weeks ago that the Israeli government gave approval for the expansion to begin.
According to affidavits taken by fieldworkers working for LAWE, witnesses stated that early in the morning of November 10, Israeli soldiers began concentrating on the borders of Der Qadees village near Ramallah where the protest was set to be held. When the villagers started their protest soldiers began to shoot tear gas bombs and rubber bullets. Despite the tear gas and bullets, the protesters continued their demonstration. The Israeli soldiers then began to shoot live ammunition bullets at close range at the demonstrators. Mr. Amira was killed instantly by a bullet that was fired at him only 12 meters away. The bullet penetrated his heart and killed him. Twelve other Palestinians were injured from the live ammunition and rubber bullets.
Mr. Amira's land was among the land to be confiscated. He submitted a petition to the Israeli court to cancel the confiscation order but to no avail. Family members said that Mr. Amira was shocked when he heard that the government was taking his land to expand the Kiryat Sefer settlement.
LAWE- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment condemns the Israeli use of live fire on Palestinian civilians. LAWE believes that the Israeli action violates the right of all free persons to protest and speak out against government actions. LAWE notes that this right is especially relevant in Der Qadees where the Israel government confiscated Palestinian land and simply "gave it away" to Israeli citizens. LAWE condemns the Israeli government's continued land confiscations and settlement expansions and views them as provocative acts against the Palestinian people. LAWE considers the Israeli actions contradictory to Israel's commitment three years ago upon the signing of the Declaration of Principles to embark on a new path to peace and respect for the Palestinian community. LAWE calls on all concerned parties to demand that the Israeli government freeze immediately its land confiscations and the expansion of Jewish settlements and refrain from the use of force against Palestinian civilians.
Write to Yitzchak Mordechai, Minister of Defense: 972-3-691-6940.
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LAWE- The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organization, dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAWE is also an affiliate member of the Paris-based International Federation for Human Rights.