Five More Palestinian Civilians Summarily Executed by Israeli Forces
Last night Israeli Forces killed five Palestinian civilians in an ambush near Qalqilya.
The bodies of Qosay Faisal Zahran, aged 22, Mahmoud Yousef al-Abel, aged 30, Mohammad Mansour Adwan, aged 18, Ziad Ghaleb Salmi, aged 22, and Mahid Qasim Jaber, aged 17, were discovered at 6:00am this morning.
An Israeli Army spokesman alleged that the men killed were members of the Fateh movement, but local Fatah officials deny that the men were connected to the organization.
The Israeli government has declared all Fatah Intifada Leaders legitimate targets and has executed a number of individuals over the last month.
The bodies of the men were found 150 to 200 meters from each other in a field approximately three kilometers from the Israeli settlement “Alfe Manashe”, in the southeast region of Qalqilya.
It has been reported that three helicopter gunships and foot soldiers were used in carrying out the killings.
Al-Haq fieldworkers are conducting an investigation into the incident.
Willful killing constitutes a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, as defined by Article 147.
Article 146 imposes an obligation on the States Parties to the Convention, especially those who have incorporated it into their domestic legislation (as the Government of Israel continues to conduct itself in a manner totally in disregard of international humanitarian law and international human rights principles) to search for and prosecute in their domestic courts those who commit or order committed grave breaches of the Convention.
Therefore, al-Haq calls upon the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to fulfill its legal obligations by calling upon High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to reconvene the conference in order to decide on effective measures to pressure the Israeli government to abide by its obligations under the Conventions and in order to stop summary and arbitrary executions of Palestinian civilians, lift the siege of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, halt the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, collective punishment and other grave breaches.
Al-Haq urges the international community to send an international protection force to ensure the safety and security of Palestinian civilians as previous experience has proven that a monitoring force is not able to protect Palestinian civilians from continuing grave breaches committed by the Israeli military forces. return to top
Five Palestinians Killed By the Israeli Security Forces
According to data gathered by LAW, five Palestinians were shot dead by the Israeli security forces on 26 November 2000 in the vicinity of Qalqilya. The five killed were:
·Qusai Zahran, 22, shot six times in different parts of his body including the head and the back,
·Mahmoud el Adil, 28, married, shot seven times in different parts of his body including the head and the back,
·Mahdi Jaber, 17, shot six times in different parts of his body including twice in the head,
·Ziyad Silmi, 19, shot eleven times,
·Mohammad Idwan, 20, shot four times in the abdomen and the waist.
In the Gaza Strip, Zakariya el Khur, 18, died of wounds to the head incurred on November 21, 2000 near the el Mintar crossing.
Yesterday evening, it was reported that members of an Israeli patrol beat and insulted a group of Palestinians at a roadblock at the Beit Fureek junction. Khalid Hawari, 35, was on his way from Hiwara to Nablus along the Beit Fureek Road. Israeli soldiers ordered Khalid and five other vehicles to the side of the road and ordered the drivers out of their cars. The Israeli soldiers then proceeded to physically assault the Palestinians. return to top
SECRETARY-GENERAL'S MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY FOR PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
Following the text of the Secretary-General's message on the occasion of the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, commemorated on 29 November:
On this important day, I am pleased to convey my greetings to the Palestinian people and to all who strive for a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine. I wish to also express my deepest sympathies to the bereaved families of those killed and wounded in the violence of the past two months. I pledge to seek an end to the violence and a restoration of trust between the parties with all the means and resources at my command.
This year's day of solidarity with the Palestinian people falls at a very sensitive and difficult time. During the past year, the parties have continued to make a determined effort to overcome decades of suspicion and animosity in order to build bridges of reconciliation and partnership. Regrettably, following the September events in East Jerusalem, the situation on the ground began to escalate, rapidly reaching crisis proportions and putting on hold the prospects of further negotiations.
As the situation deteriorated, I appealed to the leadership of the two sides to refrain from making emotional public statements, and to weigh their words with great care. The same should apply to the wider international community. We all should do our best to assist the Palestinians and the Israelis in their truly historic quest for peace. I would like to seize this opportunity to call upon the parties once again to preserve the achievements of the past nine years and to move steadily ahead along the path of peace and reconciliation.
The worsening of the situation on the ground in the past few weeks has had an extremely damaging effect on the Palestinian economy. As a result of the conflict, the unemployment and poverty rates have risen considerably after several years of improvement. There is a growing sense of despair, frustration and anger among Palestinians. This is why it is essential to restore calm as soon as possible, and to revive the peace negotiations in order also to restart the economy.
In conclusion, I would like to reiterate the full commitment of the United Nations to supporting the parties through the peace process. I can also assure you that the United Nations will continue to provide the assistance to the Palestinian people until a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the question of Palestine is achieved, and peace and prosperity at last prevail in the Middle East. return to top
Settlers' aggression against Palestinians Daily report
-Settlers from Qiryat Sefer used big rocks to block the way linking villages in the Ramallah area to villages in the west, forcing Palestinians to use the long routes.
-Settlers from Gush Katif in the Gaza Strip burned a house belonging to Abed al-Mu'tee Abu-Ghayyada, while other settlers opened fire on Waheed Thabet's house in the Aldeek section. They then prevented ambulances from reaching the houses.