On the Second Friday of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan Israeli Forces Increase their Excessive Use of Force: Seven Palestinians Killed and Scores Injured Ahead of a Special International Commission Inquiry
On the second Friday of the Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, the Israeli Forces continued with their escalation of violence and blockade of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, which denies tens of thousands of Muslims their right to pray at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City. The Israeli Forces reinforced their presence in and around Jerusalem by erecting additional military checkpoints and police roadblocks at the entrances to the Holy City and immediately outside of the Haram al-Sharif. An estimated 45,000 Palestinians were allowed access to pray at the al-Aqsa as compared to the 250,000 worshippers normally in attendance at Friday Prayers in the Mosque during Ramadan.
The increased presence of Israeli Forces contributed to a tense atmosphere that led to violent clashes after the prayers in which one Palestinian, 16 year-old Ammar Samir Abd il-Hamid al- Mashni from the village of Beit ‘Our near Ramallah, was shot and killed by a live bullet to the head.
During the clashes many Palestinians were wounded by rubber-coated bullets and live ammunition. In clashes in Bethlehem, an explosive bullet to the head killed 17 year-old Mu’taz Azmi Ismael Tielakh from Dhiesheh Refugee Camp.
In a flagrant display of excessive force, the Israeli Occupying Forces launched a mortar attack on a Palestinian National Security outpost in the Sabah al-Khair neighbourhood of Jenin killing five Palestinians, 4 from the Palestinian National Security Forces and one civilian. The following individuals were killed and dismembered as a result of the attack: Mohammad Abu Shadouf, 31 years old and a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces from the village of Burqin; Mohammad Abdullah Yahia, 17 years old and a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces from the village of Kufr Rae’e; Mohammad Yusuf Abu Sbieh, 34 years old and a member of the Palestinian National Security Forces from the village of Kufr Rae’e; Ala Abdulla Abu Jabir, 17 years from the Palestinian National Security Forces and Mohammad Rateb Qasim, a 31 year-old civilian from the Sabah al- Khair neighbourhood in Jenin.
According to reports gathered by al-Haq from eyewitnesses, at approximately 3:30 pm on Friday afternoon three Israeli tanks situated at the northern entrance of Jenin launched three shells at a temporary site of the Palestinian National Security Forces. The site is located in a residential area just 300m away from the Headquarters of the Palestinian National Security Forces in a Palestinian controlled area (Area A) and 700 m away from the Israeli Forces. Although the eyewitness reports are conflicting in detail, all witnesses interviewed by al-Haq agreed that there was no shooting in the area of the attack prior to the Israeli shelling. There were also no reports of Israeli injuries or casualties in the area prior to or after the mortar attack.
After yesterday’s incidents the Israeli Occupying Forces imposed stricter collective punishment measures against Palestinians in the West Bank, as most acutely evidenced in the besieged area of Hebron.
Additionally, Salim Mohammed El-Hamaydeh, age 13, from Rafah died today as the result of being shot in the head with live ammunition by Israeli Forces on 5 December 2000.
According to Al-Haq documentation his death brings the total number of Palestinians killed since September 29 to 285, and over 10,000 have been injured.
Al-Haq would like to draw the international communities attention to the deteriorating situation in the Occupied Territories and specifically demands:
1. Immediate intervention by the United Nations Security Council to provide international protection for Palestinian civilians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).
2. Immediate action by the States Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to bear responsibility towards atrocities committed against Palestinians in the OPT.
3. United Nations Special Rapporteurs including the Special Rapporteur on the Commission of Human Rights on Extrajudicial, Summary or Arbitrary Executions, the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, the Special Rapporteur on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances, the Special Rapporteur on Internally Displaced Persons, the Special Rapporteur on Racial Discrimination, the Special Rapporteur on Religious Intolerance, the Special Rapporteur on Torture, and the Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women to come to the area to investigate human rights violations carried out by the Israeli Occupying Forces in order to put into practice UN Resolution E/CN 4/S- 5/l.2/Rev.1 of 19 October 2000, which at this time has not been implemented.