[News] Israeli Forces Escalate Their Attacks against Palestinians In The West Bank

[Anti-Imperialist News]

  PCHR: "Israeli Forces Escalate Their Arbitrary Measures In The West Bank"

author Monday October 05, 2015 14:21author by Palestinian Center For 
Human Rights
*http://www.imemc.org/article/73254*

Israeli Police Officer Willfully Kills Palestinian Civilian in Occupied 
Jerusalem

    Since Thursday, 01 October 2015, the West Bank, especially occupied
    East Jerusalem, witnessed a serious escalation by Israeli forces and
    settlers against the Palestinian civilians and their property.

Following the killing of a settler and his wife southeast of Nablus on 
the above-mentioned day, Israeli forces cordoned Nablus.

Moreover, the settlers carried out a series of attacks on the 
Palestinian civilians and their cars on roads and in houses located in 
the outskirts of the villages adjacent to the settlements.

In the context of the escalation policy and the racist incitement by 
settlers, on Sunday, 04 October 2015, the Israeli forces willfully 
killed a Palestinian civilian in Jerusalem in after he was chased and 
beaten by settlers.

Israeli forces claimed that the victim attempted to stab a 15-year-old 
settler, due to which that settler sustained moderate wounds, and then 
he escaped to Street no. 1 before the Israeli police arrived and shot 
him dead.

Even if the Israeli claim was true, Israeli forces could have used less 
force or arrested the Palestinian, especially as he walked enough 
distance before he was killed without posing any threat to the Israeli 
officers or settlers.

On Sunday morning, 04 October 2015, Israeli forces killed a Palestinian 
civilian from al-Eesawiyya village in occupied East Jerusalem.

According to PCHR's investigations and statements of eyewitnesses, in 
the early morning, a group of settlers chased Fadi Samir Mostafa Elwan 
(19), from al-Eesawiyya village, northeast of East Jerusalem, while he 
was walking in al-Mesrara area.

They chased him after he tried to escape towards "Haim Barlev Street no. 
1". In the meantime, an Israeli police patrol arrived at the scene and 
surrounded him, and soon after, an Israeli officer shot Elwan dead from 
a close range with over 7 bullets.

This attack occurred in presence of the settlers who incited the police 
to kill him him. Videos reported by the Israeli media showed that a big 
group of settlers surrounded and beat Elwan while he was present in 
al-Mersrara area.

They then chased him, so he was panicked. The Israeli police arrived to 
the place and shot him dead.

Furthermore, the video displayed by the Israeli media showed the 
settlers beating and pulling him after he was shot, and then chanting 
slogans calling for revenge against the Arabs.

Afterwards, Israeli forces kept the corpse and did not inform his family 
of any details about the place where it was kept or the time of 
delivering it.

An eyewitness, who is a taxi driver during night shifts, said to a PCHR 
fieldworker that Elwan was chased by settlers from al-Mesrara area to 
the place where he was killed, which is a distance of over 500 meters. 
Moreover, when the Israeli police vehicle arrived, an Israeli officer 
stepped out of it and opened fire at him directly.

It should be noted that the settlers, who had gathered in the streets 
and roads of the Old City in Jerusalem, reached al-Mesrara neighborhood 
and al-Amoud Gate area on Saturday night, 03 October 2015, after 
Mohannad Shafiq Halabi (19), from al-Bireh town, stabbed and killed two 
Israeli settlers in al-Wad neighborhood. Halabi was also killed by 
Israeli forces.

On Sunday early morning, 04 October 2015, Israeli forces backed by many 
vehicles moved into Jenin refugee camp adjacent to Jenin from three 
directions entrances:
al-Jabriyat in the south of the camp; al-Zahraa' in its north; and 
al-Hadaf area in the west of the camp.

Dozens of Israeli soldiers were deployed in the camp alleys.

They topped the roofs of high buildings while their vehicles imposed a 
cordon on a house belonging to Qays al-Sa'di ordering its owner via 
loudspeakers to surrender.

His wife and children as well as his father and brother went out of the 
house and told the Israeli soldiers that the aforementioned was not at 
home. However, the Israeli soldiers continued to cordon the house and 
fired a number of shells at it.

As a result, fire broke out on the third floor, which was completely 
burnt, and the second floor was partially destroyed.

Meanwhile, clashes broke out between the soldiers and a number of armed 
Palestinians, who opened fire at them to end the cordon imposed on the 
house.

Local sources said to a PCHR fieldworker that al-Sa'di survived the 
assassination or arrest attempt. However, the Israeli forces arrested 
his brother, Mohammed (23), and took him to an unknown destination.

On Saturday morning, 03 October 2015, Israeli forces moved into Nablus.

They arrested 7 civilians and wounded 11 others, including 3 children, 
as they were protesting against them.

Moreover, 3 civilians were wounded when a group of settlers protected by 
the Israeli forces attacked a house belonging to Jamal Abu Baker at the 
entrance of Soret al-Ra'ees village, southwest of the city.

The Israeli forces opened fire at a number of civilians who confronted 
the settlers and Israeli forces and threw stones at them to keep them 
away from the house.

In the same context, several areas in the West Bank witnessed a series 
of attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property.

At approximately 21:30 on Thursday, 01 October 2015, after two settlers 
were killed in a shooting incident on the bypass road between "Eitmar" 
settlement and Beit Forik checkpoint, east of Nablus, hundreds of 
settlers gathered at Huwwara checkpoint at the southern entrance of the 
city and the intersection leading to "Yitsahar" settlement and the 
intersection leading to "Barakha" settlement, south of the city.

They smashed the windows of Palestinian cars parked there.

This coincided with the closure of the aforementioned checkpoint by 
Israeli forces before the Palestinian civilians' movement and their 
vehicles on both directions. As a result of the attacks, around 40 
Palestinian vehicles were damaged.

In addition, dozens of the vehicles' passengers were injured by the 
scattered window glass.

The settlers used stones, sharp tools and sticks in their attacks which 
they carried in the presence of the Israeli soldiers and police.

PCHR strongly condemns the willful killing of 'Elwan in East Jerusalem, 
which further proves the use of excessive force by Israeli forces 
against the Palestinian civilians in disregard for the civilians’ lives.

Moreover, PCHR condemns collective punishment measures taken by the 
Israeli forces in the oPt and the attacks launched by Israeli settlers 
before the eyes of Israeli forces.

Therefore, PCHR calls upon the international community to take immediate 
and effective actions to put an end to such crimes and reiterates its 
call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 
1949 to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and 
to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their 
obligation under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit 
grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same 
Convention and Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Conventions.


<mailto:saed%20at%20imemc%20dot%20org>
Related Link(s): http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/
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