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<h1 class="article-title">PCHR: "Israeli Forces Escalate Their
Arbitrary Measures In The West Bank"</h1>
<div class="article-subtitledetails">
<span class="article-details">
<span class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part1.08020806.03040007@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> Monday October 05, 2015 14:21</span><span
class="article-detail"><img class="icon"
src="cid:part2.08040801.07030804@freedomarchives.org"
alt="author"> by Palestinian Center For Human Rights<br>
<b><small><small><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.imemc.org/article/73254">http://www.imemc.org/article/73254</a></small></small></b></span></span></div>
<p class="article-subtitle">Israeli Police Officer Willfully Kills
Palestinian Civilian in Occupied Jerusalem</p>
<blockquote class="article-intro">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.</blockquote>
<p class="article">Following the killing of a settler and his wife
southeast of Nablus on the above-mentioned day, Israeli forces
cordoned Nablus.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
On Sunday morning, 04 October 2015, Israeli forces killed a
Palestinian civilian from al-Eesawiyya village in occupied East
Jerusalem. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.
<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
They then chased him, so he was panicked. The Israeli police
arrived to the place and shot him dead. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
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: <br>
al-Jabriyat in the south of the camp; al-Zahraa' in its north;
and al-Hadaf area in the west of the camp. <br>
<br>
Dozens of Israeli soldiers were deployed in the camp alleys. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
As a result, fire broke out on the third floor, which was
completely burnt, and the second floor was partially destroyed.
<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
On Saturday morning, 03 October 2015, Israeli forces moved into
Nablus. <br>
<br>
They arrested 7 civilians and wounded 11 others, including 3
children, as they were protesting against them. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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.<br>
<br>
In the same context, several areas in the West Bank witnessed a
series of attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and
property. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
They smashed the windows of Palestinian cars parked there. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
In addition, dozens of the vehicles' passengers were injured by
the scattered window glass. <br>
<br>
The settlers used stones, sharp tools and sticks in their
attacks which they carried in the presence of the Israeli
soldiers and police.<br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
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. <br>
<br>
These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of
the same Convention and Protocol I Additional to the Geneva
Conventions. </p>
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<div class="article-related-link-relatedlink">Related Link(s): <a
href="http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/"
title="http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/"><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/">http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/</a></a></div>
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