Israeli forces continue to commit war crimes in Jenin and Nablus
Posted: Tuesday, April 9, 2002

LAW*

Despite Israeli claims that Israeli forces have withdrewn from Qalqiliya and Tulkarem, Israeli forces continue to besiege the two Palestinian cities. This morning, Israeli forces entered Dora, southwest Hebron, and shelled residential buildings in the village. Israeli forces shot and injured Na'ef Ahmad (35) and Aref Ahmad (32) at 6 o'clock in the morning. Israeli forces banned ambulances from evacuating the bodies. The two were left to bleed to death for five hours, until 11 o'clock in the morning. Israeli forces shot and killed Abdel Qader Doudeen (25) while he was walking in front of the Municipality of Dura.

In Nablus and surrounding refugee camps, Israeli forces continue to shell civilian homes. Twelve residents of the old city have been killed. One of them has been identified as Riziq Baker (40). In Askar refugee camp, Israeli forces killed two residents. Hafed Sabra (60) and Amjad Abda (11) were hit by an artillery shell and killed instantly.

During the Israeli raid of the Kasaba (old city of Nablus), the Israeli occupation army forced residents to leave their homes and gather at Gamal Abdel Nasser school and detained one thousand residents and took them to Hawara military base. Israeli forces besieged a field hospital which was set up al-Beik mosque, broke into the mosque and arrested wounded persons and closed the field hospital.

In Jenin, sources told LAW that dozens of Israeli tanks, personnel carriers, and bulldozers, backed by seven Apache attack helicopters, are still shelling the refugee camp. The bulldozers have been demolishing dozens of shelters and homes. Israeli forces have fired more than 250 missiles and tank shells in the past 24 hours. Medical sources fear that at least 150 residents have been killed and the bodies are still lying in streets, alleyways and inside shelters and homes. Sources told LAW that the refugees are suffering from lack of food, medicines, water. The camp has ran out of all basic supplies. Medical sources fear a health epidemic in the camp. Contrary to Israeli claims that ambulances have been allowed access, medical personnel told LAW that two ambulances, trying to evacuate the wounded in Jenin, were ran over and destroyed today by Israeli tanks.

Yesterday, in Ramallah, paramedics of the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) discovered the bodies of Azhar al-Amriya (24) from Jenin and Ahmad al-Masri (21) from Gaza, who were killed on March 29, when Israeli forces entered Ramallah. Azhar al-Amriya was killed by an artillery shell, Ahmad al-Masri was shot in the head by heavy machine gunfire. Also yesterday, at 6 o'clock in the evening, Israeli forces entered the villages of Obwayn and Ajoul in the district of Ramallah, killing Shahin Sohwayl (25). He was shot in his waist and left to bleed for several hours. In Ramallah, just before Israeli forces re-imposed the curfew, an Israeli sniper shot and killed Kamal Badran (30). At 7 o'clock that evening, Israeli forces positioned at Ain Ariq roadblock shot and killed Omran al-Odeh (26) from Deir Amar, while taking one of his sick relatives to Ramallah hospital. Later that evening, Izz al-Din Hassan (22) was pronounced dead by Ramallah hospital sources. He was shot in his head with live ammunition on March 29.

The right of the sick and wounded to receive prompt medical attention is one of the most basic principles of humanitarian law. Regardless of political circumstances, the Occupying Power is obligated to permit the wounded and sick to be "collected and cared for", and should accord them "particular protection and respect" according to Article 16, Fourth Geneva Convention. Despite such clear regulations encoded in binding international legal agreements, to which Israel is a signatory, Israeli forces have targetted, harassed, delayed and obstructed health workers and local residents attempting to collect the wounded and transport them to hospitals.

LAW calls for immediate intervention and mechanisms to provide protection for civilian protected persons. LAW additionally calls on member states to apply effective measures, including in the form of economic sanctions and an arms embargo, to pressure Israel to accept an international protection presence, end its gross violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and genuinely commit to final peace negotiations.

LAW also calls for the establishment of an immediate, permanent, transparent and independent international mechanism for monitoring and reporting on the human rights and humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories with a mandate to receive individual complaints of Human rights and humanitarian law violations, investigate alleged violations and report to the UN Security Council, General Assembly and Commission on Human Rights.

LAW condemns the attacks by the Israeli military on medical and humanitarian agencies and denial of access to key services, including humanitarian aid, food and water and calls on member states to provide urgently donations to the key humanitarian agencies providing vital services/supplies to meet the current humanitarian crisis, in particular food, water and medicine supplies; e.g. the World Food Programme, UNRWA, ICRC, World Health Organisation, and UNICEF.

LAW calls on member states, including as High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to comply with their obligations under article 146 by searching for, investigating and bringing to trial perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, under universal jurisdiction and through a War Crimes Tribunal and calls for an end to all acts by member states aiding and abetting the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by ending supply of all arms used to perpetrate such crimes.
____________________________

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliate to the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Federation Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) and the World Organisation Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, tel. +972-2-5833530, fax. +972-2- 5833317, email: law@lawsociety.org, web: http://www.lawsociety.org

Printer friendly version
Send page by E-Mail

Previous »  9/11 Attack »  Israel-Palestine »  US/Iraq »   

Search WWW Search www.uscrusade.com

FAIR USE NOTICE: This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond 'fair use', you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.