Ref: 124/2022
Date: 05 October 2022
Time: 10:00
On Monday morning, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at a civilian car in Jalazone refugee camp, north of al-Bireh city in the West Bank, killing 2 of its passengers and injuring another, under the pretext of their attempt to run over Israeli soldiers. Investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) refute IOF’s claims, as there was no imminent danger posed to the Israeli soldiers’ lives and the latter denied offering medical aid to those injured and left them to bleed to death. This crime came less than 36 hours after the killing of a Palestinian teenager in Jerusalem for similar allegations, reflecting IOF’s loose shooting standards and excessive use of force against Palestinians upon top-level military and political orders
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 05:40 on Monday, 03 October 2022, IOF moved into Jalazone refugee camp, where they stationed in the Education Suburb and patrolled between residential houses. Meanwhile, a number of Israeli soldiers set an ambush behind trees planted on the streetside between the camp and Surda village and opened fire at a car carrying 3 Palestinians and traveling on the street, which is 30 meters away from the IOF’s ambush, noting there were no clashes in the area. After opening fire at the car and inflicting injuries among its passengers, IOF approached and surrounded them. Around 12 minutes later, a Palestine Red Crescent ambulance arrived after residents of the area reported injuries, but the Israeli soldiers, who were surrounding the injured persons, prevented the ambulance from approaching them. The wounded were left to bleed for 35 minutes inside the car and then arrested and taken by IOF to an Israeli hospital. IOF confiscated the car, and later withdrew.
At approximately 06:50 on the same day, the Civil Affairs Authority informed that Palestinian Ministry of Health of the death of two of those wounded, identifying them as Salama Ra’fat Shari’ah (19), from Birzeit, and Khaled Fadi ‘Anbar (21), from Jalazone refugee camp, while the wounded was identified as Basel Kathem Basbous (18), from Birzeit.
A Palestinian living in a residential building near the scene said to PCHR’s fieldworker:
“I woke up to a nearby sound of shooting in the area. I rushed to the window overlooking the main street and saw a number of Israeli soldiers heavily opening fire at a civilian vehicle that was slowly travelling on the middle of the street and only about 30 meters away from the soldiers. Few moments later, Israeli soldiers approached the car, amid shooting, and then surrounded it. They continued to shoot indiscriminately in the area, and one of the bullets penetrated the right side of my house window. About half an hour later, the soldiers confiscated the vehicle, pulled the wounded from it, took them to a military SUV, which arrived following the incident, and then withdrew from the area.”
The victims’ families said to PCHR’s fieldworker that their sons were working in a pizza restaurant, and they were on their way back home after finishing their work.
PCHR calls for a serious and independent investigation into this crime and other crimes committed by IOF under similar allegations, indicating particularly to IOF’s denial of first aid to those injured and leaving them to bleed to death.
So far in 2022, IOF attacks in the West Bank and Gaza Strip killed 132 Palestinians, including 91 civilians: 27 children, 8 women, 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers and the rest were activists; 15 of them were assassinated. Moreover, hundreds of others sustained wounds, including women and children.
PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to put an end to the Israeli crimes and double standards when it comes to international law. PCHR also urges the ICC Prosecutor in particular to act seriously with regard to the situation in Palestine. PCHR also reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations 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 regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territory.
