Ref:
44/2010

A few days ago, the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) delivered
to the family of a Palestinian victim, who was killed by an Israeli settler, 450,000 [[NIS]] paid by as a compensation according to a decision taken by the
Magistrate Court in Jerusalem. The
victim was killed by an Israeli settler in 1993.

PCHR had filed a lawsuit before the Israeli Magistrate Court on behalf
of the family of Na’im Hassan al-Madhoun, 22, who was killed by an Israeli
settler killed near Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing while he was going back to Gaza
after finishing his work in Israel on 8 March 1993.

After years of pursuit of the case by PCHR, the Magistrate Court decided
to accept the lawsuit filed by PCHR in 6 May 2009. The Court also held Israel completely
responsible for the killing of al-Madhoun. Following the appeal filed by the Israeli prosecution, the Central Court
issued a decision rejecting the appeal on 1 April 2010, due to which, thus
upholding the decision taken by the Magistrate Court in favor PCHR and its
client.

During their visit to PCHR to receive the cheque, the family of
al-Madhoun thanked and appreciated the efforts made by PCHR lawyers over the
past 17 years to ensure reparation for them and to hold Israel responsible for
crimes committed by Israeli settlers. Al-Madhoun was married and his wife gave birth to their first daughter,
who is 17 years old now, few weeks after his death. 

This is not the first time that PCHR’s continued efforts to prosecute
war criminals before Israeli courts prove successful. Although there are much
evidence that Israeli courts are collusive when reviewing cases filed by
Palestinian victims, a few cases, out of thousands of cases that were filed by
PCHR, were successful. On 2 February
2009, PCHR managed to compel Israel to pay 200,000 NIS to the family of Sayed
Abu Safra who was willfully shot dead by an Israeli soldiers on 28 November 2003. In March 2006, PCHR
managed to compel Israel to pay 450,000 NIS to the family of Mahmoud Hussein
al-Talalqa, who was willfully killed by an Israeli soldier on 1 March
2003. The child was lured by an Israeli
soldier while he was playing with his peers. The soldier then fired at him. PCHR also managed to compel Israel to pay compensations to Palestinian
fishermen who sustained damages due to Israeli attacks against them. For instances, on 18 January 2002, Israeli
occupation forces caused a boat belonging to two Palestinian fishermen to
sink. PCHR filed a case and managed to
compel Israel to pay 45,000 NIS to the two fishermen.

PCHR will continue its persistent efforts to prosecute Israeli war
criminals before Israeli courts and national courts in other countries, be
based on universal jurisdiction, in order to ensure bringing suspected war
criminals to justice and ensure reparation for thousands of Palestinian victims
of crimes committed by Israeli soldiers.