Ref: 24/2022

Date: 07 March 2022

Time: 12:20 GMT

Yesterday afternoon, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian child in occupied East Jerusalem, after excessively and deliberately shooting at him, claiming that the child threw stones and Molotov Cocktails at IOF during their incursion into Abu Dis village.

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at around 20:00 on Sunday, 06 March 2022, IOF moved into Abu Dis village, east of occupied East Jerusalem. During which, a group of Palestinian young men gathered near IOF’s  military camp and threw stones and  Molotov Cocktails at it. IOF responded with heavy live and rubber bullets and teargas canisters. At approximately 20:45, IOF fired live bullets at two Palestinian children present in the area. As a result, Yamen Nafiz Jaffal (16), was shot with a live bullet in his head and fell to the ground. Moreover, IOF prevented the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRSC)’s ambulance from approaching and fired teargas canisters at it. They then detained Jaffal and took him with them. Upon his arrival at Shaare Zedek Medical Center in West Jerusalem, his death was declared. So far, the child’s body is still kept by IOF.

Moreover, IOF’s official spokesperson claimed that: “during their presence near Abu Dis village, IOF ambushed two persons who threw stones and Molotov Cocktails at a military site in the area. The soldiers opened fire at one of them and wounded him. Later, he succumbed to his wounds, while the second person managed to flee.”

PCHR points out that IOF murder crimes against Palestinian civilians, particularly children, have been on the rise, including the use of snipers and direct shooting to kill, harm, and cause severe injuries, ascertaining that these crimes are done without justification.

Since the beginning of 2022, IOF murdered 11 Palestinians, including 3 children, and wounded 103 others, including 21 children, 9 journalists and 2 medical personnel; all of them are residents of the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.

PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end Israeli occupation’s crimes, and its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfil their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances.” PCHR also calls upon the High Contracting Parties to uphold their commitment to Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention, and to ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the occupied territory.