Ref: 41/2006

Date:  02 May 2006

Time: 10:15 GMT 

As a Form of Collective Punishment, IOF Continued to Arrest and Harass Mothers of Allegedly Wanted Palestinians

As a means to exert pressure on allegedly wanted Palestinians to surrender, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have recently started to arrest, interrogate and harass mothers of a number of these Palestinians. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, Raqia Mohammed Mahmoud Lebbada, 45, from Nablus, the mother of Ameen Mahmoud Ameen Lebbada, who is allegedly wanted by IOF, was arrested 4 times between 19 and 28 April 2006.  Her testimony to PCHR manifests the cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment she was subject to by IOF during her detention.  Her son is a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, a military wing of the Fatah movement. 

PCHR asserts that the pressure exerted by IOF on families of allegedly wanted Palestinians falls under a policy of collective punishment, which is prohibited under international humanitarian law. 

In her testimony to PCHR, Raqia Mohammed Mahmoud Lebbada, 45, said:

“At approximately 01:30 on Wednesday, 19 April 2006, we heard IOF soldiers knocking our door in al-Qaisariya quarter in the old town of Nablus.  My husband, 54-year-old Mahmoud Ameen Mahmoud Lebbada, opened the door.  At least 20 soldiers broke into the house shouting on us to get out, and we did.  I forget my child, 6-year-old Mohammed, sleeping in his room.  I asked a soldier to allow me to get into the house to awake him, but another soldier got out of the house carrying child, who was crying and shrinking.  I took and hugged him.  One of the soldiers asked me about my son Ameen, and he threatened me if I did not tell them about his shelter, they would destroy the house.  He asked my son, 18-year-old Adham, the same question 6 times.  When we denied our knowledge of his place, IOF soldiers started to destroy the furniture.  They also asked my husband about our son, and took my daughter, 16-year-old Ghoroub, into a room and interrogated her about her brother.  At approximately 02:30, they informed me that they would take me with them.  I was then wearing sleeping clothes.  I asked them to allow me to change my clothes, but they refused. They forced me out. They ordered me to phone my son.  I told them that I do not have his phone number.  Immediately, a soldier pointed his gun to my head and took me 100 meters away.  They put me into an armored personnel carrier.  There, I saw Intissar Qandil, the mother of Sufian Qandil, who is also allegedly wanted by IOF.  They transported is to Hawara detention center, south of the city.  Approximately 20 minutes later, I saw soldiers bringing 3 other women into the detention center: Fadi Qaffisha’s wife; her mother; and a woman from the ‘Aqqouba family.  Qaffisha’s wife and her mother were in sleeping clothes.  At approximately 11:00, they started to violently interrogate us.  At approximately 13:00, they released us.  At approximately 02:00 on Thursday, 20 April 2006, IOF raided our house and arrested me.  They took me to Hawara detention center.  They interrogated me.  I was so tried, so I fainted.  I woke up at 10:00 finding myself at Belenson Hospital in Tel Aviv.  At approximately 19:00, 3 soldiers arrived at the hospital and transported me to Hawara checkpoint.  At approximately 01:00 on Wednesday, 26 April 2006, IOF arrested me and my husband.  They took us to Hawara detention center handcuffed and blindfolded.  A few hours later, a soldier forced us to run and violently beat us.  I fainted.  I woke up when they poured water onto me.  At approximately 13:00, they released us.  At approximately 02:00 on Friday, 28 April 2006, IOF raided our house and arrested me again.  I fainted while they were interrogating me.”

PCHR reminds the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949 that “no protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed,” that “collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited, that “pillage is prohibited,” and that “reprisals against protected persons and their property are prohibited,” (Article 33).  PCHR also calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Convention to meet their legal and moral obligations to ensure Israel’s respect for the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in accordance with common article 1.  PCHR believes that the conspiracy of silence practiced by the international community encourages Israel to act above the law, and perpetrate more violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law. 

-End-