Ref: 104/2023
Date: 11 October 2023
Time: 14:00 GMT
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the killing of 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child, on Tuesday, 10 October 2023, after Israeli Occupation Forces unjustifiably opened fire at them in three separate incidents in East Jerusalem, Jenin, and Hebron in the West Bank.
These crimes prove IOF’s lenient shooting standards and unjustified killing upon protection from Israel’s top military and political echelons.
According to information available to PCHR’s staff, the incidents were as follows:At approximately 20:10 on Tuesday, 10 October 2023, IOF opened fire at ‘Ali Khaleel Al-‘Abbasi (24), and ‘Abdul Rahman Nidal (17), wounding them with live bullets as the latter were trying to throw fireworks in clashes in ‘Ain Al-Loza neighborhood in East Jerusalem.
IOF detained Al-‘Abbasi and Nidal, closed the neighborhood’s entrances, and fired teargas canisters at the residents who gathered hundreds of meters away from the injured, trying to evacuate them.
Minutes later, IOF pulled the injured from their feet along the street and down to the stairs covering the area with their blood.
They were then evacuated by an ambulance, but died after succumbing to their injuries, noting that IOF held their bodies.
At approximately 20:30 on the same day, clashes broke out near Al-Jalama crossing, north of Jenin, following a demonstration in solidarity with Gaza Strip.
During which, IOF opened fire at the demonstrators, killing 2 of them and wounding others, one in critical condition.
Those killed were identified as: Ahmad Mohammad Saba’na (24) and Mahmoud Mohammad Saba’na (21).
Following Noon (Dhuhr) prayer, IOF opened fire at the mourners in the funeral of Montaser Za’aqiq, who was killed by IOF soldiers a day before in clashes at Beit Ummar village entrance.
Clashes then broke out on the road leading to the Islamic Cemetery in eastern Beit Ummar adjacent to Bypass Road (60), where IOF were deployed and topped the houses’ roofs.
At around 13:30, Ahmad Ashraf Za’aqiq (20) was injured with two bullets in the head and neck fired by one of the Israeli soldiers on one of the rooftops 50 meters away. Za’aqiq was evacuated to a medical center in the village and then referred to Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron where the doctors announced his death at around 14:20.
In addition, a 34-year-old Palestinian was injured with a bullet to the chest in the same clashes.According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), since Saturday, death toll in the West Bank and occupied Jerusalem has risen to 23, including 21 civilians: amongst them 4 children, while injuries has risen to 130.
PCHR reiterates its call on the international community to take an immediate action to stop the Israeli crimes and double standards when applying the international law.
PCHR urges in particular the ICC Prosecutor to take serious action in the situation of Palestine.
PCHR demands the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention 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,” and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.
