Ref: 81/2021

Date: 10 June 2021

Time: 13:30 GMT

At dawn, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot dead 3 Palestinians, including 2 security officer and the third was an Islamic Jihad operative, while 2 others were injured; one was a security officer and the other was an operative who was arrested after his injury.

According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 01:30 on Thursday, 10 June 2021, an Israeli Special Force sneaked into Jenin-Nazareth Street, north of Jenin, and stationed near the Palestinian Intelligence Headquarter on the street.  The Israeli Special Force opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle, where 2 persons were inside near the headquarters.  Fire exchanged between the Israeli Special Force and Palestinian Intelligence officers, who were on duty and went out to deal with the shooting near their security headquarter.  As a result, 2 Intelligence officers were killed and a third one was injured.  The officers killed were identified as: lieutenant Adham Yasser Tawfiq ‘Aleiwi (33), from al-Makhfiyeh neighborhood in Nablus, who was shot with a bullet in the head, and Taysir Mahmoud ‘Othman ‘Issa (33), from Sanour village, southeast of Jenin, who was shot with a bullet in the back.  Also, their colleague Mohammed Samer Mneizel al-Bzour (23), a captain from al-Matalah area in Jenin, was wounded with bullets in the chest and abdomen and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Dr. Khalil Soliman Governmental Hospital due to his serious condition.  Few minutes later, Israeli military backups arrived via al-Jalamah checkpoint and secured the withdrawal of the Special Force.  They also took the vehicle that was shot in the beginning as well as the persons who were targeted inside.  Later, IOF declared that one of the persons killed was Jamil Basem Ibrahim ‘Amouri (24) and his body was kept in custody while the other, who was injured, was identified as Wissam Mohammed Mahmoud Abu Zaid (23) and was arrested and taken to an unknown destination.  Both were Islamic Jihad operatives.

According to the Israeli “Yedioth Ahronoth” Newspaper, IOF’s initial investigation said that an undercover force from the Yamam Border Police counterterrorism unit surrounded 2 persons inside a vehicle in Jenin to arrest them, claiming the latter wanted to carry out a shooting attack in the coming days.  Meanwhile, one of them tried to escape on feet while the other tried to escape in the vehicle; thus, the Israeli Force opened fire at them, wounding them both.  The Newspaper added that Jamil al-‘Amouri died on the spot while his colleague Wissam was injured and then arrested by the Israeli Force.  IOF claimed they found military equipment, including a bulletproof vest, ammunition and a weapon.

According to the same newspaper, the Israeli Forces did not coordinate the raid with the Palestinian Security and once the Force wanted to withdraw from the scene, it was exposed to heavy gunfire that was apparently from 3 Palestinian security officers, who did not recognize the Israeli force.   The newspaper added that the Israeli force responded with fire and killed 2 of the officers and seriously injured a third one.

In a statement, Jenin Governor Akram Al-Rajoub said that what happened constituted a serious precedent by IOF, but it was not the first time for the IOF to open fire at the Palestinian security forces, emphasizing that there was not any coordination between the 2 parties regarding IOF’s raid into Jenin.

PCHR strongly condemns the murder of 3 Palestinians and stresses that it reflects IOF’s disregard for the lives of the Palestinians, including the security officers who went out only to deal with a shooting incident, which they were unaware of, near their headquarters.

PCHR indicates that IOF’s infiltration into the Palestinian neighborhoods to set ambushes, carry out arrest campaigns or murder under the pretext of attempting to escape constitutes a flagrant violation of the international humanitarian law and would destabilize the Palestinian security situation.

PCHR calls upon the international community to intervene in order to end assassinations against the Palestinians, considering it as a form of extrajudicial executions, to bring its perpetrators to justice and provide international protection for the Palestinian civilians in the occupied territory as it is the only way to avoid committing further similar crimes.

PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to take urgent action to stop human rights violations committed by the IOF pursuant to an official political decision and to force Israel to respect the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the protection of civilian persons in time of war.