Ref: 05/2023
Date: 12 January 2023
Time: 12:00 GMT
At dawn today, a Palestinian civilian was killed after being shot by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) when he was on house roof after arresting his child in Qalandia refugee camp in East Jerusalem, and obstructing giving first aid to him for 70 minutes though his condition was serious. The incident happened during IOF’s incursion into Qalandia refugee camp in East Jerusalem.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 02:30, on Thursday, 12 January 2023, large forces of Israeli soldiers moved into Qalandia refugee camp, deployed in its alleys and at its entrance opposite to Jerusalem-Ramallah Street. IOF raided dozens of houses in several areas of the camp, topped the roofs of high buildings and turned them into sniper barracks, and carried out an arrest campaign and detained 14 Palestinians. During the arrest campaign, a group of Israeli soldiers raided a 4-storey building belonging to Aslan family and broke into Samir ‘Awni Harbi Aslan(41)’s apartment on the 2nd floor. They searched the house and arrested his 17-year-old son, Ramzi. During IOF’s withdrawal from the house, Samir Aslan followed his son and saw the soldiers assaulting him at the building entrance. He then went up to the roof along with his brothers and relatives to watch IOF leaving the building. Few minutes later, a number of young men threw stones at the Israeli soldiers who left the family building. It was right then when IOF’s snipers stationed on the nearby building roofs heavily and randomly opened fire, wounding Samir Aslan in the chest with a bullet that exploded inside his body along with shrapnel wounding different parts of his body. His family rushed to take him to the hospital via a civilian vehicle. After driving only 100 meters away from home, IOF stopped the vehicle, took Aslan and threatened his brothers to shoot at them if they tried to help or approach him. IOF then took Aslan’s clothes off, detained him and denied him first aid for 70 minutes until IOF withdrew from the whole camp. Afterwards, the ambulance crew and his family members took him to the Palestine Medical Complex, where he was announced dead upon arrival.
Nedal Aslan said to PCHR’s fieldworker the following:
“At around 02:30, I heard Israeli soldiers intending to raid our family building in Qalandia refugee camp. The soldiers then raided my apartment on the first floor, asking if I was Samir Aslan. I told them he was my brother and lived in the upper floor. I went with them to my brother’s apartment, and they started looking for his son, Ramzi (17), to arrest him. They arrested Ramzi and took him with them. Meanwhile, I was with my brother, Samir, in front of the house door, and Samir started calming his son by words. Then, I saw the soldiers beating Ramzi while on their way out. I went with my brother and relatives to the roof to see what was going on with Ramzi. Moments later, the Israeli snipers stationed on the nearby building roofs started heavily and randomly shooting in the area, claiming that the soldiers were thrown with stones. I then noticed that some bullets penetrated the walls and wounded my brother, Samir, in his chest. Immediately, my other brother and I carried Samir to his vehicle to take him to the hospital. When we were only 100 meters away from the house, the soldiers stopped us and prevented us from heading to the hospital although Samir’s condition was serious, threatening to shoot at us if we move on. They detained my wounded brother for more than an hour. We could not take him to the hospital to save his life until IOF completely withdrew from the camp. Upon arriving at the Palestine Medical Complex, the doctors announced his death as it turned out that he was hit with an explosive bullet in his chest in addition to shrapnel all over his body.”
PCHR condemns IOF’s continuous escalation and commission of killings against Palestinians and reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end IOF crimes and protect Palestinian civilians.
