Ref:46/2020
Date:14 May 2020
In a new crime of excessive use of lethal force, on Wednesday, 13 May 2020, Israeli occupation forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian child and wounded 4 others, including a child, during their raid into al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron. The child was killed after he was shot with a live bullet in his head while at the rooftop of his 4-storey house, causing his fall on the ground.
According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 05:20 on Wednesday morning, IOF moved into al-Fawar refugee camp, south of Hebron, using a Palestinian vehicle (mid-sized bus). They stationed in Jabrin neighborhood and about 20 soldiers stepped out of the vehicle, which immediately left the camp. The soldiers knocked on a number of houses and threatened civilians as they were searching for the family of Anas Ayman Atiya al-Haliqawi (20). The soldiers raided Anas’s house and arrested him. In the meantime, a number of Palestinian young men gathered and threw stones at Israeli soldiers while the latter responded with sound and smoke bombs. The young men continued to chase soldiers with stones; as the Israeli soldiers reached the main street in the center of the camp, at approximately 05:45, and from a distance of 250 meters, a soldier fired several live bullets at the rooftop of a 4-storey house, overlooking the main street, where Zaid Fadel Mohammed Qaisiyah (16) and his 2 relatives were observing the situation. Zaid was shot with a live bullet in his head and fell on the ground. A number of the neighbors arrived after the 2 girls shouted and transferred him via a civilian vehicle to Abu al-Hasan al-Qasem Hospital in Yatta, south of Hebron, where he succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead. In the meantime, clashes intensified between stone throwers and Israeli soldiers as the latter withdrew to the east of the camp towards al-Hadab area, adjacent to the camp. Israeli soldiers stationed in al-Jorn area fired live bullets at stone throwers indiscriminately. As a result, 4 civilians, including a child, sustained live bullets throughout their bodies. They were transferred via ambulances belonging to Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) to al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron and Abu al-Hasan al-Qasem in Yatta. IOF soldiers withdrew from the camp, arresting al-Hilqawi, at approximately 06:30.
PCHR strongly condemns IOF’s crime of excessive use of lethal force that resulted in the killing of Qaisiyah and wounding other civilians, with the absence of a real threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers.
PCHR calls upon the international community to move immediately to stop Israeli crimes; and reiterates its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances; and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the oPt.
