Ref: 93/2006
Date: 24 August 2006
Time: 12:00 GMT
IOF Kill a Palestinian in Cold Blood, and Bomb his House after Abducting his Brother in Greater Abasan in Khan Yunis
In the early morning hours of Thursday (24 August 2006), an under cover Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) unit killed a Palestinian in cold blood in the town of Greater Abasan, east of Khan Yunis. IOF troops fired at him from close range during an operation to arrest his brother, who is allegedly wanted by IOF and lives in a nearby house. After withdrawing from the area, IOF bombed killed victim’s house with several rockets from the air despite the presence of the family inside, causing significant destruction to the house. PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that the victim, Yousef Mohammad Abu Daqqa (55), did not pose any threat to IOF when he was shot from a distance of 12 meters. He was an unarmed civilian inside his house when he was killed.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation into the incident indicates that at approximately 02:50, an undercover IOF unit infiltrated nearly 800 meters into El-Farahin area in the town of Greater Abasan, east of Khan Yunis. IOF drones and helicopters provided aerial cover for the force, which surrounded the houses belonging to the brothers Younis and Yousef Mohammad Salim Abu Daqqa. The force stormed the house of Younis Abu Daqqa (40) who works as a lab technician at the Islamic University of Gaza and is a prominent Hamas activist. Yousef (55) opened a window on the northern side of his besieged house. Immediately, a soldier fired at him from a distance of 12 meters. He was hit in the head by a bullet that killed him instantly. During the withdrawal of the force, one of the victim’s sons fired from inside the house at the withdrawing force.
After ensuring that IOF have left the area, planes fired 5 rockets at the killed victim’s 2-storey house. The rockets hit the southern, eastern, and northern sides of the second storey of the house. The 17-member family was in the northwest corner of the ground floor. They escaped the bombardment by miracle; and extensive damage was inflicted on the house.
PCHR reiterates its strong condemnation of the IOF killing of Palestinian civilians, which are a form of reprisal and collective punishment against Palestinians that are a violation of article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In the Center’s view, the complacency of the international community and the High Contracting Parties of the 4th Geneva Convention and their failure tot take effective steps to stop Israeli war crimes has been a supporting and encouraging element for Israel to continue perpetrating additional war crimes against Palestinian civilians. The Centre reminds the High Contracting Parties of:
– Their obligations under article 1 of the convention to ensure respect of the convention under all circumstances;
– Their obligations in article 146 of the convention to pursue suspects of committing serious violations of the convention, noting that these violations are war crimes according to article 147, as specified in the first protocol additional to the convention
-End-
