Ref: 33/2012
Date: 11 March 2012
Time: 11:30 GMT

On Thursday afternoon, 08 March 2012, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian child and seriously wounded and arrested another one in Yatta town, south of Hebron. IOF moved into the town to arrest a Palestinian who was released from Israeli jails in the recent prisoners swap between IOF and Palestinian resistance groups. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns the notable escalation in the use of excessive lethal force against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 14:30 on Thursday, 08 March 2012, IOF, backed by 4 military vehicles and an armored personnel carrier, moved into al-Mazraa crossroads area in the center of Yatta town, south of Hebron. They raided the house of Khaled Musa al-Makhamra, who was released from Israeli prisons in the recent prisoners swap, and nearby houses belonging to his brothers. They forced al-Makhamra’s wife and children to go out and held some of them in the outdoors. I n the meanwhile, a number of the locals gathered near al-Makhamra’s house. At approximately 15:35, IOF opened fire at Mohammed Omar Awwad al-Jundi, 17, who was a few meters away from IOF. Al-Jundi was wounded by a bullet to the right side. He suffered acute bleeding and parts of his bowels were out. IOF then opened fire indiscriminately at the Palestinians. As a result, Zakareya Jamal Mohammed Musa Abu ‘Arram, 16, was wounded by a bullet to the head. The bullet penetrated the head near the left eye and exited from the left temple. A part of the skull was smashed as a result and Abu ‘Arram died immediately.

Eyewitnesses, including Ahmed ‘Oda Ali al-Makhamra, 38, who is a paramedic of the Palestine Red Crescent Society, reported that IOF deliberately prevented providing Abu ‘Arram with first medical aid, and left him bleeding for a long time. IOF also prevented medical crews from providing medical aid to al-Jundi and they left him bleeding on the ground. As they were certain that Abu ‘Arram was dead, they allowed medical crews to attend him and transfer his body to Abu al-Hassan al-Qassem Public Hospital in Yatta. They also allowed medical crews to provide first medical aid to al-Jundi, more than 30 minutes after paramedics had arrived at the scene and 45 minutes after al-Jundi had been wounded. Before withdrawing, IOF arrested al-Jundi and transferred him to Soroka Hospital in Beersheba. Later, al-Jundi underwent a surgery and was transferred to an unknown destination.

PCHR reiterates condemnation of this crime and expresses utmost concern over it, and

1. Stresses that the use of excessive lethal force against Palestinian civilians has become a systematic policy adopted by IOF, which reflects disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians;
2. Holds IOF responsible for the deterioration of the situation in both the West Bank and the Gaza Strip;
3. Believes that it is time to convene a conference of the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions in order to take immediate action to protect Palestinian civilians in the occupied Palestinian territory, in light of the continued violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention by the State of Israel and IOF.