Ref: 124/2021

Date: 01 October 2021

Time: 10:00 GMT

On Thursday evening, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed a Palestinian woman near one of the al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates, in the occupied East Jerusalem; and a man east of al-Buraij refugee camp in the Central Gaza Strip. Those crimes are yet another stark example of IOF unjustifiable relaxed shooting standards in disregard for Palestinian civilians’ lives, which significantly increased murder cases since the beginning of the year.

In East Jerusalem, a Palestinian woman was shot and killed by IOF under the pretext that she attempted to carry out a stab attack against one of the Israeli soldiers stationed near al-Silsila  Gate, which leads to al-Aqsa Mosque. The investigations confirmed that IOF was able to control the woman without using lethal force against her.

At approximately 06:30 on Thursday, 30 September 2021, IOF opened fire and killed Israa’ Khaled ‘Aref Khuzemiyah (30), from Qabatiya in Jenin governorate, under the pretext that she attempted to carry out a stab attack near al-Silsila Gate , one of the al-Aqsa Mosque’s Gates in the occupied East Jerusalem. The Israeli police claimed that a Palestinian woman raised soldiers’ suspicions when they approached to check her ID card; IOF alleged that she took out a knife and attempted to stab the soldiers, but they shot her immediately.

After the incident, IOF closed all the gates of the al-Aqsa Mosque, denied workers and students access to their workplaces and schools and obstructed their movement for over an hour.

In eastern al-Buraij refugee camp in Central Gaza Strip, IOF shot and killed a Palestinian civilian while setting up a birds net trap; he was dozens of meters away from the border fence with Israel. He was in an outdoor space and was not posing any threat to the lives of the Israeli soldiers, so there was no justification for killing him, noting that several civilians used to come to this area to set up nets and hunt birds during this season.

According to information obtained by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 10:30 on Thursday, 30 September 2021, IOF stationed along the Gaza border area, northeast of al-Bureij camp, opened fire against a group of civilians who were setting up birds net traps 100 meters away from the west of the border fence. As a result, Mohammed M. A. Abu-Ammar (40), from al-Buraij camp, sustained a live bullet to his neck causing his death immediately. Ammar was transferred to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah via a Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulance, then transferred to the Department of the Forensic Medicine of al-Shifa Hospital in the Gaza Strip.

The eyewitness, Mahmoud Saqer Mohamed Abu Awwad, born in 1990, gave the following statement to PCHR’s fieldworker:

“at approximately 06:00 on Thursday 30 September 2021 from Gaza, I went to hunt birds near the border area, others were there hunting as well. Between 10:30 – 10:45, while I was standing at least 80 meters from the border area with a Field Security officer, Mohammed Abu-Ammar was standing nearly 50 to 60 meters ahead of me. He was setting up his gear when the Israeli soldiers fired at us. I ran west to the Field Security office, and there I learnt that Mohammed was wounded. We called an ambulance, and a PRCS ambulance arrived in 20 minutes. The paramedic was informed that he cannot approach the victim until security clearance is granted by the Israeli side; a Field Security officer approached Mohammed and called on a colleague to bring a stretcher from the ambulance. They carried Mohammed onto the ambulance, and I went home.”

PRCS paramedic stated to PCHR fieldworker that they received a signal that a man was wounded in eastern al-Buraij at approximately 10:58. An ambulance was dispatched to the area and parked 300 meters from the  border area. A Field Security Officer transported Mohammed Abu-Ammar to the ambulance. Abu-Ammar was already dead as a live bullet penetrated the neck. He was taken to Shuhada al-Aqsa Hospital, where he was officially pronounced dead.

Later, the Israeli military spokesperson announced that the military identified three Palestinians in close proximity to the border area in the Gaza Strip. An individual was seen digging in the ground while holding a suspicious looking bag; IOF opened fire at him. The incident is under investigation.

PCHR investigation confirm that the location where the incident took place is wide-open for IOF surveillance. It is common for Palestinian hunters to access the area and set their nets. Thus, there was no reason or justification for the attack.

PCHR warns of the increasing number of murder crimes committed by IOF against Palestinian civilians which were committed without any justification and in violation of shooting standards, as there was no imminent danger or threat to the soldiers’ lives.

Thus, PCHR calls upon the International Criminal Court’s Prosecutor to add the recent crimes to the investigation folder of war crimes committed by IOF in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPt).

PCHR reiterates its call on the international community to act immediately to stop the IOF crimes and renews its call on the High Contracting Parties to the 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 and to guarantee Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).