Ref: 10/2023
Date: 26 January 2023
Time: 21:00 GMT
Today at dawn, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have killed 9 Palestinians, including 4 civilians; one of them was an elderly woman, and injured 29 others, including 2 children and 9 seriously injured, during IOF’s incursion into Jenin Refugee camp, western Jenin in the northern West Bank.
According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at around 07:15 on Thursday, 26 January 2023, an Israeli special force sneaked into Joret al-Thahab neighborhood in Jenin refugee camp, western Jenin, via a white closed truck. The force stationed near a 2-storey house belonging to ‘Alaa al-Sabbagh and tightened the cordon off the house. Shortly, heavy forces of Israeli soldiers backed by military vehicles and a drone moved into the camp and started heavily firing projectiles and ammunition at the cordoned house, where 3 members of the Palestinian armed groups were fortified. Violent clashes erupted, killing 9 Palestinians, including 4 civilians identified as Majedah ‘Abdel Fattah Mahmoud ‘Abeid (61), who was shot in the neck by an Israeli sniper inside her house; Mo’atasem Mahmoud Ahmed Abu Hasan (37), who was shot with a bullet in the head near Jenin Governmental Hospital; ‘Abdullah Merwan Jom’ah Mousa al-Ghoul (18), who was shot in the chest; and Wasim Amjad ‘Aref Abu Ja’es (18), who was killed after an Israeli military vehicle ran over him several times on Jenin Governmental Hospital street.
Regarding the death circumstances of the Palestinian armed group members, three of them were killed in the cordoned house and identified as Mohammed (34) and Nour Mohammed Ghuneim (23), whose bodies were found charred, while Mohammed Mahmoud Mohammed Soboh (35) was shot in the head. Also, two were killed outside the house and identified as Sa’eb ‘Issam Mahmoud Izreiqi (26), and ‘Izz al-Deen Yassin Jom’ah Salahat (22), who were both shot in the chest. Moreover, IOF’s gunfire during the incursion have injured 24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 2 children, and the injuries of 9 of them were deemed serious.
The Israeli military announced in a statement that, “Joint troops from the army, Israeli Security Agency “Shin Bet” and Special Police Force conducted an operation against an Islamic Jihad cell in Jenin refugee camp.”
PCHR condemns IOF’s ongoing escalation, including the incursions that have been recently increasing deep inside the Palestinian Authority- controlled areas in the West Bank. PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end Israeli occupation’s crimes and double standards when it comes to international law, demanding in particular the International Criminal Court Prosecutor to take serious action in the situation of Palestine. PCHR urges the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfil their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances,” and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.