Ref: 122/2022

Date: 30 September 2022

Time: 15:00 GMT

Yesterday, a Palestinian Child died of heart failure while being chased by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Teqoa’ village, Bethlehem, southern West Bank.  The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) calls for a serious investigation into the Israeli soldiers’ practices that led to terrifying a 7-year-old child and causing his death. PCHR emphasizes that this incident is part of IOF’s intimidation against the Palestinian children during their chase or arrest in the streets or even inside their houses.

At approximately 13:20 on Thursday, 29 September 2022, the medical personnel at Beit Jala Governmental Hospital declared the death of Rayan Yasser ‘Ali Soliman (7), from Teqoa village, eastern Bethlehem, after all attempts to resuscitate his heart failed.

According to PCHR’s investigations and testimonies of the child’s family and eyewitnesses to PCHR’s fieldworker, 4 heavily armed Israeli soldiers chased a group of Palestinian students; most of them do not exceed 10 years old, after the students were on their way out of al-Khansaa’ Elementary School under the pretext of throwing stones at Bypass Road 3156 adjacent to the school complex in Kherbet al-Deir neighborhood in Teqoa’ village, Bethlehem.  When the children, including Rayan, his cousins, and neighbors, arrived at their nearby houses in the neighborhood, Soliman, Rayan’s father, noticed them and prevented the Israeli soldiers who were chasing them from raiding the houses.  While Soliman was arguing with the Israeli soldiers, who continued their deployment near the houses for half an hour looking for the children, Rayan entered his house terrorized and in intense fear and tried to get out of it via the backdoor as there was an Israeli soldier close to him.  On his way out, Rayan fell, and his family found him at the house door before.  His father then took him in his car to the hospital, where the medical personnel declared that Rayan was dead upon arrival at the hospital due to heart failure, adding that all attempts to resuscitate his heart failed.

The child’s father said to PCHR’s fieldworker that the Israeli soldiers stopped his car while taking his child to the hospital and sighted the riffle at his head.  They blocked his way under the pretext that there were children hidden in his house, thereby impeding the quick referral of the child to Beit Jala Governmental Hospital.  His father added that doctors at the hospital told him that his child died of heart failure out of intense fear.

The Public Prosecution and Palestinian Police decided to refer Rayan’s body for autopsy to determine the cause of death.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Military declared in a statement that suspects threw stones on the main way near Teqoa village, so the Israeli troops searched for the suspects who fled to the village.  The Israeli military claimed that there was no connection between Rayan’s death and the soldiers’ activity in the area.

PCHR’s fieldworker said that school students in Teqoa village have suffered from constant attacks by the Israeli soldiers, who almost daily chase or intimidate the students either on their way out to their schools in the morning or on their way back home.  These attacks include firing different types of bullets, teargas canisters and stun grenades at the students and chasing them as well as arresting some of them.

PCHR calls for a serious investigation into Rayan’s death circumstances, including IOF’s unjustified intimidation while chasing the children.

PCHR calls upon the international community to take a prompt action to end the Israeli crimes and double standards when it comes to application of the international law.  PCHR also urges the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor to take a serious action in the situation of Palestine.

Moreover, PCHR demands effective measures to ensure protection for children and all Palestinian civilians from the Israeli serious violations.  PCHR reiterates 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.” PCHR also calls upon the High Contracting Parties to comply with Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention, noting that these violations constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons and Additional Protocol (I) to the Geneva Conventions in terms of guaranteeing Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the occupied territory.