Ref: 123/2022
Date: 02 October 2022
Time: 11:25 GMT
As part of their excessive use of force, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) shot dead a Palestinian teenager yesterday in the evening in al-‘Eizariya, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR’s) investigations confirm that it was a premediated murder as the young man was directly and unjustifiably targeted. This crime further reflects IOF’s loose shooting standards that fall under series of top-level military orders to “shoot to kill” despite no imminent danger or threat posed to IOF’s lives.
According to PCHR’s investigations, at approximately 14:00, on Saturday, 01 October 2022, dozens of Palestinian young men gathered near the annexation wall in the Ras Kabsa area between the villages of Abu Dis and Al ‘Eizariya, southeast of occupied East Jerusalem, and started destroying a gate fixed to the wall. They managed to enter via the gate, so IOF patrols moved into al- ‘Eizariya main street and Abu Dis entrance. They fired live and rubber-coated metal bullets in the area amid clashes with dozens of Palestinian young men. At around 16:00, while IOF were stationed near Al-Murabiteen mosque in central al-‘Eizariya town, one of the soldiers opened fire at Fayez Khaled Damdom (18), who he was riding his motorcycle and approached an IOF military SUV in the area. As a result, Damdom was hit with a live bullet in the neck, fell to the ground and was left to bleed for minutes. The soldiers then examined him after his injury and allowed an ambulance to take him to Al-Makassed Society Clinic in Abu Dis, where he was pronounced dead after succumbing to his wounds only few minutes after his arrival at the clinic.
The Israeli police claimed in a press statement that, “Riots took place in Al ‘Eizariya village where an attacker was neutralized”. Also, the Israeli Kan channel cited an Israeli security official saying that a Palestinian tried to throw a Molotov Cocktail at the Israeli Forces in al-‘Eizariya, so the Israeli Border Police opened fire at him.
PHCR’s investigations, contrary to IOF’s allegations, show that Damdom had neither stones nor Molotov Cocktail when he fell from his motorcycle and that the village center was not witnessing any clashes at the time of the shooting. Viral footages shared on social media by activists documented the young man falling off the motorcycle he was riding.
Also, IOF’s examination of the young man and their attempt to give him first aid as well as allowing a Palestinian ambulance to take him to the hospital prove that he was not involved in any attack against the IOF, who always detain persons suspected of carrying out attacks against them and do not allow the Palestinian ambulances to approach the suspects.
So far in 2022, IOF attacks killed 130 Palestinians, including 89 civilians: 27 children, 8 women, 2 Palestinians killed by Israeli settlers and the rest were activists; 15 of them were assassinated. Moreover, hundreds of others sustained wounds in IOF attacks, including women and children, across the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem.
PCHR call upon the international community to take immediate action to end Israeli occupation’s crimes and double standards when it comes to international law, and urges the Public Prosecution of the ICC to act seriously with regard to the situation in Palestine
PCHR also demands 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 noting that these violations are considered war crimes in accordance with Article 147 of the Convention and in accordance with the Additional Protocol I of the Convention to guarantee the right of protection for Palestinian civilians in the occupied territory.
