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Press Release

PCHR calls for continuation of efforts to end internal violence

 Ref: 87/2001

Date: 22 December 2001

 PCHR and LAW – the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment – are deeply concerned about bloody clashes that occurred in Jabalya refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip over the past two days, leading to 7 deaths and more than 80 injuries.  They praise sincere efforts made by all political actors and societal activists to contain these clashes, to avoid destructive consequences for the Palestinian people and their national question.  Such efforts are necessary to prevent and end internal conflict, which will bring only more pains and suffering upon the Palestinian people, in their quest to realise their legitimate rights to liberty and independence.

 According to PCHR and LAW’s investigation, the tragic clashes began at approximately 20:40 on Thursday, 20 December, when a unit of the Palestinian Military Intelligence chased a civilian car, in which some militants were apparently traveling.  This action by the Military Intelligence was part of efforts made by the Palestinian National Authority to ensure a cease-fire and put an end to mortar attacks on illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.  The car escaped to Jabalya refugee camp, where they took shelter in a house after being fired at by Military Intelligence.  The situation developed into an exchange of fire between the two parties.  Hundreds of Palestinian civilians went out of their houses and threw stones at the security men.  Mahmoud ‘Abdel-Rahman El-Muqayad, 17, was killed and dozens of people were injured.  During the clashes, which continued until 02:00 on the following day, a car of the Palestinian Preventive Security was burnt, and an armed group of Islamic Jihad activists attacked Beit Lahia police station, setting fire to a tent and a car.

 At approximately 10:30 on Friday, 21 December, militants fired at some Palestinian police vehicles near Jabalya police station.  Policemen responded by opening fire.  Five passing citizens were injured.

 After Friday prayers, at approximately 12:30, a large demonstration was organized for the funeral procession of El-Muqayad.  The participants moved towards the center of Jabalya refugee camp, where they met with another demonstration organized by Hamas near Jabalya police station.  Thousands of people, including a number of militants, participated in the demonstrations.  Soon, the situation deteriorated, in light of tension among the demonstrators and the presence of security men on high alert, some of who took position on the roofs of nearby houses.  Clashes erupted and security men fired at the demonstrators.  ‘Abdel-‘Azziz El-Sweirki, 17, from Jabalya, was killed by two live bullets in the back and the left leg; and Zakaria Hassan El-Nawajha, 15, from Beit Lahia, was killed by a live bullet in the chest.

 At approximately 14:00, shortly after efforts had been made to calm the situation, clashes erupted again near Jabalya police station and developed into an exchange of fire between security officers, who took position on the roof of a nearby house, and a number of militants.  Four civilians were killed:

1)    Khalil ‘Abdel-Latif El-Seifi, 17, from Jabalya refugee camp;

2)    Habib Nayef Radwan, 14, from Jabalya;

3)    Mohammed Riadh Ahel, 16, from Al-Daraj neighborhood in Gaza; and

4)    ‘Abdel-Karim ‘Awni El-Ashqar, 17, from Jabalya.

PCHR and LAW express their sorrow at these bloody clashes that resulted in 7 deaths and more than 80 injuries:

1.    PCHR and LAW call for the establishment of a neutral committee to seriously investigate and conclude recommendations to put an end to these bloody events, and to ensure that they will not happen again.  They call for prosecuting those who were responsible for the eruption of these clashes.

2.      PCHR and LAW emphasize that the Palestinian National Authority is the sole and legitimate authority and that Palestinians in the OPT cannot live in a situation of multiple and conflicting authorities, which will only increase internal discord and strife.

3.     PCHR and LAW condemn the excessive use of force and firearms by whatever party and the non-use of less lethal means to disperse angry crowds by law enforcement bodies.  They call for the avoidance of violence and the prevalence of rational dialogue in handling Palestinian-Palestinian differences to drive away more disasters.  This is especially important in a time of escalated attacks and war crimes perpetrated by Israeli occupation forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

4.    PCHR and LAW remain deeply concerned about the infiltration of militants among civilians in peaceful demonstrations.  They warn of the possibility that they may fire at policemen whatever the circumstances, posing a direct threat to the lives of unarmed civilians who do not participate in violent actions.  At the same time, PCHR and LAW call upon Palestinian law enforcement bodies to restrain themselves in dealing with situations where there are angry crowds even if there are militants, in order to prevent bloodshed and save lives of innocent civilians.

5.     PCHR and LAW condemn campaigns of political arrests by Palestinian security services and assert that the rule of law must be respected.  Arrests must be carried out in accordance with the law and right of prisoners to refer to the civil judiciary must be ensured.

6.    PCHR and LAW condemn closure of civilian institutions by the Palestinian National Authority, which has affected 15 institutions in Gaza.  They call for the respect for the rule of law in dealing with institutions and individuals.

7.    PCHR and LAW call upon the executive to abide by decisions taken by the judiciary and particularly, to respect decisions taken by the Palestinian High Court of Justice to release detainees in Palestinian prisons and detention centers.

8.      The right to peaceful assembly and free expression must be ensured and all parties must respect the peaceful nature and avoid violence and attacks on public property.

9.   PCHR and LAW call upon the Palestinian National Authority to stop political statements by security officials, which are out of their authority, which contribute to provoking the population and to nod serve to contain the situation.

10.   PCHR and LAW condemn US and European pressure on the Palestinian National Authority to wage campaigns of political arrests and close civilian institutions.  They consider such attempts to reflect double standards in dealing with the Palestinian question and emphasise that pressure must be exerted on the Sharon government to abide by international humanitarian law, particularly the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 1949.

11.     PCHR and LAW assert that the most important lesson that can be learned from the past 10 years, since the Madrid peace conference, is that bargaining away human rights and international humanitarian law for the sake political expediency is useless.  Any settlement that does not rely on international law will not lead to stability in the region.

12.   PCHR and LAW praise all efforts by political actors and societal activists to contain these bloody clashes and ensure that they will not happen again.