Ref: 11/2023

Date: 30 January 2023

Time: 11:48 GMT

This morning, a Palestinian civilian was shot dead by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) while driving his car near a military checkpoint at the entrance to al-Salaymah neighborhood, southeast of al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron.

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 01:00 on Monday, 30 January 2023, a black Mazda vehicle with an Israeli registration plate arrived at a crossroad leading to al-Salaymah military checkpoint, southeast of al-Ibrahimi Mosque in Hebron, and stopped 100 meters away to southeast of the checkpoint. Meanwhile, verbal altercation erupted between the vehicle’s driver Naseem Nayif Fouda (26), from al-Labna area in southern Hebron, and three Israeli soldiers, who were 3 meters away from the checkpoint. Afterwards, the vehicle drove 70 meters towards the checkpoint and from a distance of 70 meters, the Israeli soldiers started shooting at the vehicle, which speedily drove backwards hitting Rajeh Abu Irmilah’s house entrance.  The vehicle then veered off and hit from behind a Volkswagen Passat car belonging to Shehdah Abu Irmilah as the car was parked in front of his house. Meanwhile, five Israeli soldiers approached and opened fire again at the vehicle, directly wounding Abu Fouda in his head. The soldiers then left towards the checkpoint and returned after less than 5 minutes accompanied with a large force of Israeli soldiers and police, while an ambulance belonging to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) arrived and stopped in the scene for 10 minutes. At around 12:30, the soldiers allowed the PRCS crew to evacuate Abu Fouda to the governmental hospital in Hebron. Later, he was referred to al-Ahli Hospital in the city, where he was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and doctors described his health condition serious due to being shot with a live bullet in his head. At approximately 08:00, doctors pronounced Abu Fouda dead.

PCHR condemns IOF’s ongoing willful and systematic killings against the Palestinians and reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end the Israeli occupation’s crimes and protect the Palestinian civilians. PCHR also calls upon the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to activate his role and the role of the International Commission of Inquiry to prosecute those responsible for such crimes.