Ref: 06/2023

Date: 13 January 2023

Time: 06:21 GMT

Yesterday evening, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) killed 2 Palestinians, including a civilian, and wounded 3 others, including a child, while they arrested another during IOF’s incursion into Qabatia in Jenin, northern West Bank.  Thus, the number of Palestinians killed by IOF fire rises to 3, including 2 civilians, within less than 15 hours, as part of IOF’s ongoing escalation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and eyewitnesses’ testimonies, at around 16:30 on Thursday, 12 January 2023, an Israeli Special Force moved into al-Mohandseen Housing Project on the American University Street, eastern Qabatia, via a Mercedes bus.  The force stepped out and stationed in front of the houses of Mohammed ‘Adel ‘Alawnah and Mohammed ‘Ali Kmeil, tightening the cordon off the 2 houses.  Moments later, IOF’s backups arrived, and their snipers topped roofs of high buildings in the area.  Palestinians gathered and threw stones at IOF’s vehicles in the village while IOF indiscriminately opened fire.   Twenty minutes later, fire was opened at IOF from a distance of 400 meters away from the cordoned houses.  Immediately, the snipers opened fire at any object moving around the houses. As a result, 5 Palestinians were wounded. One of those wounded was identified as Habiballah Mohammed ‘Abdel Rahman Kmeil (27), from Qabatia, and was wounded in his head when he was between trees around 150-200 meters away from where IOF were stationed. Kamil was the cousin of one of the cordoned houses’ owners  and came to the area to visit his relatives, noting that he was a clothes dealer and had just returned from a trip abroad.  He was taken to al-Razi Hospital, where doctors announced his death.  Also, ‘Abdel Hadi Fakhri Yousif Nazzal (18), member of the Palestinian armed groups, was shot with 2 bullets in the neck and lung when he was 300 meters away from the cordoned houses.  He was taken to Dr. Khalil Soliman Governmental Hospital and then referred to al-Razi Hospital, where his condition was deemed very critical and at 21:00 doctors announced his death.  Regarding the rest, including a 17-year-old child, they were wounded among the children and young men who gathered and threw stones at IOF.

Before withdrawing at 17:22, IOF arrested Mohammed ‘Ali Kmeil (24) and took him along.

Since the beginning of 2023, IOF have killed 9 Palestinians, including 4 civilians: 2 of them were children, and the rest were members of the armed groups, including a child, in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

PCHR condemns IOF’s ongoing escalation in the OPT and commission of killings against Palestinians, reiterating its call upon the international community to take immediate action to stop the Israeli crimes and protect the Palestinian civilians.