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by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)

The Palestinian Center For Human Rights (CPHR): Within less than 15 hours, Israeli occupying forces killed two Palestinian civilians, including a person with disability, and injured another person with disability in new crimes of excessive use of lethal force in two separate incidents in Ramallah and East Jerusalem.

According to information obtained by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), at approximately 06:15 on Saturday, 30 May 2020, Israeli police at al-Mujahideen Street, near Bab al-Asbat area, fired live bullets at disabled man, Iyad Khairy al-Hallaq (32), killing him immediately.

Al-Hallaq was en route to a special education school for persons over the age of 18, near the King Faisal Gate, one of al-Aqsa Mosque’s gates in the occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City.

Israeli police claimed that they noticed “a Palestinian carrying a suspicious object that they thought was a gun and ordered him to stop. After the man refused and started fleeing the scene, the officers started chasing him on foot and opened fire, ultimately killing him.” In a subsequent statement, the Israeli Police announced that the victim was unarmed, and that he had been shot with 8 bullets.

According to al-Hallaq family, the victim was slim-built, suffered a mental disability; as well as hearing and sight deficiencies. Al-Hallaq resided in Wadi al-Jooz neighborhood, close to al-Asbat Gate, and had been attending “Bacrieh B Occupational School for Special Education” every morning for several years.

In a previous incident, at approximately 16:30 on Friday, 29 May 2020, IOF stationed at Raya valley area, between al-Nabi Saleh and Deir Nizam villages, in front of “Halamish” settlement, northwest of Ramallah, opened fire at a Palestinian vehicle driven by Fadi Adnan Samara Qa’d (37) from Abu Qash village, northwest of Ramallah.

Qa’d was shot directly with a live bullet and left to bleed for more than two hours and a half, without being given any first aid. Two hours and a half later, an Israeli vehicle arrived and took Qa’d to an unknown destination. Later, Israeli Authorities announced Qa’d’s death due to Israeli forces’ shooting alleging the victim attempted to ram Israeli soldiers with his car; no casualties among soldiers were reported.

In contrast with the Israeli claims, according to information obtained by PCHR, Qa’d was driving his private Ford-Fiesta car (white) en route to al-Saweya village in Salfit to pick up his wife and 5 children from his in-law’s house. back home from their Grandfather’s house.

Qa’d was met by an Israeli military vehicle parked in the street, six soldiers stepped out from the vehicle, and 3 of them ordered him to stop before he reached the military vehicle. Qa’d lost control of his car and steered his car north-bound, in the opposite direction from where the soldiers stood, and collided with a wooden bench under a tree.

IOF, from a 10-meter distance, immediately opened fire at Qa’d’s car, and wounded him while he was inside. The soldiers left him to bleed for more than two hours and half, without providing any first aid, and prevented the Palestinian ambulances from approaching him.

He was later taken to an unknown destination. It should be noted that Qad’s car did not pose a threat or danger to the soldiers’ livers, and the fact it steered towards the opposite side from where soldiers stood proves the was no intent to ram them.

After the news of Qa’d’s murder, dozens of Palestinians from al-Nabi Saleh village gathered, threw stones at the Israeli soldiers stationed in the area and clashes erupted as the later responded with live bullets, sound bombs and tear gas canisters.

As a result, Ahmed Eyad al-Tamimi (21), a disabled person with down syndrome, was shot with a live bullet in his left leg, and he was referred to the Istishari Arab Hospital in al-Rihan suburb, in Ramallah for treatment.

PCHR strongly condemns IOF’s crime of excessive use of lethal force that resulted in the killing of al-Hallaq and Qa’d and wounded al-Tamimi. PCHR believes this practice is further proof of IOF disregard for Palestinian civilians’ lives, shooting to kill on the basis of mere suspicion without the existence of a real threat to the lives of soldiers.

PCHR also condemns the denial of first aid to Qa’d, and denying Palestinian medical personnel access to him, leaving him to bleed to death in a clear violation of international humanitarian law.

Therefore, PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to put an end to the Israeli crimes; and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.

These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the oPt.

For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8 2824776 – 2825893

Gaza- Jamal ‘Abdel Nasser “al-Thalathini” Street – Al-Roya Building- Floor 12, El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

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