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Photos:
Fawzi Hani Mokhalafa, 18. Published by IMEMC Nws

Scenes. Screenshots. Credit: J Media Published by IMEMC News

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by IMEMC News
July 22, 2023

Israeli occupation forces shot and killed, on Friday night, a Palestinian teenager and injured another, before abducting him, in the northern occupied West Bank town of Sebastia, northwest of Nablus, local sources reported.

According to the director of the ambulance and emergency services at the Palestinian Red Crescent Society in Nablus, Ahmed Jibril, soldiers prevented its medical crews from approaching the vehicle, until the teen was deceased.

Soldiers opened heavy live fire at a vehicle with two occupants, killing one and injuring the other. Citizens were able to inspect the damage to the car which revealed dozens of bullet holes across the entire vehicle.

The slain teen was identified as Fawzi Hani Mokhalafa, 18, and the other occupant of the vehicle was identified as Muhammad Omar Mukhaimer, who was wounded by live rounds and abducted by the army.

The PRCS medics transported the body of the slain teen to Rafidia hospital in Nablus, once the army allowed them on to the scene.

The condition of the apprehended young man was not known at the time of writing this report.

Earlier Friday, the army shot and killed another Palestinian teen and seriously injured another, in the village of Um Safa, northwest of Ramallah in the central part of the occupied West Bank.

The child was identified as Muhammad Fouad Atta Al-Bayed, 17, from al-Jalazoun refugee camp northwest of Ramallah, was shot in the head with a live round when local youths protested the military incursion into their village.

The army alleged that the vehicle was involved in a “car-ramming attempt”, which they claim was the justification for the killing of the teen and wounding of his friend, noting that no soldiers were injured.

According to the army, the vehicle reportedly sped towards Israeli soldiers who were involved in “proactive activity” in the village, adding that “the forces returned fire at the two suspects in the car.”

The army said that Mokhalafa, who was the driver of the vehicle, was “neutralized” and that the passenger was injured and detained by occupation forces.
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Extrajudicial Execution Crimes: Two Palestinian Civilians, Including Child, Shot Dead by Israeli Occupation Forces in Nablus and Ramallah

by Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
July 22, 2023

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the Israeli Occupation Forces’ (IOF) unjustified commission of two separate murders yesterday that left two Palestinian civilians dead, including a child, in Nablus and Ramallah in the West Bank, as part of IOF’s extrajudicial executions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt) upon a decision from Israel’s top military and political echelons.

According to information collected by PCHR’s fieldworker on the killing of a Palestinian civilian in Nablus, at approximately 22:50 on Friday, 21 July 2023, IOF moved into Sebastia village, northwest of Nablus, and stationed at its entrance.

They then unjustifiably fired a barrage of bullets at a Volkswagen Polo Car carrying Fawzi Hani Makhalfah (19) and his friend Mohammed Omar Mukhaimar (19).

As a result, the car’s driver, Fawzi Makhalfah, was killed after being shot with several bullets in different parts of his body, including his head.

Makhalfah’s corpse was taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus, while his friend Mukhaimar was injured and then arrested by IOF, noting the latter’s injury is still unaccounted for.

An eyewitness said to PCHR’s fieldworker that;

“IOF stationed at Sebastia village entrance fired a barrage of bullets at a vehicle passing by the area. The vehicle continued its way until it crashed into a wall, being obvious that the driver had lost control of it. The Israeli soldiers approached the vehicle, fired live bullets at it and prevented ambulance crews from approaching it. Later, IOF withdrew from the area after they had arrested a wounded person from the vehicle, while the ambulance crews evacuated the corpse of the other person who was driving.”

According to information collected by PCHR’s fieldworker about the killing of a child in Ramallah, at around 13:00 following the Friday Prayer, a peaceful protest made its way from Umm Safa Village Council, northwest of Ramallah, in protest against the establishment of a pastoral settlement outpost on Palestinians’ lands adjacent to the main street near “Aterot” settlement, which is established on the village’s lands.

The protestors raised Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against IOF and settlers.

When the protestors gathered on the street in the village’s center near its council, they were surprised with many Israeli soldiers waiting for them.

Meanwhile, IOF immediately suppressed the protest and fired a barrage of teargas canisters.

Afterwards, clashes broke out in the area; during which, IOF fired live and rubber-coated bullets at the protestors.

As a result, Mohammed Foad ‘Atta al-Bayyed (17) was directly shot by IOF with a live bullet in his head as he was only 20 meters away.

When another person tried to pull him, IOF opened fire at him, wounding him with 2 live bullets, and his health condition was deemed serious.

An eyewitness said to PCHR’s fieldworker that:

“At around 15:30, during clashes that erupted in Umm Safa village, an Israeli soldier opened fire at one of the protestors from a distance of 20 meters, wounding him with a live bullet in his head. Immediately, a person tried to pull him to a safe area, but IOF fired two live bullets at him: one hit his hand and the other hit his chest.”

Both fell on the ground and the protestors managed to evacuate them to the Istishari Hospital in al-Rihan Suburb in Ramallah, where the two wounded were admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

Later, at around 16:49 on the same day, doctors announced the death of Mohammed Foad ‘Atta al-Bayyed (17), who was first wounded, while the other (28) sustained serious injuries.

PCHR warns against escalation of IOF’s unwarranted killings in the West Bank and reiterates its call on the international community to take an immediate action to stop the Israeli crimes and double standard when applying the international law.

PCHR urges in particular the ICC Prosecutor to take serious action in the situation of Palestine.

PCHR 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.