Ongoing war crimes in the West Bank

6 April 2002

Israeli forces continue their war on Palestinian civilians. Most of
the West Bank is under Israeli control. Israeli forces are committing
human rights violations, in all towns, in particular, Nablus and Jenin
and the refugee camps.

In the past couple of days, many people got killed and their families
were prevented to bury them, ambulances are being subjected to
attacks, gunfire.

In Jenin, Israeli forces have tried to enter Jenin refugee camp,
through shelling, using tanks, helicopters, heavy machinegun
fire. Since early morning, the Israeli forces have tried to enter
Jenin refugee camp and the Israeli Chief of Staff Shaul Mofaz is
supervising the operation, according to Israeli sources.

Seven people have been killed, since last night. Munther al-Haj (24),
Tariq Darwish (27), Ilham al-Dassouki (42), Hassan al-Qaloud (25),
Walid as-Sadi (23), Attiya AbuRmeila (40), and Tariq Darawshe
(29). Ambulances have managed to evacuate thirty injured, three of
them are in serious conditions. In Jenin refugee camp today, an
ambulance has been completely destroyed, by an Israeli artillery
shell, fired from an Israeli tank.  According LAW's researchers, Jenin
refugee camp has been under Israeli fire since the
morning. Eyewitnesses told LAW that there is a number of injured
persons inside the refugee camp that the ambulances cannot reach.
Israeli forces have warned ambulances not to approach injured persons,
if they do so, they told they would shoot.

This morning, Israeli forces entered Yatta, south of Hebron and opened
fire on civilian homes, killing Nader al-Haddar (28) and Jamal Qara'in
(20).

In Nablus, Israeli forces continue to shell Balata and Askar refugee
camps and the old city of Nablus, killing five residents, killing
Mohammad Ghandour (26), Ahmad Qasa'a (24), Yasser al-Qoni, Jihad
Tayem, Suleiman Tastoush. According to LAW's researchers, Israeli
forces have hold a team of Reuters News Agency in an appartment in a
commercial building in the middle of Nablus. Israeli forces have
raided an-Najah University and turned it into a military base.

Yesterday, six Palestinian activists were executed when Israeli forces
entered a home where they were hiding. There names are Qais Abu Jabber
(27), former head of the Student's Council of Najah University, Ashraf
Daraghmeh (29), Mounqid Sawafta (25), Majdi Salim (28), Sa'id Awad
(31) and Mohammad Kamil (28). According LAW's researcher they were
hiding in a home in Tubas, when an Israeli special unit enforced by 14
tanks and four Apache helicopters shelled the home. At 6 o'clock in
the evening the Israeli forces entered the home and killed the six
with gunshots from close range. They were all shot in the head.

LAW emphasizes that extra-judicial executions constitute willful
killings, which are a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention and
as such constitute war crimes subject to universal jurisdiction. Under
Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court,
these grave breaches constitute war crimes.

The international community, in particular, the European Union, must
now take effective and concrete action, in accordance with its legal
obligations under international humanitarian law, to ensure that
Israel's military offensive against Palestinian civilians is halted
immediately and that those responsible for the perpetration of war
crimes, and other gross violations of international law, are sought
and prosecuted in accordance with international law. Clearly, sporadic
condemnations by various states of individual violations of
international law are wholly insufficient, and clearly increasingly
ineffective.

As Israel continues to ignore the criticisms and calls of the
international community, including the European Union, clearly
effective pressure must be applied, and actions must be taken and
taken immediately.
____________________________

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and
the Environment is a non-governmental organisation dedicated to
preserving human rights through legal advocacy. LAW is affiliate to
the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), the Federation
Internationale des Ligues de Droits de l'Homme (FIDH) and the World
Organisation Organisation Against Torture (OMCT).

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the
Environment, PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, tel. +972-2-5833530, fax.
+972-2-5833317, email: [email protected], web: http://www.lawsociety.org