Israel/OPT
16.10.01
Urgent Interventions
Israel: extra-judicial killing of two Palestinian activists in the Occupied Territories
Case ISR 161001
Extrajudicial killing
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Occupied Territories.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Al-Haq and The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights (Law), both members of the OMCT network, of the extra-judicial killing of two Palestinian activists in the Occupied Territories.
According to the information received, Israel has resumed its use of extra-judicial killings, with 33-year old Abdul Rahman Mohammad Said Hamad, a Hamas activist and leader, and 34-year old Ahmed Hassan Marshoud, reportedly a Hamas supporter, having been assassinated in seperate incidents on October 14th and 15th respectively. The Israeli Government has claimed responsibility for Mr. Hamad's death, but has so-far failed to comment officially on the incident in which Mr. Marshoud lost his life.
According to the information received, Mr. Hamad, who is the father of two children, was shot twice in the chest and once in the abdomen, early in the morning of October 14th, while he was sitting on the roof of his house reading from the Koran. Mr. Hamad lives in the town of Qalqilya, around 300 meters east of the Green Line separating the Occupied West Bank from Israel. According to farmers working in a nearby field, an Israeli tank, an army jeep and a car were parked around 150 metres away from Mr. Hamad's home. Just prior to the shooting, the farmers reportedly saw an Israeli soldier get out of the jeep and stand on its roof. Although the witnesses could not confirm that the shots came from the direction of the soldier in question, they did report that soon after the shooting the three vehicles had left the scene. Other reports indicate that he must have been shot at close range, as the three bullets that hit him went through his body and came out the other side.
According to the information received, Mr. Hamad was a well-known Hamas activist and leader, and had spent six years in Israeli prisons for alleged membership in the Iz a Din al-Kassam branch of Hamas. He was killed one day before the first anniversary of his release. The Israeli authorities had placed him on a list of wanted individuals which was published in several newspapers earlier this year. Mr. Hamad has been accused by Israel of being responsilbe for the planning of several attacks inside Israel, including the bombing of the Tel Aviv Dolphinarium last June, but no evidence to substantiate this claim has yet been made available.
According to the information received, Mr. Marshoud, from Balata Refugee Camp, who worked at the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoner Affairs, was killed in an explosion outside its offices, at around 8:15 am on October 15th, 2001, as he was going to work. Mr. Marshoud reportedly got out of a taxi in front of the office building, and had only taken a few steps when a Subaru car parked by the side of the road exploded next to him. He was reportedly severely burnt as a result of the explosion, and died moments after having been admitted to Rafidia Hospital. According to reports, Mr. Marshoud was a supporter of Hamas, but was not known to be active and did not hold a leadership position in the organisation. The Israeli Military have claimed that he was wanted by Israel for "planning terror attacks" and that he was also on the arrest list given to the Palestinian Authorities. Another Hamas supporter, 24-year old Ziyad Araysheh, was reportedly injured by shrapnel in the explosion.
Since these events, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defence Minister Ben-Eliezer have both stated their intention to continue with the use of their policy of "liquidation" despite international condemnation of these grave breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law. This policy has, thus far, failed in its aim to halt attacks upon Israel, and has, in reality, only added to the cycle of reprisals that typify this conflict. Furthermore, Israel has failed to prove that those targetted by its policy of extra-judicial killing are guilty of the actions for which they are accused, despite being obliged under local and international law to attempt to arrest and bring to justice persons accused of crimes.
As many as 37 Palestinians, including two police officers, and at least 17 bystanders have been killed in state-sanctioned assassinations since the beginning of the intifada one year ago, typically through the use of Israeli sniper fire, missiles fired from helicopter gunships, tank-fire and bombs planted in cars and telephone booths. In many instances, the operations were conducted with blatant disregard for the safety of innocent bystanders.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about Israel's systematic policy of extra-judicial killings, as these acts are grave and blatant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. These extra-judicial killings constitute willful killing and are, as such, grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate reparation to Mr. Hamad and Mr. Marshoud’s families;
ii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)566 48 38 / 691 79 15 E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.il or feedback@pmo.gov.il
· Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or Fax: ++ 972 2 628 8618 Email: sar@justice.gov.il
· Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, 7 "A" Street, Hakirya, Tel Aviv, Israel. Fax:(+972-3)691 69 40, e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
· Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411 Email: sar@moin.gov.il
· Shimon Peres, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704 E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
· The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
· Uzi Landau, Minister of Internal Security, Ministry of Internal Security P.O Box 18182, 3 Sheirkh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala jerusalem, 91181, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 582 67 69, E-mail : sar@mops.gov.il
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, October 16, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Extrajudicial killing
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in the Occupied Territories.
Brief description of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Al-Haq and The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights (Law), both members of the OMCT network, of the extra-judicial killing of two Palestinian activists in the Occupied Territories.
According to the information received, Israel has resumed its use of extra-judicial killings, with 33-year old Abdul Rahman Mohammad Said Hamad, a Hamas activist and leader, and 34-year old Ahmed Hassan Marshoud, reportedly a Hamas supporter, having been assassinated in seperate incidents on October 14th and 15th respectively. The Israeli Government has claimed responsibility for Mr. Hamad's death, but has so-far failed to comment officially on the incident in which Mr. Marshoud lost his life.
According to the information received, Mr. Hamad, who is the father of two children, was shot twice in the chest and once in the abdomen, early in the morning of October 14th, while he was sitting on the roof of his house reading from the Koran. Mr. Hamad lives in the town of Qalqilya, around 300 meters east of the Green Line separating the Occupied West Bank from Israel. According to farmers working in a nearby field, an Israeli tank, an army jeep and a car were parked around 150 metres away from Mr. Hamad's home. Just prior to the shooting, the farmers reportedly saw an Israeli soldier get out of the jeep and stand on its roof. Although the witnesses could not confirm that the shots came from the direction of the soldier in question, they did report that soon after the shooting the three vehicles had left the scene. Other reports indicate that he must have been shot at close range, as the three bullets that hit him went through his body and came out the other side.
According to the information received, Mr. Hamad was a well-known Hamas activist and leader, and had spent six years in Israeli prisons for alleged membership in the Iz a Din al-Kassam branch of Hamas. He was killed one day before the first anniversary of his release. The Israeli authorities had placed him on a list of wanted individuals which was published in several newspapers earlier this year. Mr. Hamad has been accused by Israel of being responsilbe for the planning of several attacks inside Israel, including the bombing of the Tel Aviv Dolphinarium last June, but no evidence to substantiate this claim has yet been made available.
According to the information received, Mr. Marshoud, from Balata Refugee Camp, who worked at the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoner Affairs, was killed in an explosion outside its offices, at around 8:15 am on October 15th, 2001, as he was going to work. Mr. Marshoud reportedly got out of a taxi in front of the office building, and had only taken a few steps when a Subaru car parked by the side of the road exploded next to him. He was reportedly severely burnt as a result of the explosion, and died moments after having been admitted to Rafidia Hospital. According to reports, Mr. Marshoud was a supporter of Hamas, but was not known to be active and did not hold a leadership position in the organisation. The Israeli Military have claimed that he was wanted by Israel for "planning terror attacks" and that he was also on the arrest list given to the Palestinian Authorities. Another Hamas supporter, 24-year old Ziyad Araysheh, was reportedly injured by shrapnel in the explosion.
Since these events, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Defence Minister Ben-Eliezer have both stated their intention to continue with the use of their policy of "liquidation" despite international condemnation of these grave breaches of international human rights and humanitarian law. This policy has, thus far, failed in its aim to halt attacks upon Israel, and has, in reality, only added to the cycle of reprisals that typify this conflict. Furthermore, Israel has failed to prove that those targetted by its policy of extra-judicial killing are guilty of the actions for which they are accused, despite being obliged under local and international law to attempt to arrest and bring to justice persons accused of crimes.
As many as 37 Palestinians, including two police officers, and at least 17 bystanders have been killed in state-sanctioned assassinations since the beginning of the intifada one year ago, typically through the use of Israeli sniper fire, missiles fired from helicopter gunships, tank-fire and bombs planted in cars and telephone booths. In many instances, the operations were conducted with blatant disregard for the safety of innocent bystanders.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned about Israel's systematic policy of extra-judicial killings, as these acts are grave and blatant violations of international human rights and humanitarian law. These extra-judicial killings constitute willful killing and are, as such, grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Israel urging them to:
i. guarantee adequate reparation to Mr. Hamad and Mr. Marshoud’s families;
ii. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Addresses
· Ariel Sharon, Prime Minister, Office of the Prime Minister, 3 Kaplan Street, Jerusalem 91007, Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2)566 48 38 / 691 79 15 E-mail: pm@pmo.gov.il or feedback@pmo.gov.il
· Meir Shitrit, Minister of Justice, Ministry of Justice, 29 Salah al-Din Street, Jerusalem 91029, State of Israel. Fax:(+ 972 2) 62 8 54 38 or Fax: ++ 972 2 628 8618 Email: sar@justice.gov.il
· Binyamin Ben-Eliezer, Minister of Defense, Ministry of Defense, 7 "A" Street, Hakirya, Tel Aviv, Israel. Fax:(+972-3)691 69 40, e-mail: sar@mod.gov.il
· Eli Yishai, Minister of the Interior, Ministry of the Interior, Fax: 00972 2 670 1411 Email: sar@moin.gov.il
· Shimon Peres, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Fax:(+ 972 2) 530 3704 E-mail: sar@mofa.gov.il
· The Supreme Court of Justice, Kiryat Ben Gurion, Jerusalem, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 652 71 18
· Uzi Landau, Minister of Internal Security, Ministry of Internal Security P.O Box 18182, 3 Sheirkh Jarrah, Kiryat Hamemshala jerusalem, 91181, Israel. Fax: (+ 972 2) 582 67 69, E-mail : sar@mops.gov.il
Please also write to the embassies of Israel in your respective country.
Geneva, October 16, 2001
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.