Israel/OPT
23.03.04
Urgent Interventions
Israel/OPT: targeted assassinations fuel rather than abate violence and insecurity
PRESS RELEASE
Geneva, March 23rd, 2004
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: targeted assassinations fuel rather than abate violence and insecurity
OMCT joins the members of its network and other partner NGOs in Palestine - notably Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG) - in condemning the Israeli Armed Forces helicopter gunship attack on Monday March 22nd, 2004, which resulted in the death of 66-year old Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and political leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and seven other persons, including three of his bodyguards; at least 15 bystanders were wounded, some seriously, including two of Sheikh Yassin’s sons. OMCT strongly condemns these acts, and, more generally, Israel’s policy of targeted assassinations, and calls on the Israeli Government to immediately put a halt to these practices.
At 5:20 a.m. on Monday morning, Israeli helicopter gunships launched three missiles at Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who is confined to a wheel-chair and is partially blind, after he had left the Islamic Association Mosque in the densely populated al-Sabra neighbourhood in the centre of Gaza City. One of the missiles hit Sheikh Yassin and his bodyguards directly, while the other two missiles exploded in the surrounding area, killing four other civilians. In addition to those killed, at least 13 civilian bystanders were injured, as well as Sheikh Yassin's two sons: 33-year old 'Abdul Hamid and 29-year old 'Abdul Ghani. Four children were also reportedly among those injured. 'Abdul Hamid and five other injured persons remain in serious condition.
All of the casualties are reported as being worshippers who had just left the mosque following dawn prayers, and included: Mo'men Ibrahim al-Yazouri, (28); Rateb 'Abdul Rahman al-'Aloul, (35); Khamis Mushtaha, (32); Ameer Ahmed 'Abdul 'Aal, (25); Rabi' 'Abdul Hai 'Abdul 'Aal, (18), one of Sheikh Yassin’s bodyguards; Ayoub Ahmed 'Atallah, (26 - bodyguard); and Khalil 'Abdul Elah Abu Jayab, (30 – bodyguard).
Al-Haq notes that this attack points towards a serious escalation in the Israeli killing of Palestinian political leaders. The attack was endorsed by the Israeli Government and military command structures at the highest levels, with Israeli Defence Minister Shaoul Mofaz vowing to continue with the policy of targeted assassinations as part of a campaign against Hamas. Israel has reportedly sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip following this attack and the widespread protest that it has engendered. These closures add to systematic ongoing restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinians’ freedom of movement. Such restrictions have a grave impact on all aspects of Palestinian life.
The Israeli policy of extra-judicial killings has continued unabated over recent months, despite international condemnation. Reports indicate that as many as 326 persons have been extra-judicially killed in Israeli state-sanctioned assassinations since the beginning of the current Intifada some three and a half years ago, as part of a policy of assassinating alleged Palestinian militants and political leaders, including 160 innocent bystanders, of whom 25 were women and 36 were children.
Assassinations are carried out without recourse to even the most basic judicial procedures and no attempt is made to arrest the individuals in question. These extra-judicial killings constitute a gross and systematic violation of the right to life, the right to a fair trial and other human rights standards and laws. Not only do they raise the concerns of the United Nations Committee Against Torture but, as wilful killings, they also constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In its 2003 Concluding Observations, the UN Human Rights Committee had expressed serious concern with “targeted killings” of those identified by Israel as suspected “terrorists” in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and deemed it to be an arbitrary denial of the right to life, and a breach of Israel’s obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The attack on Sheikh Yassin was perpetrated against the background of a recent escalation of violence by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, ostensibly in the prelude to a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Furthermore, the two attacks by Palestinian suicide bombers in the Southern Israeli port of Ashdod on Sunday, March 14th, 2004, which were reportedly organised from Gaza, likely added impetus to the Israeli Government’s decision to escalate military operations in the Gaza Strip and to assassinate Sheikh Yassin.
OMCT recalls that it has condemned all attacks on civilians as violations of the fundamental protection of the right to life, a value proclaimed by every international convention, as well as by national laws and all religions. OMCT calls upon Hamas and all other armed Palestinian groups to put a halt to all such indiscriminate attacks and notes that they also only serve to fuel an escalation in violence. OMCT is gravely pre-occupied by Hamas’ statements that Mr. Sharon has “opened the gates of hell” and that “the battle is open and war between us and them is open” and fears that they presage a period in which the likelihood of further suicide attacks is significantly increased. Further to this, Israel has signalled its intention to continue targeting Hamas, with Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi stating that: "Everyone is in our sights". OMCT is therefore gravely concerned that these events mark the beginning of a new phase of accentuated violence in the region. The credibility of the Israeli Government’s claimed willingness to reach a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict has been dealt a severe blow as a result of these events. Reports of several incidents in which Palestinian protestors have been killed by the Israeli Armed Forces are already surfacing, but remain to be confirmed.
OMCT therefore calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the use of targeted assassinations, due to the illegality of such acts and to the fact that they only perpetuate and accentuate the violence and suicide bombings that they are purportedly aiming to curb. Israel must conform with its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. OMCT calls upon the Palestinian armed groups, notably Hamas, to refrain from engaging in attacks against Israeli civilians, and calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take all possible actions in order to assist in the prevention of such acts.
OMCT Contact: Michael Anthony + 4122 809.49.39, omct@omct.org
Geneva, March 23rd, 2004
Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories: targeted assassinations fuel rather than abate violence and insecurity
OMCT joins the members of its network and other partner NGOs in Palestine - notably Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group (PHRMG) - in condemning the Israeli Armed Forces helicopter gunship attack on Monday March 22nd, 2004, which resulted in the death of 66-year old Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and political leader of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) and seven other persons, including three of his bodyguards; at least 15 bystanders were wounded, some seriously, including two of Sheikh Yassin’s sons. OMCT strongly condemns these acts, and, more generally, Israel’s policy of targeted assassinations, and calls on the Israeli Government to immediately put a halt to these practices.
At 5:20 a.m. on Monday morning, Israeli helicopter gunships launched three missiles at Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, who is confined to a wheel-chair and is partially blind, after he had left the Islamic Association Mosque in the densely populated al-Sabra neighbourhood in the centre of Gaza City. One of the missiles hit Sheikh Yassin and his bodyguards directly, while the other two missiles exploded in the surrounding area, killing four other civilians. In addition to those killed, at least 13 civilian bystanders were injured, as well as Sheikh Yassin's two sons: 33-year old 'Abdul Hamid and 29-year old 'Abdul Ghani. Four children were also reportedly among those injured. 'Abdul Hamid and five other injured persons remain in serious condition.
All of the casualties are reported as being worshippers who had just left the mosque following dawn prayers, and included: Mo'men Ibrahim al-Yazouri, (28); Rateb 'Abdul Rahman al-'Aloul, (35); Khamis Mushtaha, (32); Ameer Ahmed 'Abdul 'Aal, (25); Rabi' 'Abdul Hai 'Abdul 'Aal, (18), one of Sheikh Yassin’s bodyguards; Ayoub Ahmed 'Atallah, (26 - bodyguard); and Khalil 'Abdul Elah Abu Jayab, (30 – bodyguard).
Al-Haq notes that this attack points towards a serious escalation in the Israeli killing of Palestinian political leaders. The attack was endorsed by the Israeli Government and military command structures at the highest levels, with Israeli Defence Minister Shaoul Mofaz vowing to continue with the policy of targeted assassinations as part of a campaign against Hamas. Israel has reportedly sealed off the West Bank and Gaza Strip following this attack and the widespread protest that it has engendered. These closures add to systematic ongoing restrictions imposed by the Israeli authorities on Palestinians’ freedom of movement. Such restrictions have a grave impact on all aspects of Palestinian life.
The Israeli policy of extra-judicial killings has continued unabated over recent months, despite international condemnation. Reports indicate that as many as 326 persons have been extra-judicially killed in Israeli state-sanctioned assassinations since the beginning of the current Intifada some three and a half years ago, as part of a policy of assassinating alleged Palestinian militants and political leaders, including 160 innocent bystanders, of whom 25 were women and 36 were children.
Assassinations are carried out without recourse to even the most basic judicial procedures and no attempt is made to arrest the individuals in question. These extra-judicial killings constitute a gross and systematic violation of the right to life, the right to a fair trial and other human rights standards and laws. Not only do they raise the concerns of the United Nations Committee Against Torture but, as wilful killings, they also constitute grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In its 2003 Concluding Observations, the UN Human Rights Committee had expressed serious concern with “targeted killings” of those identified by Israel as suspected “terrorists” in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, and deemed it to be an arbitrary denial of the right to life, and a breach of Israel’s obligation under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The attack on Sheikh Yassin was perpetrated against the background of a recent escalation of violence by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip, ostensibly in the prelude to a unilateral Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. Furthermore, the two attacks by Palestinian suicide bombers in the Southern Israeli port of Ashdod on Sunday, March 14th, 2004, which were reportedly organised from Gaza, likely added impetus to the Israeli Government’s decision to escalate military operations in the Gaza Strip and to assassinate Sheikh Yassin.
OMCT recalls that it has condemned all attacks on civilians as violations of the fundamental protection of the right to life, a value proclaimed by every international convention, as well as by national laws and all religions. OMCT calls upon Hamas and all other armed Palestinian groups to put a halt to all such indiscriminate attacks and notes that they also only serve to fuel an escalation in violence. OMCT is gravely pre-occupied by Hamas’ statements that Mr. Sharon has “opened the gates of hell” and that “the battle is open and war between us and them is open” and fears that they presage a period in which the likelihood of further suicide attacks is significantly increased. Further to this, Israel has signalled its intention to continue targeting Hamas, with Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi stating that: "Everyone is in our sights". OMCT is therefore gravely concerned that these events mark the beginning of a new phase of accentuated violence in the region. The credibility of the Israeli Government’s claimed willingness to reach a peaceful settlement to the ongoing conflict has been dealt a severe blow as a result of these events. Reports of several incidents in which Palestinian protestors have been killed by the Israeli Armed Forces are already surfacing, but remain to be confirmed.
OMCT therefore calls on the Israeli authorities to immediately halt the use of targeted assassinations, due to the illegality of such acts and to the fact that they only perpetuate and accentuate the violence and suicide bombings that they are purportedly aiming to curb. Israel must conform with its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law. OMCT calls upon the Palestinian armed groups, notably Hamas, to refrain from engaging in attacks against Israeli civilians, and calls upon the Palestinian Authority to take all possible actions in order to assist in the prevention of such acts.
OMCT Contact: Michael Anthony + 4122 809.49.39, omct@omct.org