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On Sunday evening, 23 April 2006, Israeli
Occupation Forces (IOF) extra-judicially executed two members of the
al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah, in Bethlehem.
IOF also wounded and arrested a third member. IOF later claimed that
one of the victims had died from his wounds following his evacuation
to Hadasa Hospital in Jerusalem, but investigations conducted by
PCHR refute this claim and prove that IOF executed the victim after
his arrest. This latest attack comes after decisions taken by the
Israeli political and military establishment to continue to target
Palestinian activists.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately
17:30 on Sunday, 23 April 2006, an IOF undercover unit moved into
Bethlehem using two civilian vehicles with Israeli license plates.
Israeli soldiers took position at roadsides near Bethlehem Mental
Hospital in the west of the town. A Palestinian civilian car (a blue
Honda) arrived at the area on its way from the central vegetable
market. The driver was Ahmed Mohammed ‘Ali Musleh, 28, from al-Duhaisha
refugee camp south of Bethlehem. Daniel Saba George Abu Hamama, 25,
from Bethlehem, was sitting in the front seat beside the driver, and
‘Arafat Mahmoud Abu Sha’ira, 22, from al-‘Azza refugee camp north of
Bethlehem, was sitting in the back seat.
Immediately, Israeli soldiers opened fire at the car from a range of
less than 10 meters. The car collided with the wall of the hospital,
as the driver had been instantly killed by several bullets. Soon
after, 15 IOF jeeps arrived at the area. IOF opened fire at the
Palestinian civilian car from a range of one meter. According to
eyewitnesses, Israeli soldiers pulled Abu Hamama and Abu Sha’ira out
of the car. A number of Israeli soldiers pulled Abu Hamama, who was
wounded in the thigh, on the ground towards a used furniture shop,
nearly 100 meters away from the car. Abu Hamama screamed with pain
as he was dragged. Other Israeli soldiers took Abu Sha’ira a few
meters away and violently beat him. A few minutes later, an IOF
officer shot Abu Hamama dead with two live bullets to the chest and
the back. IOF also arrested Abu Sha’ira, who was wounded in the
foot. According to eyewitnesses, two workers in the furniture shop
were in the store, when IOF executed Abu Hamama. (PCHR’s field
worker has unable to meet with them yet, as they do not live in
Bethlehem.) The three targeted persons were allegedly wanted by IOF
for being members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing
of Fatah.
PCHR strongly condemns this latest extrajudicial execution and is
gravely concerned over the escalation of Israeli attacks in the
Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). PCHR asserts that such crimes
serve to aggravate tension in the region and threaten the lives of
Palestinians. PCHR calls upon the international community to
immediately intervene to stop such crimes and reiterates its calls
for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of
1949 to meet their obligations to ensure protection for Palestinian
civilians in the OPT.
Source: Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 24 April 2006
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