PCHR: Israel Follows Systematic Policy to Claim as Many Victims as Possible
Gaza, MINA – Latest measures taken by Israeli soldiers to target Palestinian protestors reflect a systematic policy approved by the Israeli military and political leaders to claim as many victims as possible among the protestors, Wednesday said the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR).
PCHR issued a report following the killing of a 16-year-old Palestinian during clashes in al-Mughayyir village, northeast of Ramallah, on Tuesday.
According to PCHR’s investigations and eyewitnesses’ accounts, Israeli forces backed by three military vehicles moved into al-Mughayyir village and stopped in the center of the village, Wafa News Agency reported.
A number of children and teens gathered to throw stones and empty bottles at the Israeli vehicles, when a soldier from one of the vehicles immediately fired one bullet that hit Laith Haitham Abu Na’im, entering his right eye and exiting his head.
Eyewitnesses said the bullet was shot at Abu Na’im at a very close range, even though he did not pose any threat to the life of the Israeli soldiers.
The number of Palestinians killed in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip since the US President Donald Trump’s declaration on December 6, 2017 to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move the embassy to it amounted to 17, including four children.
Ten civilians, including a child, were killed in the Gaza Strip while the other seven, including three children, were killed in the West Bank.
A follow-up conducted by PCHR staff showed that Israeli forces have intensified the use of live ammunition to confront unarmed civilians in dozens of incidents deliberately and by directly targeting civilians in peaceful demonstrations, noting that the protestors did not pose any threat or danger to the life of Israeli soldiers.
PCHR condemned Israeli forces’ use of excessive, disproportionate and lethal force against the protestors and believes that this is due to the green light given by the Israeli government to the soldiers following the American decision to declare Jerusalem as the Capital of Israel.
“This constitutes direct complicity in a crime of offensive and indirectly threatens the international peace and security.”
PCHR called on the international community and UN bodies to stop the Israeli escalating crimes and violations and work on providing international protection for Palestinians in the oPt.
It reiterated its call upon the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations under Article 1; i.e., to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances and their obligations under Article 146 to prosecute persons alleged to commit grave breaches of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
“These grave breaches constitute war crimes under Article 147 of the same Convention and Protocol (I) Additional to the Geneva Conventions regarding the guarantee of Palestinian civilians’ right to protection in the oPt,” PCHR concluded.(R/R04/)
http://english.wafa.ps/page.aspx?id=ZiZYNua96278381727aZiZYNu
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
