MP Condemns Savage Killing of Palestinian Man by Soldiers at Israeli Checkpoint
Ramallah, 28-07-07: "A barbaric murder committed in cold blood" was how Palestinian National Initiative leader Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi MP, described the killing of 20-year-old Jihad Al Shaer by Israeli soldiers on Thursday.
Al Shaer was killed after being beaten over the head several times with a club by Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint near the village of Tuqu‘ in the Bethlehem district.
Dr. Barghouthi stressed that this was not an isolated incident but part of a systematic policy of violence on the part of the Israeli army against Palestinian civilians. He pointed to just a few recent examples of Israeli military violence at checkpoints, citing the cases of:
Mohamad Muhsen, 15, who was assaulted by Israeli border police near Abu Dis on 9 May 2007;
Mahmoud Bawatneh, 21, Aiman Mkhalfeh, 21, and Amjad Mfaleh, 35, who were assaulted by Israeli border police at an Israeli checkpoint near the village of ‘Ajjul on 5 May 2007; and
Muhamad Jabali, 18, who was severely beaten by Israeli soldiers at the Huwwara checkpoint near Nablus on 18 March 2007.
Dr. Barghouthi added that such wilful killings represent a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, and therefore constitute war crimes. He called on the international community, particularly the High Contracting parties to the Geneva Convention to take decisive steps in bringing Israel to account for its persistent human rights violations against Palestinian civilians.
Israeli soldiers also inflict indirect violence at checkpoints, with particularly serious consequences for those requiring medical attention. The undue delay of ambulances at checkpoints for example, is a very common occurrence. In the latest of such cases, on 6 July 2007, Israeli soldiers stopped an ambulance for more than 20 minutes while it was responding to an emergency call. The same soldiers stopped the ambulance again on its way back with the injured Said Sayeh, 25, in critical condition on board. Sayeh died shortly after arriving at the hospital.
Such ongoing violations are yet further proof of the culture of impunity that prevails within the Israeli military, said Dr. Barghouthi, adding that Palestinian civilians are the victims of this policy which blatantly breaches international law.