The Palestinian Center For Human Rights(PCHR): “New War Crime: PCHR Condemns Killing of 2 Palestinians by Israeli Occupation Forces’ Fire in Tulkarem” – Date: 24 September 2023, Time: 11:30 GMT
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the killing of two Palestinians today at dawn after the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) opened fire at them during IOF’s incursion into Nur Shams refugee camp in Tulkarem in the West Bank. This crime is part of IOF’s continuous and unjustifiable policy of deadly force during their incursion deep into the Palestinian Authority (PA)-controlled areas upon a decision and protection given by Israel’s top military and political echelons.
According to information collected by PCHR’s fieldworker, at around 01:00 on Sunday, 24 September 2023, large Israeli forces moved into Nur Shams refugee camp and imposed a cordon by closing all the camp’s entrances. Meanwhile, Israeli military bulldozers accompanying IOF started razing several streets in the camp.
Afterward, confrontations and armed clashes broke out with members of the Palestinian armed groups in several neighborhoods in the camp. At approximately 02:30, during the clashes, Osaid Abu ‘Ali (21) got injured with a live bullet in his head when he was near his house in the al-Manshiyia neighborhood around 50 meters away from where IOF were stationed in the camp’s yard. Also, ‘Abed al-Rahman Suliman Abu Daghash (32) was shot with a live bullet in his head while he was inside his house in Jabal al-Nasr neighborhood adjacent to Nur Shams refugee camp, where IOF were on the rooftops of nearby building and shooting at anything that moves.
The two wounded were evacuated in critical condition to a local hospital in the camp, where doctors pronounced them dead. During their incursion, IOF raided a 2-story-house belonging to Kanouh family, implanted explosives inside, and remotely detonated it. As a result, the house was destroyed, and several nearby houses sustained damage. Later, IOF withdrew from the camp, but no arrests were reported.
PCHR warns against IOF’s unjustified deadly escalation and excessive use of force in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). PCHR reiterates its call on the international community to take an immediate action to stop the Israeli crimes and double standard when applying the international law. PCHR also urges the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take serious action in the situation of Palestine.
PCHR demands the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfil their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances,” and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.
