Israeli Forces commit another extra-judicial
assassination
In the morning of Saturday 5 May 2001, Israeli military forces
assassinated 38-year-old Ahmad Ismail from Irtas in Bethlehem, shooting
him with at least 15 bullets of various sizes. According to information
gathered by LAW, at around 8:10am on Saturday 5 May, Israeli soldiers
stationed at an outpost on Abu Zeid hill, south-east of Irtas village,
rained M16 and machinegun fire at Ahmad Ismail, who was leaving
his house in the company of his 6-year-old niece Alaí, 250m from
the outpost. Ahmed was hit by 15 bullets, killing him instantly,
while Alaí suffered shrapnel wounds in her legs. Ahmad Ismail was
an Islamic Jihad activist and representative in the Islamic National
Coordination Commission in Bethlehem. According to LAWís documentation,
the number of extra-judicial executions from the beginning of the
Intifada has now risen to 13, including 12 civilians and one military.
This figure does not include the Palestinian passers-by or others
who have been killed during these assassinations. In addition to
Ahmad Ismail, the following Palestinian political activists have
fallen victim to Israelís liquidation policy since the Intifada
broke out at the end of September 2000: Hussein ëAbayat was killed
on 9 November 2000 in Beit Sahour near Bethlehem when Israeli Air
Force helicopters fired anti-tank missiles on his car. Two women
standing nearby, Aziza Mahmoud Danoun Jubran (58) and Rahma Rasheed
Shaeen Hindi (54), were also killed, and at least 3 others were
badly injured: Nasmi and Jamila Shíibat and Khaled Salahat. Jamal
Abed Al Razeq, a 30-year-old Fatah activist, was killed at the Morag
Junction in the Gaza Strip on 22 November 2000. Three other Palestinians
were also killed in the incident: Awni Ismail (37), Sami Abu Laban
(35) and Naíel Alidawi (25), all from Rafah. Ibrahim Bani Audi was
killed in Nablus on 23 November 2000 after a bomb was planted in
his car by the Israeli security services with the collaboration
of a relative of Ibrahim. Anwar Mahmoud Humran was killed by Israeli
army snipers on 11 December 2000 when leaving Al Quds Open University
in the Al Dahye quarter of Nablus. Yousif Abu Swaye was killed on
12 December 2000 by Israeli army snipers while standing just outside
his fatherís home in Al Khader village near Bethlehem. Abas Al Awiwi
was killed by Israeli army snipers in Hebron on 13 December 2000
when standing in front of the shoe factory when he use to work.
Hani Abu Bakra, a 31-year-old Hamas activist, was killed at the
Gush Katif junction in the Gaza Strip on 14 December 2000. He was
driving a minibus with passengers on board when stopped by Israeli
soldiers who asked for his ID and then shot him in the head and
the chest from close range. A 40-year-old passenger, Issa Kanan,
was injured during the incident and died later from his wounds.
Dr. Thabet Thabet was killed by gunfire in Tulkarem on 31 December
2000, when reversing his car outside his home. Masoíoud Ayyad, a
50-year-old Force 17 senior officer, was killed at around 9.45 am
on 13 February 2001 in his car near Jabalya refugee camp, northern
Gaza Strip. Ayyadís car was hit by three LAU missiles fired from
Israeli helicopter gunships, killing him instantly and wounding
six bystanders in the attack. According to press reports, former
Israeli premier Ehud Barak claimed that Ayyad was a Hezbollah cell
leader and commended the assassination, stating that it sent ìa
clear message that anyone who intends to harm Israelis will not
escape and the long arm of the Israeli Defence Forces will find
him and settle the score.î Furthermore, an Israeli army official
was quoted as saying, ìCutting off the head of a snake is certainly
not going to stop attacks or solve the Palestinian terror problem.
Like the twisting tail of a lizard separated from its body, there
will likely be a few more mortar attacks, but this killing was the
right reaction to the unprecedented Hezbollah actions.î Following
the assassination, the European Union condemned what it described
as ìa policy of liquidation, or executions without trial,î and demanded
Israel cease such activities in accordance with international law.
In a letter of protest dated 21 January 2001, the EU had warned
the Israeli Foreign Ministry that such actions posed an obstacle
to the peace process. Muhammad Al Madani was killed by Israeli gunfire
on 19 February 2001, shortly after leaving a mosque in Balata Refugee
Camp near Nablus. Muhammad Abdil Aal, from Al Salam quarter in Rafah,
was killed by three missiles fired from an Israeli helicopter at
his car on 2 April 2001. 24-year-old Iyyad Hardan from Arabah in
Jenin was killed when a public telephone was ëbooby-trappedí with
explosives on 5 April 2001. Israelís assassination policy, as well
as its continuous use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators,
constitute willful killing; a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva
Convention, which stipulates in Article 32: ìThe High Contracting
Parties specifically agree that each of them is prohibited from
taking any measure of such a character as to cause the physical
suffering or extermination of protected persons in their hands.
This prohibition applies not only to murder, torture, corporal punishment,
mutilation and medical or scientific experiments not necessitated
by the medical treatment of a protected person but also to any other
measures of brutality whether applied by civilian or by military
agents.î Moreover, it gravely breaches Article 75 of the Protocols
Additional to the Fourth Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 (Protocol
1), especially Paragraph 2, which states, ìThe following acts are
and shall remain prohibited at any time and in any place whatsoever,
whether committed by civilian or by military agents: a. Violence
to the life, health, or physical or mental well-being of persons,
in particular: i. Murder; ii. Torture of all kinds, whether physical
or mental; iii. Corporal punishment; and iv. Mutilationî Paragraph
3 of Article 85 of the same Protocol stipulates, ìIn addition to
the grave breaches defined in Article 11, the following acts shall
be regarded as grave breaches of this Protocol, when committed wilfully,
in violation of the relevant provisions of this Protocol, and causing
death or serious injury to body or health: a. Making the civilian
population or individual civilians the object of attack.î LAW Society
demands the following: 1. The Israeli government to immediately
stop its crimes and collective punishment against Palestinians.
2. An international investigation committee to be set up, working
according to UN Resolution 1322. 3. The Security Council to set
up an international tribunal and bring the Israeli war criminals
to justice, such as the case with the war criminals of ex-Yugoslavia.
4. Placing Palestinians under international protection. 5. The international
community to put an end to these crimes and to the Israeli occupation.