By Yasmine Darwish / GICJ
Mohammed Shehadeh, 14, was killed by Israeli forces’ gunfire in Al-Khader in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday 22 February. Ahmad Salah, a local activist, reported that Israeli soldiers opened live fire, injuring Shehadeh before detaining him and that soldiers prevented ambulances from reaching him [1].
This is not the first time Israeli forces have unlawfully killed civilians, including children. They systematically use live ammunition against Palestinian protesters. The killing comes only days after the death of 19-year-old Nehad Amin Barghouti, shot by live bullets; only two days after 17-year-old Mohammed Abu Salah was killed and only a week after three Palestinians were killed. Deadly incidents are common in the West Bank, often during clashes between Palestinians and Israeli troops.
According to International Rules and Standards for policing, police officials should refrain from using lethal weapons and instead employ less-lethal actions to diffuse the situation and help de-escalate confrontations [2].
It was reported by B’Tselem, an Israeli rights group, that 77 Palestinian deaths at the hands of Israeli forces in the West Bank last year. It added that more than half of those killed were not implicated in any attacks. The Palestinian health ministry said dozens were injured by live ammunition and rubber-coated steel bullets fired by the Israeli army. According to the principle of precaution, Israel is required to ensure that law enforcement operations are planned and conducted to minimize the risk of injury. Failure to respect this principle amounts to a breach of international humanitarian law.
Earlier this month, Amnesty International said in a new report that Israel was carrying out “the crime of apartheid against Palestinians” and must be held accountable for treating them as “an inferior racial group”. The Palestinian ambassador supported this view during the Security Council meeting on February 22nd. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process also outlined the violence occurring throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory over the last few months and reminded that under international humanitarian law, intentional attacks on civilians, or attacks that do not distinguish between military targets and civilians, are prohibited under all circumstances.
Geneva International Centre for Justice (GICJ) firmly condemns Israel’s policy of shooting to kill and excessive use of force. GICJ calls on the International Community to pressure Israel to stop targeting Palestinian protesters and condemn all forms of violence against the Palestinian people.
Apartheid, Palestine, Westbank, Human rights, geneva4justice, GICJ, Geneva International Center For Justice, Justice
[1] https://www.thenationalnews.com/mena/2022/02/23/palestinian-boy-shot-dead-by-israeli-soldiers-after-allegedly-throwing-firebombs/.
[2] https://www.icrc.org/en/doc/assets/files/other/icrc-002-0809.pdf.
Image source: flickr
