Ref: 14/2008

Date: 27 February 2008

Time: 10:00 GMT

IOF Extra-Judicially Execute 5 Palestinians in Khan Yunis

PCHR strongly condemns the latest extra-judicial execution committed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) on Wednesday morning, 27 February 2008, which took the lives of 5 members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades (the military wing of Hamas).

According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 08:50 on Wednesday, an IOF aircraft fired 2 missiles at a white civilian microbus that was traveling on the coastal road near al-Aqsa University in the west of Khan Yunis. Six members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades were traveling in the microbus. Five of them were killed:

1)      ‘Omar ‘Atiya Salama Abu ‘Akar, 26, from Khan Yunis;

2)      ‘Abdullah Mohammed Yahia ‘Edwan, 22, from Beit Hanoun;

3)      Mohammed Majdi Abu al-Hussain, 22, from Jabalya;

4)      Hassan Nour al-Din al-Mutawaq, 19, from Jabalya; and

5)      ‘Aziz Jawdat Mas’oud, 21, from Beit Lahia.

The sixth occupant was seriously wounded.

Approximately 20 minutes later, IOF aircrafts flying over Khan Yunis fired 2 missiles at another vehicle, in which a number of members of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigades were traveling, nearly 1,500 meters away from the place of the first attack. The occupants were able to flee shortly before the vehicle was hit by the two missiles, which completely destroyed it.

These latest attacks have come in the context of escalation of attacks by IOF against the Gaza Strip, including extra-judicial executions of Palestinian civilians. According to PCHR’s documentation, since the beginning of 2008, IOF extra-judicially executed 27 Palestinians. Thus, the number of Palestinians extra-judicially executed by IOF since the beginning of the current Palestinian Intifada in September 2000 has mounted to 712, including 227 civilian bystanders. These figures include 78 children.

PCHR strongly condemns crimes committed by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and:

1)      Asserts that these latest crimes are ones in a series of continuous crimes committed by IOF in the OPT in disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians.

2)       Reiterates condemnation for the policy of extra-judicial executions adopted by IOF against Palestinian activists, and asserts that this policy serves to increase tension in the region and threatens the lives of Palestinian civilians.

3)      Calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to stop such crimes, and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War to fulfill their obligation under article 1 of the Convention to ensure respect for the Convention in all circumstances, and their obligation under article 146 to search for and prosecute those who are responsible for perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention, as such breaches constitute war crimes according to article 147 of the Convention and the Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and Relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I).