Ref: 101/2009
Date: 01 September
2009
Time: 10:00 GMT
IOF Willfully Kill a Palestinian
Child in al-Jalazoun Refugee Camp, North of Ramallah
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR)
strongly condemns the willful killing of a 15-year-old Palestinian child
by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). The attack occurred yesterday, 31
August 2009, near the entrance of al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of
Ramallah.
According to investigations conduced by PCHR,
at approximately 21:30 on Monday, 31 August 2009, IOF troops stationed
at a military observation tower inside "Beit Eil" settlement, north of
Ramallah, opened fire at five Palestinian children who were near al-Jalazon
UNRWA School, located near the southeastern entrance of al-Jalazoun
refugee camp. One of the children, 15-year-old Mohammed Riad Nayef
‘Elayan, was wounded by three bullets to the chest. An ambulance from
Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Ramallah attempted to reach the area. However,
the ambulance was stopped by at least 30 soldiers who prevented the
medical crew from attending to the wounded child. Meanwhile, dozens of
Palestinian civilians gathered on the spot and attempted to help the
wounded child, but Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at the
crowd. The ambulance driver, Usama Hassan Ibrahim al-Najjar, 37, was hit
by a tear gas canister to the left leg. ‘Ali Ahmed Mohammed Nakhla, 29,
also sustained similar injuries.
Mohammed was left bleeding for approximately
an hour. At approximately 22:30, IOF transferred the child to Beit Eil
settlement where he was evacuated by a helicopter to Hadasa ‘Ein Karem
Hospital in West Jerusalem. In the early morning, Israeli sources
declared that the child had succumbed to his wounds. IOF have continued
to hold the child's body. IOF arrested the four children who were with
‘Elayan and kept them detained in Beit Eil settlement untill 03:00 on
Tuesday, 1 September 2009. One of the released children informed PCHR
that the children were walking normally in the street where the attack
took place and that they suddenly found themselves under Israeli
gunfire. The boy said that when Israeli soldiers saw the wounded child
falling onto the ground, they rushed to the scene and arrested his
companions. The soldiers left the boy bleeding without offering him any
medical aid.
PCHR strongly condemns the murder of a child
by IOF, and:
1.
Reiterates
condemnation of this latest crime, which is part of a series of crimes
committed by IOF in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
2.
Calls upon the
international community to promptly and urgently take action in order to
stop such crimes, and renews its call for the High Contracting Parties
to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations and provide
protection to Palestinian civilians in the OPT.
