PALESTINE

Wed 20 Dec 2023 7:32 pm - Jerusalem Time

Human Rights Observatory: Israeli army executed 13 Palestinians by firing squad in front of their families

A human rights observatory revealed, on Wednesday, December 20, 2023, that the Israeli occupation army committed field executions against Palestinian civilians in front of their families in Gaza City, in its ongoing 75-day aggression against the Strip.


The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Observatory said, in a statement, that it had received testimonies about Israeli army forces raiding a house for the Anan family in central Gaza City, on the evening of Tuesday, December 19, 2023, and they opened direct fire at the young men inside the house, without any justification, and without any resistance. They gathered the women in one of the rooms, then threw a number of missiles at them which led to injuries among their ranks.


It confirmed that the initial informationit received indicated that 13 people from the Anan family and the Al-Ashi and Al-Sharafa families, who are in-laws of the family and who were displaced with them, were liquidated by bullets, and there are another number who are still suffering from serious wounds. The soldiers also took an elderly man whose fate is unknown.


The Human Rights Observatory indicated that a number of injured women, including 27 women and children trapped in the house, including cases suffering from serious wounds and amputations, appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to coordinate their transfer from the place to save their lives.


The Observatory quoted one of the victims’ relatives as saying that his sister informed him that “an Israeli force raided the house and executed the young men. There were 13 people who were killed by bullets, and there were others seriously wounded. Then the force’s soldiers threw missiles at the women who were detained in one of the rooms, and currently my mother, sister, and wife my brother and others are injured as well. They could die at any moment if they are not rescued quickly.”


Euro-Med confirmed that it had received repeated testimonies about humanitarian atrocities committed by Israeli forces in the areas they penetrate, including physical liquidations and field executions of civilians for which there is no justification, indicating that the testimonies show that when soldiers raid a house, they blow up the gates and then begin firing heavy gunfire inside the house. Despite the absence of any resistance, and despite screams and calls from the residents of the house.


It pointed out that, in many cases, the occupation soldiers deliberately shoot and physically kill young civilians, while women and children are subjected to humiliating abuse.


It confirmed that he had observed an increase in field executions when there was talk of attacks carried out by Palestinian factions against Israeli vehicles, which indicates that what is happening is part of revenge operations against civilians that violate international humanitarian law.


It pointed out that Israeli forces stationed in vehicles or high buildings are continuing sniper operations against Palestinian civilians, whether inside their homes or while they are trying to move in their residential areas, despite the absence of vehicles close to those homes, indicating that he documented the killing of Sami Jabr Kahil by an Israeli sniper’s bullets in Gaza City, Monday, December 18, 2023.


It said: We received testimonies of killings of dozens of civilians in the streets and homes by Israeli army sniper bullets, or by Israeli artillery shelling, and their bodies were dumped in the streets, and days passed without them being recovered.


It stressed that these field killings and executions are one of the types of horrific violations practiced by Israeli forces in areas of incursion, which include looting, intimidation, arbitrary arrest, torture, and widespread destruction without any necessity or proportionality.


The Red Cross does not respond to residents' appeals under the pretext of occupation

The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the International Committee of the Red Cross to shoulder its responsibilities and respond to the appeals it receives to evacuate the wounded and victims from areas witnessing Israeli incursions.


The Observatory highlighted that it has received widespread complaints that the International Committee does not respond to the appeals and reports it receives from the Palestinian population, under the pretext that the Israeli army does not allow this, at a time when it was able, in very limited cases, to coordinate the arrival of wounded, victims and residents to evacuate them after a delay of many hours. This happened in the case of the injury of journalist Samer Abu Daqqa, who recovered a lifeless body along with three civil defense workers 5 hours after they were targeted in Khan Yunis.


It also indicated that It had received complaints that crews from the International Committee of the Red Cross refused to respond to assist displaced people, including women, in dangerous areas and late at night, even by simply allowing them to make a phone call, which requires opening an investigation into this failure and abandoning the performance of their humanitarian duty.


Euro-Med stressed that the International Committee is required to fulfill the international mandate granted to it and its badge after submitting to the Israeli refusal, and insisting on carrying out its humanitarian role to the fullest, and in the event of refusal, to raise its voice in this regard and mobilize the international community to put pressure on Israel to achieve this, something it has not done so far.


The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory called for an urgent international investigation to be opened into the horrific crimes committed by the Israeli army in areas of its land incursions into the Gaza Strip, including field executions, torture, and threats to rape women, according to testimonies it collected from released civilians.

It also called on the international community to oblige Israel to guarantee the freedom of movement of ambulance and civil defense crews to respond to reports of targeting and injuries, stressing that Israeli forces, as the occupying power, bear responsibility for providing medical and relief assistance to people in the areas they control.


It stressed that under international humanitarian law, Israel must take all possible precautions to avoid harming civilians, and ensure their ability to provide satisfactory conditions for safety and shelter, while emphasizing that civilians who choose to remain

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Human Rights Observatory: Israeli army executed 13 Palestinians by firing squad in front of their families

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