Palestinian

Nader Haitham Rayyan

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Nader RayyanMarch 15, 2022: Nader Haitham Rayyan, 17, was shot and killed by Israeli forces who invaded Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus in the northern part of the occupied West Bank. In addition to killing Nader, the soldiers also injured three other youth with live rounds.

Medical sources in Nablus have confirmed that the soldiers fatally shot Nader Haitham Rayyan, 17, in addition to causing moderate-to-severe wounds to three other Palestinians. Palestinian medics rushed the slain child and the wounded Palestinians to Rafidia hospital in Nablus.

According to investigations conducted by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) and an eyewitness statement, at approximately 06:00 on Tuesday, 15 March 2022, an Israeli special force from “Yamam Unit” sneaked into al-Quds Street adjacent to Balata camp, east of Nablus, via white Volkswagen “Shuttle” vehicle and surrounded ‘Ammar ‘Arafat (22)’s house. A few minutes later, several Israeli backup patrols moved into the camp, while “Yamam Unit” arrested ‘Arafat and slowly withdrew towards Huwwara military checkpoint. During their withdrawal, Palestinian young men chased the patrols and threw stones at them, while Israeli soldiers opened fire at the Palestinians, wounding 3 of them, including a child.

At around 06:30, a motorcycle carrying two children was passing behind the Israeli patrols and traveling on the left side of al-Quds Street near al-Quds School. Israeli forces opened fire at the motorcycle, so the two children got off and ran towards a sloping area near the school while Israeli soldiers continued to open fire at them. After the soldiers’ withdrawal, the body of Nader Haitham Fathi Rayyan (16) was found and taken to Rafidia Hospital in Nablus. It turned out that Rayyan sustained wounds in his abdomen after being shot with a live bullet that entered his abdomen and exited his chest. Also, he was shot with another live bullet that penetrated his chest from the right side.

Media sources said several armored military vehicles invaded the al-Quds Street in Balata, stormed and ransacked the home of Ammar Arafat before abducting him.

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They added that the soldiers immediately started firing live rounds and a barrage of gas bombs after invading the refugee camp, leading to protests.

They added that the soldiers fired many live rounds at the protesters, in addition to gas bombs, concussion grenades, and rubber-coated steel bullets.

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In related news, undercover Israeli soldiers invaded the Qalandia refugee camp north of occupied Jerusalem, leading to protests.

Nader was from Balata camp, in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC, PCHR

Ahmad Hikmat Saif

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March 09, 2022: Ahmad Hikmat Saif, 23, died from severe wounds he suffered a week earlier, after Israeli soldiers shot him in the village of Burqa northwest of Nablus, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

The soldiers shot Ahmad with three live rounds in the chest and abdomen during protests that erupted when the army invaded the village and attacked dozens of Palestinians who marched in solidarity with political prisoners held by Israel and facing constant violations of their rights.

Ahmad had undergone several surgeries and remained in a severe condition at the Intensive Care Unit in a hospital in Nablus until he succumbed to his serious wounds.

The medical director of the an-Najah Hospital in Nablus, Dr. Abdul-Karim Barqawi, said Ahmad suffered a gunshot wound to the spine before the bullet lodged in his lung and two bullets in the left thigh and leg.

He required twenty-five units of blood due to severe bleeding in the chest and abdomen and was hooked to respiratory machines but remained in a critical condition due to the severe damage to his internal organs.

Dr. Abdul-Karim added that Ahmad suffered severe bleeding when one of the bullets severed the main artery and required intensive treatment of his internal organs severely damaged by the bullets.

It is worth mentioning that Ahmad was shot on March 1st, just hours after his engagement when he participated in a nonviolent procession in Burqa in solidarity with the Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.

“I was sitting with him just a few hours before he was shot, we were talking about our future, dreams… and I wanted to accompany him to Burqa, but when I heard that the army was isolating it, I decided to stay because I was afraid I won’t make it back home in Nablus,” his fiancé said, “Just a few hours later, I was told he was shot by the soldiers and is in a critical condition.”

“I went to the hospital, I waited by the surgery room, and I saw the doctors taking him to the Intensive Care Unit…,” she added, “our official engagement ceremony and the party was scheduled for this coming June, but now they took him away from me…”

Burqa and surrounding villages witness constant Israeli invasions and violations by the soldiers and the illegal colonialist settlers, who repeatedly try to reoccupy Palestinian lands in and around the location of the former Homesh colony, which Israel evacuated in the year 2005.

Ahmad was from Burqa village, north of Nablus. Source: IMEMC

Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem

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Abdul-Rahman QassemMarch 7, 2022: Abdul-Rahman Jamal Qassem, 22, was shot and killed by Israeli soldiers after he reportedly stabbed two soldiers near Bab al-Qattanin leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque in occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.

Israeli sources said two soldiers were moderately injured in the stabbing incident before the soldiers shot and killed the Palestinian.

Dozens of soldiers and police officers were deployed in the area after the incident before the army closed the entire area.

A surveillance video from the scene shows the soldiers surrounding the wounded Palestinian after the officers shot him; he was lying on the ground when an officer fired the fatal shot, although the Palestinian at the time posed no threat due to his severe wounds.

The soldiers also attacked many Palestinians in the area closed all gates leading to the Al-Aqsa Mosque before preventing the worshippers from entering the holy site.

Abdul-Rahman is the fifth Palestinian to be killed by Israeli soldiers in the first week of March 2022.

On March 06th, the soldiers killed Yamen Nafez Jaffal, 16, after the army invaded Abu Dis town, east of occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank, and Karim Jamal al-Qawasmi, 19, from the at-Tour town, in Jerusalem, after shooting him near Bab Hutta gate, north of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On March 01st, 2022, the soldiers killed Ammar Shafiq Abu Afifa, 21, near Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, and Shadi Najm, 18, in Jenin, in the West Bank.

Abdul-Rahman was from the al-Jalazoun refugee camp, north of Ramallah, and lived in the nearby town of Jifna. Source: IMEMC

Yamen Nafez Jaffal

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March 6, 2022: Yamen Nafez Jaffal, 16, was killed by Israeli soldiers who invaded Abu Dis town, east of occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.

Media sources said several army jeeps invaded the town, leading to protests before the soldiers fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.

Medical sources said the soldiers who Yamen with a live round prevented Palestinian medics from approaching him, and he subsequently bled to death.

The sources added that the medics were not allowed to approach the child even after he died before the soldiers took his corpse away.

The soldiers also fired many gas bombs at the Palestinian ambulance and the medics, forcing them away and causing many Palestinians to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation.

The Israeli army claimed the slain child hurled a Molotov cocktail at Israeli military vehicles invading Abu Dis before the soldiers fatally shot him.

The army also said the soldiers fired live rounds at another Palestinian who managed to escape unharmed.

On Sunday at dawn, Israeli soldiers killed Karim Jamal al-Qawasmi, 19, from the at-Tour town, in occupied Jerusalem, after shooting him near Bab Hutta gate, north of the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

On March 01, 2022, the soldiers killed Ammar Shafiq Abu Afifa, 21, near Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, and Shadi Najm, 18, in Jenin, in the West Bank.

Yamen was from Abu Dis, east of occupied East Jerusalem, in the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Karim Jamal al-Qawasmi

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March 06, 2022: Karim Jamal al-Qawasmi, 19, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Bab Hutta gate, north of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, in the occupied capital Jerusalem, in the West Bank.

The soldiers shot the young man and left him bleeding without first aid until he succumbed to his wounds.

The soldiers fired a barrage of live fire at the young men before closing the entire area, including all gates leading to Al-Aqsa.

Israeli daily Haaretz said the Palestinian approached the officers, pulled out a knife, and stabbed one of them. Other officers at the scene opened fire at the attacker in response.

Haaretz quoted the Israeli police claiming that the Palestinian approached the officers at 4:30 at dawn, before stabbing and mildly one of them before the officers shot him.

However, the police did not explain how the second officer was hurt but only said: “two officers were injured mildly during the attack.”

Dozens of soldiers and police officers were also sent to the area and initiated extensive searches in the streets and alleys, especially around Al-Aqsa and the Old City.

The soldiers isolated the entire area and prevented the Palestinians from reaching the Al-Aqsa Mosque and many parts of the Old City.

A few hours after killing the Palestinian, dozens of Israeli soldiers, police, and intelligence officers invaded his home and ransacked the property, causing excessive damage, before abducting his father, mother, and brother.

Karim is also a former political prisoner, abducted when he was a teenager and was imprisoned for 18 months.

Karim was from the at-Tour town in occupied Jerusalem. Source: IMEMC

Fatma Jalal al-Masri

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March 25, 2022: Fatma Jalal al-Masri, 19 months, died at the Gaza European Hospital after she was denied access to a hospital outside Gaza by Israeli authorities at the Erez crossing.

The Al-Mezan Center For Uman Rights said Fatma was subjected to Israel’s arbitrary and discriminatory permit system, which delays access to hospitals outside the Strip and denies care in around 30 percent of urgent cases. The continued movement restrictions by Israeli authorities on Palestinian patients in the Gaza Strip systematically violate inhabitants’ right to health by aggravating health conditions and placing numerous barriers to health access.

According to Al Mezan, Fatma’s legal representative, she was diagnosed with a ventricular septal defect in 2021. Despite having obtained a medical referral from the Palestinian Ministry of Health and confirming three hospital appointments at Al-Makassed Hospital in Jerusalem, Israeli authorities denied Fatma the requisite exit permit to travel to Jerusalem for the appointments, the last of which was on 5 March 2022.

The young patient’s health deteriorated over the course of several months of denied care and she died three weeks after her last missed appointment.

Al Mezan deeply regrets Fatma’s death and strongly condemns Israel’s ongoing closure of the Gaza Strip and its associated restrictions on the movement of Palestinians, which includes denying patients access to the hospitals in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Israel, and abroad.

Al Mezan’s documentation shows that since 2011, 71 Palestinians—including twenty-five women and nine children—have died following Israel’s denial of requests for exit permits and delays. Notably, Israel’s targeted, discriminatory permit system is one of the practices and policies at the core of its apartheid regime against the Palestinian people as a whole.

This case is yet another example of Israel’s continuing violation of international humanitarian and human rights law and its obligations as an occupying power, notably to respect and ensure freedom of movement in occupied territory and to guarantee the right to health of the occupied population.

These obligations bear greater weight when involving children and as provided in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel has an obligation to ensure to the maximum extent possible the survival and development of the child. Delaying access to necessary medical care for a toddler for more than five months is unwarranted and grave.

Al Mezan emphasizes that Israel is fully responsible for Fatma’s death as the occupying power and relevant duty bearer in these circumstances. The State’s persistent breaches of its international law obligations require the intervention of the international community and accountability of perpetrators.

Al Mezan called on the international community—in particular, the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Geneva Conventions—to uphold their moral and legal obligations vis-à-vis the protected Palestinian people and to ensure Israel complies with its obligations under international law, ends the closure and blockade on the Gaza Strip, and stops its ongoing restrictions of Palestinian patients’ access to medical care outside the Gaza Strip.

Fatima was from Khan Younis, in the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Source: Al-Mezan Center For Human Rights

Ammar Shafiq Abu Afifa

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March 01, 2022: Ammar Shafiq Abu Afifa, 21, was killed by Israeli soldiers near Beit Fajjar town, south of Bethlehem, in the occupied West Bank.

The Palestinian Civil Affairs Department said the soldiers shot Ammar and prevented Palestinian medics from reaching him before he bled to death.

The soldiers wrapped Ammar’s body with a plastic sheet and took it to an unknown destination.

According to allegations by the Israeli army, the soldiers “observed the young man hurling stones towards their direction and shot him.”

However, a cellphone video filmed from a distance shows Ammar walking away from the soldiers, not posing any threat before the person documenting the event started shouting at him, asking him to walk faster because the soldiers were approaching his direction.

The soldiers who fired several live rounds at the young man were far away, contradicting some Israeli claims.

His cousin described what happened as an assassination, especially since Ammar wasn’t posing any threat, and there were no protests in the area.

“He was just out there walking in the mountain area, the only place for us in the refugee camp to observe nature….”, he added, “Ammar was doing well in college. He also was an outgoing person; however, the soldiers decided to shoot him without any cause of justification, especially since the area was calm, and no protests were taking place….”

Palestine Technical University – Kadoorie said Ammar was one of its students studying Information Technology.

The Palestinian Foreign Affairs Ministry denounced the young man’s killing and described it as a coldblooded murder that reflects the illegal Israeli occupation’s real criminal and vicious nature.

It added that the killing is “state-sponsored terrorism” and held Israeli responsible for the deadly escalation and called on the International Community to intervene and end the Israeli crimes committed by the soldiers and the paramilitary colonizers.

The Ministry said these crimes are authorized and encouraged by the political and military leadership of his illegal occupation of Palestine.

On Tuesday at dawn, Palestinian medical sources have confirmed that Shadi Najm, 18, died from serious wounds he suffered on Monday night after the soldiers shot him with live rounds in Jenin city.

On Monday at night, the army killed Abdullah al-Hosary, 22, during a fire exchange with Israeli soldiers in Jenin, in the northern part of the occupied West Bank.

Ammar was from the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, in the southern part of the occupied West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Shadi Najm

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March 01, 2022: Shadi Najm, 18, was killed by Israeli forces as he protested the Israeli military invasion of his home city of Jenin.

He was among hundreds of demonstrators who took to the streets to protest when Israeli forces invaded the city early Tuesday morning.

Medical sources said the soldiers shot Najm in the head before the medics rushed him to a hospital in Jenin.

Najm was admitted to surgery and died from his wounds at the Intensive Care Unit.

The medical sources added that the soldiers also shot many Palestinians with live fire and rubber-coated steel bullets and caused dozens to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation.

The head of Urgent Care at Ibn Sina Hospital in Jenin said that Shadi was admitted to surgery before succumbing to his serious wounds.

He added that the Palestinian was shot with a live round in the stem of his brain.

Abdullah al-Hosary, 22, killed March 1, 2022 by Israeli forces

Palestinian national and popular factions declared a general strike in Jenin to mourn the deaths of Shadi Najm in addition to Abdullah al-Hosary, 22, who was killed during a fire exchange with Israeli soldiers in Jenin late on Monday at night.

It is worth mentioning that the soldiers also abducted two former political prisoners in Jenin during extensive and violent invasions and searches of homes.

The killing of the two Palestinians also led to massive protests in Jenin, before the soldiers attacked the protesters with live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.

Medical sources said several Palestinians were injured, and dozens suffered the effects of tear gas inhalation.

Shadi was from Jenin, in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Abdullah al-Hosary

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February 28, 2022: Abdullah al-Hosary, 22, was shot in the chest and killed by Israeli forces during an Israeli invasion of the Jenin refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Jenin.

Abdullah was a resistance fighter with the al-Quds Brigades and was among a group of resistance fighters who exchanged fire with the invading Israeli soldiers. Two other fighters were seriously wounded by Israeli gunfire.

Media sources in Jenin said the soldiers surrounded the area of Ibn Sina Hospital after deploying undercover units driving civilian cars.

They added that Israeli military sharpshooters also infiltrated several buildings and began using the rooftops as firing posts.

The soldiers then opened fire at the Palestinian fighters, leading to an exchange of fire in which the army killed a former political prisoner, Abdullah al-Hosary, 22.

Palestinian medical sources said Abdullah was shot in the chest and died from his wounds.

The Al-Quds Brigades, the armed wing of the Islamic Jihad, said Abdullah was one of its members.

They added that the soldiers seriously injured two other Palestinians after shooting one with a live round in the head and the other in the abdomen.

During the invasion, the soldiers stormed the home of Jamal Abu al-Haija and ransacked the property before abducting his son, Emad.

Abdullah was from the Jenin refugee camp, in the northern part of the West Bank. Source: IMEMC

Mohammad Rezeq Salah Shehada

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February 22, 2022: Mohammad Rezeq Salah Shehada, 14, was killed by Israeli soldiers in the Al-Khader town, south of Bethlehem, south of the occupied Jerusalem, in the West Bank.

Medical sources have confirmed that the soldiers shot the child with live rounds and prevented a Palestinian Red Crescent ambulance from reaching him.

Local activist Ahmad Salah said the soldiers, including undercover officers, invaded the Bakoush area in the western part of Al-Khader, leading to protests by local Palestinians.

The army fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades at the protesters, killing one and wounding several others.

A video from the scene shows the child on the ground with two soldiers near him after removing his clothes; one was standing near the child, and the other appeared to be listening if he had a heartbeat.

According to Israeli Ynet News, the Israeli army said in a statement that the soldiers spotted three Palestinians arriving in an area where they claimed that firebombs had been thrown at Israeli vehicles several times recently. The army alleged that the soldiers shot the child after throwing a Molotov cocktail.

It added that the soldiers “shot one of the suspects and provided treatment to him before he succumbed to his wounds.”

The child’s father said that he heard about his son being shot and ran towards him before the soldiers pointed their guns at him and threatened to shoot him.

“I told the soldiers I just need to know where my son is and whether he was wounded or dead,” he said, “I asked a soldier if my son was still among the living, and he only ordered me to leave or get shot and be thrown next to him…. that is when I knew they killed my child…”

“This is an army that has no mercy, no respect for human life, and its state continues to claim to care about human rights…”, the father added, “they continue to kill children and the elderly just as we have witnessed recently in Ramallah and Hebron…”

The child’s father denied the Israeli allegations describing them as pure lies and fabrications, especially since his child was receiving treatment for his arm and recently had X-rays done; therefore, the Israeli claims that the child hurled Molotov cocktails or even threw stones at the soldiers are lies, as his son doesn’t have a full motion in his armed to be able to do so.

The child’s killing caused more protests in the town, and the soldiers fired many live rounds, rubber-coated steel bullets, gas bombs, and concussion grenades.

Contrary to the army’s claim, the child was shot in the town and not near the road where the army claimed that Palestinians had hurled the Molotov cocktails. Nevertheless, their invasion into Al-Khader resulted in protests.

After killing the child, an Israeli ambulance took his corpse to a hospital, and the army is still refusing to transfer it to his family for a proper burial ceremony.

The soldiers also shot at least one Palestinian with a rubber-coated steel bullet and caused dozens to suffer the effects of tear gas inhalation in the Nashash area in the western part of Al-Khader.

Palestinian factions and civil society institutions declared a one-day strike, including the closure of schools and stores, to mourn the slain child.

After his death, dozens of Palestinians marched in the town and chanted for ongoing resistance and steadfastness against the illegal Israeli occupation and unity among all Palestinian factions until liberation, sovereignty, and independence are achieved for the Palestinian people.

The Palestinian Education Ministry also issued a statement mourning the child and declaring the closure of schools in the town for one day.

The Ministry said the slain child was a seventh-grade student at a government-run school in Al-Khader.

Mohammad’s funeral procession was held on Wednesday evening in his town after the army transferred his corpse to his family.

Ayed Abu Eqtaish, the accountability Program Director at Defense for Children International – Palestine branch, said in a TV interview with Maan News Agency that the lack of accountability encourages Israel to continue killing Palestinian children with impunity.

Mohammad was from Al-Khader, south of Bethlehem, in the West Bank. Source: IMEMC