November 21, 2022: Mahmoud al-Sa’di, 17, was shot and killed by Israeli forces during a military incursion into al-Hadaf neighborhood adjacent to the Jenin refugee camp. The soldiers also injured 4 civilians during the incursion, and cordoned off a residential house, abducting the inhabitant of the house.
According to eyewitness accounts, Mahmoud was on his way to school and was not involved in any protests or stone-throwing at the invading Israeli army.
Mahmoud was a youth educator at the Jenin Freedom Theatre, where he offered classes in self-expression and drama for children and youth. In a statement, the Jenin Freedom Theatre said, “Mahmoud was part of the Freedom Theatre family. A skilled and passionate trainer for the Child & Youth Program, he brought his unique character to this work, bringing hope and a new way of seeing the world to young people. Mahmoud had a promising future ahead of him, and we were excited to see where his career in theatre would lead him. We are in shock at his murder, in a situation that is all too familiar. As another family from Jenin refugee camp buries their child, we are left to ask again, when will these crimes end?”
According to an investigation by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), at around 07:30 on Monday, 21 November 2022, an Israeli special force from “Yamam Unit” sneaked into al-Hadaf neighborhood adjacent to Jenin refugee camp, western Jenin, and cordoned off a house belonging to Rateb Raed Rateb Bali (22).
Moments later, Israeli foot soldiers, backed by military vehicles and a drone, moved into and besieged the neighborhood as well as tightening the siege on the area surrounding the house.
They started heavily shooting at the cordoned house and then fired an Energa grenade at the roof of the 2-story house, forcing Rateb Bali to surrender to the Israeli military. During the house siege that continued till 09:10, Palestinians gathered and threw stones at the Israeli military vehicles in the neighborhood while Israeli forces opened fire at them.
As a result, 5 Palestinians were injured, including Mahmoud ‘Abdel Jalil Hadi al-Sa’di (17), from Jenin refugee camp, who was injured with a bullet in his abdomen near al-Kina intersection near al-Hadaf neighborhood when he was on his way to his school (Farahat Hashad High School for Boys.)
Al-‘Sa’di was taken, along with the others who were injured, to Bin Sinai Private Hospital in Jenin and Dr. Khalil Soliman Governmental Hospital. At around 10:00, the medical staff at Bin Sinai Hospital announced the death of Mahmoud al-Sa’di after succumbing to his injury.
PCHR’s investigations emphasize that Israeli shooting was unjustified as there was no imminent threat or danger posed to the soldiers’ lives; a pattern that has repeated itself consistently for the past weeks.
PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end Israeli occupation’s crimes and double standards when it comes to international law and urges the ICC Prosecutor to act seriously with regard to the situation in Palestine.
PCHR also demands the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfill their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances,” and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.
Mahmoud was from Jenin, in the northern West Bank. Source: IMEMC