Palestinian Center for Human Rights 16 July 2005
Israeli occupying forces last week killed seven Hamas members in Gaza and the West Bank town of Salfit as violence escalated in recent days. (Arjan El Fassed)
Israeli military extra-judicially executes a member of Hamas while standing near his home, this is the fifth death resulting from Israel’s policy of extra-judicial executions in the recent days.
According to PCHR investigations and eyewitness reports at about 0900 on Sunday the 17th of July an Israeli sniper, positioned inside the military site located on the eastern edge of the settlement of Gani Tal, north-west of Khan Yunis, fired one bullet at Sa’id Aissa Siam, a Hamas member, 32 years old from al Amal neighbourhood in Khan Yunis.
At the time of the shooting he was standing close to the door of his house, 150 metres away from the Israeli watchtower. The bullet hit him in the neck and exited from the other side, hitting the wall and shrapnel wounded his 60 year old father. Siam was an activist with the Islamic movement Hamas and wanted by the Israeli military for his activities.
In a recent similar attack Israeli helicopter gunships fired a missile at 1600 on Friday the 15th of July towards a Volkswagen mini-bus in the Tel al Hawa area of Gaza City which was carrying 4 Palestinians. They were killed instantly by the explosion: Assam Marwan Abu Ras, 24 years old; A’del Hannia, 28 years old; Amjad Anwar Arafat, 26 years old; Saber Abu A’asi, 25 years old.
PCHR condemns the policy of extra-judicial executions which is sanctioned at the very highest levels of the Israeli state. This policy is in clear breach of international humanitarian and human rights law and requires immediate intervention by the international community to “ensure respect” in accordance with the legal obligation to do so.
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