Yesterday, Israeli settlers in Hebron killed 14-years old Palestinian girl, Nivin Jamjoum. She was fatally wounded in her right eye with a bullet shot from an M16 machinegun. The shooting occured when a number of Israeli settlers attacked Palestinian homes. Nivin’s brother, Marwan Jamjoum (20) was wounded in his right leg. They were hit when they were standing on their balcony in the Shaludi quarter in the old city of Hebron. Eleven Palestinians were wounded in the settlers’ rampage.

Eyewitnesses told LAW that Israeli settlers living in settler enclaves in Hebron have since Friday, July 26, carried out a number of assaults on Palestinian residents of the old city of Hebron. They opened fire on Palestinian homes and raided a number of them, destroying Palestinian property. Yesterday, when Israeli settlers attacked the Shaludi quarter, which is near the Israeli settler enclave Beit Romano, they killed the 14-years old Palestinian girl Nivin Jamjoum.

In a separate incident, an Israeli settler stabbed 7-years old Ahmad al Natshi. Another Israeli setter from the Israeli colony Kiryat Arba shot and wounded 9 years old Fawaz Idris. Furthermore, six Palestinians were injured when an Israeli setter drove into their car in the Abu Snini neighborhood of Hebron. Anwar Masuda (45) and Nuzha Nofal (40) were also wounded when Israeli settlers attacked the old city of Hebron on Sunday.

On Friday (July 26, 2002), Israeli settlers raided Yusif Al Sharabati’s home in Hebron, set a room on fire, and destroyed water tanks. The Israeli settlers occupied the home. Israeli troops turned a blind eye to the Israeli settlers’ assaults and evacuated the Palestinian family instead of evacuating the attackers.

On Saturday, July 27, 2002, Israeli settlers from the settler-enclave Avraham Avino assaulted Iz Al Deen Al Sharabati’s home, assaulted his family, and set two rooms on fire.

LAW strongly condemns settler violence on Palestinian civilians. Israeli soldiers turn an blind eye to these events and have aided and abetted Israeli settlers committing their assaults. Above and beyond the policy of establishing Israeli colonies, official encouragement of settler violence ranges from tacit cooperation to active collaboration and takes a variety of forms. LAW demands an official investigation into the killing of Nivin Jamjoum and the settlers’ attacks in Hebron. LAW believes that the Israeli colonial presence in Hebron is illegal and contravenes international law.

Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that ‘The Occupying Power shall not deport or transfer parts of its own civilian population into the territory it occupies’.

Article 43 of the Hague Regulations requires the Occupying Power to ‘ensure public order and safety, while respecting, unless absolutely prevented, the laws in force in the country’, which is therefore an obligation to protect the residents of the Occupied Palestinian Territories from attack by Israeli settlers.

LAW - The Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, PO Box 20873, Jerusalem, tel. +972-2-5833530, fax. +972-2-5833317, Email: law@lawsociety.org, web: www.lawsociety.org