Israeli troops assassinate three Palestinians in Nablus

Hundreds of Palestinians attend the funeral of Bashar Hanane, leader of Abu Ali Mustafa Brigades, and two militants of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, Ahmed Al-Gayousi and Anas Al-Sheikh, in the West Bank city of Nablus December 22, 2005. (MAANnews/Rami Swidan)
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On Thursday morning, 22 December 2005, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) extra-judicially executed 3 Palestinians in Nablus. This attack was the second of its kind in less than 24 hours, as IOF extra-judicially executed a Palestinian in Jenin on Wednesday afternoon.

According to preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 03:00 on Thursday, 22 December 2005, IOF moved into Rafidya neighborhood in Nablus. They besieged a 4-storey, under-construction building.

At approximately 03:45, they opened fire at the building. The IOF gunfire continued until 06:00. A Palestinian ambulance arrived at the area, but IOF did not allow the medical crew to enter the building until 08:30. The medical crew found 3 bodies and transported them to Rafidya Hospital.

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the area, claiming that 3 other militants were able to escape from the building. According to paramedics, guns were found near the victims' bodies, and two Israeli soldiers treaded onto the bodies. PCHR's field worker in Nablus reported that the three victims were hit by several live bullets to the upper part of the body.

The victims were identified as: Bashar 'Abdul Latif Hanani, 22, from Beit Fourik village east of Nablus, the leader of the Abu 'Ali Mustafa Brigades, the military wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine; Ahmed 'Abdul Ra'ouf Khaled al-Jayousi, 22, from Jayous village northeast of Qalqilya, a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of Fatah movement; and Anas Ahmed Mahmoud al-Sheikh Hamad, 22, from Sineeria village southeast of Qalqilya, a member of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades.

PCHR strongly condemns this latest attack and asserts that this latest escalation that includes actions and reactions is the outcome of decisions taken by the Israeli political and military establishments two week ago to wage military campaigns against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including extra-judicial executions and arbitrary arrests.

PCHR warns of the damages posed by military operations conducted by IOF on the lives and property of Palestinian civilians and calls upon the international community to meet its responsibilities, and calls particularly upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 to fulfill their obligations under the Convention to ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the OPT, and stop crimes committed by IOF.

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