Free Palestine

Home
Articles
Eyewitness
Media/Congress
Maps
links
Events

Did you know

Statements from eyewitnesses, collected by LAW, confirm that despite Friday's Israeli High Court's interim order, Israeli forces have continued moving bodies outside Jenin refugee camp. Eywitness accounts confirm reports that an Israeli truck was seen with bodies inside plastic bags. The bodies were taken out of the truck and put in holes dug by bulldozers.

Later, eyewitnesses saw bulldozers coming back to the location, which is outside Jenin refugee camp, taking out an estimated thirty bodies from the holes and loading the bodies back on the truck. Reports indicate that the bodies were then taken in the direction of the 'Green Line', the demarcation line between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Individuals, including next-door neighbors, have seen bulldozers demolishing homes and shelters in which there were still people, including women and children. Various eyewitnesses have seen bodies, including bodies of women and children, in the rubble of demolished homes. Eyewitnesses have seen bulldozers driving back and forward over bodies in Jenin refugee camp.

Eyewitnesses told LAW they saw a family trying to flee from their home, that was about to be demolished by Israeli bulldozers. When the family, including a woman carrying her child, stepped outside their home in Jenin refugee camp, they were fired upon from an Apache helicopter with heavy machinegunfire. In this attack a 14-years old boy was killed.

There have been consistent testimonies from residents of Jenin refugee camp who have been used by Israeli forces as human shields. These are similar testimonies to reports we received from other Palestinian cities, towns and refugee camps, describing similar use of human shields by the Israeli occupation forces.

There are currently, some 747 Palestinian refugees from Jenin refugee camp in the village of Ramona. Around 500 of them are still missing relatives and family members. Most of them are men and small boys. The men and women have been separated. Most of the refugees have been detained for a number of days, or fled the Jenin refugee camp.

Those who have been detained have reported similar treatment while under detention, including prolonged periods of being held in painful positions, beatings and painful use of shackles. Detainees had to sit outside on the ground, with their heads between their legs, while being blindfolded and handcuffed. Most of the detainees were beaten with rifle butts and kicked with army boots. The detainees were prevented from access to food, water, and blankets. Some detainees, who asked for water, were given urine instead, or beaten.

Many detainees were stripped from their identity cards. Pictures have been taken from most detainees. Some of the detainees who had their identity cards confiscated, were given a copy of the photo.

LAW reaffirms that these military assaults targeting civilians throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories, including Jenin and Nablus amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity. LAW condemns as well these ongoing attempts to prevent access for human rights monitors, journalists, and humanitarian agencies to these sites of mass killings to investigate and document evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

LAW urgently appeals again to the international community, in particular the foreign ministers of the European Union, who meet tomorrow, Monday April 15, in Luxembourg, to apply effective measures, including in the form of economic sanctions, to pressure Israel to accept an international protection presence, end its gross violations, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and genuinely commit to final peace negotiations.

LAW in particular appeals to the Netherlands, Britain and Germany not to block attempts from other member states of the European Union to apply effective measures, including suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to impose an European-wide arms embargo.

LAW calls again on all High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention, to comply with their obligations under article 146 by searching for, investigating and bringing to trial perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity, under universal jurisdiction and through a War Crimes Tribunal and calls for an end to all acts by member states aiding and abetting the perpetration of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including by ending supply of all arms used to perpetrate such crimes.