NOVANEWS
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) strongly condemns the arrests by Israeli Occupation Forces of elected members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from the “Change and Reform” bloc, affiliated with Hamas movement, and a number of political leaders of the Islamic Jihad movement in the occupied West Bank. PCHR believes that these mass arrests constitute a form of reprisal and collective punitive measures against the Palestinian civilian population, which is prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 Relevant to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War.
These arrests come following the truce deal between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip, which entered into force at 21:00 on Wednesday, 21 November 2012. PCHR calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions, to compel Israel, as the occupying power, to comply with its obligations under the Convention, including the prohibition on reprisals against protected persons and their property, and to apply Article 1 of the Convention related to ensuring respect for the Convention in all circumstances.
According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Friday morning, 23 November 2012, Israeli forces carried out a series of incursions and raids in several cities in the West Bank. They surrounded houses belonging to a number of elected PLC members from the “Change and Reform” bloc, affiliated with Hamas, and arrested six of them, along with a number of political leaders of the movement.
Dr Mahmoud Ahmed Abdul-Rahman al-Ramahy, 49, Secretary of the PLC, was arrested from his home in al-Bireh. Basem Ahmed al-Za’areer, 55, PLC Member, was arrested from his home in al-Sammou’ village, south of Hebron. Both al-Ramahy and al-Za’areer were placed under administrative detention for a period of six months each.Jamal Musa Abul-Jadayel, 49, the former mayor of al-Sammou’ village, who is thought to be affiliated with Hamas, was also arrested.
On the same day, ‘Imad Mahmoud Rajeh Nofal, 42, PLC Member, was arrested from his house in Qalqilya, Ryad Mahmoud Sai’d Radad, 53, PLC Member, was arrested from his house in Saida village, northeast of Tulkarm, andFathi Mohammad Ali Kar’awi, 54, PLC Member, was arrested from his house in Nour a-Shams Refugee Camp, east of Tulkarm. On Saturday, 24 November 2012, Israeli forces arrested Yasser Daoud Mansour, 46, PLC Member, from his house in Refidya neighbourhood in the west of Nablus.
On the previous day, Thursday, 22 November 2012, Israeli forces arrested 3 political leaders of Islamic Jihad from their homes in ‘Arraba village, south of Jenin: Ja’far Ibrahim Mohammad Izz-Eddin, 40; Mohammad Abdul-Latif Mohammad Shibany, 39; and Tariq Hussain ‘Awad Dar Hussain (Qa’dan), 44. The latter is a brother of Muna Qa’dan, who was arrested by Israeli forces on 13 November 2012 after having been released in the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap deal. Israeli forces also arrested Tamer Abdul-Ghani Fayeq Saba’na, 35, a writer and researcher on prisoners, who was arrested from his home in Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin.
On the same day, Wa’el Abdul-Katim Hashash, 43, and ‘Imad Abdul-Rahman al-Jarf, 46, were arrested from their homes in Balata Refugee Camp, east of the city; they are thought to be affiliated with Hamas. In addition, Israeli forces arrested Dr Mustafa Ali Ahmed Ali Ahmed al-Shannar, 50, a lecturer in the Faculty of Arts at an-Najah National University, from his home in al-Ma’ajin neighbourhood in the northwest of Nablus. It should be noted that Israeli forces released Dr al-Shannar this morning.
PCHR condemns these arrests and:
1- Notes that these arrests took place in the days immediately following the truce agreed between Israel and Palestinian armed groups;
2- Finds that the arrests constitute a form of reprisal and collective punitive measures committed by Israel against the Palestinian civilian population and, in particular, against leaders of Hamas and the Islamic Jihad in the West Bank; and
3- Renews its call for the international community to intervene to protect Palestinian civilians in accordance with the principles of the international humanitarian and human rights law, and to prevent the deterioration of the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
