http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/2001/israel08012001.html
Israel / Occupied Territories
Israel Shows Reckless Disregard for Human Life
AI Index MDE 15/069/2001,
1 August 2001
"By killing eight Palestinians in Nablus, Israel showed once again an
utter disregard for human life in the Occupied Territories,"
Amnesty International said today.
The Israeli Air Force killed yesterday eight people, including two
children and two journalists, and wounded 15 others, including a
human rights defender, as they shot two missiles from an Apache
helicopter against the Nablus-based Palestinian Centre for
Information, run by a Hamas leader, Jamal Mansur.
Amnesty International reiterated its long-standing calls to Israel to
end its policy of liquidations and other arbitrary killings and
urged the international community to send international observers
with a human rights remit to the area.
"The Israeli authorities must have known and totally disregarded the
fact that the media centre targeted was likely to be
frequented by journalists and others," said Amnesty International.
"In these state assassinations the Israeli authorities offer no
proof of guilt, no right to defence. Extrajudicial executions are
absolutely prohibited by international law."
The call for international observers has received worldwide support,
including by the European Union foreign ministers and US
Secretary of State Colin Powell. Up to now it has been blocked by the
Israeli Government.
"The international community must no longer accept any excuses or any
delay in sending independent observers with a human
rights mandate and sufficient expertise, resources and powers to
monitor, investigate and make public reports," Amnesty
International stressed.
On 30 July six Fatah activists, reportedly "wanted" by Israel, were
killed by an explosion in a shack near the West Bank village of
Fara. The Palestinian Authority said they were targeted by Israel;
Israel said they died when their own bomb exploded.
"Independent monitors with military expertise are vital to rule on
the claims and counterclaims and clarify the circumstances of each
killing," said the human rights organization.
Amnesty International expressed grave concern at Hamas statements
threatening that Israel would pay a heavy price for the
killings. Hamas attacks, including suicide bombs in public places in
Israel, have killed many civilians, including children.
"Whatever human rights violations are committed by a government,
nothing can justify attacks targeting civilians," said Amnesty
International. "Nor can any killings by opposition groups justify
this shocking disregard for basic human rights principles by a
government."
Background
The two Hamas leaders targeted, Jamal Mansur and Jamal Salim, had
both been held in administrative detention by Israel. Jamal
Mansur's case had been taken up again by Amnesty International when
he spent more than three years in detention without
charge or trial under the Palestinian Authority between 1997 and
2000. A leader of the political wing of Hamas, he was a journalist
and publicist.
Ahmad Abu Shallal, a human rights defender, critically injured and
now in intensive care, works for the International Solidarity
organization, based in Washington. He works for political detainees,
both in Israel and in the areas administered by the Palestinian
Authority. He was reportedly visiting the office of the Palestinian
Centre for Information in order to collect material for a report he
was writing for the London-based journal The Return Review
(al-Awdeh).
Muhammad Beshawi and 'Uthman Qatanan were both journalists apparently
interviewing Jamal Mansur at the time of the attack.
Two children, Ashraf Khader, aged six, and Bilal Khader, aged 11,
were killed as they played outside, while their mother visited a
clinic in the same building.
Source: Amnesty International, International Secretariat, 1 Easton
Street, WC1X 8DJ, London, United Kingdom
