GAZA, (PIC)
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor said it has documented a horrific execution of two Palestinian brothers, including a child by an Israeli sniper in front of his family while getting prepared to evict their home in Al-Amal neighborhood, west of Khan Yunis, in response to Israeli order of forced displacement.
The Monitor quoted an eyewitness as saying that child Nahed Adel Barbakh, 14, was shot on Wednesday, January 25 between 10:30 and 11:30 in the morning, while he was holding a white flag and leading a group of his family members as they were moving out of their home near “Hay Al Amal” school, west of Khan Yunis, and heading towards Al-Mawasi at the request of the Israeli occupation army.
The witness added that the boy was shot in the leg even though he was carrying a white flag in his hand. The sound of the source of gunfire was heard from the direction of a residential building on the eastern side, next to Hassan Al-Banna Mosque, which is about 100 meters away from the site. It turned out that Israeli snipers were stationed on top of the buildings in the area.
The witness explained that while the boy was trying to get up, he was hit again by a new bullet in his side. When he tried again to stand up, the Israeli sniper shot him for the third time, hitting him in the head and claiming his life.
According to the eyewitness, Barbakh’s brother, Ramez, 20, rushed to save his brother, but he was shot as well by an Israeli sniper, hitting him in the back of the head, causing him to fall on top of his brother. The two of them were left to bleed to death in front of their parents and family members.
The Monitor confirmed, based on its preliminary investigations and witness testimonies, that the targeting of the two brothers is deliberate and unjustified, calling it a crime added to Israeli systematic unjustified targeting of civilians that is tantamount to the crime of genocide.
The Euro-Med Monitor pointed out that it had previously documented Israeli direct shooting of four people despite that they were holding white flags, showing their ID cards, and lifting their hands up while trying to reach their home to evacuate 50 family members in Khan Yunis refugee camp, resulting in the killing of one of them, Ramzi Abu Sahloul.
The Euro-Med mentioned that it had previously documented dozens of cases of arbitrary and extrajudicial executions.
Euro-Med recalled that it had previously submitted an initial file to United Nations special rapporteurs and the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, which includes dozens of cases of field executions carried out by the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, calling for an immediate investigation into them to hold the perpetrators accountable and bring justice to the victims.
Euro-Med called for the formation of an international legal team, and to push for its arrival in Gaza Strip to open an investigation into Israeli documented crimes.
