13 February 2001
Al-Haq Condemns the Israeli Military’s Continued Policy of Assassination and
Reiterates its Demand that
Those who Carry Out Assassinations be Tried
Today, 13 February 2001, Israel revived its policy of assassination that has left 15
Palestinians dead since the outbreak of the al-Aqsa Intifada. In what Israeli Military
spokesmen referred to as a targeted attack Israeli Occupation Forces in Gaza killed
50-year-old Maso’ud Hussein A’yyad, an active member of Fatah and an officer in the
Palestinian security services, at 9:45 am this morning. According to information given to
al-Haq by al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Maso’ud was traveling on Salah El-Din
Street on the outskirts of Jabalya Refugee camp in the north of the Gaza Strip when an
Israeli helicopter launched four missiles at his car, hitting it directly. Maso’ud died from
shrapnel wounds to his head and body and from severe burns. Five bystanders were also
injured in the attack and private property in the area of the attack was damaged.
Israeli military and government leaders, including outgoing Prime Minister Ehud Barak,
declared their support for the Israeli policies of assassination and extra judicial killing being
carried out against Palestinian civilians and military personnel. Such actions counter Israeli
claims that they desire to deescalate the situation and work for peace.
Israel’s policy of assassination and the extra judicial killings of Palestinian civilians and
military personnel that have been carried out by Israeli forces constitute grave breaches of
provisions of International humanitarian and human rights law. These actions qualify as war
crimes in accordance with Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 and
Article 85 of the 1977 Protocol Additional to the Geneva Convention. They necessitate the
intervention of the States Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and its Protocols as
required under Article 1 of the Convention. Those who have ordered and perpetrated
these crimes must be tried and brought to justice.
Al-Haq is gravely concerned by the Israeli forces’ escalated use of force in the Occupied
Territories since the arrival of the United Nations Human Rights Commission that is charged
with investigating Israeli violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
Al-Haq reiterates its calls for:
1. States Party to the Fourth Geneva Convention to act immediately to provide the
Palestinian people with protection from Israeli human rights violations and demand an
end to abuses committed by Israeli forces. The assassinations of Palestinian activists
constitute grave breaches of the convention obligating States Parties to act.
2. The Security Council and the UN General Assembly to end their indefensible
silence regarding Israeli’s blatant violations against Palestinian’s human rights.
3. The UN Human Rights Commission currently visiting the Occupied Territories,
having witnessed first hand the atrocities being committed against the Palestinian
people, to stress in its report the need for intervention by the UN in the form of a
force provided to protect the Palestinian people.