The United Nations called, on Monday, August, 15th 2022, for an “immediate, independent and thorough investigation” into the circumstances of the martyrdom of the young man, Muhammad Shaham, as a result of the Israeli occupation forces’ shooting in the town of Kafr Aqab, north of occupied Jerusalem.
In a tweet on Twitter, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wencesland, expressed his “deep alarm at the killing of the young man.”
Wencesland said, “Deeply disturbed by the killing of a Palestinian man, Mohammad Al-Shaham, by Israeli Security Forces at his home in Kufur Aqab in disputed circumstances. My deepest condolences to his family. This requires an immediate, independent and thorough investigation.”
Deeply disturbed by the killing of a Palestinian man, Mohammad Al-Shaham, by Israeli Security Forces at his home in Kufur Aqab in disputed circumstances. My deepest condolences to his family. This requires an immediate, independent and thorough investigation.
— Tor Wennesland (@TWennesland) August 15, 2022
An Israeli occupation special force raided the home of Mohammad Al-Shaham family in Kafr today, and shot him at point blank in the head, and left him bleeding on the ground for more than forty minutes, before detaining him, to announce at a later time that he was martyred, according to what his father Ibrahim Shaham said
The Israeli police claimed in a statement that: “the shooting happened after the Palestinian killed stabbed with a knife one of the officers during a home raid searching for weapons, but none of the Israeli soldiers were injured.” The statement added that “an Israeli paramedic, who accompanied the border guard officers, provided first aid to the wounded, and the latter was then taken to receive treatment, but he was pronounced dead later, succumbing to his injuries.”
Contrary to IOF’s claims, Mohammed’s father said to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR’s) fieldworker that:
“I left my bedroom after my wife woke me up and told me there are Israeli soldiers knocking on the house door. At the time, I saw my son Mohammed leaving his room towards the apartment’s main door. I then saw IOF opening the door and raiding the house. When IOF saw Mohammed, they shot him at point-blank range and wounded him with a live bullet in his head. My son did not have a fight with the soldiers, who raided our house, but they opened fire at him without a prior warning and even without asking who he was. Although Mohammed was injured, the shooting continued inside the house, so I returned to my bedroom and my other son who was staying in the living room, closed the door as well. Later, my wife and I tried to help Mohammed, but the soldiers prevented us from approaching him. They also assaulted me, my wife and our 5 sons; 3 of them are blind. We were then taken and detained in nearby apartments. Forty minutes later, I saw the soldiers leaving the house and carrying Mohammed, who was covered with a piece of cloth and bleeding from his head. The building stairs were stained with Mohammed’s blood. Later, we were informed of his death.”
PCHR calls for an independent and impartial investigation into the death circumstances of Shaham and recalls tens of cases, where Palestinians were shot and killed by IOF under similar allegations.
PCHR reiterates its call upon the international community to take immediate action to end the Israeli occupation’s crimes and double standards when it comes to international law.
PCHR also urges the ICC Prosecutor, in particular, to act seriously with regard to the situation in Palestine similar to its prompt action in Ukraine.
PCHR also demands the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention fulfill their obligations as per Common Article 1 of the Convention, “undertake to respect and to ensure respect for the present Convention in all circumstances,” and their obligations under Article 146 of the same Conventions, i.e., to hold accountable persons accused of committing grave breaches of the Convention.
