2 IDF officers get probation over deaths of Palestinians in 2002

[Englander]

By Amos Harel, Haaretz Correspondent

An Israel Defense Forces Armored Corps battalion commander, whose soldiers fired tank shells that killed four Palestinians in Jenin in 2002, recently plead guilty to negligence and was sentenced to three-months probation and a censure.

A company commander, who also plead guilty to negligence, was sentenced to probation and was demoted to second lieutenant.

The prosecution agreed to the deal due to difficulties in proving the connection between the officers' negligence and the deaths of the Palestinians.

In June 2002, shortly after Operation Defensive Shield, a brigade commander instructed the armored battalion under his command open fire, in order to disperse a number of civilians who were violating a full curfew in Jenin.

>snip

The special military court issued a gag order on the identities of the officers involved (despite the fact that the brigade commander's name has already appeared in the press), citing concerns that they could face attempts to try them abroad.

More at;
Haaretz


Israeli army 'error' kills four

Peter Beaumont
Saturday June 22, 2002
The Guardian

Israeli tank and machine gun fire killed three Palestinian children and a teacher in the West Bank city of Jenin yesterday in what Israeli military sources claim was an error made by soldiers.

The Israeli army said it fired two tank shells to warn off a group violating a curfew, but witnesses said residents had left their homes because they heard the curfew had been lifted. The market had grown crowded with people replenishing supplies.

Mohammed Abu Ghali, director of Jenin hospital, identified the dead as Ahmed Ghazawi, aged about six, his brother Jamil, 12, and Sajedah Famahwi, six. The teacher was named as Helal Shetta. More than 24 people were injured.

Mohammed Abdullah, 63, said he went to buy medicine for his back when he heard the curfew had been lifted. Near the market, he saw a tank fire in another direction, then spin its turret his way. "I saw some children playing in the street. I told them immediately to go home and I turned back," Abdullah said.

A spokesman for the Israeli army said an initial inquiry "indicates that the force erred in its action", and that an investigation was under way.

Link;
GuardianUnlimited

Israeli army admits Jenin error

Saturday, 22 June, 2002, 01:10 GMT 02:10 UK

The Israeli army has said it accidentally opened fire on a crowded market in the West Bank town of Jenin, killing at least three Palestinian civilians.

The Palestinians say four people were killed, including three young children, and many others were injured.

It seems the people in Jenin mistakenly thought the curfew had been lifted and were rushing out to stock up on food supplies.

The killings come amid rising tension in Palestinian areas, following Israeli incursions into major West Bank towns in response to two suicide bombings in Jerusalem this week.

An army spokesman said troops in Jenin had fired a number of tank shells to scare off a crowd that had broken the curfew.

BBC News

[Violet_Crumble]

1. Is that the one that was shown on tv after it happened?

There was a video of some children riding their bikes and then being killed when the IDF opened fire. I'm not sure if it is because there seems to have been quite a few of those accidents...

[Englander]

2. Sounds like it is -

The children killed were riding bikes, & part of the incident was filmed;

ISRAEL AND THE OCCUPIED TERRITORIES AND THE PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY

KILLING THE FUTURE:
Children in the line of fire

>snip

Six-year-old Ahmad Ghazawi and his 12-year-old brother Jamil were killed near their home in Jenin on 21 June 2002 by an IDF tank shell, which also wounded their 11-year-old brother, Tareq. Part of the incident was captured on video tape by a neighbour. The boys father, Yusuf Ghazawi, told Amnesty International that a cousin who had come to the house from the east part of the city had informed him that the curfew which had been in place since 18 June had been lifted. Shortly after this, Ahmad asked his father for a shekel so he could buy something at the shop. It was about 11.30am. About ten minutes later, he was warned by neighbours that he should go to the hospital to find his children. Twelve-year-old Rami Imad Khader, who was with Jamil and his brothers at the time, described what happened to Amnesty International:

"I heard that the curfew had been lifted. When I heard this, I went out and joined my friends, Jamil, Tareq, Ahmad, Muhammad, Wa'el and Wassam. We all headed off to the main street. Jamil, Tareq, Ahmad and Wa'el were on their bikes and the rest of us were on foot. When we reached the intersection with the main street, we saw IDF jeeps by the square and became afraid. We headed back toward home, and stopped and stood to the side of a building on our street when we heard the sound of a tank go by. We then saw another tank about 300 metres from us, so we left the building and began to hurry back home. Jamil was telling Ahmad and Tareq to leave quickly as there were tanks. The tank was now situated at the end of the street and then I saw Dr. Samer's car coming toward us. He was blowing the horn to warn us to get out of the way.(10) The next thing I remember is a red light and then an explosion. I think the bomb hit the wall of our neighbour's house and bounced off.
"I moved toward the side when I heard the bomb. After that I came back toward the street and first saw Ahmad. He did not have a left leg and his stomach was on the road. I saw Jamil: he was injured in his back and was shaking his hands. He opened his eyes for a minute and then closed them. Tareq was near an electric pole, we found him last. One of his legs had a hole in it and pieces of the bomb were in his stomach, his ear and his back."

http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGMDE020052002


Both sides Are wrong
by Amira Hass

June 26, 2002
Ha'aretz

A radio interviewer asked IDF Spokesman Ron Kitrey on Sunday about the three children killed in Jenin by Israeli soldiers in a tank (who also killed a 60-year-old civilian). The interviewer chose his words carefully. So carefully, that he asked Kitrey about the "youths" who were killed. These "youths" were 6-year-old Soujoud Turkey, Ahmed Ghazawi, also 6 years old, and his 12-year-old brother Jamil. The two brothers had been riding their bicycles in their neighborhood. They, like many others, thought that the curfew had been lifted for several hours. Soujoud Turkey had gone out with her father to buy bread.

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=22&ItemID=2035

[acmavm]

3. Well, this just shows what value the Israeli's place on a Palestinian's

life.

And people wonder why the Palestinians hate the Israelis. They steal their land and water and they steal their lives. And pay nothing for any of it.