Yesh Din demands probe of Palestinian teens’ deaths
Muhammad Faisal Mahmoud Qawariq and Salah Muhammad Kamal Qawariq, 19-year-old cousins, were killed while working in their families’ fields near their village of Awarta.
By JPOST.COM STAFFidf soldiers 311(photo credit: ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rights group Yesh Din submitted a petition to the High Court of Justice on Wednesday, calling for an investigation into the killing of two Palestinians by the IDF in the West Bank five months ago.Muhammad Faisal Mahmoud Qawariq and Salah Muhammad Kamal Qawariq, 19-year-old cousins, were killed while working in their families’ fields near their village of Awarta, 8 km. southeast of Nablus. According to Yesh Din, “The circumstances of the incident, in which the two teens were killed from IDF fire, raise the suspicion of a grave criminal offence. The details of the incident were not clarified, and there’s a risk they will never be clarified, as long as the military advocate-general continues to refrain from deciding on the matter.”The incident was reported as a thwarted terrorist attack in which the two cousins dressed up as farmers and used a pitchfork and a broken glass bottle to attack border policemen.The bodies of the two dead teens were brought to Rafidia Surgery Hospital in Nablus. According to the medical exam, Muhammad was hit by seven bullets and Salah was hit by three bullets, apparently from very close range.According to Yesh Din, the IDF considered taking action against the soldiers involved in the incident, but has thus far “scandalously” failed to begin an investigation. The petitioners said the decision not to open an investigation is a dangerous one, “which demonstrates to every IDF soldier taking part in security activities in the West Bank that there’s no need to investigate incidents which result in Palestinian deaths.” Furthermore, it exposes the suspects to investigations and prosecutions for war crimes according to the Universal Jurisdiction Principle, the NGO said.
