The visitors was barely shifting on March 16 in central Jenin, an unusually busy Thursday afternoon within the West Financial institution. With the holy month of Ramadan simply days away, eating places had been full and customers wove between automobiles as they hustled from retailer to retailer.
A father pushed a stroller previous a silver sedan. Contained in the automobile, Israeli undercover brokers had been in place, ready to hold out an operation towards two Palestinian militants who had been strolling close by. Omar Awadin, age 14, pedaled by on his bicycle, having simply accomplished his final errand of the day.
Moments later, 4 plainclothes safety forces burst from a second silver sedan close by in pursuit of the militants and opened fireplace.
Such scenes are more and more widespread within the West Financial institution, the place greater than 3 million Palestinians reside underneath Israeli army occupation and a brand new era of militants has risen to prominence. Israel says raids like this one are important to disrupting terrorist networks and defending its residents from assault; Palestinian officers say they’re struggle crimes that needs to be referred to the Worldwide Legal Court docket.
Israeli army operations have lengthy been a fixture of life right here, however they as soon as occurred largely at evening, and normally led to apprehensions. This yr, underneath probably the most right-wing authorities in Israeli historical past, a rising variety of incursions have been carried out in the course of the day, in densely packed city areas equivalent to Jenin. As of Might 15, 108 Palestinians within the West Financial institution and East Jerusalem, together with militants and civilians, had been killed by Israeli forces, based on the United Nations, greater than double final yr’s toll from the identical interval. No less than 19 had been kids — together with Omar, who was fatally shot in the course of the raid in Jenin.
The Washington Submit synchronized 15 movies and reviewed dozens extra from March 16, together with CCTV footage from surrounding companies, a few of which took practically a month to floor. The Submit additionally spoke to 9 witnesses and obtained testimonies from 4 others to supply a 3D reconstruction of the raid.
The evaluation yielded three key findings:
- Israeli forces killed Omar. Israeli authorities haven’t publicly commented on his demise.
- Omar was amongst not less than 16 civilians within the space because the officers charged down the road with AR-style rifles and a handgun, firing greater than 20 photographs and killing the 2 militants, neither of whom was visibly armed. Israeli authorities referred to the militants as “armed suspects” in an preliminary assertion however supplied no proof to assist their declare.
- One of many militants was shot a number of occasions by Israeli forces after he was incapacitated — an obvious extrajudicial execution that consultants mentioned may violate Israeli regulation.
The Submit’s 3D reconstruction reveals civilians on the street as Israeli officers opened fireplace
The raid moreover appeared to violate a global ban on extrajudicial killings, consultants consulted by The Submit mentioned, arguing that the illegality was magnified by the truth that the militants appeared to pose no imminent risk, coupled with the presence of so many civilians.
The raid was performed by Yamam, the elite unit of Israel’s border police that focuses on counterterrorism operations, together with raids in civilian areas.
Dean Elsdunne, a spokesman for the Israeli police, mentioned that safety forces had been within the space to “apprehend terrorists accountable for capturing assaults on IDF troopers, some manufacturing of bombs and different terrorist actions.”
In response to preliminary questions on Omar, Israeli police mentioned in an e mail to The Submit that “the topic of your inquiry took an lively half within the violent riot whereas endangering the lives of the troops.” It’s unclear what riot they had been referring to, however the visible proof reviewed by The Submit confirmed no such riot earlier than the shootings happened.
The police declined to evaluation The Submit’s proof or to reply to follow-up questions.
Beforehand unreported recordsdata from the trove of categorised U.S. paperwork just lately leaked on-line by the Discord messaging platform spotlight mounting American issues that Israeli incursions within the West Financial institution — together with a Feb. 22 raid in Nablus the place Israeli troops fired into a gaggle of civilians — would jeopardize worldwide efforts to de-escalate violence within the area.
One secret evaluation of a March 7 raid in Jenin warned that it “will virtually definitely immediate Palestinian militants to retaliate.”
The raid
Omar spent the day of March 16 delivering packages for his father’s medical provide store. At about 3:10 p.m., he dropped off his final bundle at a close-by pharmacy, CCTV footage obtained by The Submit reveals.
The eldest of the household’s three kids and the one boy, Omar was exceptionally sort, his mom recalled, all the time making an attempt to incorporate different kids who didn’t have the identical benefits. He beloved to joke round and would go swimming or climbing on his days off.
After leaving the store, he cycled previous his father, who was driving in the wrong way. “We met by likelihood,” his father, Mohammad Awadin, mentioned. “He requested for 10 shekels to purchase some garments, however there was a police officer behind me so I couldn’t cease.”
As Omar made his approach again to his father’s store, the raid started.
Only a few ft away from him, two Palestinian militants — Nidal Khazem, 28, and Yousef Shreim, 29 — walked facet by facet alongside the road. Khazem and Shreim handed the second silver sedan, now stopped in visitors, the place Yamam brokers had been ready.
Then not less than three gunshots had been fired from behind the 2 males. Khazem was hit and fell to the bottom.
Editor’s observe: This video accommodates graphic content material.
4 members of the Israeli safety forces in road garments appeared in fast succession. Two later shot Khazem’s inclined physique, based on video reviewed by The Submit.
The Submit recognized not less than 16 civilians within the fast neighborhood, together with Omar, as officers opened fireplace.
A CCTV digicam captured Shreim working, tripping and tumbling towards the pavement into a gaggle of three civilians at that very same second, based on a number of movies synchronized by The Submit. (The CCTV’s time stamp is inaccurate.)
A 3rd CCTV digicam reveals the second simply earlier than Omar was shot and fell off his bike.
After not less than two of the Israeli officers pointed their weapons in Shreim’s path, a single bullet struck Omar within the again. It’s not clear which Israeli officer fired the deadly shot.
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