PCHR Press Release on Israeli arrest of Palestinian Legislative Council leaders

Palestinian Centre for Human Rights- In the past 48 hours, Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have waged a campaign of arrests that targeted Palestinian political leaders and activists in the West Bank, including current and former members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad. IOF have also closed two charities linked with Islamic Jihad. During this campaign of arrest, IOF arrested two PLC Members and a former one, two female community activists, an academic and 11 political activists. The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) condemns this campaign of arrest and the closure of two charities, and calls upon the international community to act towards compelling the government of Israel to stop its systematic crimes against Palestinian civilians.

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, on Tuesday morning, IOF waged a wide scale campaign against leaders, activists and charities of Islamic Jihad in Jenin in the northern West Bank. During this campaign, IOF arrested 12 Palestinians, including two women, and closed two charities linked with Islamic Jihad after confiscating their contents. However, IOF failed to arrest Khader Mousa, a political leader of Islamic Jihad, when they raided his house and harassed his family.

In Arraba village, southwest of Jenin, IOF arrested Saja Jasser Shaibani, 23, an employee of the Islamic Relief Association for Orphans; Muna Hussein Qe’dan, 40, Director of al-Baraa’ Association for Muslim Girls; and Mohammed ‘Azmi Mardawi, 30. However, they failed to arrest Khader ‘Adnan Mousa, 32, a leader of Islamic Jihad. They handed a notice to his wife ordering him to refer to Salem military post, northwest of Jenin, within 12 hours, claiming that he is wanted.

In al-Zababda village, southeast of Jenin, IOF arrested Taha Najeh Sharqaqi, 24, a university student. In Jaba’ village, south of the town, IOF arrested Murad Waleed Malaisha, 22, and Ibrahim As’ad Baddad, 43. In Kufor Ra’ei village, southwest of the town, IOF arrested Majdi Waleed al-Sheikh Ibrahim, 30, and Bilal Nabeel Diab, 27. In ‘Aanin village, west of the town, IOF arrested Jamal Abdul Fattah Yousef, 33. In Seilat al-Harthiya village, northwest of Jenin, IOF arrested three Palestinians: Mohammed Saleem Shalabi, 38; Fadi Ahmed Zayoud “al-Sa’di,” 26; and Mohammed Wajeeh Jaradat, 26.

On the same day, IOF raided two offices on the third floor of al-Bassatin building in the center of Jenin. One of the offices belongs al-Baraa’ Association for Muslim Girls, and the other one belongs to the Islamic Relief Association for Orphans, whose parent organization is inside Israel.

In the evening, Israeli soldiers positioned at the Container checkpoint at the eastern entrance of al-Sawahra village, east of Jerusalem, arrested Nizar ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Ramadan, 47, a PLC Member from the Change and Reform Bloc – the parliamentary bloc of Hamas. Israeli soldiers arrested Ramadan after holding him together with ‘Aziz Dwaik, Speaker of the PLC and PLC Members, Anwar Zaboun, from Bethlehem, and Bassem al-Za’arir, from Hebron, for more than 4 hours.

On Thursday morning, 02 June 2011, IOF arrested ‘Abdul Rahman Fahmi Zaidan, 51, a PLC Member from the Change and Reform Bloc, from his house in Deir al-Ghossoun village north of Tulkarm. In Nablus, IOF arrested Hussam Mahmoud Khader, 48, a former PLC Member from Fatah movement, from his house in Balata refugee camp east of Nablus. IOF also arrested Yasser Ibrahim al-Badrassawi, 46, a trader, and Ghassan Nayef Thouqan, 54, an academic.

PCHR reiterates condemnation for this arrest campaign and the closure of two charities. PCHR calls upon the international community to immediately act to stop such crimes. PCHR further reiterates the call for the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligation under Article 1 of the Convention to respect and ensure respect for the Convention in all times, and their obligation under Article 146 to prosecute those suspected of perpetrating grave breaches of the Convention, which constitute war crimes according to Article 147 of the Convention, and the Protocol I Additional to the Geneva Convention, and ensure protection for Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.