Lawyers for Justice: Palestinian authority’s use of lethal force crime against right to life
The Lawyers for Justice group stated on Monday that the Palestinian Authority security forces’ targeting of a civilian vehicle carrying children and women with lethal force constitutes a serious crime and a grave violation of the right to life, and cannot be justified under any security or political pretext.
In a statement published on its website, group indicated that it is following up on the killing of two children, Ali and Rozan Samara, from the town of Tammoun. The childen were killed by direct gunfire from members of a Palestinian security force targeting a civilian vehicle carrying children and women, according to the testimony of the detainee’s son during his father’s arrest and as stated in a statement issued by the Samara family.
It explained that, according to testimonies, a security unit in civilian clothing, traveling in civilian vehicles, opened fire without warning on a civilian vehicle carrying Samer Samara and his family. This resulted in the death of two children and injuries to other family members. Samer Samara, who was wanted by Israeli forces, was also arrested and wounded in the attack.
The group stated that this crime comes within a disturbing context of grave violations committed by the Palestinian Authority security services in recent years, which have reached a peak since the killing of political activist Nizar Banat.
The “Lawyers for Justice” group noted that human rights organizations and families have documented accusations from more than twenty families that the security services were involved in the killing of their sons in similar incidents or as a result of torture. This indicates a dangerous pattern and methodology of using excessive and lethal force outside the framework of the law, and in the absence of any effective accountability.
The group emphasized that the Palestinian Authority, by acceding to international human rights agreements, including the Convention against Torture and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, is legally obligated to regulate the conduct of its personnel, respect human rights, prohibit torture and ill-treatment, and ensure accountability and prevent impunity.
The group stated that the continued impunity enjoyed by perpetrators of these violations undermines the rule of law, fosters a culture of revenge and persecution of dissidents and activists, and threatens civil and social peace.
It demanded the disclosure of the names of the members of the security patrol that carried out the shooting, as well as the entity that issued the orders, and the immediate arrest of all those involved, pending their trial before the competent court.
The group called for a criminal investigation into all similar killings that have occurred over the past three years since October 2023, which have claimed the lives of more than 22 citizens in cities in the northern occupied West Bank, and for all those involved to be brought to justice.
It stressed the need to halt the unjustified use of lethal force in law enforcement and to review the rules and regulations governing the use of firearms.
The organization called for a comprehensive review of the security forces’ conduct by civil society organizations and oversight bodies, and for the establishment of effective monitoring and accountability mechanisms to ensure that dissidents and activists are not targeted or retaliated against.
Lawyers for Justice emphasized that the right to life is inviolable and cannot be violated under any pretext, and that leniency towards these crimes opens the door to their recurrence, threatens civil peace, and undermines what remains of public trust in the justice system.