Will Israeli Death Squads Operate After Gaza, Jericho Withdrawals?

By Frank Collins

The summary execution of "wanted" Palestinian activists in the Israeli-occupied territories became a routine practice during the intifada. These executions are carried out without warning and at close range by Israeli army units disguised as Arabs on operations code-named "initiated activity. " Up to now, over 166 Palestinians have been murdered in these "initiated activities. " A leading question is whether these executions will continue after the Israeli troops are redeployed in the Gaza Strip under the Gaza-Jericho agreement now being negotiated.

In the execution of six Fatah Hawks in the Jabalyah refugee camp on March 29, not even the Israeli army alleges that the victims were engaged in any life-threatening activity. The IDF reported the murder to the press as follows:

"Six armed individuals were killed this evening in the Jabalyah Refugee Camp. Two other Arab residents were moderately injured. In the evening hours, in the course of operations of an IDF force in Jabalyah, the force identified men dressed in fatigues, some of them masked and holding arms and suspected them to be terrorists.

"The force fired toward the figures and killed them. One Arab resident, who was driving the car in which three of the men sat, was moderately injured by the fire. A female Arab bystander was also moderately injured.

"The injured were taken to a hospital within Israel for medical treatment. In the possession of the dead were found two loaded Kalashnikov rifles and two pistols. A leaflet was also found identifying the dead as Fatah Hawks."

The murders were investigated by B'Tselem, the Israeli Information Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Lawyers for Human Rights. According to a witness at the scene, Salah Ali Salarn Abu Eidah, whose testimony was corroborated by other witnesses:

"I am the owner of the store where gas is sold. Yesterday, at approximately 6:30 in the evening, I was in the store. Twelve masked men arrived in two cars. They got out of the cars and began to distribute leaflets.

"They sent away one car (a Subaru) and asked to use the car of M.V. [who does not wish to be identified]. They also wanted to take the car of Mohammed Abu Eidah but he said he would take them to where they wanted to go and got into the car with a few of them.

"Just when M.V. gave them the keys to his car, two cars arrived-one from the west and one from the north. They stopped at the junction and about eight men got out, dressed in civilian clothes. They didn't say 'halt' or anything and also didn't shoot into the air. They shot straight at the masked men. The masked men hadn't pointed their arms at the undercover soldiers. Until the shooting began, I thought that the undercover soldiers were wanted people.

"One woman, Ayesha Abu Eidah, approximately 55 years old, tried to protect one of the masked men and she was shot in the shoulder or chest. Mohammed Abu Eidah also was injured.

"One masked man escaped into my store. He was not armed. One of the undercover soldiers ran after him, caught him and pulled him out to the steps at the entrance to the store. The soldier put his pistol next to the man's head and shot him twice.

"Afterwards, they shot again from close up at each of the masked men who were lying on the ground and in the car. Later the army came. None of them tried to treat the masked men and they were left lying there for an hour anda half. At the end, they were taken away in an army car. "

The above account tallies well with reports on other operations of Israel's "undercover" death squads. They make clear that the assignment of the squads is to murder and not to arrest "wanted" men. The final shot to the head is common in their operations.

This tactic was the subject of bitter Israeli complaints when one Israeli death squad, operating without any serious attempt to verify the identification of its victim, mistakenly killed another Israeli soldier, finally shooting him in the head, "like an old horse." (Washington Report, June 1993)

The assignment of the squads is to murder and not to arrest "wanted" men.

In view of the impending redeployment of the Israeli troops in the Gaza Strip, in accordance with the Declaration of Principles signed at the White House last Sept. 13, an important question is whether such Israeli extra-judicial arrests and executions of Palestinians suspected of security offenses will continue. The Feb. 9, 1994, minutes of the text to be included in the Gaza-Jericho agreement provide:

"The Gaza Strip. In accordance with the D. O. P., during the interim period the Gush Katif and Erez settlement areas, as well as the other settlements in the Gaza Strip, and the Israeli military installation area along the Egyptian border in the Gaza Strip, as indicated on the attached map, will be under Israeli authority. In the areas delineated inyellow on the attached map and without derogating from Palestinian authority, responsibility will be shared as follows: the Israeli authorities will have the overriding responsibility and powers for security and the Palestinian Authority will have the responsibility for civil affairs, subject to the Gaza-Jericho Agreement.

In addition, with regard to those areas delineated in yellow, cooperation and coordination in security matters, including joint patrols, as agreed, will be implemented. Possible changes in the area designated yellow in the Southern Security zone will be dealt with in Taba. "

Will the Israelis continue to have direct power of arrest of Palestinians for suspected security offenses or will this power be delegated to the Palestinian police under the "Israeli powers for security"? The answer to this question appears to be unresolved.

Frank Collins, a regular contributor to the Washington Report, spent the month of March in the occupied territories and Israel.

SIDEBAR

Living Under Israeli Occupation

The toll of human rights violations by Israeli forces since Dec. 9, 1987.

Deaths 1,283

Injuries requiring hospitalization 130,472*

Expulsions 481

Administrative detentions 22,088

Curfews (areas with 10,000 + population under 24-hour curfew) 14,997

(Plus almost constant curfews over entire West Bank and Gaza from Jan. 16-Feb. 28, 1991)

Land confiscation (acres)

House demolitions/sealings

Tree uprootings

Source: Palestine Human Rights Information Center, Jerusalem, Washington, (202) 686-5116, Preliminary figures through Dec. 31, 1993.

*Estimated number