Used for “Safe Evacuation” Advertisement, Then Field Executed! Condemnation of a Crime Committed by the Occupation Against an Elderly Palestinian

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights strongly condemned, in a statement on Tuesday, November 14, 2023, the Israeli army’s use of an elderly Palestinian – subjected to field execution – in its campaign for the “safe passage” to evacuate to the southern Gaza Strip, aiming to cover up its heinous crimes against displaced civilians.

The Euro-Med observed that the Israeli army published an image showing one of its soldiers talking to the elderly “Bashir Haji” (79 years old) from the Zaytoun neighborhood in Gaza City, as he crossed the “Salah al-Din” main road, claiming to assist Palestinian civilians and provide protection during their evacuation.

Israel Executes Palestinian Man in the Field

The Euro-Med documented the elderly “Haji” being subjected to a field execution on the morning of Friday, November 10, 2023, revealing a blatant distortion of the facts by the Israeli army. “Hala Haji,” the granddaughter of the elderly “Haji,” informed the Euro-Med team that her grandfather, who appeared in the image published by the Israeli army, was intentionally killed by multiple gunshots to the head and back, executed while crossing the evacuation route in a horrific manner.

The Euro-Med has previously documented dozens of cases of Israeli army executions of Palestinian refugees by targeting them with live ammunition and sometimes artillery shells, with the intent of intentional killing during their attempt to evacuate at the request of Israel to the southern Gaza Strip.

The Euro-Med Observatory renews its call for the United Nations and the International Criminal Court to urgently open an independent investigation into the crimes of execution suffered and still suffered by Palestinian refugees, holding the perpetrators and those who issued orders accountable for justice to prevail for the victims.

It is worth mentioning that one of the Palestinian refugees, heading to Nasser Hospital in the southern Gaza Strip, had previously stated that the Israeli army “intentionally” humiliated them during their exit from Gaza, towards the south through the “safe passages.”

She added, “Israeli army elements asked us to leave through the safe passage, from nine to ten in the evening, and during our journey, they asked us to raise white flags after gathering us, mocking us. They intentionally humiliated us after firing bullets towards us, and they arrested some of the youth.” She pointed out that “the Israeli army targeted us after we moved through the safe passage, with a missile that fell meters away from us.”

Expressing extreme distress with tears, she said, “My husband was injured during the evacuation due to the missile, and now we are suffering from an extremely difficult situation that cannot be imagined because it is like the horrors of Judgment Day.”

Another displaced person told Anadolu Agency, “Our situation is extremely tragic; we put our trust in God and rely on Him.”

For 39 days, the Israeli army has been waging a destructive war on the Gaza Strip, leaving 11,329 dead, including 4,650 children and 3,145 women, since October 7, according to the Government Media Office in the Gaza Strip.