On Sunday 18 May 2003, the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) forcibly transferred Mahmoud Sulaiman as-Sa’di, a Palestinian detainee from Jenin, to the Gaza Strip.
As-Sa’di, 35 years old, is married and father of three children.
He was detained by the IOF a year ago without trial.
According to the information collected by Al Mezan, the victim’s brother is wanted by the IOF making the transfer of Sa’di yet another example of Israel’s collective punishment procedures against Palestinian civilians.
This is the third case of forcible transfer of Palestinians from the West Bank to the Gaza Strip or outside the Occupied Palestinian Territories during the current Intifada.
On 10 May 2002, the IOF deported 13 of the Palestinians under siege in the Church of the Nativity to Cyprus and 26 others to Gaza.
On 2 September 2002, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled the IOF Transfer of Kifah Ajouri and his sister, Intisar, from the West Bank to Gaza permissible.
Both were transferred the following day.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights views Israel’s policy of transfer as a part of the war crimes carried out by IOF.
Transfer has become a routine procedure taken by the IOF since the occupation of the OPT in 1967.
Israel is in breach of Human Rights Law, especially Article 12 (4) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Right (ICCPR), and Article 49 of the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, which prohibits all kinds of forcible individual and mass transfer of civilians regardless their motives.
Al Mezan condemns Israel’s transfer decision which comes once again amid the silence of the international community.
The Center calls upon the international community to immediately and effectively intervene and put and end to Israel’s illegal procedures and war crimes.
It is the responsibility of the international community to provide active protection for the civilian population of the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
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