Another man, Islam Fakhr, remains paralyzed in hospital after same incident.
Amir Issa Abu Khaled al-Ledawi has died of his injuries, after his vehicle was overturned whilst being chased by Palestinian Security Services (PSS) forces, in Aqabat Jaber refugee camp, Jericho.
A number of other Palestinians were injured during the 14 December incident, including the recently freed prisoner Shaker Amara. Their injuries were sustained when a vehicle was overturned during a chase by PSS forces. Two of the victims have been described as in a “serious” condition.
Amir Issa’s brother said in media statements that PSS forces pursued their car after it left a nearby ‘District Coordination Office’ area (or joint Israeli-Palestinian security areas), despite the fact that the road ahead was blocked. The car collided with the blockage, resulting in its overturning.
Issa has added that his brother was injured in the head and spine. The chase took place whilst the group participated in a procession to receive the recently-freed Amara.
Another Palestinian, Islam Fakhr, remains in hospital, parazlysed due to the incident.
Amara said in media statements that the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) security services had pursued a car that formed part of the convoy that greeted him following his release from the occupying force’s prisons. Amara confirmed that this led to the car’s overturning, and to various injuries, in addition to Issa’s death.
Over the last period PSS forces have attacked a number of funeral processions for Palestinians killed by occupation forces, as well as processions marking the release of prisoners. The PSS has not offered an explanation for those attacks. A number of participants in such processions have been subsequently harassed by PSS forces.
European Union (EU) representatives have criticised the PA’s actions in the West Bank, including its security forces’ arresting of dozens of political activists. However, many of those same forces receive training by EU member state forces.
In a joint statement, a number of EU representatives, the heads of the EU missions to Jerusalem and Ramallah, and the heads of the Norwegian, Swiss, and British missions, have said that the use of violence against human-rights defenders and peaceful demonstrators is “unacceptable”.
