Israeli occupation forces killed two Palestinian civilians in the Bab al-Zawiya area of central Hebron in the southern West Bank, in an incident that adds to a pattern of systematic violations targeting Palestinian civilians and openly contravening the rules of international humanitarian law.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society confirmed that the occupation forces handed over to its teams the body of Ziad Naeem Abdul-Jabbar Abu Dawoud, aged 55, who was shot directly while carrying out his work cleaning the street. He was left bleeding on the ground as medical crews were prevented from reaching him, leading to his death. The occupation forces also seized the body of another Palestinian killed at the scene and transported it in a military vehicle.
Field accounts indicate that the occupation forces opened fire on a vehicle in the area, then blocked paramedics from approaching. They subsequently shot Abu Dawoud in cold blood while he was unarmed and performing his job — a recurring practice reflecting blatant disregard for civilian life.
Under international humanitarian law, the occupying power bears responsibility for protecting the civilian population and ensuring unimpeded access to medical care. The actions of the occupation forces — shooting an unarmed civilian, leaving him to bleed, and preventing medical assistance — constitute a direct violation of Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions, which affirms the protection of persons not taking part in hostilities and requires that they receive medical care without delay.
The seizure of the bodies of those killed is also a practice that violates principles of international law, which obligate military forces to respect the dignity of the dead and the right of families to recover their relatives’ remains.
The use of lethal force against unarmed individuals stands in clear breach of UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms, which prohibit resorting to deadly force except in the most extreme circumstances — circumstances that do not apply in this case.
This incident is part of an ongoing pattern of extrajudicial killings and deliberate obstruction of medical teams, amid the absence of any accountability or independent investigations in line with international standards. Such conditions enable further violations to be committed with impunity and deepen the suffering of Palestinian civilians living under occupation.
