By Jennifer Thompson
According to the August 9 Palestine Report, at least nine Palestinians have been killed by Palestinian Authority police officers since their arrival in the Gaza Strip and West Bank over two years ago.
In late July, two West Bank Palestinians were killed, a Nablus man, Mahmoud Jamayyel, was tortured to death in Jneid prison and Ibrahami Hadayeh was killed at a demonstration outside Tulkarem Prison. Jumayyel's death sparked outrage across the West Bank and Gaza.
Israel, supported by the US, is behind this terror. It is demanding that the Palestinian Authority ensure "security" at any cost. Despite the US government's support of the PA's actions — US vice-president Al Gore described the establishment of the Palestinian security courts as a "great step" — a congressional subcommittee began hearings in mid-July on PA human rights violations.
The Middle East International's Lamis Andoni believes that the US move is motivated either as part of a campaign to cut off financial aid to the Palestinians or to undermine the credibility of the PA in order to allow Israel to further renege on agreements with the PLO, or both.
The director of the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment, Khader Shqeirat, said Jamayyel was the first prisoner to die by torture in a Palestinian prison. A statement issued by the Nablus police said Jamayyel was caught trying to escape from prison and was beaten to stop him from trying again.
Jamayyel and a friend, Nasser Jum'a, had been held in Jericho Central Prison since last December. Both were members of the Fateh Hawks, a military group outlawed by the PA. Jamayyel and Jum'a were held without charge, said Shqeirat.
Jum'a and Jamayyel were Fateh organisers but not Hamas supporters. According to the Palestine Report, because of their popularity, they were a threat to the PLO leadership.
Jumayyel's death sparked anger in Tulkarem refugee camp where many fear for the lives of relatives detained by the PA without charge since March. Demonstrators gathered outside the local prison and Hadayeh's brother Samir said that the police shot at the crowd as it began to disperse. Hadayeh, a Hamas supporter released from prison eight days earlier, was killed.
At an August 3 emergency session of the PA Legislative Council an investigative committee was formed to look into the two deaths. Palestinian president Yasser Arafat had already created an investigative committee comprising mostly cabinet members.
Human rights organisations testifying before the US congressional subcommittee on human rights underscored the effect of US and Israeli pressure on the PA. "The Palestinian Authority has committed human rights abuses for which it must and should be held accountable", said Human Rights Watch's Joe Stork. But, he added, "the US cannot signal support for any means necessary to combat political violence and then claim to be concerned about human rights violations by the PA".