The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday expressed concern about a possible resumption of Israel’s policy of targeted assassinations following the deaths in recent days of members of the new Palestinian armed group Lion’s Den, considered by Israel to be a terrorist organization.
This group, formed according to Israel by «loosely organized» Palestinian youths, had claimed responsibility for several attacks against Israeli military and civilians in the West Bank city of Nablus. It was precisely there that one of its main operatives, Tamer Kilani, was killed by the explosion of a motorcycle bomb in what the Palestinian authorities denounced as a covert Israeli operation.
On Tuesday, another Israeli operation against the organization in the historic center of the city resulted in the death of three other people, two of them unarmed. Hours later, another senior member of the group was killed in another Israeli attack, according to Palestinian reports that the UN is trying to verify.
According to Israeli media, the Palestinian government has begun negotiations with members of this group to lay down their arms and surrender to the custody of the Palestinian security forces in order to receive, in exchange, protection from Israeli operations.
Following her assessment of the situation in Nablus, UN spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani also expressed general concern about the violence unleashed by Israeli operations in the West Bank and East Jerusalem this year. Since January, according to UN figures, at least 118 Israelis have been killed in these operations, including 26 children and five women.
At least three Palestinians, including a child, have also been killed in attacks by Israeli settlers or by gunfire from Israeli settlement security guards in occupied territory.
In terms of Israeli casualties, the UN is aware of at least four members of the Israeli security forces and one security guard killed by Palestinian Israelis in the West Bank.
«We recall that international law only permits the use of firearms when absolutely necessary, when there is an imminent threat to life or else there is a danger of serious injury. Outside these conditions, any death could constitute an extrajudicial execution, a grave violation of the right to life that applies throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory,» the spokeswoman added.
