Human rights organization B'Tselem has appealed to Attorney-General Menahem Mazuz and the military's Judge Advocate General, demanding

that they order criminal investigations into the killing of four Palestinian fugitives in Bethlehem some two weeks ago.

B'Tselem said it suspected that the IDF acted contrary to High Court orders, which state that troops must not kill Palestinian terror suspects if they can be arrested and brought to justice. The group asserted that the troops had made no attempt to arrest the four, but had "operated as though on an assassination mission, shooting the suspects from behind with massive automatic gunfire although the latter did not try to escape or use their weapons."

B'Tselem also stated that it believed security forces had "confirmed the kill," approaching the men's car after the initial fire burst and firing at each of them from very close range.

Ibrahim Abu Rashed, the owner of a grocery store located across the street from where the incident took place, told B'Tselem that the car's driver was shot in the leg when he got out of the car.

"The soldiers immediately went over to the red car, until they got a meter or two from it. They opened massive gunfire at the rear window of the car. I saw three men sitting in the car...none of them moved," he said. "I saw the soldiers fire at the head of [the driver], who had previously been hit in the leg. He had nothing in his hands."

The group added that, as media reports showed that the army's senior command echelon took part in planning and authorizing the operation, it would also demand that the investigation examine the responsibility of the IDF Chief of General Staff, OC Central Command and the Judea and Samaria Division commander.

In addition, the organization claimed that the home of one of the men, Muhammad Shehada, was demolished by security forces several days before his death "under circumstances that strongly suggest the motive was punitive." Citing testimonies by Shehadeh's wife and children, B'Tselem also suspected army forces had "severely abused members of the family."

After the killing, the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) said the four had constituted the leadership of Islamic Jihad's armed wing in the city. The IDF said Shehada was responsible for a series of car bombings and suicide attacks in Jerusalem early this decade.

When the men's bodies were inspected, they were found to be carrying rifles and pistols.

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