Ahmed Erekat and the bodies of the martyrs

Forever disturbed by the images of the injustice of Khader Adnan, Nasser Abu Hamid, and the Israeli police assaulting the funeral procession of Palestinian-American Sherine Abu Aqleh, and images engraved in my mind and heart of the execution of my cousin Ahmed Erekat on June 23, 2020.

Every family has the right to rest their loved ones in dignity and without hindrance. Three years after the execution of Ahmed, 26, who was killed in cold blood at the checkpoint between Jerusalem and Bethlehem on the day of his sister's wedding, his car accidentally crashed into the "container" checkpoint. The cameras documented that Ahmed got out of the car and raised his hands high in the air as a sign of innocence. The occupation army claimed that it was a deliberate "terrorist" attack, but provided no evidence that the incident was not an accident. It was reported that one soldier was injured, but he got up immediately.

Meanwhile, two other armed soldiers started shooting at my innocent cousin, who raised his arms and fell to the ground.
Our family asked a London-based research organization, Forensic Architecture, to investigate. The investigation concluded: (According to the IDF's open-fire regulations, live ammunition may only be used as a last resort in the event of a "life-threatening threat". Our analysis contradicts the army's claim, and shows that Ahmed posed no immediate threat.)

From the footage in the results of the investigation, Ahmed was seen being shot 6 times within two seconds by the Israeli occupation soldiers, and the investigation added, "The last 3 shots were fired when Ahmed was already on the ground."

Medical negligence and restrictions on doctors became apparent when a Palestinian ambulance arrived but was denied access by the Israeli army. An Israeli ambulance had previously arrived, but only removed the presumed wounded Israeli soldier. The statement included in the investigation sums it up: “The practice of denying medical care is the act of ‘killing over time’.” More than two hours after the shooting, only an ambulance picked him up. But the injustice does not end here, the body of my cousin has been denied return to us for a proper burial until this moment.

Immediately, after the Israelis held his body hostage, we formed a family team, wrote books, exerted every possible effort and available pressure, and followed up by all means. We presented his case to the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, and legal, human rights and humanitarian organizations. The cameras documented the crime, and Forensic Architecture presented a detailed study report with pictures, angles and coordinates, second by second. The investigation studied the speed of the car and dropped it practically and psychologically on the driver’s intention to prove intentional killing by the occupation forces. Despite all attempts, the occupation courts proved to be ineffective, as they did not provide anything of justice.

We resorted to the pen, international law, diplomacy, popular marches, courts, international campaigns, parliamentarians, and knocked on all the doors of the world and humanity, and despite all that, Ahmed's body is still being held to this date, three years later.
Yes, until this moment, Ahmed's body is still being held in Israeli refrigerators, perhaps in the laboratories of Tel Aviv University, the ugly truth details that the Israelis will never convey.

I am writing today to send a message that we will not give up, get tired, or get tired. We are facing a prolonged unjust military occupation, a criminal terrorist "army" that kills the youth of Palestine and tries to kill the word of truth.

Shereen Abu Aqleh feels relieved as she looks at us from the sky and trusts that her peers and friends who are professionals in writing and the journalism profession will continue to show/tell the truth, to document the picture and reveal the true criminal face of the occupation.

No one has the right to decide the end of human life except God Almighty, and therefore we are facing a crime against humanity in its full dimensions and the direct suspect is the Israeli occupation soldiers. The Israeli occupier masters spinning information, distorting facts, changing narratives, and distracting the masses. The right of Sherine, Ahmed and all the innocent martyrs is our duty, and justice will certainly prevail one day.

The sad story does not end with Ahmed's martyrdom, but rather the painful truth that my uncle (Ahmed's father and wife) and the families of more than 125 martyrs whose bodies were seized have abandoned their demands for justice today. They do not want to hold the Israeli criminals accountable. Their only request is to kiss their children goodbye and bury their bodies with dignity.

Not to mention our differences, colors, and ideological backgrounds, it is unnatural for any human being to tolerate this fact in 2023.

Not only did Israel fail to issue an autopsy report, it also failed to open an investigation. First, my cousin was executed, and this cannot be justified. Then his body was confiscated, and his family was deprived of the most basic human rights to a farewell and a dignified burial.

My cousin, the martyr Ahmad, is not alone, he is one of dozens of Palestinians whose bodies were confiscated from their families - an exercise in collective punishment. I pray that Ahmed and all the victims of Israeli oppression will be reunited with their families for a farewell worthy of humanity, because every human being has the right to be buried.

- Dalal Erekat: Professor of Diplomacy and Strategic Planning, Faculty of Graduate Studies, Arab American University.