From Stones to Knives & Settler Crimes: The Innocence of Ahmad Manasrah
Investigative Report
By Ariyana Love
How Israel is framing Palestinian youth to suppress ongoing resistance to occupation, cover up settler crimes and continue the denial of Palestinian humanity
CCTV security footage indicating 13-year-old Ahmad Manasrah and 15-year-old Hassan Manasrah running with knives in Occupied East Jerusalem, has been confirmed by experts as doctored and fake, tampered with prior to release by the Israeli government, in an attempt to whitewash Hassan’s extrajudicial execution and the attempted execution of Ahmad by criminal, illegal settlers on October 12th 2015.
Below is our breaking 10-minute investigative report explaining where the security footage was doctored, concluding that there were no knives in either Ahmad or Hassan’s hands:
A private investigative firm in Canada analyzed the one and a half minute security footage frame by frame, in order to determine if it was authentic. It was a process that took over 10 hours.
In multiple places the footage was doctored and the investigator demonstrates how the two knives that were edited into the hands of Hassan and Ahmad, can be seen disappearing and reappearing repeatedly in what he told me was a “blotch job.”
The Israeli government of Tel Aviv, including Israeli border police and associated agencies along with the office for prosecution, Hadassah Hospital, Medics personnel, G4S Security and Israeli media are all complicit to crimes under miscarriage of justice in framing this child and whitewashing severe and unfathomable crimes against humanity.
Consequently the doctored video is being used to justify “attempted murder” charges against Ahmad who was lucky to survive the brutal settler attack that left his skull cracked and nearly killed him. Ahmad is being tortured in a G4S detention facility, where he is denied family visits and has endured solitary confinement and forced confessions under torture. Ahmad is now being tried as an adult by the Israeli military court in violation of international and Israeli law.
With this damning evidence against the Israeli Ministry, we can recognize the lengths to which the Ministry of Tel Aviv will go to protect the terrorist crimes of it’s illegal settlers and the lengths it will go to protect the image of “Israel” and the illegal occupation of Palestine to the eyes of the world.
The practice of incarcerating Palestinian children is an intolerable injustice and we must put an end to it.
Doctoring of Video Evidence:
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Multiple times the knives disappear and reappear in the video.
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The insertions of knives do not align appropriately with the shadows or other elements in the video.
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The video has been edited down.
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The boys are in their early teens and therefore not of a size to properly hide such large knives.
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The boys were wearing short sleeves making it impossible for them to carry knives in a hidden manner.
First frame: Knives are seen here and in the next frame begin to disappearSecond frame: Knives are already disappearing
In this image, again the knife is gone from Ahmad's hand
Graph One
Expert Debunking of Israeli Ministry Interpretation
| Time: Israeli Video | Israeli Ministry Dissemination of Events | Time: Expert Debunking | Expert Debunking of Israeli Ministry Interpretation |
| 00:03 to 00:07 | Scene 1 The terrorists look for a victim on the street while carrying knives. | Scene 1 00:00 to 00:23 | Two youths walking in short sleeves not holding or concealing knives. Building with curtains show editing and manipulation of the scene. |
| 00:08 to 01:24 | The terrorists chase a Jew who escaped after they stabbed and seriously wounded him. | 00:24 | Two youths running the opposite direction holding large knives as they approach the building with the curtains. |
| 00:26 to 01:22 | Knives disappear and reappear as the youth approach the building with the curtains in three places. | ||
| 01:23 | One youth appears to have a knife and the other youth closer to the camera does not appear to have a knife. | ||
| 01:26 | Knives disappear again. | ||
| 01:27 to 03:06 | No presence of knives at all. | ||
| 02:09 | Scene 2 The terrorists abandon their chase after their first victim and look for a Jewish victim. | Scene 2 03:26 | Knife in first youth closest to the camera appears and disappears. Knife also does not appear contiguous to shadow and other elements in the video scene.
Black square appears drawn in to cover up the hand of the first boy and also cover over the strongest section of shadow casting that would indicate a knife presence were a knife present. |
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03:43 05:11 |
Scene 3
A Jewish boy leaves a candy store and gets on his bicycle. The terrorists see the boy, stab him in the neck and critically wound him. |
Scene 3 04:42 | Video indicates editing and missing information: at time 03:57 of the Israeli video, a man is seen standing looking at his hand. At 03:58 the man is on his bike leaving the store.
Bike with man leaves the scene at 04:46 according to the Israeli video and by 05:05 a dark shadow is highlighted as the attempted stabbing. However there is no evidence of the youth(s) being present or who was actually injured/stabbed. At 04:26 on the Israeli video, a young child in a green shirt is beside the man who on the bike leaves the store, however around 05:41 on the same Israeli video, the young child in the green shirt walks out normally, but the Israeli Ministry is highlighting something else as going on – the stabbing. 06:36 the child suddenly runs back into the store. |
| 08:23 | Scene 4 One of the terrorists sees police officers, and runs towards them with a knife, attempting to hurt them. | Scene 4 05:48 to 07:48 | From 08:22 to 08:35 of the Israeli video, Hassan is running forward. It’s is clear that there is nothing in his right hand, never mind a knife.
It is possible that he hears shouting as Hassan turns his head to the left and sees the Israeli border police who are outside of the video picture. Hassan then turns his body to the left and motions to the boarder police to look in the direction he is pointing. The boarder police come into the picture. Hassan’s pointing action is not a knife. Hassan walks briskly towards the officers with his arms moving up into the surrender position The Israeli border police start shooting where shots are seen impacting the ground at 09:04-09:05. At 9:07 Hassan falls to the pavement as he has been shot to the head. Shots continue until 09:17 where it is observed that there is no knife on the ground or falling from Hassan’s hand during that period. The Israeli border police are trained in these scenarios, where their first action after disabling a suspect with a weapon when approaching, would be to kick the weapon away. Clearly this does not happen. |
| Summary
07:48 to 10:29 NB. Black Square 08:03 |
Summary again of the video debunking and proof that the video is doctored.
Black square added to video that appears drawn in to cover up the hand of the first boy and also cover the strongest section of the shadow casting that would indicate a knife presence, if there were a knife. |
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It’s worth noting that Ahmad’s family requested to see the entire CCTV security footage uncut, however the Israeli court refused. Why would they refuse direct evidence to the Manasrah boys supposed crime, or their innocence?
At no point does the footage actually show a stabbing. But it does show an extrajudicial execution of Hassan, by Israeli boarder police. The entire Israeli occupation system misrepresented Hassan’s execution as a “terrorist attack” carried out by two children.
There were two Israeli’s supposedly stabbed that day, an Israeli child named Na’or and a man named Yousef Twaito. According to Ahmad’s lawyers, they have seen the medical reports of the supposed victims. Medical reports produced by an Israeli hospital that medically tortured Ahmad. Hadassah Hospital also gave Ahmad a potent drug that induces strong “memory loss,” according to Ahmad’s uncle. Yousef testified in court to being stabbed, but told he could not identify Ahmad as his attacker. Even according to Israeli law, if a victim cannot identify their attacker then that person’s testimony is not valid evidence to link the accused to the crime.
In this eyewitness video below, we see the first few moments after the near-fatal attack on Ahmad by the mob of armed settler men. At first, only settlers are gathered around Ahmad and many of them have weapons in their hands. While Ahmad was still unconscious, they are seen kicking the boy relentlessly. Boarder Police arrive in minutes and they started forcing the settlers to back away from the unconscious boy.
A woman is heard screaming, clearly traumatized by what she has witnessed. A settler exchanges words with a boarder police who arrives, then the two run quickly past the eyewitness who is filming. The eye witness follows them with his camera. The settler is pointing, indicating a direction to the police man who puts his hand on his gun and runs in that direction. He is seen turning the corner onto another street to the right.
Could that be the same boarder police who chased down and extra-judicially executed Hassan?
There is a second CCTV security camera footage of Hassan’s execution, which is 16 seconds long. I obtained that footage from Lea Tsemel, Ahmad’s Israeli lawyer. It is also being used as “evidence” against Ahmad. After analysis, the investigative firm informed me that footage is also doctored and fake. There is no knife in Hassan’s hand during the time of his execution.
Summary of Events
October 12th, 2015:
Ahmad and Hassan Manasrah were walking to take a bus in East Jerusalem. Soon after, a cell phone video emerged on social media, which shocked the world. A mob of criminal settlers who attacked Ahmad and filmed him, are heard repeatedly articulating in both Arabic and Hebrew for Ahmad to “die, die son of a whore” and “die son of 66 whores.”
After the boarder police arrived, the settlers continued to say even more chilling words in Hebrew that has not been translated prior to this report:
00:48 “Give him a bullet in the head, the son of a whore!”
00:58. “They should be murdered!”
01:22 and 01:24 “Give him one in the head! Give it to him!” (Meaning bullet).
01:27 “Did they shoot him, the son of a whore?” And the individual holding the camera reassures him “They shot him, they shot him.”
01:48 “Give him one in the head! Give it to him.”
02:04 “Give him one in the head. Do me a favor, give it to him.”
The Israeli police executed Hassan at relatively the same time and near the same location as Ahmad’s attack and later fabricated the story that Hassan was running at the police with a knife, but video footage proves otherwise. The Israeli Ministry claims to have found knives at the scene of both Hassan’s execution and Ahmad’s brutal attack, knives that had the DNA of the supposed victims and the boy’s fingerprints on them. But again, video evidence proves there were no knives at the scene. This puts into question the motives of the Israeli Ministry for sending 50 fully suited and armed Israeli “Special Forces” to torture Ahmad’s family October 14th.
Ahmad was medically tortured and denied immediate medical attention for 25 minutes; although footage proves trained medics and an Israeli ambulance were at the scene within minutes after the attack. Finally, when it was clear that Ahmad was not going to bleed to death, the boy was taken to Rothschild-Hadassah University Hospital, across the green line and border into West Jerusalem. Other than attempted murder and medical torture, taking Ahmad across the Green Line is an illegal act under the Geneva Conventions and constitutes a war crime as specified in Graph One below.
Palestinians (also children) are treated with disdain by the Israeli society and there are many documented cases proving that it’s a common practice in the Israeli society, to leave a Palestinian child or adult to bleed to death. That is also extrajudicial execution.
October 13th, 2015:
Israel initiates a new “shoot to kill” policy that Eran Efrati, former IDF soldier and founder of Breaking the Silence is able to leak from an inside contact. This policy allows Israeli police to intervene and kill Palestinians who are being chased by armed settlers before the settlers can kill the Palestinians so as the kill “looks more official if a soldier in uniform kills a Palestinian” rather than a criminal settler ‘civilian.’
This policy was enforced, to further protect the image of Israeli settlers and keep their crimes out of the media. Also, to hide the fact that many illegal settlers are from Western countries. 15% of the 650,000 illegal settlers are American. Their willful presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories violates international law, making them absolute criminals. Furthermore, their deliberate targeting of native Palestinians is encouraged through the Ministry’s public incitement and government policy such as the “shoot to kill” policy. Settler crimes are never investigated, except in the case of the Dawabshe arson attack last year, where settlers burned an entire family alive while they slept. The investigation was closed and the terrorists released without charges.
October 14th, 2015:
50 fully armed Israeli Special Forces violently stormed the home of Ahmed Manasrah in Beit Hanina. They gathered the families from the six-story building into one room, while they searched all six floors, brutally attacking Ahmad’s 17-year-old brother, Ibrahim Manasrah. Ibrahim was beaten with rifle butts to the face, chest and hands; fracturing his bones in many places and bruising him all over his body. He was then abducted and taken through the Israeli military court system, despite his age. Ibrahim’s lawyer affirmed that no one could believe that a 17-year-old boy could attack 50 members of the Israeli Special Forces, as they claimed he did.
October 14th, 2015:
President Abbas mistakes the execution of Hassan and publicly accuses Israel of executing Ahmad. The Israeli media ridiculed Abbas for his mistake, in an effort to deflect the horrific extrajudicial execution of Hassan, which was no less barbaric than had Ahmad been killed.
October 14th, 2015:
The Israeli Ministry released doctored footage that showed Ahmad and Hassan running with knives which has now been proven as fake.
More evidence of violations to Ahmad and his family members:
October 15th, 2015:
An agent of the Israeli Ministry visited Ahmad at Hadassah Hospital in Occupied Jerusalem secretly filming him, without permission. The Ministry then uploaded the video on their government press office YouTube channel to dispute Palestinian president Abbas’s claim that Ahmad was executed and to furthermore show that Ahmad is being treated “well”. Up to this point, the Israeli government was psychologically torturing Ahmad’s parents by refusing to tell them if he was alive or dead.
October 15th, 2015:
Ahmad’s Palestinian lawyer, Tariq Barghouth, released a recorded statement on video, revealing that the Ministry had lied and in fact Ahmad was enduring medical torture by the Hadassah hospital staff. Bargouth also announced that Ahmad was threatened by the Ministry’s agent who told Ahmad they would demolish his family’s home. We believe that was the first instance whereby the Israeli “authorities” tried to force a confession from the child.
October 16th, 2015:
Israeli Physicians for Human Rights slammed the Hadassah Hospital for releasing a photo of Ahmad, a minor, which appeared in Israeli press, stating: “The fact that it is a photo of a minor in custody who was photographed without his parents’ permission” is a violation of juvenile law and privacy laws”
October 16th, 2015:
Euro-Med Monitor releases an investigative report they presented at Geneva on the innocence of Ahmad. Their statement read:
“Thirteen-year-old Ahmed Manasrah, who was run over by a car (by who?) and beaten with sticks and metal pipes, then deprived of any medical care for 25 minutes. The Israelis claimed he tried to attack their soldiers, but video recordings show otherwise. Instead, he is seen lying on the ground, bleeding and calling for help.”
October 18th, 2015:
Still denied visitation from parents, Ahmad was released from Hadassah Hospital and taken to a detention facility, across the Green Line (war crime).
November 9th, 2015:
Video footage of an illegal interrogation of Ahmad was leaked by Israel. The interrogation with translation begins at 0:15 of the video. An Israeli police officer is seen trying to force a confession from Ahmad by intimidation, threats, and escalating abusive language that define torture of a minor. Ahmad insists he is innocent and repeatedly says, “I don’t remember” when confronted with false allegations. Shown the doctored footage of himself and Hassan running with knives in their hands, he says, “Wallahi (I swear by God), it’s all fabricated.”
November to December to January 2016:
Israel manages to push Ahmad’s trial back, waiting for him to turn 14-years-old so they could put him on trial as an adult, which they did. Even Israeli law states thataminor child age 13 years cannot be tried as an adult, but more importantly, Ahmad is a resident of East Jerusalem and therefore not subject to Israeli law. Furthermore the UN Covenant of the Rights of the Child states anyone under 18 years of age is a child and cannot be triedas an adult. International law, including laws under armed conflict clearly define further violations of Ahmad’s rights and supports a miscarriage of justice by the Israeli authorities.
November 11th, 2015:
The Palestinian Authority announces they will give the leaked interrogation video of Ahmad to the ICC, as part of systematic torture of Palestinian prisoners including children, youth and young people.
March 11th, 2016:
US VP Joe Biden releases statement: Israel Cannot Stop Violence through Physical Force Alone
Meanwhile Israel asks US for an increase to $5 billion a year in military aid before and during Biden’s visit.
March 17th, 2016:
Video evidence against Ahmad and his cousin Hassan is revealed as doctored.
Graph Two
A Complete List of the Human Rights Violations Against Ahmad Manasrah and International Law
October 12, 2015: Ahmad Manasarah with his cousin Hassan, while walking to a bus stop in East Jerusalem were shot and chased by a gang of criminal Israeli settlers resulting in Hassan’s execution, and near-fatal injuries to Ahmad. Hassan was shot in the head with kill shots. Ahmad ‘s wounds were inflicted by settlers, who beat him with a metal rod, wooden sticks and ran him over with a vehicle. Medics and police denied medical assistance and also threatened him with execution. |
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| Ahmad 13 years | Hassan 15 years | Rights Violations |
| As a child | As a child | UN-Covenant of the Rights of the Child
Articles 1 through 54 Obligations of States failing to protect Palestinian children from Israel · Article 2: Non-discrimination · Article 3: Best interests · Article 6: Right to life and optimum development · Article 12: Participation |
| As an occupied citizen | As an occupied citizen | 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949
Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Part I – General Provisions Part II – General Protection of Populations against Certain Consequences of War Part III – Status and Treatment of Protected Persons Sections 1, II, and III Articles 1 through 78 Laws of Armed Conflict (LAOC), 4 Basic Principles Article 1, Distinction: “In order to ensure respect for and protection of the civilian population and civilian objects, the Parties to the conflict shall at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants and between civilian objects and military objectives and accordingly shall direct their operations only against military objectives.” 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949 Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), 8 June 1977. Article 48: The only legitimate object of attack in an armed conflict is military personnel or property. This does not mean that civilians cannot be legally harmed or killed under the law only that civilians and civilian property should not be the object or the purpose of the attack. |
| Right to not be executed as a protected person | Right to not be executed as a protected person | 4th Geneva Conventions
Universal Declaration of Human Rights Laws of Armed Conflict International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights The Rome Statute |
| Right to medical care | Right to medical care | 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949
For the Amelioration of the Condition of the Wounded and Sick in Armed Forces in the Field Chapter II: Wounded and the Sick Article 13 |
| Right to be respected as a child | Right to be respected as a child | UN-Covenant of the Rights of the Child
Articles 1 through 54 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949 Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Part III – Status and Treatment of Protected Persons Sections III: Article 50 Rule 47. Attacks against Persons Hors de Combat Rule 47. Attacking persons who are recognized as hors de combat is prohibited. A person hors de combat is: (a) anyone who is in the power of an adverse party; (b) anyone who is defenceless because of unconsciousness, shipwreck, wounds or sickness; or (c) anyone who clearly expresses an intention to surrender; provided he or she abstains from any hostile act and does not attempt to escape. Laws of Armed Conflict (LAOC), 4 Basic Principles Article 3. Military Necessity:“…[E]very injury done to the enemy, even though permitted by the rules, is excusable only so far as it is absolutely necessary; everything beyond that is criminal.” |
| Right not to be targeted with a kill shot | Right not to be targeted with a kill shot | Laws of Armed Conflict (LAOC), 4 Basic Principles
Article 4, Unnecessary Suffering: “It is prohibited to employ
weapons, projectiles and materials and methods of warfare of a nature to
cause superfluous injury or unnecessary suffering.” Additional Protocol I, Article 35.2 |
| Right to an investigation
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Right to an investigation | Laws of Compliance
Article 1 common to the Geneva Conventions, i.e. states’ obligation
to “ensure respect” for international humanitarian law and Article 89 of
Additional Protocol I Obligation to investigate Rule 158. Prosecution of War Crimes Rule 158. States must investigate war crimes allegedly committed by their nationals or armed forces, or on their territory, and, if appropriate, prosecute the suspects. They must also investigate other war crimes over which they have jurisdiction and, if appropriate, prosecute the suspects. UN Convention Against Torture, 1984 Article 7 |
| Right not to be medically tortured through refusal to administer or delay immediate first aid | Hippocratic Oath to do no harm:
“I will prescribe regimens for the good of my patients according to
my ability and my judgment” and “to never deliberately do harm to
anyone, for anyone else’s interest.” Ethical principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. UN Convention Against Torture Applies to medical personnel, in addition to law enforcement officers, military personnel, politicians, and other persons acting in an official capacity; also prohibits the use of torture under any circumstance. Under Article 2(2): No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture. The UN Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UN.1982) applies specifically to medical and other health workers but it has no implementation mechanism to ensure enforcement. It is up to state, provincial, and national bodies to enforce the standards in the document. |
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| Right to not be:
· Verbally abused · Threatened with violence · Threatened with death · Physically abused |
UN-Covenant of the Rights of the Child
UN Convention Against Torture 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949 |
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| Right to remain in East Jerusalem | 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949
Convention (IV): Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Section II: Final Provisions Annex I. Draft Agreement Relating to Hospital and Safety Zones and Localities Chapter II: Places of Internment Chapter IX: Penal and Disciplinary Sanctions |
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| Right to not be medically tortured:
· Handcuffed 24/7 · Denied food · Washroom facilities |
Convention on Torture The UN Principles of Medical Ethics relevant to the Role of Health Personnel, particularly Physicians, in the Protection of Prisoners and Detainees against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (UN.1982) applies specifically to medical and other health workers but it has no implementation mechanism to ensure enforcement. It is up to state, provincial, and national bodies to enforce the standards in the document. | |
| Right to not be subjected to:
· Abusive language · Threats · Physical assault including spitting |
Right to not be subjected to:
· Abusive language · Threats Physical assault including spitting |
4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949
Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Children: Article 50 The Occupying Power shall not hinder the application of any preferential measures in regard to food, medical care and protection against the effects of war, which may have been adopted prior to the occupation in favour of children under fifteen years, expectant mothers, and mothers of children under seven years. |
| Right to:
· Instruction on rights UN-CRC · Access to family · Access to lawyer · To stay in EJ |
UN-Covenant of the Rights of the Child
Articles 1 through 54 UN Convention Against Torture 4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949 |
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| Right to not be detained
Rights as an [illegal] detainee |
4th Geneva Conventions, August 1949
Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War Section IV – Regulations for the Treatment of Internees Chapters 1 through 12 |
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| Right to not be forced to sign confession or testify against oneself | Practice Relating to Rule 100. Fair Trial Guarantees
Section J. Compelling accused persons to testify against themselves or to confess guilt Geneva Convention III Article 99: No moral or physical coercion may be exerted on a prisoner of war in order to induce him to admit himself guilty of the act of which he is accused. Additional Protocol I, Article 75(4)(f): No one shall be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt. Additional Protocol II, Article 6(2)(f): [N]o one shall be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1969 Article 14(3)(g): Everyone is entitled to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality: … not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt. Convention on the Rights of the Child Article 40(2)(b)(iv): Every child alleged as or accused of having infringed the penal law has at least the following guarantees: … not to be compelled to give testimony or to confess guilt. ICC Statute Article 55(1)(a): In respect of an investigation under this Statute, a person … shall not be compelled to incriminate himself or herself or to confess guilt. Article 67(1): In the determination of any charge, the accused shall be entitled … to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality: … (g) Not to be compelled to testify or to confess guilt and to remain silent, without such silence being a consideration in the determination of guilt or innocence. Body of Principles: Protection of All Persons under Any Form of Detention or Imprisonment Principle 21: It shall be prohibited to take undue advantage of the situation of a detained or imprisoned person for the purpose of compelling him to confess, to incriminate himself otherwise or to testify against any other person. ILC Draft Code: Crimes against the Peace &Z Security of Mankind, 1991 Article 8(h) provides that an individual charged with a crime against the peace and security of mankind has the right “not to be compelled to testify against himself or to confess guilt”. |
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| Right to not be subjected to miscarriage of justice | Right to not be subjected to miscarriage of justice | Fabricated evidence submitted to media
Translation fabricated to mislead public Prosecutorial, Police misconduct Selective, Malicious prosecution Selective enforcement Abuse of process Spoliations of evidence Geneva Conventions (1949) Article 49 of the 1949 Geneva Convention I Article 50 of the 1949 Geneva Convention II Article 129 of the 1949 Geneva Convention III and Article 146 of the 1949 Geneva Convention IV Additional Protocol I: Article 85(1) |
Editors Note:
Middle East Rising would like to thank the Jordan advocacy group who ran the #FreeAhmadManasrah campaign, for their joint effort to assist us in this investigation.
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