Updates

Open-Fire Policy

Border Police officer shoots into car and injures three passengers, one loses eye

On 5 Aug. 2020, Israeli Border Police officers stopped a car with three Palestinian passengers in the village of al-‘Aqrabaniyah. An officer shot at the windshield, hitting ‘Abd a-Rahman Jbarah in the head. Jbarah lost one eye and may lose sight in the other. The other passengers were injured by glass shards, briefly interrogated and released. Opening fatal fire although the passengers posed no danger is unlawful and unjustifiable, and the investigation reportedly launched is part of the whitewashing mechanism that enables these acts to recur.

14 October 2020

Administrative Detention

Israel to High Court: Dying Palestinian Still a Security Risk

For nearly 80 days, Maher al-Akhras (49), a Palestinian father of six from the Jenin area, has been on hunger strike to protest an administrative detention order issued against him from early Aug. through 26 Nov. 2020. Although he is on the brink of death, the High Court is avoiding a decision and again cooperating with Israel’s appalling refusal to release him, as in previous cases. The responsibility for what happens next lies with all those who could have prevented al-Akhras’ deterioration and can still prevent his death.

12 October 2020

A Routine Founded on Violence

Soldiers again raid Abu Hashhash home, beat two family members and take one to detention on a stretcher

In late August 2020, dozens of Israeli soldiers again raided the home of the extended Abu Hashhash family at night, assaulting several members. They severely beat father of 4 Iyad Abu Hashhash and carried him away on a stretcher. His relatives later learned he had contracted the coronavirus in an interrogation facility and been quarantined, and then put in administrative detention for 4 months. Raiding Palestinian homes at night and waking entire families, including young children, is part of the violent occupation routine.

12 October 2020

A Routine Founded on Violence

Israeli officer attacks Palestinian demonstrator, kneels on his neck and prevents his evacuation at gunfire

On 1 Sep. 2020, during a Palestinian march against expropriation of land from the villages of Shufah and a-Ras to establish the Bustanei Hefetz industrial zone, a military officer pushed a protestor to the ground and kneeled on his neck. When other protestors got the man into a car, the officer smashed the driver’s window and threatened to shoot him. As usual, the military justified this conduct, as part of Israel’s sweeping ban on Palestinians’ right to protest and its automatic backing of security forces’ violence against Palestinians.

24 September 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Soldiers ambush Palestinians teens about to plant IED, kill one and injure two

On the night of 19 Aug. 2020, Israeli soldiers lying in ambush by a road near the Palestinian village of Deir Abu Mash'al opened live fire at three teens about to set a gas balloon and car tires on fire, killing Muhammad Matar, 16, and injuring the other two. Media reports indicate that the military has decided to prevent "attempts to plant IEDs" in the area with lethal fire. This unlawful, immoral conduct cannot be justified. After demanding the parents identify a picture of their dead son, Israel refused to release his body.

23 September 2020

Settler Violence = State Violence

August in ‘Asirah al-Qibliyah: Settlers and soldiers repeatedly invade village and attack residents

In August 2020, settlers attacked homes and property in ‘Asirah al-Qibliyah several times, escorted by soldiers who did nothing to protect the Palestinians. Residents of the village, surrounded by settlements, have been suffering from repeated settler assaults for years. Among many occurring throughout the West Bank, these attacks form part of an established Israeli policy that does not deem settler violence against Palestinians as criminal or illegitimate acts.

18 September 2020

The Gaza Strip

Plunged into despair: How Israel's policy affects Gazan families that depend on fishing for a living

On 12 August 2020, Israel reduced southern Gaza’s fishing range from 15 to eight nautical miles, officially because explosive-laden balloons had been launched from Gaza into Israel. On 16 August 2020, Israel banned access to the Gaza sea, and on 2 September 2020, reopened the fishing zone to 15 nautical miles. This restriction is one of several that Israel has imposed for years on the Gazan fishing industry, leading to its near collapse and subjecting fishermen to perilous working conditions and abject poverty.

7 September 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Soldiers shoot at Palestinian teens suspected of throwing Molotov cocktail and kill passerby

On the night of 9 July 2020, Israeli soldiers chased two Palestinian teens who had thrown a firebomb at a military watchtower by the entrance to Kifl Hares, a village near Salfit. While in pursuit, the soldiers opened fire and injured one of them. B’Tselem’s investigation found that one of the shots killed passerby Ibrahim Abu Ya'qub (34), out for an evening stroll. This shocking case demonstrates the expendability of Palestinian lives for Israel, as the soldiers opened fire regardless of the danger of shooting within a civilian community.

1 September 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Soldiers plant explosives on outskirts of Palestinian village day before weekly protests

On 20 August 2020, residents of Kafr Qadum discovered camouflaged IEDs planted by soldiers in an area where weekly protests take place on the outskirts of the village. When a resident examined one of the devices, it exploded and wounded him lightly. Responding to a Ha’aretz reporter, the military admitted planting the devices as a deterrent. The military’s well-documented, violent oppression of these demonstrations forms an illegal formal policy of denying residents the legitimate right to protest violation of their rights.

30 August 2020

A Routine Founded on Violence

Soldiers assault Hebron resident at flying checkpoint, mocking and beating him severely

On 23 June 2020, around midnight, soldiers stopped a car at a flying checkpoint outside Hebron and ordered the driver, Mu’tasem Qawasmeh, 24, and the two friends who were with him to get out and stand by the side of the road. They then assaulted Qawasmeh while keeping his friends from intervening. The assault ended when a military jeep arrived. Qawasmeh said: “I got home at 4:00 A.M. My wife and son were awake, waiting for me. I hugged my son and burst out crying. I was exhausted and felt helpless.”

20 August 2020

The Gaza Strip

Water in Gaza: Scarce, polluted and mostly unfit for use

Some 2 million Gazans suffer from a constant shortage of water, which gets worse in summer. The tap water is salty, polluted and undrinkable. Much has been written about Gaza’s water crisis and collapsing infrastructure under the Israeli blockade. Here, five Gazans describe their unbearable daily reality: the endless pursuit of water, the damage the salty water causes to their physical and mental health and to their belongings, and the financial burden of buying drinking water they can barely afford.

18 August 2020

A Routine Founded on Violence

Occupation routine: Soldiers raid two homes in al-Fawwar Refugee Camp, assault family and destroy fuse box in workshop

On 25 June and 7 July 2020, dozens of soldiers raided two homes of the Abu Hashhsash family in al-Fawwar R.C. under the pretext of searching for three family members. In one home, soldiers attacked family members, and in another, they beat a minor and set a dog on him and on other relatives. In both cases, the ISA threatened the soldiers would return unless the wanted persons turned themselves in.

6 August 2020

Hebron City Center

Hebron, 25 June 2020: Soldiers order Palestinian to strip; one aims loaded gun at woman and children and threatens to shoot bystanders

On Thursday, 25 June 2020, soldiers detained Walid Ghazal on his way to work in central Hebron and, for no apparent reason, ordered him at gunpoint to undress. Ghazal took his top shirt off, but the soldiers insisted he strip completely in public. After relatives intervened and other soldiers arrived, he was taken to a police station, where he was detained for three hours. This case is not an exception; it is part of the violent routine of physical and verbal abuse that Israeli security forces impose on Palestinians throughout the West Bank.

29 July 2020

Settler Violence = State Violence

B’Tselem investigation: Settlers assault Palestinians and file false reports against them; military arrests the victims

State-backed settler violence against Palestinians has become a routine part of the occupation. In two cases documented in March and April, settlers not only harmed Palestinians and their property but claimed the victims had been the ones to attack them. Settlers are backed by the military and receive nearly automatic impunity, while Palestinians are guilty until proven innocent. If a settler files a report against a Palestinian, the latter is immediately arrested and given high bail for conditional release – even when there is no evidence.

22 July 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Soldiers summoned by settlers fire at Palestinian family harvesting clover near Turmusaya

On 25 May 2020, Israeli media reported that two Palestinians had tried to stab soldiers in the West Bank. B’Tselem’s investigation found that, in fact, a settler had called soldiers claiming that Palestinians were attacking settlers. When the soldiers arrived, they opened fire without warning at farmers who were uninvolved in any alleged clashes, injuring two. The policy of collusion between settlers and the military assists the dispossession of Palestinians, who are afraid to enter their land for fear of violent attacks.

15 July 2020

House demolition

Photo Blog: If You Build It, They Will Come

While the news are full of the plans to annex the West bank and legalize construction in settlements – Israel is busy creating facts on the ground, as usual. Annexation or not, Israel has been demolishing homes in the West Bank and trying to drive Palestinians out of their homes for decades. These attempts to take over the coveted land are carried out in utter indifference to the severe damage to Palestinians’ property, livelihood, water and power supply infrastructure they set up themselves, and their ability to plan their lives.

12 July 2020

The Gaza Strip

"We used to employ 70 people": the story of the Sharaf Factory, Gaza

This is the story of one factory – the Sharaf Gas-Pipe and Metalwork Factory. It is the story of its owner, Yusef Rabah Sharaf, who still remembers the days when orders used to flow in. It is also the story of two of his employees, ‘Ata Abu ‘Areban and Khalil Abu ‘Amarneh, who no longer remember what a monthly wage looks like. The Sharaf Factory is one of many Palestinian businesses to have collapsed due to Israel's blockade on the Gaza Strip since 2007.

29 June 2020

In chilling procedure, soldiers ambush Palestinian laborers, shoot them and break arm of 15-year-old

Since early May, B’Tselem has documented 4 cases in which soldiers ambushed Palestinian laborers trying to enter Israel through gaps in the Separation Barrier south of Tulkarm and shot them in the legs, and another case in which soldiers severely beat a 15-year-old in similar circumstances. In a chilling procedure, four of the wounded were given first aid and photographed at a nearby checkpoint before being taken to hospital.

18 June 2020

A Routine Founded on Violence

Occupation routine: Military repeatedly commandeers teachers’ housing complex near Nablus for training

Since 2012, the Israeli military has treated the Palestinian residential complex northwest of Nablus as training grounds to use at will. Soldiers enter at any given time, fire live ammunition and stun grenades among homes and sleep in them, completely disregarding the fact that they are on hard-earned private property. The military treats the residents as pawns in a war game who can be detained, assaulted by dogs, their homes searched and their children woken in the middle of the night, as part of a “training routine”.

10 June 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Another military incursion into a refugee camp, another teen egregiously killed

On 13 May 2020, during a military incursion into al-Fawar Refugee Camp, a sniper shot and killed Zeid Qeysiyah (17), who was standing on a rooftop without endangering anyone, far from the clashes between camp residents and soldiers. While the IDF spokesperson stated that the MPIU has launched an investigation, years of experience show that the goal is not to uncover the truth but to serve the MAG Corps’ whitewashing mechanism. This policy allows the lethal, unlawful, immoral shooting of Palestinians to continue unchecked.

9 June 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Even during a pandemic: Soldiers shoot holes in water tanks at Kafr Qadum

In recent weeks, Israeli soldiers have deliberately fired at water tanks in Kafr Qadum during weekly protests held against the closure of the village’s eastern exit. Since April, soldiers have punctured at least 24 tanks on rooftops. This is sheer abuse and constitutes collective punishment for protesting. This conduct is especially grave given the high level of hygiene needed to fight the coronavirus. The shooting continues unbated, indicating support by commanders in the field and conveying disregard for residents’ lives and property.

27 May 2020

Restrictions on Movement

Let Laith Go!Let Laith Go! Human rights organizations to Israeli government: Lift movement restrictions against Amnesty International employee

We stand in solidarity with our colleague from Amnesty International, Laith Abu Zeyad, and demand that Israel lift the movement restrictions barring him from leaving the Occupied Territories. His petition will be heard on 31 May 2020. Targeting Abu Zeyad is yet another example of Israel’s increased persecution and punishment of human rights organizations in recent years.

26 May 2020

East Jerusalem

New B'Tselem report reveals chronology of Israeli landgrab, abuse and violence in the Palestinian neighborhood of al-‘Esawiyah

The report "This is Jerusalem: Violence and Dispossession in al-‘Esawiyah" describes life in the Palestinian neighborhood of al-‘Esawiyah 53 years after East Jerusalem was annexed to Israel. Over the past year, al-‘Esawiyah has become a flashpoint due to a police operation designed primarily to harass residents. In the report, B'Tselem analyzes Israel’s policy of dispossession, deliberate neglect, lack of planning and police violence in the neighborhood, which is an extreme example of its actions throughout East Jerusalem.

19 May 2020