Updates

Communities Facing Expulsion

Who’s the real criminal here?

This morning, 4 July 2018, Israel continued implementing its policy of transferring Palestinian communities: In Khan al-Ahmar the Civil Administration began paving an access road to facilitate transferring the community. In the nearby Abu a-Nuwar, the CA demolished 9 homes and 3 farm buildings, leaving 62 people homeless. The CA came to Susiya, apparently to plan the demolition of 7 structures. Israel claims it is merely enforcing the law, on building without permits. But the residents are not criminals: Israel denies them any way of obtaining construction permits and creates unbearable living conditions, hoping they leave - ostensibly of their own volition - so that it can take over their lands. Transferring communities in a war crime; no court ruling or military order can whitewash it.

4 July 2018

Open-Fire Policy

Fatally shot though posing no danger: Israeli soldier shot ‘Iz a-Din Tamimi from behind; he was fleeing after throwing a stone at the soldier

On 6 June 2018 Israeli soldiers entered the Palestinian village of a-Nabi Saleh. Two young men threw stones at a soldier, and one stone apparently struck his helmet. The young men fled, but one of them, ‘Iz a-Din Tamimi, was hit in the back and died soon after. This lethal shooting was unlawful and unjustified, but no one will be held to account. The media reported that the Military Police has opened an investigation, but experience shows that this is intended solely to deflect criticism of the military and will almost certainly end without any results.

3 July 2018

Settler Violence = State Violence

Soldiers joined settlers assaulting Palestinians in ‘Urif, shot at residents, and beat several with rifle butts

On 2 June 2018, after settlers assaulted a shepherd aged 71 just outside the village of ‘Urif, clashes erupted with local residents. Soldiers who arrived on the scene joined the settlers, throwing stun and teargas grenades, firing “rubber” bullets, and beating several Palestinians with their rifle butts. This incident is not exceptional: such attacks take place routinely, with the full support of senior officers and government ministers, and no effort is made to stop or prevent them.

27 June 2018

Communities Facing Expulsion

Military orders all 103 residents of Khirbet Humsah to evacuate from 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM

At 6:00 AM today, the entire community of Khirbet Humsah, 16 families, 103 people, including a baby and a child with Down Syndrome, was forced to evacuate on orders of the Israeli Civil Administration, allegedly for military training. The families, five of which have been temporarily displaced four times this year, will have to stay away until 8:00 P.M. Frequent military exercises are one way Israel is creating impossible living conditions meant to drive residents of Palestinian communities in the Jordan Valley and Area C overall to leave their homes, as if by choice.

26 June 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Israeli soldiers set dogs on elderly Palestinians and teenagers in their homes in Jenin R.C.

Early on the morning of 7 May 2018, soldiers came with attack dogs to Jenin R.C. and entered two homes. The soldiers used the dogs to assault four of the occupants, including a teenaged boy and a man over 70. Military night raids on homes have long since become part of the violent routine of occupation. In this case, the soldiers even used attack dogs, and then exhibited marked indifference to those injured. This conduct is not a local initiative. It is part of the Israeli military’s policy in the West Bank. Therefore, as in other cases, no one will be called to account.

18 June 2018

Planning Policy in the West Bank

Israel lifts last veil disguising its West Bank planning policy

On 17 June, a new military order removing any option for Palestinians to challenge demolition orders against their homes will go into effect. This is a new phase in Israel’s planning and building policy in the West Bank, which is aimed at denying Palestinian development and taking over land for Israeli needs. Removing the façade of judicial review over demolitions indicates Israel’s plan to accelerate dispossession and a conviction that it will not be called to task over this either internationally or locally.

14 June 2018

Communities Facing Expulsion

Over 300 public figures from around the world: Forcible transfer of Khan al-Ahmar community a war crime

Over 300 elected officials, legal scholars, academics, artists, faith leaders, and activists from around the world and Israel published an open letter voicing opposition to Israel’s plans to forcibly transfer thousands of Palestinians living in farming-shepherding communities in the West Bank. The letter focuses on Khan al-Ahmar in particular, a community under imminent threat of demolition and forcible transfer.

11 June 2018

Hebron City Center

Video: Israeli soldiers raid the Da’na home in Hebron at night and wake the famil

On 14 May 2018 at 11:40 P.M., soldiers entered the home of the extended Da’na family (40 people in total) in the al-Hariqah neighborhood of Hebron and woke the inhabitants. They demanded the children be woken and claimed to be seeking stone-throwers. The soldiers left at midnight. About an hour later, another force arrived and took up a position on the roof until 6:00 A.M. With the settlement of Kiryat Arba nearby, the Da’na family and other area residents suffer frequent harassment by settlers and security forces.

10 June 2018

No Accountability

B’Tselem on decision by State Attorney’s Office in Samir ‘Awad case: Attorney General and MAG will find way to whitewash any crime

B’Tselem sharply criticizes Israel’s Military Advocate General (MAG) Corps for its decision to withdraw the indictments in the case of 16-year-old Palestinian Samir ‘Awad, killed by soldiers when they shot him in the back and head while he was caught between barbed wire fences. No crime against Palestinians lies beyond the ability of Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit and MAG Sharon Afek to whitewash.

10 June 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Daily life under occupation, village of al-Mughayir, Ramallah District: Soldier enter homes, keep people confined for hours

Soldiers entered four homes in al-Mughayir, Ramallah District, on two nights in March and April, waking the entire household, including little children, and kept people confined for hours in their home for hours, monitoring their every movement. They also confined anyone who came to the door. At gunpoint, the soldiers forced a resident to carry out the “neighbor procedure.” Testimonies indicate a severe violation of residents’ privacy and rights. These objectionable actions show how easily Israeli soldiers can disrupt the lives of Palestinians who remain defenseless even in their own homes.

6 June 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Israeli soldiers harassing Palestinian students at entrance to al-‘Arrub campus for past 6 months

Since 7 Dec. 2017, soldiers have patrolled daily near the main gate to the al-‘Arrub campus of the Palestinian Technical University and detained students. Therefore, students – including those from the nearby al-‘Arrub R.C. – now take detours to enter the campus via other gates and so avoid the soldiers. This harassment infringes upon students’ rights to move freely, study and maintain ordinary social ties. For the hundreds of students on campus, basic rights are subject to the whims of the military, which views them as privileges that can be revoked at random, with no accountability.

5 June 2018

Communities Facing Expulsion

Despite Ramadan fast: Civil Administration temporarily evacuates 5 families

Yesterday, 4 June 2018, around midday, Israeli Civil Administration officials arrived at the community of Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley and handed temporary evacuation orders to five Palestinians families who were already displaced from their homes three times in the last two months. The families were ordered to vacate their homes today, 5 June, from 6 o’clock in the morning until noon, allegedly for the purpose of military training nearby. This morning, Civil Administration officials and a military detail came to the community and accompanied the families, who evacuated on their own – some by car and others on foot. All 29 family members – 19 of whom are minors, including an infant and a child with Down syndrome – had to again go with some of their livestock to a secluded area about ten kilometers from home and wait there, maintaining the Ramadan fast with no shelter, until receiving permission to return home.

5 June 2018

Open-Fire Policy

Thus shall it be done: How Israel punishes boys for protesting their confinement to Gaza

Since 30 March 2018, at protests near the Gaza fence, over 3,600 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli live gunfire, and dozens – incl. at least 12 minors – have been killed. Gaza’s healthcare system, already failing after a decade under Israeli blockade, cannot provide them the care they need. Rehabilitation options are also few and too expensive for most. Israel is responsible for this situation: it ordered the unlawful shooting, brought the Gazan healthcare system to the verge of collapse and is denying rehabilitation, in or out of Gaza. These are the stories of three boys who were injured. Two have lost a leg. Their lives will never be the same.

31 May 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Just because of their name: Israel punishing hundreds of Palestinians by preventing them from working in Israel

Over the last year, the Civil Administration revoked permits to work in Israel or settlements from hundreds of Palestinians who share the family name of an attack perpetrator. The workers and their families depend upon these permits, which were revoked months ago and have not been returned. This is yet another example of Israel’s arbitrary actions in the West Bank, which governs the Palestinians’ lives and form part of organized state violence aimed at perpetuating Israeli control over a civil population that is denied political rights.

28 May 2018

Communities Facing Expulsion

Israel’s Supreme Court greenlights state to commit war crime; if implemented, the justices will also be liable

On Thursday, 24 May 2018, three Israeli Supreme Court justices – Noam Sohlberg, Anat Baron and Yael Willner – ruled that the state may demolish the homes of the community of Khan al-Ahmar, transfer the residents from their homes and relocate them. This ruling removes the last stumbling block in Israel’s way in the matter, lifting the impediment which had thus far served to defer the transfer of the community, a war crime under international law. While it is a policy shaped by the government, the justices – here as well as in other cases – pitched in and paved the road to the commission of a war crime. Personal liability for the commission of this crime will fall not only on policy-makers. Those who paved the juridical route enabling the crime are equally liable.

27 May 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Photo Blog: Life in the shadow of the settlement of Beit El

Over the past six months, B’Tselem carried out a special project documenting how the settlement of Beit El, established in 1977 near al-Jalazun Refugee Camp, affects life in the camp. As part of this project, B’Tselem field researcher Iyad Hadad collected dozens of testimonies from local residents that bring to light different aspects of this impact. The photos below show what life is like in the camp, with its crowded, neglected streets; the absence of children’s playgrounds; settlement homes built right beside the school; and the attempt to lead normal lives in these conditions.

22 May 2018

Open-Fire Policy

B’Tselem: Firing live ammunition at Gaza demonstrators shows appalling indifference to human life

The demonstrations held in Gaza today came as no surprise. Israel had plenty of time to come up with alternate approaches for dealing with the protests, apart from firing live ammunition. The fact that live gunfire is once again the sole measure that the Israeli military is using in the field evinces appalling indifference towards human life on the part of senior Israeli government and military officials. B’Tselem calls for an immediate halt to the killing of Palestinian demonstrators. If the relevant officials do not issue an order to stop the lethal fire, the soldiers in the field must refuse to comply with these manifestly unlawful open-fire orders.

14 May 2018

The Gaza Strip

Failing Gaza healthcare system after 10-year blockade barely handling 2,000+ live fire injuries

Since 30 March 2018, more than 2,000 Palestinians have been injured by Israeli live fire at protests near the Gaza fence. Doctors there report unusually severe injuries and the healthcare system, already failing after a decade of Israeli blockade, cannot provide proper care. Rehabilitation options are also few and too expensive for most. Israel is responsible for this state of affairs: it ordered the unlawful shooting, brought the Gazan healthcare system to the verge of collapse and is denying the wounded rehabilitation – in or out of Gaza.

10 May 2018

General

Human Rights Groups in response to government's decision to deport HRW official: There's no hiding the occupation

More than fifteen Israeli human rights organization respond today to the Israeli government's decision to deport Omar Shakir, Israel and Palestine Director at Human Rights Watch. Israel’s decision to deport a Human Rights Watch official, and the growing list of people to whom it denies entry for criticizing of the occupation, place Israel squarely on a list of disreputable states. The governments of such states try to control people’s minds, thoughts and actions, instead of safeguarding people’s freedom of speech, and their freedom to act and protest government policies. Particularly worrying is the fact that Israeli authorities compile “personal dossiers” on foreign nationals because of things they have said or for having taken part in legitimate political activities.

9 May 2018

Settler Violence = State Violence

Plowing season 2018, Ramallah District: Settler violence serves Israel

Settler violence against Palestinians has long since become a part of life under the occupation. During plowing season, the military uses a “coordination system” supposedly meant to allow Palestinians to access their farmland, with soldiers there for protection against settlers. B’Tselem’s research of the season this March in Ramallah District reveals that, as in past years, settlers assaulted Palestinian farmers. In some cases, soldiers were present and did nothing, and in others they joined in. In this way, Israel removes Palestinians from their land, paving the way to land grab.

9 May 2018

Communities Facing Expulsion

Israeli Civil Administration temporarily evacuates 5 Palestinian families, third time since 24 April 2018

At 6:00 o’clock this morning (8 May 2018), Israeli Civil Administration officials and a military detail arrived at the community of Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley. They came to evacuate five Palestinian families from their homes from 6:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. This is the third time that these families have been displaced from their homes in the space of two weeks, allegedly for the purpose of military training. The 29 members of these families – 19 of whom are minors, including an infant and a child with Down syndrome – gathered in a secluded area to wait until they will be given permission to return home.

8 May 2018

Settler Violence = State Violence

Partners in crime: Settlers attack Palestinians in 'Einabus with soldiers' assistance

On 6 March 2018, some 30 settlers coming from the direction of Yitzhar attacked two Palestinian men working on ‘Einabus village land. After the two escaped, the settlers retreated and returned with soldiers, entering into mutual stone-throwing with residents rallied on the village loudspeaker. The soldiers joined the assault with live fire, “rubber” bullets and teargas. Six residents were injured. Such attacks, which keep Palestinians away from their land, are part of the occupation routine, which Israel exploits to grab more land.

3 May 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Life in the shadow of the settlement of Beit El: Going to school in a state of constant peril

Al-Jalazun R.C., north of Ramallah, has some 14,000 residents, 5,000 of them minors. The settlement of Beit El, built nearby in 1977, has expanded toward the camp and the schools at its entrance, resulting in a constant military presence on the roads leading to the school, which, in turn, leads to recurrent clashes with the local Palestinian residents. The Israeli military’s conduct during these clashes disrupts classes and puts students in danger as they walk to and from school and even inside the school, as the teargas the soldiers so often fire penetrates the classrooms.

2 May 2018

A Routine Founded on Violence

Israel revokes permits of 20 members of one family, leaving them jobless for nearly three months and counting

On 4 Feb. 2018, 20 members of the Qabaha family from the village of Tura al-Gharbiya who work in a settlement industrial zone discovered that their work permits had suddenly been revoked. For nearly three months, Israel has been denying them and their families their livelihood without offering any explanation. This is but another example that illustrates the injurious impact of Israel’s policies in the Occupied Territories, the military’s arbitrary and indiscriminate use of power, and the blanket denial of Palestinians’ rights in the West Bank.

1 May 2018