Updates

Beating and Abuse

The Military must stop unacceptable practice of unleashing dogs against civilians

During the last year, B’Tselem has documented eight cases of Military dogs attacking and injuring citizens. The army’s use of dogs against civilians is improper and dangerous and could lead to severe and disproportionate injury to unarmed civilians. B’Tselem urges army commanders to immediately change the existing policy and prohibit the use of dogs to attack civilians, before any more people are injured.

29 March 2012

General

Human Rights Panel at J St Conference

On 26 March 2012, B'Tselem USA presented the panel, “Holding Israel To A Universal Standard or a Higher Standard on Human Rights?” Click above for more information.

27 March 2012

Beating and Abuse

Soldiers Suspected of Lengthy Abuse of Palestinian from Hebron

B’Tselem has received testimony raising suspicion that Muhammad Maharmeh, 22, of Hebron, was abused at length by IDF soldiers. On 11 March 2012, soldiers went to the Maharmeh home in the Old City of Hebron and assaulted Muhammad and his father Ishaq, 50. According to their testimony, the soldiers took the two to an army base, where Muhammad was abused for several hours while his father, held separately, could hear him screaming. B’Tselem has called on the Military Police Investigation Unit to open an investigation into this incident.

26 March 2012

Administrative Detention

Administrative detainee Hanaa Shalabi in 40th day of hunger strike

Physicians for Human Rights-Israel reported that administrative detainee Hanaa Shalabi, 30, declared a hunger strike when arrested on 16 February 2012 “in protest of her violent detention, the humiliating and hurtful search that was conducted on her upon her detention, and also in protest of being held in administrative detention.” According to PHR-Israel her life is in danger. Israel’s use of administrative detention blatantly breaches these rules. The military must release all the administrative detainees or prosecute them, in accordance with due process.

26 March 2012

Area C

Civil Administration threatens wind turbines, solar power in southern Hebron Hills

The Civil Administration issued demolition orders recently against alternative energy structures in six villages in the Masafer Yatta area of the southern Hebron Hills, which have no other source of power. The 500 residents live in Area C of the West Bank under full Israeli control. Costing some 216,000 Euros, the structures were funded by international donors. Such demolitions are part of Israel’s overall policy of reducing the Palestinian population of Area C, totally contradicting its public pronouncements and international obligations.

25 March 2012

No Accountability

B'Tselem's annual report on human rights in the Occupied Territories

The annual report surveys the broad spectrum of issues regarding the Israeli authorities' human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the past year, the 44th year of the Israeli occupation. An interactive version of the report is available online and distributed through social media. The report documents a sharp increase in the number of uninvolved Palestinians killed by the Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip in 2011. There was also an increase in the number of Israeli civilians killed by Palestinians, compared to 2010.

21 March 2012

Beating and Abuse

B'Tselem's annual report on human rights in the Occupied Territories

The annual report surveys the broad spectrum of issues regarding the Israeli authorities' human rights record in the West Bank and Gaza Strip over the past year, the 44th year of the Israeli occupation. An interactive version of the report is available online and distributed through social media. The report documents a sharp increase in the number of uninvolved Palestinians killed by the Israeli security forces in the Gaza Strip in 2011. There was also an increase in the number of Israeli civilians killed by Palestinians, compared to 2010.

21 March 2012

Beating and Abuse

Suspected police assault on East Jerusalem woman, three sons

B’Tselem has evidence indicating that on the morning of 30 January 2012, police guarding demolition of a trailer in East Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina neighborhood assaulted Hanan Salhab, age 60, and three of her sons who attempted to come to her aid. According to the three brothers they were beaten even after being arrested and handcuffed, and two were Tasered. After their interrogation and release on bail, the three sought medical attention. The family lodged a complaint and the Department for the Investigation of Police opened a file.

20 March 2012

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

Combat has rules too. Shield civilians from the hostilies

In light of the recent escalation in violence around the Gaza Strip, the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem has repeated its demand that all parties to the conflict take all feasible measures to protect civilians from the impact of the fighting.

12 March 2012

Settler Violence = State Violence

Appeal filed by settlers convicted of aggravated assault is rejected

On July 5, 2008, Medhat Abu Karsh went to harvest barley on a plot of land he claims belongs to his family. After a fire broke out in the field, most likely unintentionally, he asked for the help of some Israeli settlers who were nearby, but they assaulted him, tied him to a utility pole and abused him in the presence of soldiers. Two of the settlers involved in the incident were convicted of aggravated assault in a plea bargain, and sentenced to a three-month sentence to be served as community service. The two appealed the sentencing, but on February 9, 2012, the Supreme Court rejected their appeal.

8 March 2012

Agriculture

New report reveals how Israel reclassified privately owned Palestinian land as state land

A New B'Tselem report examined Israel's policy of declaring land in the West Bank "state land". The research reveals that large areas were classified as state land for the use of settlements even though the land was actually privately or collectively owned by Palestinians. This was achieved by re-writing the interpretation to the Ottoman Land Law. This way, between 1979-2000, Israel declared more than 900,000 dunums as state land, an addition of 170% to the total before 1967.

8 March 2012

Beating and Abuse

Out of My Window

To mark International Women’s Day, B'Tselem is issuing a collection of videos filmed by women who volunteer in its camera project. The images provide the viewer with a unique look into these women's daily lives. The women in the project live in a reality in which human rights violations are a daily occurrence. It is a reality most of us prefer not to see, yet the documentation is crucial and also transformative. The women photographers say that the cameras have changed their lives. They provide a tool for personal, social, and popular expression and they make these women effective human rights advocates in a traditional society in which the men usually take center stage.

7 March 2012

Beating and Abuse

Suspicion: Soldiers attacked and severely beat a young man from a-Tabaqa village

Testimonies given to B’Tselem indicate that soldiers assaulted Akram Khanatsheh, 19, from the village of a-Tabaqa, south-west of Hebron. According his testimony, he got caught in a clash between Palestinian youths and soldiers. When he tried to leave the area, an army dog attacked him and soldiers assaulted him. One of them struck him on the head with a large rock. Khanatsheh was taken to Soroka Hospital where he underwent head surgery and remained hospitalized for a week. B’Tselem contacted the MAG corps demanding a criminal investigation of the incident.

6 March 2012

Demonstrations

Security forces spray foul smelling liquid on a funeral procession in Hebron

On Friday, February 24, 2012, a demonstration against the closure of Shuhada Street to Palestinian pedestrians and vehicles was held in Hebron. Shortly before it ended, and completely unrelated to it, a funeral procession passed though the street on its way to the cemetery and encountered border police and army forces. The family tried to talk to the border police officers who were at the scene so that they would allow the procession to reach the cemetery, but to no avail. A few minutes later, a security force vehicle sprayed a foul smelling liquid (“skunk”) on the demonstrators, who had remained on the street, and on the deceased’s body and the mourners.

29 February 2012

Beating and Abuse

Indictments against settlers following B'Tselem's exposure of property crimes

On 15 February, the Jerusalem District Attorney’s Office indicted a soldier and two young Israeli women, charging that they damaged property, and sprayed malicious graffiti against Palestinians, in a-Lubban a-Sharqiyah, a village in the Nablus District. The indictment also accuses the soldier of using a gun to threaten villagers who tried to stop his car. The three were arrested following B'Tselem’s publication of video footage filmed by a security camera belonging to a merchant in the village.

28 February 2012

Restrictions on Movement

State allows al-Haq Director to go abroad for first time in 6 years

In response to a High Court petition against the Israeli military's prohibition of Shawan Jabarin traveling abroad, in force since 2006, the state agreed to let him attend a meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Ahead of the High Court hearing, Israeli human rights organizations called on the state to remove the travel ban on Jabarin.

22 February 2012

No Accountability

An officer who injured a non-violent protester in Bil'in will not be held accountable

On 1 January 2012, MAGS Corps informed B'Tselem that the investigation into the injury of the protester Eran Cohen was closed with no legal proceedings being initiated against the officer who shot him with a rubber coated metal bullet. Cohen, an Israeli citizen, was shot during a demonstration in Bil’in on 15 March 2008. Video footage of the incident shows clearly that the protester did not endanger the soldiers, and that the officer was only several meters from Cohen when he opened fire, in violation of the army's orders.

21 February 2012

Administrative Detention

B'Tselem to Meridor: Immediately release or try administrative detainee on hunger strike

On 9 February, B'Tselem made an urgent appeal to Minister Dan Meridor to ensure the immediate release of Khader 'Adnan, an administrative detainee who has been on a hunger strike for 54 days. If he is not released, he must be charged and tried. B'Tselem asked Meridor to act “to ensure the well-being and health of Khader 'Adnan and prevent a needless tragedy to him and his family.”

11 February 2012

No Accountability

B'Tselem's demands for investigation after Operation Cast Lead

After the operation B'Tselem wrote to the MAG Corps demanding investigations of the Military Police Investigation Unit (MPIU) into 20 incidents that had taken place during the operation. In each of the incidents, B'Tselem's field research raised serious suspicions that military actions had harmed unarmed, uninvolved civilians, in violation of international humanitarian law. View list of cases and investigations status

1 February 2012

Administrative Detention

Sharp rise in administrative detention

There has been a sharp rise in Israel's use of administrative detention over the past year. Over 300 Palestinians are now being held without charge or trial, for periods ranging from 6 months to several years. In protest, one administrative detainee has been on hunger strike for 46 days.

1 February 2012

No Accountability

State won’t prosecute officer responsible for shooting of Firas Qasqas

Firas Qasqas, an unarmed Palestinian civilian, was killed on 2 February 2007 by soldiers' gunfire, in a-Tira neighborhood in Ramallah. On 18 August 2011, in response to a petition filed by B'Tselem, the State Attorney's Office informed the High Court of Justice that the officer responsible for the shooting would be prosecuted, pending a hearing. In mid-January 2012, the State informed the Court that, following the hearing given the officer, no indictment would be filed against him.

25 January 2012

Demonstrations

B'Tselem to military: Investigate firing of .22-caliber bullets at stone throwers

On 5 Jan. '12, B'Tselem wrote to the military advocate general demanding an investigation into the firing of .22-caliber bullets that hit a young Palestinian man who was throwing stones at soldiers during the weekly demonstration in a-Nabi Saleh, on 23 December 2011. B'Tselem also requested that the MAG clarify to senior commanders, to forces in the field, and to the Judea and Samaria Division’s spokesperson that using these bullets is tantamount to firing live ammunition, and is, therefore, forbidden as a crowd-control measure.

23 January 2012