Updates

Detainees & Prisoners

Jerusalem police arrests minors in the middle of the night

An investigation by B'Tselem has revealed a few cases in which minors aged 12-15, residents of Silwan, East Jerusalem, were unlawfully arrested in the middle of the night and taken, their hands cuffed, for interrogation on suspicion of stone throwing. Testimonies given to B'Tselem indicate that, during the interrogation, the interrogators beat and threatened the minors.

16 February 2010

General

Carrying Palestinian witnesses in prisoner transport vehicle stopped

Following the intervention of Yesh Din and B'Tselem, the Chief Military Police Officer announced that the Military Police will improve the treatment of Palestinians arriving in military courts in Israel to testify in trials of security forces charged with committing offenses.

11 February 2010

Area C

Army partially closes road despite High Court ruling

In October '09, the Israeli HCJ ruled that prohibiting 45,000 Palestinians from travelling on a road in order to protect 150 settlers living nearby was disproportionate, and gave the army three months to find an alternative. Palestinians are now allowed to travel on the road during the week, but not on the Sabbath, and are prohibited from walking on it.

7 February 2010

The Gaza Strip

Joint Letter to Pres. Obama: Lift Gaza Siege, 5 Feb. 2010

B'Tselem joined with six Middle East peace and human rights organizations today to send a letter to President Obama, urging him to ask Israel to lift its Gaza closure in order to relieve the humanitarian suffering there. The full text of the letter can be viewed here

5 February 2010

The Gaza Strip

Israel's report to the UN misstates the truth

The report praises the military's investigative and judicial systems, ignoring essential flaws in their operation. To date, only one soldier who participated in Operation Cast Lead has been prosecuted - for stealing a credit card. B'Tselem again urges Israel to immediately establish an independent, non-military investigative apparatus.

4 February 2010

General

Targeting of Human Rights Organizations Destroys Democracy

Thirteen Israeli human rights organizations sent an urgent letter to the president, the Knesset speaker and the prime minister, protesting the increasing and systematic campaign against human rights organizations in Israel.

2 February 2010

The Gaza Strip

Cover-up of phosphorus shelling proves army cannot investigate itself

B'Tselem has written urgently to the judge advocate general demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the circumstances of the firing of phosphorus shells at the UNWRA compound in Gaza during Operation Cast Lead. This is a particularly severe incident, and disciplinary hearings are clearly not an adequate punitive measure.

1 February 2010

Settler Violence = State Violence

Soldiers' duty to protect Palestinians must be made clear

B'Tselem filmed an army officer denying his duty to protect Palestinians in the Occupied Territories, and calling Israelis operating in solidarity with them traitors. B'Tselem wrote to the JAG demanding that measures be taken against him, and that soldiers serving in the Occupied Territories be made fully aware of their duties.

27 January 2010

Minors

Testimony: Soldier fires "rubber" bullet at child's head

According to testimonies given to B'Tselem, on 1 Jan. '10, a soldier fired a rubber-coated metal bullet at the head of 10-year-old Mu'ataz al-Hawaja from Ni'lin, while chasing him during a demonstration against the Separation Barrier. B'Tselem demanded a criminal investigation of the incident.

27 January 2010

Settler Violence = State Violence

Dozens of settlers riot, one is prosecuted

One year after dozens of settlers rioted in the village of 'Asira al-Qibliya, an indictment was filed against only one settler, although some of the events were filmed and a large contingent of soldiers was at the scene.

27 January 2010

The Gaza Strip

Israel must establish independent inquiry into Operation Cast Lead

Human rights organizations in Israel reissued their call to the Government of Israel to establish, without delay, an independent and impartial investigation mechanism to thoroughly examine the allegations raised regarding violations of international law during Operation Cast Lead.

26 January 2010

Open-Fire Policy

Suspicion: shooting of Nablus suspects was unlawful

On 26 Dec. '09, soldiers killed three Palestinians who were suspected of killing Rabbi Meir Chai on 24 Dec. B'Tselem’s investigation raises grave suspicion that no attempt was made to arrest at least two of the suspects before they were shot.

24 January 2010

Beating and Abuse

Testimony: Soldiers severely abuse student

On 25 Nov. '09, soldiers detained Ahmad Abu 'Alia on his way to university, at the Za'tara checkpoint. According to his testimony, they severely abused him for hours and left him to find his way home on foot, bruised and dazed. B'Tselem has demanded that the JAG's Office order an investigation of the incident.

24 January 2010

The Gaza Strip

Testimony: Girl waiting for treatment in Israel dies in Gaza

Fidaa Heji was diagnosed in 2007 with lymphoma. On 23 Sept. '09, her physicians referred her to treatment in Israel, and her family submitted an urgent request to enter Israel. On 11 Nov. '09, she died, two weeks before her 18th birthday. Four days later, the permit arrived.

19 January 2010

Demonstrations

Extreme silencing of protest in East Jerusalem

The human rights community in Israel condemns the extreme silencing of protest in Israel, silencing that has become particularly blatant and violent recently in East Jerusalem.

17 January 2010

The Gaza Strip

Gaza: An inside look

Immediately after Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip ended last year, B'Tselem gave video cameras to 15 young Gazan students and asked them to document everyday life around them. Each volunteer chose his or her personal viewpoint. The results are on air in Israel's leading online news portal, Ynet, and have been covered by the New York Times.

2 January 2010

Economic & Social Rights

Testimony: Still in a tent a year after the war

The al-'Athamneh family lost its house during Operation Cast Lead, its orchards, and the taxis it operated. A year later, the family is living in a tent next to the rubble of its house and has no source of income.

31 December 2009

The Gaza Strip

Testimony: Israel arrests wounded man at Erez Crossing

Ahmad 'Asfur, 19, was wounded during Operation Cast Lead and submitted a request to enter Israel for medical treatment that is unavailable in Gaza. On 25 Nov. '09, he was summoned to Erez Crossing, where he was arrested and taken to jail rather than to hospital.

31 December 2009

Area C

High Court: Ban on Palestinian travel on Route 443 illegal

In its judgment given on 29 December on a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, the High Court of Justice ordered cancellation of the ban on Palestinian travel on Route 443. The court's judgment, written by Justice Fogelman, holds that the military commander may restrict Palestinian travel on the road, for security purposes, and gives him five months to make an alternative arrangement.

29 December 2009

Economic & Social Rights

Public campaign: Lift siege on Gaza

On 27 Dec. '09, a year since Operation Cast Lead began, B'Tselem is launching a public campaign calling on the Israeli government to lift the siege on the Gaza Strip, which is drastically harming 1.5 million residents.

27 December 2009

The Gaza Strip

A year since Operation Cast Lead: Still no accountability

One year ago today, Operation Cast Lead began. 762 Palestinians who did not take part in the hostilities were killed, and vast damage was caused to houses, factories, and infrastructure in Gaza. Israel has not yet instituted an independent apparatus to investigate the violations committed by the army during the operation, and nobody has been brought to justice.

27 December 2009

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

Palestinians kill an Israeli civilian in the Nablus district

B'Tselem strongly condemns the killing of an Israeli civilian yesterday by Palestinians in the Nablus district. Deliberate attacks against civilians are immoral and illegal. Wilful killing of civilians is defined as a "grave breach" of international humanitarian law and is a war crime.

25 December 2009

Economic & Social Rights

Israel chokes Gazan fishing sector

In the Oslo Accords, Israel promised to allow Gazans to fish 37 km from the coast, yet has gradually reduced the distance to a mere 5.5 km. The restriction severely harms tens of thousands of persons who live off fishing and affiliated industries.

24 December 2009