Updates

Minors

Testimony: Soldiers shoot Gaza youths sneaking into Israel to look for work, killing one

Repeated cases of soldiers firing without warning at Palestinians approaching the Gaza perimeter fence raise the suspicion that the IDF treats the area as a "death zone," with soldiers firing indiscriminately at everyone who enters.

21 February 2007

Hebron City Center

Testimony: Settlers riot in Hebron, soldiers order Palestinian to close store

On 27 January, a group of settlers went to the grocery store of Dahud Jabber, in Hebron. Soldiers at the site ordered Jabber to close his store and go home, and watched as the settlers stoned the closed store and broke into the house and assaulted its occupants.

20 February 2007

Minors

Testimony: Settlers attack Palestinian farmers, some of them small children, Feb. 07

The settlers began to uproot seedlings Palestinian farmers had planted. When the farmers tried to stop them, the settlers assaulted them and their small children, pelting them with stones, seriously wounding the back of one of the farmers.

14 February 2007

Settler Violence = State Violence

Testimony: Settlers abuse Palestinian youth and leave him unconscious

Ra'fat 'Askar was on his way to his uncle's house when a pick-up truck stopped next to him. A man got out and asked if he was an Arab. When Rafat said he was, the abuse began.

14 February 2007

Intra-Palestinian Violations

Armed groups must respect humanitarian law

B'Tselem expresses concern at the escalation of internecine violence in the Gaza Strip and calls on the armed Palestinian factions to respect the principles of international humanitarian law that prohibit harming persons not participating in the fighting.

29 January 2007

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

Three people killed in Eilat blast

B'Tselem strongly condemns the attack in Eilat by Palestinian militants, in which three people were killed.

29 January 2007

Open-Fire Policy

B'Tselem: Stop using undercover forces in combat actions

Following the undercover action in Ramallah on 4 Janaury, B'Tselem calls on the army to immediately cease using undercover soldiers in any action that the army defines as combat.

25 January 2007

Restrictions on Movement

Israel freezes ban on transporting Palestinians in Israeli cars

Following protest by human rights organizations and a petition to the High Court of Justice, the Israeli military announced it would freeze the order that prohibits Israelis from driving Palestinians inside the West Bank.

22 January 2007

Medical treatment

Testimony: Patient died when soldiers blocked the direct route to hospital, Dec. 2006

Soldiers blocked Isma'il a-Sifi's way to hospital. He had to take a longer route and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.

17 January 2007

Hebron City Center

B'Tselem: Don't make one Hebron settler into the scapegoat

Israeli authorities should not make the settler Yifat Alkoby, who attacked a Palestinian family in Hebron, the scapegoat for law enforcement failures in the West Bank.

11 January 2007

Restrictions on Movement

Repeal order forbidding transporting Palestinians in Israeli vehicles

Recently, the Israeli Army issued an order prohibiting Israelis and tourists from using their vehicles to transport Palestinians. The order is to take effect on 19 January.

8 January 2007

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

2006: 683 people killed in the conflict

B'Tselem publishes its 2006 annual statistics. This past year, we witnessed a deterioration in the human rights situation in the Occupied Territories, particularly in the increase in civilians killed and the destruction of houses and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. At the same time, there was an improvement regarding violations of the right to life of Israeli civilians.

28 December 2006

Minors

B'Tselem and al-Haq warn about killing of children playing with toy guns

During Muslim holidays, Palestinian children and youths play with toy rifles. According to B'Tselem's figures, in recent years, IDF soldiers have killed five Palestinian children and youths who were playing with toy weapons or fireworks.

27 December 2006

Restrictions on Movement

High Court: Dismantle concrete barricade in south Hebron hills

The High Court ordered removal of a 41 km concrete barrier blocking Palestinian passage, holding that it infringes the "right to property, freedom of movement, and the right to education, health, family life, and dignity" of Palestinian villagers in the area.

25 December 2006

The Supreme Court of the Occupation

High Court approves cutting off a-Ram from East Jerusalem

On 13 December 2006, the High Court of Justice rejected the petition filed by the organizations Bimkom and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel against the section of the separation barrier that severs the Palestinian community a-Ram from East Jerusalem and impacts the daily lives of a-Ram residents. The barrier's route in this area was chosen for political, and not security, reasons

21 December 2006

Open-Fire Policy

Soldier kills man restoring archeological site in Kufr A-Dik village

This month alone, B'Tselem has documented four cases where unarmed Palestinians were shot by Israeli soldiers. B'Tselem wrote to the Chief Military Prosecutor demanding investigations into these cases.

20 December 2006

Open-Fire Policy

High Court of Justice imposes limitations on Israel's targeted-killing policy

The High Court rejected the state's position that members of armed Palestinian organizations in combat against Israel are neither civilians nor combatants - the two categories established by international humanitarian law - but belong to a third category, "illegal combatants."

19 December 2006

Economic & Social Rights

The Village of 'Azzun 'Atmah to be separated from its farmland

The government of Israel should cease construction of the southern section of the additional barrier at 'Azzun 'Atma, dismantle the section already built, and enable the residents free access to their land.

19 December 2006

The Supreme Court of the Occupation

High Court invalidates state's expanded exemption from tort liability

B'Tselem welcomes the decision issued by the High Court of Justice invalidating part of the amendment to the "Intifada Law." The amendment almost totally blocked Palestinians from suing for damages.

11 December 2006

General

Rabbis for Human Rights - North America Awards Prize to B'Tselem

"To Do What is Just and Right", the first Raphael Lemkin Human Rights Award, was presented on 11 December 2006, to B'Tselem, at a ceremony in New York City.

11 December 2006

The Gaza Strip

Prime Minister Olmert, is every Palestinian in the Gaza Strip a terrorist on the death list?

On 7 Dec, 06, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert stated that "Since June, more than 400 members of terrorist organizations have been killed." According to B'Tselem's, from 26 June, to 15 November, the IDF has killed 387 Palestinians. More than half of them, including 81 minors, were not taking part in the hostilities when they were killed.

7 December 2006

Beating and Abuse

Soldier who shoots Palestinian student at checkpoint sentenced to two weeks

On 4 Dec. 06 soldiers at a military checkpoint near Nablus shot at and then severely beat a Palestinian student, following an argument. According to press reports from 12 Dec. 2006, one of the soldiers involved was sentenced in a disciplinary hearing to 2 weeks in prison.

6 December 2006

East Jerusalem

Interior Ministry denies status to children of East Jerusalem residents

The Nationality and Entry into Israel Law, as amended in 2005, discriminates against children of Palestinian residents of Israel and denies them basic rights. Hamoked and B'Tselem call on the Knesset to repeal the Law.

28 November 2006

The Supreme Court of the Occupation

High Court approves Bir Nabalah enclave

9 high court justices approved the route of the barrier in the area, and ruled that imprisoning the villages in an enclave does not cause disproportionate harm to their residents.

26 November 2006