B’Tselem reiterates demand that military cease using dogs to attack civilians

18 June 2013

Update: On 29 July 2013, the Office of the Military Advisor in Judea and Samaria informed B’Tselem that the complaints B’Tselem had submitted were under examination. Upon completion, B’Tselem would receive a response. A response had yet to be received in October 2014. At the same time the Office of the Military Advocate for Operational Matters informed B’Tselem that an MPIU investigation of the incident had been launched. To the best of B’Tselem’s knowledge, the investigation was still underway in October 2014.

Soldiers and dogs of Oketz Canine Unit. Photo: IDF Spokesperson, accessed from Wikipedia.

B’Tselem has written to the Legal Adviser in Judea and Samaria demanding that he immediately forbid the use of attack dogs against unarmed Palestinian civilians. The renewed demand follows a recent incident in which two Palestinians who were trying to enter Israel for work were attacked by military dogs. The dogs were in the company of soldiers who then arrested the Palestinians. In her letter, B’Tselem Director Jessica Montell stated that “setting attack dogs on civilians under such circumstances is inherently wrong and morally reprehensible. This use of dogs is dangerous in that they cannot be kept fully under control. It intimidates the population at large and has already caused severe harm to civilians.”

B’Tselem’s investigation into the incident found that, on Wednesday, 15 May 2013, at approximately 7:00 P.M., three Palestinian youths from the town of Beit Ula came to the section of the Separation Barrier close to their town. The youths, who do not have permits to enter Israel, intended to cross the barrier in order to work in Israel. A military force sighted them, called them to halt, and opened fire. Upon hearing the shots, the youths began running back towards the town. As they ran, one of them was struck in the leg by a rubber-coated metal bullet fired at him, and the other two were attacked by dogs. It is suspected that the dogs were set on them by the soldiers. The two required immediate medical attention and were taken by military ambulance to the Barzilai Medical Center in the Israeli city of Ashkelon. The following day, they were questioned by Israel Police and released with a summons for trial at the Ofer military court. The third youth was released several hours after the incident without being questioned.

Military use of dogs against civilians – background

In addition to the incident described above, B’Tselem has documented ten cases over the last two years in which a total of eleven unarmed Palestinian civilians were attacked by military dogs. In five cases,dogs attacked Palestinian laborers attempting to enter Israel for work; in one case, a dog attacked a Palestinian demonstrator; in another case, a dog attacked a Palestinian youth who was on the scene of a clash between other youths and Israeli soldiers; and in the three remaining cases, dogs attacked civilians, including an 88-year-old woman, during military activity in residential areas.

As regards two cases in which B’Tselem demanded that a Military Police investigation be opened, the responses sent to B’Tselem by the MAG Corps indicate that the military is still using dogs in activities involving civilians, with the exception of crowd dispersal during demonstrations. In both of these instances, the MAG Corps addressed the ways in which the dogs were utilized, ignoring the fundamental issue of the choice to use attack dogs. Accordingly, both replies focused on operational blunders and made no reference to the policy that enables the unleashing of attack dogs on unarmed civilians.

For example, regarding an incident in which a dog attacked a Palestinian demonstrator in Kafr Qadum in March 2012, the MAG Corps wrote that, after reviewing the case, it had decided not to order an investigation as “it took so long to pry the dog off the complainant’s hand because stones were being thrown at the soldier who was trying to release the dog’s jaws, demonstrators were kicking the dog, and the complainant was constantly moving. All this made the dog clamp down harder and bite with renewed force. This was compounded by the fact that the soldiers were not wearing gas masks, while tear gas had been fired in the area [by the soldiers].”

Regarding another incident, in which a dog attacked a Palestinian woman and her son, a minor, during a military arrest mission in a home in the town of Idhna in December 2011, the MAG Corps wrote that a Military Police investigation would not be opened as “a professional mistake was made by the force commanding the dog.”

These responses indicate that the military considers it legitimate to use attack dogs in such a way that may cause grave injury to unarmed civilians, whether intentionally or otherwise. Albeit, regarding these two cases, the MAG Corps informed B’Tselem that the issue of using dogs, both in “arrest missions” and “during disturbances of the peace”, has recently been reviewed. Concerning the incident in which a dog was unleashed on a demonstrator, the Corps wrote that “in light of the event, lessons have been learned and new guidelines have been formed for using attack dogs during disturbances of the peace.” Indeed, shortly after the said incident of March 2012, which was documented on video by a B’Tselem volunteer, the media reported that the military had decided to stop using dogs to disperse demonstrations in the West Bank. However, the recent attack on the two youths, which occurred in May 2013, shows that the military is still using dogs to attack Palestinian laborers attempting to enter Israel without permits.

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Open-Fire Policy

Israel resumes ambushes of workers trying to cross known gaps in Separation Barrier; soldiers fatally shoot Nabil Ghanem (53)

Nabil Ghanem (53) lived in Sara, a village west of the city of Nablus. On Sunday, 19 June 2022, at around 10:00 A.M., he tried to cross through one of the gaps in the Separation Barrier near the Qalqiliyah DCO (Eyal) Checkpoint in order to enter Israel, where he worked without a permit, and collect money his employer owed him. As soon as he crossed the barbed wire fence on the eastern side of the barrier, Israeli soldiers who were lying in wait fired several shots at him and at other Palestinian workers who were with him. Ghanem was injured in the torso and was evacuated by soldiers to Meir Hospital in Kfar Saba, Israel, where he died of his wounds a short while later. Israel justified the shooting on the grounds that Ghanem had vandalized the barrier and tried to cross into Israel, and held the body until 23 June 2022. After Ghanem was killed, Israel revoked the work permits of two members of his family. Ghanem is the second Palestinian worker killed by soldiers while trying to cross the Separation Barrier into Israel in the last two months. On 8 May 2022, soldiers killed Mahmoud ‘Aram (27), a resident of Khan Yunis who lived in ‘Aqbat Jaber Refugee Camp in recent years, after, according to the military, he tried to cross the barrier near Far’on. He died of his wounds later that day at Sheba Hospital in Tel Hashomer, Israel. In his case, too, Israel held the body and only gave it back to the family on 11 May 2022. Over the course of four months, from April to July 2022, Israel implemented a lenient open fire policy by the Separation Barrier, permitting live fire at the lower body of Palestinians crossing – or trying to cross – it. The policy change, officially a response to several terrorist attacks by Palestinians who entered Israel via gaps in the barrier, increased the number of Palestinians wounded or killed by live fire in this period. According to media reports, in addition to Ghanem and ‘Aram, Israeli gunfire injured 15 Palestinians in April alone. In comparison, according to UN figures,* one Palestinian was wounded by gunfire near the barrier in the first quarter of 2022. B’Tselem has previously documented periods in which soldiers used live fire against Palestinians crossing or trying to cross through gaps in the Separation Barrier. Israel appears to periodically decide, for its own reasons, whether to allow thousands of Palestinian workers to cross through these gaps or try and stop them. The latter is enforced, among other things, by live fire. As B’Tselem has previously stated, whatever grounds Israel cites, opening live fire against Palestinians seeking to enter Israel through gap in the barrier – almost all of them laborers looking to work in Israel – is unlawful and cannot be justified. The soldiers are not operating on their own initiative, or at the behest of commanders on the ground; they are implementing a declared policy approved by senior officials. It follows, therefore, that no one is held accountable for the injuries and the killings, and that the MPIU investigation launched, according to media reports, after the killing of Ghanem will also result in whitewashing. Y.‘A. (54), a resident of Sara, met Nabil Ghanem and his son at Qalqiliyah Checkpoint and set out with them to find a way to cross the barrier. In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Salma a-Deb’i on 2 July 2022, he recounted: On Sunday, before dawn, I met Nabil Ghanem and his son Mu’tasem at Qalqiliyah Checkpoint. We sat outside one of the businesses there and waited to cross through one of the gaps in the fence near the checkpoint. We stayed there until the sun rose. Another young man from our village, M.R., joined us, as well as two other young men who I don’t know where they live. One of them said he knew a gap in the fence. We got in a car that drove us there, and asked the driver to wait for us. We noticed soldiers lying in wait near the gap and heard shots. Nabil said it was dangerous and refused to cross there. We went back to the car and drove back to the checkpoint. We talked with fixers who know the gaps and take workers through them. Some people, including Mu’tasem, went and tried to cross through one of the gaps, but after about half an hour, they came back and said there were soldiers and shooting there. Mu’tasem said he wanted to go home because it had been dangerous since the morning. We drank coffee and some of us had breakfast. M.R. suggested we go back to the gap because maybe the soldiers were gone. We went and tried to cross through farmland near the fence, but we heard young guys saying: “Soldiers, soldiers,” so we turned back because we were afraid the soldiers would catch us. Nabil and another young man I don’t know really wanted to go through, and kept walking around the area to find an opening to cross. I heard one of the young guys say there was a way through if anyone wanted. I told them not to go because it was dangerous, but Nabil didn’t listen to me. The young guy trod on the barbed wire fence. He was about 20 meters away from me. M.R. and Nabil and two other young men went over to him. I saw the young guy who was treading on the barbed wire go through and so did Nabil. Then I heard three or four shots, I’m not sure how many. I immediately turned and ran away. While I was running, I heard someone say, “Oh, I’m dying.” I was afraid the soldiers would chase us and catch us or shoot at us. Some young men told me how to get to the main road, and from there I got in a car and went home. On the way home, I saw on social media that one of the workers trying to cross the fence had been injured. I realized it was Nabil. I was shocked. I’ve had coffee with him more times than with my own family. For years, we slept in Israel together for weeks at a time. I later learned he’d been killed. M.R. (21), single, a resident of Sara, cannot obtain a permit to work in Israel as he does not meet the criteria set by Israel. Instead, he enters through gaps in the barrier. In a testimony he gave B'Tselem field researcher Salma a-Deb'i on 20 June 2022, M.R. described what happened that morning: At around 10:00 A.M., one of the young men went to the fence and trod on it in order to cross through to the other side. After he got through, he called out to us to cross too. We went towards him. A resident of my village, Nabil Ghanem, was walking ahead of me. He put his foot on the fence, and then I heard four shots. I saw three soldiers hiding in a low place behind the fence, seven to ten meters away from us. I had no choice but to run away. I turned and ran without stopping until I got away. I didn't know what happened to Nabil. Everyone who was with me ran away. I decided to go home. I was very scared by what happened. After about an hour, I called drivers in the area. They told me they’d seen an ambulance and that there was probably a wounded person. I later found out through social media that Nabil had been killed. The next day, I had to go to the fence again. I can't stay without work. My employer owes me money and if I don't go to him, I won't get it. This is our life. We have no other choices. Nabil's son, Mu'tasem Ghanem (23), a plasterer, set out with his father from home before dawn towards the Separation Barrier. They reached the checkpoint at around 5:00 A.M. In a testimony he gave B'Tselem field researcher Salma a-Deb'i on 27 June 2022, he recounted: The drivers in the area told us there was a gap in the fence in an area called Abu al-‘Adas. We drove there. There were other workers there trying to enter Israel. When we were 200 meters from the fence, I heard shots but didn't know what was happening exactly. We went back to the car and drove back to the checkpoint. We had breakfast there. My dad had schnitzel and I had falafel. We waited until about 6:30 A.M., and then I went to check other gaps near the checkpoint, but they all had soldiers nearby. I called my dad and told him we couldn't go through. He asked me to come back to him. When I got there, the bus to Qalqiliyah was just passing and my father signaled it to stop and told me to go. I asked him to come with me, but he wanted to stay and try to cross the fence anyway. He wanted to go to his employer to get his salary, so he could give money to my brother Mu'taz (31) and help him buy an apartment. I got on the bus and went back home. At 8:30 A.M., my dad called and asked if I was home. I said I was, and he said he was still waiting to cross. I asked him to come home, and he said he'd cross the fence soon. We hung up and I went back to sleep. I woke up at 11:00 A.M. and called him, but he didn't pick up. His phone was off. I was worried, because he’s only never answered when he’s been arrested. I called M.R., whom I met in the morning by fence, and he told me he’d seen Dad go through the gap in the fence, and then heard gunfire and ran away. He later found out an ambulance had come and he thought the soldiers had arrested my dad. I didn't believe him. I went out of the room and found my mother, my sisters and my brother Mu'taz crying. I asked them what happened, and they said dad had been injured. I told them it didn't make sense. Even an hour later, when news of his death was shared on social media, everyone was crying and I still didn't believe it. I said he’d been arrested and nothing had happened to him. Very quickly, relatives, friends and neighbors started arriving. I started to grasp that he was dead. In addition to our mourning over Dad, Israel refused to hand over his body. The Palestinian DCO told us the body was being held because Dad was a terrorist and wanted to cut the fence. Only on Wednesday evening did the Israeli DCO hand over the body, at Huwarah Checkpoint. Dad wasn't a terrorist. He worked in Israel for 35 years without a permit, and always crossed through the gaps in the fence to support us. He was arrested many times in Israel because he didn't have a work permit. His last arrest was in 2018, when he spent two months in prison. Yet he still returned to work in Israel every time. We have no other choice. There's no work in the West Bank, and whatever there is, is irregular and badly paid. We just want to work and earn a living, like everyone else. * According to the database on the protection of civilians of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). Updates: On 1 July 2022, media reports stated that an MPIU investigation had been launched.

4 August 2022

Palestinian workers entering Israel through gaps in the Separation Barrier, Far’on, Tulkarm District. Photo: Ahmad al-Bazz, Activestills, 5 Aug. 2020

Open-Fire Policy

Soldiers again ambush, shoot and injure 12 Palestinian workers trying to enter Israel

Thousands of Palestinians from the West Bank enter Israel every day for work without a permit. The state is fully aware of this reality that serves its interests by guaranteeing cheap, disempowered labor. Despite this, soldiers lying in wait in front of gaps in the Separation Barrier or patrolling in military jeeps along the barrier’s security road open live fire at Palestinian workers crossing through these openings. As B’Tselem has previously reported, these planned shootings are not an independent initiative by a soldier or commander but policy implementation. It is clear that this policy is not — and cannot be — legal. After all, the workers do not endanger anyone, and all they ask for, as the military knows full well, is to provide for their families. Yet as far as Israel is concerned, this is policy. And due to this, no one will be held accountable for these acts — neither the soldiers who fired the shots, nor the commanders who planned the ambushes, nor the legal advisors who signed off on the policy, nor senior military officials. Since October 2019, B’Tselem has documented 36 cases of workers injured by live fire while attempting to enter or return from Israel through gaps in the Separation Barrier. Many of these incidents took place in Far’on, while others took place in other parts of Tulkarm District or in Jenin District. 11 January 2021, the injuring of nine workers at the Separation Barrier, Far’on: On Monday, 11 January 2021, soldiers lay in wait in front of gaps in the Separation Barrier near the village of Far’on, where Palestinians who do not have a permit try to enter Israel for work. Throughout the day, soldiers fired 0.22-inch caliber bullets (two-twos) without warning from a distance of 10 to 15 meters, injuring at least nine Palestinians in the legs. All nine were taken to hospitals in Tulkarm, and five suffered leg fractures. Below are testimonies collected by B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi from some of the victims: M.F. (25), a resident of Beit Imrin north of Nablus, set out from his home at around 3:30 A.M. He reached the fence about an hour later, crossed it, and was shot in the leg after he advanced several steps. In his testimony, he recounted: When I reached the gap in the fence, it was still dark. Some workers had already started coming to the area on their way to work. I crossed through the gap, and after a few steps, several shots were fired at me. I was hit in the left leg and fell down on the road. Because I was shocked and afraid, I got up and ran towards the cars parked in Far’on, east of the fence, about 200 meters away. I found a car that took me to a hospital in Tulkarm. I didn’t see the soldiers who shot at me. I only heard them chasing after me and calling me to stop. I was examined and x-rayed at the hospital, and it turned out that the bullet had caused a bone fracture. The doctors put my left leg in a cast. I’m still in hospital, receiving treatment, and undergoing more tests. B.A. (25), a resident of the village of Kafr ‘Abush, south of Tulkarm, works as an autobody mechanic in an auto repair shop inside Israel. He came to the gap in the fence around 6:30 A.M., as he does every day. After crossing and advancing several meters, he was shot in the leg. In his testimony, he recalled what happened that morning: On Monday morning, at around 6:30, I came to the area of the gap in the fence. There were dozens of workers there who had come from different parts of the northern West Bank. Everyone was going to their jobs in Israel through one of these gaps. I crossed the fence and advanced several steps. There were more workers in front of me. Then three shots were fired, and one hit my right leg. I fell down on the security road, and three soldiers came out of a nearby olive grove. They surrounded me and started treating me to stop the bleeding. About 15 minutes later, a military ambulance arrived. The paramedics gave me a pain relief shot because I couldn’t stand on my feet. The ambulance then took me to the Jbarah Checkpoint, where a waiting Palestinian ambulance rushed me to the hospital in Tulkarm. I was examined and x-rayed in the ER, and it turned out I have a fracture below my right knee. The doctors gave me a full leg cast. I’m supposed to stay in the hospital for a few days for further treatment. Living in poverty has pushed me into the risky venture of crossing the fence. If I had found work in Tulkarm or its vicinity, I wouldn’t have endangered myself like that. After all, I’m not going to Israel for travel or a change of scenery. I’m going there to work so I can support my family. I don’t know how long I’ll be confined and unable to work. It will take time for the bone to heal. B.’A. (29), a resident of Bal’a, east of Tulkarm, works as a plasterer in Israel. He arrived at the Separation Barrier at around 8:30 A.M. After he saw no soldiers in the area, he crossed the gap in the barrier and was shot in the leg. In his testimony, he recounted: When I came to the fence area at around 8:30 A.M., I kept watching the security road to see if any soldiers or military jeeps were there. When I saw there weren’t any, I advanced with several other workers that I didn’t know towards the gap where I usually cross over. After five or six workers went through, my turn came, and I crossed, too. After a few steps, I heard several shots. I didn’t know where they were fired from. It felt like I’d been electrocuted in my right leg. Out of fright, I started running back through the gap towards Far’on. Five or six soldiers stepped out from the olive trees in front of the gap and called me to stop. They chased after me, but I kept running. After about 400 meters, I lost them and reached a parked car. I got in, and the driver took me to the Far’on junction near the Palestinian National Security checkpoint. The Palestinian force called an ambulance that took me to the hospital in Tulkarm. I was examined and x-rayed in the ER. Luckily, it turned out that the two bullets had entered and exited my right leg without causing any bone fractures, but some fragments stayed inside. I’m still hospitalized and receiving anti-inflammatory treatments. N.’A. (20), a resident of Jinsafut southwest of Nablus, arrived at the Separation Barrier in the early morning hours. After hearing that several laborers had been shot by soldiers that day, he decided to return home, try to cross again in the evening, and stay overnight in Israel. At around 5:00 P.M., N.’A. came to the gap, crossed it, and was then shot. In his testimony, he recalled: Towards the evening, at around 5:00 P.M., I came back to the fence area west of Far’on. I didn’t know that soldiers were ambushing the workers. Several meters past the gap, I was shot in the right leg. I immediately started running towards Far’on because I was scared that the soldiers would grab me. Despite the intense pain and bleeding, I kept running away limping. After 300 meters, I found a parked taxi that drove me to the hospital in Tulkarm. I was x-rayed, and it turned out that two bullets had hit me. I was in a lot of pain, but luckily, the bullets didn’t hit a bone. I’m supposed to be discharged during the week, and the doctors say the wounds will heal soon. 1 February 2021, the injuring of two workers at the Separation Barrier, Barta’ah a-Sharqiyah: On Monday, 1 February 2021, at around 6:30 A.M., two workers from the Jenin area came to a gap in the Separation Barrier east of the Barta’ah a-Sharqiyah enclave. After they crossed, the two noticed a military jeep advancing towards them from about a hundred meters away. They began to flee, but the soldiers fired a live bullet at them, hitting one worker, ‘Araba resident Yazid Daoud (23), in the legs. In a testimony he gave on 7 February 2021, Daoud spoke about what happened that morning: On Monday morning, I went to a gap in the Separation Barrier with my friend, who also works in Israel. I passed through the gap, and suddenly, a military jeep arrived. We had just started running, and one soldier fired a bullet at me from about 100 meters away. The bullet hit my legs. At first, I didn’t feel I’d been hit because of the shock and panic. I ran with my friend for about 100 meters and then started feeling pain and bleeding heavily. Then my friend and some other guys who were there helped me get back through the gap and took me in a private car to a clinic in my village, ‘Araba. Sadly, the clinic was closed, so we called an ambulance that took me to the hospital in Jenin. At the ER, I was treated and x-rayed. I was discharged a few hours later, and the doctors ordered me to rest until I fully recover and scheduled a follow-up visit. Later that day, at around 3:30 P.M., Silat al-Harithiya resident Wasim al-Kheir (25) came back from his work in Israel with other workers. When he tried to pass through the gap in the barrier, soldiers lying in ambush fired at his leg from about 150 meters to the west. In a testimony he gave on 7 February 2021, he described what happened: On Monday, at around 3:30 P.M., I was coming home with a group of other workers working in Israel. I reached the gap in the barrier and didn’t see any soldiers around. As soon as I tried to pass through the gap, I heard four or five shots. It turned out that a group of soldiers, I don’t know how many exactly, ambushed us about 150 meters away from the gap where we’d passed and fired at us without warning. One bullet hit my left foot. I fell down immediately and workers who were near me picked me up and carried me through the gap. They brought me to a private car that was parked there and drove me to the government hospital in Jenin. At the hospital, they x-rayed me and took a bullet fragment out of my foot. There’s another fragment that the doctors preferred not to remove because they feared it would damage the foot. They put my leg in a cast and discharged me the same day to rest and recover. After the injury, I suffered from pain, and a doctor came to my house to monitor my condition. 10 February 2021 – the injuring of a 16-year-old at the Separation Barrier, Barta’ah a-Sharqiyah: On Wednesday, 10 February 2021, at around 4:30 P.M., two cousins from Ya’bad came to the gap in the Separation Barrier east of the enclave. The two, S.’A. (16) and A.’A. (17) saw a group of workers returning from Israel through the gap and decided to cross as well. Immediately after S.’A. crossed the opening, security forces shot him in the leg from a vehicle that was about 100 meters away from the teens. In a testimony he gave on 11 February 2021, S.’A. described what happened: I advanced towards the opening in the barrier, and my cousin was behind me. As soon as I crossed through, a bullet hit me in the left leg. I ran a few meters back, and then noticed I was bleeding heavily. I couldn’t run anymore and fell to the ground. Several soldiers got out of the vehicle and ran towards me, but luckily, some workers and drivers who were there picked me up right away and took me by private car to a clinic in Ya’bad. From there, I was taken by ambulance to the government hospital in Jenin. I was x-rayed at the hospital, and it turned out that the bullet had entered and exited through my left leg below the knee. My parents and family members came to the hospital. I stayed there for a few hours to receive treatment, and then I was discharged. The doctors didn’t want me to stay at the hospital, so I wouldn’t risk being infected with coronavirus.

9 March 2021

עובדים פלסטינים עוברים בפרצה בגדר ההפרדה ליד פרעון שבאזור קלקיליה. צילום: אלכס ליבק, 6.6.20.

Open-Fire Policy

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

Since the beginning of May 2020, B’Tselem has documented five incidents in which soldiers lay in wait for Palestinians trying to enter Israel for work through gaps in the Separation Barrier near Far’on, a village south of Tulkarm. In four cases, the soldiers shot the workers and injured five of them. In the other case, the soldiers beat a 15-year-old until his arm broke and he suffered abdominal hemorrhaging. In most of the cases, the soldiers then treated the wounded and an Israeli ambulance took them to the nearby al-Kafriyat checkpoint, where soldiers took photographs of them and of their ID cards. They were then transferred to a Red Crescent ambulance, which took them to hospital in Tulkarm. Thousands of Palestinian laborers enter Israel every day without permits, as they have no other choice. For many, obtaining a permit requires overcoming a series of insurmountable obstacles that Israel has instated as a matter of policy while also preventing the development of an independent Palestinian economy. Since the coronavirus broke out, Israel has imposed additional restrictions on laborers wishing to enter Israel, such as reducing the number of permits issued and requiring workers who enter to stay in Israel for lengthy periods without going home. The state is well aware of this reality and benefits from the cheap, disempowered workforce. Shooting Palestinians who try to cross the barrier is not a new practice, nor is it unique to the area of Far’on, as B’Tselem’s documentation shows. In the last three months of 2019 alone, in the same district, soldiers shot at the legs of at least 17 Palestinians trying to enter Israel through gaps in the barrier, and fired a rubber-coated metal bullet at the legs of another. There is no way to justify beating a minor or shooting at the legs of laborers who are not endangering a soul. The soldiers who did this were lying in wait, knowing full well where Palestinians would try to cross the barrier, awaiting the moment they could injure them. An important point is that this practice is not the choice of a single soldier, but part of a well-oiled policy. That is why no one will be held accountable for this latest series of incidents, either – for opening fire on the ground or for leading the policy that allowed it. B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi collected testimonies from area residents, some of whom were injured by the shooting. Soldiers severely beat 15-year-old, breaking his arm and causing abdominal bleeding, 7 May 2020 On Thursday morning, 7 May 2020, at around 6:30 A.M., two cousins from the village of Far’on – A.Y., 15, and L.F., 18 – planned to cross through an opening in the barbed wire that makes up the section of the Separation Barrier in the area, in order to search for temporary work in Israel. They were standing on the eastern side of the barrier, watching the spot, when a jeep drove up and stopped on the security road, about 15 meters away. Three soldiers got out, shouted at the youths to stop and fired several shots in the air. L.F. managed to run towards the village, but A.Y. fell. The soldiers ran over to him and one started to kick him, while the other hit him with a rifle butt. A.Y. blacked out for a few minutes, and the soldiers stood around him. At that point, several residents who had witnessed the incident came over and carried A.Y. to a resident’s car, with no objection by the soldiers. The resident drove A.Y. home, and from there to Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm together with two family members. Examinations and X-rays found abdominal hemorrhaging and a fractured right arm. A.Y. remained in intensive care until 12 May, when he was transferred to the pediatric surgery ward. He was discharged on 14 May. In a testimony he gave B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi on 9 May 2020, A.Y. described the attack: On 7 May 2020, my cousin and I were planning to cross through the fence to find temporary work in Israel for the day, so we could afford new holiday clothes. We got to the fence around 6:30 in the morning and stopped a few meters away. Suddenly, a military jeep drove up and three soldiers got out. They started shooting and yelling at us to stop. I was terrified, especially when I saw they were chasing us. I got a real fright. My cousin and I started running east, towards the village, but after three or four steps I tripped over a stone and fell flat on my face. It hurt a lot. I started shouting and couldn’t move or breathe. My cousin managed to get away, but the soldiers caught up with me. While I was still lying face down, one of them kicked me in the back and another hit me in my right shoulder with the butt of his rifle. I was in so much pain from the fall and the beating that I didn’t know what was happening around me. I blacked out. The resident who came over and drove A.Y. away in his car described what he witnessed: I saw a military jeep screech to a halt near one of the gaps in the fence. Three soldiers got out. They shouted at the young guys, ordered them to stop and fire live rounds in the air. I was about 30-40 meters away from the gap. I saw the two young guys run. One of them got away, but the other tripped over some rocks and fell. I saw the soldiers reach him. I had gotten out of my car at that point to watch. Later, I learned that the guy who fell down was called A.Y.. I started making my way over to him. He was lying on the ground, surrounded by soldiers. A few other young guys joined me. We picked him up and helped him get to my car. The soldiers didn’t object. I drove A.Y. home. He was crying and screaming in pain the whole time. When we got there, his mother and brother got in the car and I drove them to Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm. Then I went home. Not only assault, but live fire: Soldiers lying in wait by gap in barrier shoot.’I.H in the leg, 3 May 2020: On Sunday morning, 3 May 2020, at around 6:45 A.M., three Palestinians from the village of Dhinnaba in Tulkarm District arrived at an agricultural gate in the barrier west of the village of Far’on. The three, W.H, 55, and his two adult sons, have agricultural permits to enter their land, which lies west of the barrier. Soldiers were supposed to open the gate at 7:00 A.M., but none arrived. At 7:30, the three men gave up and decided, along with other Palestinians waiting there, to try and cross the barrier through a nearby opening. As soon as they did so, soldiers lying in ambush opened live fire at them with no prior warning. They shot one of the sons,.’I.H, 31, in the right leg. An Israeli ambulance took him to the nearby al-Kafriyat checkpoint, and from there a Red Crescent ambulance drove him to Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm. The soldiers did not allow his father and brother to go with him and ordered them to leave. In a testimony he gave a B’Tselem field researcher over the phone,’I.H, a married father of four, related: We waited for the soldiers, who were supposed to come and open the gate at 7:00. Meanwhile, four other people joined us. By 7:30, the soldiers hadn’t arrived and we decided to enter the ‘seam zone’ through an opening in the fence near the agricultural gate. I went first. I managed to cross the fence and take a step or two before I noticed two soldiers hiding among the olive trees west of the fence, about 10-15 meters away. One of them fired four or five shots and one of the bullets hit my left foot. I fell down. One of the soldiers shouted at us to stop, and everyone stopped and stood still. The two soldiers came over to me and one of them gave me first aid. In less than two minutes, an Israeli ambulance showed up and I was treated on the spot. Then the ambulance took me to al-Kafriyat checkpoint, where the soldiers took photographs of me and of my ID card. A Palestinian ambulance that was waiting there took me to hospital in Tulkarm, where they examined and X-rayed me and took the bullet out of my foot. I was sent home three days later, with my foot in a cast. Soldiers lying in wait near gap in barrier shoot I.’A. in the leg, 7 May 2020: On Thursday morning, 7 May 2020, at around 6:00 A.M., I.’A., a 39-year-old building contractor and married father of four from Tulkarm Refugee Camp, went to the agricultural gate near Far’on. As his entry permit required that he stay in Israel throughout the month of Ramadan, he decided not to use it, but rather try and enter Israel through one of the openings in the barrier where several dozen Palestinians were waiting. After he crossed through, soldiers lying in ambush on the other side opened fire at him with no effective warning, and injured his right leg. An Israeli ambulance then took.I.’A. to al-Kafriyat checkpoint, where soldiers took photographs of him and of his ID card. From there, a Red Crescent ambulance took him to Thabet Thabet Hospital in Tulkarm. In a testimony he gave on 9 May 2020, I.’A. recounted what happened: I went over to one of the gaps in the fence and saw dozens of workers waiting to go through. I climbed through the concertina wire and the fence, walked a few steps and reached the security road. Suddenly, two soldiers came out from among the olive trees. They fired one shot in the air and another that hit me in the right calf, below the knee. I felt searing pain and fell down. I didn’t hear them shout any warning. The two soldiers, one of whom was masked, came over to me. Then other soldiers arrived. One of them told another soldier, in Hebrew, to handcuff me. I showed them my new permit and they didn’t cuff me. One of them tried to stop the bleeding from my leg. Another soldier called for an ambulance, which showed up a minute or two later. I was given first aid and after about ten to fifteen minutes, the ambulance took me to al-Kafriyat checkpoint, where soldiers took photos of me and of my ID card. Then a Palestinian ambulance that was waiting for me took me to hospital in Tulkarm. At the hospital, they examined me and put my whole leg in a cast, from thigh to foot. Three hours later, at my request, they transferred me to a private hospital in Tulkarm. I was discharged from there in the evening, with orders to rest and not stand on the leg. Soldiers lying in ambush near barrier opening shoot S.S. and H.Q. in the legs, 10 May 2020: On Sunday morning, 10 May 2020, at around 7:00 A.M., two Palestinians crossed through an opening in the barrier: S.S., 21, from Tulkarm, and his uncle H.Q., 58, from al-Far’a h Refugee Camp northeast of Nablus. When the two men reached the security road between the fences, soldiers emerged from among olive trees west of the barrier and fired shots at them, injuring both men in the legs. In this case, too, the men were given first aid by the soldiers, taken by Israeli ambulance to al-Kafriyat checkpoint, where soldiers photographed them and their ID cards, and then taken by a Red Crescent ambulance to Thabet Thabet hospital in Tulkarm. In a testimony he gave on 20 May 2020, S.S. related: I went first. I crossed through one of the openings and got to the middle of the security road. My uncle followed me. I didn’t see any soldiers in the area until suddenly, about four bullets were fired at us with no warning or any shouts to stop. I was hit in the left ankle and near the right knee. I didn’t see the soldiers who fired the shots, but after the shooting I heard them about ten or fifteen meters away. I ran a few meters and fell down. Immediately, about six soldiers gathered around me and one of them tried to stop the bleeding with pieces of cloth. I was losing a lot of blood and in incredible pain. I couldn’t stand. The soldiers lay my uncle down next to me, and I saw he’d been hit in the leg too. A few minutes later, the soldiers carried us on stretchers to the Far’on agricultural gate, about 100 meters away. Within five minutes, an Israeli ambulance arrived and the team gave us first aid and drove us to al-Kafriyat checkpoint. There, soldiers took photos of us and of our ID cards, and a Red Crescent ambulance took us to hospital in Tulkarm. At the hospital, the doctors examined and X-rayed me. They found the bullet’s entry and exit wounds in my left leg and an injury under my right knee. My uncle had a bullet lodged under his right knee. I was in the hospital for about six hours, and then they discharged me with medication and referred me for further treatment at the orthopedic department. I’m currently not working and using crutches to get around the house.

18 June 2020