Updates

No Accountability

Video: Soldier executes Palestinian lying injured on ground after the latter stabbed a soldier in Hebron

According to the media, two Palestinians were shot dead this morning after stabbing a soldier in Hebron. The soldier sustained medium-level injuries. Video footage shows one of the attackers lying on the road injured, with none of the soldiers or medics present attending to him. A soldier is then seen shooting him dead from close range. Extrajudicial killings are the direct result of inflammatory remarks by politicians and a public atmosphere of dehumanization. The message is clear: attempting to injure an Israeli means a death sentence.

24 March 2016

Agriculture

Photo blog: Visit to Masafer Yatta

Tomorrow, 23 March 2016, Israel’s High Court of Justice will hold a hearing on a petition filed by the residents of Masafer Yatta against the Israeli Authorities' intention to expel them from their homes due to the establishment of "Firing Zone 918." The hearing will be the first held in the case since the two-year mediation process between the parties failed. Immediately after the mediation attempts ended, Israel destroyed 22 homes in the communities of Khirbet Jenbah and Khirbet al-Halawah. Ahead of the hearing, we visited the communities to learn about their current reality and legal situation. We visited Khirbet Jenbah, Khirbet al-Fakhit, and Khirbet al-Mufaqarah, and looked out over Khirbet Bir al-‘Eid and illegal outposts Mitzpe Yair and Lucifer Farm.

22 March 2016

Freedom of Expression

Statement of Solidarity: Israeli human rights and civil society organizations condemn attacks against Al-Haq

Israeli human rights and civil society organizations condemn in the strongest possible terms the ongoing anonymous attacks against Palestinian human rights organizations, and most recently against Al-Haq. As Israeli organizations, we express our solidarity with our Palestinian counterparts. Al-Haq has indeed been faced with increasing pressure, which started with anonymous emails to staff and donors, citing non-existent fraud investigations, continued with daily calls from blocked numbers meant to intimidate the staff, and culminated in death threats to a staff member and to its General Director, Shawan Jabarin. These recent threats were directly connected to Al-Haq's ongoing work before the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

15 March 2016

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

US citizen killed in stabbing attack in Jaffa, 11 people injured

Last night the media reported that Taylor Force, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen, was killed and eleven people injured in a stabbing attack by a Palestinian. The assailant was shot dead by security forces. B’Tselem expresses deep sorrow over Taylor Force’s death and conveys its sincerest condolences to his family. B’Tselem sends its best wishes for a speedy recovery to the wounded. The deliberate targeting of civilians undermines every moral, legal and human standard. B’Tselem strongly condemns any and all deliberate attacks against civilians and calls once again on politicians and leaders to act responsibly and avoid fanning the flames of violence.

9 March 2016

Agriculture

Demolition spree carries on across West Bank; 435 people, incl. 234 minors, have lost their homes since Jan. 2016

In the first week of March, authorities demolished 17 dwellings, 19 livestock pens, and a school in two Jordan Valley communities, rendering 64 people - incl. 28 minors - homeless. These actions are a direct continuation of the unusually massive demolition campaign authorities launched in Palestinian shepherding communities across the West Bank. Since Jan., authorities have dismantled and demolished 203 structures, including 105 dwellings, in communities threatened with expulsion; 435 people, including 234 minors, lost their homes. This consistently applied government policy constitutes the forced transfer of protected Palestinian residents in an occupied area.

8 March 2016

Economic & Social Rights

International Women’s Day 2016

The demand for work in the Gaza Strip is enormous, with an unemployment rate of some 40%. The major reason is the prolonged siege Israel has imposed on Gaza. To mark International Women’s Day, we spoke with three women – a carpenter, a blacksmith, and a vegetable market laborer – who are all trying to sustain families in this near-impossible economic reality. Gazan women face a particularly trying challenge, as they must deal not only with the dearth of work to match their skills, but also, like women around the world, with a society in which women are considered less valuable and work harder for lower pay.

8 March 2016

Administrative Detention

Trends in 2015 inmate figures: Record number of Palestinians held in Israel

According to Israel Prison Service figures, the last quarter of 2015 saw a marked rise in the number of Palestinians in Israeli custody, including administrative detainees, women and minors: at the end of 2015, 6,066 Palestinians were being held on security grounds, the highest number since July 2010. This includes 584 administrative detainees - the most since September 2008; 422 minors - the most since August 2008 at the latest, and 44 women - the most since September 2009.

3 March 2016

Detainees & Prisoners

Girl aged 12 imprisoned for four months; probably the youngest prisoner in the history of the occupation

On 9 Feb. 2016, D.W., 12, was detained at the entrance to the settlement of Carmei Tzur while carrying a concealed knife. D. signed a plea bargain and was convicted of attempted manslaughter and sentenced to imprisonment for 4½ months. She was completely alone during the trial and the prosecution was not required to present any evidence. Though exceptional, this case illustrates the manner in which the military judicial system tramples defendants’ rights. Instead of ensuring that justice is done, this system seeks to preserve the occupation regime.

3 March 2016

Home Demolition as Collective Punishment

Israel continues policy of collective punishment: Military punishes 15 people, incl. 9 minors, for their relatives’ actions, demolishing their homes

On 23 Feb. 2016 the military demolished the homes of two families in the Hebron area as punishment for attacks for which individual members of the families have been indicted. The demolitions - which left 15 people homeless, including 9 minors, none of whom are suspected or accused of any wrongdoing - were implemented after the HCJ rejected petitions filed in the matter by the families and HaMoked. Since Oct. 2015 Israel has stepped up punitive home demolitions, a policy the HCJ approves virtually without restriction. Such conduct cannot be considered more than lip service to the notion of judicial review.

29 February 2016

Agriculture

Israel’s Civil Administration demolishes four families’ homes in Jordan Valley

This morning, 29 February 2016, Civil Administration (CA) and military personnel arrived at the community of Khallet Khader in the region of al-Farisiyah in the northern Jordan Valley. They demolished five dwelling tents, which were home to 19 people, including five minors. They also demolished three livestock pens in use by Khallet Khader families. The tents had been given to the families by the Red Cross after the CA demolished 21 structures in the community on 11 February 2016. The community of Khallet Khader is located in the region of al-Farisiyah, which the military had termed a firing zone, and near the settlements of Shadmot-Mehola and Rotem. The community’s residents are farmers and they raise goats and sheep. Some families live on site only for certain seasons of the year.

29 February 2016

East Jerusalem

Restrictions on movement in Bab al-Majles in Jerusalem’s Old City place neighborhood in chokehold

Bab al- Majles is a neighborhood in the heart of the Old City of Jerusalem. Once a rich cultural and social hub, a major route crossed by Muslim worshippers on their way to al-Aqsa Mosque, the neighborhood has been under a chokehold since the police put up a checkpoint at its entrance in the summer of 2014, imposing severe access restrictions, which severely harmed residents’ lives and livelihoods. This is collective punishment of the entire neighborhood. Israel must remove the checkpoints and allow residents to resume their normal lives.

28 February 2016

Agriculture

Demolition campaign continues: Civil Administration and military demolish additional structures in two communities

Additional demolitions since we reported the early 2016 demolition campaign: On Feb. 20, Israeli authorities confiscated two large caravans used for expanding the Abu a-Nuwar school, where some children study in other communities due to overcrowding. On Feb. 15, 32 structures, including 10 homes were demolished in Ein a-Rashash, leaving dozens homeless. These demolitions and confiscations are part of an unusually massive demolition campaign the Israeli authorities launched in Palestinian shepherding communities in the West Bank in Jan. 2016.

25 February 2016

Beating and Abuse

New report: Backed by the System - Abuse and Torture at the Shikma Interrogation Facility

Sleep deprivation; prolonged binding; verbal and sometimes physical abuse; exposure to heat and cold; poor, meager food; small, foul-smelling cells; solitary confinement; unhygienic conditions. A new report by HaMoked and B’Tselem shows these to be standard in interrogations at Israel Security Agency’s (ISA) facility at Shikma Prison. The report is based on affidavits and testimonials by 116 Palestinians interrogated there from Aug. 2013 to March 2014, including at least 14 who had been interrogated under torture by the Palestinian Authority shortly before. The ISA’s interrogation system is run with the approval of Israeli authorities, including the High Court of Justice.

24 February 2016

No Accountability

Five Palestinians killed when Israeli military fired at protesters near Gaza perimeter fence, Dec. 2015-Jan. 2016

In at least four cases, the lethal gunfire was entirely unwarranted: In Dec. 2015-Jan. 2016 five Palestinians were shot dead by the military near the Gaza perimeter fence, when protests were underway there. B’Tselem documented 14 similar cases in Oct. and Nov. 2015. B’Tselem found that in 4 of the killings the use of live fire was unjustified, excessive and unlawful. B’Tselem’s examination of the military’s conduct during demonstrations near the perimeter fence repeatedly indicates that though the military prepares in advance and the soldiers face no real danger, they resort to lethal fire without any justification, and no one is held accountable for these actions.

22 February 2016

Administrative Detention

B'Tselem Executive Director in Letter to Prime Minister: Order the Immediate Release of Hunger Striker Muhammad al-Qiq

In a letter sent today to the Prime Minister, Hagai Elad criticizes the HCJ ruling rejecting al-Qiq’s request to transfer to a Ramallah hospital. The HCJ justices argued that if the security establishment sought to detain al-Qiq again in the future, this would endanger soldiers’ lives. Elad notes that “This position reflects a new low in the instrumentalist approach to human beings.” The fact that the Court accepted this argument says more about the justices than about its reasonableness.

18 February 2016

Area C

New wave of demolitions in West Bank: Another phase in policy of expelling Palestinians from vast portions of West Bank

As of Jan. 2016 Israeli authorities stepped up efforts to expel Palestinian communities in the South Hebron Hills, Ma’ale Adumim area and the Jordan Valley, demolishing 73 homes and 51 other structures, some donated by aid agencies. Israel recently announced plans to demolish many more structures in Kh. Susiya, expel Abu a-Nuwar’s residents, and reported its failed mediation with Masafer Yatta. All are part of a policy whereby Area C is to serve Israel rather than West Bank Palestinians. Restrictions Israel imposes in Area C force all West Bank Palestinians to live in crowded enclaves without land reserves for building, farming, infrastructure, health and education services or freedom of movement.

16 February 2016

Agriculture

Israeli military trains, fires shells near homes of Kh. a-Ras al-Ahmar, northern Jordan Valley

In mid-Jan, 24 Palestinian families in the Jordan Valley were informed they would be temporarily displaced at month’s end for military training in the area. The evacuation was cancelled due to weather conditions, but the military did conduct training very close to one community, causing panic among residents, especially children, and crushing crops. Military training in the Jordan Valley is illegal. Israel must immediately stop it and all other measures employed in an attempt to force Palestinian residents of the Jordan Valley out of the area.

9 February 2016

Administrative Detention

Israel’s HCJ refuses to rescind administrative detention of hunger striker Al-Qiq; his condition notwithstanding, HCJ orders a vague “suspension”

On 4 Feb. 2016 the High Court of Justice “suspended” the administrative detention of Muhammad al-Qiq, who has been on hunger strike for 72 days. This vague decision is essentially meaningless: The ruling states that his relatives may visit him in hospital in Israel, but does not oblige Israel to issue them entry permits. Administrative detention orders are subject to judicial review, but the courts usually approve the orders, rarely questioning the security establishment’s position. Even so, in view of al-Qiq’s condition, the HCJ’s evasive legal solution and the refusal to rescind the order are extreme.

8 February 2016

Agriculture

Israel sprays Gazan farmland close to border fence, destroying crops and causing heavy losses

In December 2015, Gazan farmers reported that Israel had sprayed their land with herbicides, seriously damaging crops in areas where farmers were supposedly permitted to work. The military frequently changes the scope of the “no-go” zone by the border fence, but does not bother to mark it or inform farmers. Israel cannot treat the Gaza Strip as its part of its territory and ignore the residents. If the military believes that there is a need for a “security zone” along the border, it must establish this zone within Israeli territory.

4 February 2016

Agriculture

Another day in Area C: Israeli demolitions in two Palestinian communities leave 27 homeless

On 4 Feb. 2016, Civil Administration (CA) officials came to the Palestinian community of al-Mkassar in the northern Jordan Valley with bulldozers and a military escort. They proceeded to demolish four tents that were home to two families – a total of 19 people, including 12 minors and eight livestock pens. These families had already lost their homes in a previous demolition in June 2015. Later that the day, CA and military forces came to the community of Khirbet Susiya in the South Hebron Hills, where they dismantled and confiscated two tents that were home to a family of 8, including 6 minors. The tents were donated to the family after their two previous tents were demolished about two weeks ago, on 20 Jan. 2016.

4 February 2016

Area C

Israeli authorities demolish homes of 22 Palestinian families in Firing Zone 918

Yesterday, 2 Feb. 2016, Israeli authorities demolished a total of 22 homes in two Palestinian communities in the South Hebron Hills, leaving 110 people, including 64 minors, homeless in mid-winter. The communities lie in an area declared by the military as Firing Zone 918. This comes immediately after the end of unsuccessful mediation between Israeli authorities and the communities, which now plan to renew their legal battle against attempts to expel them from their land.

3 February 2016