Updates

Beating and Abuse

Soldiers abuse young Palestinians in Hebron District

According to testimonies given to B'Tselem, on 26 April, soldiers randomly detained six young men in Dura, took them to the Adorayim army base, and held them until daybreak, during which they beat and humiliated them and deprived them of sleep, food, drink, and access to bathrooms.

30 April 2009

Beating and Abuse

Testimonies: Soldiers abuse Palestinians in the Jordan Valley

On 2 April, soldiers at a checkpoint barred four Palestinians from driving south on the Dead Sea road, despite the army's declaration of free access to the Dead Sea. According to testimonies, the group drove to a nearby hilltop instead, where the soldiers later found them and abused them all night long.

28 April 2009

Settler Violence = State Violence

Testimony: Settlers assault young pregnant Palestinian

On 10 April, Roqaya al-Hazalin, together with a group of women and children, were grazing sheep near their village, in the Hebron District. According to her testimony, four armed settlers with sticks approached them. The other shepherds she was with ran away. Two of the settlers caught al-Hazalin, who was eight months' pregnant, beat her, and knocked her to the ground.

23 April 2009

Open-Fire Policy

B'Tselem to JAG: Order end to firing tear-gas grenades at people

B'Tselem has again demanded the Judge Advocate General to order security forces to cease firing tear-gas grenades directly at individuals. The demand follows the death of Bassem Abu Rahma, a Palestinian demonstrator, who was killed on 17 April '09 when struck by a tear-gas grenade while demonstrating in Bil'in.

22 April 2009

The Gaza Strip

Independent apparatus needed for investigation of Operation Cast Lead

On 22 April, the results of the Israeli military's internal investigations of Operation Cast Lead were published, indicating that dozens of innocent civilians were killed due to what the army referred to as "rare mishaps." In response, B'Tselem pointed out crucial flaws in the investigations.

22 April 2009

House demolition

House demolition in Jerusalem: collective punishment

On 7 April, security forces demolished the apartment, in Zur Baher, East Jerusalem, of the family of Husam Dwayat, who carried out a bulldozer attack in the center of Jerusalem in July of last year. The demolition took place after the High Court of Justice denied the family's petition opposing the action.

16 April 2009

The Gaza Strip

Israel and the Palestinians must assist the UN mission

B'Tselem welcomes the appointment of the jurist Richard Goldstone to head the fact-finding mission, called for by the UN Human Rights Council, to investigate the recent fighting in Gaza. Particularly welcome is the delegation's mandate, which covers violations of international humanitarian law by both sides, in the Gaza Strip and in Israel.

6 April 2009

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

Palestinian kills a 16 year-old boy and injures a 7 year-old boy

B'Tselem strongly condemnss the killing of a 16 year-old boy and the injuring of a 7 year-old boy by a Palestinian in the settlement of Bat Ayin in the Bethlehem 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.

2 April 2009

Beating and Abuse

Punishment of policeman who killed Palestinian increased

The Israeli Supreme Court has increased the prison sentence of border policeman Yanai Lazla for the killing of 18-year-old 'Imran Abu Hamdiya in 2002. Lazla and three other policemen threw Abu Hamdiya from a jeep moving at high speed after they had abducted, beaten, and abused him. B'Tselem and the Palestinian human rights organization al-Haq exposed the affair.

1 April 2009

Attacks on Israeli Civilians by Palestinians

Gaza and Sderot: Life in spite of everything

B'Tselem has joined ARTE to continue the award-winning internet documentary series on the lives of civilians in the Gaza Strip and southern Israel. B'Tselem injected into the project attention to International Humanitarian Law.

31 March 2009

The Gaza Strip

Phosphorous victim from Gaza dies

Ghada Abu Halima, 21, a Gazan mother of two, died on 29 March. Abu Halima was wounded and 5 of her relatives, among them 4 children, were killed, when the military shelled their house with white phosphorus during "Operation Cast Lead". In her testimony of 9 January, she described the attack.

31 March 2009

The Gaza Strip

Calls for independent investigation into Operation "Cast Lead"

Israeli human rights organizations: The speedy closing of the investigation into soldiers' testimonies of events during "Operation Cast Lead" raises suspicions that the sole purpose of opening the investigation was to clear the military of all blame for illegal activity during the operation.

30 March 2009

Beating and Abuse

Sharp rise in beating of Palestinians by security forces

The 3 months since Operation "Cast Lead" have seen a sharp rise in reports of violence by security forces toward Palestinians in the West Bank. B'Tselem has documented 24 cases in which Palestinians reported that police and soldiers had beaten them.

24 March 2009

Economic & Social Rights

Waters that cross borders

The UN's World Water Day, commemorated this week, is dedicated to cross-border waters. The division of the Israeli and Palestinian shared water sources is characterized by blatant discrimination, causing a severe water shortage in the West Bank.

23 March 2009

The Gaza Strip

HR groups to Attorney General: "Stop whitewashing suspected crimes in Gaza"

Israeli human rights organizations repeated their demand that the Attorney General hold an independent investigation of the army's conduct during operation "Cast Lead". The call followed chilling testimonies of soldiers concerning the killing of Palestinian civilians, published in the media.

19 March 2009

East Jerusalem

High Court permits punitive house demolition

On 18 March, the Israeli High Court of Justice allowed the state to demolish the home of the family of Husam Dwayat, who carried out an attack in Jerusalem last July. Collective punishment of persons who are held innocent is forbidden under international law.

18 March 2009

Open-Fire Policy

Forces using tear-gas canisters as weapons

B'Tselem requested the judge advocate general to immediately clarify to security forces that it is absolutely forbidden to aim tear-gas canisters directly at demonstrators. Firing of this kind has already resulted in injury, some very serious, to dozens of Palestinians and Israeli and foreign citizens.

18 March 2009

Restrictions on Movement

Prize awarded to B'Tselem and al-Haq

B'Tselem protests Israel's refusal to let al-Haq's executive director leave the West Bank to receive the award in Holland.

12 March 2009

Medical treatment

Do not use patients as political tools

HR organizations protest the Palestinian Authority's refusal to authorize medical treatment in Israel and Israel's insistence on a PA promise to pay for treatment.

10 March 2009

Beating and Abuse

Testimony: Border policeman assault Palestinian at checkpoint

On 22 January 2009, Majdi 'Alan came to a checkpoint in East Jerusalem on his way to visit relatives. In his testimony, 'Alan states that a border policeman searched him in a rude manner, and when he complained, the police officer beat him severely and threatened to shoot him.

9 March 2009