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Israel using lethal force against Palestinians: Rights group

Thursday, 17 December 2015 5:57 AM [ Last Update: Thursday, 17 December 2015 7:03 AM ]

An Israeli soldier points his weapon towards journalists after a Palestinian allegedly attempted to ram his vehicle into the troops at a military checkpoint on December 11, 2015 in the West Bank village of Halhul. ©AFP

An Israeli human rights group has slammed the regime’s military for using “excessive and unwarranted” force in killing Palestinian protesters amid the ongoing violence in the occupied territories.

B’Tselem said that in at least 12 cases recorded over the past two months, Israeli troops used excessive force and “lethal gunfire” to deal with the Palestinians they accused of attacking settlers.

This “was tantamount to the summary execution of assailants or suspected assailants,” the group said in a statement.

In two other cases, Israeli forces denied medical care to Palestinians who were shot at the scenes and were announced dead in hospitals, where they were finally taken to, the rights group said.

The group also noted that in some cases Israeli forces did not stop shooting at Palestinians even when they no longer posed any threat.

“Some [Palestinians] were injured and lying motionless on the ground when they were shot dead. In other cases, the very use of live gunfire seems excessive. Some cases were summary executions, without the benefit of law or trial,” it added.

A Palestinian is checked by Israeli soldiers patrolling the streets of the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) on December 15, 2015. ©AFP

The rights body further criticized the current mood among Israeli forces and public that regard “shooting to kill” valid in all situations even when there was no danger from the suspect, saying “in this way, soldiers, police and armed civilians become judge, jury and executioner.”

This is “a direct result of inflammatory language used by ministers and elected officials” against Palestinians each time an attack occurs, B’Tselem added.

Tensions in the occupied territories have escalated since the Israeli regime’s imposition of restrictions in August on the entry of Palestinian worshipers into the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in East al-Quds (Jerusalem).

Palestinians are angry at increasing violence by Israeli settlers at the al-Aqsa Mosque compound and their attacks on Palestinian properties, saying the Tel Aviv regime seeks to change the status quo of the compound.

More than 120 Palestinians have been killed in the recent escalation of violence since the start of October.

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