11.9.2008
A settler and an army officer in a Palestinian vineyard near Halhul. Photo: Ofir Feuerstein, B'Tselem.
A settler and an army officer in a Palestinian vineyard near Halhul. Photo: Ofir Feuerstein, B'Tselem.
New Report: Access Denied
Today (11 September) B'Tselem is publishing a report on Israel's blocking of Palestinian access to land around settlements lying east of the Separation Barrier. The report reveals that state authorities and settlers have de-facto annexed rings of land amounting to tens of thousands of dunams to these settlements.

Tearing families apart
Over the past year, Israel has escalated its policy of separating the populations of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The separation regime splits families, puts thousands at risk of expulsion to the Gaza Strip and turns Palestinians into "illegal aliens" in their own homes, as revealed in a position paper published yesterday (10 September) by HaMoked and B'Tselem.

B'Tselem to Attorney General: Stop reckless use of rubber-coated bullets
B'Tselem's data indicate that security forces have adopted a practice of reckless firing of rubber-coated steel bullets in the West Bank, killing two Palestinians and injuring many more since the beginning of the year. Since the intifada began, 21 Palestinians have been killed by rubber-coated steel bullet fire, a measure that is meant to be non-lethal.

13 minors, two of them girls, in administrative detention
According to B'Tselem's data, 13 Palestinian minors are being held in prolonged administrative detention in Israel, in breach of law. As of June '08, 730 Palestinians are currently being held in administrative detention in Israel.

More border policemen convicted in killing of 'Imran Abu Hamdiya
In a case first reported by B'Tselem, the District Court in Jerusalem today convicted Shahar Butbika and Dennis Alhazov for the killing of 'Imran Abu Hamdiya. Two other border policemen, Yaniv Lazleh and Assam Wahabi, were previously convicted in the case. In December 2002, the four policemen grabbed Hamdiya, a seventeen-year-old youth, beat him severely, and threw him from a moving jeep.