Updates

On Saturday, 19.5.2012, settlers descended on the eastern outskirts of the village 'Asira al-Qibliya, from the settlement Yitzhar. B'Tselem volunteer photographers filmed the events. The video shows the settlers throwing stones at Palestinian homes. Palestinian youths from the village soon arrived and threw stones at the settlers. The video later shows settlers aiming their weapons at the Palestinians and firing in the presence of soldiers. The firing injured village resident, Fathi 'Asayira, 24, in the head.

This morning (15 May 2012), the media reported that an agreement was reached between Israel and representatives of the Palestinian prisoners held in Israel, following a hunger strike that lasted some six weeks. One of the demands of the strikers was the resumption of family visits for the prisoners from Gaza, which were stopped in 2007. The ongoing denial of the rights of prisoners and detainees from Gaza to received family visits is a very serious blow to their right to family life.

Israel’s High Court of Justice today (7.5.2012) rejected appeals by Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahlah against their continuing administrative detention, ruling that a hunger strike cannot be a factor in determining the duration of detention. This follows a report from Physicians for Human Rights-Israel that both prisoners are near death. The two prisoners began their strike on 1 March 2012 to protest the renewal of their detention. Both are now hospitalized at Assaf Harofeh Hospital in Rishon LeZion. Israel’s use of administrative detention blatantly contravenes international law; the army must release all administrative detainees or give them a fair trial.

The MAG Corps informed B'Tselem today that it has closed the Military Police investigation file in the complaint into the killing of 21 members of the a-Samuni family in the Gaza Strip. The file was closed without taking any measures against those responsible. In response, Adv. Yael Stein, B'Tselem's head of research, said: it is unacceptable that no one is found responsible for an action of the army that led to the killing of 21 uninvolved civilians, inside the building they entered under soldiers' orders, even if this was not done deliberately. The way the army has exempted itself of responsibility for this event, even if only to acknowledge its severity and clarify its circumstances, is intolerable.

On the night of 27 March 2012, soldiers in civilian clothing entered Kafr Ramun near Ramallah. B’Tselem has learned that three brothers from the village, thinking they were being robbed, came outside armed with a club and two knives to defend their property and were shot by the soldiers. Uniformed soldiers who came to the scene during the incident, also shot two of the brothers, who were already wounded. One brother died of his wounds and the other two sustained injuries. B’Tselem demanded an investigation into this incident and was informed Today, 24 April 2012, that an investigation was ordered by the MAG corps

A new film that was obtained by B'Tselem shows the minutes that preceded the violent incident in which the Former Jordan Valley Brigade deputy commander assaulted international and Palestinian protesters. In response, B'Tselem Executive Director Jessica Montell, said: "The video disproves claims that the soldiers responded to violence by the activists. This severe case of violence illustrates the sense of impunity felt by the deputy brigade commander. In fact Israeli security forces are almost never held accountable for violence against Palestinians."

B’Tselem wrote to the Military Police and the Military Advocate General Corps requesting they launch a Military Police Investigation into the death of a Palestinian demonstrator and the wounding of dozens of others when live ammunition was used against protesters during a Land Day demonstration in the Gaza Strip on Friday, 30 March 2012.

Kamel a-Taramsi, age 24, has acromegaly, a rare endocrine disease. Following years of misdiagnoses, a-Taramsi was finally referred to al-Makassed Hospital in East Jerusalem for treatment unavailable in Gaza. A-Taramsi got a permit to leave Gaza and travel to East Jerusalem but when he arrived at Erez crossing, the ISA subjected him to a lengthy interrogation without regard for his condition, and threatened him with arrest. A-Taramsi was ultimately released, but not allowed to travel to East Jerusalem. He has since been unable to obtain the required permit.

Uri Zaki will speak at Harvard University on April 17, 2012 at 5:30 pm.

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