Updates

B’Tselem has evidence indicating that on the morning of 30 January 2012, police guarding demolition of a trailer in East Jerusalem’s Beit Hanina neighborhood assaulted Hanan Salhab, age 60, and three of her sons who attempted to come to her aid. According to the three brothers they were beaten even after being arrested and handcuffed, and two were Tasered. After their interrogation and release on bail, the three sought medical attention. The family lodged a complaint and the Department for the Investigation of Police opened a file.

A New B'Tselem report examined Israel's policy of declaring land in the West Bank "state land". The research reveals that large areas were classified as state land for the use of settlements even though the land was actually privately or collectively owned by Palestinians. This was achieved by re-writing the interpretation to the Ottoman Land Law. This way, between 1979-2000, Israel declared more than 900,000 dunums as state land, an addition of 170% to the total before 1967.

To mark International Women’s Day, B'Tselem is issuing a collection of videos filmed by women who volunteer in its camera project. The images provide the viewer with a unique look into these women's daily lives. The women in the project live in a reality in which human rights violations are a daily occurrence. It is a reality most of us prefer not to see, yet the documentation is crucial and also transformative. The women photographers say that the cameras have changed their lives. They provide a tool for personal, social, and popular expression and they make these women effective human rights advocates in a traditional society in which the men usually take center stage.

On Friday, February 24, 2012, a demonstration against the closure of Shuhada Street to Palestinian pedestrians and vehicles was held in Hebron. Shortly before it ended, and completely unrelated to it, a funeral procession passed though the street on its way to the cemetery and encountered border police and army forces. The family tried to talk to the border police officers who were at the scene so that they would allow the procession to reach the cemetery, but to no avail. A few minutes later, a security force vehicle sprayed a foul smelling liquid (“skunk”) on the demonstrators, who had remained on the street, and on the deceased’s body and the mourners.

On 21 February 2012, the State Attorney's Office announced that Khader ‘Adnan’s administrative detention would not be extended when it expires, provided that no new intelligence information against him is found. ‘Adnan then agreed to end his hunger strike.

On 1 January 2012, MAGS Corps informed B'Tselem that the investigation into the injury of the protester Eran Cohen was closed with no legal proceedings being initiated against the officer who shot him with a rubber coated metal bullet. Cohen, an Israeli citizen, was shot during a demonstration in Bil’in on 15 March 2008. Video footage of the incident shows clearly that the protester did not endanger the soldiers, and that the officer was only several meters from Cohen when he opened fire, in violation of the army's orders.

There has been a sharp rise in Israel's use of administrative detention over the past year. Over 300 Palestinians are now being held without charge or trial, for periods ranging from 6 months to several years. In protest, one administrative detainee has been on hunger strike for 46 days.

Firas Qasqas, an unarmed Palestinian civilian, was killed on 2 February 2007 by soldiers' gunfire, in a-Tira neighborhood in Ramallah. On 18 August 2011, in response to a petition filed by B'Tselem, the State Attorney's Office informed the High Court of Justice that the officer responsible for the shooting would be prosecuted, pending a hearing. In mid-January 2012, the State informed the Court that, following the hearing given the officer, no indictment would be filed against him.

Three years after Operation Cast Lead, the Israeli military's argument against independent investigation of its conduct during the operation has proven to be hollow. The military has completely failed to investigate itself, regarding both policy choices and the conduct of the forces in the field in particular cases.