On the Agenda

On 10 August '10, B'Tselem volunteers filmed security forces sealing three shops by Hebron's Old City as part of Israel's separation policy in the city. The forces used violence, did not present a military order, and did not allow the shop-owner to remove his goods.

According to B'Tselem's investigation and the media, on 25 Aug. '10, Palestinian security forces dispersed a procession held in Ramallah by participants of a non-violent political conference, and assaulted a human rights professional.

B'Tselem strongly condemns the shooting attack yesterday (31 Aug. '10) that killed four Israeli civilians. Deliberate attacks against civilians are immoral and illegal. Willful killing of civilians is defined as a "grave breach" of international humanitarian law and is a war crime.

B'Tselem wrote today to the managers of Israel's theatres, calling them to visit the Northern West Bank and see for themselves the heavy damage to human rights inflicted by the continued existence of the Ariel settlement.

Maj. Gen. Galant's appointment as IDF chief of staff must be preceded by an investigation of his responsibility for suspected violations of human rights during Operation Cast Lead in the Gaza Strip, which he commanded as GOC Southern Command.

Almost 95% of water pumped in Gaza is unfit for drinking, according to international organizations and the Gazan water authorities. Despite years of dangerous over-pumping in Gaza, Israel prohibits entry of materials needed to repair the water and wastewater-treatment systems there.

Last month, the Civil Administration demolished all the structures in al-Farsiya and in other Bedouin farming communities in the northern Jordan Valley, delivered dozens of demolition and eviction orders in additional communities, and confiscated water pumps.

A B'Tselem data coordinator describes what the Barakat family underwent as they hurried home from Bethlehem to Jerusalem to watch the Argentina–Germany match, on 3 July '10.

Today (26 July '10), is publishing a multimedia review of human rights in the Occupied Territories during 2009-2010, highlighting personal stories and documentary footage.

According to Khaled Najar, 57, on 1 July '10 he was grazing his flock on private Palestinian land in the southern Hebron Hills when a settler who left the Mitzpeh Ya'ir outpost assaulted him, beating him severely. Najar, who has been assaulted before in the area, required hospitalization.

Israel is acting to forcibly transfer four Palestinian politicians affiliated with Hamas from East Jerusalem. Israel revoked their permanent resident status in 2006, for the first time using grounds of disloyalty to the state.

The Separation Barrier causes severe violations of human rights, and gave rise to popular Palestinian resistance. In a new position paper, B'Tselem examines the army's increased efforts to quell these demonstrations, in light of the right to demonstrate.