On the Agenda

Israel is planning to send tens of thousands of soldiers into the Gaza Strip at any moment, a ground invasion whose proportions are not yet known. Top government and military officials have been calling for revenge, promising to ravage Gaza and cause unthinkable harm to hundreds of thousands of civilians. We must stop this now. One week ago, Hamas committed horrifying crimes in southern Israel. However, another cruel campaign of revenge against the two million residents of Gaza is prohibited. Hamas’ crimes do not make Israel’s current and future crimes right or lawful...

Ever since the horrifying war crimes perpetrated by Hamas on Saturday, Israel has been bombing Gaza relentlessly and indiscriminately. Thousands of tons of bombs have been dropped, and residents have nowhere to flee. So far, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, more than 500 teens, children and babies have been killed, as well as more than 276 women and dozens of families; more than 6,600 have been injured; entire neighborhoods have been wiped out, essential infrastructure has been destroyed, and more than 423,000 people have been displaced....

In the Saturday attack, Hamas militants kidnapped more than 150 people from Israeli territory – including babies, older children, women and the elderly. They are being held in violation of basic moral and human rules and in flagrant violation of international law, with no indication of any intention to let them go. B'Tselem calls on the international community to use every means at its disposal to urge the Israeli government and Hamas to forge a deal for releasing the captives.

On Saturday, hundreds of Palestinian militants entered Israel from the Gaza Strip, killing hundreds of civilians, soldiers and police officers, burning down homes and kidnapping more than 100 people. The full extent of these horrifying crimes is slowly coming to light. The same evening, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel is at war with Gaza and will “forcefully avenge“. He promised to reduce Hamas locations to rubble and told Gazans: “Get out now. We will act everywhere and with full force”...

On Saturday, Hamas committed a shocking crime whose horrifying dimensions are slowly becoming clear. Hundreds of Palestinian militants entered Israeli territory and opened fire indiscriminately, killing hundreds of civilians and injuring thousands. They burned down homes with the occupants inside and kidnapped more than 100 people – including children, women and elderly people – to be used as bargaining chips. Many others are still missing, their fate unknown...

On Friday, 18 August 2023, at around 11:30 P.M., cousins Mahmoud (18) and Yihya (16) a-Nawaj’ah arrived at the Meitar checkpoint. They were traveling in a car belonging to a Palestinian citizen of Israel. The two were on their way back from Israel to their home in the community of al-Jawaya, which lies southeast of the town of Yatta in the South Hebron Hills. When they reached the checkpoint, Israeli soldiers had the driver and two passengers get out of the car and conducted body searches on them. The soldiers took their bags, cellphones, and a bracelet and ring Yihya was wearing. They also took 8,000 NIS (~2,100 USD) in cash, money the cousins had earned working and were carrying in their pockets...

In early August 2023, Israeli settlers established a new “agricultural farm” on lands owned by residents of the Palestinian village of Burqah, Ramallah District. The settlers began grazing their flock on village lands and harassing the residents. On Friday, 4 August 2023, at around 6:00 P.M., about five settlers appeared on the lands adjacent to the village homes while several young men from the village were having a picnic, including 18-year-old Qusai Mu’tan...

In two separate clashes that erupted in the village of Um Safa, Israeli forces killed two Palestinians. On Friday, 7 July 2023, soldiers fatally shot ‘Abd al-Jawad Dar Saleh (24), who was standing on a hill watching the area after the clashes ended. Two weeks later, on 21 July 2023, Border Police officers shot and killed Muhammad Bayed (16), while he was throwing stones at them.

In the beginning of July, Israel carried out “Operation Home and Garden” in Jenin R.C., home to 23,600 residents. Some 1,000 Israelis soldiers, Border Police officers and Shin Bet personnel were deployed across the camp during the two-day operation. According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), some 3,500 residents – children, women, men and the elderly – fled their homes, some not knowing where...

For decades, Israel has employed a slew of measures designed to make life in dozens of Palestinian communities throughout the West Bank miserable. This is part of an attempt to force residents of these communities to uproot themselves, seemingly of their own accord. Once that is achieved, the state can realize its goal of taking over the land. To advance this objective, Israel forbids members of these communities from building homes, agricultural structures or public buildings. It does not allow them to connect to the water and power grids or build roads, and when they do, as they have no other choice, Israel threatens demolition, often delivering on these threats...

During May and June 2023, B’Tselem documented four separate instances in which dozens of Israeli soldiers raided the homes of extended Palestinian families in Areas H1 and H2 in the city of Hebron in the middle of the night. T, waking up members of the household, including young children. The soldiers, most of whom were masked, had dogs with them...