On the Agenda

On 13 Nov. 2015, after a demonstration against the Separation Barrier in Budrus, several Palestinians approached the barrier. Soldiers emerged from an ambush and grabbed Lafy ‘Awad. They beat him as he tried to break free and his friends threw stones at the soldiers. He began to flee and a soldier shot him in the back, killing him. Three years ago soldiers killed Samir ‘Awad in almost identical circumstances; only recently was a decision made to try them on minor offenses. The policy of allowing armed ambushes against stone-throwers continues to take lives, permitting unjustified use of lethal force and needless death.

Hadar Buchris was waiting at a hitchhiking stop in Gush Etzion in the West Bank when a Palestinian assaulted and stabbed her with a knife. She died of her wounds in hospital in Jerusalem. B’Tselem expresses deep sorrow over the attack and conveys its sincerest condolences to the family. Intentional assaults against civilians undermine every moral, legal and human standard. B’Tselem strongly condemns such assaults against Israeli or Palestinian civilians and calls once again on politicians and leaders to avoid fanning the flames of violence.

On 21 Oct. 2015 PM Netanyahu retroactively approved an urban building plan for the settlement of Itamar. A week later he granted similar approval to 3 more settlements. Once again Israel retroactively approved settlement construction it had deemed illegal for years defined. Contrary to media reports that presented the PM as capitulating to pressure from settlers, his actions are consistent with a long-standing Israeli policy to facilitate de facto annexation of West Bank land.

On Thursday, 19 Nov. 2015, 13 families from Khirbet Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley were forced to temporarily evacuate for the purpose of allowing the military to hold exercises in the part of the village close to their homes. It was the sixth time this month that these families were forced to leave their homes. On three of these occasions, the Civil Administration (CA) did not allow them to return until midnight. The CA has relocated residents of this community 17 times since the beginning of 2015 – on the grounds that the area is needed for military training.

Palestinians today (Thursday, November 19, 2015) killed five people in shooting and stabbing attacks in Tel Aviv and Gush Etzion, and injured 11 others. B'Tselem expresses its shock and pain at the loss of civilian lives, sends its deepest sympathies to the families of those killed, and wishes the injured a speedy and full recovery. B'Tselem strongly condemns any and all deliberate attacks on Israeli and Palestinian civilians and reiterates its call to politicians and leaders to act responsibly and refrain from stirring up violence.

Israeli security forces recently demolished the homes of 6 Palestinian families in the West Bank as retaliation for attacks their relatives are suspected of perpetrating against Israelis. The blasts rendered another 8 apartments uninhabitable, leaving homeless 39 people, incl. 17 minors, suspected of no wrongdoing. Although it constitutes collective punishment prohibited by international law, this extreme policy has been repeatedly sanctioned by Israel’s High Court. Demolishing or sealing a home is a draconian, vindictive measure directed at entire families suspected of no wrongdoing.

Since 9 Oct. 2015 solidarity protests with West Bank Palestinians have been held in Gaza. B’Tselem found that 14 people have been killed and 379 wounded, mostly by live fire. Israeli soldiers stationed across the fence, dozens of meters away from protesters generally faced no mortal danger that would require use of live fire; they could have used crowd control measures instead. The large number of casualties indicates excessive use of live fire and raises concerns of unjustified, disproportionate and unlawful gunfire.

In Aug. 2015, Israel renewed construction work on the Separation Barrier near the Palestinian town of Beit Jala, seizing private land and uprooting ancient olive trees. This creates facts on the ground although legal proceedings are still underway. The barrier will sever residents from their farmland, which provides vital income and rare recreation, block expansion of Beit Jala, damage ties with monasteries in the Cremisan Valley that service the community, and complete the effective annexation to Israel of large tracts of last.

B’Tselem expresses its shock over Friday (13 November 2015) morning’s attack in which Rabbi Yaakov Litman and his son Netanel were killed and the mother and another son lightly injured, when Palestinians fired at the car carrying seven members of the Litman family through the South Hebron Hills. Three daughters suffered anxiety attacks. B’Tselem conveys its condolences to the family and strongly condemns any and all deliberate attacks on Israeli and Palestinian civilians. B’Tselem reiterates its call to politicians and leaders to act responsibly and refrain from stirring up violence.

After lengthy foot-dragging, the HCJ ruled on 8 Nov. 2015 that the State Attorney’s Office must file indictments against the two soldiers involved in killing Samir ‘Awad, 16, by the end of 2015 – almost 3 years after his death. This follows the announcement by the State Attorney’s Office’s it would indict the two for committing a “reckless and negligent act using a firearm”. The disparity between the grave action and the minor offense is outrageous, sending a message to security forces: even if you kill an unarmed Palestinian who poses no threat, we will cover it up.

Hebron residents are under increased travel restrictions since 29 Oct. Tel Rumeidah has been particularly affected: it was made off-limits to anyone not a neighborhood resident; locals may enter and exit only subject to strict screening. Palestinian stores in Hebron’s Old City are closed by military orders. These steps, alleged by the military to serve security, constitute collective punishment of Hebron residents, who are suspected of no wrongdoing, and must suffer serious disruptions to their daily lives, simply because of where they happen to live.

On 2 Nov. 2015, the Civil Administration made 13 Palestinian families from Kh. Humsah in the northern Jordan Valley leave their homes due to military training nearby. A total of 86 people, including 48 minors, were told to vacate their homes from 6:30 A.M. to midnight. All 13 families live in the northern part of Kh. Humsah. The families took food and water and went with their flocks to areas far distant from their homes. They were informed that they would have to leave their homes three more times in the near future. This follows 11 previous instances of temporary displacement in 2015 because the military chose to train near their homes.