-Caveat Lector- -----Original Message----- From: International Justice Watch Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Dr Peter Hall Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2002 9:29 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: B9Tselem on atrocities committed by IDF
B9Tselem on atrocities committed by IDF Since Israel began its invasions into Palestinian refugee camps on February 27, dozens of unarmed Palestinian civilians have been killed, including children and medical personnel. In every city and refugee camp that they have entered, IDF soldiers have repeated the same pattern: indiscriminate firing and the killing of innocent civilians, intentional harm to water, electricity and telephone infrastructure, taking over civilian houses, extensive damage to civilian property, shooting at ambulances and prevention of medical care to the injured. Peter Hall ======================= 12 March 2002 A Deadly Pattern Members of the Security and Foreign Affairs Committee of Israel9s Knesset were outraged at the phenomenon of IDF soldiers writing blue numbers on the arm of Palestinian detainees. As appalling as it is, this act is merely a symbol of the IDF9s loss of any moral compass in its treatment of the Palestinian population. Since Israel began its invasions into Palestinian refugee camps on February 27, dozens of unarmed Palestinian civilians have been killed, including children and medical personnel. In every city and refugee camp that they have entered, IDF soldiers have repeated the same pattern: indiscriminate firing and the killing of innocent civilians, intentional harm to water, electricity and telephone infrastructure, taking over civilian houses, extensive damage to civilian property, shooting at ambulances and prevention of medical care to the injured. The grave results have not caused the IDF to change its course of action. Israeli policymakers knew the grave price to the civilian population after the incursion into the first refugee camp. Yet they continue to engage in actions that constitute grave breaches of international humanitarian law. We cannot wait for the next incursion before the IDF learns the lesson. A black flag of illegality flies over military actions that cause such widespread civilian casualties. Lethal Ambiguity: B9Tselem distributes pocket-guide to soldiers The IDF takes pride in the existence of directives intended to minimize harm to the Palestinian civilian population in the Occupied Territories. However, testimonies B9Tselem has taken from soldiers reveal that many soldiers are unfamiliar with these directives. In many cases, the orders to avoid harming Palestinian civilians do not reach the soldier on the ground. In response to the IDF9s 3policy of ambiguity2 with regard to its own orders, B9Tselem has issued a 20-page pocket guide, designed for IDF soldiers. The guide includes basic rules to be followed by soldiers stationed in the Occupied Territories. All the rules in the guide accord with standing IDF orders. Among the rules included in the guide: the duty to allow patients in need of urgent medical treatment passage through checkpoints; the duty to allow medicines, water and food supplies into Palestinian populations centers; the prohibition to shoot 3rubber2 bullets toward children, and more. 3It is not our job to inform soldiers about the IDF9s standing regulations and it is appalling that we have to tell soldiers something so self-evident, like allowing passage to those needing urgent medical care,2 said B9Tselem9s Executive Director, Jessica Montell. 3But B9Tselem has documented so many cases of ignorance about these orders, that we realized we had no choice.2 On Sunday, March 10 2002, dozens of B9Tselem volunteers began to hand out the pocket guides at soldier meeting and transport points in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Be9er Sheva, Haifa and other places around the country. ======================= B'Tselem: The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories is the leading Israeli organization monitoring, documenting and advocating to improve human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. 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