AI Urges US, EU to Suspend Arms to ’Israel’: Killings in WB Mount to War Crimes

Local Editor

Amnesty International called on the international community to suspend transferring arms to the Zionist entity to protest the "Israeli" army's treatment of Palestinians in the West Bank.

"Suspend transfers to "Israel" of munitions, weapons, and related equipment including crowd control weapons and devices, training and techniques," Amnesty said in a 74-page report titled "Trigger- Happy: "Israel's" use of excessive force in the West Bank" that it issued on Thursday.

The watchdog further stated: "Arms transfers by the United States, the European Union and other countries should only be resumed once "Israel" can ensure that they will not be used to violate international humanitarian law and international human rights law."

"Without pressure from the international community, the situation is unlikely to change any time soon," said Philip Luther, director of the Middle East and North Africa Program at Amnesty International.
"Too much civilian blood has been spilled. This long-standing pattern of abuse must be broken. If the "Israeli" authorities wish to prove to the world they are committed to democratic principles and international human rights standards, unlawful killings and unnecessary use of force must stop now," Luther said.
The report provided case studies of 22 Palestinian civilians martyred by the "Israeli" army since January 2011, of which most were under the age of 25 and four were children.
According to Amnesty, at least 14 of the deaths occurred during protests against the Zionist entity. It noted that according to the UN, "Israel" killed 45 Palestinians in the past three years.

"The Palestinians who were killed did not appear to pose a direct and immediate threat to "Israeli" soldiers in the 22 cases listed," it confirmed.

It added that "in some, there is evidence that they were victims of willful killings, which would amount to war crimes."

The report further stated that in that same three-year period, "Israeli" forces in the West Bank seriously injured 261 Palestinians, including 67 children, by firing live ammunition at them. It said soldiers wounded another 8,000 Palestinians, including 1,500 children, by other means, including rubber- coated metal bullets and teargas.

"The staggering numbers of wounded provide a sobering reminder of the relentless daily danger faced by Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank," Luther said.

He also mentioned that "the frequency and persistence of arbitrary and abusive force against peaceful protesters in the West Bank by "Israeli" soldiers and police officers - and the impunity enjoyed by perpetrators - suggests that it is carried out as a matter of policy."

The report called on the "Israeli" army to stop using live ammunition and rubber-coated bullets except when necessary to protect lives. It also asked "Israel" to stop using teargas against Palestinians, explaining that the chemicals contained within it were dangerous.

It called on "Israel" to provide reparations to Palestinians the "Israeli" army had unlawfully harmed. It also urged the army to protect Palestinians from attacks by West Bank settlers.

Source: AI, Edited by website team