News Release Issued by the International Secretariat of Amnesty International
2
October 2000
MDE 15/032/2000
187/00
Amnesty International condemned indiscriminate killings of civilians
following four days of clashes in Israel and the Occupied Territories
which have left at least 35 Palestinian civilians dead and hundreds of
others injured.
"The dead civilians, among them young children, include those
uninvolved in the conflict and seeking safety," the human rights
organization said, "The loss of civilian life is devastating and
this is compounded by the fact that many appear to have been killed or
injured as a result of the use of excessive or indiscriminate
force."
"Israeli security forces appear to have used indiscriminate lethal
force on many occasions when their lives were not in danger,"
Amnesty International said, "We have been saying for years that
Israel is killing civilians unlawfully by firing at them during
demonstrations and riots. International standards clearly state that
governments should develop as broad as possible a range of non-lethal
incapacitating weapons and that firearms are a last resort."
On 29 September, hundreds of Israeli police and border guards entered
the Aqsa Mosque compound after Friday prayers, apparently in response to
stone-throwing by Palestinians. Israeli security forces opened fire on
civilians indiscriminately, resulting in the death of at least five
Palestinians and the injury of dozens of others.
Clashes between Israeli security forces and Palestinian demonstrators
broke out all over the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as in
Israel since Friday. There have also been armed confrontations between
the Israeli and Palestinian security forces. The Israeli army has used
rubber-coated metal bullets and admitted using live ammunition on some
occasions. Israeli
helicopter gunships apparently killed a 10-year-old boy on the roof of a
house in Nablus on 10 October, and shot at buildings in Gaza.
"This is excessive and indiscriminate use of force is in
contravention of international human rights standards which state that
police and security forces may only use firearms in extreme
circumstances, when life is in danger and other means are ineffective.
These standards apply in all situations, including in times of
emergency." Amnesty International said.
"Civilian deaths will continue unless the Israeli authorities take
this message to heart."
Palestine Affairs Council