Israeli forces may have used live ammunition against Arab-Israeli civilians on three different occasions on 2 October 2000. This was revealed by the Israeli Or Commission of inquiry in a report by Israel’s daily “Haaretz”.

On 29 June 2001, according to Haaretz, a new testimony about the events of October 2 2000 heard by the Or Commission of inquiry revealed that Israeli police snipers might have used live ammunition on more than two occasions in Nazareth during violent confrontations. Until now, live ammunition was believed to have only been used on two occasions, in Nazareth.

The Or Commission also found that on the day that two Arab-Israeli civilians were shot with live bullets, Israeli police snipers were deployed in strategic positions on roofs throughout the city.

Despite Israeli force arguments that rubber-coated steel bullets are mainly used to scatter Palestinian and Arab-Israeli demonstrations, the use of these bullets has lead to the death of Palestinian civilians such as Eyad Lawabneh.

On 29 June 2001, Haaretz newspaper stated “while testifying about the shooting to death of Eyad Lawabneh, 21, in central Nazareth last October 2, members of a police anti-terror unit told the Or Commission that they had fired rubber bullets at close range.” Furthermore, eyewitness descriptions indicate that the police fired at the youths from around 25 to 30 meters in apparent disregard of police regulations prohibiting the firing of rubber bullets from less than 40 meters.”

According to the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS), rubber bullets fired by Israeli forces caused 80% of total Palestinian injuries. Rubber-coated steel bullets, according to the PRCS, have caused blindness, bone fractures, severe internal organ damage.