Three times as many people were killed in the West Bank in 2013 as were in 2012. This calculation is based on data compiled by Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem. In contrast to the situation from 2003 to 2012 when most Palestinian fatalities occurred in the Gaza Strip, in 2013 the majority of Palestinian fatalities occurred in the West Bank. According to the data in the past year, Israeli security forces killed 27 Palestinians in the West Bank at 21 separate incidents and nine Palestinians in the Gaza Strip at seven incidents.
Relatives of Said Jasir, 85 years old, mourn during his funeral in the West Bank village of Kfar Qaddum, January 2, 2014. According to Palestnians medical sources, Jasir died after the Israeli army shot tear gas into his house, during a protest in the village on January 1. After inhaling tear gas Jasir was evacuated to the hospital in Nablus, were he died a few hours later. After the funeral, youth marched to the area near the settlement of Kedumim, and clashed with the Israeli army (Photo: Activestills)
According to B’Tslem: The incidents that resulted in fatalities in the West Bank include the following instances: In nine incidents, Israeli security forces entered Palestinian communities for the purpose of what the military calls arrest operations: In four of these incidents, soldiers fired shots when stones were thrown at them; another four incidents involved exchanges of fire; regarding the last incident the Israeli military maintains that there were exchanges of fire, but B’Tselem has been unable to verify this information; In three incidents, soldiers fired while lying in wait to capture stone-throwers; In four incidents, soldiers discharged lethal gunfire when Palestinians were throwing stones and in five incidents occurred under other kinds of conditions: one man was shot when he tried to enter Israel without carrying a legal entry permit; one woman passerby was shot by the military who argued that a Molotov cocktail had been lobbed in the area; one man was shot when he broke into a military base with a tractor; and one man was shot after allegedly assaulting a Border Police officer.
Of the Gaza residents killed: four were taking part in the hostilities when they were killed; three were not; regarding one, it is unknown whether or not he was taking part in the hostilities; and one was killed in a targeted assassination In addition, two Palestinians were killed in Israel this year, one a resident of the West Bank and the other of the Gaza Strip. In contrast, in 2012, Israeli security forces killed 8 Palestinians in the West Bank and 246 in the Gaza Strip (including 167 during Operation Pillar of Defense), of whom 104 who were not taking part in the hostilities.
Palestinians killed three Israeli civilians this year, two in the West Bank and one near the Gaza perimeter fence. In 2012, four Israeli civilians in Israel were killed by Palestinians who launched rockets and shells from the Gaza Strip, whereas no Israeli civilians were killed by Palestinians in the West Bank. In 2013 Palestinians also killed three Israeli security forces personal, in Israel and in the West Bank. The same figure as in 2012.
Related:
http://www.btselem.org/press_releases/20131230_2013_fatalities_statistics
