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B'Tselem asks occupation forces to stop using dogs against Palestinian civilians

February 13, 2014 at 2:56 am

Human rights organisation B’Tselem has sent a letter to the legal adviser of the Israeli army’s civil administration in the occupied West Bank asking for an end to the use of dogs against Palestinian civilians. The call was made after dogs attacked two Palestinians as they tried to enter Israel to look for work. The dogs were used by security forces to detain the men.


B’Tselem Director Jessica Montell said in her letter, “Setting attack dogs on civilians under such circumstances is inherently wrong and morally reprehensible. This use of dogs is dangerous in that they cannot be kept fully under control. It intimidates the population at large and has already caused severe harm to civilians.”

The latest incident with security dogs, according to B’Tselem, is one of ten such attacks which have occurred in the past two years. Among the victims in an earlier attack was an 88 year old lady.