Israel expands shooting orders for soldiers to kill Palestinians in West Bank: Report

The Israeli occupation army has expanded shooting orders for its soldiers in the occupied West Bank, leading to a high Palestinian death toll amid military operations in the occupied territory, Israeli media said today.

According to Haaretz newspaper, the army’s Central Command decided to implement the same shooting policy used during the Gaza war to kill any unarmed Palestinian, whether a suspect or not, in the West Bank.

“The orders made it easier for soldiers to pull the trigger at the behest of Central Command Commander Avi Blot,” it added.

The newspaper quoted Israeli soldiers taking part in the ongoing military assault in the West Bank as saying that Blot permitted them to shoot with the intent to kill Palestinians without resorting to arresting them.

The soldiers explained that the recent high death toll of unarmed Palestinians in the West Bank was “unusual”, attributing it to Blot’s orders allowing them to shoot and kill any Palestinian suspected of planting explosive devices or “tampering with the land.”

Haaretz, citing army unit commanders, said the head of the army’s West Bank Division, Yaki Dolf, ordered soldiers to shoot at any vehicle “coming from a combat zone” and heading toward a checkpoint.

Two Palestinians were killed yesterday when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a car approaching a military checkpoint in the West Bank.

According to the Israeli daily, soldiers used Palestinian civilians as human shields while searching buildings for explosives, the same tactic used by the Israeli occupation army in Gaza.

The Israeli army, however, denied any change in its shooting orders in the West Bank.

“No change in the rules of engagement” for the West Bank, the army said in a comment to Haaretz.

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