Israel using lethal force against Palestinians: Rights group

An Israeli human rights group has slammed the regime’s military for using “excessive and unwarranted” force in killing Palestinian protesters amid the ongoing violence in the occupied territories.

B’Tselem said that in at least 12 cases recorded over the past two months, Israeli troops used excessive force and “lethal gunfire” to deal with the Palestinians they accused of attacking settlers.

This “was tantamount to the summary execution of assailants or suspected assailants,” the group said in a statement.

In two other cases, Israeli forces denied medical care to Palestinians who were shot at the scenes and were announced dead in hospitals, where they were finally taken to, the rights group said.

The group also noted that in some cases Israeli forces did not stop shooting at Palestinians even when they no longer posed any threat.

“Some [Palestinians] were injured and lying motionless on the ground when they were shot dead. In other cases, the very use of live gunfire seems excessive. Some cases were summary executions, without the benefit of law or trial,” it added.