Description

ETHLEHEM (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces killed 115 Palestinians last year, including 18 minors, according to a new report released Wednesday by the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem.

The death toll of 2011 shows a marked increase on 2010, when Israeli forces killed 68 Palestinians in Gaza and 12 in the West Bank.

Further, 47 of the casualties in 2011 were killed while not taking part in hostilities, an increase from 30 in 2010.

Some 105 of the victims were killed in the Gaza Strip. Israel assassinated 14 Palestinians last year; four bystanders were also killed during the operations, the report says.

Meanwhile, B'Tselem says investigations into killings remain the "exception rather than the rule."

In 2001, the Israeli military decided it would not open a police investigation every time an Israeli soldier killed a Palestinian civilian. The decision was overturned in April 2011, but only for the West Bank. In Gaza, criminal investigations are still not opened when Israeli soldiers kill civilians.

In January 2011, Israeli soldiers shot dead Omar al-Qawasmeh during a raid on his apartment building in Hebron to arrest his neighbor. According to B'Tselem, he was shot in the head, chest and limbs while lying in bed.

Al-Qawasmeh made a "suspicious" movement, prompting a soldier to shoot him dead, an army spokesman said. The Israeli military decided not to investigate the killing.

The report also found that Israeli settler attacks on Palestinians are not properly investigated.

B'Tselem has filed 352 complaints regarding attacks by Israeli civilians against Palestinians and their property, including gunfire, assault, theft of crops and torching of fields.

Investigations were opened into 250 cases, but only 29 resulted in an indictment.

In some cases, security forces were present during attacks but did not intervene and on occasions they took part in the violence.

The Israeli army said in a statement they had received the report earlier in the day, and it "will be thoroughly studied."

B'Tselem director Jessica Montell said human rights violations are inherent in a military occupation "and the protracted nature of Israel's occupation only exacerbates human rights violations."

She added: "it is clear that as long as the occupation continues, Palestinians will never fully enjoy their rights."