Israel orders army to use lethal fire against Palestinians protesting illegal wall

Wednesday March 19, 2008 20:13

by Ghassan Bannoura - IMEMC News

Israeli media sources reported on Wednesday that the Israeli government has given new orders to the army, which allow troops to use live rounds at Palestinian protesters near the illegal wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem.

Israeli troops stopping Palestinians protesters near the illegal Wall between Bethlehem and Jerusalem â€“Photo by IMEMC's Ghassan Bannoura 2008

The new orders allow soldiers to use lethal force, referring to live rounds fired to kill, during protests against the illegal Israeli wall surrounding the city, yet the new orders do not include those actions that have the participation of Israeli and international peace activists.

Having occupied the city of Jerusalem in 1967, Israel decided in 2002 to build a wall, encapsulating Jerusalem and Israeli settlements and annexing them to Israel. The wall was deemed contrary to international law by the International Court of Justice in 2004, when Israel was ordered to remove it. Instead, Israel continues to construct the wall at the expense of privately owned Palestinian land.

On a weekly basis, hundreds of Palestinians, supported by international and Israeli peace groups, protest the construction of the wall in villages neighboring Jerusalem.

According to Israeli sources, the new orders come in response to the stabbing of a settler in Jerusalem's old city on Tuesday, an attack claimed by the Ahrar Al Jallil Brigades. The group also claimed responsibility for the attack on a settler's school two weeks ago, which took the life of eight Israelis.

The Brigades stated that the school attack was in response to the Israeli army attacks on Gaza that week, which took the life of 125 Palestinians, among them 95 civilians.