JERUSALEM >> A leading Israel human rights group urged Israeli forces in a rare step Wednesday to disobey open-fire orders unless Gaza protesters pose an imminent threat to soldiers’ lives.

B’Tselem said the appeal is a last-ditch attempt to prevent more bloodshed on the volatile Gaza-Israel border.

Nineteen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since last Friday, including 14 in border protests. More large demonstrations are expected along the border this Friday.

B’Tselem has never before called on soldiers to refuse orders, but believes firing on Palestinians who pose no imminent threat to the lives of Israeli forces is “manifestly illegal,” said spokesman Amit Gilutz.

“As long as soldiers in the field continue to receive orders to use live fire against unarmed civilians, they are duty-bound to refuse to comply,” the group said.

The Israeli military has said its tough response is justified because the protests were organized by Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction.

It said soldiers only targeted “instigators” who burned tires or threw stones and firebombs toward the border fence. The military accused Hamas of using the large crowds as cover to carry out attacks.

In one instance, a pair of gunmen approached the border, and the army said protesters also tried to plant explosives along the fence in several instances.

But in other incidents, some caught on video, those shot appeared to have been unarmed and not actively involved in violence at the time they were struck.

B’Tselem said that while Israel has the right to defend its border, it is still bound by international norms for the use of live fire. The group said that simply approaching the fence, and even damaging it, does not provide grounds for using lethal force, and that Israel had other options for dispersing the crowds.

“The provisions limit its use to instances involving tangible and immediate mortal danger, and only in the absence of any other alternative,” the group said. “Israel cannot simply decide that it is not bound by these rules.”

Israel’s military is the country’s most respected institution, and such criticism, even from a dovish group, is relatively rare. B’Tselem said it would be publishing newspaper ads and take other steps to publicize its campaign.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But the country’s defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said Tuesday that the military will not change its tactics and warned that anyone who approaches the border is risking his life. The tough comments raised the possibility of more bloodshed this Friday, when another mass protest is expected.

On Wednesday, the head of the Arab League called on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the deaths of Palestinians killed in Gaza since Friday. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit also said he supports a call by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an independent investigation of the events on the border.

Hamas is organizing six weeks of on-and-off border protests in what it says is a campaign to draw attention to a crippling border blockade.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 in an attempt to weaken the militant group. But the measures have devastated Gaza’s economy, while failing to oust Hamas.

Israel said Wednesday it has arrested 10 Palestinians suspected of planning an attack against a navy ship off the Gaza coast.

The Shin Bet security service said the interrogation of the cell’s alleged leader revealed a plan to send a decoy boat from Gaza to distract the navy ship while another would fire a rocket at it. The plan called for militants to then try to abduct wounded sailors and keep them as bargaining chips for future prisoner swaps.

Amin Jamaa was being indicted Wednesday at a court in southern Israel.

The Shin Bet identified him and his cohorts as members of the Islamic Jihad militant group and said they were abusing the easing of Israeli restrictions on Gaza fisherman to collect intelligence on Israel’s naval operations along the coast.

“This is proof of the true intentions of the terror groups in Gaza who are trying to hide their murderous plans by staging provocations along our border whose sole purpose is to provide cover for terrorists to carry out their attacks against Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Daoud Shehab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, said he had no information about the Israeli announcement but that his group was involved in “open confrontation” against it.

“It’s also our right to look for suitable ways to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners,” he added.

Protests are planned to continue until May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their “nakba,” or “catastrophe,” when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel’s creation. Most of Gaza’s 2 million people are descendants of Palestinian refugees.</s>Israeli soldiers have a legal obligation to refuse manifestly illegal orders. In a new campaign, the Israeli human rights group says shooting unarmed civilian protesters is just that — unmistakably and patently illegal.

Israeli human rights group B’Tselem will launch a campaign on Thursday urging Israeli soldiers to refuse orders to open fire on unarmed demonstrators. The campaign, titled “Sorry Commander, I cannot shoot,” comes on the heels of last Friday’s events on the Gaza border, in which Israeli snipers shot dead at least 17 Palestinians and wounded hundreds during The Great Return March.

The campaign, which will appear in newspaper ads, comes at a critical moment for the Great March of Return. On the first day of the march, which marked the beginning of 45 days of protests and events to mark Land Day and 70 years since the Nakba, Israeli troops Palestinians killed 17 and wounded 1,400 Palestinian demonstrators.

The demonstrations are set to continue this coming Friday, and Israeli military officials have announced in advance that, like last Friday, soldiers will again use live fire against demonstrators — even if they are hundreds of feet away from the fence. Such orders should be considered illegal, and thus soldiers should absolutely refuse them, said B’Tselem.

In the Israeli legal system, there exists an obligation for soldiers to refuse to carry out manifestly illegal orders. Orders to open fire on unarmed civilians, B’Tselem added, are a case of “unmistakable illegality patently evident in the order itself, it is a command that bears a clearly criminal nature or that the actions it orders are of a clearly criminal nature.”

Like all other countries, B’Tselem said, Israel’s actions are subject to international law and restrictions on the use of weapons, specifically the use of live fire. International law limits the use of live fire to instances involving tangible and immediate mortal danger, and only in the absence of any other alternative. Israel, then, cannot simply decide that it is not bound by these rules, it asserted.</s>The Ministry of Health in Gaza says one Palestinian has been killed by Israeli soldiers near the border, while another has died of their injuries after being shot by the Israelis earlier.

That brings the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the border unrest to 20 since Friday, and the violence has put the Israeli army's rules of engagement under scrutiny.

Israeli human rights group B'Tselem is calling on Israeli soldiers to refuse orders to open fire on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip.</s>JERUSALEM (AP) - The Latest on developments related to protests at the Gaza border (all times local):

An Israeli human rights group is calling on Israeli soldiers to refuse orders to open fire on Palestinian protesters in the Gaza Strip.

B’tselem spokesman Amit Gilutz says the group has never before taken such a step, but believes that Israeli tactics in last week’s border confrontations were “manifestly illegal.” Eighteen Palestinians were killed last Friday, including 13 in border protests.

The Israeli military says the tough response was justified because the protests were organized by the anti-Israel Hamas militant group. It also says the protesters were violent, throwing burning tires, firebombs and in several cases planting explosives along the border fence.

B’tselem says Israel has a right to defend its border, but live fire is justified only if there is “tangible and immediate mortal danger” to troops.

Israel’s Shin Bet security service says it has arrested 10 Palestinians suspected of planning an attack against a navy ship off the Gaza coast.

The cell’s alleged leader was being indicted Wednesday. The Shin Bet says Amin Jamaa’s interrogation revealed a plan to send a decoy boat that would distract the navy ship, after which a rocket would be fired at it and militants would then try to abduct wounded soldiers on board as bargaining chips for future prisoner swaps.

The Shin Bet identified the men as members of the Islamic Jihad militant group.

The disclosure follows mass protests along the Israel-Gaza border last Friday in which 18 Palestinians were killed.

The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our The Washington Times is switching its third-party commenting system from Disqus to Spot.IM. You will need to either create an account with Spot.im or if you wish to use your Disqus account look under the Conversation for the link "Have a Disqus Account?". Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.</s>JERUSALEM >> A leading Israel human rights group urged Israeli forces in a rare step Wednesday to disobey open-fire orders unless Gaza protesters pose an imminent threat to soldiers’ lives.

B’Tselem said the appeal is a last-ditch attempt to prevent more bloodshed on the volatile Gaza-Israel border.

Nineteen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since last Friday, including 14 in border protests. More large demonstrations are expected along the border this Friday.

B’Tselem has never before called on soldiers to refuse orders, but believes firing on Palestinians who pose no imminent threat to the lives of Israeli forces is “manifestly illegal,” said spokesman Amit Gilutz.

“As long as soldiers in the field continue to receive orders to use live fire against unarmed civilians, they are duty-bound to refuse to comply,” the group said.

The Israeli military has said its tough response is justified because the protests were organized by Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction.

It said soldiers only targeted “instigators” who burned tires or threw stones and firebombs toward the border fence. The military accused Hamas of using the large crowds as cover to carry out attacks.

In one instance, a pair of gunmen approached the border, and the army said protesters also tried to plant explosives along the fence in several instances.

But in other incidents, some caught on video, those shot appeared to have been unarmed and not actively involved in violence at the time they were struck.

B’Tselem said that while Israel has the right to defend its border, it is still bound by international norms for the use of live fire. The group said that simply approaching the fence, and even damaging it, does not provide grounds for using lethal force, and that Israel had other options for dispersing the crowds.

“The provisions limit its use to instances involving tangible and immediate mortal danger, and only in the absence of any other alternative,” the group said. “Israel cannot simply decide that it is not bound by these rules.”

Israel’s military is the country’s most respected institution, and such criticism, even from a dovish group, is relatively rare. B’Tselem said it would be publishing newspaper ads and take other steps to publicize its campaign.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But the country’s defense minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said Tuesday that the military will not change its tactics and warned that anyone who approaches the border is risking his life. The tough comments raised the possibility of more bloodshed this Friday, when another mass protest is expected.

On Wednesday, the head of the Arab League called on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the deaths of Palestinians killed in Gaza since Friday. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit also said he supports a call by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an independent investigation of the events on the border.

Hamas is organizing six weeks of on-and-off border protests in what it says is a campaign to draw attention to a crippling border blockade.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 in an attempt to weaken the militant group. But the measures have devastated Gaza’s economy, while failing to oust Hamas.

Israel said Wednesday it has arrested 10 Palestinians suspected of planning an attack against a navy ship off the Gaza coast.

The Shin Bet security service said the interrogation of the cell’s alleged leader revealed a plan to send a decoy boat from Gaza to distract the navy ship while another would fire a rocket at it. The plan called for militants to then try to abduct wounded sailors and keep them as bargaining chips for future prisoner swaps.

Amin Jamaa was being indicted Wednesday at a court in southern Israel.

The Shin Bet identified him and his cohorts as members of the Islamic Jihad militant group and said they were abusing the easing of Israeli restrictions on Gaza fisherman to collect intelligence on Israel’s naval operations along the coast.

“This is proof of the true intentions of the terror groups in Gaza who are trying to hide their murderous plans by staging provocations along our border whose sole purpose is to provide cover for terrorists to carry out their attacks against Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Daoud Shehab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, said he had no information about the Israeli announcement but that his group was involved in “open confrontation” against it.

“It’s also our right to look for suitable ways to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners,” he added.

Protests are planned to continue until May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their “nakba,” or “catastrophe,” when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel’s creation. Most of Gaza’s 2 million people are descendants of Palestinian refugees.</s>A Palestinian protester runs holding a teargas canister fired by Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip border with Israel, in eastern Gaza City, Wednesday. A leading Israel human rights group urged Israeli forces in a rare step Wednesday to disobey open-fire orders unless Gaza protesters pose an imminent threat to soldiers’ lives. (Photo by THE ASSOCIATED PRESS)

JERUSALEM — A leading Israel human rights group urged Israeli forces in a rare step Wednesday to disobey open-fire orders unless Gaza protesters pose an imminent threat to soldiers’ lives.

B’Tselem said the appeal is a last-ditch attempt to prevent more bloodshed on the volatile Gaza-Israel border.

Nineteen Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since last Friday, including 14 in border protests. More large demonstrations are expected along the border this Friday.

B’Tselem has never before called on soldiers to refuse orders, but believes firing on Palestinians who pose no imminent threat to the lives of Israeli forces is “manifestly illegal,” said spokesman Amit Gilutz.

“As long as soldiers in the field continue to receive orders to use live fire against unarmed civilians, they are duty-bound to refuse to comply,” the group said.

The Israeli military has said its tough response is justified because the protests were organized by Hamas, an Islamic militant group sworn to Israel’s destruction.

It said soldiers only targeted “instigators” who burned tires or threw stones and firebombs toward the border fence. The military accused Hamas of using the large crowds as cover to carry out attacks.

In one instance, a pair of gunmen approached the border, and the army said protesters also tried to plant explosives along the fence in several instances.

But in other incidents, some caught on video, those shot appeared to have been unarmed and not actively involved in violence at the time they were struck.

B’Tselem said that while Israel has the right to defend its border, it is still bound by international norms for the use of live fire. The group said that simply approaching the fence, and even damaging it, does not provide grounds for using lethal force, and that Israel had other options for dispersing the crowds.

“The provisions limit its use to instances involving tangible and immediate mortal danger, and only in the absence of any other alternative,” the group said. “Israel cannot simply decide that it is not bound by these rules.”

Israel’s military is the country’s most respected institution, and such criticism, even from a dovish group, is relatively rare. B’Tselem said it would be publishing newspaper ads and take other steps to publicize its campaign.

The Israeli military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

But the country’s defence minister, Avigdor Lieberman, said Tuesday that the military will not change its tactics and warned that anyone who approaches the border is risking his life. The tough comments raised the possibility of more bloodshed this Friday, when another mass protest is expected.

On Wednesday, the head of the Arab League called on the International Criminal Court in The Hague to investigate the deaths of Palestinians killed in Gaza since Friday. Ahmed Aboul-Gheit also said he supports a call by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres for an independent investigation of the events on the border.

Hamas is organizing six weeks of on-and-off border protests in what it says is a campaign to draw attention to a crippling border blockade.

Both Israel and Egypt have maintained a blockade since Hamas seized control of Gaza in 2007 in an attempt to weaken the militant group. But the measures have devastated Gaza’s economy, while failing to oust Hamas.

Israel said Wednesday it has arrested 10 Palestinians suspected of planning an attack against a navy ship off the Gaza coast.

The Shin Bet security service said the interrogation of the cell’s alleged leader revealed a plan to send a decoy boat from Gaza to distract the navy ship while another would fire a rocket at it. The plan called for militants to then try to abduct wounded sailors and keep them as bargaining chips for future prisoner swaps.

Amin Jamaa was being indicted Wednesday at a court in southern Israel.

The Shin Bet identified him and his cohorts as members of the Islamic Jihad militant group and said they were abusing the easing of Israeli restrictions on Gaza fisherman to collect intelligence on Israel’s naval operations along the coast.

“This is proof of the true intentions of the terror groups in Gaza who are trying to hide their murderous plans by staging provocations along our border whose sole purpose is to provide cover for terrorists to carry out their attacks against Israel,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Daoud Shehab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, said he had no information about the Israeli announcement but that his group was involved in “open confrontation” against it.

“It’s also our right to look for suitable ways to force Israel to release Palestinian prisoners,” he added.

Protests are planned to continue until May 15, the 70th anniversary of Israel’s founding. The date is mourned by Palestinians as their “nakba,” or “catastrophe,” when hundreds of thousands were uprooted in the 1948 Mideast war over Israel’s creation. Most of Gaza’s 2 million people are descendants of Palestinian refugees.</s>Politicians from across the political spectrum criticized a new campaign Thursday that calls on IDF soldiers to not fire at Gaza protesters.



The campaign was organized by the human rights organization B’Tselem, which is also known as the Israel Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories. The campaign's controversial slogan is "I am sorry, officer, I won't shoot."





B'Tselem decided to organize the campaign after warning ahead of last week's protests on the border with Gaza that they would lead to bloodshed. Some 17 protesters were killed, but Israel has said that most of them were Hamas terrorists."Firing at unarmed demonstrators is illegal, and an order to do so is even more illegal," a B'Tselem spokesman said.Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman (Yisrael Beytenu) wrote on Twitter that B'Tselem should instead go to the Gaza Strip and tell people there not to lay explosives on the border, fire at soldiers, and violate Israel's security. He mockingly said if B'Tselem would not take such steps, Israel would have to continue relying on the IDF.Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan (Likud) responded by calling B'Tselem "liars who support terror" and their campaign "a knife in the back of residents of the South." Erdan said soldiers should continue to listen to their commanders and not "delusional left-wing extremists."Zionist Union leader Avi Gabbay said he condemns any calls for soldiers to resist orders, saying "The IDF is the army of the nation, and it is loyally doing its work defending us during the holiday."Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid accused B"Tselem of "moral blindness and shameful values" and said the organization had "lost its mind." He said B'Tselem should instead call upon Hamas to stop sending terrorists to try cross the border into Israel.</s>B'Tselem, the respected Israeli human rights NGO, began a media campaign today urging Israel Defense Forces soldiers posted on the Gaza border to disobey "patently illegal" shoot-to-kill orders against unarmed protesters. Last week, the IDF gunned down 17 such protesters and wounded more than 700 of them. Another wounded protester later died of his wounds. Fresh protests are expected on Friday and the IDF already announced it will keep its Rules of Engagement (ROE) as they are.The ad appeared on line today and is set to appear in major newspapers tomorrow. The text on B'Tselem's ad reads:, coined after the 1956 Qafr Qassem Massacre, when soldiers of the Border Police murdered 47 Israeli Palestinians after receiving an order to kill anyone outside his house after an impromptu curfew was announced. The defendants claimed they were duty-bound to follow a legal order. The judges found that there are "patently illegal" orders, which may be recognized as "a black flag flying over the order, saying 'it's forbidden!'". They continued:While the words are stirring, the nature of a "patently illegal" order was always debated. Soldiers are taught that their duty is to obey a merely illegal order, but that they legally obligated to disobey a "patently illegal" one.This is the first time an Israeli NGO has explicitly warned Israeli soldiers that they are about to commit war crimes in advance of the act itself.B'Tselem has toughened its position towards the army and government in recent years. Two years ago, the NGO decided to stop cooperating with the IDF and its notoriously inept Military Police Criminal Investigation Division,B'Tselem CEO Hagai El-Ad appeared in the UN Security Council in October 2016, calling upon the world to protect Palestinians from Israel.Those decisions caused controversy not just in the general Israeli public, but also within the Israeli human rights NGOs sphere: Most NGOs rejected B'Tselem's position regarding non-cooperation with the IDF, arguing that by so doing they would lose whatever shred of ability to change the system they still had.
Israeli human rights group B'Tselem launches a campaign calling on soldiers to refuse orders at the border.