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NGO Monitor Analysis (Vol. 3 No. 5) 15 January 2005

IMRA Takes Issue With Betselem Casualty Figures

 

IMRA: Sarit Michaeli explained to IMRA today that the term "did not participate in hostilities " includes any person killed while next to those "participating in hostilities" even if they are acting as a "human shield" for those"participating in hostilities".

Thus, the figures reported by B'stelem about noncombatant minors includes children shielding combatants as they prepare and launch Qassam rockets or shielding gunmen as they engage in battle against Israeli forces.

Michaeli noted B'tselem condemns the use of children as human shields.

It should also be noted that the B'tselem report provides data on checkpoints but declines to indicate how many attempts to carry out attacks were foiled by the checkpoints.

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29 December 2004
Press Release

B'Tselem: 182 Minors Killed in 2004 in the Intifada

B'Tselem's 2004 Summary Statistics

Casualties: From 1 January through 27 December 2004, a total of 915 people were killed in Israel and the Occupied Territories in the intifada.

2004
Palestinian fatalities
Total: 803, including 174 minors
Did not participate in hostilities when killed 450
Killed when participating in hostilities 334
Unknown if participated in hostilities 19

Israeli fatalities
Total: 107, including 8 minors
Civilians 67 Security forces 40

From beginning of the intifada (29 September 2000)
Palestinian fatalities
Total: 3,174, including 617 minors
Did not participate in hostilities when killed 1702
Killed when participating in hostilities 916
Unknown if participated in hostilities 556

Israeli fatalities
Total: 940, including 112 minors
Civilians 640 Security forces 300

In addition, five foreign nationals were killed this year.

House demolitions:

During 2004, Israel demolished 181 homes in the Occupied Territories as a means of punishment and 1,357 homes on the claim of military necessity. These demolitions left some 11,500 Palestinians homeless. Altogether Israel has demolished 4,100 homes during the Intifada. As a result at least 28,000 Palestinians have been rendered homeless

Freedom of movement:

There are 55 permanent staffed checkpoints in the West Bank:

- 17 checkpoints deep in the West Bank restrict movement between Palestinian cities;

- 27 checkpoints control movement between Israel and the West Bank (including 10 around Jerusalem), 13 of which restrict Palestinian movement within the West Bank and not only into Israel;

- 11 checkpoints are located inside the city of Hebron.

In addition, there are currently 17 checkpoints in the West Bank which are occasionally staffed, and hundreds of unstaffed physical obstacles.

Palestinian travel is restricted or entirely prohibited on 41 sections of roads throughout the West Bank, including many of the main traffic arteries, for a total of over 700 kilometers of roadway.

Detainees:

5,794 Palestinians, including 373 minors, are currently being detained by the IDF and the Israeli Prison Services (as of December 5). 863 of these detainees are being held in administrative detention without charge or trial, and without knowing when they will be released.

For further details, contact Sarit Michaeli, B'Tselem Press Officer
www.btselem.org

COURTESY OF IMRA - Independent Media Review and Analysis
Website: www.imra.org.il