The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor said in a statement that the alarming surge in killings committed by the Israeli army against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory in 2022 is extremely concerning, the official news agency WAFA reported.
In a report issued today entitled “Pulling the trigger is the first resort”, Euro-Med Monitor stated that the recorded number of Palestinian deaths in the West Bank increased by 82% in 2022 compared to 2021, and nearly fivefold (491%) compared to 2020.
Analysis of field data reveals that the majority of Palestinian fatalities were civilians killed by Israel’s army in unjustified operations and contexts where they presented no imminent threat or danger to the lives of Israeli soldiers or Jewish settlers.
“The Israeli army’s killings and summary executions of Palestinian civilians, as evidenced by its lax open-fire regulations and official protection system for perpetrators of horrific violations, demonstrate that these are state-sanctioned rather than individual actions,” said Ramy Abdu, Chairman of Euro-Med Monitor.
“Regardless of whether Israel’s government is on the political left, center, or right, the use of lethal force against Palestinians remains a key element of its policy,” Abdu added.
“We do fear that this year will see a rise in Israeli violence, with only extremist decision-makers in power who believe in killing Palestinians and driving them from their lands.”
According to the report’s figures, children made up approximately 20% of victims of Israeli killings in 2022, with 41 children killed in Israeli attacks and assaults, in addition to eight women killed the same year, three of whom were field-executed in the West Bank.
Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor called on the European Union to review the implementation of its partnership agreement with the Israeli government in light of Israeli violations of the provisions related to respect for human rights and principles of democracy.
(WAFA, PC, SOCIAL)
