DaysofPal- An Israeli military commander has boasted that Israeli occupation forces are killing Palestinians in the occupied West Bank at levels not seen since 1967, according to remarks reported by the Hebrew newspaper Haaretz.
Bluth added that one of his distinguishing approaches has been to continuously turn Palestinian villages into areas of confrontation.
“My advantage is that I constantly transform Palestinian villages into combat zones,” he said.
He also claimed that the Israeli forces had “eased” their rules of engagement, particularly regarding the use of live fire against Palestinians, including those crossing the separation barrier.
According to Bluth, soldiers are now permitted in certain areas to carry out arrest procedures that may include shooting at the lower body, such as the knees, to enforce the presence of the barrier.
In remarks described as sarcastic, Bluth referred to the high number of Palestinians injured in their legs, saying there are now “many limping memorials” in Palestinian villages, people who were shot while attempting to cross and who, he suggested, “paid a price.”
When asked about documented incidents of Israeli settlers throwing stones at Palestinian vehicles, Bluth acknowledged he does not support opening fire on settlers.
“We prefer to handle this through other means. Every such incident carries very serious social consequences. I’m not sure we need to get to that point,” he said, admitting that “there is a certain level of discrimination.” He said.
Responding to questions about administrative detention, Bluth said that more than 4,000 Palestinians are currently being held without trial, adding, “I achieve results with what I have.”
According to Palestinian and human rights data, there has been an unprecedented rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank over the past two years.
Since the start of the war in Gaza, more than 1,100 Palestinians have been killed in the West Bank, with around 9,000 others injured by Israeli forces and settler attacks, alongside the arrest of thousands more.
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