’Israel’ Police Allowed to Shoot Stone-throwing, Firecrackers with Live Fire!

Local Editor

"Israeli" occupation Police are now permitted to fire live bullets as a first resort against people throwing stones or incendiary devices, including fire crackers, according to open-fire regulations that were loosened last December in light of an upsurge of violence in East al-Quds.

The regulations, which were approved by the attorney general, had been classified.

Among the new instructions: "A policeman is permitted to open fire at a person who is clearly seen to throw, or is about to throw, an incendiary device ... or is about to fire an incendiary device ... or is about to fire directly aimed firecrackers, in order to prevent the danger."

The regulations also included that "throwing stones while using a slingshot" is an example of an incident that justifies shooting with live fire.

Attorney Mohammed Bassam, who wrote the petition, said, "The new regulations enable police to behave in an unrestrained and criminal manner. The chances that incidents such as stone throwing or firing firecrackers will constitute a danger to life are extremely remote, and there is no question that such incidents can be handled by non-lethal means. But the new regulations refer to such incidents as though they were "warlike" activities, and grant legitimacy to a quick trigger finger.

"The new regulations are in contradiction to the existing general instructions, which allow the use of lethal weapons only when there is a real fear of harm to a policeman or to others, and there is no other way to prevent such possible harm. It is also clear that the regulations are not directed at stone throwers in general, but were written specifically in reference to Palestinian teens," said Bassam.

Source: Haaretz, Edited by website team