All unlawful killings and deliberate attacks on civilians in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) since the start of October must be effectively investigated and perpetrators brought to justice, Amnesty International said today.

An upsurge of violence in the OPT and in Israel since the start of this month has seen at least 27 Palestinians and seven Israelis killed.

Palestinians have carried out a number of attacks on Israelis in Israel and the OPT, killing six civilians and one off-duty soldier and injuring others.

Israeli forces have used excessive, sometimes lethal, force against Palestinian demonstrators, injuring hundreds with live ammunition and rubber-coated metal bullets, and have failed to protect Palestinian civilians from a wave of settler attacks.

A delegation of Amnesty International researchers is on the ground in the West Bank.

Philip Luther, Director of Amnesty’s Middle East and North Africa Programme, said:

“We are seeing a dangerous pattern of deliberate attacks on civilians and unlawful killings. All unlawful killings and arbitrary and abusive force must stop immediately. All such violations must be effectively investigated and perpetrators must be held accountable. Without justice and accountability, this downward spiral of bloodshed will continue.

“Israeli forces have used excessive force on a large scale and intensified restriction on movement and have vowed to increase illegal punishments such as home demolitions. Security measures must respect international law. Collective punishment of the Palestinian population can never be justified.”

For Amnesty’s statement on events between 1 - 10 October in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Israel, please see:

Israel/OPT: No justification for deliberate attacks on civilians, unlawful killings by Israeli forces, or collective punishment of Palestinians