According to Haaretz newspaper, the army’s Central Command decided to implement the same shooting policy used during the Gaza war to kill any unarmed Palestinian, whether a suspect or not, in the West Bank.
“The orders made it easier for soldiers to pull the trigger at the behest of Central Command Commander Avi Blot,” it added.
The daily quoted Israeli soldiers taking part in the ongoing military operations in the West Bank as saying that Blot permitted them to shoot with the intent to kill Palestinians without resorting to arrest them.
The soldiers explained that the recent high death toll of unarmed Palestinians in the West Bank was “unusual,” attributing it to Blot’s orders allowing them to shoot and kill any Palestinian suspected of planting explosive devices or “tampering with the land.”
Haaretz, citing army unit commanders, said the head of the army’s West Bank Division, Yaki Dolf, ordered soldiers to shoot at any vehicle coming from a combat zone and heading toward a checkpoint.
On Sunday, two Palestinians were killed when Israeli soldiers opened fire on a car approaching a military checkpoint in the West Bank.
According to the Israeli paper, soldiers used Palestinian civilians as human shields while searching buildings for explosives, the same tactic used by the Israeli army in Gaza.
The Israeli army, however, denied any change in its shooting orders in the West Bank.
“No change in the rules of engagement” for the West Bank, the army announced in a comment to Haaretz.
Since Jan. 21, the Israeli army has conducted military operations in Jenin, Tulkarem and Tammun in the northern West Bank, killing more than 30 Palestinians, according to the Health Ministry.
The Israeli escalation follows a ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal in Gaza on Jan. 19 after more than 15 months of Israeli bombardment which has killed nearly 62,000 Palestinians and devastated the enclave.
Since the war began on Oct. 7, 2023, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 910 Palestinians across the occupied West Bank, according to the Health Ministry.
