Amnesty International Report Shows Israeli Army and Police Use Excessive Force in West Bank

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Casualties Over Past Three Years Include Children

Contact: Carol Gregory, cgregory@aiusa.org, 202-675-8759202-675-8759, @AIUSAmedia

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) - Amnesty International released a report today that shows Israeli forces have displayed a callous disregard for human life by killing dozens of Palestinian civilians, including children, in the occupied West Bank over the past three years.

At least 261 Palestinians have been seriously injured by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces. Over 8,000 Palestinians, including 1,500 children, have been wounded by rubber-coated metal bullets and other means.

The report, Trigger-happy: Israel's use of excessive force in the West Bank, describes mounting bloodshed and human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) as a result of the Israeli forces' use of unnecessary, arbitrary and brutal force against Palestinians since January 2011. The report comes just days before the Israeli Prime Minister's visit to meet with President Obama on March 3rd and attend the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference in Washington, D.C. The conference is widely attended by U.S. elected officials.