Israel’s
Supreme Court on Monday heard the first legal challenge of the
military’s open-fire rules, after 39 Palestinians were killed and
more than 1,700 wounded by Israeli fire during mass protests on the
Gaza border over the past month.
The
hearing came amid growing international criticism of Israel for its
use of lethal force and a mounting casualty toll since the weekly
protests, organized by Gaza’s ruling Hamas, began in late March.
Organizers say the mass demonstrations are to continue for at least
two more weeks, with some threatening a mass border breach.
The
court is not expected to rule before next week, in what human rights
lawyer Michael Sfard said is the first broad review of the army’s
rules of engagement in almost three decades.
On
Monday, six human rights groups asked the Supreme Court to declare as
unlawful any regulations that allow soldiers to open fire at unarmed
civilians.
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report:
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