A/HRC/31/40 that she was not given first aid. Local media reports said Palestinian medics present at the checkpoint were prevented from reaching Ms. Al-Hashlamoun, and she was left bleeding for about 30 minutes. Similarly, regarding Basil Basim Sidir, two witnesses interviewed by OHCHR stated that, although a medical team had reached the spot within a few minutes, the Israeli security forces did not allow them to attend to the victim for around 15 minutes. The Basic Principles require provision of assistance and medical report “at the earliest possible moment” (principle 5 (c)). 17. Concerns over unlawful killings are underscored by some statements of government officials at the time. For instance, the Minister of the Interior, Gilad Erdan, reportedly declared that “every terrorist should know that he will not survive the attack he is about to commit”, while Jerusalem police chief Moshe Edri reportedly declared: “anyone who stabs Jews or hurts innocent people is due to be killed”.11 Knesset member and former minister Yair Lapid told Israeli citizens not to hesitate to “shoot to kill anyone who pulls out a knife or screwdriver”.12 Such statements may help explain why most recent attackers were shot to death, contrary to similar incidents between November 1993 and November 2014, when most knife-attackers were reported to have been apprehended. 13 The above-mentioned statements preceded a number of vigilante incidents, with persons (including Israelis) shot by mistake or on the basis of mere suspicion. 18. Concerns of the excessive use of force also arise in respect of the policing by Israeli security forces of protests. Most clashes during the reporting period involved Palestinians throwing stones, fireworks or Molotov cocktails at elements of the Israeli security forces. In response, the security forces extensively used tear gas, “skunk water”, stun grenades and rubber-coated metal bullets. However, the frequent resort to firearms (including 0.22 calibre rifles) against demonstrators raises serious concern. OHCHR documented 18 Palestinians shot dead, and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported 825 injured with live ammunition in the context of clashes. 19. IDF states that the use of live ammunition is only permitted when there is “an actual and immediate threat to life, as the last option in the procedures for stopping a suspect, as well as in certain circumstances to contend with the threat to life posed during violent riots”.14 However, in many instances, people killed or injured by live ammunition did not appear to present any threat to life or of serious injury. 20. In one incident monitored by OHCHR, 20-year-old Ihab Jihad Yousef Hanani was shot dead by Israeli security forces on 16 October 2015, at Beit Furik village in Nablus governorate. He was hit in the upper chest with live ammunition while apparently helping to evacuate injured people during clashes. Six other protestors had also been wounded in their legs by live ammunition. While some protesters were throwing stones, there was no indication of any imminent threat to the soldiers who were standing over 100 metres away from the crowd. The use of live ammunition therefore appeared unwarranted and unlawful. 21. Live ammunition has been commonly used in the access-restricted areas in Gaza, particularly affecting farmers and fishermen (see A/70/421, para. 35, and A/HRC/31/44. During the reporting period, the United Nations Department of Safety and Security reported 11 12 13 14 Ibid. See BBC, “Hard Talk” interview. Available from www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7WeqyMI_GU (at 4:05). Steven Klein, “Why Israel’s Unwritten ‘Shoot to Kill’ Policy Is So Dangerous”, referring to www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Terrorism/victims.html. Undated IDF spokesperson reply to B’tselem (“Crowd control: Israel’s use of crowd control weapons in the West Bank”, 2013, p. 55). IDF open-fire regulations are confidential documents. 5