HCJ Strikes Down Petitions Against Gaza Border Rules of Engagement

Israel’s High Court for Justice has unanimously struck down petitions filed against the IDF’s rules of engagement and the use of lethal force against protestors on the Gaza border during riots over past weeks labeled ‘The March of Return’.

All three High Court’s justice asserted that Israel and Hamas are in an ongoing armed conflict and that the recent protests led by Hamas and other terror organizations posed an unprecedented challenge for security forces as Hamas and the other organizations deliberately deployed operatives mingled with civilian protesters, putting those civilians in harm’s way.

The High Court also determined that the actions carried out by security forces on the Gaza border do not fall under the category of law enforcement, but are rather part of the ongoing armed conflict between Israel and Hamas. Therefore, the court said, they cannot be regarded as use of excessive force.

Furthermore, the court said that while the IDF and other branches of the security forces possess various means of crowd control and non-lethal weapons, the use of live ammunition at protesters was not carried out indiscriminately and was employed  only as a last resort.