An Israeli army commander has made shocking threats to Palestinian youth held in the Al-Duheisha, saying he will “make all the youth of the camp disabled,” according to a Palestinian rights group, the Middle East Monitor reported on Friday.
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The commander reportedly in charge of Al-Duheisha is known as “Captain Nidal.” The Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, BADIL, said that they have heard from local Palestinian youth that the commander as well as threatening to make youth disabled, “will have all of you working with crutches and in wheelchairs … I will make half of you disabled, and let the other half push the wheelchairs.”
“I will make all of you stand in line at the ATM waiting for your disability subsidies and assistance,” BIDL reported with an injured youth told to warn others in the camp that “Nidal will make all of you disabled.”
The Al-Duheisha refugee camp located south of Bethlehem in the West Bank has recently been constantly targeted by Israeli forces, often with deadly results. Since the beginning of the year live bullets have been used on Palestinians August by Israeli forces, where dozens were shot in their legs, BADIL reported.
During the first half of August, 18 Palestinians aged between 14 and 27 were shot in the legs, causing a number of disabilities, both temporary and long term.
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BADIL said in a press release that the threats are not isolated incidents, but rather representative of wider Israeli policy in the refugee camps which BADIL says "constitutes a grave breach of international law and could amount to an international crime."
The Al-Duheisha camp was originally created for refugees fleeing from the Arab-Israeli war in 1948. Like other parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, residents within the camp have experienced long term oppression at the hands of Israel. As well as the constant fear of violence, the majority of residents have poor access basic services.
Last week Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman announced a new policy that only allows Palestinians to build basic infrastructure such as hospitals and schools in areas that Israel deems “free of terrorism.”