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Israel investigates B'Tselem claims on shooting Palestinians

In an interview with Al-Monitor, B'Tselem Director Hagai El-Ad defends the organization's unequivocal, yet unpopular stance against Israeli policies: ''The moral image of the state is important for many Israelis and not just for B’Tselem activists.''
Mourners chant slogans during the funeral of two Palestinians, who were shot dead by Israeli forces on Thursday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah May 16, 2014. Israeli forces shot dead the two Palestinians during a stone-throwing protest on Thursday to mark the "Nakba", or "catastrophe", as Palestinians term their displacement when Israel was founded. REUTERS/Ammar Awad (WEST BANK - Tags: POLITICS) - RTR3PFK8
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Six months have passed since B'Tselem disseminated the video footage documenting the killing of two Palestinian youths — Nadim Nawarah and Muhammad Salameh — during the May 15 Nakba Day demonstrations in Bitunya, a small town near Ramallah. An inquiry by the organization raised suspicion that the youths had been deliberately killed.

On Nov. 12, it was authorized for publication that a border police soldier was arrested on suspicion of murdering the two youths, having used live bullets instead of rubber ones. In tandem, the soldier’s commander was also questioned on suspicion of having known that live fire was used but having failed to report it.

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