New rules of engagement were handed down Tuesday, July 11, to the Israeli military, police and Border Guard units serving in Judea and Samaria that effectively prohibit them from shooting Palestinians found hurling firebombs, carrying out knife attacks or other acts of terror. Henceforth, security forces are restricted to firing in the air. The new orders came from OC IDF Central Command Ronnie Numah. They are a radical departure from the present rules and the first broad restrictions to be imposed on the troops since 15 years ago, the late Yitzhak Rabin, then prime minister and Ehud Barak as defense minister forbade security forces to shoot at Palestinian terrorists or their bases – only to turn their fire on vacant ground nearby.The new directives are as follows: (READ MORE)
