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| Israel-Palestine |
| Israel to use sand bullets for riot control |
| 2005-08-01 |
| EFL The Israeli military said it is changing riot control methods, replacing its sometimes-lethal rubber-coated steel pellets with compressed sand bullets. The sand bullet, said to be extremely painful but less dangerous because it does not penetrate the skin, was developed and first used by Israelâs Prisons Authority. The rubber bullets will be phased out. Rubber bullets have killed dozens of Palestinians in the past two decades. The new sand bullets were originally developed for close-quarter hostage rescue situations. At least 60 Palestinians were killed by rubber bullets between 1987 and 1993, in the first Palestinian uprising, according to Bâtselem. Since the eruption of the latest round of fighting in 2000, 15 Palestinians have been killed. The new round, in which the head of the bullet is made from compressed sand and can be fired from a regular rifle, has already been used in the West Bank against Palestinians protesting against the separation barrier Israel is building, the army said. The army also routinely uses tear gas and stun grenades against protesters and recently unveiled a machine called âThe Scream,â a device that emits penetrating bursts of sound that leaves targets reeling with dizziness and nausea. Prisons Authority spokesman Ofer Lefler said the bullet was developed in consultations with armies around the world. He declined to give further details on the development process or the contents of the sand bullet. |
| Posted by:trailing wife |