JERUSALEM -10-Dec-97 An Israeli human rights group says that 1479 Palestinians, have been killed by Israelis in the 10 years since the outbreak of the intifadeh, an uprising against bmli occupation. All but 133 were killed by the Army, said the B'Tselem group in a report. Between 1988 and 1989, the peak of the intifadeh, 556 Palestinians were lulled by Israeli forces. But when Israel started to transfer territory in the Gaza Strip and West Bank to the Palestinians in 1994 as part of pea,ce accords, the number of Palestinian casualties "dropped markedly." The intifadeh against Israeh occupation of Palestinian areas marked its 10th anniversary this week. In that time 256 Israeli civilians and 127 Israeli soldiers had been killed by Palestinians, the report said. In 1988 and 1989, 43 Israeli soldiers and civilians were lulled by Palestinians but the number jumped to 104 in the two years after the intifadeh ended.

The increase in Israeli casualties came with a rise in terror attacks by Islamic fundamentalist groups in opposition to the 1993 Oslo peace accords. Most soldiers who killed Palestinians were not punished by the Army, the report said. "In most of the instances in which Palestinians were killed by Israeli Army fire, Israeli soldiers' lives were not in danger, although the Army spokesman has not admitted this. "Despite this, up to now, oldiers have been brought before the law in ordy 55 cases and only 19 were convicted. Another Israeli group, HaMoked, which offers legal aid to Palestinians in cases against the Army, raised the same accusations. B'Tselem also said the Army had destroyed 1800 Palestinian homes built without the proper permits and another 447 as punishment for crimes. - AFP Look back in anger - B4.