Brucie, they are under occupation. They have no civil rights of any sort. No rights as human beings whatever. Their lives are completely subject to the whims of the members of the IDF who occupy their land (many of whom are barely out of their teens), who enforce the checkpoints arbitrarily and with blatant disregard for human rights, checkpoints that, according to many members of the IDF even, serve absolutely purpose from a security standpoint. People die because of the arbitrary enforcement of closures. Pregnant women lose their babies because they can't get to a hospital in time to get the medical attention they need while in labor. Their homes are continually being destroyed and their land confiscated, in many cases so that Israeli settlers can build segregated, Jewish only, settlements, accessed by Jewish only roads.

Their water is stolen from them so that the settlers can fill their swimming pools and water their lawns, while water to the Palestinians is rationed so tightly, they aren't even able to meet the most basic household needs. They are subjected to collective punishment on a daily basis. If someone was doing all of these things to you and your family, and you resisted, even with force of arms, would you consider yourself to be acting in self-defense?