A human rights group Monday said that that during the period of the war in Lebanon, there was sharp increase in the violence inflicted on West Bank Palestinians by Israeli security forces.

According to the report of B'Tselem, the Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, most violent incidents took place in or next to checkpoints, particularly in the northern West Bank. The report alleges that the rise in violence is due to stricter travel restrictions recently imposed on Palestinians.

The details of the incidents indicate that IDF troops and Border Policemen humiliated and abused Palestinians seeking to pass through checkpoints, the study said. In six cases victims had to receive medical care as a result of the abuse.

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B'Tselem has filed a complaint with the Military Advocate General and the police internal affairs department at the Justice Ministry, urging them to investigate the six incidents.

The group also called on IDF Chief of Staff Dan Halutz and Defense Minister Amir Peretz to relay a clear message to soldiers and officers that Palestinian residents should not be physically assaulted and abused.