27 mar 2018
“The UNHRC is manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel,” a spokesman for the Israeli Foreign Ministry said, after the council had adopted five decisions against Israel.
In diplomatic circles, language hardly changes from one scenario to the next. It is only the accusations levelled against different political actors that convey part of the context, which always disregards allegations of violence in order to maintain the level of impunity for all aggressors.
The latest UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, during which five resolutions against Israel were passed, is one such example of how rhetoric has degenerated to the point that there is no longer any coherence between the human rights violations and condemnations thereof. Such rhetoric is irresponsible.
According to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, the UNHRC is “manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel.” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley displayed her devotion to the Zionist state by insisting that Washington’s “patience is not unlimited. Today’s actions make clear that the organisation lacks the credibility needed to be a true advocate for human rights.” This, of course, is all nonsense.
The context offered by Nahshon and Haley is reflective of nothing more than the impunity that Israel enjoys. The reality is that Israel employs violence against Palestinians as its trademark and there is no reason whatsoever why it should not be singled out as an agenda item at the UNHRC.
What stands out in all of this is not the juxtaposition of Israel’s human rights violations against those of other countries, but the international community’s passive response to Israeli violations. Resolutions are useless; Israel and the international community know this very well. Even so, the farce instigated by the international community through such statements continues to keep Palestinians tethered to the same cycle of abuse, worthy only of repetitive rhetoric which prompts momentary anger and then fades into oblivion.
Of particular note was the Palestinian Authority’s spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud who, as quoted in the Times of Israel, praised countries which voted in favour of the UNHRC resolutions “for their ability to stand in the face of injustice, arrogance, and occupation, and to reject the language of threats and coercion.”
The countries that he praises so effusively have merely acted in order to comply with measures requiring the least effort on their part; words are, after all, cheap. However, it is “language of threats and coercion” which requires further dissection when applied to the PA’s track record of rhetoric that invites violence against Palestinians.
Just days after the UNHRC resolutions were passed, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told a press conference in Ramallah attended by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that the PA “never rejected political negotiations with Israel.” Abbas also insisted that he would not “accept solutions outside the framework of international legitimacy.”
The ramifications of “international legitimacy” should be considered as part of the “language of threats and coercion.” In remaining aligned to obsolete paradigms, as well as institutions which granted legitimacy to Israel at the expense of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, Abbas is allowing violence against Palestinian society at every level.
Thus, not only does Yusuf Al-Mahmoud’s statement ring hollow, but it also reflects the perpetual dissonance when discussing the violence inflicted upon Palestinians by the political protagonists who claim antagonism against themselves while collaborating flawlessly in the elimination of Palestine and its people.
In diplomatic circles, language hardly changes from one scenario to the next. It is only the accusations levelled against different political actors that convey part of the context, which always disregards allegations of violence in order to maintain the level of impunity for all aggressors.
The latest UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) session, during which five resolutions against Israel were passed, is one such example of how rhetoric has degenerated to the point that there is no longer any coherence between the human rights violations and condemnations thereof. Such rhetoric is irresponsible.
According to Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Emmanuel Nahshon, the UNHRC is “manipulated by bloodthirsty dictatorships hiding their own massive human rights violations by attacking Israel.” US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley displayed her devotion to the Zionist state by insisting that Washington’s “patience is not unlimited. Today’s actions make clear that the organisation lacks the credibility needed to be a true advocate for human rights.” This, of course, is all nonsense.
The context offered by Nahshon and Haley is reflective of nothing more than the impunity that Israel enjoys. The reality is that Israel employs violence against Palestinians as its trademark and there is no reason whatsoever why it should not be singled out as an agenda item at the UNHRC.
What stands out in all of this is not the juxtaposition of Israel’s human rights violations against those of other countries, but the international community’s passive response to Israeli violations. Resolutions are useless; Israel and the international community know this very well. Even so, the farce instigated by the international community through such statements continues to keep Palestinians tethered to the same cycle of abuse, worthy only of repetitive rhetoric which prompts momentary anger and then fades into oblivion.
Of particular note was the Palestinian Authority’s spokesman Yusuf al-Mahmoud who, as quoted in the Times of Israel, praised countries which voted in favour of the UNHRC resolutions “for their ability to stand in the face of injustice, arrogance, and occupation, and to reject the language of threats and coercion.”
The countries that he praises so effusively have merely acted in order to comply with measures requiring the least effort on their part; words are, after all, cheap. However, it is “language of threats and coercion” which requires further dissection when applied to the PA’s track record of rhetoric that invites violence against Palestinians.
Just days after the UNHRC resolutions were passed, PA leader Mahmoud Abbas told a press conference in Ramallah attended by Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, that the PA “never rejected political negotiations with Israel.” Abbas also insisted that he would not “accept solutions outside the framework of international legitimacy.”
The ramifications of “international legitimacy” should be considered as part of the “language of threats and coercion.” In remaining aligned to obsolete paradigms, as well as institutions which granted legitimacy to Israel at the expense of Palestinian displacement and dispossession, Abbas is allowing violence against Palestinian society at every level.
Thus, not only does Yusuf Al-Mahmoud’s statement ring hollow, but it also reflects the perpetual dissonance when discussing the violence inflicted upon Palestinians by the political protagonists who claim antagonism against themselves while collaborating flawlessly in the elimination of Palestine and its people.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Center for Studies stated that dozens of released Palestinian detainees died of serious illnesses they sustained during the period of detention, of deliberate medical negligence, and lack of proper treatment by Israeli prison services .
The spokesperson of Center, Reyad al-Ashqar said, in a statement, that Israeli occupation authorities hold direct responsibility for dozens of detainees who died just a few months after their release.
Ex-detainee Hasan Shawamra, 48, from Doura town, recently passed on after becoming sick with cancer during his detention.
Al-Ashqar pointed out that Shawamra died at Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer. He was detained on 2/22/16 and spent 17 months in Israeli prisons.
He further noted, according to Al Ray, that the Israeli occupation court issued a decision to release him on July 29, 2017, because of the deterioration of his health condition. He was hospitalized after his release in several hospitals for treatment, but without benefit.
Al-Ashqar accused the occupation of deliberately neglecting the treatment of sick detainees and leaving them for years without medical care or real examinations until the disease finally worsened. This policy is considered an indirect form of murder, as they died after serving their sentences and, thus, Israel can not bear responsibility for their deaths. .
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate detention conditions and the medical care that is provided to detainees, and to identify the causes of serious diseases in prisons that lead to their deaths both inside and out.
The spokesperson of Center, Reyad al-Ashqar said, in a statement, that Israeli occupation authorities hold direct responsibility for dozens of detainees who died just a few months after their release.
Ex-detainee Hasan Shawamra, 48, from Doura town, recently passed on after becoming sick with cancer during his detention.
Al-Ashqar pointed out that Shawamra died at Al-Ahli Hospital in Hebron, where he was undergoing treatment for cancer. He was detained on 2/22/16 and spent 17 months in Israeli prisons.
He further noted, according to Al Ray, that the Israeli occupation court issued a decision to release him on July 29, 2017, because of the deterioration of his health condition. He was hospitalized after his release in several hospitals for treatment, but without benefit.
Al-Ashqar accused the occupation of deliberately neglecting the treatment of sick detainees and leaving them for years without medical care or real examinations until the disease finally worsened. This policy is considered an indirect form of murder, as they died after serving their sentences and, thus, Israel can not bear responsibility for their deaths. .
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) called on the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to investigate detention conditions and the medical care that is provided to detainees, and to identify the causes of serious diseases in prisons that lead to their deaths both inside and out.
26 mar 2018
The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territory, occupied since 1967, Professor Michael Lynk, has found Israel to be “in profound breach of the right to health with respect to the Occupied Palestinian Territory,” in his latest report released this week.
As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the welfare of the Palestinian population under its control, and is obligated to ensure that sufficient medical care and public health standards are upheld under international law. The report, released at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, assessed the health and healthcare of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, against these obligations:
“Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory – with characteristics such as the expanding settlement enterprise, the annexation of territory, the confiscation of private and public lands, the pillaging of resources, the publicly-stated ambitions for permanent control over all or part of the Territory, as well as the Territory’s fragmentation – has had a highly disruptive impact upon health care and the broader social determinants for health for Palestinians in the occupied territory.”
According to the PNN, the report pays particular attention to the situation in Gaza, where an estimated 40% of essential medicines are out of stock, and electricity shortages have forced the closure of medical services such as operating theaters, emergency departments, diagnostic services, general medical wards, instrument sterilization and the treatment of chronic illnesses. Professor Lynk reiterates UN warnings that the healthcare system is “on the edge of collapse,” stating that “this dilapidated and failing Gaza health care sector is overwhelmingly a human-made crisis.”
He reflects that “one consequence of this acute crisis has been the compelling need to refer larger numbers of patients with serious or chronic health conditions to medical facilities outside of Gaza for treatment that they should be able to, but cannot, receive in the territory.”
Nevertheless, significant barriers exist to free the movement of patients for care, with increasing delays or denials in exit permits for those needing to exit Gaza for treatment. As previously highlighted in Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s joint statement with Human Rights Watch, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Professor Lynk reports that last year only 54% of all permits to exit Gaza were approved by Israel in time for patients to get to care. This is the lowest rate of permit approvals ever recorded. 54 patients are known to have died after delays or denials to these permits in 2017.
The report also discusses the sad death of breast cancer patient Abeer Abu Jayyab. Abeer led a peer support group for women with breast cancer at a MAP-supported women’s health clinic in Bureij refugee camp, in Gaza. She was described by staff as “a flame of vitality, energy and positivity” and “one of the loveliest and most resilient women” at the center.
Abeer required a treatment course of Herceptin. As this drug was unavailable in Gaza, she had to apply for a health travel permit for treatment in East Jerusalem. Her travel applications were repeatedly denied on security grounds by the Israeli authorities, and she missed her scheduled appointments. Abeer died in Gaza on 8 June, 2017, after her cancer metastasized.
Professor Lynk states that “Abeer’s case exemplified a distressing trend: 46 of the 54 deaths in 2017 were cancer patients who were unable to receive adequate health treatment in Gaza.”
Professor Lynk concludes that “Israel’s byzantine and opaque exit permit system imposed upon patients who require treatment outside of Gaza is but one element which demonstrates that Israel’s obligations as occupying power to the residents of Gaza remain far from fulfilled”.
The report raises concern about attacks against Palestinian medical facilities and personnel. “The principal Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem [was] raided repeatedly by heavily-armed Israeli soldiers and police who fire[d] stun grenades and sponge rounds, resulting in mayhem and fear among patients and staff,” notes the Special Rapporteur. He calls on Israel to “ensure the respect and protection of medical personnel and medical facilities as required by International Humanitarian Law.”
Among the other right to health themes in the report are the worryingly high rates of child malnutrition in parts of the oPt, and the challenges of living with a disability under occupation, blockade and closure. Referring to the experience of people with a physical disability in Gaza, Lynk notes that “with electricity operating only a few hours per day, in some cases, simply leaving one’s home can be nearly impossible.” The Special Rapporteur also draws attention to the impact of occupation and associated violence, uncertainty, and regular human rights violations on the mental health of Palestinians. He describes a mental health system that is increasingly ill-equipped to provide greatly needed support and resources.
The Special Rapporteur concludes by stating that, were Israel meeting its duty to “ensure that the right to health – the enjoyment by the protected population of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health – is fulfilled during the temporary period of occupation, consistent with its reasonable security needs,” it would “actively work to restore and enhance the health care system for the people under its effective control,” adding that:
“It would not obstruct the access by patients and medical staff to hospitals and health clinics, either physically or bureaucratically. It would strive to create conditions of stability and security, so that the social determinants of health can advance, rather than retard, the flourishing of physical and mental well being. It would promote equality of access to health care for all, with particular attention paid to the vulnerable and marginalized. The occupying power would actively work with the health institutions of the protected population to chart a progressive health care strategy for the future that also respected the coming restoration of full sovereignty. It would not discriminate. It would not torture or mistreat prisoners and detainees. It would not impose collective punishments of any sort. As a priority, it would provide all the necessary health services and supplies that the medical institutions of the protected population are unable to deliver themselves.
“Ultimately, the occupying power would understand that leaving behind a thriving health care system, aligned with robust social determinants, at the end of the occupation provides the best opportunity for peace and prosperity to endure.“
Measured against these obligations, however, he concludes that Israel’s “avaricious occupation – measured by the expanding settlement enterprise, the annexation of territory, the confiscation of private and public lands, the pillaging of resources, the publicly-stated ambitions for permanent control over all or part of the Territory, and the fragmentation of the lands left for the Palestinians – has had a highly disruptive impact upon health care and the broader social determinants for health for the Palestinians.”
Professor Lynk concludes his report by recommending that Israel “ensure regular and reliable access, at all times, for all Palestinian patients who require specialized health care outside of their jurisdictions, consistent with genuine Israeli security concerns” and that it “comply fully with its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law with respect to fulfilling the health needs of the protected population.”
To read Professor Lynk’s report in full, click here.
As the occupying power, Israel is responsible for the welfare of the Palestinian population under its control, and is obligated to ensure that sufficient medical care and public health standards are upheld under international law. The report, released at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva this week, assessed the health and healthcare of Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and Gaza, against these obligations:
“Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory – with characteristics such as the expanding settlement enterprise, the annexation of territory, the confiscation of private and public lands, the pillaging of resources, the publicly-stated ambitions for permanent control over all or part of the Territory, as well as the Territory’s fragmentation – has had a highly disruptive impact upon health care and the broader social determinants for health for Palestinians in the occupied territory.”
According to the PNN, the report pays particular attention to the situation in Gaza, where an estimated 40% of essential medicines are out of stock, and electricity shortages have forced the closure of medical services such as operating theaters, emergency departments, diagnostic services, general medical wards, instrument sterilization and the treatment of chronic illnesses. Professor Lynk reiterates UN warnings that the healthcare system is “on the edge of collapse,” stating that “this dilapidated and failing Gaza health care sector is overwhelmingly a human-made crisis.”
He reflects that “one consequence of this acute crisis has been the compelling need to refer larger numbers of patients with serious or chronic health conditions to medical facilities outside of Gaza for treatment that they should be able to, but cannot, receive in the territory.”
Nevertheless, significant barriers exist to free the movement of patients for care, with increasing delays or denials in exit permits for those needing to exit Gaza for treatment. As previously highlighted in Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP)’s joint statement with Human Rights Watch, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, Amnesty International and Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Professor Lynk reports that last year only 54% of all permits to exit Gaza were approved by Israel in time for patients to get to care. This is the lowest rate of permit approvals ever recorded. 54 patients are known to have died after delays or denials to these permits in 2017.
The report also discusses the sad death of breast cancer patient Abeer Abu Jayyab. Abeer led a peer support group for women with breast cancer at a MAP-supported women’s health clinic in Bureij refugee camp, in Gaza. She was described by staff as “a flame of vitality, energy and positivity” and “one of the loveliest and most resilient women” at the center.
Abeer required a treatment course of Herceptin. As this drug was unavailable in Gaza, she had to apply for a health travel permit for treatment in East Jerusalem. Her travel applications were repeatedly denied on security grounds by the Israeli authorities, and she missed her scheduled appointments. Abeer died in Gaza on 8 June, 2017, after her cancer metastasized.
Professor Lynk states that “Abeer’s case exemplified a distressing trend: 46 of the 54 deaths in 2017 were cancer patients who were unable to receive adequate health treatment in Gaza.”
Professor Lynk concludes that “Israel’s byzantine and opaque exit permit system imposed upon patients who require treatment outside of Gaza is but one element which demonstrates that Israel’s obligations as occupying power to the residents of Gaza remain far from fulfilled”.
The report raises concern about attacks against Palestinian medical facilities and personnel. “The principal Palestinian hospital in East Jerusalem [was] raided repeatedly by heavily-armed Israeli soldiers and police who fire[d] stun grenades and sponge rounds, resulting in mayhem and fear among patients and staff,” notes the Special Rapporteur. He calls on Israel to “ensure the respect and protection of medical personnel and medical facilities as required by International Humanitarian Law.”
Among the other right to health themes in the report are the worryingly high rates of child malnutrition in parts of the oPt, and the challenges of living with a disability under occupation, blockade and closure. Referring to the experience of people with a physical disability in Gaza, Lynk notes that “with electricity operating only a few hours per day, in some cases, simply leaving one’s home can be nearly impossible.” The Special Rapporteur also draws attention to the impact of occupation and associated violence, uncertainty, and regular human rights violations on the mental health of Palestinians. He describes a mental health system that is increasingly ill-equipped to provide greatly needed support and resources.
The Special Rapporteur concludes by stating that, were Israel meeting its duty to “ensure that the right to health – the enjoyment by the protected population of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health – is fulfilled during the temporary period of occupation, consistent with its reasonable security needs,” it would “actively work to restore and enhance the health care system for the people under its effective control,” adding that:
“It would not obstruct the access by patients and medical staff to hospitals and health clinics, either physically or bureaucratically. It would strive to create conditions of stability and security, so that the social determinants of health can advance, rather than retard, the flourishing of physical and mental well being. It would promote equality of access to health care for all, with particular attention paid to the vulnerable and marginalized. The occupying power would actively work with the health institutions of the protected population to chart a progressive health care strategy for the future that also respected the coming restoration of full sovereignty. It would not discriminate. It would not torture or mistreat prisoners and detainees. It would not impose collective punishments of any sort. As a priority, it would provide all the necessary health services and supplies that the medical institutions of the protected population are unable to deliver themselves.
“Ultimately, the occupying power would understand that leaving behind a thriving health care system, aligned with robust social determinants, at the end of the occupation provides the best opportunity for peace and prosperity to endure.“
Measured against these obligations, however, he concludes that Israel’s “avaricious occupation – measured by the expanding settlement enterprise, the annexation of territory, the confiscation of private and public lands, the pillaging of resources, the publicly-stated ambitions for permanent control over all or part of the Territory, and the fragmentation of the lands left for the Palestinians – has had a highly disruptive impact upon health care and the broader social determinants for health for the Palestinians.”
Professor Lynk concludes his report by recommending that Israel “ensure regular and reliable access, at all times, for all Palestinian patients who require specialized health care outside of their jurisdictions, consistent with genuine Israeli security concerns” and that it “comply fully with its obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law with respect to fulfilling the health needs of the protected population.”
To read Professor Lynk’s report in full, click here.
24 mar 2018
The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted, in its 37thsession, concluded in Geneva on Friday, four resolutions for Palestine.
The majority of the member countries voted in favor of the following four resolutions:
According to WAFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Malki praised the vote and thanked the countries that voted in favor of the four resolutions. He called on the countries of the world to take not only statements but tangible steps, in order to protect the people of Palestine and achieve the two-state solution.
“Palestinian diplomacy will defend the rights of the Palestinian people and will continue to work with the countries of the world to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital,” al-Malki said in a press release.
The majority of the member countries voted in favor of the following four resolutions:
- Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, are illegal.
- The right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.
- The situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem.
- Ensuring accountability and justice for all violations of international law in the OPT, including East Jerusalem.
According to WAFA, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riyad al-Malki praised the vote and thanked the countries that voted in favor of the four resolutions. He called on the countries of the world to take not only statements but tangible steps, in order to protect the people of Palestine and achieve the two-state solution.
“Palestinian diplomacy will defend the rights of the Palestinian people and will continue to work with the countries of the world to end the Israeli occupation of the land of the State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital,” al-Malki said in a press release.
22 mar 2018
Israeli forces continued with systematic crimes in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) for the week of 15 – 21 March, 2018.
Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protests, while 37 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and a photojournalist, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 37 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and a photojournalist, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea, target the border areas, and carry airstrikes against objectives belongs to the Palestinian Armed Groups and open lands.
In the West Bank, on 20 March 2018, 6 civilians, including a child, were wounded when a group of “Mista’arvim” undercover units dressed like Palestinian civilians sneaked into Burin village, west of Jenin, to carry out an arrest mission.
On 21 March 2018, a 45-year-old Palestinian civilian was wounded with a rubber boat to the abdomen when the Israeli forces moved into al-Moghir village, northeast of Ramallah, to arrested civilians.
Moreover, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, paramedic, and photojournalist, were wounded after Israeli forces opened fire at them and fired tear gas canisters directly at them during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrances to the Palestinian villages in the West Bank. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the Israeli settlement activities and land confiscations.
In the Gaza Strip, 16 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children, were wounded after Israeli forces fired bullets and tear gas canisters at them directly during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for 11 years consecutively.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against fishermen in the Gaza Sea, indicating to the on-going Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods. PCHR’s fieldworkers monitored 10 shooting incidents; 7 in north-western Beit Lahia and 3 others in Western Soudaniyah, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 15 March 2018, Israeli forces stationed in the watchtowers, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at the border area in addition to firing 6 artillery shells; one of which fell on a checkpoint belonging to the Palestinian Armed Groups while the other shells fell on agricultural lands and open areas. On the same day, the Israeli artillery fired one shells at an open area, north of the Agriculture School in northern Beit Hanoun, but no casualties were reported. On the same day, the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip opened fire at the agricultural lands, but no casualties were reported.
On 17 March 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at the Palestinian agricultural lands, east of al-Bureij. The shooting recurred sporadically in the same area on Tuesday afternoon, 20 March 2018, until 09:00 next day. However, no casualties were reported.
As part of airstrikes, on 15 March 2018, the Israeli warplanes launched 4 missiles at military training sites belonging to al-Qassam Brigades on Khalil al-Wazir Stree in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Three missiles fell on the site as two exploded causing material damage to the site while the fourth missile exploded in the playground of Beit Hanoun Services Club Stadium adjacent to the training site from the northern side. No casualties were reported.
Efforts to Create Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
As part of house demolitions, on 17 March 2018, Ishaq Shweiki self-demolished his house in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, upon the Israeli municipality’s decision and to avoid the high fines. Shweiki said that the house, which was built 6 years ago of gypsum and sheet iron, is a 50-square-meter second floor and he was forced to self-demolish it after threatening to impose on him fines and demolitions costs ranging between 50 to 60 thousands shekels and for not causing damage to the ground floor.
On 20 March 2018, Faisal Jom’ah self-demolished his house in al-Mukaber Mount neighborhood, southeast of occupied Jerusalem’s Old City, implanting an order by the Israeli municipality under the pretext of building without a license. Faisal said that he built his house 6 months ago and tried to license it but the Israeli municipality refused. He added that the house was built on an area of 150 square meters and sheltered his family comprised of 6 members, including 4 children.
As part of settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 19 March, settlers wrote racial slogans calling for expelling Arabs from Jerusalem on the walls of houses and civilian vehicles in Hizmah village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They also punctured 3 vehicles and wrote slogans on it in addition to breaking a vehicle’s windows.
Settlement Activities, Demolitions, and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian civilians and their Property:
As part of the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 17 March 2018, an Israeli settler attacked using a dog a shepherd, who was in al-Rahwah area, southwest of al-Thahiriyah village, south of Hebron. The shepherd attempted to confront the settler while the dog attacked the flock, seriously wounding 2 sheep. The Israeli police did not come to the scene claiming it is far away from them.
On 19 March 2018, a group of settlers attacked Palestinian farmers’ lands in al-Thahrat area in the outskirts of Termes’aya village, north of Ramallah. The settlers heavily threw stones at the famers, wounding one of them with a stone to the head.
House Notices and Demolitions:
· On Saturday, 17 March 2018, Ishaq Shweiki self-demolished his house in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, as an implementation of the Israeli Municipality decision and to avoid paying high fines. Shweiki said that the Israeli Municipality gave him 30 days to demolish his house under the pretext of non-licensing. He added that the house that was built of sheet iron and gypsum 6 years ago on an area of 50 square meters is a second floor. Shweiki added that the house was sheltering his whole family and grandsons, but he was forced to demolish it to avoid paying the Municipality’s high demolition costs randing between 50 and 60 thousands shekels and to aviod causing damage to the ground floor, which was built 100 years ago.
· On Tuesday, 20 March 2018, Faisal Mohamed Jom’ah self-demolished his house in al-Mukaber Mount area, southeast of occupied East Jerusalem, to implement the Israeli Municipality decision under the pretext of non-licensing. Faisal said that he built his house 6 months ago and at the beginning of this month; the Israeli Municipality issued a decision to demolish the house. He also said that lately, he could delay the decision attempting to get a license, but the municipality refused. Moreover, the District Court issued a decision to demolish the house, so Faisal was forced to implement the decision to avoid paying the demolition costs and a fine of 70,000 shekels. He clarified that his house was built on an area of 150 square meters and after demolishing his house, his family comprised of 6 members, including 4 children, rendered homeless.
Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property
· On Monday, 19 March 2018, Israeli settlers wrote racist slogans on the walls of houses and Palestinian civilian vehicles in Hizmah village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, calling for expelling Arabs from Jerusalem. The village residents said that a group of Israeli settlers wrote racist slogans such as “Arabs of Jerusalem are terrorists who must be expelled” and “There is no place for strangers in Israel”. They also punctured 3 vehicles’ tires, wrote slogans on them, and broke a window of another vehicle.
· Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property
Israeli settlers’ attacks
· At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 17 March 2018, an Israeli settler from “Havat Mor” settlement near “Tina” settlement established on the confiscated lands, southwest of al-Dahiriyah village, south of Hebron, attacked a shepherd using a dog while he was in al-Rahwa area, southwest of al-Dahiriyia village. The shepherd ‘Ali Ratib Ahmed Jabbareen attempted to confront the settler while the dog attacked the sheep, causing serious wounds to 2 of them. The Israeli police did not come to the area, claiming that it is far away from them.
· At approximately 13:22 on Monday, 19 March 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Shilo “ settlement established in the western side of Termas’iyia village, north of Ramallah, attacked Palestinian lands in al-Dahrat area established in the outskirts of Termas’iyia village. The Israeli settlers heavily threw stones at the farmers. As a result, ‘Awad Abed al-Haq Abu Samra (44) was hit with a stone to the head and was then taken to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to receive medical treatment.
Recommendations to the International Community
PCHR warns of the escalating settlement construction in the West Bank, the attempts to legitimize settlement outposts established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and the continued summary executions of Palestinian civilians under the pretext that they pose a security threat to the Israeli forces. PCHR reminds the international community that thousands of Palestinian civilians have been rendered homeless and lived in caravans under tragic circumstances due to the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been under a tight closure for almost 11 years. PCHR welcomes the UN Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334, which states that settlements are a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and calls upon Israel to stop them and not to recognize any demographic change in the oPt since 1967. PCHR hopes this resolution will pave the way for eliminating the settlement crime and bring to justice those responsible for it.
PCHR further reiterates that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation in spite of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan of 2005. PCHR emphasizes that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. Israel is bound to apply international human rights law and the law of war, sometimes reciprocally and other times in parallel, in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for the victims.
1. PCHR calls upon the international community to respect the Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334 and to ensure that Israel respects it as well, in particular point 5 which obliges Israel not to deal with settlements as if they were part of Israel.
2. PCHR calls upon the ICC this year to open an investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and the 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip.
3. PCHR Calls upon the European Union (EU) and all international bodies to boycott settlements and ban working and investing in them in application of their obligations according to international human rights law and international humanitarian law considering settlements as a war crime.
4. PCHR calls upon the international community to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
5. PCHR calls upon the international community and United Nations to take all necessary measures to stop Israeli policies aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem and at voiding Palestine from its original inhabitants through deportations and house demolitions as a collective punishment, which violates international humanitarian law, amounting to a crime against humanity.
6. PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
7. PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
8. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their obligations under article (1) of the Convention to ensure respect for the Conventions under all circumstances, and under articles (146) and (147) to search for and prosecute those responsible for committing grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the almost complete denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
9. PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
10. PCHR calls for a prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the closure that obstructs the freedom of movement of goods and 1.8 million civilians that experience unprecedented economic, social, political and cultural hardships due to collective punishment policies and retaliatory action against civilians.
11. PCHR calls upon the European Union to apply human rights standards embedded in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to respect its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights when dealing with Israel.
12. PCHR calls upon the international community, especially states that import Israeli weapons and military services, to meet their moral and legal responsibility not to allow Israel to use the offensive in Gaza to test new weapons and not accept training services based on the field experience in Gaza in order to avoid turning Palestinian civilians in Gaza into testing objects for Israeli weapons and military tactics.
13. PCHR calls upon the parties to international human rights instruments, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to pressurize Israel to comply with its provisions in the oPt and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the relevant committees.
14. PCHR calls upon the EU and international human rights bodies to pressurize the Israeli forces to stop their attacks against Palestinian fishermen and farmers, mainly in the border area.
Fully detailed document available at the official website of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).
Israeli forces continued to use excessive force against the peaceful protests, while 37 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and a photojournalist, were wounded in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Shooting:
During the reporting period, Israeli forces wounded 37 Palestinian civilians, including 12 children and a photojournalist, in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. In the Gaza Strip as well, the Israeli forces continued to chase the Palestinian fishermen in the Gaza Sea, target the border areas, and carry airstrikes against objectives belongs to the Palestinian Armed Groups and open lands.
In the West Bank, on 20 March 2018, 6 civilians, including a child, were wounded when a group of “Mista’arvim” undercover units dressed like Palestinian civilians sneaked into Burin village, west of Jenin, to carry out an arrest mission.
On 21 March 2018, a 45-year-old Palestinian civilian was wounded with a rubber boat to the abdomen when the Israeli forces moved into al-Moghir village, northeast of Ramallah, to arrested civilians.
Moreover, 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child, paramedic, and photojournalist, were wounded after Israeli forces opened fire at them and fired tear gas canisters directly at them during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed at the entrances to the Palestinian villages in the West Bank. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the Israeli settlement activities and land confiscations.
In the Gaza Strip, 16 Palestinian civilians, including 10 children, were wounded after Israeli forces fired bullets and tear gas canisters at them directly during protests and stone-throwing at the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. These demonstrations are organized by Palestinian civilians in protest against the American President’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and against the closure imposed on the Gaza Strip for 11 years consecutively.
As part of targeting fishermen in the sea, the Israeli forces continued to escalate their attacks against fishermen in the Gaza Sea, indicating to the on-going Israeli policy of targeting their livelihoods. PCHR’s fieldworkers monitored 10 shooting incidents; 7 in north-western Beit Lahia and 3 others in Western Soudaniyah, west of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip.
As part of targeting the border areas, on 15 March 2018, Israeli forces stationed in the watchtowers, east of Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip, heavily opened fire at the border area in addition to firing 6 artillery shells; one of which fell on a checkpoint belonging to the Palestinian Armed Groups while the other shells fell on agricultural lands and open areas. On the same day, the Israeli artillery fired one shells at an open area, north of the Agriculture School in northern Beit Hanoun, but no casualties were reported. On the same day, the Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, east of al-Maghazi in the central Gaza Strip opened fire at the agricultural lands, but no casualties were reported.
On 17 March 2018, Israeli soldiers stationed along the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel opened fire at the Palestinian agricultural lands, east of al-Bureij. The shooting recurred sporadically in the same area on Tuesday afternoon, 20 March 2018, until 09:00 next day. However, no casualties were reported.
As part of airstrikes, on 15 March 2018, the Israeli warplanes launched 4 missiles at military training sites belonging to al-Qassam Brigades on Khalil al-Wazir Stree in Beit Hanoun in the northern Gaza Strip. Three missiles fell on the site as two exploded causing material damage to the site while the fourth missile exploded in the playground of Beit Hanoun Services Club Stadium adjacent to the training site from the northern side. No casualties were reported.
Efforts to Create Jewish Majority in occupied East Jerusalem:
As part of house demolitions, on 17 March 2018, Ishaq Shweiki self-demolished his house in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, upon the Israeli municipality’s decision and to avoid the high fines. Shweiki said that the house, which was built 6 years ago of gypsum and sheet iron, is a 50-square-meter second floor and he was forced to self-demolish it after threatening to impose on him fines and demolitions costs ranging between 50 to 60 thousands shekels and for not causing damage to the ground floor.
On 20 March 2018, Faisal Jom’ah self-demolished his house in al-Mukaber Mount neighborhood, southeast of occupied Jerusalem’s Old City, implanting an order by the Israeli municipality under the pretext of building without a license. Faisal said that he built his house 6 months ago and tried to license it but the Israeli municipality refused. He added that the house was built on an area of 150 square meters and sheltered his family comprised of 6 members, including 4 children.
As part of settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 19 March, settlers wrote racial slogans calling for expelling Arabs from Jerusalem on the walls of houses and civilian vehicles in Hizmah village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem. They also punctured 3 vehicles and wrote slogans on it in addition to breaking a vehicle’s windows.
Settlement Activities, Demolitions, and Settlers’ Attacks against Palestinian civilians and their Property:
As part of the Israeli settlers’ attacks against the Palestinian civilians and their property, on 17 March 2018, an Israeli settler attacked using a dog a shepherd, who was in al-Rahwah area, southwest of al-Thahiriyah village, south of Hebron. The shepherd attempted to confront the settler while the dog attacked the flock, seriously wounding 2 sheep. The Israeli police did not come to the scene claiming it is far away from them.
On 19 March 2018, a group of settlers attacked Palestinian farmers’ lands in al-Thahrat area in the outskirts of Termes’aya village, north of Ramallah. The settlers heavily threw stones at the famers, wounding one of them with a stone to the head.
House Notices and Demolitions:
· On Saturday, 17 March 2018, Ishaq Shweiki self-demolished his house in Silwan village, south of occupied East Jerusalem’s Old City, as an implementation of the Israeli Municipality decision and to avoid paying high fines. Shweiki said that the Israeli Municipality gave him 30 days to demolish his house under the pretext of non-licensing. He added that the house that was built of sheet iron and gypsum 6 years ago on an area of 50 square meters is a second floor. Shweiki added that the house was sheltering his whole family and grandsons, but he was forced to demolish it to avoid paying the Municipality’s high demolition costs randing between 50 and 60 thousands shekels and to aviod causing damage to the ground floor, which was built 100 years ago.
· On Tuesday, 20 March 2018, Faisal Mohamed Jom’ah self-demolished his house in al-Mukaber Mount area, southeast of occupied East Jerusalem, to implement the Israeli Municipality decision under the pretext of non-licensing. Faisal said that he built his house 6 months ago and at the beginning of this month; the Israeli Municipality issued a decision to demolish the house. He also said that lately, he could delay the decision attempting to get a license, but the municipality refused. Moreover, the District Court issued a decision to demolish the house, so Faisal was forced to implement the decision to avoid paying the demolition costs and a fine of 70,000 shekels. He clarified that his house was built on an area of 150 square meters and after demolishing his house, his family comprised of 6 members, including 4 children, rendered homeless.
Israeli settlers’ attacks against Palestinian civilians and their property
· On Monday, 19 March 2018, Israeli settlers wrote racist slogans on the walls of houses and Palestinian civilian vehicles in Hizmah village, northeast of occupied East Jerusalem, calling for expelling Arabs from Jerusalem. The village residents said that a group of Israeli settlers wrote racist slogans such as “Arabs of Jerusalem are terrorists who must be expelled” and “There is no place for strangers in Israel”. They also punctured 3 vehicles’ tires, wrote slogans on them, and broke a window of another vehicle.
· Settlement activities and attacks by settlers against Palestinian civilians and property
Israeli settlers’ attacks
· At approximately 10:00 on Saturday, 17 March 2018, an Israeli settler from “Havat Mor” settlement near “Tina” settlement established on the confiscated lands, southwest of al-Dahiriyah village, south of Hebron, attacked a shepherd using a dog while he was in al-Rahwa area, southwest of al-Dahiriyia village. The shepherd ‘Ali Ratib Ahmed Jabbareen attempted to confront the settler while the dog attacked the sheep, causing serious wounds to 2 of them. The Israeli police did not come to the area, claiming that it is far away from them.
· At approximately 13:22 on Monday, 19 March 2018, a group of Israeli settlers from “Shilo “ settlement established in the western side of Termas’iyia village, north of Ramallah, attacked Palestinian lands in al-Dahrat area established in the outskirts of Termas’iyia village. The Israeli settlers heavily threw stones at the farmers. As a result, ‘Awad Abed al-Haq Abu Samra (44) was hit with a stone to the head and was then taken to Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to receive medical treatment.
Recommendations to the International Community
PCHR warns of the escalating settlement construction in the West Bank, the attempts to legitimize settlement outposts established on Palestinian lands in the West Bank and the continued summary executions of Palestinian civilians under the pretext that they pose a security threat to the Israeli forces. PCHR reminds the international community that thousands of Palestinian civilians have been rendered homeless and lived in caravans under tragic circumstances due to the latest Israeli offensive on the Gaza Strip that has been under a tight closure for almost 11 years. PCHR welcomes the UN Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334, which states that settlements are a blatant violation of the Geneva Conventions and calls upon Israel to stop them and not to recognize any demographic change in the oPt since 1967. PCHR hopes this resolution will pave the way for eliminating the settlement crime and bring to justice those responsible for it.
PCHR further reiterates that the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are still under Israeli occupation in spite of Israel’s unilateral disengagement plan of 2005. PCHR emphasizes that there is international recognition of Israel’s obligation to respect international human rights instruments and international humanitarian law. Israel is bound to apply international human rights law and the law of war, sometimes reciprocally and other times in parallel, in a way that achieves the best protection for civilians and remedy for the victims.
1. PCHR calls upon the international community to respect the Security Council’s Resolution No. 2334 and to ensure that Israel respects it as well, in particular point 5 which obliges Israel not to deal with settlements as if they were part of Israel.
2. PCHR calls upon the ICC this year to open an investigation into Israeli crimes committed in the oPt, particularly the settlement crimes and the 2014 offensive on the Gaza Strip.
3. PCHR Calls upon the European Union (EU) and all international bodies to boycott settlements and ban working and investing in them in application of their obligations according to international human rights law and international humanitarian law considering settlements as a war crime.
4. PCHR calls upon the international community to use all available means to allow the Palestinian people to enjoy their right to self-determination through the establishment of the Palestinian State, which was recognized by the UN General Assembly with a vast majority, using all international legal mechanisms, including sanctions to end the occupation of the State of Palestine.
5. PCHR calls upon the international community and United Nations to take all necessary measures to stop Israeli policies aimed at creating a Jewish demographic majority in Jerusalem and at voiding Palestine from its original inhabitants through deportations and house demolitions as a collective punishment, which violates international humanitarian law, amounting to a crime against humanity.
6. PCHR calls upon the international community to condemn summary executions carried out by Israeli forces against Palestinians and to pressurize Israel to stop them.
7. PCHR calls upon the States Parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC to work hard to hold Israeli war criminals accountable.
8. PCHR calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their obligations under article (1) of the Convention to ensure respect for the Conventions under all circumstances, and under articles (146) and (147) to search for and prosecute those responsible for committing grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions to ensure justice and remedy for Palestinian victims, especially in light of the almost complete denial of justice for them before the Israeli judiciary.
9. PCHR calls upon the international community to speed up the reconstruction process necessary because of the destruction inflicted by the Israeli offensive on Gaza.
10. PCHR calls for a prompt intervention to compel the Israeli authorities to lift the closure that obstructs the freedom of movement of goods and 1.8 million civilians that experience unprecedented economic, social, political and cultural hardships due to collective punishment policies and retaliatory action against civilians.
11. PCHR calls upon the European Union to apply human rights standards embedded in the EU-Israel Association Agreement and to respect its obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights when dealing with Israel.
12. PCHR calls upon the international community, especially states that import Israeli weapons and military services, to meet their moral and legal responsibility not to allow Israel to use the offensive in Gaza to test new weapons and not accept training services based on the field experience in Gaza in order to avoid turning Palestinian civilians in Gaza into testing objects for Israeli weapons and military tactics.
13. PCHR calls upon the parties to international human rights instruments, especially the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), to pressurize Israel to comply with its provisions in the oPt and to compel it to incorporate the human rights situation in the oPt in its reports submitted to the relevant committees.
14. PCHR calls upon the EU and international human rights bodies to pressurize the Israeli forces to stop their attacks against Palestinian fishermen and farmers, mainly in the border area.
Fully detailed document available at the official website of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).
21 mar 2018
B’Tselem human rights center has criticized Israel for persisting in committing abuses against detained Palestinian children and using military courts to confer legitimacy on its violations against their rights.
“Every year, hundreds of Palestinian minors undergo the same scenario. Israeli security forces pick them up on the street or at home in the middle of the night, then handcuff and blindfold them and transport them to interrogation, often subjecting them to violence en route,” B’Tselem said in a report released on Tuesday.
“Exhausted and scared – some having spent a long time in transit, some having been roused from sleep, some having had nothing to eat or drink for hours – the minors are then interrogated. They are completely alone in there, cut off from the world, without any adult they know and trust by their side, and without having been given a chance to consult with a lawyer before the interrogation. The interrogation itself often involves threats, yelling, verbal abuse and sometimes physical violence. Its sole purpose is to get the minors to confess or provide information about others,” the report explained.
Later, “they are taken to the military court for a remand hearing, where most see their lawyer for the first time. In the vast majority of cases, the military judges approve remand, even when the only evidence against the minors is their own confession, or else allegedly incriminating statements made against them by others. This is the case even when the statements were obtained through severe infringement of the minors’ rights.”
“Over the past decade, the state has made several changes to the military orders that deal with the arrest and detention of minors and their treatment in the military courts. On the face of it, these changes were meant to improve the protections afforded to minors in the military justice system. However, the changes Israel made have had no more than a negligible impact on minors’ rights. It would seem that they have far more to do with improved appearances than with what happens in actual practice. The facts and figures all demonstrate that minors’ rights are still being regularly and systematically violated,” the report underlined.
B’Tselem also debunked in its report Israel’s claims that the establishment of the military juvenile court in 2009 was a landmark achievement in the protection of minors’ rights in the military justice system, affirming that in practice, there is no improvement in the safeguarding of the rights of minors facing charges and there is persistence in excluding the parental role in legal proceedings taken against detained children.
“Every year, hundreds of Palestinian minors undergo the same scenario. Israeli security forces pick them up on the street or at home in the middle of the night, then handcuff and blindfold them and transport them to interrogation, often subjecting them to violence en route,” B’Tselem said in a report released on Tuesday.
“Exhausted and scared – some having spent a long time in transit, some having been roused from sleep, some having had nothing to eat or drink for hours – the minors are then interrogated. They are completely alone in there, cut off from the world, without any adult they know and trust by their side, and without having been given a chance to consult with a lawyer before the interrogation. The interrogation itself often involves threats, yelling, verbal abuse and sometimes physical violence. Its sole purpose is to get the minors to confess or provide information about others,” the report explained.
Later, “they are taken to the military court for a remand hearing, where most see their lawyer for the first time. In the vast majority of cases, the military judges approve remand, even when the only evidence against the minors is their own confession, or else allegedly incriminating statements made against them by others. This is the case even when the statements were obtained through severe infringement of the minors’ rights.”
“Over the past decade, the state has made several changes to the military orders that deal with the arrest and detention of minors and their treatment in the military courts. On the face of it, these changes were meant to improve the protections afforded to minors in the military justice system. However, the changes Israel made have had no more than a negligible impact on minors’ rights. It would seem that they have far more to do with improved appearances than with what happens in actual practice. The facts and figures all demonstrate that minors’ rights are still being regularly and systematically violated,” the report underlined.
B’Tselem also debunked in its report Israel’s claims that the establishment of the military juvenile court in 2009 was a landmark achievement in the protection of minors’ rights in the military justice system, affirming that in practice, there is no improvement in the safeguarding of the rights of minors facing charges and there is persistence in excluding the parental role in legal proceedings taken against detained children.
20 mar 2018
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) on Monday decried the Israeli arrest campaigns targeting Gazan patients and their companions while they are travelling through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing for treatment in Israeli or Palestinian hospitals in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
The latest incident was arresting a patient's companion named Mohammed Kotkot, 44, on Thursday after he was summoned for a security interview with the Israeli intelligence at Beit Hanoun crossing.
The PCHR said that Kotkot was summoned for the interview after he had applied for a permit to cross Beit Hanoun crossing as a companion for his son who suffers from blood disorders and was referred for treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Occupied Jerusalem.
The PCHR called on the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as international organizations, especially the World Health Organization and International Committee of the Red Cross, to pressure the Israeli authorities to stop this inhuman and unjustifiable policy.
It also called for serious action to facilitate the movement and travel of patients from the Gaza Strip to hospitals in the 1948 occupied Palestine, West Bank and Jerusalem.
The latest incident was arresting a patient's companion named Mohammed Kotkot, 44, on Thursday after he was summoned for a security interview with the Israeli intelligence at Beit Hanoun crossing.
The PCHR said that Kotkot was summoned for the interview after he had applied for a permit to cross Beit Hanoun crossing as a companion for his son who suffers from blood disorders and was referred for treatment at Augusta Victoria Hospital in Occupied Jerusalem.
The PCHR called on the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties to the 1949 Fourth Geneva Convention, as well as international organizations, especially the World Health Organization and International Committee of the Red Cross, to pressure the Israeli authorities to stop this inhuman and unjustifiable policy.
It also called for serious action to facilitate the movement and travel of patients from the Gaza Strip to hospitals in the 1948 occupied Palestine, West Bank and Jerusalem.
17 mar 2018
United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that the longstanding Israeli siege on Gaza Strip has led to deteriorated living conditions of approximately two million Palestinians in the blockaded coastal enclave.
OCHA stated, in a report on Friday, that 72% of Palestinians in Gaza lack food security, while 40% of the residents are living below poverty line. The report added that the unemployment rate has exceeded 60% and about 80% of the inhabitants receive international aid in one way or another.
The restrictions on the movement of the Gazan people continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future.
The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed since June 2013 by the Egyptian authorities at Rafah Crossing, which had become the main crossing point used by Palestinian passengers in the Gaza Strip and had rarely been opened over the past two years.
OCHA stated, in a report on Friday, that 72% of Palestinians in Gaza lack food security, while 40% of the residents are living below poverty line. The report added that the unemployment rate has exceeded 60% and about 80% of the inhabitants receive international aid in one way or another.
The restrictions on the movement of the Gazan people continue to reduce access to livelihoods, essential services and housing, disrupt family life, and undermine people’s hopes for a secure and prosperous future.
The situation has been compounded by the restrictions imposed since June 2013 by the Egyptian authorities at Rafah Crossing, which had become the main crossing point used by Palestinian passengers in the Gaza Strip and had rarely been opened over the past two years.
16 mar 2018
Detainees and Ex-detainees Committee said in a report issued on Thursday that administrative detention has turned into a policy of collective punishment to impose sanctions on the Palestinian prisoners as well as their families.
Detainee Bajes Nakhleh told the Committee’s lawyer, who visited him in Ofer Israeli jail, that Israeli occupation authorities are still using the unjust administrative detention despite that administrative captives have been boycotting the Israeli courts for 29 consecutive days.
25 Administrative detention orders have been issued against Palestinian prisoners including 3 women and 3 minors during the last week, he highlighted.
The number of Palestinian administrative detainees who are illegally languishing in Israeli jails for no trials of charges has jumped to 500 in each of Negev, Megiddo, Ofer and Hasharon Israeli jails.
Detainee Bajes Nakhleh told the Committee’s lawyer, who visited him in Ofer Israeli jail, that Israeli occupation authorities are still using the unjust administrative detention despite that administrative captives have been boycotting the Israeli courts for 29 consecutive days.
25 Administrative detention orders have been issued against Palestinian prisoners including 3 women and 3 minors during the last week, he highlighted.
The number of Palestinian administrative detainees who are illegally languishing in Israeli jails for no trials of charges has jumped to 500 in each of Negev, Megiddo, Ofer and Hasharon Israeli jails.