March 23, 2008

Al Mezan Calls on the Arab League's Summit to Protect Palestinian Civilians in the OPT; Intensify Efforts toward Implementing UN Resolutions on Palestine

Palestinians are looking to the Arab League's Summit, to be held on 28 and 29 March 2008, in Damascus, as Israel escalates its aggression against them.

Palestinians hope that the outcome of this summit will be better than previous ones. Arab states may agree on mechanisms that would provide better protection for Palestinian civilians and alleviating the consequences of the IOF's violence and blockade against them, which have gravely impacted their lives.

According to Al Mezan documentation, the IOF has seriously escalated its aggression since the last summit.

The IOF killed 502 people in the Gaza Strip, including 103 children. The IOF also destroyed 1,128 homes; 198 of them were destroyed completely. The number of people who used to live in these homes was 11,578 people, including 6,205 children. Additionally, the IOF bulldozed 2,217 dunams of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip. The number of people who used to live off these lands was 9,095 people.

The IOF also destroyed 48 commercial and industrial installations, 15 of them completely. The number of the public installations that were destroyed during the same period was 68 installations; 14 of them were destroyed completely. This includes schools, mosques and governmental and non-governmental organizations. Other 76 vehicles were also destroyed; 34 of them completely.

According to Al Mezan's information, the IOF carried out 121 incursions and launched 444 artillery and missile attacks on the Gaza Strip since the last summit. Al Mezan Center for Human Rights expresses its hope that the Arab Summit will take measures that ensure effective protection of civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

Al Mezan also urges the Arab states to provide aid, which is necessary to curb the repercussions of the humanitarian crisis and help Palestinians enjoy their human rights. Al Mezan stresses the necessity of an Arab agreement on a legal framework that highlights the status of IOF; a belligerent occupying force that acts in violation of the rules of international humanitarian law and dozens of United Nations resolutions.

The Summit is also called to follow up on the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) 2004 Advisory Opinion on the legal consequences of the construction of the separation wall in the West Bank. The wall represents part of the current Israeli policy in OPT, which bears striking similarities with the former Apartheid regime in South Africa. Regional and international solidarity are necessary for bringing to an end Israel's illegal occupation of the OPT.

Al Mezan points out that the Arab states are parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention and are therefore bound by its provisions. They must join their efforts with the international community to ensure that Israel respects its legal obligations under the Convention. Al Mezan also stresses that the Arab states must act promptly as the pace of settlement in the West Bank and the Judaization of Jerusalem increases rapidly.

The failure of Arab leaders to effectively intervene in the current situation in OPT will only allow abolishing any hopes for the Palestinian people to achieve its fundamental rights to self-determination, independence and statehood.

(Emphasis added - B.M.)

Posted by Justice Lover at 7:38 AM 0 comments

AL MEZAN, GAZA

Reference: 15/2008

Date: 23 March 2008

News Brief

Al Mezan Issues a Report on the Consequences of IOF Aggression against the Gaza Strip on HR during 2007

On 23 March 2008, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights issued a report on the consequences of the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) aggression against the Gaza Strip on the human rights and humanitarian conditions in the Strip. The report stressed the Israeli blockade of Gaza, which was particularly tightened during 2007. The Report concludes that IOF's conducts represent a collective punishment that violates the rules of international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL).

The IOF's violations have had serious repercussions on the civilian population in the Strip; especially after imposing severe restrictions on the entry of goods into the Strip. Only a segment of humanitarian assistance is allowed to enter Gaza, which includes a list of basic foodstuffs, medicines and medical supplies. The report also refers to the death of 22 patients during 2007 because the IOF denied their access to hospitals and delayed their arrival for a long time.

Throughout the year, the IOF directly targeted the civilians and civilian property in the Gaza Strip. It employed excessive and lethal force during ground incursions and air strikes, in which dozens of Palestinians were assassinated, but also tens of civilians; including children lost their life.

The report mentions that the IOF killed 277 Palestinians, including 31 children, during 2007 and that thousands were injured during 123 incursions and hundreds of missile and artillery attacks. IOF also targeted fishermen, farmers and journalists; many of whom were killed or arrested. The IOF detained 588 people from the Gaza Strip; 86 of them are still under detention.

This report provides statistics based on Al Mezan's documentation of the destruction of homes, factories, shops and public installations, and the bulldozing of agricultural land during 2007. This destruction, added to the blockade, has destroyed the Palestinian economy. Gazans now rely completely on humanitarian aid.

The report concludes that the continued tight blockade by the IOF on the Gaza Strip is a form of systematic collective punishment of civilians under Israel's occupation. These acts violate the rules of IHL, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention Relevant to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War, and of Israel's obligations under IHRL. International law prohibits absolutely collective punishment and retaliation aimed against civilians. Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention states that "[N]o protected person may be punished for an offence he or she has not personally committed. Collective penalties and likewise all measures of intimidation or of terrorism are prohibited".

The report calls on the international community to uphold its moral and legal obligations towards the civilian population in OPT; including Gaza, by taking prompt actions to protect them and their property. The international community bears obligations to ensure respect of IHL and human rights in OPT and must act upon them.

Al Mezan reiterates its calls to convene a conference for the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention to consider Israel's breaches of the provisions of the Convention and to take effective measures to ensure Israel's respect of its obligations under the Convention.

The report is available in Arabic on Al Mezan's website at http://www.mezan.org/site_ar/resource_center/mezan_publications/detail.php?id=204

END

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