2 july 2017
Gaza’s anti-siege committees called Sunday for bringing the Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to court over his direct responsibility in the death of 13 babies in the blockaded coastal enclave of Gaza.
Spokesman for the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry, Ashraf al-Qudra, called for prosecuting those held responsible for the health crisis rocking the Gaza Strip over recent weeks.
Al-Qudra’s calls were launched during a rally staged by the committee to break the siege on Gaza near Beit Hanun (Erez) border crossing, north of Gaza Strip.
Head of the National Movement, Alaa al-Din al-Bata, called on the World Health Organization to take urgent action vis-à-vis Gaza’s patients.
Al-Bata further urged the Arab Parliament, currently holding a session in Cairo, to rally round Gaza and work on unblocking the Rafah border-crossing without further delay.
“It is high time we stoop up against Abbas who wishes to destroy Gaza as his Israeli abettors do,” added al-Bata, warning of an imminent explosion in Gaza.
Speaking on behalf of the Youth Movement, Mohamed Haneyya, condemned Abbas’s recent measures and crackdowns, which he said dovetail Israeli schemes to tighten grip on Gaza, in reference to the inter-hospital transfer-bans slapped on hundreds of Gazan patients and humanitarian cases.
The anti-siege campaigners vowed to step up protest moves until the Israeli siege is lifted and the PA crackdowns are halted.
Spokesman for the Gaza-based Palestinian Health Ministry, Ashraf al-Qudra, called for prosecuting those held responsible for the health crisis rocking the Gaza Strip over recent weeks.
Al-Qudra’s calls were launched during a rally staged by the committee to break the siege on Gaza near Beit Hanun (Erez) border crossing, north of Gaza Strip.
Head of the National Movement, Alaa al-Din al-Bata, called on the World Health Organization to take urgent action vis-à-vis Gaza’s patients.
Al-Bata further urged the Arab Parliament, currently holding a session in Cairo, to rally round Gaza and work on unblocking the Rafah border-crossing without further delay.
“It is high time we stoop up against Abbas who wishes to destroy Gaza as his Israeli abettors do,” added al-Bata, warning of an imminent explosion in Gaza.
Speaking on behalf of the Youth Movement, Mohamed Haneyya, condemned Abbas’s recent measures and crackdowns, which he said dovetail Israeli schemes to tighten grip on Gaza, in reference to the inter-hospital transfer-bans slapped on hundreds of Gazan patients and humanitarian cases.
The anti-siege campaigners vowed to step up protest moves until the Israeli siege is lifted and the PA crackdowns are halted.
1 july 2017
Dozens of Israeli soldiers and police officers invaded, on Friday evening, the town of Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem, detained two child siblings, and abducted one of them, while the two were swimming in front of their home, and handed demolition orders targeting two homes, in addition to photographing structures.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said the soldiers invaded Kroum Qamar neighborhood in Silwan, and abducted Nasr Mohammad al-Abbasi, 15.
The soldiers also detained Nasr’ brother, Hamza, 10, and wanted to move him to an interrogation center in Salaheddin Street, but the family and neighbors managed to stop them.
The two children were swimming in a make-shift in front of their home when the soldiers detained them, and prevented Hamza from wearing his clothes and his shoes, after alleging that the two, “hurled stones at army jeeps.”
Furthermore, personnel of the Jerusalem City Council, and the army, handed “administrative demolition orders” targeting the homes of Firas Somrein and Mohammad Siyam, in Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in Silwan, in addition to photographing alleys and structures.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Silwan (Silwanic) said the soldiers invaded Kroum Qamar neighborhood in Silwan, and abducted Nasr Mohammad al-Abbasi, 15.
The soldiers also detained Nasr’ brother, Hamza, 10, and wanted to move him to an interrogation center in Salaheddin Street, but the family and neighbors managed to stop them.
The two children were swimming in a make-shift in front of their home when the soldiers detained them, and prevented Hamza from wearing his clothes and his shoes, after alleging that the two, “hurled stones at army jeeps.”
Furthermore, personnel of the Jerusalem City Council, and the army, handed “administrative demolition orders” targeting the homes of Firas Somrein and Mohammad Siyam, in Wadi Hilweh neighborhood, in Silwan, in addition to photographing alleys and structures.
30 june 2017
Dozens of Palestinian institutions in Europe have strongly condemned depriving the sick children in Gaza of their right to medical treatment. The institutions lashed out at the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) for such a step and called it a crime against humanity. They also demanded the Palestinian Authority (PA) to work on lifting the siege on Gaza.
In a petition on Friday, the institutions held the IOA responsible for the safety and lives of the sick people in Gaza. They charged that Israel is accustomed to breaching international laws and charters as well as violating basic human rights guaranteed in international laws and regulations.
The institutions in Europe called on the international community and human rights organizations in addition to medical and relief societies to exert efforts for lifting the Gaza siege. They also asked the PA to cancel its resolutions regarding cutting-off the salaries of its employees in Gaza and hindering the operation of Gaza’s sole power plant.
In a petition on Friday, the institutions held the IOA responsible for the safety and lives of the sick people in Gaza. They charged that Israel is accustomed to breaching international laws and charters as well as violating basic human rights guaranteed in international laws and regulations.
The institutions in Europe called on the international community and human rights organizations in addition to medical and relief societies to exert efforts for lifting the Gaza siege. They also asked the PA to cancel its resolutions regarding cutting-off the salaries of its employees in Gaza and hindering the operation of Gaza’s sole power plant.
28 june 2017
The child Yousuf al-Agha died of kidney failure on Wednesday evening after the Palestinian Authority (PA) refused to transfer him abroad for treatment.
Spokesman of the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qedra, said that Rantisi Hospital for Children, where Agha stays, had applied for a very urgent medical referral for Agha 17 days ago.
Thousands of medical cases in Gaza including children, premature babies and people with serious diseases are at the risk of death because the PA had decided to reduce the number of cases allowed to be transferred abroad for treatment.
The Ministry of Health as well as the national movement warned on Tuesday that new patients will die every 8 hours in light of the shortage of drugs and medical supplies and the PA's refusal to issue medical referrals for patients.
Undersecretary of the Gaza Ministry of Health said that 11 patients have died since the beginning of 2017 and that more than 1,600 others were prevented from travelling abroad for treatment.
Euro-Med warns of deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned, in a memorandum on Tuesday, of an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the suffocating impact of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place for more than 11 years.
The blockade has deprived more than 2 million residents of Gaza of basic needs, bringing them to the very brink of survival, with about 80 percent of the population depending on international aid, the Euro-Med Monitor highlighted.
Israeli authorities have intensified their blockade on Gaza in recent weeks, severely limiting traffic through both commercial and non-commercial crossings, depriving residents of electricity and fuel, and preventing fishermen from earning a living, it stated.
The health sector in Gaza witnessed a clear decline in the first half of 2017. Hospitals have been complaining of sharp shortage of medications and medical equipment because of the closure of the main crossings in Gaza, in addition to the significant shortage of specialized staff.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been refusing most cases of treatment outside the besieged Gaza Strip resulting in the aggravation of health conditions of thousands of patients who need to be treated in hospitals outside Gaza. Five persons including three children have died over the past two days as a result of not being allowed to travel abroad for treatment.
The unemployment rate in the besieged Gaza Strip has reached 43.2% in the first few months of 2017 compared to 18.7% in the West Bank. The rate of the people who live below poverty line in Gaza has jumped to 38.7% which is two and a half times higher than the rate in the West Bank.
The Euro-Med's memo also pointed to the power crisis in light of the shutdown of the sole power plant in Gaza mid of last April after halting the entry of artificial fuel required in order to run the power plant. This followed the imposition of certain conditions by the PA including the increase of taxes on electricity distribution company.
Spokesman of the Gaza Ministry of Health, Ashraf al-Qedra, said that Rantisi Hospital for Children, where Agha stays, had applied for a very urgent medical referral for Agha 17 days ago.
Thousands of medical cases in Gaza including children, premature babies and people with serious diseases are at the risk of death because the PA had decided to reduce the number of cases allowed to be transferred abroad for treatment.
The Ministry of Health as well as the national movement warned on Tuesday that new patients will die every 8 hours in light of the shortage of drugs and medical supplies and the PA's refusal to issue medical referrals for patients.
Undersecretary of the Gaza Ministry of Health said that 11 patients have died since the beginning of 2017 and that more than 1,600 others were prevented from travelling abroad for treatment.
Euro-Med warns of deterioration of humanitarian conditions in Gaza
The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor warned, in a memorandum on Tuesday, of an unprecedented deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the suffocating impact of the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip, in place for more than 11 years.
The blockade has deprived more than 2 million residents of Gaza of basic needs, bringing them to the very brink of survival, with about 80 percent of the population depending on international aid, the Euro-Med Monitor highlighted.
Israeli authorities have intensified their blockade on Gaza in recent weeks, severely limiting traffic through both commercial and non-commercial crossings, depriving residents of electricity and fuel, and preventing fishermen from earning a living, it stated.
The health sector in Gaza witnessed a clear decline in the first half of 2017. Hospitals have been complaining of sharp shortage of medications and medical equipment because of the closure of the main crossings in Gaza, in addition to the significant shortage of specialized staff.
According to Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, the Palestinian Authority (PA) has been refusing most cases of treatment outside the besieged Gaza Strip resulting in the aggravation of health conditions of thousands of patients who need to be treated in hospitals outside Gaza. Five persons including three children have died over the past two days as a result of not being allowed to travel abroad for treatment.
The unemployment rate in the besieged Gaza Strip has reached 43.2% in the first few months of 2017 compared to 18.7% in the West Bank. The rate of the people who live below poverty line in Gaza has jumped to 38.7% which is two and a half times higher than the rate in the West Bank.
The Euro-Med's memo also pointed to the power crisis in light of the shutdown of the sole power plant in Gaza mid of last April after halting the entry of artificial fuel required in order to run the power plant. This followed the imposition of certain conditions by the PA including the increase of taxes on electricity distribution company.
27 june 2017
Three Palestinian toddlers were pronounced dead in Gaza in no more than 24 hours, after the Palestinian Authority (PA), chaired by Mahmoud Abbas, denied them urgent treatment.
The Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qudra, said nine-month-old Ibrahim Samir Tbeil breathed his last at the intensive care unit in al-Rentisi Hospital.
Al-Qudra warned that 3,000 to 4,000 babies in Gaza are in need of urgent treatment outside the besieged coastal enclave.
A few hours earlier, a toddler with cardiovascular disorders was pronounced dead at al-Shifa Medical Center in Gaza after he was prevented by the PA from receiving treatment outside Gaza. The baby was identified as Baraa Ghaban.
Sometime earlier, al-Qudra warned that the toddler was on the verge of death due to a severe heart disease. He was pronounced dead three hours later.
On Monday afternoon, a third baby—Mus’ab Bilal al-Areir— died in the coastal enclave.
Al-Qudra and human rights activists held the PA and the Israeli occupation accountable for the death of the three Gazan toddlers, warning that more deaths might be recorded in the next few hours if urgent steps are not taken.
Head of the nursery department at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, Abu Hamda, appealed to all human rights organizations and medical institutions to take urgent action and work on saving Gaza’s newborns before it is too late.
Abu Hamda said other babies have been diagnosed with deadly symptoms and risk to die at any possible moment if they do not receive urgent treatment somewhere outside of Gaza’s underequipped hospitals.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the reluctance maintained by the PA claimed the lives of nine patients, among whom three babies, since the start of 2017.
The Palestinian Health Ministry spokesperson, Ashraf al-Qudra, said nine-month-old Ibrahim Samir Tbeil breathed his last at the intensive care unit in al-Rentisi Hospital.
Al-Qudra warned that 3,000 to 4,000 babies in Gaza are in need of urgent treatment outside the besieged coastal enclave.
A few hours earlier, a toddler with cardiovascular disorders was pronounced dead at al-Shifa Medical Center in Gaza after he was prevented by the PA from receiving treatment outside Gaza. The baby was identified as Baraa Ghaban.
Sometime earlier, al-Qudra warned that the toddler was on the verge of death due to a severe heart disease. He was pronounced dead three hours later.
On Monday afternoon, a third baby—Mus’ab Bilal al-Areir— died in the coastal enclave.
Al-Qudra and human rights activists held the PA and the Israeli occupation accountable for the death of the three Gazan toddlers, warning that more deaths might be recorded in the next few hours if urgent steps are not taken.
Head of the nursery department at al-Shifa hospital in Gaza, Abu Hamda, appealed to all human rights organizations and medical institutions to take urgent action and work on saving Gaza’s newborns before it is too late.
Abu Hamda said other babies have been diagnosed with deadly symptoms and risk to die at any possible moment if they do not receive urgent treatment somewhere outside of Gaza’s underequipped hospitals.
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, the reluctance maintained by the PA claimed the lives of nine patients, among whom three babies, since the start of 2017.
26 june 2017
Khaled Ghamri, 17, in the intensive care unit of Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, central Gaza.
Israeli authorities denied 17-year-old Khaled Ghamri an exit permit to travel from Gaza to Jerusalem, for medical treatment ,after Israeli forces critically injured him during a protest near the Israel-Gaza border on May 23.
Israeli forces across the border fence shot Khaled, then 16, near Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza, with live ammunition on May 23, critically injuring him.
The bullet caused an arm fracture, damage to multiple organs, as well as severe bleeding that left him in a coma. On the treating doctor’s recommendation, the family applied for an urgent permit for Khaled and an escort to travel through the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing to Jerusalem for specialized care, but the permit was denied.
“We are waiting to transfer him to the hospital in Jerusalem, but we don’t know why Israel is refusing to let him in through Erez crossing,” said Khaled’s father to Defense for Children International – Palestine. “He has the right to be treated and return home to his family and his school.”
Dr. Iyad Jabri, the head of Surgery and Urology Department at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, told DCIP that a single bullet hit Khaled’s right arm, cut through a nerve and caused a fracture. The bullet exited from the other side of this arm, Jabri said, and settled in the right side of Khaled’s stomach, causing damage to the aorta, liver, right kidney, ureter, and intestines.
Khaled underwent surgery to remove his right kidney and repair damage to his aorta. Heavy blood loss carried the possibility of damage to other organs, including his brain, and caused a nine-day coma, according to Jabri.
While Khaled was still in a coma, on May 27, his family applied for permission for Khaled to exit Gaza for treatment in an Israeli hospital but the Israeli Civil Affairs Office handed them a denial decision, according to the boy’s father, Husni Ghamri.
On May 31, when Khaled recovered from the coma, he began daily courses of dialysis to remove toxins in his left kidney.
Ghamri said that he filed a second medical travel permit request on Khaled’s behalf on May 31 and is awaiting a response from Israeli authorities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 42 percent [PDF] of Palestinian requests for medical travel out of Gaza were denied or delayed by Israeli authorities in April 2017. Of this number, three children were denied and 178 children were delayed care.
WHO also reported that three Palestinians, including a 5-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, died in Gaza in April while waiting for permission to leave for external treatment.
As a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel has obligated itself to recognize children’s right “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health,” as laid out in Article 24.
Israeli authorities denied 17-year-old Khaled Ghamri an exit permit to travel from Gaza to Jerusalem, for medical treatment ,after Israeli forces critically injured him during a protest near the Israel-Gaza border on May 23.
Israeli forces across the border fence shot Khaled, then 16, near Bureij refugee camp, in central Gaza, with live ammunition on May 23, critically injuring him.
The bullet caused an arm fracture, damage to multiple organs, as well as severe bleeding that left him in a coma. On the treating doctor’s recommendation, the family applied for an urgent permit for Khaled and an escort to travel through the Israeli-controlled Erez crossing to Jerusalem for specialized care, but the permit was denied.
“We are waiting to transfer him to the hospital in Jerusalem, but we don’t know why Israel is refusing to let him in through Erez crossing,” said Khaled’s father to Defense for Children International – Palestine. “He has the right to be treated and return home to his family and his school.”
Dr. Iyad Jabri, the head of Surgery and Urology Department at Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir Al-Balah, told DCIP that a single bullet hit Khaled’s right arm, cut through a nerve and caused a fracture. The bullet exited from the other side of this arm, Jabri said, and settled in the right side of Khaled’s stomach, causing damage to the aorta, liver, right kidney, ureter, and intestines.
Khaled underwent surgery to remove his right kidney and repair damage to his aorta. Heavy blood loss carried the possibility of damage to other organs, including his brain, and caused a nine-day coma, according to Jabri.
While Khaled was still in a coma, on May 27, his family applied for permission for Khaled to exit Gaza for treatment in an Israeli hospital but the Israeli Civil Affairs Office handed them a denial decision, according to the boy’s father, Husni Ghamri.
On May 31, when Khaled recovered from the coma, he began daily courses of dialysis to remove toxins in his left kidney.
Ghamri said that he filed a second medical travel permit request on Khaled’s behalf on May 31 and is awaiting a response from Israeli authorities.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 42 percent [PDF] of Palestinian requests for medical travel out of Gaza were denied or delayed by Israeli authorities in April 2017. Of this number, three children were denied and 178 children were delayed care.
WHO also reported that three Palestinians, including a 5-year-old girl with cerebral palsy, died in Gaza in April while waiting for permission to leave for external treatment.
As a state party to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Israel has obligated itself to recognize children’s right “to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health and to facilities for the treatment of illness and rehabilitation of health,” as laid out in Article 24.
21 june 2017
Lying in an intensive care room in Rantisi Hospital for Children in Gaza, the 3-year-old Yousuf al-Agha faces the risk of death as the Palestinian Authority (PA) procrastinates in issuing a treatment referral for him.
The angel-faced child suffers from kidney failure and is in a dire need for dialysis on a regular basis as well as many tests and medications that are not available in the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
A month ago, the hospital had applied for an urgent medical permit to transfer Agha abroad for treatment, but it has not been approved yet despite the presence of reports confirming that his condition is very critical and that time is a crucial factor in his case.
Director of Rantisi Hospital for Children, Dr. Mohammed Abu Silmiya, affirmed that Agha is at the risk of death at any moment because of the delayed treatment and that he needs to travel immediately.
The PA has recently begun a series of collective punishment measures against the Gaza Strip including denying it of its share of medicines and procrastinating in issuing medical referrals.
The angel-faced child suffers from kidney failure and is in a dire need for dialysis on a regular basis as well as many tests and medications that are not available in the Gaza Strip, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.
A month ago, the hospital had applied for an urgent medical permit to transfer Agha abroad for treatment, but it has not been approved yet despite the presence of reports confirming that his condition is very critical and that time is a crucial factor in his case.
Director of Rantisi Hospital for Children, Dr. Mohammed Abu Silmiya, affirmed that Agha is at the risk of death at any moment because of the delayed treatment and that he needs to travel immediately.
The PA has recently begun a series of collective punishment measures against the Gaza Strip including denying it of its share of medicines and procrastinating in issuing medical referrals.
18 june 2017
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday at dawn, twelve Palestinians, including the wife of a political prisoner, from their homes in various parts of the occupied West Bank, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society has reported.
The PPS said the soldiers abducted at least six Palestinians, mainly children, from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem.
It added that the soldiers also abducted three Palestinians, identified as Baha’ Osama Abu Alia, Amer Atef Abu Alia, and Enaya Ahmad Ata, 42, the wife of Saleh Ata, who is imprisoned by Israel, serving a 21-year term.
Also in Jerusalem, the soldiers abducted Mo’taz Jaffal, from his home in Abu Dis town.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted Odai Atef Ta’amra, 24, and Mohannad Ateyya Ta’amra, 19, from the West Bank governorate of Bethlehem.
The PPS said the soldiers abducted at least six Palestinians, mainly children, from their homes in occupied East Jerusalem.
It added that the soldiers also abducted three Palestinians, identified as Baha’ Osama Abu Alia, Amer Atef Abu Alia, and Enaya Ahmad Ata, 42, the wife of Saleh Ata, who is imprisoned by Israel, serving a 21-year term.
Also in Jerusalem, the soldiers abducted Mo’taz Jaffal, from his home in Abu Dis town.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted Odai Atef Ta’amra, 24, and Mohannad Ateyya Ta’amra, 19, from the West Bank governorate of Bethlehem.
16 june 2017
Israeli soldiers invaded, on Friday at dawn, Silwan and the al-‘Eesawiyya towns, in occupied East Jerusalem, and abducted a child and a young man.
The soldiers invaded and violently searched a home in Silwan, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and abducted Amir Jawad Jaber, 14, before taking him to an interrogation center in Jerusalem.
The soldiers abducted a young man, identified as Khader Rabah Abu al-Hummus, from the al-‘Eesawiyya town, in the heart of Jerusalem, after stopping him at a military roadblock near the main entrance of Shu’fat refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.
The soldiers invaded and violently searched a home in Silwan, south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and abducted Amir Jawad Jaber, 14, before taking him to an interrogation center in Jerusalem.
The soldiers abducted a young man, identified as Khader Rabah Abu al-Hummus, from the al-‘Eesawiyya town, in the heart of Jerusalem, after stopping him at a military roadblock near the main entrance of Shu’fat refugee camp, north of Jerusalem.
A Palestinian prisoner, Mohammad Bsharat, from Tamoun town in Tubas, was transferred to the Israeli Assaf Harofeh Medical Center after deterioration of his health, Head of Palestinian Prisoner Society, Qadoura Fares revealed on Friday.
Head of Palestinian Prisoner Society in Tubas and northern Jordan Valley, Mohammad Sawafta, called on human rights institutions and the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently intervene in order to save the life of detainee Bsharat.
Captive Bsharat has been arrested since August 01, 2001. He was 16 years old when he was arrested. He is serving a sentence of 18 years of imprisonment.
15 days ago, he was suddenly moved to an unknown destination, then he was taken to Soroka Israeli hospital even though he was not complaining of any diseases or pains, Sawafta pointed out.
Two days later, it was reported that he had a kidney disorder and was transferred to Ramleh prison hospital before being transferred to Asaf Harofeh Medical Center, he added.
Head of Palestinian Prisoner Society in Tubas and northern Jordan Valley, Mohammad Sawafta, called on human rights institutions and the International Committee of the Red Cross to urgently intervene in order to save the life of detainee Bsharat.
Captive Bsharat has been arrested since August 01, 2001. He was 16 years old when he was arrested. He is serving a sentence of 18 years of imprisonment.
15 days ago, he was suddenly moved to an unknown destination, then he was taken to Soroka Israeli hospital even though he was not complaining of any diseases or pains, Sawafta pointed out.
Two days later, it was reported that he had a kidney disorder and was transferred to Ramleh prison hospital before being transferred to Asaf Harofeh Medical Center, he added.
The United Nations Economic and Social Council, which accused Israel of being an “apartheid regime” and of racially dominating the Palestinians has authored a new document slamming the occupying entity for torturing Palestinians and carrying out extra-judicial executions.
The new report, dated May 23, accused the Israeli occupation forces of using disproportionate force against Palestinians and mistreating Palestinian detainees, including minors.
The report focused on the period from from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, and says that Israeli forces killed 63 Palestinians, including 19 minors, and wounded an additional 2,276 Palestinians including 562 children.
It also expresses concern over “the use of force and unlawful killings by Israeli security forces, including some cases which may have amounted to extrajudicial executions.”
Citing the UN Committee Against Torture, the report further accuses Israel of “torture or ill-treatment of Palestinian children,” of “deprivation of basic legal safeguards for administrative detainees, isolation and solitary confinement of detainees, including minors, punishment and ill-treatment of hunger strikers.”
“No criminal investigation was opened into more than 1,000 complaints of torture or ill-treatment filed since 2001,” the report read.
The agency also said Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank “has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of a lasting and comprehensive peace.”
On Thursday, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said he would work to have the newest report removed as well, calling it “yet another blood libel against Israel.”
“Just as we succeeded in having the previous preposterous report removed, we will fight relentlessly against this blatantly false distortion of the truth as well,” he claimed in a statement. “We will not accept any attempt to slander the brave soldiers of the IDF.”
In March, ESCWA penned a report titled “Israeli Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid,” which sparked a backlash by Israel and the US, leading Washington to demand action by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who pushed for its withdrawal.
The document was removed from the agency’s website and the head of the body, Jordanian UN official Rima Khalaf, resigned shortly thereafter.
The new report, dated May 23, accused the Israeli occupation forces of using disproportionate force against Palestinians and mistreating Palestinian detainees, including minors.
The report focused on the period from from April 1, 2016 to March 31, 2017, and says that Israeli forces killed 63 Palestinians, including 19 minors, and wounded an additional 2,276 Palestinians including 562 children.
It also expresses concern over “the use of force and unlawful killings by Israeli security forces, including some cases which may have amounted to extrajudicial executions.”
Citing the UN Committee Against Torture, the report further accuses Israel of “torture or ill-treatment of Palestinian children,” of “deprivation of basic legal safeguards for administrative detainees, isolation and solitary confinement of detainees, including minors, punishment and ill-treatment of hunger strikers.”
“No criminal investigation was opened into more than 1,000 complaints of torture or ill-treatment filed since 2001,” the report read.
The agency also said Israeli settlement activity in the West Bank “has no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of a lasting and comprehensive peace.”
On Thursday, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said he would work to have the newest report removed as well, calling it “yet another blood libel against Israel.”
“Just as we succeeded in having the previous preposterous report removed, we will fight relentlessly against this blatantly false distortion of the truth as well,” he claimed in a statement. “We will not accept any attempt to slander the brave soldiers of the IDF.”
In March, ESCWA penned a report titled “Israeli Practices towards the Palestinian People and the Question of Apartheid,” which sparked a backlash by Israel and the US, leading Washington to demand action by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who pushed for its withdrawal.
The document was removed from the agency’s website and the head of the body, Jordanian UN official Rima Khalaf, resigned shortly thereafter.
11 june 2017
Israeli soldiers abducted, on Sunday at dawn, seven Palestinians from their homes, in various parts of the southern West Bank governorate of Hebron, the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) has reported.
The PPS stated that several Israeli army jeeps invaded Surif town, west of Hebron, and abducted Khaled Ahmad Ar’ar and Omar Mohammad Eghneimat.
It added that the soldiers also invaded and ransacked homes in the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, and abducted two siblings, identified as Fathi and Tareq Badawi, 26 and Tareq Badawi, 23, in addition to Ribhi Badawi, 38, and Ammar Jawabra, 28.
On Saturday evening, the soldiers abducted Ahmad Hani Da’na, 14, after invading his family’s home, and searching it.
The PPS stated that several Israeli army jeeps invaded Surif town, west of Hebron, and abducted Khaled Ahmad Ar’ar and Omar Mohammad Eghneimat.
It added that the soldiers also invaded and ransacked homes in the al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron, and abducted two siblings, identified as Fathi and Tareq Badawi, 26 and Tareq Badawi, 23, in addition to Ribhi Badawi, 38, and Ammar Jawabra, 28.
On Saturday evening, the soldiers abducted Ahmad Hani Da’na, 14, after invading his family’s home, and searching it.
Over 60 attendees, including staff from at least 36 congressional offices, joined human rights advocates on Capitol Hill on Thursday, for a briefing to mark 50 years since the Israeli military occupied the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.
Representatives of Human Rights Watch, Defense for Children International – Palestine, the Adalah Justice Project, and more examined how daily violence and systemic discrimination affect the lives of Palestinian children.
The briefing was sponsored by Defense for Children International – Palestine and the American Friends Service Committee as part of the No Way to Treat a Child campaign.
“Another generation of Palestinian children are growing up under the shadow of military detention, repeated military offensives, and systemic discrimination,” said Brad Parker, Staff Attorney and International Advocacy Officer for Defense for Children International – Palestine. “It’s up to our members of Congress who value human rights and want to guarantee a safe and just future for all children in the region to demand Israeli authorities respect international law and be held accountable for ongoing violations against Palestinian children.”
As the Trump administration looks to restart another round of the failed, US-led peace process, the human rights situation on the ground rapidly continues to worsen, said DCI – Palestine in a statement, according to WAFA.
Israeli forces and security guards killed 32 Palestinian children in 2016, making it the deadliest year in a decade for West Bank children. In just the first five months of 2017, a further nine Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces.
As Gaza nears 10 years under Israeli military blockade, children slip deeper into poverty, with many still living in protracted displacement.
“The Israeli military occupation has no end in sight,” said Khaled Quzmar, General Director of Defense for Children International – Palestine. “The international community, including Congress, must pressure Israel to respect human rights. Continued lack of political will to hold Israeli authorities accountable ensures Palestinian children will be increasingly vulnerable to violence.”
Representatives of Human Rights Watch, Defense for Children International – Palestine, the Adalah Justice Project, and more examined how daily violence and systemic discrimination affect the lives of Palestinian children.
The briefing was sponsored by Defense for Children International – Palestine and the American Friends Service Committee as part of the No Way to Treat a Child campaign.
“Another generation of Palestinian children are growing up under the shadow of military detention, repeated military offensives, and systemic discrimination,” said Brad Parker, Staff Attorney and International Advocacy Officer for Defense for Children International – Palestine. “It’s up to our members of Congress who value human rights and want to guarantee a safe and just future for all children in the region to demand Israeli authorities respect international law and be held accountable for ongoing violations against Palestinian children.”
As the Trump administration looks to restart another round of the failed, US-led peace process, the human rights situation on the ground rapidly continues to worsen, said DCI – Palestine in a statement, according to WAFA.
Israeli forces and security guards killed 32 Palestinian children in 2016, making it the deadliest year in a decade for West Bank children. In just the first five months of 2017, a further nine Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces.
As Gaza nears 10 years under Israeli military blockade, children slip deeper into poverty, with many still living in protracted displacement.
“The Israeli military occupation has no end in sight,” said Khaled Quzmar, General Director of Defense for Children International – Palestine. “The international community, including Congress, must pressure Israel to respect human rights. Continued lack of political will to hold Israeli authorities accountable ensures Palestinian children will be increasingly vulnerable to violence.”
