ei: Still Occupied: Campaign draws attention to Gaza's plight

Calling to the international community to get mobilised and bring the Israeli occupation to an end, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights has launched an international campaign to demonstrate that the Gaza Strip remains under Israeli effective control despite its claims otherwise. The campaign comes one year after the completion of the Israeli Unilateral Disengagement from Gaza in September 2005. It aims to bring about more effective international public and government involvement in the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) in an effort to repair the consequences of prolonged infringements of international law.

The campaign consists of two principle components for awareness-raising and taking action. The first component is an informational part which is on Al Mezan's website. Background papers indicate the current reality on the ground in Gaza, all of which evidence a continuation of the occupation and assert the concurrent responsibility of Israel and the international community to amend this situation, ensure due observance and protection of human rights, and bring to a halt the resulted threats on international peace and security.

The second component is a dissemination part, where leaflets and posters to be distributed worldwide show in brief the devastating consequences on the human rights situation of the de facto Israeli occupation and request public and government intervention to end human rights violations.

In addition, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights plans to organise a series of talks and discussions on this important issue both inside the Gaza Strip and abroad. Human rights experts, scholars and lawyers will be asked to give their opinion on the questions raised by the status of Gaza in the aftermath of the disengagement in light of the practices witnessed during the past year.

This campaign constitutes part of the effort to assert the illegality of the occupation of the Gaza Strip and West Bank, including East Jerusalem, by Israel, as established in international law and the various bodies observing faithful implementation of international law, including human rights norms and standards.

Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights calls upon all the people who can make their voice heard, especially in democratic societies, upon the United Nations and the international community at large, to affirm the real legal status of Gaza and the OPT as described in this campaign, in their engagements in both bilateral and multilateral fora, with a view to ending the illegal occupation of the OPT and ending all forms of human rights violations and war crimes being committed by Israel.

Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights calls for an immediate end of the humanitarian sanctions imposed on the Palestinian people in OPT, which have caused a sombre humanitarian crisis, the results of which will remain for a long time, on economic, social and cultural rights and the right to development in the OPT. This should be pursued by urgent transfer of materials and resources and the eradication of obstacles that render the grave violation of these rights possible: the first of these being the effective Israeli occupation.

Related Links