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Amnesty calls for urgent measures to end settlers' impunity

18 August 2005


Four Palestinians were shot dead and two others were injured by an Israeli settler yesterday evening as they were returning home from their work at a factory in the Israeli settlement of Shilo, in the West Bank. The settler, a driver from the Israeli settlement of Shvut Rahel, was transporting Palestinians who work in a factory in the Shilo settlement to nearby Palestinian villages. He shot dead three Palestinian workers at the gate of the settlement and then went back to the industrial area, where he shot at other Palestinian workers, killing one of them and injuring two others. There are conflicting reports as to whether he took the weapon he used for the shooting attack from a security guard of the settlement or used his own. 

UN’s Committee on Women criticizes Israel

Jeff Handmaker 22 August 2005


The government of Israel once again expressed its disregard for international law and the United Nations system during the 33rd Session1 of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, which oversees the implementation of the UN Convention on Women. The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, at its thirty-third session in New York, offered strong criticisms of Israel and its policies, particularly concerning the treatment of Palestinian women. Israel’s - almost predictable - response was simply that the UN Women’s Convention, which it ratified in 1991, “only extended to Israel” and not the Occupied Territories. Jeff Handmaker offers a brief assessment. 

Settler Attacks Escalate

18 August 2005


Israeli settlers have escalated their attacks against Palestinian civilians across the OPT - in one incident a number of Palestinian civilians were shot and killed by Settlers. In other incidents Palestinians have been attacked and injured while in others settlers have attacked the property of Palestinian civilians. Israeli settlers attacked greenhouses belonging to Palestinian farmers in Tal Ziedan area in al Mawasi west of Khan Younis. Palestinian civilians in many communities remain under a state of complete siege and severe restrictions on freedom of movement remain in place. A report live from the field by PCHR’s fieldworkers in the Gaza Strip and West Bank. 

On the streets of Gaza

Raji Sourani 18 August 2005


Many Palestinians are expressing delight over the pull-out of Israeli settlers from the Gaza Strip. But as human rights lawyer Raji Sourani argues, the celebrations maybe premature. The streets of Gaza are full of flags, hats and t-shirts celebrating the end of occupation, the liberation of Palestine. There are nightly street celebrations by the political factions each of them claiming they were the ones responsible for the Israeli ‘withdrawal’. In the media speeches are made and songs are played all contributing to this euphoric atmosphere. As I walk around the dusty Gaza streets and watch these often colourful celebrations I understand that after 38 years (of occupation) people are looking for somewhere to place their hopes. The redeployment of the Israeli military to Gaza’s borders and the cementing of control of the West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem should not be it. 

Abductions must stop and French media worker Mohammed al-Ouati must be released immediately

15 August 2005


Amnesty International calls for the immediate release of Mohammad al-Ouati, a sound technician with the French TV France 3, who was abducted by armed Palestinians in the Gaza Strip on 14 August and whose whereabouts remain unknown. Mohammed al-Ouati, a French citizen of Algerian origin, was seized by Palestinian gunmen outside his hotel in Gaza City as he was returning to the hotel with three colleagues. He was forced into a car at gunpoint by three gunmen and taken to an unknown location. The gunmen also tried to seize Mohammed al-Ouati’s three colleagues, all French citizens and members of the France 3 team. They reported that the gunmen were not wearing masks. 

Palestinians under withdrawal curfew

Laila El-Haddad 17 August 2005


Palestinian communities living near Jewish settlements are bracing themselves for a month-long Israeli-imposed closure set to start on Tuesday. Residents of the Maani area of Dair al-Balah, adjacent to the colony of Kfarm Darom in the central Gaza Strip, were lining up in front of the gate to their fenced in community on Monday morning, waiting for Israeli approval to enter ahead of the closure. Abdullah Maani, 34, said residents were allowed out of the village for a few hours to buy food and supplies before the closure would be enforced, adding that they had yet to see any evidence of a withdrawal. “If we weren’t hearing it from the radio and television stations, you would think there is no withdrawal going on.” 

Israel bans Palestinian journalists from covering Gaza disengagement

16 August 2005


The International Federation of Journalists today renewed its appeal to Israel to end the ban on accreditation for Palestinian journalists, which prevents local media from covering the end of the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip. “This is a historic moment for Palestinians,” said Aidan White, General Secretary of the IFJ, as the work to remove settlements in the area began, “but local journalists cannot cover the story because Israel discriminates against Palestinian journalists and refuses to grant them press cards that will give them access to the area.” Only a handful of Palestinian journalists have been granted a card allowing them to cross into Gaza to cover the story. 

Settler attacks, arrests and denial of access in the Gaza Strip

17 August 2005


The Israeli military has begun to move Israeli settlers from their illegal settlements inside the Gaza Strip. At the same time settlers have attacked Palestinian civilians while the Israeli Occupying Forces (IOF) continue to arbitrarily arrest and detain Palestinian civilians. The Israeli military have continued to detain Palestinian civilians, imprison them and place communities under siege across the Occupied Palestinian Territory. At the same time they
have prevent human rights defenders from gaining access. Settlers have been present near the main roads and have obstructed the movement of vehicles. Palestinian ambulances have not been able to move between the two parts of al-Mawasi area in Khan Yunis and Rafah. 

Special Envoy Gaza Disengagement left region with progress made

20 July 2005


Special Envoy on Disengagement, James Wolfensohn, returned to Jerusalem on Thursday 8th July 2005. During this visit, he focused on resolution of the six joint issues introduced in the last Periodic Report. When he left on 15 July much progress had been made on most of the issues with proposals being seriously considered by the parties: border crossings and trade corridors, a three phase approach to “back – to – back” for all crossings but Rafah, connecting the Gaza Strip with the West Bank, convoy transport immediately after disengagement, movement in the West Bank, air and sea ports, houses in settlements and greenhouses in the settlements. 

Special Envoy on Disengagement Wolfensohn concludes his fourth visit to the region

15 August 2005


James Wolfensohn, Special Envoy for Disengagement, concluded his fourth visit to the region on 10 August since his appointment at the beginning of June 2005. With Disengagement scheduled to begin in a week’s time, all efforts have been focused on resolution of the six joint issues: border crossings and trade corridors, the connection between the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, movement in the West Bank, air and sea ports, settlement houses, green houses in the settlements. In addition there are three Palestinian issues: the fiscal crisis, the PA faces a budget shortfall of approximately $400 million; the three year plan for Palestinian development; and a package of quick impact economic programs.