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Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians and injures 9 others

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 21 March 2004


On Sunday morning, 21 March 2004, Israeli occupying forces killed 5 Palestinians, including a man and his wife, injured 9 others and destroyed 5 houses in ‘Abasan village, east of Khan Yunis.  Israeli occupying forces moved into the village to arrest one of the victims, who was allegedly wanted.  They used excessive force against civilian residential areas. Silence from the international community encourages Israel to commit further breaches of international humanitarian law. Collective punishment is a breach of international humanitarian law. The international community should intervene to halt these violations. 

Commission on human rights continues debate on self-determination

United Nations News Service 19 March 2004


The Commission on Human Rights continued this afternoon its general debate on the right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien occupation, hearing speakers mainly focus on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and in Jammu and Kashmir. Representatives focused on the issue of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, saying that the Israeli occupation had deprived the people of Palestine of the most basic internationally recognized right to establish their independent State with Jerusalem as their capital. 

Special Rapporteur on the situation in occupied Palestine submits report

United Nations News Service 19 March 2004


The Commission on Human Rights began this morning its substantive work for the year, hearing presentation of the annual report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and summations of developments over the past year in occupied Palestine and in the activities of mercenaries. John Dugard, the Commission’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said among other things that Palestinian living conditions had deteriorated significantly over the past year. His report was submitted ahead of formal debate under the Commission’s agenda item 8. 

Japan offers assistance to Palestinian reform

Government of Japan 17 March 2004


The Government of Japan has decided to implement, through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the following three projects totaling 2.125 million US dollars to help the Palestinian Authority (PA) reform and improve the living conditions in the Palestinian Territories. These projects will be carried out under the assistance package of 22.25 million US dollars announced in April 2003 by Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi. In cooperation with the international community, the PA is now trying to reform the seven fields of finance, local administration, market economy, administrative and civil services, judicial system, elections and legislation. 

"Small window of opportunity" for restarting peace process remains open, Security Council told

United Nations 18 March 2004


In an open briefing to the Council on the situation in the Middle East, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Türk said the pullout should have four main features in order to garner the broad support of the international community and strengthen its chances for success. First, it should be carried out in partnership with the Palestinian Authority and as part of the Quartet’s Road Map, which remains the only plan subscribed to by the parties and the international community, Mr. Türk said. The withdrawal should be full and complete, and it should be considered by all as a first step toward the fulfilment of the UN’s calls to the Israeli Government to end its occupation. 

One Year Later: Whose back is that strong?

Laurie King 19 March 2004


“Crushed into the earth, her face torn and her head fractured, Rachel spoke her last words to her devastated friends: ‘I think my back is broken.’ Within the hour, Rachel Corrie, US citizen, aged 23, was dead, the victim of a murder committed in broad day light. With her killing, ISM activsts and all who share their humanitarian goals grounded in universal principles of justice and equality, had been been put on notice by the Israeli Defence Forces that their collective backbone could be broken.” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani asks what Rachel Corrie’s life and death can tell us about achieving human rights and justice in the Middle East. 

Film review: James' Journey to Jerusalem meets complex road blocks

Maureen Clare Murphy 19 March 2004


If the purpose of a pilgrimage is to reawaken or reaffirm one’s spirituality, James, the title character of the new Israeli film James’ Journey to Jerusalem, certainly does that. However, the idealistic young African’s journey is fraught with unexpected and difficult detours, putting his faith on trial as he becomes seduced by consumerism and power. And while the film is plagued with technical problems, its success lies in the complication of its characters and its universal allegorical message regarding consumerism, power, and religion. 

Weekly report on human rights violations

Palestinian Center for Human Rights 18 March 2004


This week, Israeli forces killed 7 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Two of the victims were killed in another extra-judicial execution. In Rafah, Israeli shelling of residential areas killed 4 Palestinian civilians, including 2 children. Israeli forces demolished 49 homes in Rafah. A branch campus of al-Aqsa University in Gaza was destroyed. Israel continues the construction of the Separation Wall. Israeli forces continued to impose a total siege on the Occupied Palestinian territories. 

Israeli forces kill 4 Palestinians in Rafah

Arjan El Fassed 17 March 2004


Israeli forces killed two children in Rafah. The Palestinian news agency WAFA reported that Wael Injili died of his injuries after being hit with shrapnel during the Israeli assault on Rafah refugee camp. Medical sources told WAFA that he was severely injured. Earlier, Israeli forces killed Mosbah Mwafi. Israeli attack helicopters fired missiles on homes. Mwafi was being hit with a missile which separated his head from his body. Israeli tanks, jeeps and army bulldozers, backed by Apache helicopters invaded Rafah refugee camp, opening fire on homes. Israeli bulldozers demolished five homes in the refugee camp. 

One Year Later: Internationals honor Rachel Corrie and all the victims of Israeli occupation

17 March 2004


On the one-year anniversary of the killing of 23-year old American ISM activist Rachel Corrie, twenty international activists from ISM and CPT remembered their friend by performing a ‘die-in’ at the Erez checkpoint to protest the atrocities of the Israeli Occupation. The activists carried signs and wore T-shirts representing the many casualities of the Israeli Occupation. Representations of the power of Israel, the United States, and the Occupation symbolically ‘killed’ all the other participants. The victims included peace and justice, nonviolence, Palestinian homes, educational rights, water rights, farming, and innocent civilians among others. An ISM press release.