In a report to the U.N. Human Rights Commission, Special Rapporteur John Dugard said Israel and the Palestinians had failed to adhere to the “road map” plan drawn up three years ago by the United States, Russia, the United Nations and European Union. He said the plan is hopelessly out of date and needs to be revamped. The report, to be discussed by the UN commission in Geneva next week, said “much more needs to be done by Israel” to meet its human rights obligations. Read more about UN Special Rapporteur: "Israeli settlers 'terrorize' Palestinians"
On Monday evening, 6 March 2006, Israeli Occupation Forces carried out another extra-judicial execution in Gaza City, leaving five Palestinians, including three children and two members of the al-Quds Brigades, dead. In addition, twelve civilian bystanders, including six children, were injured. This attack took place in a densely populated area of Gaza, reflecting the complete disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights calls upon the international community to meet its responsibilities and calls particularly upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Conventions to fulfil their obligations to ensure protection of Palestinian civilians living under military occupation. Read more about Palestinian children killed in Israeli airstrike on Gaza
UNICEF said Monday was a sad day for the children of Gaza, after five were killed in conflict-related incidents. In the first incident, two brothers, aged 14 and 15, were killed instantly when they were exposed to an unexploded device in a pond in Bereij, south of Gaza City. Later in the day, two brothers, aged 11 and 15, and a 14-year-old boy were killed as bystanders during an air attack. Monday’s tragic incidents bring the year’s death toll of Palestinian children to conflict-related violence to 11. UNICEF said the events of Monday starkly illustrate the how children are impacted in many ways by the conflict. In line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child all efforts should be made to protect children from violence as well as their rights to education, health and play. Read more about UNICEF: "Sad day for children of Gaza"
Thousands of Palestinian refugees living in Iraq have reportedly been attacked and discriminated against, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR. “Over the past week, we’ve received reports that up to 10 Palestinians have been killed in Baghdad and several have been kidnapped,” UNHCR spokesman in Geneva, Ron Redmond, said. The Palestinian Muslims Association (PMA) in Baghdad says it has received more than 270 reports of attacks on Palestinians since September, including crimes such as rape and murder. “Families are being forced out of their homes and women are being raped in front of their husbands because they are Palestinians,” said PMA spokesman Ahmed Muffitlak. Read more about Palestinians targeted in Iraq
Israel’s Central Election Committee, a partisan body with the power to disqualify political parties from the forthcoming election, questioned this week the right of one of the three main Arab parties to contest the election. The committee is dominated by politicians from rightwing Zionist parties. The committee held a session on Tuesday February 28 in which it considered barring the joint list of the United Arab List and Taal, led by Sheikh Ibrahim Sarsur and Ahmed Tibi, from the standing. Several parties represented on the committee, including Likud and the National Religious Party, submitted a petition against the Arab party based on the claim that its platform denies Israel as a “Jewish and democratic state”. The ban was rejected by a wafer-thin majority of 18 votes to 16. Read more about Arab MKs again face investigations and threats of disqualification in run-up to Israeli elections
Far-right leader Baruch Marzel this week staged his second visit, backed by armed settlers, to the Arab town of Sakhnin in less than a month. He was kept to the edge of the Galilean town by police but allowed to take up position on elevated points so that he and his followers could photograph the area. Marzel, a former head of the outlawed anti-Arab Kach party, is now a leader of the Jewish National Front, a group of far-right extremists. He was joined on the trip by Itamar Ben Gvir, a settler leader based in Hebron who is suspected of belonging to Jewish underground organisations. Read more about Far-right settlers launch campaign of provocative armed visits to Arab communities
This week Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including two children, in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. At least 42 Palestinians, including 25 children, two women and an international solidarity activist, were wounded by Israeli troops in the West Bank. Israeli forces continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip, an infant was seriously injured. Israel conducted 31 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank and invaded Nablus and Balata refugee camp. Houses were raided and 79 Palestinian civilians, including 26 children, were arrested. Israeli forces turned six Palestinian homes into military posts. Israel continued to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
The weekly reports of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights tell the frightening story of the Israeli occupation In its latest report of the week from 16 till 22 February 2006 it is mentioned that Balata refugee camp was invaded. Israeli troops “willfully killed two Palestinian children in Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus.” Most of the over thirty incursions took pace in Nablus and the neighbouring Balata refugee camp, killing three Palestinians, wounding thirty six civilians and arresting at least thirteen people. A number of houses were transformed into military sites. Adri Nieuwhof and Walid Abdelhadi researched the story behind the figures of the weekly report on the ground. Read more about Balata refugee camp under attack
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) continued their military operations in Balata refugee camp and the eastern part of Nablus for the 5th consecutive day. On Thursday, February 23, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians, including three in an extra-judicial assassination. Israeli troops with thirty military vehicles resumed military operations in Balata refugee camp and the eastern part of Nablus. Helicopter gunships provided aerial support for Israeli ground forces. Israeli troops embarked on a house-to-house search in the area. Israeli troops shot at Palestinian youth and targeted medical personnel, fired at an ambulance. Read more about Palestinian death toll from Israeli assault rises in Balata refugee camp
A group of twenty gunmen from the “Al-Yasir Brigades”, affiliated with Fatah, stormed the Rafah Governorate building in protest to the appointment of Zuhdi El-Qedra as the new governor of Rafah. El-Qedra, who is from Khan Yunis, was appointed to succeed Majied El-Agha, who was elected as a member of the Palestinian Legislative Council for the Khan Yunis district and represents Fatah. The gunmen requested Mahmoud Abbas to reconsider the appointment. Another armed group affiliated with Fatah stormed the Khan Yunis municipality building. This took place after the municipality had refused to provide the group with a bulldozer to level an area of land near the old Khan Yunis municipality butcher house, which the group intends to take over and turn into an outpost. Read more about Gunmen storm the Rafah Governorate and the Khan Yunis Municipality
