On Thursday, November 17, an undercover unit of the Israeli occupying forces moved into Jenin and extra-judicially executed two activists of the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, the military wing of the Fatah movement, in Jenin. This is the third extra-judicial execution committed by Israel in the northern West Bank in five days. Israeli occuping forces claimed that they ordered the victims to stop, and then fired at the two men when they did not obey the order. However, preliminary investigations by the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights refute this claim and confirm that the Israeli army unit could have arrested the two men or used non-lethal force. Read more about Israeli forces execute third assassination in five days
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) extra-judicially executed two Palestinians in Jenin and Nablus during the last 24 hours — a member of the military wing of Fatah and the leader of the military wing of Hamas. These latest assassinations came just days after the Israeli Prime Minster Ariel Sharon and the Israeli Military Chief of Staff Dan Halutz vowed, at a meeting of the Committee of Foreign and Defence Affairs at the Israeli Knesset on Tuesday, 8 November 2005, to continue with the policy of carrying out “targeted killing [the term used by Israel to describe extra-judicial executions against Palestinians] and military pressure on terrorist organizations.” Read more about Israeli forces assassinate two Palestinians
Victor Kattan and Mary Nazzal-Batayneh11 November 2005
On Saturday 22 October, hundreds of people from all over the United Kingdom descended on the Institute of Education in Logan Hall, Bedford Way, London, to discuss Israel, Palestine and the law. For six hours delegates sat and listened as politicians, lawyers and governmental advisors took to the podium in front a banner carrying the name of the event’s organizers, the “Palestine Solidarity Campaign”. The speakers included Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, Diana Buttu, Daniel Machover, Leah Tsemel. Victor Kattan and Mary Nazzal-Batayneh report for EI. Read more about London hosts conference "Palestine, Israel and the Law"
Israel has a long history of detaining people without trial, quite often for long periods, based on an administrative instead of judicial order based on secret evidence. Israel’s policy on administrative detention is not only grossly immoral, but it also leads to the violation of numerous principles and binding obligations of international law. In recent weeks, there have been several confirmed reports that hundreds of people have been administratively detained, though it is virtually impossible to determine the exact number. Jeff Handmaker and Adri Nieuwhof believe that human rights advocates should raise their voices anew against the injustices caused by the use of administrative detention. Read more about Administrative detention should be banned (2/2)
Israel has a long history of detaining people without trial, quite often for long periods, based on an administrative instead of judicial order based on secret evidence. Israel’s policy on administrative detention is not only grossly immoral, but it also leads to the violation of numerous principles and binding obligations of international law. In recent weeks, there have been several confirmed reports that hundreds of people have been administratively detained, though it is virtually impossible to determine the exact number. Jeff Handmaker and Adri Nieuwhof believe that human rights advocates should raise their voices anew against the injustices caused by the use of administrative detention. Read more about Administrative detention should be banned (1/2)
Despite some positive developments this year in the aftermath of the Sharm el Sheikh summit and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip, witness testimony pointed to a dire human rights situation in the Occupied Territories, said the Chairman of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories, as the General Assembly’s Fourth Committee met this morning to begin its consideration of the Special Committee’s report. After 37 years of denying access for the Special Committee to the Occupied Territories, Israel should revisit the reasons behind such a refusal. Read more about Human rights situation of Palestinians still "dire", General Assembly told
The United Nations Human Rights Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories, John Dugard, wrote in a report in August this year, with respect to human rights in the Palestinian territories, that “the quality of education has deteriorated because schools have been obliged to shorten teaching hours as a result of wall gate-opening times. Furthermore, children are forced to drop out of school either to help supplement diminishing family incomes or because their parents can no longer afford to send them to school.” The wall blocks free access to schools on both sides of the wall. Traversing checkpoints on the way to school or university is a burden to both students and teachers. Read more about The Wall - an obstacle to educating Palestinian youth
At least 1.5 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have been living in an atmosphere of war in the past 24 hours imposed by an escalation of attacks by Israeli Occupation Forces. In the context of this escalation, IOF committed another extra-judicial assassination in the northern Gaza Strip, which left dead 7 Palestinians (two members of the Islamic Jihad and 5 civilian bystanders, including 3 children). In addition, 19 civilians were injured. This latest attack came in the context of another wave of escalation by IOF, which has included also launching air attacks and mock air raids using F-16 fighter jets. This attack follows a statement by the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon that he gave the Israeli military a green line to launch a wide scale military operation against Palestinians. Read more about Israeli army kills seven Palestinians in missile strike
The three-member Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories recommended that the General Assembly “think of innovative ways to fulfil its responsibility with respect to all aspects of the question of Palestine until this question is resolved in conformity with relevant United Nations resolutions and norms of international law, and until the inalienable rights of the Palestinians are fully realized.” The UN General Assembly should be more innovative in its approaches to the question of Palestine, Israel should distinguish between military objectives and civilians and the PA should control Palestinian armed groups so as to stop violence against civilians, a Special Committee says in a new report. Read more about UN Special Committee: "UN should be more innovative in its approaches to the question of Palestine"
Israeli forces committed another extra-judicial execution. Israeli forces invaded Tulkarem and two refugee camps east of the city. After they imposed a curfew on residents, Israeli soldiers tooks positions in the Marba’at Hannoun area. They stopped a car and forced the driver out, opened fire and killed him instantly. Israeli forces saw an armed Palestinian from an alley and opened fire, hitting him with two bullets in his leg and hand. He fired a few bullets at the soldiers and took refuge in a nearby house. Israeli forces fired a rocket at the building. A man was climbing the stairs. Israeli forces shot at him from close range. He was killed instantly. The two Palestinians were identified as Majed al-Ashqar and Lo’ay El-Sa’di. Read more about Israel assassinates two Palestinians in Tulkarem
