On 5-8 October the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network sent a delegation to visit the Gaza Strip to document the human rights situation in relation to the Israeli “Disengagement Plan”. The mission team concluded that following evacuation of the illegal Israeli settlements Gazans are now able to move within the Gaza Strip and have access the 40 percent land previously occupied by Israel. However the mission team also concludes that: the Israeli occupation of the Gaza Strip remains, and Palestinians’ right to freedom of movement is under Israeli control. The restrictions on freedom of movement hamper Palestinians’ possibilities to work for an improvement of the economy. The work of civil society is made more difficult as organisations and individuals cannot move freely to do their work. Read more about Human rights lawyers: "The Gaza Strip Is Still Occupied"
On 14 October 2005, Adalah sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice, and the Attorney General (AG) demanding the cancellation of a bill which proposes new and harsher criminal procedure laws to be applied to individuals suspected of security offenses based solely on their nationality. The bill, entitled the “Criminal Law Procedures Bill (Powers of Implementation – Special Directives for Investigating Security Violations Perpetrated by Non-Citizens),” was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legal Affairs on 9 October 2005. Recommended by the General Security Services (GSS), the bill would create a two-track criminal procedure law governing investigation, interrogation and detention – one for Israelis and one for Palestinians. Read more about Israeli cabinet proposes new bill for harsher procedure laws against Palestinians
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights strongly condemns the murder of two Palestinian civilians in two incidents during the night of 13 October 2005 in the southern Gaza Strip. These incidents highlight the continuation of chaos resulting from the spread of weapons and misusing them in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The first incident occurred in Rafah, and resulted in the death of a Palestinian activist at the hands of comrades on the backdrop of an inter-factional dispute. A clan dispute in Khan Yunis resulted in the second incident, and led to the death of one man. PCHR is concerned about the escalation of incidents of misusing arms and other forms of security chaos. Read more about Human rights group concerned about security in Gaza Strip
Israeli occupation forces committed another extra-judicial execution crime yesterday evening. The victim was Nehad Khaled Abu Ghanem, 33 years old from the village of Barqeen, west of Jenin. He died after sustaining several gunshot wounds in the upper body. IOF troops chased him and fired at him from close range, killing him instantly. Initial investigations indicate that Nehad Abu Ghanem was on his way from Qabatya to his home in Barqeen. When he reached an intersection off the Jenin-Nablus road, he noticed a number of Israeli military vehicles. Israeli soldiers noticed him and chased him. Accidentally, Abu Ghanem’s car hit the wall of a house. Soldiers got out of their jeeps, surrounded Abu Ghanem and opened fire at close range while he was in his car. He died instantly. Read more about Extra-Judicial Execution in Jenin
The University of Haifa has warned foreign students of the dangers of visiting Palestinians. This warning, which comes in the form of “Special Security Instructions for Students”, follows a decision by the University to establish a special education programme for soldiers who serve in the Israeli army. Such actions are patently discriminatory, offering fresh reasons for the University of Haifa to again be included in a list of Israeli universities being (re)considered for an academic boycott. This fall, the Department of Overseas Studies at the University of Haifa circulated these instructions for students. The students are advised “not to travel in the West Bank or the Gaza strip. Avoid Arab population centres within Israel as far as possible. Read more about Haifa University spreads the message of fear towards Palestinians
A top UN official accused Israel of depriving Palestinians of their basic human rights in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hina Jilani, special representative of UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Human Rights Defenders, said that Israel was blocking lawyers, journalists and rights activists from monitoring potential rights abuses. “‘Security imperatives’ have been allowed to deprive a vast population of their very basic rights and these measures need deeper scrutiny by all concerned if any respect for norms of international human rights and humanitarian law is to be preserved,” Jilani told reporters in Jerusalem. Hina Jilani concluded her visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about UN expert: Israel puts human rights defenders at "grave risk"
Amnesty International welcomes the banning, by Israel’s High Court, of the use of Palestinians as “human shields” by the Israeli army. The long-awaited High Court ruling of 6 October 2005 came in response to a petition filed in May 2002 by several Israeli and Palestinian human rights organizations seeking a ban of the practice, which endangered the lives of the Palestinians who were used as “human shields” and violated international law, notably Article 51 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. In recent years, Amnesty International investigated tens of cases where the Israeli army used Palestinians, children as well as adults, as “human shields” during military operations in towns and refugee camps throughout the Occupied Territories. Read more about Israeli High Court bans use of human shields
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General on the situation of human rights defenders, Hina Jilani, will undertake a fact-finding mission to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory from 5 to 12 October 2005 at the invitation of the Government of Israel. The Special Representative will assess the situation of human rights defenders, and examine in particular both the legal framework as well as any possible limitations on the right to defend human rights in the country. During the visit, she will meet with Israeli and Palestinian officials, national human rights institutions, non-governmental organizations and individuals engaged in human rights work in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, as well as United Nations officials. Read more about UN Special Representative on human rights defenders to visit Israel and OPT
Factional fighting by Palestinian armed groups has reached an unprecedented level and is recklessly endangering the lives of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. In recent days, shoot outs between armed groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Authority security forces have resulted in civilian bystanders being killed and injured due to high-powered weapons being used in densely populated civilian areas. On Sunday 2 October two Palestinian bystanders were killed and several were injured as a result of armed clashes between Palestinian Authority (PA) security forces and members and supporters of the Palestinian armed group Hamas in Gaza City and in an attack by another armed group reportedly calling itself the “Popular Army” in the southern Gaza Strip town of Khan Younis. Read more about "Palestinian armed groups must stop endangering civilians"
In the bloodiest internal clashes since the Israeli redeployment in the Gaza Strip last month, 3 Palestinians, including a police officer, were killed and 43 others, mostly children, were injured when armed members of Hamas exchanged fire with the Palestinian police in Gaza City on Sunday, 2 October 2005. Five of the injured are in a serious condition. Earlier, a taxi driver was killed and another one was injured in Khan Yunis, and an armed group broke into Jabalya police station and opened fire. The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights expresses grave concern regarding the series of incidents that took place in Khan Yunis, Jabalya and Gaza City, which left four Palestinians dead and injured dozens of others. Read more about Violent Clashes in Gaza
