The Association for Civil Rights in Israel submitted a petition this morning on behalf of Mordechai Vanunu against the prison warden of the Shikma Prison in Ashkelon and the Defense Ministry’s chief of security, to demand the return of documents and letters that were confiscated from Mordechai Vanunu, Israel’s nuclear whistle blower, before he was released from jail. The petition was submitted by ACRI’s chief legal counsel, Attorney Dan Yakir, referring to legal material and copies of letters from Vanunu wrote during his seventeen and a half years of imprisonment. Read more about ACRI demands return of documents and letters confiscated from Vanunu
This week Israeli forces killed 6 Palestinian civilians, including a child and a girl. The child was shot at her desk in school and died later from her wounds. Three of the victims were extra-judicially executed in Gaza. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces razed 77 donums of agricultural land in the Gaza Strip. Israeli forces raided homes and arrested dozens of Palestinian civilians. Israel continued shelling of residential areas and civilian facilities, wounding a number of Palestinian civilians. Israel continued construction of the Wall in the West Bank and continued to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
On Saturday morning, 25 September 2004, Israeli occupying troops launched a wide scale offensive on Khan Yunis refugee camp, using helicopter gunships, tanks and military bulldozers. They destroyed 54 Palestinian houses, rendering 414 people (66 families) homeless. They also killed one Palestinian civilian and injured 5 others. Since the beginning of the current Intifada in September 2000, Israeli troops have destroyed 502 Palestinian houses completely and 270 others partially in Khan Yunis. This year, Israeli occupying troops have demolished 552 houses completely and 88 others partially. The previous operation to this was on 1 September 2004, when Israeli troops destroyed 2 five-storey apartment buildings, each of which included 18 flats, in al-Nimsawi neighborhood. Read more about Israeli forces kill one Palestinian and destroy 54 homes in Khan Yunis
“There is no possibility of sanctions being imposed against Israel; at least at present. South Africa alienated itself from all five of the veto powers and this allowed limited sanctions to be imposed. Israel will, it seems, for ever have the USA to veto any sanctions being imposed by the Security Council. I raised the issue simply to get it into the debate so that it is on the table. I have had no feedback whatsoever.” Occasional EI contributor Victor Kattan recently interviewed John Dugard, U.N. Special Rapportuer for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Read more about "A state cannot indefinitely stand against the world": An interview with UN Special Rapporteur John Dugard
Nearly 100 Heads of State and Government convened at United Nations Headquarters in New York today as the General Assembly opened its annual high-level debate on global issues. Decrying what he described as “shameless” disregard for the rule of law around the globe, Secretary-General Kofi Annan urged world leaders gathered at the General Assembly to do everything within their power to restore respect for the fundamental principles of law – in domestic affairs, as well as on the international arena. What has irked Kofi Annan is that the rule of law has been seriously eroded since September 11, and in the case of Israel, long before. Genevieve Cora Fraser reports. Read more about UN Conference on Palestine Sets Stage for UN General Assembly
Al-Haq strongly condemns the gross violations of international law displayed by Israeli authorities in the recent events involving extra-judicial killings and targeted assassinations of 12 Palestinian political activists within the past three days alone. According to eye-witness reports, Israeli forces had used deadly force from the start. In all three cases, the killings were carried out using live ammunition and the firing of missiles from tanks or helicopters. These constitute a blatant disregard for the fundamental right of everyone to the right to life and security of person, and demonstrate indiscriminate and excessive use of force by Israeli occupying forces. Read more about Al Haq condemns assassinations in Nablus and Jenin
On Sunday Israeli aircrafts fired two missiles at a blue Volkswagen Golf, that was traveling at the crossroads of al-Jalaa’ Street and al-Lababidi Street in the center of Gaza City. The two missiles hit and burnt the car. The driver, Khaled Abu Silmiya from al-Shati refugee camp was instantly killed. He was a member of the ‘Izziddin al-Qassam Brigade, the military wing of Hamas. In addition, eight passing Palestinian civilians were injured by shrapnel from the missiles, and the injuries of two of them were described by medical sources as serious. Israeli authorities soon admitted responsibility for this attack and claimed that they were able to kill a wanted Palestinian in Gaza City. Read more about Israeli forces kill Palestinian and wound eight in another extra-judicial execution
The International Conference of Civil Society in Support of the Palestinian People concluded its work this week. According to an adopted plan of action, internationally coordinated action would be developed to escalate pressure to end the Israeli occupation and achieve the realization of Palestinian rights. Jeff Handmaker, an international human rights lawyer and regular contributer to EI, participated at the conference and presented a paper with Susan Akram on legal strategies. Read more about Beyond the Advisory Opinion: Possible Future Strategies
“This week, as the survivors of the Sabra and Shatila massacre remember their dead, Ariel Sharon, the man deemed ‘personally responsible’ for the massacre by Israel’s 1983 Kahane Commission, is planning an official visit to Holland. When Ariel Sharon steps off the plane, he will be treading not only on Dutch soil, but also on the bodies of the dead of Sabra and Shatila. Legally, the massacre and its victims remain unburied. It is Holland’s shame to assume that rolling out a red carpet of welcome can cover the corpses of Mr. Sharon’s victims, whose number continues to climb with each passing day.” EI co-founder Laurie King-Irani remembers a massacre that many prefer to forget. Read more about Unburied
This week Israeli forces killed 24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 6 children. Seven of the victims were killed in another extra-judicial execution. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces demolished 43 homes and dozens of donums of agricultural land were razed in the northern Gaza Strip. In Rafah three homes were demolished and in Mughraqa Israeli forces demolished seven homes. In the West Bank Israeli forces demolished two homes. Israel continued the construction of the Apartheid Wall and imposed a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
