The Egyptian Red Crescent Society, with assistance from the International Committee of the Red Cross, is providing tents, food parcels, hygiene installations and fans to over 2500 people stranded on the Egyptian side of the closed Rafah Terminal, on the southern border of the Gaza Strip. At the same time the ICRC is making representations to the relevant Israeli and Palestinian authorities to allow the people, who have been blocked at Rafah for up to 12 days, to cross into the Gaza Strip as soon as possible. For nearly two weeks, ERCS volunteers, working closely with local Egyptian authorities, have been assisting the group stranded at the border, which includes women, children and elderly people, with basic relief and medical assistance. Read more about Red Cross and Red Crescent assist over 2,500 Palestinians at Rafah Terminal
The World Organization Against Torture has been informed by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel of the incommunicado detention and lengthy denial of access to legal counsel of Amad Sherif. He was arrested at his home on January 12, 2003 and brought to the Ofer detention camp. Soon after he was transferred to the Russian compound in Jerusalem and afterwards to the Kishon detention center. Later he was sent to Eshel prison. An order prohibiting meeting with counsel was imposed against Sherif following his arrest. His interrogaters beat him and forced him to sit with his back bent backwards. Read more about Adminstrative detention, risk of ill-treatment or torture
This week, Israeli forces killed 13 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including four children and one woman. Eight of the victims, including two children, were killed in two extra-judicial killings. Israel continues its assault on Beit Hanoun. Israeli forces conducted a series of incursions into Palestinian areas in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Israeli forces demolished 14 homes. One house was destroyed in the context of retaliatory measures against families of Palestinian activists. Israeli warplanes destroyed a house and a workshop in the Gaza Strip. Israel continues to impose a total siege on the occupied territories. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
In violation of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, on Sunday evening, 25 July 2004, Israeli occupying forces committed another extra-judicial execution, which left 6 Palestinians dead. This attack targeted two wanted Palestinians. The other four of the victims, including two children, were civilian bystanders. Israeli occupying forces claimed that these Palestinians were killed when they exchanged fire with Israeli troops, which completely contradicts with statements by eyewitnesses. This latest attack further proves Israel’s disregard for the lives of Palestinian civilians. Read more about Tulkarem: Israeli forces kill 6 Palestinians in extra-judicial execution
Ramadin village is located at the southern tip of the West Bank very close to the Green Line. It is inhabited by 3,500 Bedouins, of whom 3,000 are registered refugees (330 families), mainly shepherds. UNRWA runs a school and a health clinic in the village; construction of a new UNRWA school is under way. According to official Israeli maps, after completion of the ‘Barrier’ this village will lie in the ‘seamzone’, between the Barrier and the Green Line. UNRWA reports on the West Bank barrier. Read more about Demolitions in Ramadin village, Hebron
Amnesty International condemns the extension by the Israeli Knesset of a law (Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law) which denies thousands of Israeli Arab citizens the right to live as a family. “Israel invokes spurious ‘security’ justifications for a law which institutionalizes racial discrimination and violates international law,” said Amnesty International. The Knesset’s decision came despite calls by Amnesty International in a report published 13 July 2004 to repeal the Citizenship and Entry into Israel Law on family unification. The law bars Israelis married to Palestinians from the Occupied Territories from living with their spouses in Israel, and forces families to either live apart or leave the country altogether. Read more about Amnesty: Knesset's approval of discriminatory law unacceptable
The past two days witnessed more deterioration of the security situation in the Gaza Strip indicating a crisis within the Palestinian community. The crisis has come to the surface following several cases of kidnapping of Palestinian security commanders and international citizens by armed groups on Friday 16 July 2004 in different parts of the Gaza Strip. Despite President Arafat actions to unify the different Palestinian security apparatuses and proceed to changes in the security and police command, an eruption of the crisis is still imminent. Accordingly, the Palestinian National Security Council took the decision to impose a state of emergency in the Palestinian Territory. Read more about Mezan warns about serious consequences of the declaration of emergency
This week Israeli forces killed six Palestinians, including three civilians, one of whom is a child. Israeli forces carried out an assassination attempt in Gaza City. Israeli forces continued its military actions in Beit Hanoun and invaded several areas in other parts of the occupied territories. In Rafah Israeli forces demolished 22 homes. Israeli forces continued to shell Palestinian residential areas and a number of Palestinians were injured. Despite international pressure, Israel continues the construction of its Annexation Wall in the West Bank. Israeli forces have continued to impose a total siege on the occupied Palestinian territories. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
Today, 21 July 2004, Adalah submitted a motion for injunction order to the Supreme Court requesting the temporary suspension of the Nationality and Entry into Israel Law (Temporary Order) – 2003 (the law) pending final ruling in the August 2003 petition against the law. The Knesset today extended the law for six more months by a majority vote of 60 to 29. The law prohibits the granting of any residency or citizenship status to Palestinians from the occupied Palestinian territories who are married to Israeli citizens, thereby banning family unification. Read more about Israeli law splits Palestinian families apart
The United Nations General Assembly today voted overwhelmingly to demand that Israel comply with an advisory opinion issued earlier this month by the World Court, which declared the construction of a separation barrier in and around the West Bank to be illegal. In adopting a resolution by a vote of 150 to 6, with 10 abstentions, the Assembly also called on all UN Member States to comply with its obligations as contained in the finding by ICJ, which include a duty “not to recognize the illegal situation” and not to render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction. Read more about UN Assembly votes overwhelmingly to demand Israel comply with ICJ ruling