This afternoon the UN Human Rights Commission concluded its consideration of the human rights situation in the occupied territories, hearing a series of national representatives call upon Israel to cease human rights violations in occupied Palestine and to dismantle a security barrier built on Palestinian land. Islamic countries, including Malaysia, the Syrian Arab Republic, Morocco, Algeria, and Jordan, said the wall was intended to intensify the difficulties of daily life in the occupied regions and would severely limit Palestinians’ freedom of movement, access to work and health care, and agricultural activities. Read more about Human Rights Commission concludes debate on Palestine 

This week Israeli forces killed 24 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including 3 children. Israeli forces assasinated Sheikh Ahmad Yassin and seven other civilians with him. Israeli forces invaded a number of areas and killed 5 Palestinians in Abasan, east of Khan Yunis, destroyed 14 homes and razed 70 donums of land and confiscated 8.000 donums for settlement expansion. Israeli forces raided a number of homes and arbitrarily detained a number of Palestinians. Israel continues indiscriminate shelling of Palestinian residential areas, killing seven Palestinian civilians and wounding others. The siege continues. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations 

The Commission on Human Rights today started its general debate on the violation of human rights in the occupied Arab territories, including Palestine, after it concluded its discussion on the right to development. Many speakers denounced Israel’s actions in the occupied Palestinian territory, in particular the construction of a separation Wall. Delegates said the international community had to ensure that Israel implemented United Nations resolutions which called on it to withdraw from the occupied Arab territories. John Dugard, the Special Rapporteur, presented his report to the Commission on 19 March. Read more about Commission starts general debate on violation of human rights in the occupied territories 

The Commission on Human Rights this morning strongly condemned the continuing grave violations of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, in particular the tragic assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin on 22 March 2004. In a resolution adopted following an urgent special sitting on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory resulting from the assassination, the Commission noted with grave concern the implications of such targeted assassinations, liquidation and murder of political leadership by the Israeli occupation forces on the overall situation in the occupied Palestinian territory. Read more about Commission on Human Rights condemns assassination of Sheikh Ahmad Yassin 

This morning, Israeli forces assassinated Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and leader of Hamas, after he left a mosque in Gaza city. Seven other Palestinian civilians, including three bodyguards, were killed and 17 others were injured, including his two sons. Israeli helicopters launched three missiles at Sheikh Yassin outside the Islamic Association Mosque in the densely populated Sabra neighborhood in the center of Gaza city. He was in his wheelchair surrounded by three bodyguards. Read more about Israel assassinates Sheikh Ahmed Yassin 

The Commission on Human Rights continued this afternoon its general debate on the right of peoples to self-determination and its application to peoples under colonial or alien occupation, hearing speakers mainly focus on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories and in Jammu and Kashmir. Representatives focused on the issue of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, saying that the Israeli occupation had deprived the people of Palestine of the most basic internationally recognized right to establish their independent State with Jerusalem as their capital. Read more about Commission on human rights continues debate on self-determination 

The Commission on Human Rights began this morning its substantive work for the year, hearing presentation of the annual report of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and summations of developments over the past year in occupied Palestine and in the activities of mercenaries. John Dugard, the Commission’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said among other things that Palestinian living conditions had deteriorated significantly over the past year. His report was submitted ahead of formal debate under the Commission’s agenda item 8. Read more about Special Rapporteur on the situation in occupied Palestine submits report