“For all the revolutionary potential of Universal Jurisdiction in Belgium, very little changed for the better for the Sabra and Shatila plaintiffs. In fact, Belgium’s decision to annul its progressive anti-atrocity legislation rendered the massacre survivors victims a second time over. Their attempts to realize justice in a Belgian court revealed not only the implicit political dimensions of Universal Jurisdiction, but also highlighted the fact that abstract, universal principles do not exist a priori. EI’s Laurie King-Irani concludes her discussion of lessons learned during a difficult year for international law in the Middle East. (Part II of II) Read more about 2003: A year of Israeli and US defiance of International Law (2/2)
“Benefiting from a growing international focus on Iraq and the folly of the US global ‘war on terror,’ Israel enjoyed enhanced impunity for its violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and a raft of UN resolutions throughout 2003. Even the supposedly ‘positive’ developments of 2003 — the US-backed ‘Road Map’ to peace and the Geneva Accords — are based on a tacit premise that the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and several UN resolutions can be ignored or suspended so as to legitimate and excuse Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, lives, lands, and resources.” EI’s Laurie King-Irani reviews the prevailing legal trends of 2003 in Occupied Palestine. (Part I of II) Read more about 2003: A year of US and Israeli defiance of International Law (1/2)
The year 2003 started and ended with Israeli forces invading Rafah refugee camp and demolishing refugee homes. This year, in Rafah alone, Israeli forces killed at least 60 Palestinians, an American peace activist and a British TV cameraman. In three years, Israeli forces have demolished 800 homes in Rafah alone. Rafah in 2003 is an example of occupied Palestine in 2003. Despite road maps and declarations, the residents of Rafah are in urgent need of protection. They want to stop counting the deaths. EI’s Arjan El Fassed reviews 2003. Read more about Rafah in 2003
It’s hard to talk about the provisions of the recent Geneva Accord, and offer some kind of analysis without reference to the facts on the ground — right now — inside Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. But without understanding this context of repression and violence, without recognizing this ongoing process of colonization and military occupation, we will never understand the Geneva Accord itself, nor comprehend the real reasons for its inevitable and predictable failure. ISM Canada’s Paul Burrows looks at the Accord in depth. Read more about Geneva Accord: Analysis of the Bankruptcy
While politicians continued to search for a way out of the deadlock of occupation and violence in November, the Israeli army persisted with its strategy of mass detention. Many children were among the Palestinians arrested during the month, and still more are languishing without charges or trial in prisons and detention centres throughout Israel and the occupied territories. Tactics employed by the Israeli army during arrests continue to breach international human rights norms, many children are later tricked or intimidated into confessing to false charges. Read more about Child Prisoners Briefing
This week Israeli forces killed 17 Palestinians, mostly civilians, including a child and an old man. Nine Palestinians were killed during an Israeli invasion of Rafah refugee camp. More than 46 homes were demolished, leaving 800 Palestinians homeless. This week Israeli forces razed more agricultural land and homes were raided. Israel continued the construction of the wall and continued with indiscriminate shelling of residential areas. Israel continued its tight siege on the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Two newly-born twins died at an Israeli military checkpoint. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
On December 25, Israeli helicopter gunships fired two missiles at a civilian car in northern Gaza city, killing 5 Palestinians and wounding 15 others. Three of the victims in this attack were civilian bystanders. The white Subara was moving on Saftawi street in a busy part of Gaza city. As the car moved down the street, two missiles were fired. The missiles hit the car directly, killing two of three passengers immediately. The third passenger sustained severe injuries. It was the second assassination attempt on one of the passengers. Read more about Israeli forces kill 5 and wound 15 Palestinians in Gaza
In another war crime perpetrated against Palestinian civilians and property, Israeli occupying forces, reinforced by tanks and helicopters, moved into Rafah refugee camp in the south of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday morning, 23 December 2003. Israeli forces have remained in the camp through the early afternoon, using intense shelling and indiscriminate shooting to cover their actions. Already today, the Israeli occupying army has killed 5 Palestinians, including 4 civilians, and wounded over 27 others, including a number of women and children. Read more about Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians in Rafah
Further to the request by the General Assembly of the United Nations to the International Court of Justice “to urgently render an advisory opinion” on the question of the Legal Consequences of the Construction of a Wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the International Court of Justice today made an Order organizing the proceedings. The Court takes all necesssary steps to accelerate the procedure. It fixed 30 January 2004 as deadline before the United Nations and its Member States could submit to the Court written statements. Read more about International Court orders proceedings in wall case
Al-Baqa’a is Jordan’s largest Palestinian refugee camp, located on the outskirts of Amman and home to more than 100,000 refugees. Many of Al-Baqa’a’s youth are becoming increasingly disenchanted with life at the camp. When you ask about the Geneva Accord on the streets of Al-Baqa’a, people answer with disgusted looks as they see it as nothing but the further dismissal of the history of the Palestinian struggle in its failure to recognize that the right of return for Palestinian refugees. Stefan Christoff reports from Jordan. Read more about The Geneva Accord and the Right of Return as seen from Al-Baqa'a Refugee Camp
