According to a new report released today by B’Tselem and Physicians for Human Rights, the IDF violates the right of residents of the Occupied Territories to obtain medical treatment. Dozens of staffed checkpoints and some 600 physical roadblocks have been set up within the West Bank in the framework of Israel’s siege policy. These obstacles to movement restricts the access of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians to medical treatment. In 70% of calls to the Red Crescent, the ambulances are unable to reach the patient’s house. Read more about Report: Restriction of movement harming Palestinians' health
This week Israeli forces killed 10 Palestinians, including one woman. During an invasion of Rafah, Israeli forces killed five Palestinians. In Rafah and Khan Yunis, Israeli forces demolished 31 homes and razed agricultural land. In various places Israeli forces raided Palestinian residential areas, homes and arbitrary detained a number of Palestinians. Israeli forces demolished a home in Hebron and arrested the widow of a deceased Palestinian. Israel continued the construction of the wall and imposed a total siege on Palestinian towns and villages. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
Israeli occupying forces committed a willful killing and used excessive force in the slaying three other Palestinians, during a wide-scale incursion into Nablus. Israeli forces invaded Nablus and opened fire at residential areas. Israeli forces willfully killed ‘Alaa al-Din Dawaia. Three other Palestinians were killed. PCHR condemns the willful killing and the use of excessive force in the deaths of the three other casualties and calls upon the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to immediately intervene to protect Palestinian civilians. Read more about Nablus: Israeli forces kill four Palestinians
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and the World Organisation against Torture (OMCT), within the framework of their joint programme the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders, would like to draw the attention on the case of Jonathan Ben Artzi, a 20-year old Israeli student, who is facing trial in his own country for having repeatedly refused to serve in the Israeli army. Read more about Trial of conscientious objector Jonathan Ben Artzi
One month ago, on 12 November 2003, Jonathan Ben Artzi was convicted by the Military Court in Jaffa for disobeying an order by refusing to serve in the Israeli army. The Israeli military court in Jaffa is also hearing the cases of Noam Bahat, Adam Maor, Haggai Matar, Shinri Tsameret and Matan Kaminer, who are among more than 300 “Shministim,” or high school seniors, who refuse to serve in military forces involved in the occupation of Palestinian territories. Read more about Conscientious objection at stake
This morning, in the latest attack against Palestinian civilians and property, Israeli occupying forces destroyed 22 houses in the Khan Yunis refugee camp in the southern Gaza Strip. Contrary to Israeli claims that the houses were uninhabited, preliminary investigations conducted by PCHR revealed that the Israeli military operation left 178 Palestinian civilians (25 families) homeless. In addition, homes belonging to 6 families (approximately 40 civilians) have become uninhabitable. Read more about Israeli forces demolish 22 homes in Khan Yunis
This week, Israeli forces killed two Palestinian children. A Palestinian prisoner died from torture and medical negligence in an Israeli detention centre. Israeli forces invaded Ramallah on the West Bank and several other areas in the occupied Palestinian territories. During invasions in the Gaza Strip, Israeli forces demolished eight homes in Rafah and Khan Younis and razed agricultural lands. Israeli forces raided Palestinian homes and imposed a tight siege. Read more about Weekly report on human rights violations
On Thursday morning, 11 December 2003, Israeli occupying forces killed 5 Palestinians, injured 13, and destroyed 9 houses during a military incursion into the al-Salam neighborhood in Rafah. Israeli occupying forces stated that the aim of the operation was to arrest a Palestinian wanted for involvement in attacks against Israeli targets. Willful killing of civilians, and extensive destruction of civilian property carried out wantonly without military necessity, are war crimes. Read more about Rafah: Israeli forces kill 5 Palestinians and demolish 9 homes
The tenth emergency special session of the 191-member United Nations General Assembly this morning adopted a resolution asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to issue an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s construction of a separation barrier in the West Bank. The text was adopted by a recorded vote of 90 in favour, to 8 against, with 74 abstentions. The Hague-based ICJ, established in 1946, is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. Read more about UNGA requests International Court of Justice to issue opinion on Separation Wall
Mahmoud Al-Talalqa was killed on 1 March 2002, while he was playing in the street with his friends near the al-Nada housing project in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Hanoun, after afternoon prayers. According to a preliminary investigation conducted by PCHR’s into the incident, al-Talalqa was shot at close range by an Israeli soldier. In response to a complaint submitted by PCHR on behalf of the family, the office of the Israeli Military Prosecutor of the Southern Command stated on 4 December that an Israeli soldier has been charged with “causing death by negligence.” Read more about Indictment against Israeli soldier in killing of Palestinian child in Gaza
