| Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza | Date: 01-01-2009 |
| Author: PHRO | |
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The Israeli Occupation Forces continue, from air, sea and land, and with extensive usage of disproportionate power, targeting locations populated by civilians, in its open war on the Gaza Strip. These forces have been, for the seventh consecutive day, bombing the civilian installations, shedding the blood of children, women and the elderly, disregarding the lives of the civilians, where the number of victims exceeded 420, which is a census that might increase due to the high number of casualties which reached 2100 including a high rank of precarious cases due to their dangerous injuries, in the absence of a full health support due to a shortage of medical supplies resulted by the systematic defile embargo. Despite this cruel and degrading situation, the Israelis have not been listening, even with a deaf ear, to the humanitarian appeals; nevertheless, they are ignoring the International Bill, as well as neglecting the provisions of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and their obligations towards them. The Palestinian Human Rights Organization (PHRO) condemns, with the strongest terms, the actions committed by Israel and consider them War Crimes in accordance with article 8 of the Rome Statute and Article 147 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and policies of collective punishment, in accordance withArticle 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention, against our Palestinian people. Furthermore, the PHRO firmly rejects all the Israeli attempts that aim at giving legitimacy to the brutal and cruel breaches of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), under the pretext of self-defense, and protecting the Israeli civilians from the Palestinian Resistance Factions missiles attacks. The PHRO observes with deep concern the level of outcomes in the Gaza Strip, and recalls Father Miguel D’Escoto’s, President of the UN General Assembly, recent statement: “…the time has come to take firm action if the UN does not want to be rightly accused of complicity by omission …” and calls upon: § The UN Security Council, and during its emergency meeting that will be taking place on Monday, January 5th, 2009, to take firm and compulsory action that stops Israel's crimes against the Palestinian People, including the imposition of sanctions on Israel to ensure its fulfillment to its obligations under the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and the dispatch, if necessary, International Forces to protect the civilians § The High Contracting parties to the Geneva Conventions to fulfill their legal obligations in accordance with articles 1 and 146 of the Fourth Geneva Convention which affirm on the prosecution of those responsible for grave breaches of the Convention § The UN Human Rights Council and its member states to hold an urgent special meeting to consider the aggression on Gaza, and to stop the Israeli killing machine that is perpetrating War Crimes, Crimes against Humanity and Collective Punishment against the Civilians in the Gaza Strip. The PHRO further calls this council to directly respond to the call initiated by the Special Rapporteur, Mr. Richard Falk " … all Member States, as well as officials and every relevant organ of the United Nations system, to move on an emergency basis not only to condemn Israel’s serious violations, but to develop new approaches to providing real protection for the Palestinian people..." Also the PHRO calls upon this council, and in case the Security Council failed to fulfil its role stated by Chapter 7 of the UN Charter and represented by “Action with respect to Threats to the Peace, Breaches of the Peace, and Acts of Aggression”, to request from the General Assembly to convene under its Resolution no. 377 of November 1950 and titled “Uniting for Peace” in order to take group of actions and measures against the Israeli Government and the perpetrators of the violations of the IHL § The European Union and its member States to make effective use of the European Union Guidelines on promoting compliance with international humanitarian law (2005/C 327/04) and to ensure that Israel complies with international humanitarian law under paragraph 16 (b), (c) and (d) of these guidelines, including the adoption of immediate restrictive measures and sanctions, as well as cessation of all upgrade dialogue with Israel through reconsidering the EU Council Resolution which was released on early December 2008 concerning “The Upgrade of Relations with Israel” without any consideration to its history of breaches to human and humanitarian rights, which in fact is contrary to the principle of respect for those rights set forth in paragraph 2 of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. § Last but not least, the PHRO calls upon Hamas to abide by the rules of International Humanitarian Law, which does not allow, under any circumstances to targeting civilians/endanger civilians lives. Furthermore, the PHRO strongly call upon Hamas to prevail the humanitarian considerations as well as the Palestinian National Interests, on the focal regional conflicts and hubs The PHRO is an independent non-governmental organization “NGO” established in 1997, recognized in Lebanon under registration no. 36/AD and a member of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) and the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Network (EMHRN). PHRO works for promoting, protecting and defending the Human Rights of the Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon. Palestinian Human Rights Organization - PHRO |
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