6 April 2013

Four human rights organisations based in the Gaza Strip, along with the Palestinian NGO Network, have issued a letter to Mr Robert H. Serry, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, expressing concern at a number of recent statements he has made.

Al Dameer Association for Human Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), and the Palestinian NGO Network issued the letter on 6 April 2013.

Reference: 17/2013

Friday, 8 March 2013, marks the International Women’s Day. It’s an important occasion to assert women’s right to enjoy their rights fully and without discrimination. It’s a day to celebrate women and their achievements economically, politically and socially. This year’s theme is “A promise is a promise: Time for action to end violence against women” in order to assert the international community’s responsibility towards ending violence against women.

Ref. No.: 44/2013

Unexploded ordnance (UXO) continued to threaten life and safety of children in the Gaza Strip. In the last week, one child was killed and another three were injured, raising the number of persons killed to 12 including six children and the number of injured persons to 71 including 29 children in 42 separate incidents since the beginning of 2007.

This factsheet shows to what extent women in the Gaza Strip are affected by armed conflict between Palestinians and the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF). It also shows the historic development of women’s rights and the international community’s attempts to enhance women’s rights during armed conflict as well as in normal conditions. The factsheet shows the indirect consequences that women tolerate even when they are not the direct victims.

The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights has finished the first step of collecting information in its documentation project. Al Mezan’s field workers have conducted 294 field visits to places were Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) committed violations of International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law. Al Mezan’s field workers also carried out 3,083 documentary visits to collect information from victims and eyewitnesses. Based on Al Mezan’s main documentation, the IOF killed 168 including 34 children and 13 women and injured 1,046 others including 301 children and 105 women.

108/2012

Thursday, 29 November 2012, marked the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. Sixty five years ago, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted Resolution 181, also known as the partition resolution, which recommended the portioning of historic Palestine into two states, one Arab and one Jewish. However, the Palestinian state remains nonexistent due to Israel’s denial of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination. This date stands for the international protest against the injustice inflicted uponthe Palestinian people.

A ceasefire has entered into force and attacks on Gaza have stopped since yesterday, 21 November 2012, night. The monitoring of the impacts of the attacks launched by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) during the eight past days indicates that violations of international law caused severe harm to civilians and civilian property around the Gaza Strip.Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights is preparing a report with description of IOF attacks, and lists of their victims.

The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) attacked more civilians in Gaza today; including media workers. Contrary to the reports of an imminent ceasefire, IOF dropped leaflets instructing people to evacuate their homes in many areas around the Gaza Strip in anticipation of a ground invasion; including densely populated neighborhoods. Hundreds of thousands of Palestinian civilians are expected to evacuate under continuing bombardment. Thousands of people have preferred to remain in their houses instead of going to the few shelters, which have been provided by UNRWA in its schools.