occupied Palestinian territory

Dr. Irwin J. Mansdorf, May 17, 2018

Institute for Contemporary Affairs

Founded jointly with the Wechsler Family Foundation

Vol. 18, No. 12

• Psychological asymmetry is the relative advantage of the weaker party in a conflict to engage in otherwise immoral and illegal behavior against a militarily stronger opponent.

• Hamas and other groups have used their psychological asymmetry in engaging Israel for years, exploiting and placing civilians in danger to meet strategic goals.

On Friday, 18 May 2018, Israeli forces opened fire at unarmed Palestinian protesters along the fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel. By 8pm local time, at least 30 protesters were injured, including two children and two journalists—of them 15 were wounded by live ammunition. Many persons who were injured during protests during the past weeks, including on 14 May 2018, remain in critical condition threatening their lives at hospitals.

18 May 2018 – During demonstrations in Gaza on 14 and 15 May, 62 Palestinians were killed, including one health worker, and 2768 injured, including 8 children. However, the toll could have been even higher without a recent emergency health care innovation.

PUBLIC STATEMENT

AI Index: MDE 15/8443/2018

Amnesty International is dismayed and alarmed at the mass killings and injuries of Palestinians in the context of the “Great March of Return” protests in the Gaza Strip.

In their response to these protests, since 30 March, Israeli forces have killed at least 102 Palestinians, including at least 12 children, two journalists and one paramedic. As many as 60 people died in one day alone, on 14 May, during protests commemorating 70 years of Palestinian displacement and dispossession.

GA/PAL/1408

GENERAL ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE
FORUM ON QUESTION OF PALESTINE, AM & PM MEETINGS

State of Palestine Designated to Lead ‘Group of 77’ and China in 2019, Palestinian Rights Committee Chair Announces

(excerpts)

Chad

The Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad, Stephen Tull, called for urgent funding to meet the humanitarian and protection needs of vulnerable populations in eastern Chad, including Sudanese refugees, Chadian returnees who were previously refugees in Sudan, and local populations.

Today, as of 20:00, Israeli forces injured 56 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health (MoH), during demonstrations near the perimeter fence as part of the “Great March of Return.” Although 15 May, the 70th anniversary of what Palestinians refer to as the 1948 “Nakba”, was initially intended to be the culmination of the protests, the demonstrations are now expected to continue at least until 5 June, which commemorates the “Naksa”, when Israel captured the West Bank and Gaza Strip in 1967.

An estimated 3,000 people were injured in demonstrations on May 14th and 15th at the border between Gaza and Israel. Medical services in Gaza have been overwhelmed by the sudden arrival of large numbers of casualties. Humanity & Inclusion is on the ground, ready to provide rehabilitation services to prevent patients from developing a permanent disability and support them in regaining mobility.

UOSSM is deeply concerned about the violence in Gaza since March 30, where over 100 civilians have been killed and over 3,500 were wounded by live ammunition. In the past week, one paramedic was killed and Dr. Tarek Loubani, a Canadian-Palestinian doctor, was among the 18 medics wounded on Monday, May 14.

According to an interview with Dr. Loubani, the medics were clearly marked in high visibility attire. Dr. Loubani said, "he was wearing a high visibility reflective jacket and yet he was shot. And his colleagues who were all highly marked were being targeted ."

AFTERNOON

Decides to Dispatch an Independent, International Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Human Rights Violations in the Context of Large-Scale Civilian Protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

GENEVA (18 May 2018) - The Human Rights Council this afternoon adopted a resolution in which it decided to dispatch an independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the context of large-scale civilian protests in the occupied Palestinian territory.

ROUNDUP

GENEVA (18 May 2018) - The Human Rights Council this afternoon concluded its special session on the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, by adopting a resolution in which it decided to dispatch an independent, international commission of inquiry to investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the context of large-scale civilian protests in the occupied Palestinian territory.

GENEVA (18 May 2018) The Human Rights Council this morning opened a special session on “the deteriorating human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem,” in which it heard addresses by Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Micheal Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967.

The full implementation of this version of the HIP is subject to the adoption of the decision amending Decision C(2017) 8863

AMOUNT: EUR 24 000 000

HIGHLIGHTS

• Increase in Area C demolitions, alongside decline in East Jerusalem.

• A donor-funded playground demolished and 12 donor-funded residential shelters placed at risk.

• Bedouin community in Area C of the Jerusalem governorate at heightened risk of forcible transfer following a court hearing.

OVERVIEW

Statement by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein

Mr. President,

Appalling recent events in Gaza have called this Council into Special Session. Since the protests began on 30 March, 87 Palestinians have been killed by the Israeli security forces in the context of the demonstrations, including 12 children; 29 others, including three children, were killed in other circumstances. And over 12,000 people have been injured, more than 3,500 of them by live ammunition.

Vienna, Austria, May 18, 2018. OFID – the OPEC Fund for International Development – has approved two emergency aid grants totaling US$1 million to help bolster relief efforts in the Gaza Strip and Syria. The grants will be channeled through the Palestinian Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), respectively.

“I commend Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi’s decision to maintain the opening of Rafah Crossing between Gaza and Egypt, in both directions, throughout the holy month of Ramadan.

This is an important and encouraging step by Egypt and I hope that the security situation will allow for a more regular movement. Not only will Rafah’s extended opening contribute to de-escalating the explosive atmosphere in the Strip, it will also help ease the humanitarian burden on Palestinians in Gaza.”

ACT Alliance condemns the killing of Palestinian people on their own land. Such disgraceful acts of violence must stop. The ACT Alliance stands in solidarity with its members, the ACT Palestine Forum, ecumenical partners and churches in the Holy Land and the global church in their ongoing humanitarian work, and in calling for an end to violence and the protection of human rights.

Both Lebanon and Iraq held elections last week, with the number of riots and protests as well as election-related violence rising, respectively, in each case. Demonstrations in Iran were focused on “Teacher’s Week” while a smaller subset of demonstrations were focused on the United States’ pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal. Demonstrations were held in Pealstine and Jordan relating to the US embassy move to Jerusalem, with Monday’s widely-publicized events in Gaza falling outside of last week’s coding period (see here for more information on this topic).

CS/13344
17 MAI 2018

Le débat sur le respect du droit international dans le contexte du maintien de la paix et de la sécurité internationales a donné lieu, aujourd’hui, à une vaste réflexion sur le rôle des acteurs qui appliquent ce droit, en premier lieu le Conseil de sécurité. Des recommandations lui ont été adressées en vue de passer à une ère de prévention et pour une vraie responsabilisation face aux crimes internationaux les plus graves.