Alarming accounts of human rights violations of
Palestinians living under occupation – UN expert
GENEVA (19 June 2015) – The United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories
occupied since 1967, Makarim Wibisono, today expressed deep concern about the
human rights situation of Palestinians living under the 48-year-long Israeli
occupation.
“Accounts show that occupation policies constrain
Palestinian life and push Palestinians to leave their land and homes,
especially in area C of the West Bank, and East Jerusalem,” said the expert
after his second mission to the region.
From 9 to 12 June 2015, Mr. Wibisono visited Amman,
Jordan, and met with civil society and Palestinian local community
representatives, UN agencies, and Palestinian government officials. He was
unable to access the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), as the Israeli
Government has not granted him access and has not formally responded to his
requests for access to Israel and the OPT.
“The briefings I received reflect a situation that is
deeply alarming. The crisis in war-torn Gaza is deepening. In the West Bank,
including East Jerusalem, there are daily infringements of Palestinian rights
as land is increasingly lost to illegal settlements,” the human rights expert
warned.
“Simply closing our eyes is allowing these practices to
continue – the international community must ensure the promise of universal
human rights no longer rings hollow to Palestinians,” he stressed reiterating
his call for accountability for violations of international human rights law
and international humanitarian law in the OPT.
“Accountability is critical for dealing with past
violations as well as preventing future ones,” Mr. Wibisono explained. “This
includes accountability for violations in the context of successive Israeli
military operations, including the 2014 hostilities in Gaza. It is the only way
to move forward.”
Gaza
The independent expert heard how nine months after the
ceasefire, of some 12,600 homes totally destroyed during the 2014 hostilities,
not a single one has been rebuilt in Gaza. Multiple factors affect the slow
reconstruction in Gaza, including unfulfilled donor pledges.
Mr. Wibisono noted that the blockade, now in its eighth
year, imposes severe restrictions on Palestinian movement, imports and exports
and has left Gaza dependent on international aid and with soaring unemployment.
“The bottom line remains that, if Gaza is to recover from
the damage wrought by multiple rounds of hostility and a shattered economy, the
blockade must be lifted. The people deserve help and realisation of their human
rights, not collective punishment,” he said.
The Special Rapporteur was also briefed on the lack of
access to health care in Gaza, where more than 11,000 Palestinians were left
injured after last summer’s escalation of hostilities. “Health services too are
affected by the blockade. There are prolonged and chronic shortages of drugs
and medical supplies,” he said.
In addition, the expert was briefed on how the extensive
damage caused to civilian infrastructure has worsened the provision of
essential utility services. “One man described how ‘Gazans wake up every day to
wash with salt-water and sleep at the end of the day without electricity’ –
People are deprived of the means to help themselves and they cannot leave –
this is a very dangerous situation,” he warned.
The West Bank, including East Jerusalem
In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, the
independent expert noted the interplay between Israeli control of natural
resources, such as land and water, and advancement of Israeli settlements.
The Special Rapporteur was briefed on the scarcity of
water for Palestinians, including farmers, while settlements enjoy up to 6-8
times the amount of water. “The impact of untreated sewage and waste from
settlements on Palestinian crops and the environment is also concerning,” Mr.
Wibisono added.
From Bedouin communities in the West Bank, to Palestinian
homes in East Jerusalem, families live under the threat of settler violence,
home demolitions and forcible transfer.
“I would like to highlight the small village of Susiya.
All of its 170 structures located in Area C, from homes to animal shelters,
schools and latrines, are now at imminent risk of demolition. This includes
structures donated as international humanitarian assistance,” the expert said
noting that residents have been subjected to multiple waves of demolitions
since an illegal Israeli settlement sprung up nearby the village in the 1980s.
“Occupation policies and practices go beyond control of
land – they impact every aspect of life and wear heavily on the social fabric
of communities,” he said. “Palestinians are kept apart by movement
restrictions: Between Gaza and the West Bank, between the West Bank and East
Jerusalem, and within the West Bank, including by the separation wall, which is
illegal under international law.”
“The end result is that, if you are Palestinian, family
and social life is dictated by the granting or refusal by the Israeli
authorities of the right permit,” the Special Rapporteur highlighted.
The human rights expert expressed concern over
Palestinian deaths and injuries resulting from excessive use of force by
Israeli security forces, including in refugee camps.
“In addition to use of fire arms, there are troubling
accounts of how ‘crowd-control’ weapons are used by Israeli security forces.
Weapons such as tear-gas, cannot accurately be described as ‘non-lethal’ –they
can have serious health effects and in several cases have been used with fatal
consequences,” he said.
Regarding detention and imprisonment of Palestinians,
including through the practice of administrative detention, the Special
Rapporteur described the situation as one of justice turned on its head.
“A high percentage of the Palestinian population,
including hundreds of children, are detained by Israel every year and there are
serious questions over lack of due process protections afforded under the
military justice system,” he stated. “On the other hand, there appears to be
little legal consequence for numerous allegations of settler violence or
excessive use of force by Israeli security forces against Palestinians.”
Speaking of his meeting with a youth group from the city
of Hebron, which is severely affected by military checkpoints and settlements,
Wibisono commented: “A young Palestinian human rights defender, who cannot walk
freely in the streets due to checkpoints, emphasized that he bore no ill will
towards the Israeli people and simply said: ‘The problem is the occupation’.”
The Special Rapporteur will present his next report
during the 70th session of the UN General Assembly in New York.
ENDS
In 2014, the UN Human Rights Council designated Makarim
Wibisono (Indonesia) as the sixth Special Rapporteur on the situation of human
rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. The mandate was
originally established in 1993 by the UN Commission on Human Rights. Learn
more, log on to:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/SP/CountriesMandates/PS/Pages/SRPalestine.aspx
Check the Special Rapporteur’s latest report to the UN
Human Rights Council (A/HRC/28/78):
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/HRC/RegularSessions/Session28/Pages/ListReports.aspx
The Special Rapporteurs are part of what is known as the
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council. Special Procedures, the largest
body of independent experts in the UN Human Rights system, is the general name
of the Council’s independent fact-finding and monitoring mechanisms that
address either specific country situations or thematic issues in all parts of
the world. Special Procedures’ experts work on a voluntary basis; they are not
UN staff and do not receive a salary for their work. They are independent from
any government or organization and serve in their individual capacity.
OHCHR Country Pages:
Occupied Palestinian Territories:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/countries/MENARegion/Pages/PSIndex.aspx
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experts:
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9383 / xcelaya@ohchr.org)
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