Enough is Enough: 95 civil society organizations call on the Human Rights Council to urgently launch a ‘Commission of Inquiry’ to investigate violence against protesters in Palestine

There are
currently over seven million Palestinian refugees spread across the globe,
including 1.3 million refugees in the Gaza Strip.
[1]
As the result of decades of dispossession, oppression and violations of
international law, including 11 years of unlawful closure and blockade of the
Gaza Strip, Palestinians therein and elsewhere in occupied Palestine have
embarked on a six week campaign of largely peaceful protests, starting on 30
March 2018. The actions by the Israeli forces in response to the demonstrations,
particularly those taking place in the eastern parts of the Gaza Strip, amount
to excessive, indiscriminate and disproportionate use of lethal force. They may
also amount to widespread wilful killings and may constitute war crimes and
crimes against humanity. On 28 April 2018, the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights stated that, “[i]n the context of an occupation such as Gaza, killings
resulting from the unlawful use of force may also constitute wilful killings
which are a grave breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention.”
[2]

Since the
start of these large-scale protests, approximately 111 Palestinians have been
killed, including 12 children, two journalists, and four persons with
disabilities. During the same period, approximately 7,000 were injured,
including 1,244 children, 253 women, 42 paramedics, and 60 journalists – at
least 3,615 of whom were hit by live fire.[3]
In response to the demonstrations, the Israeli military has allegedly been
using
live
ammunition
intentionally with the aim
of killing and seriously injuring civilians, as demonstrated by the use of
high-velocity, military-grade weapons that cause devastating, and in some cases
life-changing injuries.

A video
distributed by an Israeli soldier shows Israeli snipers celebrating the killing
of Palestinians, illustrating a culture of impunity that is enjoyed by members
of Israeli forces and emboldened by policy-level decisions. Further, the
Israeli judicial system has demonstrated that it is unable and unwilling to
ensure accountability for such serious crimes according to international
standards.

In
response to these events, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has
called for independent investigations[4]
into the killings, while the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Bin
Ra’ad, echoed this call and highlighted that “[e]very week, we witness
instances of use of lethal force against unarmed demonstrators” while noting
that “[w]arnings by the United Nations and others have seemingly gone unheeded,
as the approach of the security forces from week to week does not seem to have
changed.”[5]

The
Israeli government continues to disregard the numerous recommendations by UN officials
to exercise restraint in its response to the protests in the Gaza Strip and
elsewhere in occupied Palestine. In fact, the Israeli military has increased
the use of force against the civilian population in violation of its
obligations under international law to ensure the welfare and respect of the
fundamental rights of the occupied population under its control.

The
escalating protests over the last six months intensified following the
announcement of 6
December 2017 by US President Trump recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital
and relocating its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in blatant disregard for
international law. On Monday, 14 May 2018, the relocation of the US embassy to
Jerusalem entrenched and endorsed Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem, in
violation of Article 2(4) of the Charter of the United Nations on the
prohibition of annexation – a general principle of international law – and in
breach of Israel’s obligations as an Occupying Power under Article 47 of the
Fourth Geneva Convention, which concerns the protection of the occupied
Palestinian population from any measures of”annexation by the latter of
the whole or part of the occupied territory.”

The
undersigned organisations join the UN Secretary General and High Commissioner
for Human Rights’ calls for action, and specifically demand that the UN Human
Rights Council urgently establish a Commission of Inquiry with a view to: (i)
ensuring legal accountability for perpetrators of violations of international
human rights and humanitarian law, including for individual and command
responsibility, and (ii) facilitating and expediting existing international
investigations and examinations. The Human Rights Council should also encourage
the International Criminal Court to urgently open a full investigation into
alleged international crimes committed by the Occupying Power. Finally, the
undersigned organizations call for an end to the 51 years- of occupation of
Palestinian territory, including the immediate lifting of the closure and
blockade of the Gaza Strip. In the words of the UN High Commissioner for Human
Rights “enough is enough.” [6]

Signatories:

·
Action by Christians for
the Abolition of Torture (ACAT)

·
ActionAid International

·
ADDAMEER Prisoner Support
and Human Rights Association

·
Al Mezan Center For Human
Rights Rights

·
Aldameer Association for
Human Rights

·
Algemene Centrale-ABVV /La Centrale
Générale-FGTB

·
Al-Haq

·
ALTSEAN-Burma

·
Article 1 Collective

·
Asian Forum for Human
Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA)

·
Asian Legal Resource Centre
(ALRC)

·
Association ADALA pour le
droit a un process equitable (ADALA)

·
Association AMAL pour La
Femme et leDéveloppement

·
Association
Belgo-Palestinienne WB

·
Association France
Palestine Solidarité (AFPS)

·
BADIL – Resource Center for
Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights

·
Broederlijk Delen

·
Buliisa Initiative for
Rural Development Organisation (BIRUDO)

·
Bytes For All, Pakistan

·
Cairo Institute for Human
Rights Studies

·
Center for Constitutional
Rights (CCR)

·
Center for Defense of
Liberties and Civil Rights – Hurryyat

·
Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales – CELS

·
Christian Reformed Church
Office of Social Justice

·
Civic Coalition for
Palestinian Rights in Jerusalem

·
CIVICUS: World Alliance for
Citizen Participation

·
CNCD-11.11.11

·
Coalition for
Accountability and Integrity – AMAN

·
CODEPINK

·
Collectif
Interuniversitaire pour la Coopération avec les Universités Palestiniennes

·
Comités pour le Développement et le
patrimoine

·
Commonwealth Human Rights
Initiative (CHRI)

·
Community Action Center –
Al-Quds University

·
Conectas Direitos Humanos

·
Corporate Accountability
Lab

·
Defence for Children
International – Palestine

·
DefendDefenders

·
EuroMed Rights

·
European Coordination of
Committees and Associations for Palestine

·
Fédération des Associations
Marocaines en France

·
Filastiniyat Association

·
Geneeskunde voor de Derde
Wereld

·
Gents Actieplatform
Palestina (GAPP)

·
Global Initiative for
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

·
Housing and Land Rights
Network – Habitat International Coalition

·
Human Rights Law Network,
India

·
Immigration Developpement
Democratie – France

·
Institut de recherche en
droits humains (IRDH)

·
International Commission of
Jurists (ICJ)

·
International Federation
for Human Rights (FIDH)

·
International Service for
Human Rights (ISHR)

·
Jerusalem Legal Aid and
Human Rights Center

·
Kvinna till Kvinna

·
L’Association Marocaine des
Droits Humains

·
L’Association Marocaine des
Droits Humains

·
Lawyers for Palestinian
Human Rights (LPHR)

·
Le Comité pour le Respect des Libertés et des
Droits de l’Homme – Tunisie

·
Medical Aid for
Palestinians (MAP)

·
MIFTAH

·
MOC- Mouvement Ouvrier
Chrétien

·
Moroccan Forum for Young
Journalists (MFYJ)

·
Mouvement contre le racisme et pour l’amitié
entre les peuples (MRAP)

·
Network Movement for
Justice and Development (NMJD)

·
New Orleans Palestinian
Solidarity Committee

·
Norwegian People’s Aid

·
Odhikar

·
Otros Mundos AC/Chiapas,
México

·
Palestina Solidariteit

·
Palestinian Bar Association

·
Palestinian Centre for
Human Rights

·
Palestinian Coalition For
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

·
Palestinian Journalist
Syndicate

·
Palestinian
Non-Governmental Organizations Network

·
Pax Christi Flanders

·
Pax Christi International

·
Platform of French NGOs for
Palestine (Plateforme des ONG Françaises pour la Palestine)

·
Ramallah Center for Human
Rights Studies

·
REF – Réseau Euromed France

·
Sahara Observatory for
Peace and Democracy for Human Rights

·
Society of St. Yves

·
Solidarité Socialiste

·
The Civil Commission for
independence of the judiciary and rule of law (ISTIQLAL)

·
The Independent Commission
for Human Rights (Ombudsman Office)

·
The Palestinian Center for
Development and Media Freedoms (MADA)

·
The Palestinian Initiative
for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH)

·
The Rights Forum

·
The WoMin African Alliance

·
ToBe Foundation for rights
and Freedoms

·
Trócaire

·
US Campaign for Palestinian
Rights

·
Vrede vzw

·
Women in Black (Vienna)

·
Women’s Centre for Legal
Aid and Counseling

·
Women’s International
Leaguefor Peace and Freedom (WILPF)

·
Youth for sexual and
reproductive rights (WAAI)

·
11.11.11


[1]https://www.unrwa.org/where-we-work/gaza-strip

[2]http://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22995&LangID=E

[3] Information according to Al Mezan Center for Human Rights

[4]https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/sg/statement/2018-03-30/statement-attributable-spokesman-secretary-general-situation-gaza

[5]http://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22995&LangID=E

[6]http://ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=23086&LangID=E


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