Daily violence. “Human rights violations and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions have been committed daily, hourly, even every minute, by the Israeli authorities against Palestinians. Violence has become a part of daily life. Israeli settlers have killed Palestinians with almost complete impunity. Palestinians have become fearful in their homes and when walking or driving, especially at checkpoints where for no apparent reason they may be killed by nervous, reckless or negligent soldiers. No killing in the Occupied Territories is properly investigated.”
[Source]
Killing of children. “In the first months of the intifada, the majority of child victims were killed as a result of the unlawful and excessive use of lethal force in response to demonstrations and stone-throwing incidents, when the lives of Israeli soldiers were not at risk. In 2002 the majority were those children killed when Israeli forces randomly opened fire, or shelled or bombarded residential neighborhoods in Palestinian towns and villages. Most of these children were killed when there was no exchange of fire and the lives of the soldiers were not at risk.” [Source]
Destruction of homes. “Israel’s unjustified destruction of thousands of Palestinian homes, as well as vast areas of agricultural land, has reached an unprecedented level and must stop immediately. Over the last three and a half years, Israeli armed forces have demolished more than 3,000 homes, leaving tens of thousands of men, women and children homeless or without a livelihood. In the Occupied Territories, demolitions are often carried out as collective punishments for Palestinian attacks or to facilitate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. Both practices contravene international law and some of these acts are war crimes. – [Source]
Illegal colonies. “The spread of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza Strip continues. Measures taken by Israel purportedly to protect Israeli settlers, whose presence in the Occupied Territories violates international law, have resulted in widespread abuses of the Palestinians’ human rights. Prolonged closures and curfews have impeded or prevented Palestinians’ access to medical care, education and work. Poverty, unemployment and health problems, including malnutrition, have spiralled.” [Source]
The Annexation wall. “Israel must immediately halt construction of the fence/wall inside the occupied West Bank, dismantle the sections already built there, and make reparation for the damage caused. The International Court of Justice has underscored that ‘the UN, and especially the General Assembly and the Security Council, should consider what further action is required to bring to an end the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall’. Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed its concern that Israel’s construction of the fence/wall inside the Occupied Territories violates the country’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.” [Source]
Refugees’ Right of return. “Amnesty International calls for the respect worldwide of the right of those who are forcibly exiled to return to their country. Forcible exile violates international law; the right to return to one’s own country is based in international law, and is the most obvious way to redress the situation of those who are in exile. Among the key human rights principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the right to return: ‘Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country’.” [Source]
Collective punishment. “Palestinians have been confined to their houses, shot if they ventured out, and left without electricity, water and diminishing food supplies for days. There are the hundreds of Palestinians who have been arrested; ill-treated and humiliated during their detention; and their families who enquire for news of their relatives and fear they may be dead. There are Palestinians, mostly children, whose homes have been destroyed and their belongings shattered.” [Source]
Life in prison. “Almost every Palestinian town and village has been cut off from the outside world by Israeli army checkpoints or physical barriers of earth, concrete blocks or metal walls. Most inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are enclosed, as they have been for years, as though in a prison. Curfews on Palestinian areas have trapped residents in their homes for days, weeks or even months. In the name of security, hundreds of Palestinian homes have been demolished and Palestinians barred from travelling along certain roads. Palestinians subject to these collective punishments are increasingly impoverished by the closures and traumatized by the killings and destruction.” [Source]
Deliberate terror. “Many of the human rights violations we have seen must have been carried out under orders. The military operations we have investigated appear to be carried out not for military purposes but instead to harass, humiliate, intimidate and harm the Palestinian population. Either the Israeli army is extremely ill-disciplined or it has been ordered to carry out acts which violate the laws of war.” [Source]
US responsibility. “The US continues to supply many weapons which are being used to violate human rights including F-16s and Apache helicopters. There are now many instances where Israel has used US-supplied weapons to commit human rights violations. Such use is a violation of the Arms Export Control Act, which prohibits US weapons from being used for non-defensive purposes. The US must finally muster the political will to acknowledge its own role in the escalating violence.” [Source]
Human rights ignored. “The international community has made increasingly strong statements, but has failed to take the action necessary to ensure respect for human rights standards and international humanitarian law. Human rights appear to be low on the international agenda.” [Source]
Basis for peace. “A permanent and durable peace can only be built on a foundation of human rights. It is time the international community acted decisively to this end. If human rights are sacrificed in the search for peace and security, there will be no peace and no security.” [Source]
AMNESTY REPORT
[Source]
Killing of children. “In the first months of the intifada, the majority of child victims were killed as a result of the unlawful and excessive use of lethal force in response to demonstrations and stone-throwing incidents, when the lives of Israeli soldiers were not at risk. In 2002 the majority were those children killed when Israeli forces randomly opened fire, or shelled or bombarded residential neighborhoods in Palestinian towns and villages. Most of these children were killed when there was no exchange of fire and the lives of the soldiers were not at risk.” [Source]
Destruction of homes. “Israel’s unjustified destruction of thousands of Palestinian homes, as well as vast areas of agricultural land, has reached an unprecedented level and must stop immediately. Over the last three and a half years, Israeli armed forces have demolished more than 3,000 homes, leaving tens of thousands of men, women and children homeless or without a livelihood. In the Occupied Territories, demolitions are often carried out as collective punishments for Palestinian attacks or to facilitate the expansion of illegal Israeli settlements. Both practices contravene international law and some of these acts are war crimes. – [Source]
The Annexation wall. “Israel must immediately halt construction of the fence/wall inside the occupied West Bank, dismantle the sections already built there, and make reparation for the damage caused. The International Court of Justice has underscored that ‘the UN, and especially the General Assembly and the Security Council, should consider what further action is required to bring to an end the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall’. Amnesty International has repeatedly expressed its concern that Israel’s construction of the fence/wall inside the Occupied Territories violates the country’s obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law.” [Source]
Refugees’ Right of return. “Amnesty International calls for the respect worldwide of the right of those who are forcibly exiled to return to their country. Forcible exile violates international law; the right to return to one’s own country is based in international law, and is the most obvious way to redress the situation of those who are in exile. Among the key human rights principles enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the right to return: ‘Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country’.” [Source]
Life in prison. “Almost every Palestinian town and village has been cut off from the outside world by Israeli army checkpoints or physical barriers of earth, concrete blocks or metal walls. Most inhabitants of the Gaza Strip are enclosed, as they have been for years, as though in a prison. Curfews on Palestinian areas have trapped residents in their homes for days, weeks or even months. In the name of security, hundreds of Palestinian homes have been demolished and Palestinians barred from travelling along certain roads. Palestinians subject to these collective punishments are increasingly impoverished by the closures and traumatized by the killings and destruction.” [Source]
Deliberate terror. “Many of the human rights violations we have seen must have been carried out under orders. The military operations we have investigated appear to be carried out not for military purposes but instead to harass, humiliate, intimidate and harm the Palestinian population. Either the Israeli army is extremely ill-disciplined or it has been ordered to carry out acts which violate the laws of war.” [Source]
Human rights ignored. “The international community has made increasingly strong statements, but has failed to take the action necessary to ensure respect for human rights standards and international humanitarian law. Human rights appear to be low on the international agenda.” [Source]
Basis for peace. “A permanent and durable peace can only be built on a foundation of human rights. It is time the international community acted decisively to this end. If human rights are sacrificed in the search for peace and security, there will be no peace and no security.” [Source]
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