Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 28 June 2006
Time: 13:00 GMT
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Reprisals against Palestinian Civilians in the Gaza Strip
PCHR strongly condemns IOF retaliatory measures targeting Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, including the destruction of properties that are not classified as a legitimate military targets. The Centre calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to force IOF to respect the convention, which prohibits reprisals against protected persons, as stipulated in article 33. In addition, the convention prohibits the destruction of private properties belonging to individuals, groups, organizations or official bodies. The Centre calls upon the High Contracting Parties to enforce article 1 regarding adherence to the convention and respect of its stipulations, and to take appropriate sanctions against the serious violations currently being perpetrated.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that at approximately 01:45 on Tuesday, 27 June 2006, IOF conducted a number of air raids using fighter jets and helicopter gunships on civilian installations in the Gaza Strip. The raids completely destroyed two bridges on the Gaza Valley, one on Salah El-Deen Road and the other on the coastal road. These two bridges connect the northern part of the Strip with the center and south. A secondary bridge was also destroyed. Transportation to and from the north of the Strip has been completely cut off as a result, threatening people’s lives and security by depriving them access to health and educational institutions. The aerial bombardment also destroyed the main water pipe feeding Nuseirat and El-Bureij refugee camps. Furthermore, panic was caused among civilians, especially children and medical patients by bombardment, mock air raids and sonic booms over the Strip.
In addition, IOF planes bombarded the Gaza Strip’s only electricity generation plant, located to the north of Nuseirat refugee camp. Key sections of the plant were completely destroyed and fires broke out throughout the plant. The bombardment has cut electricity off for nearly half the population of the Gaza Strip. The bombardment destroyed the six main generators that provide 45% of the electricity needs of the Strip. Restoring the plant and resuming its operations could take up to 6 months and at a cost of approximately $15 million US.
PCHR condemns the destruction of civilian property, which is considered to be a reprisal and collective punishment against civilians. These reprisals are in retaliation to the military operation conducted by the Palestinian resistance against a military outpost near Kerem Shalom crossing on 25 June 2006. In addition, the bombardment is a continuation of the war crimes being perpetrated by IOF against civilians, including the comprehensive siege on the Gaza Strip.
PCHR calls upon the international community to provide protection for civilian lives and property, as stipulated in International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights
PRESS RELEASE
Date: 29 June 2006
Time: 08:00 GMT
Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Carry Out Reprisals against Palestinian Civilians in the West Bank
PCHR strongly condemns the IOF detention of Palestinian Cabinet Ministers and legislative council members from the “Change and Reform” party, affiliated with Hamas. The Centre views these detentions as a form of reprisal against Palestinian civilians and a form of collective punishment prohibited by Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Centre calls upon the international community, particularly the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention, to force IOF to respect the convention, which bars reprisals against protected persons, as stipulated in Article 33. The Centre calls upon the High Contracting Parties to enforce Article 3, regarding adherence to the convention and respecting its stipulations, and to take appropriate actions against the serious violations being perpetrated.
PCHR’s preliminary investigation indicates that in the early morning hours of Thursday, 29 June 2006, IOF conducted a number of incursions throughout the West Bank, excluding Jericho. IOF surrounded the places of residence of a number of Palestinian Cabinet Ministers and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) from the Change and Reform Party. These forces detained eight cabinet ministers, twenty-one PLC members and a number of Hamas political leaders.
The detained Cabinet Ministers are:
- Omar Abdel Raziq, Minister of Finance;
- Samir Abu Eisha, Minister of Planning and International Cooperation;
- Khaled Abu Arafa, Minister of Jerusalem Affairs;
- Wasfi Qabha, Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs;
- Issa El-Ja’bari, Minister of Local Government;
- Fakhri Torokman, Minister of Social Affairs;
- Nayef El-Rajoub, Minister of Waqf and Religious Affairs; and
- Mohammad El-Barghouthi, Minister of Labor.
The detained PLC members are:
- Hebron: Basem Ahmad Moussa Za’arir, Khalil Moussa Khalil Beb’ei, Samir Saleh Ibrahim El-Qadi, Mohammad Ismail Othman El-Tal, Mohammad Motlaq Abdel Mahdi abu J’heisha, and Mohammad Maher Yousef Bader.
- Bethlehem: Anwar Mohammad Abdel Rahman El-Zoboun and Mahmoud Dawood Mahmoud El-Khatib.
- Jerusalem: Wa’el Mohammad Abdel Fattah Abdel Rahman (El-Husseini), Mohammad Mahmoud Abu Tir, and Ahmad Mohammad Ahmad Attoun.
- Nablus: Hosni Mohammad Ahmad Bourini, Reyad Ali Mostafa Amli, and Yser Suliman Dawoud Mansour. IOF raided the house of PLC member Ahmad Ali Ahmad in Ein El-Ma’ refugee camp, but did not find him there.
- Jenin: Ibrahim Mohammad Saleh Dahbour, Khalek Suliman Fayez Abu Hasan, and Khaled (Sa’id) Abed Abdallah Yehya.
- Tulkarm: Reyad Mahmoud Sa’id Radad and Fathi Mohammad Ali Qarawi.
- Qalqilya: Imad Mahmoud Rajeh Nofal
- Salfit: Naser Abdallah Odeh Abdel Jawwad.
PCHR condemns these detentions, which came following the Israeli government’s threat to assassinate and detain Hamas political leaders, after the military operation against the Israeli military outpost in Kerem Shalom on Sunday, 25 June 2006. PCHR:
- Affirms that these detentions are a form of reprisal and collective punishment;
- Affirms that these detentions are part of a plan to undermine the democratically elected government and PLC;
- Reiterates the position that Israel is intent on implementing unilateral steps to complete the construction of the Annexation Wall and confiscate more than half the area of the West Bank. Targeting the new Palestinian government underlines the intention of Israel to continue to disregard and undermine the Palestinian leadership;
- Reiterates the call to the International Community to take immediate steps to provide protection to the civilian population, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law, and to work to prevent further deterioration in the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
