Category Archives: Palestine

Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls

19 February 2024

Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women considers report of Kuwait

“Commitments for women’s rights: time to turn empty promises into concrete changes for women.”

Statement by Mr. Ivan Šimonović, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights at the special event at the 57th session of the Commission on the Status of Women on “Obligations and Practical Measures to Support Women Human Rights Defenders”, 12 March 2013, UN Headquarters, New York

GENEVA (19 February 2024) – UN experts* today expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.

The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food.

“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

The experts expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza. “There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” they said.

“We remind the Government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence,” the experts said.

They called for an independent, impartial, prompt, thorough and effective investigation into the allegations and for Israel to cooperate with such investigations.

“Taken together, these alleged acts may constitute grave violations of international human rights and humanitarian law, and amount to serious crimes under international criminal law that could be prosecuted under the Rome Statute,” the experts said. “Those responsible for these apparent crimes must be held accountable and victims and their families are entitled to full redress and justice,” they added.

* The experts: Reem Alsalem, Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, its causes and consequences; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967; Dorothy Estrada Tanck (Chair), Claudia Flores, Ivana Krstić, Haina Lu, and Laura Nyirinkindi, Working group on discrimination against women and girls.

The experts 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. Special Procedures mandate-holders are independent human rights experts appointed by the Human Rights Council to 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 of any government or organisation and serve in their individual capacity.

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Tags: Free Palestine, Gaza, Palestine

In Pictures: Celebrations across Gaza after 11 days of bombing

May 21

Posted by veerasuriya

[https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2021/5/21/in-pictures-celebrations-in-gaza]

Thousands of Palestinians take to the streets after ceasefire between Israel and Hamas takes effect.

Thousands took to the streets of Gaza as the ceasefire took hold at 2am. [Said Khatib/AFP]

21 May 2021

Palestinians in the Gaza Strip have taken to the streets to celebrate the ceasefire agreement reached between Israel and Hamas, waving flags and flashing the “V” sign for victory.

The ceasefire came into effect in the early hours of Friday morning after Egypt brokered the deal between the two sides to halt 11 days of relentless Israeli bombardment of the besieged enclave and rocket fire from Gaza.

The escalation on May 10 was triggered by an Israeli police crackdown on protesters at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem, following weeks of tensions in the city caused by the planned forced expulsion of several Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood.

In the Gaza Strip, which has been under a 14-year blockade, Palestinians on Friday embraced one another in celebration of the ceasefire in front of bombed-out buildings and along streets covered in wreckage. Mosque loudspeakers feted “the victory of the resistance achieved over the Occupation (Israel)”.

There were similar scenes of jubilation in occupied East Jerusalem around Sheikh Jarrah as people in cars flew Palestinian flags and honked horns. Celebrations also broke out in Ramallah and Bethlehem.

At least 232 Palestinians, including 65 children, were killed in the Israeli bombardment of Gaza. On the Israeli side, 12 people, including two children, were killed.