DPR Monthly Bulletin – Vol. XXIX, No. 7 – CEIRPP, DPR bulletin (July 2006) – DPR publication


July 2006

Volume XXIX, Bulletin No. 7

Bulletin

on action by the United Nations system and

intergovernmental organizations

relevant to the question of Palestine

Contents

 Page

I.

Secretary-General condemns rocket fire, calls on Israel to refrain from actions amounting to collective punishment

1

II.

Human Rights Council decides to dispatch urgent fact-finding mission to Occupied Palestinian Territory

   1

III.

United Nations agencies working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory alarmed by developments on the ground

 

   2

IV.

Secretary-General extremely concerned about the dangerous situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

  

  5

V.

Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur emphasizes importance of ensuring accountability in relation to killings in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

   5

 

VI.

Secretary-General dispatches team led by the Special Advisor to the Middle East

  6

VII.

World Health Organization issues strategy paper on the health crisis in  the Occupied Palestinian Territory

  7

VIII.

High Commissioner for Human Rights calls for accountability for breaches of international law

  8

IX.

Human Rights Council Special Rapporteur calls for independent enquiry into alleged war crime in Gaza

 9

X.

United Nations Conference on Trade and Development issue report on assistance to the Palestinian people

11

XI.

Secretary-General briefs Security Council on the situation in the Middle East

12

XII.

Special Advisor of Secretary-General briefs the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question

13

XIII.

Economic and Social Council adopts two resolutions

15

XIV.

Palestinian Rights Committee expresses grave concern over Israeli military operation in Gaza

21

XV.

Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs briefs the Security Council

22



The Bulletin can be found in the United Nations Information System

on the Question of Palestine (UNISPAL) on the Internet at:


I.  SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ROCKET FIRE, CALLS ON
    ISRAEL TO REFRAIN FROM ACTIONS AMOUNTING TO
    COLLECTIVE PUNISHMENT

The following statement was issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 5 July 2006 (SG/SM/10552,PAL/2055):

The Secretary-General once again condemns the firing of rockets from Gaza into Israel, such as the one which struck a school in the town of Ashkelon yesterday.  He also calls again on the Government of Israel to refrain from actions that amount to collective punishment of Palestinian civilians, and to ensure delivery of fuel, commodities and other essentials into Gaza.

The Secretary-General again reminds the Government of Israel and the Palestinian Authority of their obligations under international humanitarian law, regarding protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure.

       The Secretary-General repeats his call for the immediate release of Corporal Gilad Shalit.

       The situation is dangerous and could be explosive.  The Secretary-General urges all concerned to step back from the brink.

II.  HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL DECIDES TO DISPATCH URGENT
 FACT-FINDING MISSION TO OCCUPIED
 PALESTINIAN TERRITORY    

The following resolution was adopted by the Human Rights Council on 6 July 2006 by a vote of 29 to 11, with 5 abstentions, at a special session on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory convened on 5 and 6 July 2006 at the request of Tunisia and supported by 20 Member States (S-1/Res.1.):  

Special   session  resolution  S-1/Res.1.
Human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Human Rights Council,

Guided by the principles and objectives of the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenants on Human Rights,

Affirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civil Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to other occupied Arab territories,

Expressing deep concern at the breaches by Israel, the occupying Power, of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including the arbitrary  arrest of Palestinian ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and other officials, as well as the arbitrary arrest of other civilians, the military attacks against Palestinian ministries, including the office of the Premier, and the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure, including water networks, power plants and bridges,

1.  Expresses grave concern at the violations of the human rights of the Palestinian people caused by the Israeli occupation, including the current extensive Israeli military operations against Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

2. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, end its military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, abide scrupulously by the provisions  of international humanitarian law and human rights law, and refrain from imposing collective punishment on Palestinian civilians;

3. Expresses grave concern at the detrimental impact of the current Israeli military operation on the already deteriorating humanitarian conditions of the Palestinian people;

4. Urges Israel, the occupying Power, to immediately release the arrested Palestinian ministers, members of the Palestinian Legislative Council and other officials, as well as all other arrested Palestinian civilians;

5. Urges all concerned parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, to refrain from violence against the civilian population and to treat under all circumstances all detained combatants and civilians in accordance with the Geneva Conventions;

6. Decides to dispatch an urgent fact-finding mission headed by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967;

7. Calls for a negotiated solution to the current crisis.
2nd meeting
6 July2006
III.  UNITED NATIONS AGENCIES WORKING IN THE OCCUPIED
   PALESTINIAN TERRITORY ALARMED BY
    DEVELOPMENTS ON THE GROUND

The following joint statement was issued on 8 July 2006 by the United Nations humanitarian agencies working in the Occupied Palestinian Territory:

Statement by the United Nations Agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory

8th July 2006

The United Nations Humanitarian Agencies working in the occupied Palestinian territory are alarmed by developments on the ground, which have seen innocent civilians, including children, killed, have brought increased misery to hundreds of thousands of people and which will wreak far-reaching harm on Palestinian society.  An already alarming situation in Gaza, with poverty rates at nearly 80 per cent and unemployment at nearly 40 per cent, is likely to deteriorate rapidly, unless immediate and urgent action is taken.
 
The United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which works with 980,000 refugees, believes that Gaza is on the brink of a public health disaster.  Since the strike on Gaza’s only power plant on 28 June, the entire strip has been without electricity between 12 and 18 hours every day.  The Coastal Municipality Water Utility is now relying on its own backup generators to operate its 130 water wells and 33 sewage pumping plants.  As it only has 5,000 litres of the 18,000 litres of fuel needed, the Water Utility’s daily operation has been cut by two thirds, resulting in water shortages and a critical situation at the sewage plants.  With restrictions on the humanitarian supply lines there is now a backlog of over 230 containers of food awaiting delivery through the Karni Crossing and the bill for surcharges arising from these delays has reached a staggering half a million dollars.
 
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the public health system is facing an unprecedented crisis.  WHO estimates that though hospitals and 50 per cent of primary health-care centres have generators, the current stock of fuel will last for a maximum of two weeks.  The generators that are being used were intended for backup purposes and the malfunctioning of these generators will have grave consequences.  According to WHO, in the past week, there has been a 160 per cent increase in cases of diarrhoea compared with the same period last year.  Compounding these problems, WHO estimates that 23 per cent of the essential drug list will be out of stock within one month.  WHO is also alarmed by the tightening of restrictions on patients needing to leave Gaza for treatment.  Only a handful of extremely critical cases have crossed through Erez since 25 June, even though prior to current developments, an average of 25 cancer patients a week left through Erez.  According to WHO, the monthly referral rate of emergency patients now stands at between 500 and 700 people.
 
The World Food Programme (WFP), estimates that in June 70 per cent of the Gaza population was already unable to cover its daily food needs without assistance.  The escalation of hostilities has made food an increasingly critical issue.  Wheat flour mills, food factories and bakeries, reliant on electricity, are being forced to reduce their production owing to power shortages; furthermore the loss of capacity to preserve perishable food in the Gaza heat is resulting in high food losses in the home.  Supplies of sugar, dairy products and milk are running extremely low due to limited commercial supplies from Israel; as a result food prices have increased by 10 per cent in the past three weeks.  WFP is assisting 160,000 of the most food insecure non-refugees in Gaza and is standing by to respond to additional needs as they emerge as part of a coordinated interagency response.  WFP believes it is essential that a humanitarian corridor for relief items and personnel remains open to avert a further deterioration in the food security situation at this critical time.

  According to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), children in Gaza are living in an environment of extraordinary violence, insecurity and fear.  Electricity and fuel shortages are leading to a reduction in the quantity and quality of health care and water accessible to children.  The ongoing fighting is hurting children psychologically.  Caregivers say children are showing signs of distress and exhaustion, including a 15 to 20 per cent increase in bedwetting, due to shelling and sonic booms.  UNICEF-supported counselling teams also report a large increase in the number of requests for assistance.  UNICEF says steady supplies of fuel and electricity are needed to store safely and transport vaccine and drugs, and for operating primary health-care facilities.  UNICEF stressed that children are always most vulnerable to outbreaks of communicable disease brought on by lack of water and sanitation.
 
The use of force by Israel during its military operations into the Gaza Strip has resulted in an increasing number of deaths and other casualties among the Palestinian civilian population, and significant damage to civilian property and infrastructure, according to the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.  While Israel has legitimate security concerns, international humanitarian law requires that the principles of proportionality and distinction between civilians and combatants be respected at all times.  The prohibition on targeting civilians is also being violated by Palestinian armed groups, launching missiles from the Gaza Strip into Israel, and must therefore end.  The deterioration in the current human rights situation requires that measures be promptly taken to put an end to those actions and to ensure the protection of civilians.
 
The Office for the CoOrdination of Humanitarian Affairs is calling for the continuous and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance and fuel supplies.  Nahal Oz and Karni must remain open 24 hours a day, if the humanitarian need is to be adequately met.  In addition, the Office is calling for the opening of the Rafah Crossing to allow in 250 passengers stranded in Egypt and to allow the passage of emergency health cases that cannot be treated in Gaza. United Nations operations to deliver assistance are already being hampered by the fighting.  Humanitarian assistance is not enough to prevent suffering.  With the bombing of the electric plant, the lives of 1.4 million people, almost half of them children, worsened overnight. The Government of Israel should repair the damage done to the power station.  Obligations under international humanitarian law, applying to both parties, include preventing harm to civilians and destroying civilian infrastructure  and  also  refraining  from collective   measures,   intimidation   and reprisals. Civilians are disproportionately paying the price of this conflict.  In the immediate future, the Office fears that the humanitarian situation could easily deteriorate, with continued Israeli military operations and artillery shelling, which could damage the remaining infrastructure and essential services.
 
The United Nations humanitarian agencies believe that the facts on the ground speak for themselves and carry their own imperatives to all parties.  Unless urgent action is taken, we are facing a humanitarian crisis that will have far reaching consequences for the communities we work in and the institutions we work through.

IV.  SECRETARY-GENERAL EXTREMELY CONCERNED ABOUT
      DANGEROUS SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN
   TERRITORY

The following statement was issued by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 8 July 2006 (SG/SM/10557-PAL/2057):

As I have repeatedly stated, I am extremely concerned about the dangerous situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  I am appealing for urgent action to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation of the civilian population.  The Israeli air strikes on Gaza’s only power plant have had a far-reaching impact on Gaza’s hospitals, flour mills, and water and sanitation systems.  The strict controls imposed during the past weeks on the passage of basic products into Gaza, including fuel, have aggravated the difficulties of the population.  A statement issued earlier today by United Nations humanitarian agencies operating in the Occupied Palestinian Territory provides more details on the situation.

        To address shortages of basic foodstuffs, and to maintain essential health and sanitation services, I call on the Government of Israel to restore and maintain the continuous and uninterrupted supply of fuel to Gaza, and to act expeditiously to replace the destroyed equipment at the Gaza power plant.  The passage of foodstuffs and other essential supplies through the Karni commercial crossing should be ensured, and restrictions on movement and access for United Nations agencies should be lifted forthwith.  Such steps should be without prejudice to the need to implement in full the Access and Movement Agreement of 15 November 2005.

        I reiterate my appeal to all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and to respect their obligations under international humanitarian law.

V.  HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR EMPHASIZES
       IMPORTANCE OF ENSURING ACCOUNTABILITY IN RELATION
       TO KILLINGS IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The following statement was issued on 12 July 2006 by the office of the Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Philip Alston:

Philip Alston, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, today emphasized the “importance of ensuring accountability in relation to the killings that have taken place in recent weeks in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Israel.  Even in the midst of crisis, indeed especially in times of crisis, it is essential to ensure that the applicable rules of international human rights and humanitarian law are respected”, Mr. Alston said.

       Regarding the implications of the latest developments in relation to Lebanon, the Special Rapporteur said that the need for accountability had become “ever more pressing in light of these alarming developments”.

        He added that an important component of such accountability was cooperation with the relevant international procedures set up by the Human Rights Council, he added.  The Special Rapporteur recalled that he had sought an invitation to visit both Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory from the respective authorities in the middle of June.  He said that the Palestinian Authority had responded favourably and that he was awaiting an official reply from the Government of Israel.

VI.  SECRETARY-GENERAL DISPATCHES TEAM LED BY THE SPECIAL
  ADVISER TO THE MIDDLE EAST

The following statement was issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 13 July 2006 (SG/SM/10566):

The Secretary-General has decided to dispatch a three-person team led by his Special Political Adviser, Vijay Nambiar, to the Middle East to help defuse the major crisis in the region.  The other members will be senior United Nations officials Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed-Larsen.

        The team will first visit Cairo to meet with Egyptian officials and consult with Arab League foreign ministers, who will be meeting there on Saturday.  Mr. Nambiar and his team are also expected to travel to Israel, the occupied Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and the Syrian Arab Republic.  Other stops will be added, as needed.

       Mr. Nambiar will emphasize to all parties the Secretary-General’s call to exercise restraint and to do whatever possible to help contain the conflict.  He will also reiterate the Secretary-General’s message to respect international humanitarian law and to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.


VII.  WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION ISSUES STRATEGY PAPER ON
        HEALTH CRISIS IN THE OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY

The following are excerpts from the World Health Organization’s strategy paper issued on 18 July 2006 on the health crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory:
  

Impact on health

1. Rise in chronic conditions resulting from years of economic decline and restrictions of movement (malnutrition, mental health and lack of access to essential  referral  services).

2. Escalating crisis of the Palestinian health system resulting from the funding crisis: only minimal payment has been delivered to Ministry of Health staff, resulting in attrition of staff, reduction of services and shortages of essential supplies.  Furthermore, patients with chronic diseases are facing growing difficulties in getting treatment and the referral of patients for tertiary services is increasingly difficult.  However, no collapse of the system has yet occurred and health services are still functional.

3. The recent crisis in Gaza is affecting 1.3 million Palestinians as follows:

Two month emergency stocks of essential drugs held at Ministry of Health hospitals in the Gaza Strip are running low in certain selected items, such as several essential medicines, surgical supplies, and disposables including sutures, needles and canulas.

The possibility of increased casualties raises concern over the sector’s capacity to respond to large numbers of injured patients. The disruption to the road network around the middle governorate will further hinder the transfer of wounded patients from southern Gaza to the main referral hospital (Shifa Hospital) in Gaza city.

All Gazan hospitals have backup generators which are used during power outages, but continuous power is required for the preservation of cold chain items, food for patients, emergency operations and at the central drugs store.

The Ministry of Health reports that about 50 per cent of Primary health-care facilities are equipped with generators, so vaccines were transferred from facilities without generators to other locations.  Municipal electricity in Rafah district has been cut off since 7 July at 11.00 a.m.; all health facilities are operating with available generators.

Per its emergency plan, the Ministry of Health assigned 21 facilities in Gaza Strip to function as emergency centres.  Currently, 12 of them are working for 24 hours per day and another four are working for 12 hours per day.

All other Primary health-care services, including mother and child health, food inspection, health education, nutrition, surveillance and epidemiology remain functioning.  Primary health-care centres have a fuel stock lasting for one to two weeks.

The shortage of electricity is hampering the pumping of water into the public water network.  Solid waste disposal and sewage disposal are also affected by shortages of fuel, necessary to transport garbage away from residential areas.

VIII.  HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS CALLS FOR
     ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BREACHES OF
    INTERNATIONAL LAW

The following press release was issued on 19 July 2006 by the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights:

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour today expressed grave concern over the continued killing and maiming of civilians in Lebanon, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory and called for accountability for any breaches of international law.

       The High Commissioner recalled that parties to a conflict have the obligation to exercise precaution and respect the principle of proportionality in all military operations so as to prevent unnecessary suffering among the civilian population.  “Indiscriminate shelling of cities constitutes a foreseeable and unacceptable targeting of civilians”, she said.  “Similarly, the bombardment of sites with alleged military significance, but resulting invariably in the killing of innocent civilians, is unjustifiable”.

       “International humanitarian law is clear on the supreme obligation to protect civilians during hostilities”, the High Commissioner said. “This obligation is also expressed in international criminal law, which defines war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

        “International law demands accountability.  The scale of the killings in the region, and their predictability, could engage the personal criminal responsibility of those involved, particularly those in a position of command and control”

       The High Commissioner also warned about the deteriorating humanitarian situation, in particular in southern Lebanon, where the population is reported to be increasingly deprived of access to basic services due to the violence.

      “The situation in the south of Lebanon is alarming”, she said.  “A large and steadily increasing number of persons have been forcibly displaced.  The most basic human rights of the population are at risk or are being violated, including their rights to life, health and food.  The unrestricted and secure passage of all humanitarian assistance, including rapid and unimpeded access for humanitarian workers should be ensured as a matter of priority”, she said.

IX.  HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR CALLS
   FOR INDEPENDENT ENQUIRY INTO ALLEGED
   WAR CRIME IN GAZA

The following statement was issued on 19 July 2006 by Paul Hunt, the Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the right to the highest attainable standard of health:

As the world’s attention is drawn to the widening conflict in Lebanon, it is extremely important that the deepening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip is closely monitored and urgently addressed.

        The depth of this crisis cannot be understood without grasping the acute dependency and vulnerability of the population of Gaza.  Among the most densely populated places in the world, Gaza has been occupied by Israel for almost 40 years.  Its population of 1.4 million, most of whom are refugees, remains very heavily dependent on Israel, as well as the donor community.

        For a variety of reasons, the humanitarian situation in Gaza deteriorated significantly between March and June 2006.  In mid-June, the World Health Organization (WHO), called the health situation in Gaza “very dangerous”.

        Following the events of 25 June, including the capture of Corporal Gilad Shalit, Israel has carried out numerous military interventions in the Gaza Strip.  According to United Nations sources, more than 100 Palestinians have been killed, including 18 children.  Almost 400 Palestinians have been injured, including 108 children.  With limited exceptions, Israel has sealed Gaza’s borders.  Some patients returning home to Gaza  after  medical treatment abroad, and some patients seeking treatment abroad, have been unable to pass through the Rafah crossing: while waiting, nine Palestinians have died.  On the night of 27-28 June, Gaza’s only electricity power station was attacked and incapacitated.

        In short, since the WHO assessment in mid-June, the precarious humanitarian situation in Gaza has dramatically worsened.  Poverty rates, for example, have now risen to 75 per cent.

        Here, I confine myself to some brief, preliminary remarks about the impact of the destruction of Gaza’s electricity power station, as well as the relevant international law.

        Following the attack, the lack of power for pumps is causing a serious water shortage, and affecting sewage disposal, for tens of thousands of households throughout the Gaza Strip.  There are reports of sewage leakage, as well as a reduction in municipal waste collection and disposal.  Reported cases of diarrhoea have increased by 163 per cent compared to the same period last year.  It is possible that communicable diseases, like cholera and poliomyelitis, will re-emerge.  Reduced hospital services are dependent upon generators that are unsuitable for constant, long-term use.

         The right to the highest attainable standard of health includes access to medical services and also access to adequate sanitation and safe drinking water. The destruction of Gaza’s electricity power station is profoundly inconsistent with the health and safety of all civilians living in Gaza, especially the young, sick, infirm and elderly, as well as their right to the highest attainable standard of health, enshrined in the International Bill of Rights and other international human rights instruments.

        Moreover, the destruction of Gaza’s electricity power station may be a violation of international humanitarian law (sometimes known as the ‘laws of war’).

        The basic rule of international humanitarian law is that parties to a conflict must always distinguish between combatants and civilians.  Attacks can only be directed against combatants and military objectives.
 
       Under international humanitarian law, a target may be attacked if it is both making an effective contribution to the enemy’s military action and its destruction provides a definite military advantage to the attacker.  Whether or not both conditions applied in the case of Gaza’s electricity power station is an issue that demands careful, independent investigation.

        In addition, an attack must be proportionate. A target may not be attacked if the attack is likely to cause a disproportionate amount of collateral civilian damage. Whether or not the Israeli attack on Gaza’s electricity power station was proportionate is another issue that demands careful, independent investigation.

When undertaking this enquiry, it is imperative that, in addition to military matters, other relevant issues are also taken into account, including the acute dependency and vulnerability of the people of Gaza.  When the power station was attacked, what was the foreseeable incidental impact on the civilian population of Gaza?

          If the attack on the electricity power station was not in conformity with international humanitarian law it amounts to a war crime.  For example, if the attack were disproportionate, it was a war crime.

         In these circumstances, I strongly recommend that, as a matter of urgency, an independent enquiry be made to determine whether or not the recent attack on Gaza’s electricity power station  was  a  war  crime.

        Under the mandate given to me by the Human Rights Council, I am required to report “on the status, throughout the world, of the realization of the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health”.  I am also required to report on the domestic and international “obstacles” impeding the implementation of this human right.  If a war crime bearing upon the health of the population of Gaza has been committed, it constitutes a very significant “obstacle” to the implementation of the right to the highest attainable standard of health.  It is for this reason that I urge the swift establishment of a careful, independent enquiry into the attack on Gaza’s electricity power station, in the light of international humanitarian law. The assessment should also take account of all relevant international human rights law.

         Finally, I urge the captors of Corporal Gilad Shalit to release him unharmed immediately.  Pending his release, he must receive appropriate medical assistance and care, and he must be treated humanely.  Also, I remind all parties that the prohibition against targeting a civilian population applies to civilians within both Israel and the Gaza Strip.  All such targeting should cease immediately.

         In May, I wrote to the Government of Israel seeking an invitation to visit the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  I look forward to receiving a positive reply as a matter of urgency, enabling me to assess the health situation, through the lens of the right to the highest attainable standard of health, at first hand.

X.  UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE ON TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT
     ISSUES REPORT ON ASSISTANCE TO THE PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

On 19 July 2006, the Secretariat of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) issued a report on UNCTAD’s assistance to the Palestinian people.  The executive summary of the report is reproduced below (TD/B/53/2):

The development prospects of the economy of the Occupied Palestinian Territory today face unprecedented challenges.  In the economic domain, there appears to be little momentum left to sustain the achievements of the Israel–Palestine accords since 1993. The Palestinian Authority has reached a perilous position with regard to its financial solvency and ability to deliver the services for which it was designed.  In 2006, the vulnerable Palestinian economy has had to cope with a significant reduction in donor aid, and its institutional infrastructure has been at risk of erosion and dysfunction.  Meanwhile, renewed confrontations and restrictive measures have added to an economic decline at least as severe as that in the period from 2000 to 2002. These new constraints complement long-standing adverse conditions affecting the economy, engendered by prolonged occupation and conflict.  In such circumstances, projections imply an economic decline that will result in the halving of per capita incomes from their pre-2000 levels, unemployment of half of the Palestinian workforce and extension of poverty to two out of three households. Notwithstanding dire conditions on the ground, deformalization of the economy and the new conditionality affecting aid, development experience in adversity provides important lessons for economic management in the current conflict situation.  There are policy measures and initiatives to which the Palestinian people can resort in order to avert economic collapse.  The United Nations, including the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development through its technical assistance and policy advice, and its international partners in Palestinian development need to continue to help the Palestinian people withstand this latest humanitarian and economic crisis, and even overcome it as they have done before.  

XI.  SECRETARY-GENERAL BRIEFS THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON
    THE SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST

On 20 July 2006, the Security Council convened to consider the situation in the Middle East.  The following are excerpts from the briefing of the Secretary-General to the Council (S/PV/5492):  

We also need a peace track for Gaza – despite the issues involved – as much as we do for Lebanon.  I am gravely concerned about Gaza.  Palestinians there are suffering deeply, with well over 100 persons, many of them civilians, killed in the last month alone.  As a result of the destruction by Israel of the Gaza power plant, more than a million people are without electricity for most of the day and night.  Israelis in the south continue to endure Qassam rocket attacks, though, fortunately, without casualties in the past month.

I call for an immediate cessation of indiscriminate and disproportionate violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and for a reopening of closed crossing points, without which Gaza will continue to be sucked into a downward spiral of suffering and chaos and the region will be further inflamed.

In my delegation’s meetings with President Abbas, he underscored his readiness to engage in a proper dialogue with the Government of Israel.  It is vital that the regional crisis not be allowed to dampen the hopes that had been emerging on this score.  President Abbas’s efforts to move the Palestinian side towards a national unity government that addresses the Quartet’s principles must be fully supported.  Israel needs to refrain from unilateral acts that prejudice final status issues and agree to negotiate in the peace process.

If the violence is to end, and dialogue and engagement to resume, the international community must also play its part and address the Israeli-Palestinian issue boldly and creatively.  That would also help remove a pretext used by extremists throughout the region, including in Lebanon.  As the G-8 summit concluded, and as Arab leaders stressed to the mission, the need to address a root cause of the region’s problems – the absence of a comprehensive Middle East peace – is clear.  We really need to focus on the quest for a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.

XII.   SPECIAL ADVISER OF THE SECRETARY-GENERAL BRIEFS
           THE SECURITY COUNCIL ON THE SITUATION IN THE
          MIDDLE EAST, INCLUDING THE  PALESTINIAN
     QUESTION

On 21 July 2006, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General, Vijay Nambiar, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.  Paul Badji, Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations,, made a statement in his capacity as Chairman of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People.  

The following are excerpts from Mr. Nambiar’s briefing (S/PV.5493):

As the Council is aware, I led a mission dispatched by the Secretary-General to the Middle East late last week to explore ways of defusing the crisis in the region.  I am pleased to be here today with the other members of my team,  Alvaro de Soto and Terje Roed-Larsen, to report.  Before briefing the Council on our mission, it is my duty first to provide a Secretariat overview of developments since the last monthly briefing to the Security Council by my colleague,  Ibrahim Gambari.

Efforts of mediators to obtain the release of the Israeli soldier captured on 25 June have been unsuccessful to date.  Israel’s military operation to secure his return and to prevent rocket attacks from Gaza continues.  In the course of this operation, the Israeli air force has fired missiles from the air at alleged militants in cars and into residential buildings where they were said to be sheltering.  Installations that service the civilian population, including the main power plant and bridges, have been damaged or destroyed by bombardment.  Israeli Defense Forces tanks also took positions more than one kilometre into the northern, central and southern Strip.  The violence is continuing.  Today, a family of five was killed when an Israeli tank fired at a house in Gaza, which is at least the second time in the reporting period that many members of a family have been killed.

The Prime Minister’s office and the buildings of the Palestinian Authority’s Foreign, Interior and National Economy Ministries have been hit by Israeli missiles.  In addition, 64 Palestinian Authority officials, including 8 ministers and 21 legislators, have been arrested.

During the reporting period, Palestinian militants fired over 200 rockets from Gaza into southern Israel, striking a number of population centres, including a schoolyard in central Ashkelon.

At least 147 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza and the West Bank, at least 15 of whom were children.  More than 450 Palestinians have been injured, at least half of them children.  Five Israelis have been killed and at least 25 injured by Palestinian militants, including in rocket attacks.

On the humanitarian front, Israel’s destruction of parts of the Gaza power station has left 1.4 million Palestinians without electricity for between 12 and 18 hours a day and has left municipalities reliant on generators.  Water is now rationed at each of the districts, and public health is already suffering, with indications of insufficient access to clean drinking water.  Significant destruction was caused to public and private infrastructure, agricultural land and crops.

Access into and out of Gaza continues to be severely restricted.  Rafah, the only exit for Palestinians, reopened for arrivals on 18 July, having been closed since 25 June.  On 15 July, between 1,000 and 5,000 Palestinians who had been stranded in and near the terminal were able to enter the Gaza Strip through a hole that was blown in the fence by unidentified militants.  Karny Crossing has been regularly opened from 12 July onwards for limited periods during the day and for imports only.  There have been no goods exported from Gaza since 25 June.  Access of United Nations staff to the Gaza Strip is also heavily restricted.

Meanwhile, a temporary international mechanism is being developed.  The second window, which provides fuel support costs for the Gaza power plant and other facilities, started on 11 July with the first transfer by the European Union of 300,000 litres of fuel for hospital generators in Gaza.

Last Friday, at a donor meeting in Geneva on the humanitarian situation, many donors said that they would make significant contributions to the revised, consolidated appeal, especially to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East.

I should add that, on 27 June, Fatah and Hamas reached an agreement on a revised version of the so-called Prisoners’ Document on which to base the National Unity Government and reform of the Palestine Liberation Organization.  During our meeting with him on 18 July, President Abbas stated that efforts to put in place such a Government are on hold due to the crisis.
 

The following are excerpts from the statement by Paul Badji (S/PV.5493 Resumption 1):

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People condemns the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of Israel’s military might against the Palestinian population.  Deliberate attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violate international humanitarian law.  The continued closure of the crossing points of the Strip constitutes collective punishment of an entire innocent population.  Israel needs to be reminded that, as an occupying Power, it is bound under international law to protect and safeguard the basic human rights of the Palestinian population.

The Committee has also called for a cessation of rocket attacks on Israel and other violent actions by Palestinian armed groups that put civilians in serious danger and inflame and destabilize the already fragile situation.

The Committee would also like to voice its frustration at the inability of the international community to de-escalate the alarming situation in Lebanon and in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.  We deplore the fact that the Council was not in a position to adopt a draft resolution that was widely perceived as a balanced first step to engaging the parties to end violence and embark upon a comprehensive ceasefire.  The Committee considers that the Council should live up to its responsibilities and help end the current escalation, which is causing bloodshed and misery in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The Committee continues to consider that the occupation by Israel of Palestinian territory remains the root cause of the conflict.  This longstanding conflict can have no final solution without the achievement by the Palestinian people of their inalienable rights, defined by the General Assembly in 1974 as the right to self-determination without external interference, the right to national independence and sovereignty, and the right of Palestinians to return to their homes and property from which they have been displaced and uprooted.  The Committee will continue its work under the mandate given to it by the General Assembly.

XIII.   ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ADOPTS TWO RESOLUTIONS

At its substantive session of 2006 held in New York from 3 to 28 July, the Economic and Social Council adopted a resolution on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women.  The Council also adopted a resolution on the economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan.  The two resolutions are reproduced below:
 
E/2006/8
Situation of and assistance to Palestinian women

The Economic and Social Council,
 
Having considered with appreciation the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women,

Recalling the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women,  the Beijing Platform for Action adopted at the Fourth World Conference on Women, and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”,
 
Recalling also its resolution 2005/43 of 26 July 2005 and other relevant United Nations resolutions,

Recalling further the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women as it concerns the protection of civilian populations,

Recalling the importance of the implementation of General Assembly resolution 57/337 of 3 July 2003, on the prevention of armed conflict, and Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) of 31 October 2000, on women and peace and security,

Expressing the urgent need for the full resumption of negotiations within the Middle East peace process on its agreed basis and towards the speedy achievement of a final settlement between the Palestinian and Israeli sides,
 
Concerned about the grave situation of Palestinian women in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, resulting from the severe impact of ongoing illegal Israeli settlement activities and the unlawful construction of the wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, as well as the severe consequences arising from Israeli military operations on and sieges of civilian areas, which have impacted detrimentally their social and economic conditions and deepened the humanitarian crisis faced by them and their families,
 
Welcoming the report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the issue of Palestinian pregnant women giving birth at Israeli checkpoints owing to denial of access by Israel to hospitals, with a view to ending this Israeli practice,

Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,

Recalling also the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem,
 
Expressing its condemnation of all acts of violence, including all acts of terror, provocation, incitement and destruction, especially the excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians, many of them women and children, resulting in injury and loss of human life,
 
1. Calls upon the concerned parties, as well as the international community, to exert all the necessary efforts to ensure the full resumption of the peace process on its agreed basis, taking into account the common ground already gained, and calls for measures for tangible improvement of the difficult situation on the ground and the living conditions faced by Palestinian women and their families;
 
2. Reaffirms that the Israeli occupation remains a major obstacle for Palestinian women with regard to their advancement, self-reliance and integration in the development planning of their society;
 
3. Demands that Israel, the occupying Power, comply fully with the provisions and principles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Regulations annexed to The Hague Convention IV of 18 October 1907 and the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949, in order to protect the rights of Palestinian women and their families;

4. Calls upon Israel to facilitate the return of all refugees and displaced Palestinian women and children to their homes and properties, in compliance with the relevant United Nations resolutions;

5.   Also calls upon the international community to continue to provide urgently needed assistance and services in an effort to alleviate the dire humanitarian crisis being faced by Palestinian women and their families and to help in the reconstruction of relevant Palestinian institutions;

6.  Requests the Commission on the Status of Women to continue to monitor and take action with regard to the implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women, in particular paragraph 260 concerning Palestinian women and children, the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly, entitled “Women 2000: gender equality, development and peace for the twenty-first century”;

7.  Requests the Secretary-General to continue to review the situation, to assist Palestinian women by all available means, including those laid out in the report of the Secretary-General on the situation of and assistance to Palestinian women and to submit to the Commission on the Status of Women at its fifty-first session a report, including information provided by the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, on the progress made in the implementation of the present resolution.

38th plenary meeting
25 July 2006
E/2006/43
Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan

The Economic and Social Council,

Recalling General Assembly resolution 60/183 of 22 December 2005,

Recalling also its resolution 2005/51 of 27 July 2005,

Guided by the principles of the Charter of the United Nations affirming the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force and recalling relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolutions 242 (1967) of 22 November 1967, 252 (1968) of 21 May 1968, 338 (1973) of 22 October 1973 and 497 (1981) of 17 December 1981,

Recalling the resolutions of the tenth emergency special session of the General Assembly, including ES-10/13 of 21 October 2003, ES-10/14 of 8 December 2003 and ES-10/15 of 20 July 2004,

Reaffirming the applicability of the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949, to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and other Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967,

Stressing the importance of the revival of the Middle East peace process on the basis of Security Council resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 425 (1978), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003) and 1544 (2004) and the principle of land for peace as well as compliance with the agreements reached between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization, the representative of the Palestinian people,

Reaffirming the principle of the permanent sovereignty of peoples under foreign occupation over their natural resources,

Convinced that the Israeli occupation has gravely impeded the efforts to achieve sustainable development and a sound economic environment in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan,

Gravely concerned about the deterioration of the economic and living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan and the exploitation by Israel, the occupying Power, of their natural resources,

Gravely concerned also by the formidable impact on the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian people caused by Israel’s construction of the wall and its associated regime inside the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, and the resulting violation of their economic and social rights, including the right to work, to health, to education and to an adequate standard of living,

Recalling in this regard the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and affirming that these human rights instruments must be respected in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as in the occupied Syrian Golan,

Gravely concerned at the extensive destruction by Israel, the occupying Power, of agricultural land and orchards in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and, in particular, as a result of its construction of the wall, contrary to international law, in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem,

Recalling the advisory opinion rendered on 9 July 2004 by the International Court of Justice on the legal consequences of the construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, recalling also General Assembly resolution ES-10/15, and stressing the need to comply with the obligations mentioned therein,

Extremely concerned at the dire humanitarian crisis in the Occupied Palestinian Territory further exacerbated by the current Israeli military operations, the severe restrictions on the Palestinian people, and Israel’s withholding of Palestinian tax revenues,

Expressing grave concern at the increasing number of deaths and injuries among civilians, including children,

Commending the important work being done by the United Nations and the specialized agencies in support of the economic and social development of the Palestinian people, as well as the assistance being provided in the humanitarian field,

Conscious of the urgent need for the reconstruction and development of the economic and social infrastructure of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, as well as the urgent need to address the dire humanitarian crisis facing the Palestinian people,

Affirming that the Israeli occupation is a major obstacle to the economic and social development of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the occupied Syrian Golan,

Calling on both parties to fulfil their obligations under the road map in cooperation with the Quartet,

1. Calls for the lifting of the severe restrictions imposed on the Palestinian people, including those arising from the current Israeli military operations, and for other urgent measures to be taken to alleviate the desperate humanitarian situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

2. Demands that Israel comply with the Protocol on Economic Relations between the Government of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization signed in Paris on 29 April 1994 and urgently transfer Palestinian tax revenues;

3.   Stresses the need to preserve the national unity and the territorial integrity of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and to guarantee the freedom of movement of persons and goods in the Territory, including the removal of restrictions on going into and from East Jerusalem, and the freedom of movement to and from the outside world;

4. Calls upon Israel to restore and replace the destroyed civilian infrastructure, including the only power station, where Israeli air strikes on Gaza’s power plant have had a far reaching impact on Gaza’s hospitals, food production facilities, water and sanitation systems; as well as water networks, schools, bridges, the airport, the seaport and Palestinian ministries and institutions;

5. Urges the full implementation of the Access and Movement Agreement of 15 November 2005, particularly the urgent reopening of Rafah and Karni crossings, which is crucial to ensuring the passage of foodstuffs and essential supplies, as well as the access of the United Nations agencies to and within the Occupied Palestinian Territory;

6.  Urges all parties to respect the rules of international humanitarian law, and to refrain from violence against the civilian population in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, of 12 August 1949;

7.  Reaffirms the inalienable right of the Palestinian people and the Arab population of the occupied Syrian Golan to all their natural and economic resources, and calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, not to exploit, endanger or cause loss or depletion of these resources;

8. Calls upon Israel, the occupying Power, to cease the dumping of all kinds of waste materials in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in the occupied Syrian Golan, which gravely threaten their natural resources, namely, water and land resources, and pose an environmental hazard and health threat to the civilian populations;

9. Reaffirms that Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the occupied Syrian Golan, are illegal and an obstacle to economic and social development, and calls for the full implementation of the relevant Security Council resolutions;

10. Stresses that the wall being constructed at an accelerated pace by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, is contrary to international law and is isolating East Jerusalem and dividing up the West Bank and is seriously debilitating to the economic and social development of the Palestinian people, and calls in this regard for full compliance with the legal obligations mentioned in the 9 July 2004 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and in General Assembly resolution ES-10/15;

11.  Emphasizes the importance of the work of the organizations and agencies of the United Nations and of the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Personal Representative of the Secretary-General to the Palestine Liberation Organization and the Palestinian Authority;

12. Requests the Secretary-General to submit to the General Assembly at its sixty-first session, through the Economic and Social Council, a report on the implementation of the present resolution and to continue to include in the report of the United Nations Special Coordinator an update on the living conditions of the Palestinian people, in collaboration with relevant United Nations agencies;

13.  Decides to include the item entitled “Economic and social repercussions of the Israeli occupation on the living conditions of the Palestinian people in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and the Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan” in the agenda of its substantive session of 2007.
42nd plenary meeting
27 July 2006

XIV.  PALESTINIAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE EXPRESSES GRAVE
    CONCERN OVER ISRAELI MILITARY OPERATION
    IN GAZA

The following statement was issued on 27 July 2006 by the Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (GA/PAL/1017):

Since Israel, the occupying Power, started its major military operation in the Gaza Strip on 28 June 2006, following the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian groups, more than 130 Palestinians have been killed, many of whom were innocent civilians, including more than 30 children.  Hundreds of Palestinians were wounded.  While overshadowed by the ongoing hostilities in Lebanon, Israel’s military operations in Gaza and the West Bank continue unabated.  Yesterday, Israeli forces killed 23 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, including three children and other civilians.

        Moreover, the military operations of the occupying Power are also deliberately causing a major humanitarian crisis among the innocent civilian population.  The destruction of infrastructure in the Gaza Strip, including the only power station, as well as the closure of all crossing points in and out of Gaza, render daily living conditions unbearable and hamper any sustained international relief efforts.  Almost 80 per cent of the population in Gaza is now living under the poverty line, and the health situation is further deteriorating, owing especially to the lack of electricity, which is needed to operate water wells and to provide hospital services.

        The Bureau of the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People condemns the indiscriminate and disproportionate use of Israel’s military might against the Palestinian population.  Deliberate attacks by Israeli forces against civilian property and infrastructure in the Gaza Strip violate international humanitarian law.  The continued closure of the crossing points to the Gaza Strip constitutes collective punishment of an entire innocent population.  Israel needs to be reminded that, as an occupying Power, it is bound under international law to protect and safeguard the civilian Palestinian population, as well as their basic human rights.

        The Bureau of the Committee condemns the killing of innocent civilians by either side, which seriously endangers, inflames and destabilizes the already fragile situation.  It denounces also rocket attacks on Israel and calls for a cessation of these activities by Palestinian armed groups.

         The Bureau of the Committee calls upon Israel to end its military actions against the Palestinian population.  It reminds Israel, the occupying Power, that it is bound by the Geneva Convention Relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Times of War that obliges the parties to protect civilians during hostilities.  Its applicability to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, has been repeatedly confirmed by the General Assembly and the Security Council.  Israel must end its incursions into Gaza, cease offensive military operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, withdraw its forces to their original positions outside Gaza, and release, immediately and unconditionally, recently jailed cabinet members and parliamentarians, as well as other Palestinian prisoners.  The Bureau of the Committee also calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the captured Israeli soldier.

        In light of the continued and flagrant violations by Israel of major stipulations of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Bureau of the Committee calls for the urgent resumption of the Conference of High Contracting Parties to ensure respect for the Convention.  Israel should also be held responsible for the caused destruction of civilian infrastructure and provide for its reconstruction without delay.

        The Bureau of the Committee welcomes the signing of a national conciliation document by the major Palestinian political organizations, the decision to form a national unity Government, and the designation of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas as the person in charge with negotiations with Israel.  These have been encouraging developments and should be supported by Israel and the international community.  Recent meetings by the Ministers for Foreign Affairs of France, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Germany and the United States of America with President Abbas in Ramallah should be followed by a political dialogue between the Israeli and Palestinian leaders.

        The Bureau of the Committee considers that a long-term solution to the conflict can only be achieved through a sustained diplomatic and political process that addresses the root causes of the conflict.  That can only be achieved by forceful and continued international engagement, leading the parties back to a serious and credible resumption of the peace process aimed at the emergence of an independent, democratic, viable and contiguous Palestinian State living side by side, in peace and security with Israel and its other neighbours.  The Bureau of the Committee reiterates that the question of Palestine is at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict and its peaceful settlement is imperative for the attainment of a comprehensive and lasting peace and stability in the Middle East.

XV.  UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS
      BRIEFS THE SECURITY COUNCIL

On 28 July 2006, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Jan Egeland briefed the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in the Middle East.  The following are excerpts from the briefing (S/2006/593):

I have just returned from a six-day mission to three war zones: Lebanon, northern Israel and Gaza.  I was an eyewitness to the devastating effects of the current hostilities on civilians.  I met with humanitarian colleagues to plan the necessary emergency operations to address the worsening humanitarian situation in the region.  I also had the opportunity to meet with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fouad Siniora, and key ministers of his Cabinet, as well as the Speaker of Parliament, Nabih Berri.  In Israel, I met with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Tzipi Livni, and the Defence Minister Amir Peretz.  I also had a meeting with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and his key advisers.

The Middle East is at a crossroads.  My fear is that more violence, more missiles, more terror, and more destruction creates more anger, more hatred, and more disillusioned youths, and ultimately leads to less security throughout the region.  Civilians on all sides are the losers of this endless cycle of violence.
 

Occupied Palestinian Territory

As we call for an immediate ceasefire, political solutions and security arrangements in Lebanon, we must ensure that we do not forget to address the armed conflict and deepening social and economic crisis in Gaza, and the Occupied Palestinian Territory as a whole.  Renewed fighting just a day after my visit to Gaza killed a 3-year-old Palestinian girl.  Altogether, 150 have lost their life since the present conflict broke out in June, one quarter of whom are reported to be children.

When visiting Gaza, I was deeply saddened to find the great visions that we had in Oslo for a peaceful and prosperous Palestine, coexisting in safety and security with a recognized Israel, shattered.  Those hopes have been replaced by a deep sense of despair and disillusionment.  The destruction of vital civilian infrastructure such as bridges, roads and the only electrical power plant in Gaza, the ongoing closure of most border crossings into and out of Gaza and frequent roadblocks are suffocating any attempt at building a viable economic and social infrastructure in Gaza.  As a result, anger and the readiness to resort to militant violence seem to be growing, particularly among young people.

I saw the destruction of every single transformer of the power plant in Gaza, covering 55 per cent of Gaza’s electricity needs, including that of homes, schools and hospitals.  Today, private households, hospitals and water pumps receive some three to four hours of electricity supply per day, often not synchronized with the few hours during which water is being supplied.  Some Israeli officials have conceded that the destruction of this purely civilian installation was indeed unwise.

The repeated destruction of infrastructure is also taking its toll on aid workers.  It was disheartening to feel their sense of frustration and disillusionment.  The produce from the greenhouses erected as part of James Wolfenson’s efforts was all destroyed in the recent violence as were the bridges built by UNDP with European aid over several years.  Some of our colleagues are ready to give up.  But we cannot allow this to happen.  How can we give up on 1.4 million inhabitants of Gaza, half of them children?  It is now, more than ever, that the Occupied Palestinian Territory needs our collective assistance.
 
The following needs to happen in Gaza:

Violence must stop.  We must support the efforts of President Abu Mazen and international mediators aimed at stopping militants from lobbing Qassam rockets at Israeli settlements and releasing the soldier held in captivity.  Israel, in turn, must end its often excessive and disproportionate use of force, as was the case in the destruction of the power plant and the shelling that takes the lives of civilians.

Rebuild vital infrastructure.  We must help the Palestinian Authority to re-establish a social and economic infrastructure that will provide employment and hope, and help to curb the extreme radicalization of Gaza’s youth.

Open border crossings. We encourage the Israeli authorities to establish a transparent and reliable regime at the key crossing point into and out of Gaza.  I have proposed to the Defence Minister a regular weekly working meeting between IDF and the United Nations to facilitate the transport of humanitarian and other urgently needed goods into Gaza.

Conclusions

Throughout my mission to all three war zones my public message was consistent:

The indiscriminate rain of rockets into Israel must stop.

The excessive and disproportionate use of force by the Israel Defense Forces in both Lebanon and Gaza must stop.
 
The hiding of armed combatants and weaponry among the civilian populations in Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory must stop.

And, most importantly, as the Secretary-General has repeatedly said, we need a cessation of hostilities immediately.

As a first step, I am recommending to the Secretary-General, and through him to you, a humanitarian truce.  We need at least 72 hours of tranquillity for the sake of the children of Lebanon and northern Israel who, I believe, we all agree are the innocent victims of this escalating conflict.  During this humanitarian truce a major operation could be staged with the International Committee of the Red Cross, the Lebanese Red Cross, and the United Nations and its partner organizations to do the following:

First, relocate the children, the wounded, the disabled, and the elderly who have not been able to escape the fighting in the worst war zones.

Second, resupply hospitals and health centres, particularly in the south, with emergency medical relief items and fuel for generators to avoid a complete breakdown of public health facilities caring for the thousands of wounded.

Third, provide water and sanitation facilities, food and other basic supplies to the tens of thousands of displaced who are seeking shelter in public buildings in the conflict zones.

Fourth, establish an emergency communication system to vulnerable communities allowing us to address acute needs urgently where and when they arise.

In conclusion: we humanitarians will do what we can to save lives and alleviate suffering.  But, as stated before, aid in itself is not the solution.  It is only a temporary “plaster on the wound”.  Only an end to the fighting and a political settlement that will give the peoples of Israel, Lebanon and the Occupied Palestinian Territory the security and socio-economic conditions they deserve will prevent future conflict and suffering.

As humanitarian workers, we are frustrated and feel that the work on the political and security agreements is too slow. We are afraid that in the meantime the parties to the conflict are continuing its escalation, thereby prolonging the suffering of civilians and causing more hatred and sorrow today that they will regret tomorrow.

Let me end the way I began, with a plea for the immediate protection of the civilian population in all three war zones.  Civilians must be protected at any cost.  If there are many more dead children in a conflict than armed men, there is something fundamentally wrong, not only with how the armed men behave and where they hide, but also with the way the response is being conducted.
_____________


2019-03-12T17:53:39-04:00

Share This Page, Choose Your Platform!

Go to Top