NGO Action News – 15 August 2024

Middle East

• On 13 August, Al Mezan called for international action to achieve the closure of what it considers “Israeli torture camps” and to ensure accountability for the alleged atrocities committed against Palestinian detainees. The NGO had monitored the conditions of Gaza detainees in Israeli prisons and military detention and interrogation centres following the events of 7 October 2023 and reported to have uncovered severe abuses, including threats of rape and other forms of sexual torture. The NGO urged international accountability mechanisms to take swift and effective actions to ensure that responsible persons would be held accountable.
• On 12 August, Peace Now informed that the World Heritage site of Battir, southwest of Jerusalem, was at risks from ongoing and planned Israeli settlement activities throughout the section of the core zone situated in Area C of the West Bank. According to the NGO, recent and simultaneous developments at several locations within the World Heritage Site area represented an extensive and severe threat to the Palestinian communities living in this unique agricultural landscape that has been cultivated and maintained by local communities for thousands of years.
• On 6 August 2024, the Palestinian human rights organisations Al-Haq, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Al Mezan filed joint written observations to the International Criminal Court. The NGOs stated that the Oslo Accords did not bar or limit the Court from exercising its jurisdiction, including over Israeli nationals, for crimes committed on the territory of the State of Palestine, nor do they form part of the Chamber’s determination on the Prosecutor’s application for the issuance of warrants of arrest against Israeli officials.

Africa, Asia and Europe

• On 9 August, the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network urged Australian federal representatives to use the upcoming parliamentary sitting period to sanction the Israeli government, impose an arms embargo, and support international investigations into Israeli war crimes in Palestine. The NGO also called for the urgent need for the Australian government to take immediate action to end the impunity it offers Israel and ensure accountability for crimes committed.
• On 7 August, the Palestinian Return Centre published a situation report on the ongoing conflict in Gaza. The report details the political and humanitarian repercussions, alongside the material and human losses suffered by Palestinians in Gaza due to the continuous Israeli military actions and blockade. Furthermore, the report also covers the violations committed against Palestinians in the West Bank since 7 October 2023.

North America

• On 7 August, the Foundation for Middle East Peace held the webinar “Turning Pain into Power: Feeding Families & Bringing Attention to Gaza”. In this event, FMEP Fellow Rania Batrice spoke with Hani Almadhoun, Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA and co-founder of Gaza Soup Kitchen. Participants discussed the hopes and priorities for Palestinians in the United States and how people in this country look at the Palestinian cause.

United Nations

• On 10 August, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights condemned the increasing frequency of Israeli security forces’ strikes on schools where multitudes of forcibly displaced Palestinians have sought shelter, on the Israeli side conducted with apparent disregard for the high rate of civilian fatalities. The repeated strikes on IDP shelters in areas to which the populations have been forced to move, and the consistent and predictable impact on civilians, suggested a failure to strictly comply with obligations required by International Humanitarian Law, including the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attack.
• On 12 August, the Secretary-General condemned the continued loss of life in Gaza, including women and children, after another devastating strike by Israel on the Al-Taba’een school in Gaza City.