NGO Action News – 15 February 2024

Middle East

• On 14 February, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and other human rights organizations issued a press release welcoming the recent statement made by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, concerning the reported impending expansion of the ground offensive by Israeli forces in Rafah. The press release also called for arrest warrants to be issued against the Israeli Prime Minister and others involved in ordering the invasion into Rafah, emphasizing the need for accountability.
• On 14 February, Peace Now published a list of tenders issued by the Israeli Ministry of Housing for the construction of 520 units in seven settlements deep in the West Bank.
• On 13 February, the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies issued a press release calling for an urgent ceasefire in Gaza before any large-scale Israeli military assault on Rafah. It reminded the international community of its obligation to prevent genocide and protect the Palestinian people from further indiscriminate attacks and forced displacement.
• On 13 February, BADIL – Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights submitted a written statement under item 7 of the 55^th session of the UN Human Rights Council, highlighting how states’ decisions to suspend UNRWA funds serve Israel’s ongoing aim to eliminate the Agency—and with it, the Palestinian refugee issue.
• On 12 February, Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights issued a joint press release calling on the international community to take action to prevent the imminent forced expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza amid a deadly assault on Rafah. The same day, Gisha also issued a statement, expressing concern over operations in Rafah and reiterating its call for a ceasefire.
• On 11 February, 7amleh – The Arab Centre for the Advancement of Social Media and other civil society organizations sent a letter to Meta, demanding that the social media company refrain from censoring criticism of Zionism on its platforms, noting that it prevents Jewish and other users from discussing their relationships to Zionist political ideology.
• On 8 February, Adalah– The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel and several Palestinian human rights organizations issued a press release noting that Israeli gas exploration licenses in Palestine’s maritime areas are illegal and violate international law. Adalah demanded that Israel revoke the tenders, while others appealed to licensed companies to refrain from pillaging the sovereign natural resources of the Palestinian people.

Asia and Europe

• On 16 February in Melbourne, an organization affiliated with the Australia Palestine Advocacy Network will host a screening and discussion of the documentary film “Tantura,” which examines a massacre that took place in Tantura during the formation of Israel.
• On 14 February, the Palestinian Return Centre published a report (in Arabic) titled “Defunding UNRWA: Dissolving the Agency and Perpetuating the Crisis in Gaza,” which discusses the political and humanitarian implications of cutting funds to UNRWA.
• On 13 February, Agence Média Palestine published an article (in French) highlighting the increased and deliberate targeting of Palestinian journalists in Gaza, noting that 116 Palestinian journalists had been killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023.
• On 12 February, Amnesty International (AI) published an article highlighting new evidence of direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza, in areas supposed to be “safe.” AI said at least 95 civilians—nearly half of them children—were killed in these attacks on Rafah and should be investigated as war crimes.
• On 8 February, the Norwegian Refugee Council published a press release warning that a full-scale Israeli military assault on Rafah, where over one million people are displaced, would be fatal for civilians and risk bringing the humanitarian aid system in Gaza to a halt.

North America

• On 15 February, The Jerusalem Fund will hold a virtual event titled “Cultural Heritage Under Attack in Gaza” which will feature Dr. Akram M. Lilja, a researcher and professor in historic conservation and cultural heritage in Sweden, who will discuss the extent of destruction and damage inflicted on Gaza’s historical and heritage sites.
• On 14 February, Jewish Voice for Peace published an article titled “Rafah: The penultimate step in Israel’s march of genocide,” which detailed Israeli air strikes on Rafah and the risk of an unprecedented massacre in the event of a ground invasion.
• On 14 February—Ash Wednesday—Friends of Sabeel North America and other Christian organizations launched a Lenten Ceasefire Campaign involving weekly strategic nonviolent actions during Lent to call for a ceasefire, renewed US government funding to UNRWA, and a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held without due process.
• On 13 February, J Street published a letter to US President Biden, calling on him to recognize a demilitarized state of Palestine as the centerpiece of a comprehensive regional diplomatic initiative.
• On 9 February, the US Campaign for Palestinian Rights issued a statement drawing attention to Israeli threats of a ground invasion of Rafah, which it said amount to “genocide and the continued ethnic cleansing of the Palestinian people.”
• On 9 February, Human Rights Watch issued a press release calling Israel’s plan to evacuate Rafah as “catastrophic” and “unlawful.”

Latin America

• In Mexico, the Comité Universitario de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Palestino will hold a cultural festival (in Spanish) in León, Guanajuato on 17 February titled “León por Palestina” to express solidarity with the people of Palestine and call for an end to the occupation.
• On 14 February, the Comunidad Palestina de Chile issued a statement (in Spanish) condemning Israel’s attack on Rafah and calling on the Chilean government to take concrete measures against Israel by adopting exemplary sanctions.
• On 4 February, the Club Union Arabe Palestino in Peru organized an event (in Spanish) where more than 500 volunteers planted 10,000 trees in the mountains of Calca as a tribute to the Palestinian children who have been killed in the Gaza Strip.

United Nations

• On 14 February, the Bureau of the General Assembly’s Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) issued a statement condemning the threats of an Israeli invasion into the city of Rafah and reiterating its calls for an immediate ceasefire.
• On 13 February, Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, issued a statement warning that a military operations in Rafah could lead to a slaughter in Gaza and “leave an already fragile humanitarian operation at death’s door.”
• On 12 February, South Africa submitted an urgent request to the International Court of Justice for additional measures under Article 75 (1) of the Rules of Court in connection with the “developing circumstances in Rafah” in the case concerning Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel).
• On 12 February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement warning that a full-fledged military incursion into Rafah would lead to an extremely high number of civilian casualties and stop the flow of humanitarian aid. He called on Israel to comply with the legally binding orders issued by the International Court of Justice, and with the full span of international humanitarian law.
• On 9 February, the International Court of Justice issued a press release announcing that it would hold public hearings on the request for an advisory opinion in respect of the Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, from 19 to 26 February 2024 in The Hague.
• On 9 February, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, issued a statement expressing concern over the situation in the Middle East, emphasizing that civilians should never pay the price of a conflict for which they bear no responsibility. She also called on all relevant actors to work to find solutions to end the conflict.
• On 8 February, UNICEF issued a press release calling on parties to refrain from military escalation in Rafah and reiterating the need for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
• On 8 February, the Chair of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child delivered a statement about children in Gaza, calling on Israel to immediately comply with the ruling of the International Court of Justice. Israel was on the list of States to be reviewed during the current session of the Committee, but the Israeli Government decided to postpone its participation.
• On 8 February, the International Court of Justice issued a press release announcing that Nicaragua requested permission to intervene in the case concerning the application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide in the Gaza Strip (South Africa v. Israel) under Article 62 of the Statute.
• On 8 February, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk issued a statement warning that Israel’s destruction of buildings to create a “buffer zone” along the Israel-Gaza fence were a grave breach of the Geneva conventions and could amount to a war crime.