NGO Action News – 19 December 2024

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This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations working on the question of Palestine. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

You may find previous issues of the NGO Action News in Spanish here.

You may find issues of the NGO Action News in French here.

You may find issues of the NGO Action News in Arabic here.

Middle East

• On 18 December, 7amleh released a new report titled “Erased and Suppressed: Palestinian Testimonies of Meta’s Censorship”. The report highlights direct testimonies from Palestinian influencers, journalists, and media outlets who have faced Meta’s discriminatory practices. It exposes Meta’s approach to silencing Palestinian content and suppressing the Palestinian narrative.
• On 18 December, Palestinian human rights organizations and the Palestinian Non-governmental Organizations Network sent an open letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, Alice Edwards, informing of the suspension of their engagement with the mandate holder until further notice. The NGOs expressed their grave concerns regarding a perceived lack of meaningful action, responsiveness, and impartiality in addressing Israel’s grave, widespread, and systemic human rights violations against Palestinians, including Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli custody.
• On 16 December, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights issued a press release to inform that Israeli forces continued to target and kill journalists during what the NGO considers to be a widescale genocidal campaign in Gaza ongoing for over 14 months. The latest of these attacks killed three journalists, including a female journalist, in airstrikes within less than a week. The NGO added that the targeting of journalists intends to isolate the victims and prevent the documentation of Israel’s violations against Palestinian civilians.
• On 16 December, the Institute for Palestine Studies published the article “In Gaza, The Olive Trees Resist”. Recalling the significance of the olive tree harvesting season in Palestine, the article details the hardship caused by the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the steadfastness of Palestinians to continue this tradition, despite the risks.
• On 10 December, 7amleh released the report “Intensification of Surveillance in East Jerusalem Since October 2023”. The report sheds light on the escalation of Israeli digital surveillance activities and their impact on the civil and political rights of Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem since 7 October 2023. It presents findings based on interviews with Palestinians, in addition to a survey conducted between September and October of this year, involving 502 respondents from East Jerusalem. The report indicates that Israeli surveillance and digital control policies have reached unprecedented levels over the past year.

Africa, Asia and Europe

• On 17 December, Law for Palestine, in partnership with the Independent Commission for Human Rights, organized the webinar “The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Israel in Action: Enforcing State Accountability, Reconstituting Apartheid Frameworks, and Unseating from the UNGA”. This webinar explored the international legal responsibilities arising from the recent UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/ES-10/24 and the ICJ Advisory Opinion, focusing on the individual and collective state responsibilities to enforce accountability, reconstitute frameworks for dismantling of apartheid, and the possibility of unseating Israel from the General Assembly.
• On 17 December, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor published the article “Israel expands urbicide as a tool of genocide in Gaza”. The NGO stated that the Israeli military’s destruction of entire Palestinian cities and neighborhoods in the Gaza Strip is a clear manifestation of the genocide Israel has been committing in Gaza for the past 14 months, and a primary tool of its implementation. Methods employed include demolition using robots and booby-trapped barrels, aerial bombardment with destructive ordnance, planting explosives for remote demolition, and bulldozing using Israeli military and civilian machinery.
• On 16 December, the Norwegian Refugee Council informed that only 23 per cent of Gaza’s shelter needs have been met this autumn, leaving nearly one million Palestinians vulnerable to exposure during the harsh winter months. The Shelter Cluster estimated in September that 2,000 truckloads of tents or 200 truckloads of sealing-off kits were urgently needed to provide basic winter protection for 1.13 million displaced Palestinians in Gaza. The NGO added that since early October, Israel’s offensive and siege on North Gaza have displaced an additional 100,000 Palestinians, and in total 945,000 people are now in need of shelter assistance.
• On 12 December, Diakonia published the report “Analysis of Developments in North Gaza”. This update provides an assessment of the situation in North Gaza pursuant to the law of occupation and the law of siege warfare, concluding that Israel’s conduct is unlawful and triggers the obligations of third States to bring violations of international law to an end and to ensure accountability.

North America

• On 17 December, Foundation for Middle East Peace (FMEP) hosted the webinar “Eyewitness to Israel’s Intentionally Created Health Apocalypse in Gaza”. In this webinar, FMEP President Lara Friedman spoke with Dr. Tammy Abughnaim, an American physician who has been to Gaza twice since October 2023, serving as a humanitarian physician and has worked at Al-Aqsa Hospital and Nasser Medical Complex; and Dr. Yara Asi, assistant professor at the University of Central Florida.
• On 16 December, Churches for Middle East Peace published a statement from bishops and Christian representatives calling for world leaders to institute a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, halt the sale of arms to Israel, and ensure the delivery of humanitarian aid to all those affected. The signatories stated that all weaponization and violence must cease for diplomatic alternatives and nonviolent means of advocating for peace to flourish.
• On 12 December, Foundation for Middle East Peace published the webinar “How and Why South Africans Care About Palestinians”. Writer and editor William Shoki discussed the history of South Africa and Israel, how South Africa’s government sees its global role, and how South Africans think about Israel/Palestine in comparison to post-apartheid South Africa.

United Nations

• On 19 December, the UN General Assembly voted for draft resolution A/79/L.28/Rev.1 to request the International Court of Justice for an Advisory opinion on the legal obligations of Israel towards the UN, other international organizations and third States providing humanitarian and development aid. The Norwegian-drafted resolution was adopted with 137 votes in favor.
• On 18 December, Assistant Secretary-General (ASG) Khaled Khiari briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East. ASG Khiari stated that a ceasefire in Gaza was long overdue, adding that the continued collective punishment of the Palestinian people was unjustifiable. He further expressed concerns over what may amount to violations of international humanitarian law in the conduct of hostilities, including noncompliance with the principles of distinction, proportionality, and precautions in attacks and against the effects of attacks. International humanitarian law always applies to all parties to a conflict, he added, and its application does not depend on reciprocity.
• On 17 December, the UN Division for Palestinian Rights published the “Bulletin on action by the United Nations system and Intergovernmental Organizations relevant to the Question of Palestine”, covering the month of November 2024.
• On 14 December, UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, issued a statement on the situation of children in the Gaza Strip. Ms. Russell stated that children and families throughout Gaza faced constant displacement, which pushed 1.9 million people away from their homes, including hundreds of thousands of children. There is no safe space in Gaza, nor any sense of stability for children, who lack essentials such as food, safe water, medical supplies, and warm clothes as winter temperatures drop.
• On 13 December, UNSCO Deputy Special Coordinator, and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Muhannad Hadi, issued a statement to raise concerns about the rapidly deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Gaza. He added that the principles of distinction, proportionality and precautions in attacks must be respected at all times. He further called on all parties to ensure the protection of civilians and the safe and unimpeded passage of humanitarian aid.