NGO Action News – 30 May 2024

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United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People  

NGO Action News  

30 May 2024 

Middle East 

• On 4 and 5 June, 7amleh will launch the 8th edition of the Palestine Digital Activism Forum under the theme “Artificial Intelligence (AI): Revolutionary Promises & Discriminatory Realities”. The forum will be held virtually and aims to put Palestinian digital rights in the spotlight both regionally and globally, as it discusses various aspects of AI technologies’ impact on Palestinian digital rights and its permeation into various aspects of life, especially during times of crises and the war on Gaza.
• On 28 May, Al Mezan, Al-Haq, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights published an open letter to the UN Security Council, calling on Member States to take all measures at their disposal to ensure an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The letter also called on Third States, especially Members of the Security Council, to ensure that Israel complies with the legally binding ICJ’s provisional measures orders.
• On 28 May, Adalah issued a press release condemning the Israeli strikes of 26 May that targeted an area sheltering displaced civilians in makeshift tents and designated by Israel as a ‘safe zone’. The NGO added that these Israeli strikes reportedly killed 45 people, including 23 women, children, and the elderly, and injured over 200. Adalah called on the international community to ensure Israel’s compliance with the ICJ’s provisional measures and international law, as well as to uphold their own obligations under the Genocide Convention. The Palestinian Return Center, Diakonia and Agence Média Palestine, among other organisations, also published articles on this incident.
• On 23 May, Gisha reported on the lack of transparency regarding the exact amount of goods that Israeli authorities had allowed to enter Gaza, and through which access points they had been delivered. The NGO informed that this issue was important as figures provided by Israeli authorities could not be independently verified, especially since the UN and INGOs continued to report challenges in accessing the crossing due to lack of safety and logistical issues with coordination.

Asia and Europe

• On 28 May, Amnesty International reported that a warning had been issued by aid agencies in Gaza on the risk of acceleration in the number of deaths from starvation, disease and denied medical assistance, while land and sea entry points remained effectively shut to meaningful humanitarian assistance. The NGO stated that the announcement of new crossing points and a floating dock were cosmetic changes and did not address the real needs as the systematic obstruction at Israeli-controlled crossing points, intensified hostilities, and prolonged telecommunications blackouts had reduced considerably the volume of aid entering Gaza, including food, fuel, and medical supplies.
• On 27 May, the Norwegian Refugee Council published a joint statement from 24 local and international NGOs urgently calling on all permanent and elected members of the UN Security Council to enforce the ICJ orders regarding Israel’s actions in Rafah, Gaza. The statement further said that immediate action was required to uphold international law and ensure the Government of Israel meets its obligations as mandated by the ICJ.

North America

• On 24 May, J Street issued a statement to express concerns about Israeli military operations in Rafah and support calls from the international community to consider that an invasion of Rafah, without adequate plans for the protection of civilians, could not continue. The NGO stated that the recent ICJ decision, ordering the Israeli government to undertake additional binding provisional measures, including immediately halting its military offensive, underscored that position. Americans for Peace Now also published a statement calling for the government of Israel to implement an immediate exit strategy from the Gaza Strip.
• On 23 May, Human Rights Watch published an article praising the declaration of the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell in support of the ICC’s investigation. The NGO called on European countries to commit to securing justice for grave abuses committed in Israel and Palestine.

United Nations

• On 29 May, Tor Wennesland, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. He urged all parties to return to the negotiating table immediately and in good faith, and further reiterated his and the UN Secretary-General’s repeated calls for the immediate release of all hostages held in Gaza as well as an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Wennesland also drew attention to the situation in the occupied West Bank, where violence and other negative trends continued at an alarming rate. The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, issued a statement on 28 May condemning in the strongest terms the Israeli air strikes of 26 May on Rafah hitting tents sheltering displaced people. He added that the horror and suffering must stop immediately and also stressed that the recent ICJ orders were binding and must be complied with.
• On 28 May, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP) issued a statement welcoming the expanding wave of recognitions of the State of Palestine and condemning the ongoing attacks in Gaza. The Bureau appealed to the international community for urgent and coordinated efforts aimed at ending the Israeli occupation and achieving a just, lasting, and peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine, in accordance with international law, relevant United Nations resolutions, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
• On 28 May, UNRWA published its 2023 Annual Health Report. The report highlighted the fact that Palestine refugees in the Gaza Strip were facing an unprecedented health emergency caused by the most devastating war in their history. The Agency stressed that the war in Gaza had severely impacted the health and well-being of Palestine refugees, with increased levels of injury, trauma, and mental health disorders. Destruction of infrastructure and transportation had further complicated healthcare delivery, while overcrowded living conditions and limited access to clean water had heightened the risk of infectious diseases.