4 March 2021

Middle East

• On 3 March, Adalah – The Legal Centre for Arab Minority Rights in Israel issued a press release to welcome the opening of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into alleged war crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT). Adalah said the decision confirms that there was a serious and grave suspicion that Israel is committing war crimes against the Palestinian people, including the continued construction of settlements in the occupied West Bank and acts of the Israeli military in violation of international law.

• On 3 March, Emek Shaveh and Ir Amim hosted an Arabic teacher from Beit Hanina and a social activist from Sur Baher for the webinar “Voices from East Jerusalem”. The event was a conversation about life in the City during the pandemic, travel from one side to the other and some thoughts about the City’s future.

• On 3 March, Addameer – Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association informed about the launch of its campaign against Israeli military courts “In the Case of the Palestinian People vs. Military Courts”. The launching event included a press conference near Ofer military court with speakers from Palestinian civil society, families of prisoners and former prisoners, a Human Rights Watch representative and the media. The campaign aims to end the trial of Palestinian civilians in Israeli military courts in accordance with the occupying Power’s responsibility under international and to ensure the respect to Palestinians’ right to a fair and impartial trial.

• On 3 March, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights and others issued a joint press release to welcome the announcement by the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC on the opening of a full investigation into the Situation in Palestine. The Palestinian NGOs called it a historic day in the decades-long Palestinian campaign for international justice and accountability for Israel’s alleged crimes in the OPT. They called on third States to fully cooperate with the Office of the Prosecutor to ensure a thorough investigation of those accused of international crimes and to prevent their perpetration against the Palestinian people.

• On 3 March, Al-Haq informed it sent a submission to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Promotion and Protection of Freedom of Opinion and Expression in response to a call for input issued ahead of her upcoming annual thematic report on disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression, which will be presented to the Human Rights Council at its 47th regular session in June 2021. The submission highlighted Israel’s recent attacks on Palestinian human rights defenders, including arbitrary arrests, travel bans, and residency revocations, as well as attacks on Palestinian human rights organisations, including raids.

• On 1 March, HaMoked – Centre for the Defence of the Individual informed that the NGO – along with Physicians for Human Rights- Israel, Gisha, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Adalah and Rabbis for Human Rights – sent urgent letters to the Israeli Minister of Defense, the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories and the Executive Director of the Ministry of Health, concerning Israel’s responsibility to ensure Covid-19 vaccines for the Palestinian population in the OPT, especially at-risk populations, including medical staff, the elderly and sick. The Israeli organisations stated that the supply of vaccines to the Palestinian population was not a question of goodwill but a substantive obligation of the State of Israel, in line with its legal and ethical commitments as well as public health considerations.

Europe

• On 3 March, Amnesty International said that the opening of an investigation into crimes under international law committed in the OPT by the ICC Prosecutor has was a momentous breakthrough for justice after decades of non-accountability for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The NGO underlined that the investigation provides the first genuine prospect for thousands of victims of crimes under international law to gain long overdue access to justice, truth and reparations, as well as a historic opportunity to finally put an end to the impunity that has driven serious violations in the OPT for more than half a century.

• On 26 February, the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) informed that 79 organisations across Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe (incl. ECCP) had sent a joint letter to the European Commission, after the latter had announced it will propose legislation on mandatory human rights and environment due diligence. The NGOs demanded the EU Commission to ensure the legislation incorporates respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, applies to all companies in the EU, protects indigenous peoples and the right to self-determination, and adopts a gender-sensitive approach.

United Nations

• On 10 March, the UN Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will organize the virtual event on the margins of the 65th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) on “Women, Peace and Security and Beijing+25: Progress and Challenges for Women and Girls in Palestine”. The event will be organised as a panel conversation, with three Palestinian women officials and civil society representatives, from different regions of the occupied Palestinian territory and across generations – Ms. Hind Khoury, former Palestinian Minister for Jerusalem and Ambassador to France; H.E. Amal Jadou, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Ms. Nour Swirki, activist and journalist in Gaza. The event will be moderated by Amb. Adela Raz, Vice-Chair of the Committee and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the UN.

• On 2 March, UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territory Occupied Since 1967 Michael Lynk and UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living, and on the Right to Non-Discrimination in this Context Balakrishnan Rajagopal issued a press release to call on the Government of Israel to immediately end its efforts to demolish the Palestinian village of Humsa-Al Bqai’a in the northern Jordan Valley, and allow the residents to live undisturbed on their lands and homes. They called the justifications for the attempted destructions on the grounds that the community lies within an Israeli military firing zone as not satisfying Israel’s obligations under international law.

• On 26 February, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Process Tor Wennesland delivered his briefing to the Security Council on the Situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question. He said that the international community has demonstrated that it is focused on helping the parties return to the path of negotiations and signaled its continued support to the Palestinian people and institutions, including in Covid-19 response and that the Envoys of the Middle East Quartet, from Russia, the United States, the European Union and the United Nations, met virtually to discuss the latest political developments and the situation on the ground. All agreed to meet on a regular basis to continue their engagement. He reiterated the message from the Humanitarian Coordinator, urging Israel to cease the demolition and seizure of Palestinian property throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and to allow Palestinians to develop their communities. Finally, he said the upcoming elections in Palestine represent a unique opportunity to restore hope, given the extraordinarily high registration rate among the Palestinians and therefore the positive response from the people of Palestine in support of President Abbas’ call for elections.

 

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. 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.