Ref:
81/2013

On
Thursday, 21 November 2013, Mr. Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian
Centre for human Rights (PCHR), received Mr. Benjamin Saoul, Deputy British
Consul General and Head of the Political Department and the accompanying
delegation in PCHR’s head office in Gaza City.

During
the past two days, Sourani met with international officials.  On 20 November 2013, Sourani received in
PCHR’s head office Mr. Marte Teie Hellum, Programme Advisor at the
Representative Office of Norway to the Palestinian Authority (PA); and Mr.
Stein Torgersbraten, Head of International Development Cooperation at the
Representative Office.  On the same day,
Sourani received Mr. Matthias Bencke, Director of the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt); and
Mr. Pradeep Wagle, Director of the Office of the High Commissioner (OCHA) in
Gaza.

On 19
November 2013, Sourani met with Ramesh Rajasingham, Director of the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the occupied (oPt), in
PCHR’s head office in Gaza City.

Sourani
discussed with the international officials the tragic consequences resulting
from the continued Israeli-imposed closure on the Gaza Strip.  He talked about the current crises in the
Gaza Strip, particularly the power and fuel crisis.  He stressed that the illegal and inhuman
closure is the main reason behind the deterioration of these crises.

Sourani addressed
during the meeting with the international officials the implications of the
closure and its impact on the lives of the civilian population, and the
restrictions imposed on freedom of movement of people and goods.

Sourani
drew the visitors’ attention that PCHR had already warned of the deteriorating
human rights situation and the aggravating conditions of economic and social
rights in Gaza.  This comes in
coincidence with efforts by Israel to institutionalize the closure and improve
its image.  He also stressed that it is
necessary to urgently work on ending the closure and to force Israel to respect
human rights in the oPt.