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    PALESTINIAN CENTRE FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

    PRESS RELEASE

Ref: 5/2003

Date: 8 January 2003

As part of the ongoing policy of collective punishment against Palestinian civilians, the Israeli occupying authorities have prevented a number of people from traveling through the Rafah Terminal PCHR condemns the new measures taken by Israeli occupying forces, which prevent Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip whose ages are less than 35 from traveling through the Rafah Terminal.  PCHR calls upon the international community and humanitarian organizations to immediately intervene and pressure Israeli occupying authorities to stop these measures, which are part of the policy of collective punishment systematically practiced by these authorities against Palestinian civilians. 

These measures came following the Israeli cabinet meeting, which took a number of decisions in the aftermath of the two bombings in Tel Aviv, which left dead 23 Israelis and injured more than 100 others.  Those decisions included restrictions on the movement of Palestinian officials to hinder any meeting of the Palestinian leadership.  The Israeli government has also prevented holding a meeting of the Palestinian Central Council, which was expected to discuss the draft constitution of the Palestinian State.  It has also prevented a Palestinian delegation from traveling to London to participate in a conference called for by the British Prime Minister Toni Blair. 

PCHR’s field officers reported that on Tuesday morning, 7 January 2002, Israeli occupying forces decided to prevent residents of the Gaza Strip under 35 from traveling through the Rafah Terminal but allowed those who are under 16 to travel with their companions whose ages exceeds 35.  So, the prevention includes people whose ages are 16-35, who constitute nearly 13% of the total Palestinian population of the Gaza Strip.  They also reported that VIPs were excluded from this prevention but the decision was applied with regard to patients and humanitarian cases.  Consequently, dozens of patients who received medical treatment abroad have not been able to come back to the Gaza Strip. 

PCHR considers that these measures are part of the policy of collective punishment practiced by Israeli occupying forces against Palestinian civilians, in violation of the word and spirit of the international humanitarian law.  PCHR calls upon the international community and humanitarian agencies to pressure Israeli government to respect its obligations under the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949.      

    Public Document

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    For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 7 2824776 – 2825893

    PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. Web:http://www.pchrgaza.org