Ref: 51/2013

On Sunday, 03 August 2013, a delegation from the
International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) visited the
Palestinian Centre for Human Rights’ (PCHR) office in Ramallah. The delegation
which was comprised of students from Palestine and a number of other countries
met with Sameeh Mohsen, coordinator of PCHR’s activities in the West Bank.

In the beginning of the meeting, Mohsen
welcomed the delegation and stressed PCHR’s interest in receiving international
student groups to brief them on the human rights situation in the occupied
Palestinian territory (oPt), as such groups have great influence on the
university community in their countries.

Mohsen addressed the Israeli violations carried
out against the Palestinian civilians in the West Bank, including occupied
Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, he spoke about the Israeli-imposed
closure on the Gaza Strip, pursuing Palestinian fishermen in the sea,
preventing fishermen from fishing even within the limits imposed by Israeli
forces, and the imposition of a 300-meter “buffer zone” along the border
between the Gaza Strip and Israel. The delegation was briefed about the health
conditions of civilians in the Gaza Strip due to the Israeli closure and the
internal division and about PCHR’s effort to assist patients and help them
receive the medical treatment they need in the proper hospitals.

Mohsen talked about the Israeli violations in
the West Bank, including occupied Jerusalem, and their impact on different
aspects of life: raiding the Palestinian residential communities; daily
incursions, arrests and torture of civilians; settlement expansion plans;
restrictions on movement; the impact of the annexation wall on the daily life
of Palestinians and how it prevents them from enjoying their basic human
rights. He also addressed the Israeli measures in occupied Jerusalem and
isolating the city from its Palestinian surrounding.

Mohsen tackled the settler attacks against the
Palestinian civilians and their property in the West Bank and stressed the
failure of the Israeli forces to apply the law over settlers. Moreover, he
highlighted that Israeli forces protect the settler attacks, which are carried out
in front of them, and even get involved in them.

At the end of the meeting, Mohsen talked about
the human rights situation in the territories under the Palestinian Authority’s
control in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He explained the impact of the internal
division over the deterioration of human rights. In addition, Mohsen addressed
many violations of the Palestinian human rights committed by the two
Palestinian governments in Gaza and Ramallah each in its area.