Ref: 70/2013

On 19 November 2013, the Palestinian Centre for
Human Rights (PCHR) held a meeting with representatives of a number of
international and local organizations working in the humanitarian and relief
fields in PCHR’s head office in Gaza City. 
The meeting sought to discuss the consequences of the closure and the current
resulting crises as well as the roles of these organizations and their work
programs in this regard.

The meeting was attended by representatives of:
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC); the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNESCO; Care International;
the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA); and the
Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC). From the Palestinian side, representatives of
the Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations Network, Addameer Association
for Human Rights, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights and PCHR participated in the
meeting.

Raji Sourani, Director of PCHR, opened the
meeting welcoming the participants.  He
said that the objective of this meeting is to discuss the impact of the ongoing
Israeli closure imposed on the Gaza Strip as the crises resulting from the
closure are aggravating.  Sourani pointed
out that the representatives of local and international organizations are all
aware of the current situation in the Gaza Strip as they live the details of the
disastrous life due to the electricity and fuel crises as well as the
restrictions imposed on the freedom of movement of people and goods that have
recently escalated to an unreasonable level.

During the meeting, Sourani stressed that the crises
and deterioration of living conditions in the Gaza strip are basically the result
of the unjust, inhuman and illegal closure, which constitutes a form of
collective punishment imposed on the Gaza Strip population in violation to the
principles and provisions of international humanitarian law.

Sourani reiterated that the current situation is
a natural outcome of a policy that has been adopted for nearly 20 years
sacrificing the international humanitarian law, democracy and human rights for the
sake of peace and security.  He warned
that monitoring and following up the consequences of current crises forebode
that the worst is yet to come.

During the Meeting, the developments in Gaza
Strip due to the closure and the resulting crises were extensively
discussed.  Representatives of the local
and international organizations reviewed their related work programs and their
individual or collective efforts in order to contribute to stopping and facing
the deterioration of the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip in addition
to the efforts that can be made to speak out to the international community and
its different bodies.  They also urged
the international community to immediately act in order to stop the illegal and
inhuman crime of closure due to its negative and tragic repercussions on the lives
of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

The participants agreed that the meeting would
be continued until the current disastrous situation is overcome in the Gaza
strip.