Ref: 01/2010

On Monday, 11 January 2010, Khalil
Shaheen, Director of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights Unit (ESC) in the
Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR), opened a gallery titled
“Defending Hope in Gaza.” The
gallery was organized by Front Line, the International Foundation for
Protection of Human Rights Defenders, in Dublin, Ireland. Mr. Broncias De Rosa, MP for Labor Party,
Ms.
Mary Lawlor, Head of Front Line, and a large gathering of people
interested in the Palestinian cause in Ireland attended. Besides, number of ambassadors and diplomatic
representatives in Ireland attended the gallery opening.

Mr. Broncias De Rosa, MP for Labor
Party, delivered a speech pointing to the suffering of the Palestinian people
in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT); particularly the Gaza Strip under
the illegal siege and one year after the latest Israeli offensive. He talked about his visit with a delegation
of the European Parliament Members to OPT, where they observed the suffering of
the Palestinian people due to the Israeli policies, which violate all
international human rights standards. He
highly appreciated the role of Palestinian defenders of human rights. Besides, he called for enabling them to move
and work freely and have access to victims of human rights violations in OPT.

Ms. Mary Lawlor, Head of Front Line,
welcomed the attendees and pointed to pictures in the gallery, which express ambitions
and hopes of human rights defenders in the OPT, particularly in the Gaza
Strip. She added that this gallery
coincides with the attendance of one of human rights defenders pointing to Mr.
Shaheen from PCHR. She also said that
organizing this gallery is a form of solidarity and continuous work for
respecting rights of human rights defenders in working freely in the Gaza
Strip. Moreover, the gallery is a call
for the international community and Irish society to pressurize Israel so as to
lift the illegal siege, in addition to show respect for human rights and the
rule of law.

Khalil Shaheen, Director of ESC,
delivered a speech thanking Front Line for its efforts to organize this gallery
in Dublin. He also welcomed attendees,
including ambassadors, consuls and representatives of civil society in
Ireland. Shaheen talked about the human
rights situation in the OPT, especially in the Gaza Strip. He stated: “PCHR, which includes a group
of human rights defenders in Palestine, has highlighted the reality of life in
the Gaza Strip, including catastrophic conditions that are getting aggravated
after 943 days of illegal comprehensive siege. This comes in light of frequent attacks and arbitrary invasions on the
Gaza Strip that were carried out in the largest offensive on the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the
occupation. During the Israeli offensive
codenamed “Operation Cast Lead,” civilians were subjected to war crimes
and crimes against humanity and civilian property. Human rights organizations documented
hundreds of serious violations and drew political attention all over the
world. However, the international
community has failed to hold Israel accountable for its actions. This was clear in the international response
to the Goldstone report, which investigated violations of human rights and the
international law in Gaza during the latest 23-day Israeli offensive. This continuous ignorance regarding serious
violations perpetrated by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian
civilians have offered IOF the cover they need for committing more crimes after
the offensive. Such situation had
deprived victims of human rights violations in the OPT of enjoying their right
to equal legal protection, including holding all who planned for, carried out
or kept silent accountable for the abovementioned war crimes. The international community’s position
towards such violations of international law it violates their legal
obligations, especially, common article (1) of the Geneva Conventions of 1949. This article obliges all contracting parties
to respect and ensure respect for human rights in all circumstances.”

Besides, Shaheen discussed the
aggravating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip. He pointed to isolating 1.5 million civilian
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, where about 80% of them are below poverty
line. Unemployment rates are increasing
due to prevention of importing and exporting goods and due to the destruction
of the agricultural, industrial and commercial sectors’ infrastructure. He talked about deterioration of health and
educational services and housing conditions. This deterioration has resulted from continuous prevention of entering
basic needs as medicine, raw construction materials, and educational equipment.

Yesterday, Shaheen had an interview
with Radio Talk on indications of the gallery in Dublin and the human rights
situation in the OPT. In addition,
Sunday Tribune newspaper interviewed him on developments related to the human
rights situation in the OPT, political and economic conditions under siege and
prevention of reconstructing the Gaza Strip.