Ref: 62/2006

Date:  10 December 2006    

Escorted by PCHR Staff Members, Ms. Khan Checks the Human Rights Situation on the Ground in the Gaza Strip

On Friday, 8 December 2006, Ms. Irene Khan, Secretary General of Amnesty International, met with Mr. Jaber Wishah, Deputy Director of PCHR; Mr. Hamdi Shaqqura, Director of PCHR Democracy Development Unit; and Mr. Khalil Shaheen, Director of PCHR Economic and Social Rights Unit, in the context of her visit to the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) to check the human rights situation.

During the meeting, Ms. Khan listened to a detailed explanation of the developments related to the human rights situation in the OPT, particularly in the Gaza Strip, in light of the latest Israeli escalation, highlighting the most serious Israeli violations of human rights and crimes that have affected the lives and property of Palestinian civilians. PCHR’s representatives emphasized the need for delegating an international inquiry mission to investigate crimes committed by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) against Palestinian civilians, especially the crime committed by IOF in Beit Hanoun on 8 November 2006, which killed 19 Palestinian civilians.

PCHR’s representatives also briefed Ms. Khan on the deterioration in the economic and social conditions of the Palestinian civilian population due to the siege imposed by IOF on the OPT, and the suspension of international aids to the Palestinian people following the election of the current Palestinian government – an action wich has had catastrophic impacts on the economic and living conditions of the Palestinian civilian population.

PCHR’s representatives further explained PCHR’s reservations concerning Human Rights Watch’s position towards the voluntary peaceful protests by Palestinian civilians against the bombardment of houses after warning its residents. PCHR criticized this position as it equates between Palestinian peaceful protests against an illegal actions and the IOF’s forcible use of Palestinian civilians as human shields.

On 9 December 2006, Wishah and Shaeen escorted Ms. Khan and the accompanying mission in a field tour, during which she visited the towns of Beit Hanoun, Jabalya and Rafah. She met with a number of Palestinian civilians who were affected by IOF’s attacks.