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On the World Day of the Handicapped:

Stop Israeli violations against handicapped Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories

Ref: 132/2002
Date: 3 December 2002

Tuesday, 3 December 2002 coincides with the World Day of the Handicapped, on which mankind as a whole has agreed to respect, promote and protect the rights of those people disadvantaged by handicaps.  These rights are based on the general principles of human rights, which ensure equality and protection from discrimination; allowing all people to enjoy the rights and freedoms provided to them by international human rights law.  The handicapped are equally entitled to enjoy civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.  Governments are responsible for ensuring that those individuals enjoy these rights, through adapting the social and environmental context to this end.

To mark this occasion, PCHR would like to draw attention to the suffering of handicapped Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, especially in light of the war crimes and grave breaches of the international human rights law and humanitarian law perpetrated by Israeli forces.  Israeli occupying forces have regularly used excessive force against Palestinian civilians who do not pose any threat to the lives of Israeli soldiers.

Handicapped Palestinians, like the rest of the Palestinian civilian population, have not been immune to these grave breaches and war crimes perpetrated by Israel.  Since the beginning of the al-Aqsa Intifada on 29 September 2000, Israeli forces have targeted lives of the handicapped, paying no consideration to their special needs and conditions.  According to PCHR’s documentation, 34 handicapped Palestinians, 22 of whom were mentally handicapped, have been killed by Israeli forces.  In addition, a further 50 handicapped Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli forces in the territories.

Furthermore, many handicapped Palestinians have been arrested and subjected to torture as well as cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment by Israel.  Hundreds of handicapped Palestinians had been held for hours at the Israeli military checkpoints established between Palestinian communities.

Many rehabilitation centers that provide services for the handicapped have been severely damaged by the Israeli bombardment of adjacent security sites.  In this regard, Israeli forces have violated the right of the handicapped to receive education and rehabilitation that would enable them to integrate themselves into society.

Today being the World Day of the Handicapped, PCHR calls upon the international community and all human rights organizations to pressure Israel into ceasing its barbaric and unjustified aggression against the handicapped Palestinian people and rehabilitation centers, and respect relevant international instruments.