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| PCHR Palestinian Centre for Human Rights PRESS RELEASE |
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Ref: 180/2004
Date: 19 December 2004
Time: 11:00 GMT
PCHR Calls on the International Community to Generate Pressure in Order that an Appropriate Atmosphere for Free and Impartial Election Can Be Created
PCHR is gravely concerned about the increasing escalation of attacks launched by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), and their consequences on the Palestinian presidential election which will be held on 9 January 2005. PCHR calls on the international community to pressure Israel and its occupation forces to stop such attacks to create a positive atmosphere that can allow Palestinians to exercise their right of elections and freely choose a new president for the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).
The OPT has witnessed increasing tensions as IOF have escalated attacks against Palestinian civilians and property. Since 14 November 2004, when 9 January 2005 was assigned as the date on which Palestinian presidential elections would be held, IOF have killed at least 40 Palestinians, and have launched a series of aerial attacks on Palestinian towns. In the past two days, IOF killed 11 Palestinians, injured dozens of others and made dozens of families homeless after having destroyed their homes during a wide scale incursion into Khan Yunis refugee camp and al-Nimsawi neighborhood in the southwest of Khan Yunis.
Furthermore, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the internal and external movement of Palestinians, contrary to Israeli official claims that they would ease such restrictions to facilitate holding the Palestinian presidential election. On 12 December 2004, IOF partitioned the Gaza Strip into 3 separate zones until 16 December. They have also closed Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border, which is the only outlet for Palestinians in the Gaza Strip to the outside world. Besides, IOF have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians through hundreds of military checkpoints erected throughout the West Bank, which have isolated Palestinian communities from one another and transformed each into an isolated Bantustan. During the period 10-14 December 2004, IOF erected a number of military checkpoints at the entrances of a number of villages near Bethlehem, especially al-Khader village to the south into which IOF moved and arrested dozens of young men. In addition, Jerusalem has been isolated by IOF from the rest of the West Bank.
Attacks launched by IOF against Palestinian civilians and property and the total siege imposed on the OPT, including restrictions on the freedom of movement, make holding free Presidential election a complicated mission. The total siege imposed by IOF has prevented the candidates from moving freely in electoral bureaus to prepare for the election campaign which will officially begin on 25 December 2004. Last week, 2 candidates for the Palestinian presidential election were attacked by IOF. On 8 December, Mustafa al-Barghouthi, an independent candidate, and his bodyguards were beaten by IOF positioned at a military checkpoint at the entrance to Jaba’ village, south of Jenin. On 10 December 2004, IOF positioned at Dahiat al-Barid military checkpoint at the northern entrance to East Jerusalem beat Bassam al-Salhi, Secretary General of the Palestinian People Party who is nominated for the presidential election. They also arrested and interrogated him in an Israeli detention center in Jerusalem. He was released on bail. As a local monitoring organization, PCHR’s staff members responsible for coordinating observation of the election were not able to travel to the central Gaza Strip, Khan Yunis and Rafah in the past few days to complete the formation of monitoring groups in these areas.
In light of the above, PCHR reiterates its call on the international community to effectively intervene to ensure success for the Palestinian presidential election through pressuring Israel to stop attacks in the OPT to create an appropriate atmosphere that can allow Palestinians to exercise their right to election and choose a new president for the PNA.
“EDN”
Public Document
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PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip. E-mail: pchr@pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org
