Ref:
35/2014

On
Wednesday, 22 October 2014, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR),
received Mrs. Barbara Wolf, Head of the Representative Office of Federal
Republic of Germany, and Mr. Rimette Von Holtz, Director of Consular and Legal
affairs, in its head office in Gaza City.

The
two visitors met with Mr. Hamdi Shaqqura, PCHR’s Deputy Director for Program
Affairs, who appreciated their visit especially after the latest Israeli
offensive on the Gaza Strip and at a time when Israeli forces continue to
impose closure and collective punishment against 1.8 million Palestinians in
the Gaza Strip.

During
the meeting, Shaqqura reviewed the situation of human rights in the Palestinian
territories and the current situation. 
He also emphasized the importance of the international action on two
main issues.  The first is accountability
as Israel would not have committed crimes against civilians and their property
without having impunity.  He added that
war crimes must not go unpunished, and the culture of impunity must be fought.  The second issue is the 7-year closure
imposed on the Gaza Strip which caused devastating consequences on all aspects
of lives.  Shaqqura criticized the
suggested mechanism by Robert Serry, UN Middle East Envoy, to allow the entry
of construction materials under international observation.  He added that reconstruction cannot be carried
out in light of the closure.  The
mechanism serves the institutionalization and legitimization of the closure
approved by the UN and prolongs the closure instead of ending it.  He added that what is needed is to stop
collective punishment and completely lift the closure.

The
meeting also discussed the partnership between PCHR and the German
representative office as the German government funds a project implemented by
PCHR to work on cancelling the death penalty in the Palestinian Authority.