Ref: 65/2010

During the past few days, Lawyer
Raji Sourani, Director of the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR),
received three international delegations from Spain and the Netherlands. Sourani briefed members of the international
delegations on developments of the human rights situation in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory (OPT) in general, and in the Gaza Strip in Particular.

The first delegation included two
members of the Green Party of Spain, the second one included 12 activists from
the Basque, while the third delegation included Deputy Head of the
Representative Office of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the Palestinian
National Authority, counselor Ard M.M. van der Vorst, First Secretary of the
Mission, Harry Putker, and Umar Shaaban, economic expert and head of Pal Think
for Strategic Studies.

Members of these delegations met
separately with lawyer Raji Sourani, who talked about the deterioration of the
human rights situation in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank due to the
continued siege imposed by Israel and the ongoing violations of human
rights. Surani especially discussed the
catastrophic impacts of the Israeli siege and its dangerous repercussions,
stressing that Palestinian civilians, who are supposed to be protected persons
in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention, are the real victims of the
isolation imposed on the Gaza Strip and of the poverty and unemployment which
fuel extremism.

Sourani warned of the
institutionalization of the siege stressing that adopting the system of lists
of allowed and banned goods is ridiculous. He noted that these lists of goods cannot make any substantial change to
the siege or to restrictions imposed on the movement of individuals and goods
because tons of goods cannot put an end to poverty and employment and does not
help at all in moving the circle of economic development in the Gaza Strip.

Sourani also talked about the human
rights situation in the West Bank, noting the continuation of settlement
activities, confiscation of lands, creation of a Jewish majority in Jerusalem,
imposition of restrictions on the freedom of movement, arrests, house raids and
other policies that deny Palestinian civilians their rights which are ensured
under international instruments.