Press Release

The International Commission of Jurists ( ICJ) Delegation visit Settlement Areas- Visit to the Refugee Camps -Meeting with former Detainees – Opening of PCHR’s Field Office in Khan Younis

Ref: 5/‏2000

Date: January 21, ‏2000

On 21/1/2000, the ICJ Delegation , carried out a tour of the Israeli settlements within the Gaza Strip: Netsariem and Gush Qatif settlements. Khaliel Shaheen, PCHR’s researcher, and Abed El Haliem Abu Samra, PCHR’s field worker, introduced the delegation on the Israeli settlement activities in the Gaza Strip as well as the Israeli policy of land confiscation under the government of prime minister E.Barak.The delegation was also informed on the unprecedented Israeli military preparedness and military installations within the settlement, at the periphery and on access roads thereto.

The delegation visited Rafah and Khan Younis refugee camps. Khan Younis’s Refugee Popular Committee briefed the delegation on the living conditions of the refugees in the camp and expressed their concern at the decreasing level of assistance of UNRWA in the areas of education and health. Khan Younis Refugees Popular Committee requested the delegation to pressure the International Community to help secure the right to return of Palestinian refugees and their rights to be compensated according to the 194 United Nation General Assembly Resolution.

The delegation met former prisoners recently released from the Israeli prisons. They expressed their concern at the poor conditions of treatment Palestinian and Arab prisoners are subjected to within the Israeli prisons. Practice of torture is frequent against the detainees as well as lack of medical attendance. The families of the detainees are regularly prevented access to their relatives in prisons as well as the Palestinian lawyers unable therefore to provide the detainees direct legal assistance.

That day, PCHR inaugurated its first branch in Khan Younis, in the presence of the ICJ delegation and a number of local officials, political representatives, lawyers and local NGO’s from the Gaza Strip. Raji Sourani, on behalf of PCHR stressed the importance of a field based office in order to offer closer contacts and services as well as improving awareness of human rights issues among the local society. A second field office in Jabalia is planned to open in March 2000.