| PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES West Bank and Gaza Strip As-Sulta Al-Wataniyya Al-Filastīniyya (Administered by the Palestine National Authority) Joined United Nations: 22 November 1974 (Palestine Liberation Organization enjoys Observer Status) Human Rights as assured by their constitution Click here Updated 05/27/10 |
| CAPITAL |
| POPULATION |
| CHIEF OF STATE |
| SELECTION PROCESS |
Ramallah (West Bank)
Gaza City (Gaza Strip)
Gaza City (Gaza Strip)
4,119,183 (July 2010 est.)
Mahmoud Abbas
President since 9 January 2005
President since 9 January 2005
President elected by popular vote for a four-year term (eligible
for a second term); election last held 9 January 2005; as Fatah
and Hamas, the two dominant parties, were unable to reconcile
and, as Fatah continues to dominate only the West Bank and
Hamas controls only Gaza, the 9 January 2009 election did not
occur, Abbas unilaterally extended his term by one year.
Hamas, likewise declared Duwaik president as he is Speaker of
the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Next scheduled election: TBD
for a second term); election last held 9 January 2005; as Fatah
and Hamas, the two dominant parties, were unable to reconcile
and, as Fatah continues to dominate only the West Bank and
Hamas controls only Gaza, the 9 January 2009 election did not
occur, Abbas unilaterally extended his term by one year.
Hamas, likewise declared Duwaik president as he is Speaker of
the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Next scheduled election: TBD
HEAD OF GOVERNMENT
SELECTION PROCESS
Ismail Haniya
Prime Minister since 25 January 2006
Prime Minister since 25 January 2006
Following legislative elections the leader of the majority party or
coalition is typically appointed prime minister by the president.
Last election: 25 January 2006. Following renewed conflict
between Fatah and Hamas, Fayad appointed Prime Minister by
Abbas. Not confirmed by the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Next scheduled election: TBD
coalition is typically appointed prime minister by the president.
Last election: 25 January 2006. Following renewed conflict
between Fatah and Hamas, Fayad appointed Prime Minister by
Abbas. Not confirmed by the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Next scheduled election: TBD
| DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS |
| ETHNIC GROUPS |
West Bank: Palestinian Arab and other 83%, Jewish 17%;
Gaza Strip: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
Gaza Strip: Palestinian Arab and other 99.4%, Jewish 0.6%
| RELIGIONS |
West Bank: Islam 75% (predominantly Sunni), Jewish 17%, Christian and other 8%;
Gaza Strip: Islam 98.7% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%.
Gaza Strip: Islam 98.7% (predominantly Sunni), Christian 0.7%, Jewish 0.6%.
| GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE |
Interim administrative organization that nominally governs parts of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip comprised of After
the signing of the Oslo Accords, the West bank and the Gaza Strip were divided into 3 areas (A, B, and C) and 16
governorates. Area A refers to the area under PA security and civilian control. Area B refers to the area under Palestinian
civilian and Israeli security control. Area C refers to the area under full Israeli control such as settlements. Legal system is
a mixture Sharia (Islamic), civil and military law
Executive: The president of the PA is directly elected by the people, and the holder of this position is also considered to be the
commander-in chief of the armed forces. In an amendment to the Basic Law approved in 2003 (and which may or may not
become part of the Palestinian constitution once independence is established), the president appoints a "prime minister" who is
also chief of the national security services.
Legislative: The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is an elected body of 88 representatives and acts as a parliament.
The PLC must approve all government cabinet positions proposed by the prime minister, and must also confirm the prime
minister himself upon nomination by the president. Parliamentary elections were conducted in January 2006 after the
recent passage of an overhauled election law that increased the number of seats from 88 to 132.
Judicial: The Judiciary Branch has yet to be properly formalized.
the signing of the Oslo Accords, the West bank and the Gaza Strip were divided into 3 areas (A, B, and C) and 16
governorates. Area A refers to the area under PA security and civilian control. Area B refers to the area under Palestinian
civilian and Israeli security control. Area C refers to the area under full Israeli control such as settlements. Legal system is
a mixture Sharia (Islamic), civil and military law
Executive: The president of the PA is directly elected by the people, and the holder of this position is also considered to be the
commander-in chief of the armed forces. In an amendment to the Basic Law approved in 2003 (and which may or may not
become part of the Palestinian constitution once independence is established), the president appoints a "prime minister" who is
also chief of the national security services.
Legislative: The Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) is an elected body of 88 representatives and acts as a parliament.
The PLC must approve all government cabinet positions proposed by the prime minister, and must also confirm the prime
minister himself upon nomination by the president. Parliamentary elections were conducted in January 2006 after the
recent passage of an overhauled election law that increased the number of seats from 88 to 132.
Judicial: The Judiciary Branch has yet to be properly formalized.
| LANGUAGES |
Arabic, Hebrew, English
| BRIEF HISTORY |
| ECONOMIC OVERVIEW |
The West Bank - the larger of the two areas comprising the Palestinian Authority (PA) - experienced a limited revival of
economic activity in 2009 as a result of inflows of donor assistance, the PA's implementation of economic reforms,
improved security, and the easing of movement and access restrictions by the Israeli Government. Nevertheless, overall
standard-of-living measures remain below those seen prior to the start of the second intifada in 2000. The almost
decade-long downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - a steady increase in Israeli-imposed movement
and access restrictions across the West Bank in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor flows,
manufacturing, and commerce, both external and internal. Since 2008, the PA under President Mahmoud ABBAS and
Prime Minister Salam FAYYAD have implemented a largely successful campaign of institutional reforms and economic
development that has contributed to increased economic performance, supported by more than $3 billion in direct foreign
donor assistance to the PA's budget since 2007. An easing of some Israeli restrictions on West Bank movement and
access in 2008 and 2009 also contributed to an uptick in retail and entertainment activity in larger cities. The biggest
impediments to growth remain lack of access to land and resources in Israeli-controlled areas, import and export
restrictions, and a high-cost capital structure. Absent private sector-driven growth, the PA will continue to rely on donor
aid for its budgetary needs.
High population density, limited land and sea access, continuing isolation, and strict internal and external security controls
have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas in the Palestinian Territories.
Israeli-imposed crossings closures, which became more restrictive after HAMAS violently took over the territory in June
2007, and fighting between HAMAS and Israel during December 2008-January 2009, resulted in the near collapse of
most of the private sector, extremely high unemployment, and high poverty rates. Shortages of many goods are met
through the HAMAS-controlled black market tunnel trade that flourishes under the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Gaza and West Bank)
economic activity in 2009 as a result of inflows of donor assistance, the PA's implementation of economic reforms,
improved security, and the easing of movement and access restrictions by the Israeli Government. Nevertheless, overall
standard-of-living measures remain below those seen prior to the start of the second intifada in 2000. The almost
decade-long downturn has been largely a result of Israeli closure policies - a steady increase in Israeli-imposed movement
and access restrictions across the West Bank in response to security concerns in Israel - which disrupted labor flows,
manufacturing, and commerce, both external and internal. Since 2008, the PA under President Mahmoud ABBAS and
Prime Minister Salam FAYYAD have implemented a largely successful campaign of institutional reforms and economic
development that has contributed to increased economic performance, supported by more than $3 billion in direct foreign
donor assistance to the PA's budget since 2007. An easing of some Israeli restrictions on West Bank movement and
access in 2008 and 2009 also contributed to an uptick in retail and entertainment activity in larger cities. The biggest
impediments to growth remain lack of access to land and resources in Israeli-controlled areas, import and export
restrictions, and a high-cost capital structure. Absent private sector-driven growth, the PA will continue to rely on donor
aid for its budgetary needs.
High population density, limited land and sea access, continuing isolation, and strict internal and external security controls
have degraded economic conditions in the Gaza Strip - the smaller of the two areas in the Palestinian Territories.
Israeli-imposed crossings closures, which became more restrictive after HAMAS violently took over the territory in June
2007, and fighting between HAMAS and Israel during December 2008-January 2009, resulted in the near collapse of
most of the private sector, extremely high unemployment, and high poverty rates. Shortages of many goods are met
through the HAMAS-controlled black market tunnel trade that flourishes under the Gaza Strip's border with Egypt.
Source: CIA World Factbook (select Gaza and West Bank)
| POLITICAL CLIMATE |
The political status of these territories has been the subject of negotiations between Israel and the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO) and of numerous statements and resolutions by the United Nations. (See List of United Nations
resolutions concerning Israel.) Since 1994, the autonomous Palestinian National Authority has exercised various degrees
of control in large parts of the territories, as a result of the Declaration of Principles contained in the Oslo Accords.
After Hamas won a majority of seats in elections for the Palestinian Parliament, the United States and Israel instituted an
economic blockade of the Gaza Strip. When that failed to topple the new government, a covert operation was launched
to eliminate Hamas by force. The covert initiative was exposed when confidential State Department documents were
accidentally leaked by the US envoy. The talking points delivered to the Fatah leadership said:
Hamas should be given a clear choice, with a clear deadline: they either accept a new government that meets the Quartet
principles, or they reject it. The consequences of Hamas’ decision should also be clear: If Hamas does not agree within
the prescribed time, you should make clear your intention to declare a state of emergency and form an emergency
government explicitly committed to that platform.
Since the Battle of Gaza (2007), the administration of the territories has been contested by two rival entities, with Hamas
controlling the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian National Authority (with Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in leadership) continuing
to administer the West Bank. Both groups claim legitimacy over leadership of the Palestinian territories and neither
recognizes the legitimacy of the other. Most countries with an interest in the issues, including most of the Arab countries,
recognise the administration of Mahmoud Abbas as the legitimate government over both Palestinian territories.
The current and future political status of the territories is highly controversial. Specific issues include the legality of Israeli
policies allegedly encouraging settlement, whether it is legitimate for Israel to annex portions of the territories, whether
Israel is legally an occupying power according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and whether an independent Arab state
will be created in the territories.
Source: Wikipedia: Palestinian National Authority
Organization (PLO) and of numerous statements and resolutions by the United Nations. (See List of United Nations
resolutions concerning Israel.) Since 1994, the autonomous Palestinian National Authority has exercised various degrees
of control in large parts of the territories, as a result of the Declaration of Principles contained in the Oslo Accords.
After Hamas won a majority of seats in elections for the Palestinian Parliament, the United States and Israel instituted an
economic blockade of the Gaza Strip. When that failed to topple the new government, a covert operation was launched
to eliminate Hamas by force. The covert initiative was exposed when confidential State Department documents were
accidentally leaked by the US envoy. The talking points delivered to the Fatah leadership said:
Hamas should be given a clear choice, with a clear deadline: they either accept a new government that meets the Quartet
principles, or they reject it. The consequences of Hamas’ decision should also be clear: If Hamas does not agree within
the prescribed time, you should make clear your intention to declare a state of emergency and form an emergency
government explicitly committed to that platform.
Since the Battle of Gaza (2007), the administration of the territories has been contested by two rival entities, with Hamas
controlling the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian National Authority (with Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah in leadership) continuing
to administer the West Bank. Both groups claim legitimacy over leadership of the Palestinian territories and neither
recognizes the legitimacy of the other. Most countries with an interest in the issues, including most of the Arab countries,
recognise the administration of Mahmoud Abbas as the legitimate government over both Palestinian territories.
The current and future political status of the territories is highly controversial. Specific issues include the legality of Israeli
policies allegedly encouraging settlement, whether it is legitimate for Israel to annex portions of the territories, whether
Israel is legally an occupying power according to the Fourth Geneva Convention, and whether an independent Arab state
will be created in the territories.
Source: Wikipedia: Palestinian National Authority
| INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES |
West Bank and Gaza Strip are Israeli-occupied with current status subject to the Israeli-Palestinian Interim Agreement -
permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation
barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern
West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization
(UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents
from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
permanent status to be determined through further negotiation; Israel continues construction of a "seam line" separation
barrier along parts of the Green Line and within the West Bank; Israel withdrew from four settlements in the northern
West Bank in August 2005; since 1948, about 350 peacekeepers from the UN Truce Supervision Organization
(UNTSO), headquartered in Jerusalem, monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents
from escalating, and assist other UN personnel in the region
| REFUGEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) |
West Bank- Refugees (country of origin): 722,000 (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)
Gaza Strip- Refugees (country of origin): 1.017 million (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)
Gaza Strip- Refugees (country of origin): 1.017 million (Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA)) (2007)
| HUMAN RIGHTS STATEMENTS, ANALYSIS AND CRITIQUES |
2009 Human Rights Report: Israel and the occupied territories
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Israel is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 7.5 million, including Israelis living in the
occupied territories. Israel has no constitution, although a series of "Basic Laws" enumerate fundamental rights. Certain
fundamental laws, orders, and regulations legally depend on the existence of a "State of Emergency," which has been in effect since
1948. The 120-member, unicameral Knesset has the power to dissolve the government and mandate elections. The February 10
elections for the Knesset were considered free and fair. They resulted in a coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces within Israel. (An annex to this report
covers human rights in the occupied territories. This report deals with human rights in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights.)
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, although there were problems in some areas. There were
several high-profile cases involving corruption by political leaders. Institutional, legal, and societal discrimination against Arab
citizens, Palestinian Arabs, non-Orthodox Jews, and other religious groups continued, as did societal discrimination against persons
with disabilities. Women suffered societal discrimination and domestic violence. The government maintained unequal educational
systems for Arab and Jewish students. While trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution greatly decreased in recent
years, trafficking for the purpose of labor remained a problem, as did abuse of foreign workers.
Palestinian rocket and terrorist attacks killed four and injured 34 civilians in Israel during the year; such attacks killed three at the
start of hostilities on December 27 and 29, 2008. There were 125 rockets and 70 mortar shells fired into Israel from Gaza since the
end of Operation Cast Lead on January 21, and 850 rockets and mortar shells during the hostilities, compared with 1,750 rockets
and 1,528 mortar shells in 2008.
In response to a sharp increase in the number and frequency of rocket attacks into Israel prior to and following the expiration of
Hamas' agreed period of "calm" on December 19, 2008, the Israeli Air Force launched Operation Cast Lead, consisting initially of
airstrikes on December 27 against Hamas security installations, personnel, and other facilities in the Gaza Strip, followed on January
3 by ground operations. Hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters continued through January 18, and the Israeli
withdrawal of troops was completed on January 21. Human rights organizations estimated the number of dead at close to 1,400
Palestinians, including more than 1,000 civilians, and the wounded at more than 5,000. According to government figures,
Palestinian deaths totaled 1,166, including 295 noncombatant deaths. The discrepancy over civilian deaths largely centered on
whether the 248 Hamas police officers killed were considered civilians. There were 13 Israelis killed, including three civilians.
Further information on the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank is in the Annex.
The President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) established the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict to
investigate Israeli violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in the context of military operations in Gaza,
whether before, during, or after Operation Cast Lead. On September 29, Justice Richard Goldstone, who headed the mission,
presented the report (commonly known as the "Goldstone report") to the HRC in Geneva. The Goldstone report investigated 36
incidents of alleged violations by the IDF in Gaza, as well as alleged violations by Palestinians. This reflected an effort by Goldstone
to broaden the scope of his report beyond the original mandate, which was limited only to violations by Israel. Among its many
conclusions, the report claimed that members of the IDF were responsible for deliberate targeting of civilians, for the destruction of
critical infrastructure in Gaza, and for using weapons such as white phosphorous in highly populated areas, all of which it deemed
to be violations of international humanitarian law. The Goldstone report was widely criticized for methodological failings, legal and
factual errors, falsehoods, and for devoting insufficient attention to the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the fact that Hamas
and other Palestinian militants were deliberately operating in heavily populated urban areas of Gaza. The government of Israel also
sharply rejected the charge that it had a policy of deliberately targeting civilians. IDF military advocate general Mandelblit was
responsible for reviewing all allegations relating to Operation Cast Lead, including those contained in the Goldstone Report. At the
end of the year, Mandelblit's investigations were ongoing.
Click here to read more »
Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor
2009 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices
March 11, 2010
Israel is a multiparty parliamentary democracy with a population of approximately 7.5 million, including Israelis living in the
occupied territories. Israel has no constitution, although a series of "Basic Laws" enumerate fundamental rights. Certain
fundamental laws, orders, and regulations legally depend on the existence of a "State of Emergency," which has been in effect since
1948. The 120-member, unicameral Knesset has the power to dissolve the government and mandate elections. The February 10
elections for the Knesset were considered free and fair. They resulted in a coalition government led by Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu. Civilian authorities generally maintained effective control of the security forces within Israel. (An annex to this report
covers human rights in the occupied territories. This report deals with human rights in Israel and the Israeli-occupied Golan
Heights.)
The government generally respected the human rights of its citizens, although there were problems in some areas. There were
several high-profile cases involving corruption by political leaders. Institutional, legal, and societal discrimination against Arab
citizens, Palestinian Arabs, non-Orthodox Jews, and other religious groups continued, as did societal discrimination against persons
with disabilities. Women suffered societal discrimination and domestic violence. The government maintained unequal educational
systems for Arab and Jewish students. While trafficking in persons for the purpose of prostitution greatly decreased in recent
years, trafficking for the purpose of labor remained a problem, as did abuse of foreign workers.
Palestinian rocket and terrorist attacks killed four and injured 34 civilians in Israel during the year; such attacks killed three at the
start of hostilities on December 27 and 29, 2008. There were 125 rockets and 70 mortar shells fired into Israel from Gaza since the
end of Operation Cast Lead on January 21, and 850 rockets and mortar shells during the hostilities, compared with 1,750 rockets
and 1,528 mortar shells in 2008.
In response to a sharp increase in the number and frequency of rocket attacks into Israel prior to and following the expiration of
Hamas' agreed period of "calm" on December 19, 2008, the Israeli Air Force launched Operation Cast Lead, consisting initially of
airstrikes on December 27 against Hamas security installations, personnel, and other facilities in the Gaza Strip, followed on January
3 by ground operations. Hostilities between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters continued through January 18, and the Israeli
withdrawal of troops was completed on January 21. Human rights organizations estimated the number of dead at close to 1,400
Palestinians, including more than 1,000 civilians, and the wounded at more than 5,000. According to government figures,
Palestinian deaths totaled 1,166, including 295 noncombatant deaths. The discrepancy over civilian deaths largely centered on
whether the 248 Hamas police officers killed were considered civilians. There were 13 Israelis killed, including three civilians.
Further information on the human rights situation in Gaza and the West Bank is in the Annex.
The President of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) established the United Nations Fact Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict to
investigate Israeli violations of international human rights and humanitarian law in the context of military operations in Gaza,
whether before, during, or after Operation Cast Lead. On September 29, Justice Richard Goldstone, who headed the mission,
presented the report (commonly known as the "Goldstone report") to the HRC in Geneva. The Goldstone report investigated 36
incidents of alleged violations by the IDF in Gaza, as well as alleged violations by Palestinians. This reflected an effort by Goldstone
to broaden the scope of his report beyond the original mandate, which was limited only to violations by Israel. Among its many
conclusions, the report claimed that members of the IDF were responsible for deliberate targeting of civilians, for the destruction of
critical infrastructure in Gaza, and for using weapons such as white phosphorous in highly populated areas, all of which it deemed
to be violations of international humanitarian law. The Goldstone report was widely criticized for methodological failings, legal and
factual errors, falsehoods, and for devoting insufficient attention to the asymmetrical nature of the conflict and the fact that Hamas
and other Palestinian militants were deliberately operating in heavily populated urban areas of Gaza. The government of Israel also
sharply rejected the charge that it had a policy of deliberately targeting civilians. IDF military advocate general Mandelblit was
responsible for reviewing all allegations relating to Operation Cast Lead, including those contained in the Goldstone Report. At the
end of the year, Mandelblit's investigations were ongoing.
Click here to read more »
11 February 2009
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session
Agenda item 7
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,
Richard Falk*
Summary
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, in
the light of Human Rights Council resolution S-9/1, focuses on the main international law and human rights issues of the attacks by
Israel on Gaza that commenced on 27 December 2008 and continued for 22 days. He challenges the widespread emphasis on
whether Israeli force was disproportionate in relation to Palestinian threats to Israeli security, and focuses on the question of
whether Israeli force was legally justified at all. He concludes that such recourse to force was not legally justified given the
circumstances and diplomatic alternatives available, and was potentially a crime against peace.
The Special Rapporteur also gives relevance to the pre-existing blockade of Gaza, which was in massive violation of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, suggesting the presence of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. He considers the tactics pursued
during the attacks by both sides, condemning the firing of rockets at Israeli civilian targets, and suggests the unlawfulness of
disallowing civilians in Gaza to have an option to leave the war zone to become refugees, as well as the charges of unlawful
weapons and combat tactics. He recommends that an expert inquiry into these matters be conducted to confirm the status under
international law of war crimes allegations, and to consider alternative approaches to accountability.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur insists that Israeli security and the realization of the Palestinian right of self-determination are
fundamentally connected, and that the recognition of this aspect of the situation suggests the importance of an intensified
diplomatic effort, respect by all parties of relevant international law rights, and implementation of the long-deferred Israeli
withdrawal from occupied Palestine as initially prescribed by the Security Council in its resolution 242 (1967). Until such steps are
taken, the Palestinian right of resistance within the limits of international humanitarian law and Israeli security policy will inevitably
clash, giving rise to ever new cycles of violence. The Special Rapporteur also recommends action in response to the denial by
Israel of entry to him on 14 December 2008.
Click here to read more »
HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL
Tenth session
Agenda item 7
HUMAN RIGHTS SITUATION IN PALESTINE AND OTHER OCCUPIED ARAB TERRITORIES
Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967,
Richard Falk*
Summary
In the present report, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, in
the light of Human Rights Council resolution S-9/1, focuses on the main international law and human rights issues of the attacks by
Israel on Gaza that commenced on 27 December 2008 and continued for 22 days. He challenges the widespread emphasis on
whether Israeli force was disproportionate in relation to Palestinian threats to Israeli security, and focuses on the question of
whether Israeli force was legally justified at all. He concludes that such recourse to force was not legally justified given the
circumstances and diplomatic alternatives available, and was potentially a crime against peace.
The Special Rapporteur also gives relevance to the pre-existing blockade of Gaza, which was in massive violation of the Fourth
Geneva Convention, suggesting the presence of war crimes and possibly crimes against humanity. He considers the tactics pursued
during the attacks by both sides, condemning the firing of rockets at Israeli civilian targets, and suggests the unlawfulness of
disallowing civilians in Gaza to have an option to leave the war zone to become refugees, as well as the charges of unlawful
weapons and combat tactics. He recommends that an expert inquiry into these matters be conducted to confirm the status under
international law of war crimes allegations, and to consider alternative approaches to accountability.
Finally, the Special Rapporteur insists that Israeli security and the realization of the Palestinian right of self-determination are
fundamentally connected, and that the recognition of this aspect of the situation suggests the importance of an intensified
diplomatic effort, respect by all parties of relevant international law rights, and implementation of the long-deferred Israeli
withdrawal from occupied Palestine as initially prescribed by the Security Council in its resolution 242 (1967). Until such steps are
taken, the Palestinian right of resistance within the limits of international humanitarian law and Israeli security policy will inevitably
clash, giving rise to ever new cycles of violence. The Special Rapporteur also recommends action in response to the denial by
Israel of entry to him on 14 December 2008.
Click here to read more »
FREEDOM IN THE WORLD REPORT- 2009
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 6
Status: Not Free
Explanatory Note
The areas and total number of persons under Palestinian jurisdiction changed periodically during the year due to the
fluid nature of Israel’s military presence and activities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Trend Arrow
The Palestinian Authority–administered territories received a downward trend arrow due to crackdowns by Hamas on
Fatah in Gaza, as well as crackdowns by Fatah on Hamas in the West Bank, with the use of violence and torture during
arrests and interrogations by both sides.
Overview
The 2007 fracturing of the Palestinian Authority between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-led government in the West
Bank deepened in 2008. Each side cracked down on the other in its area of control, as well as on both affiliated and independent
civic organizations, particularly in Gaza. Peace negotiations between the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and Israel stalled in
the latter part of the year, and major fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip erupted in December after a six-month
truce expired.
Fayad’s Hamas-free government in the West Bank has benefited from renewed U.S. and EU aid flows as well as tax revenues
released by Israeli authorities. Peace negotiations between Israel and Abbas also accelerated following the fracturing of the PA, but
despite a series of confidence-building measures—including the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and the
wider deployment of Palestinian security forces in the West Bank—the parties remained far from completing final-status
negotiations by the end of 2008 (the deadline set at a U.S.-backed conference in 2007). As part of the talks, the PA took on more
security responsibility in the West Bank, deploying 600 troops to the city of Jenin in March 2008.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-led Gaza Strip had suffered from an Israeli economic blockade since the June 2007 PA rupture. Israel had
declared the Gaza Strip a “hostile entity” in response to the continued barrage of Qassam rockets. During the latter half of 2007, it
allowed food deliveries across the border but shut off almost all fuel supplies, leaving most residents with only sporadic electricity.
Responding to legal challenges, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the government could continue to restrict fuel supplies as a
legal economic sanction against Hamas but had to do more to ensure a minimal humanitarian impact.
Israel maintained its blockade of Gaza in 2008, allowing only occasional movement of fuel and supplies into the territory. In
January, Hamas militants blew holes in the border barrier between Egypt and Gaza, leading hundreds of thousands of Gazans to
cross into Egypt to buy supplies; the holes were sealed about a week later. Arms and goods were also regularly smuggled through a
developing tunnel network between Egypt and Gaza. The blockade was eased after Hamas and Israel reached agreement on a six-
monthtruce in June, with more commercial goods entering Gaza.
However, the expiration of the truce in December saw major fighting erupt between Hamas and Israel and a more stringent Israeli
blockade. Hamas resumed and ramped up its rocket bombardment of Israel, and the IDF launched a major campaign of airstrikes in
Gaza, preparing the way for a possible ground invasion. While Hamas’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets were condemned
by human rights groups and other observers, the IDF bombing revived long-standing complaints that Israel’s tactics caused many
Palestinian civilian casualties, destroyed civilian infrastructure, and inflicted “collective punishment” on Gazans; according to the
BBC, over 350 Palestinians had been killed in the fighting by year’s end, along with four Israelis. Israeli authorities argued that their
actions were necessary to protect Israeli civilians, and that Palestinian civilian casualties were caused by Hamas and other militant
groups’ use of civilian areas to stage and prepare attacks.
Click here to read more »
Political Rights Score: 5
Civil Liberties Score: 6
Status: Not Free
Explanatory Note
The areas and total number of persons under Palestinian jurisdiction changed periodically during the year due to the
fluid nature of Israel’s military presence and activities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Trend Arrow
The Palestinian Authority–administered territories received a downward trend arrow due to crackdowns by Hamas on
Fatah in Gaza, as well as crackdowns by Fatah on Hamas in the West Bank, with the use of violence and torture during
arrests and interrogations by both sides.
Overview
The 2007 fracturing of the Palestinian Authority between the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip and a Fatah-led government in the West
Bank deepened in 2008. Each side cracked down on the other in its area of control, as well as on both affiliated and independent
civic organizations, particularly in Gaza. Peace negotiations between the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority and Israel stalled in
the latter part of the year, and major fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip erupted in December after a six-month
truce expired.
Fayad’s Hamas-free government in the West Bank has benefited from renewed U.S. and EU aid flows as well as tax revenues
released by Israeli authorities. Peace negotiations between Israel and Abbas also accelerated following the fracturing of the PA, but
despite a series of confidence-building measures—including the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel and the
wider deployment of Palestinian security forces in the West Bank—the parties remained far from completing final-status
negotiations by the end of 2008 (the deadline set at a U.S.-backed conference in 2007). As part of the talks, the PA took on more
security responsibility in the West Bank, deploying 600 troops to the city of Jenin in March 2008.
Meanwhile, the Hamas-led Gaza Strip had suffered from an Israeli economic blockade since the June 2007 PA rupture. Israel had
declared the Gaza Strip a “hostile entity” in response to the continued barrage of Qassam rockets. During the latter half of 2007, it
allowed food deliveries across the border but shut off almost all fuel supplies, leaving most residents with only sporadic electricity.
Responding to legal challenges, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that the government could continue to restrict fuel supplies as a
legal economic sanction against Hamas but had to do more to ensure a minimal humanitarian impact.
Israel maintained its blockade of Gaza in 2008, allowing only occasional movement of fuel and supplies into the territory. In
January, Hamas militants blew holes in the border barrier between Egypt and Gaza, leading hundreds of thousands of Gazans to
cross into Egypt to buy supplies; the holes were sealed about a week later. Arms and goods were also regularly smuggled through a
developing tunnel network between Egypt and Gaza. The blockade was eased after Hamas and Israel reached agreement on a six-
monthtruce in June, with more commercial goods entering Gaza.
However, the expiration of the truce in December saw major fighting erupt between Hamas and Israel and a more stringent Israeli
blockade. Hamas resumed and ramped up its rocket bombardment of Israel, and the IDF launched a major campaign of airstrikes in
Gaza, preparing the way for a possible ground invasion. While Hamas’s indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets were condemned
by human rights groups and other observers, the IDF bombing revived long-standing complaints that Israel’s tactics caused many
Palestinian civilian casualties, destroyed civilian infrastructure, and inflicted “collective punishment” on Gazans; according to the
BBC, over 350 Palestinians had been killed in the fighting by year’s end, along with four Israelis. Israeli authorities argued that their
actions were necessary to protect Israeli civilians, and that Palestinian civilian casualties were caused by Hamas and other militant
groups’ use of civilian areas to stage and prepare attacks.
Click here to read more »
Executions by Hamas in Gaza ‘deplorable’
15 April 2010
Amnesty International today condemned the executions by the Hamas de facto authority of two Palestinian men in Gaza in the early
hours of this morning. Both men had been convicted in 2009 by military courts in Gaza of charges of “collaboration” with the
Israeli military and involvement in murder.
“Today’s executions are an extremely retrograde step by Hamas. As these are the first executions since 2005, we are gravely
concerned for the other Palestinian prisoners in Gaza who have been given death sentences by the military courts” said Hassiba
Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Programme Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East Programme. “We deplore that these men were
convicted in unfair military proceedings.”
While a number of people accused of “collaboration” have been killed in Gaza by Hamas militias and other armed groups since its
takeover of power in June 2007, today’s executions represent the first formal executions carried out by the Hamas de facto
authority in Gaza.
In a statement released by the Hamas de facto administration this morning, the head of military justice in Gaza, Colonel Ahmed
Atallah, confirmed the execution of Nasser Salama Mohammed Abu Freih from Jabaliyya in northern Gaza and Mohammed Ibrahim
Ahmed Isma’il (known as al-Sab’a) from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The bodies of the two men were brought to al-
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City this morning; both men had reportedly been shot.
Nasser Abu Freih, a 34 year old police sergeant, was convicted of treason and involvement in murder by a military court in Gaza on
22 February 2009 and sentenced to death by firing squad. Mohammed Isma’il, a 36 year old taxi driver, was sentenced to death by
hanging on 3 November 2009 on charges of espionage and cooperation with hostile parties, and being an accessory to murder.
Background
Under Palestinian law, death sentences must be ratified by the Palestinian Authority (PA) President before they can be carried out.
Due to the ongoing stand-off between the Hamas de facto administration and the PA, death sentences passed by Hamas military
courts since June 2007 have not received the presidential ratification necessary for their implementation.
Click here to read more »
15 April 2010
Amnesty International today condemned the executions by the Hamas de facto authority of two Palestinian men in Gaza in the early
hours of this morning. Both men had been convicted in 2009 by military courts in Gaza of charges of “collaboration” with the
Israeli military and involvement in murder.
“Today’s executions are an extremely retrograde step by Hamas. As these are the first executions since 2005, we are gravely
concerned for the other Palestinian prisoners in Gaza who have been given death sentences by the military courts” said Hassiba
Hadj Sahraoui, Deputy Programme Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East Programme. “We deplore that these men were
convicted in unfair military proceedings.”
While a number of people accused of “collaboration” have been killed in Gaza by Hamas militias and other armed groups since its
takeover of power in June 2007, today’s executions represent the first formal executions carried out by the Hamas de facto
authority in Gaza.
In a statement released by the Hamas de facto administration this morning, the head of military justice in Gaza, Colonel Ahmed
Atallah, confirmed the execution of Nasser Salama Mohammed Abu Freih from Jabaliyya in northern Gaza and Mohammed Ibrahim
Ahmed Isma’il (known as al-Sab’a) from Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. The bodies of the two men were brought to al-
Shifa Hospital in Gaza City this morning; both men had reportedly been shot.
Nasser Abu Freih, a 34 year old police sergeant, was convicted of treason and involvement in murder by a military court in Gaza on
22 February 2009 and sentenced to death by firing squad. Mohammed Isma’il, a 36 year old taxi driver, was sentenced to death by
hanging on 3 November 2009 on charges of espionage and cooperation with hostile parties, and being an accessory to murder.
Background
Under Palestinian law, death sentences must be ratified by the Palestinian Authority (PA) President before they can be carried out.
Due to the ongoing stand-off between the Hamas de facto administration and the PA, death sentences passed by Hamas military
courts since June 2007 have not received the presidential ratification necessary for their implementation.
Click here to read more »
Israel: Investigate Unlawful Destruction in Gaza War
Gaza Blockade Hinders Rebuilding of Property
May 13, 2010
(Jerusalem) - Israel should investigate the unlawful destruction of civilian property during the 2009 Gaza hostilities and lift the
blockade that hinders residents from rebuilding their homes, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
The 116-page report, "‘I Lost Everything': Israel's Unlawful Destruction of Property in the Gaza Conflict" documents 12 separate
cases during Operation Cast Lead in which Israeli forces extensively destroyed civilian property, including homes, factories, farms,
and greenhouses, in areas under their control, without any lawful military purpose. Human Rights Watch's investigations, which
relied upon physical evidence, satellite imagery, and multiple witness accounts at each site, found no indication of nearby fighting
when the destruction occurred.
Israel has claimed that its forces destroyed civilian property only when Palestinian armed groups were fighting from it, or were
using it to store weapons, hide tunnels, or advance other military purposes. Israel also claims that many Gazan homes were
destroyed by Hamas booby-traps. The evidence in the incidents that Human Rights Watch investigated does not support such
claims.
"Almost 16 months after the war, Israel has not held accountable troops who unlawfully destroyed swaths of civilian property in
areas under their control," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Israel's blockade continues to
keep Gazans from rebuilding their homes, meaning that Israel is still punishing Gaza's civilians long after the fighting is over."
Human Rights Watch found evidence in the 12 cases indicating that Israeli forces carried out the destruction for either punitive or
other unlawful reasons, violating the prohibition under international humanitarian law - the laws of war - against deliberately
destroying civilian property except when necessary for lawful military reasons. In seven of the cases, satellite imagery corroborated
eyewitness accounts that Israeli forces destroyed many structures after establishing control over an area and shortly before Israel
announced a ceasefire and withdrew its forces from Gaza on January 18, 2009.
Israel's comprehensive blockade of the Gaza Strip, a form of collective punishment against civilians imposed in response to
Hamas's takeover of Gaza in June 2007, has prevented significant reconstruction, including in areas where Human Rights Watch
has documented destruction. Israel has allowed imports of cement for several repair projects, but United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon noted in late March that these were "a drop in a bucket" compared to housing needs.
Click here to read more »
Gaza Blockade Hinders Rebuilding of Property
May 13, 2010
(Jerusalem) - Israel should investigate the unlawful destruction of civilian property during the 2009 Gaza hostilities and lift the
blockade that hinders residents from rebuilding their homes, Human Rights Watch said in a new report released today.
The 116-page report, "‘I Lost Everything': Israel's Unlawful Destruction of Property in the Gaza Conflict" documents 12 separate
cases during Operation Cast Lead in which Israeli forces extensively destroyed civilian property, including homes, factories, farms,
and greenhouses, in areas under their control, without any lawful military purpose. Human Rights Watch's investigations, which
relied upon physical evidence, satellite imagery, and multiple witness accounts at each site, found no indication of nearby fighting
when the destruction occurred.
Israel has claimed that its forces destroyed civilian property only when Palestinian armed groups were fighting from it, or were
using it to store weapons, hide tunnels, or advance other military purposes. Israel also claims that many Gazan homes were
destroyed by Hamas booby-traps. The evidence in the incidents that Human Rights Watch investigated does not support such
claims.
"Almost 16 months after the war, Israel has not held accountable troops who unlawfully destroyed swaths of civilian property in
areas under their control," said Sarah Leah Whitson, Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "Israel's blockade continues to
keep Gazans from rebuilding their homes, meaning that Israel is still punishing Gaza's civilians long after the fighting is over."
Human Rights Watch found evidence in the 12 cases indicating that Israeli forces carried out the destruction for either punitive or
other unlawful reasons, violating the prohibition under international humanitarian law - the laws of war - against deliberately
destroying civilian property except when necessary for lawful military reasons. In seven of the cases, satellite imagery corroborated
eyewitness accounts that Israeli forces destroyed many structures after establishing control over an area and shortly before Israel
announced a ceasefire and withdrew its forces from Gaza on January 18, 2009.
Israel's comprehensive blockade of the Gaza Strip, a form of collective punishment against civilians imposed in response to
Hamas's takeover of Gaza in June 2007, has prevented significant reconstruction, including in areas where Human Rights Watch
has documented destruction. Israel has allowed imports of cement for several repair projects, but United Nations Secretary-General
Ban Ki-moon noted in late March that these were "a drop in a bucket" compared to housing needs.
Click here to read more »
Statement by H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas President of the State of Palestine
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization
President of the Palestinian National Authority
at the General Debate of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York, 25 September 2009
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Everyone agrees on the need to achieve peace in the Middle East, counter extremism and violence, and establish the region as a zone
free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Yet, the larger wound and deeper tragedy remains the suffering of
the Palestinian people since Al-Nakba more than sixty years ago, which the United Nations is a living witness to, its archives
containing not tens but hundreds of resolutions that have not been implemented.
The suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of Israel’s colonial occupation is crystal clear to the world, since the occupation of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, Israel continues with its settlement policy on the Palestinian
land, especially in Jerusalem, where it is currently being accelerated through various means, including the seizure of the homes of
Palestinian inhabitants in the City and the imposition of restrictions and even preventing Palestinians from building and sometimes from
repairing their homes, while new settlement neighborhoods are being established and Jerusalem is being completely isolated from its
surroundings because of the illegal settlements and the apartheid Wall.
We are facing a unique situation. If international law stipulates the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, how can we
deal with the current situation now where Israeli settlement policies will undermine the goal of establishing a geographically contiguous
Palestinian State in implementation of the will of the international consensus that has been expressed in the resolutions and principles,
including the Road Map, which we all agreed upon, based on the principle of land for peace and ending the occupation that began in
1967.
I reaffirm the keenness of the Palestine Liberation Organization to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in accordance with
the resolutions of international legitimacy. At the same time, I caution that the settlement policy and the building of the separation Wall,
which continue to be pursued by the Israeli occupation, will abort opportunities to re-launch the peace process.
Time is running out, and the risks are becoming greater as a result of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people under the last
occupation in the world.
Hope will remain alive in our souls, and we will not despair to regain our rights on the basis of relevant resolutions of the United
Nations, the historic role of which we reaffirm for attaining peace and upholding the principle of might for right and not right for
might.
Click here to read more »
Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization
President of the Palestinian National Authority
at the General Debate of the 64th Session of the United Nations General Assembly
New York, 25 September 2009
Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Everyone agrees on the need to achieve peace in the Middle East, counter extremism and violence, and establish the region as a zone
free of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction. Yet, the larger wound and deeper tragedy remains the suffering of
the Palestinian people since Al-Nakba more than sixty years ago, which the United Nations is a living witness to, its archives
containing not tens but hundreds of resolutions that have not been implemented.
The suffering of the Palestinian people as a result of Israel’s colonial occupation is crystal clear to the world, since the occupation of
the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, including East Jerusalem, in 1967, Israel continues with its settlement policy on the Palestinian
land, especially in Jerusalem, where it is currently being accelerated through various means, including the seizure of the homes of
Palestinian inhabitants in the City and the imposition of restrictions and even preventing Palestinians from building and sometimes from
repairing their homes, while new settlement neighborhoods are being established and Jerusalem is being completely isolated from its
surroundings because of the illegal settlements and the apartheid Wall.
We are facing a unique situation. If international law stipulates the inadmissibility of the acquisition of territory by force, how can we
deal with the current situation now where Israeli settlement policies will undermine the goal of establishing a geographically contiguous
Palestinian State in implementation of the will of the international consensus that has been expressed in the resolutions and principles,
including the Road Map, which we all agreed upon, based on the principle of land for peace and ending the occupation that began in
1967.
I reaffirm the keenness of the Palestine Liberation Organization to achieve a just, lasting and comprehensive peace in accordance with
the resolutions of international legitimacy. At the same time, I caution that the settlement policy and the building of the separation Wall,
which continue to be pursued by the Israeli occupation, will abort opportunities to re-launch the peace process.
Time is running out, and the risks are becoming greater as a result of the continued suffering of the Palestinian people under the last
occupation in the world.
Hope will remain alive in our souls, and we will not despair to regain our rights on the basis of relevant resolutions of the United
Nations, the historic role of which we reaffirm for attaining peace and upholding the principle of might for right and not right for
might.
Click here to read more »
PCHR Condemns Unjustified Intervention into Public Freedoms and Prevention of Public and Private Meetings by
Ministry of Interior in Gaza
Tuesday, 25 May 2010 00:00
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned over the prevention by the Ministry of Interior of the organization of
a sit-in called for by the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO), a workshop organized by the Independent Commission for Human
Rights (ICHR), and an activity organized by the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) on the anniversary of Nakba (the
uprooting of the Palestinian people from their land in 1949) during the past two days in the Gaza Strip. PCHR confirms that these
measures constitute a violation of the right to peaceful assembly, which is legally and constitutionally guaranteed under the
international human rights standards.
According to the investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:00 on Monday, 24 May 2010, a police vehicle arrived at
the site of an UNRWA Summer Games' camp in the Sheikh 'Ejleen area, to the west of Gaza City. There, policemen prevented
people from gathering and participating in a sit-in, which was called for by PNGO to support UNRWA and to condemn the attack
carried out against the camp on Sunday, 23 May 2010. Amjad al-Shawa, a PNGO Coordinator, said in his testimony to PCHR that
he had received a phone call at approximately 11:45 from a person who identified himself as a staff member of the police chief's
office. Mr. al-Shawa was informed that the police had rejected PNGO's notification to the police to organize a sit-in on the camp's
site in the west of Gaza City. Mr. al-Shawa added that he explained to the caller that it was too late to cancel the sit-in, as the
participants had already arrived at the area; however, Mr. al-Shawa was told only to immediately evacuate the area.
At approximately 10:45 on the same date, Mr. Jamil Sarhan, Director of the Gaza Strip Program in ICHR, received a phone call
from a person who identified himself as a member of the Internal Security Service. The caller asked Sarhan to cancel a workshop
titled "The Reality of Rights and Freedoms–a Review of ICHR's Report for 2009," which was scheduled to be organized at 11:00 in
Grand Palace Hotel, claiming that ICHR had not obtained a license from the Ministry of Interior. Earlier, at approximately 10:30,
the administration of the Grand Palace Hotel received a phone call with the same message of canceling the workshop, explaining
that if it were not, the hotel would be held accountable.
Similarly, at approximately 15:50 on Monday, 23 May 2010, a Palestinian police force banned an activity organized by GUPW on
the anniversary of Nakba at the Agricultural Society's hall in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. Mrs. Amal Hamad,
Coordinator of GUPW, stated to PCHR that the Union organized the activity on the anniversary of Nakba as part of a series of
activities held by the National Work Commission to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba in closed places after
obtaining permits from the government in the Gaza Strip. However, the police prevented GUPW from holding the activity, claiming
that the organizers did not obtain a license from the Ministry of Interior.
Click here to read more>>
Ministry of Interior in Gaza
Tuesday, 25 May 2010 00:00
The Palestinian Center for Human Rights (PCHR) is concerned over the prevention by the Ministry of Interior of the organization of
a sit-in called for by the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO), a workshop organized by the Independent Commission for Human
Rights (ICHR), and an activity organized by the General Union of Palestinian Women (GUPW) on the anniversary of Nakba (the
uprooting of the Palestinian people from their land in 1949) during the past two days in the Gaza Strip. PCHR confirms that these
measures constitute a violation of the right to peaceful assembly, which is legally and constitutionally guaranteed under the
international human rights standards.
According to the investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:00 on Monday, 24 May 2010, a police vehicle arrived at
the site of an UNRWA Summer Games' camp in the Sheikh 'Ejleen area, to the west of Gaza City. There, policemen prevented
people from gathering and participating in a sit-in, which was called for by PNGO to support UNRWA and to condemn the attack
carried out against the camp on Sunday, 23 May 2010. Amjad al-Shawa, a PNGO Coordinator, said in his testimony to PCHR that
he had received a phone call at approximately 11:45 from a person who identified himself as a staff member of the police chief's
office. Mr. al-Shawa was informed that the police had rejected PNGO's notification to the police to organize a sit-in on the camp's
site in the west of Gaza City. Mr. al-Shawa added that he explained to the caller that it was too late to cancel the sit-in, as the
participants had already arrived at the area; however, Mr. al-Shawa was told only to immediately evacuate the area.
At approximately 10:45 on the same date, Mr. Jamil Sarhan, Director of the Gaza Strip Program in ICHR, received a phone call
from a person who identified himself as a member of the Internal Security Service. The caller asked Sarhan to cancel a workshop
titled "The Reality of Rights and Freedoms–a Review of ICHR's Report for 2009," which was scheduled to be organized at 11:00 in
Grand Palace Hotel, claiming that ICHR had not obtained a license from the Ministry of Interior. Earlier, at approximately 10:30,
the administration of the Grand Palace Hotel received a phone call with the same message of canceling the workshop, explaining
that if it were not, the hotel would be held accountable.
Similarly, at approximately 15:50 on Monday, 23 May 2010, a Palestinian police force banned an activity organized by GUPW on
the anniversary of Nakba at the Agricultural Society's hall in Beit Hanoun, in the northern Gaza Strip. Mrs. Amal Hamad,
Coordinator of GUPW, stated to PCHR that the Union organized the activity on the anniversary of Nakba as part of a series of
activities held by the National Work Commission to commemorate the 62nd anniversary of the Nakba in closed places after
obtaining permits from the government in the Gaza Strip. However, the police prevented GUPW from holding the activity, claiming
that the organizers did not obtain a license from the Ministry of Interior.
Click here to read more>>
Al Dameer Demands Gaza Government to Stop the Procedures that Violate the Right to Peaceful Assembly
Date 24 May 2010
Al Dameer Association for Human Rights strongly condemns Gaza Government’s act that prohibits the organizing of three peaceful
assemblies, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, and Monday. The activities were organized in full compliance with
Palestinian law, and according to the Public Meetings Law, number 12 of 1998.
According to Al Dameer’s available information, the police in Gaza that belongs to Ministry of Interior prohibited a sit-in that had
been arranged by the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO). The sit-in was scheduled to take place on Monday, at 12.30pm, in
protest of the attack on an UNRWA summer camp site on Gaza beach. A number of the organizers, participants and journalists in
the sit-in had arrived at the location and they were surprised by the heavy presence of the police there. The police prevented them
from existing at the place.
In another violation, the Security Services in the Gaza Strip prohibited a workshop that had been arranged by the Palestinian
Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). The workshop was supposed to be under the title “The Reality of Rights and
Freedoms… a Reading into ICHR 2009 Report’. According to the affidavit of Mr. Jamel Sarhan, Director of Gaza Program at
ICHR, at approximately 10:45am, he received a phone call from an unknown person and claimed that he is from the Internal
Security Service in Gaza. He informed Mr. Sarhan that the workshop which was supposed to take place at the Grand Palace Hotel
was cancelled because they didn’t obtain a permission from the Ministry of Interior to conduct the workshop.
In a separate incident, on Monday, 23 May 2010, the police in Gaza banned an activity organized by GUPW on the anniversary of
Nakba at the Agricultural Society's hall in Beit Hanoun. Mrs. Amal Hamad, Coordinator of GUPW, stated that the police prevented
GUPW from holding the activity under the pretext that the organizers did not obtain a license from the Ministry of Interior.
Al Dameer Association for Human Rights strongly condemns the conducts of the security forces in Gaza that violate the citizens’
right to peaceful assembly. It reminds that the peaceful assemblies and workshops that take place indoors do not require any
procedure; and do not fall under the Public Meetings Law, number 12 of 1998. This law requires that the Governor or the Chief of
the Police should be informed with the time and place of the meeting. Al Dameer calls upon Security Services that belongs to
Ministry of Interior in Gaza to stop intervening in these peaceful assemblies and to respect the Palestinian citizen’s right to peaceful
assembly.
Click here to read more »
Date 24 May 2010
Al Dameer Association for Human Rights strongly condemns Gaza Government’s act that prohibits the organizing of three peaceful
assemblies, which was scheduled to take place on Sunday, and Monday. The activities were organized in full compliance with
Palestinian law, and according to the Public Meetings Law, number 12 of 1998.
According to Al Dameer’s available information, the police in Gaza that belongs to Ministry of Interior prohibited a sit-in that had
been arranged by the Palestinian NGOs Network (PNGO). The sit-in was scheduled to take place on Monday, at 12.30pm, in
protest of the attack on an UNRWA summer camp site on Gaza beach. A number of the organizers, participants and journalists in
the sit-in had arrived at the location and they were surprised by the heavy presence of the police there. The police prevented them
from existing at the place.
In another violation, the Security Services in the Gaza Strip prohibited a workshop that had been arranged by the Palestinian
Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR). The workshop was supposed to be under the title “The Reality of Rights and
Freedoms… a Reading into ICHR 2009 Report’. According to the affidavit of Mr. Jamel Sarhan, Director of Gaza Program at
ICHR, at approximately 10:45am, he received a phone call from an unknown person and claimed that he is from the Internal
Security Service in Gaza. He informed Mr. Sarhan that the workshop which was supposed to take place at the Grand Palace Hotel
was cancelled because they didn’t obtain a permission from the Ministry of Interior to conduct the workshop.
In a separate incident, on Monday, 23 May 2010, the police in Gaza banned an activity organized by GUPW on the anniversary of
Nakba at the Agricultural Society's hall in Beit Hanoun. Mrs. Amal Hamad, Coordinator of GUPW, stated that the police prevented
GUPW from holding the activity under the pretext that the organizers did not obtain a license from the Ministry of Interior.
Al Dameer Association for Human Rights strongly condemns the conducts of the security forces in Gaza that violate the citizens’
right to peaceful assembly. It reminds that the peaceful assemblies and workshops that take place indoors do not require any
procedure; and do not fall under the Public Meetings Law, number 12 of 1998. This law requires that the Governor or the Chief of
the Police should be informed with the time and place of the meeting. Al Dameer calls upon Security Services that belongs to
Ministry of Interior in Gaza to stop intervening in these peaceful assemblies and to respect the Palestinian citizen’s right to peaceful
assembly.
Click here to read more »
The Mousterian Neanderthals were the earliest inhabitants of the area known to archaeologists, and have been dated to c.
200,000 BCE. The first anatomically modern humans to live in the area were the Kebarans (conventionally c. 18,000 -
10,500 BCE, but recent paleoanthropological evidence suggests that Kebarans may have arrived as early as 75,000 BCE
and shared the region with the Neanderthals for millennia before the latter died out). They were followed by the Natufian
culture (c. 10,500 BCE - 8500 BCE). (This and the other prehistoric cultures are named after archaeological sites, in the
absence of any indication of what they called themselves.) Yarmukians (c. 8500–4300 BCE). People began agriculture.
Ghassulians (carbon dated c. 4300–3300 BCE). People became urbanized and lived in city-states, including Jericho. The
use of the term Canaanite can be confusing. Archaeologists use it to refer to a long period of time (the entire Bronze Age)
and a wide geographical region (ranging from modern Israel to the entire Levant). Thus all of the people in this time and
place can be called Canaanites. However, Canaanites proper were a smaller ethnic group radiating out of modern day
Lebanon, who are mentioned in the Bible and Ancient Egyptian texts, and who are only one among many ethnic groups in
this area. Most of these ethnic groups assimilated to the same wider culture and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from
each other. Successive waves of migration brought other groups onto the scene. Around 1200 BCE the Hittite empire
was conquered by allied tribes from the north. The Phoenicians (who are the Canaanites of Lebanon, not the ones
conquered by the Israelites) were temporarily displaced, but returned when the invading tribes showed no inclination to
settle. The Egyptians called the horde that swept across Asia Minor and the Mediterranean Sea the Sea Peoples. The
Philistines (whose traces disappear before the 5th century BCE) are presently considered to have been among them,
giving the name Philistia to the region in which they settled. Eventually, the Israelites established the United Kingdom of
Israel, with King David of the tribe of Judah eventually ruling from Jerusalem around 1000 BCE. The reign of King David
and his son King Solomon expanded the Kingdom of Israel to include most of modern Israel (with the Negev, West
Bank, and Golan) and parts of western Lebanon, eastern Jordan and southern Syria. It did not rule the area of the Gaza
Strip, where the Philistines lived. With the death of King Solomon around 925 BCE, the Israelites fell into civil war, and
the kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom was far
more wealthy and politically influential, but its monarchy was unstable with frequent intrigue and dynastic changes. In 722
BCE, the northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, many of it's inhabitants (mainly the elite amongst
them) were deported (giving rise to the legend of "the Lost Tribes") and replaced by settlers from elsewhere in the
Assyrian Empire. The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar conquered the (southern) Kingdom of Judah in 597–
586 BCE, and exiled the middle and upper classes of the Jews (that is, the citizens of the Kingdom of Judah, consisting
mostly of the members of the tribe of Judah but also some members of the other tribes) to Babylonia, where they
flourished. Most regard the collapse of the Israelite kingdoms as the beginning of the Jewish diaspora. Cyrus II of Persia
conquered the Babylonian Empire by 539 BCE and incorporated Judah and Israel into the Persian Empire. In the early
330s BCE, Alexander the Great conquered the region, beginning an important period of Hellenestic influence in Palestine.
The Jews were divided between the Hellenists who supported the adoption of Greek culture, and those who believed in
keeping to the traditions of the past, which resulted in the Maccabean revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Following the
Roman conquest in 63 BCE, parts of Palestine—first a client kingdom of the Roman Empire, after year 6 CE the Iudaea
Province—were in nearly constant revolt against Roman occupation. The Land of Israel became part of the Byzantine
Empire after the division of the Roman Empire into east and west (a fitful process that was not finalized until 395 CE). In
638 CE, the Christians of Jerusalem surrendered to the conquering armies of the Caliphate (Islamic Empire) under Caliph
(Emperor) Umar, the second of the initial four Rashidun Caliphs. The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads in 750.After the
fall of Jerusalem in 1187 CE, the Crusader Kingdom survived throughout Ayyubid Period until 1291 CE well into
Mamluk Period, but here we will consider its peak period, until AD 1244. The Ayyubid Sultanate, founded by Saladin,
controlled Jerusalem and some but not all of the region until 1250, when it was defeated by the Mamluk Sultanate of
Egypt. The Mamluk Sultanate ultimately became a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, in the wake of campaigns waged
by Selim I in the 16th century. In 1516 the Ottoman Turks occupied Palestine. The country became part of the Ottoman
Empire. Constantinople appointed local governors. Public works, including the city walls, were rebuilt in Jerusalem by
Suleiman the Magnificent in 1537. Napoleon of France briefly waged war against the Ottoman Empire (allied then with
Great Britain). His forces conquered and occupied cities in Palestine, but they were finally defeated and driven out by
1801. In 1799 Napoleon announced a plan to re-establish a Jewish State in Palestine. Turkish rule lasted until World War
I. The rise of Zionism, a political movement started in Europe and Russia in the 19th century seeking to create a Jews
homeland in Palestine, increased the trend of jewish immigration. By 1920, the Jewish population of Palestine had reached
11% of the population. At the subsequent 1919 Paris Peace Conference and Treaty of Versailles, Turkey's loss of its
Middle East empire was formalized. Soon after World War II, the British decided to leave Palestine. The United Nations
attempted to solve the dispute by putting forward the 1947 UN Partition Plan, dividing the land area between the two
populations, on November 29, 1947; the Jewish Agency accepted the plan, while the Palestinian Arabs, along with their
allies elsewhere in the Arab world, rejected it as inadequate. The Arab-Jewish fighting within Palestine escalated to full-
scale war right after the UN partition plan was approved, and on May 14, 1948, the Jewish population declared
independence as the state of Israel. The armies of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria then invaded, but did not
succeed even in holding onto much of the areas reserved in the UN partition plan for the Arab state. Large numbers of
Palestinian Arabs left or were expelled from their homes during the fighting and to this day most have not been allowed to
return. After the First Intifada, attempts at the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were made at the Madrid
Conference of 1991. Following the historic 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel (the "Oslo
Accords"), which gave the Palestinians limited self-government in some parts of the Occupied Territories through the
Palestinian Authority, and other detailed negotiations, proposals for a Palestinian state gained momentum. They were soon
followed in 1994 by the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. An attempt was made to end the struggle at the Camp David
2000 Summit between Palestinians and Israel but no agreement was reached. To date, efforts to resolve the conflict have
ended in deadlock, and the people of Palestine, Jews and Arabs, are engaged in a bloody conflict, called variously the
"Arab-Israeli conflict" or "Israeli-Palestinian conflict".
Sources: Wikipedia History of Palestine
200,000 BCE. The first anatomically modern humans to live in the area were the Kebarans (conventionally c. 18,000 -
10,500 BCE, but recent paleoanthropological evidence suggests that Kebarans may have arrived as early as 75,000 BCE
and shared the region with the Neanderthals for millennia before the latter died out). They were followed by the Natufian
culture (c. 10,500 BCE - 8500 BCE). (This and the other prehistoric cultures are named after archaeological sites, in the
absence of any indication of what they called themselves.) Yarmukians (c. 8500–4300 BCE). People began agriculture.
Ghassulians (carbon dated c. 4300–3300 BCE). People became urbanized and lived in city-states, including Jericho. The
use of the term Canaanite can be confusing. Archaeologists use it to refer to a long period of time (the entire Bronze Age)
and a wide geographical region (ranging from modern Israel to the entire Levant). Thus all of the people in this time and
place can be called Canaanites. However, Canaanites proper were a smaller ethnic group radiating out of modern day
Lebanon, who are mentioned in the Bible and Ancient Egyptian texts, and who are only one among many ethnic groups in
this area. Most of these ethnic groups assimilated to the same wider culture and are sometimes difficult to distinguish from
each other. Successive waves of migration brought other groups onto the scene. Around 1200 BCE the Hittite empire
was conquered by allied tribes from the north. The Phoenicians (who are the Canaanites of Lebanon, not the ones
conquered by the Israelites) were temporarily displaced, but returned when the invading tribes showed no inclination to
settle. The Egyptians called the horde that swept across Asia Minor and the Mediterranean Sea the Sea Peoples. The
Philistines (whose traces disappear before the 5th century BCE) are presently considered to have been among them,
giving the name Philistia to the region in which they settled. Eventually, the Israelites established the United Kingdom of
Israel, with King David of the tribe of Judah eventually ruling from Jerusalem around 1000 BCE. The reign of King David
and his son King Solomon expanded the Kingdom of Israel to include most of modern Israel (with the Negev, West
Bank, and Golan) and parts of western Lebanon, eastern Jordan and southern Syria. It did not rule the area of the Gaza
Strip, where the Philistines lived. With the death of King Solomon around 925 BCE, the Israelites fell into civil war, and
the kingdom split into the northern Kingdom of Israel and the southern Kingdom of Judah. The northern kingdom was far
more wealthy and politically influential, but its monarchy was unstable with frequent intrigue and dynastic changes. In 722
BCE, the northern Kingdom of Israel was destroyed by the Assyrians, many of it's inhabitants (mainly the elite amongst
them) were deported (giving rise to the legend of "the Lost Tribes") and replaced by settlers from elsewhere in the
Assyrian Empire. The Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar conquered the (southern) Kingdom of Judah in 597–
586 BCE, and exiled the middle and upper classes of the Jews (that is, the citizens of the Kingdom of Judah, consisting
mostly of the members of the tribe of Judah but also some members of the other tribes) to Babylonia, where they
flourished. Most regard the collapse of the Israelite kingdoms as the beginning of the Jewish diaspora. Cyrus II of Persia
conquered the Babylonian Empire by 539 BCE and incorporated Judah and Israel into the Persian Empire. In the early
330s BCE, Alexander the Great conquered the region, beginning an important period of Hellenestic influence in Palestine.
The Jews were divided between the Hellenists who supported the adoption of Greek culture, and those who believed in
keeping to the traditions of the past, which resulted in the Maccabean revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Following the
Roman conquest in 63 BCE, parts of Palestine—first a client kingdom of the Roman Empire, after year 6 CE the Iudaea
Province—were in nearly constant revolt against Roman occupation. The Land of Israel became part of the Byzantine
Empire after the division of the Roman Empire into east and west (a fitful process that was not finalized until 395 CE). In
638 CE, the Christians of Jerusalem surrendered to the conquering armies of the Caliphate (Islamic Empire) under Caliph
(Emperor) Umar, the second of the initial four Rashidun Caliphs. The Abbasids overthrew the Umayyads in 750.After the
fall of Jerusalem in 1187 CE, the Crusader Kingdom survived throughout Ayyubid Period until 1291 CE well into
Mamluk Period, but here we will consider its peak period, until AD 1244. The Ayyubid Sultanate, founded by Saladin,
controlled Jerusalem and some but not all of the region until 1250, when it was defeated by the Mamluk Sultanate of
Egypt. The Mamluk Sultanate ultimately became a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, in the wake of campaigns waged
by Selim I in the 16th century. In 1516 the Ottoman Turks occupied Palestine. The country became part of the Ottoman
Empire. Constantinople appointed local governors. Public works, including the city walls, were rebuilt in Jerusalem by
Suleiman the Magnificent in 1537. Napoleon of France briefly waged war against the Ottoman Empire (allied then with
Great Britain). His forces conquered and occupied cities in Palestine, but they were finally defeated and driven out by
1801. In 1799 Napoleon announced a plan to re-establish a Jewish State in Palestine. Turkish rule lasted until World War
I. The rise of Zionism, a political movement started in Europe and Russia in the 19th century seeking to create a Jews
homeland in Palestine, increased the trend of jewish immigration. By 1920, the Jewish population of Palestine had reached
11% of the population. At the subsequent 1919 Paris Peace Conference and Treaty of Versailles, Turkey's loss of its
Middle East empire was formalized. Soon after World War II, the British decided to leave Palestine. The United Nations
attempted to solve the dispute by putting forward the 1947 UN Partition Plan, dividing the land area between the two
populations, on November 29, 1947; the Jewish Agency accepted the plan, while the Palestinian Arabs, along with their
allies elsewhere in the Arab world, rejected it as inadequate. The Arab-Jewish fighting within Palestine escalated to full-
scale war right after the UN partition plan was approved, and on May 14, 1948, the Jewish population declared
independence as the state of Israel. The armies of Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria then invaded, but did not
succeed even in holding onto much of the areas reserved in the UN partition plan for the Arab state. Large numbers of
Palestinian Arabs left or were expelled from their homes during the fighting and to this day most have not been allowed to
return. After the First Intifada, attempts at the peace process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict were made at the Madrid
Conference of 1991. Following the historic 1993 Oslo Peace Accords between Palestinians and Israel (the "Oslo
Accords"), which gave the Palestinians limited self-government in some parts of the Occupied Territories through the
Palestinian Authority, and other detailed negotiations, proposals for a Palestinian state gained momentum. They were soon
followed in 1994 by the Israel-Jordan Treaty of Peace. An attempt was made to end the struggle at the Camp David
2000 Summit between Palestinians and Israel but no agreement was reached. To date, efforts to resolve the conflict have
ended in deadlock, and the people of Palestine, Jews and Arabs, are engaged in a bloody conflict, called variously the
"Arab-Israeli conflict" or "Israeli-Palestinian conflict".
Sources: Wikipedia History of Palestine
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Dr. Salam Fayad
Appointed Prime Minister since 15 June 2007
Appointed Prime Minister since 15 June 2007
| TRAFFICKING IN PERSONS |
None reported.
| ILLICIT DRUGS |
None reported.
| DISPUTED |
Aziz Duwaik
Considered by his political party, Hamas, to be
the President of the Palestinian National
Authority since 9 January 2009
Considered by his political party, Hamas, to be
the President of the Palestinian National
Authority since 9 January 2009
| DISPUTED |