Middle East
On 8 July, the Institute for Palestine Studies will hold a full-day seminar titled “The Rise of the Far Right and the Populist Right in Israel” at Birzeit University. The sessions will focus on multiple dimensions of the rise of the far right in Israel and implications for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
• On 5 July, Peace Now provided an update on the establishment of new outposts near the settlements of Neve Tzuf, Mevo’ot Jericho, and Neve Erez. It also published an article noting the appointment of a representative from the Ministry of Settlements and National Missions to the Subcommittee for Settlement of the Higher Planning Council within the Civil Administration, a move it said was “another step in the annexation process.”
• On 4 July, Al-Haq issued a joint statement with other human rights organizations welcoming the release of OHCHR’s update of the UN database of businesses facilitating Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory on 30 June. The organizations said this long-overdue release represents an important step forward, but future updates should be conducted annually. The Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies published the same statement on its website.
• On 4 July, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) issued a press release detailing the Israeli attack on Jenin refugee camp which led to several civilian casualties. PCHR warned that the situation in the West Bank could further deteriorate and called on the international community, particularly the International Criminal Court (ICC), to take immediate action to stop Israeli crimes.
• On 4 July, BADIL Resource Centre for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights published a press release saying that Israeli military actions in Jenin constitute human rights violations and international crimes. BADIL called on the UN, its member states and other parties to take action to stop the attack including by imposing sanctions on Israel and providing physical and legal protection to the Palestinian population.
• On 4 July, B’Tselem published an article detailing the situation in the village of al-Mughayir, where the Israeli military set up roadblocks and a gate, disrupting the lives of its 3,200 residents. The same day, B’Tselem published another article on the situation in Jenin, saying that the international community has an obligation to act decisively to stop Israel’s attack
• On 3 July, Adalah published a letter from Israel’s Cabinet Secretary, which it received in response to a letter from Adalah denouncing Israel’s illegal settlement ‘regularization.’ In the letter, the Cabinet Secretary denied the Palestinian right to self-determination and claimed that Israel’s control over the West Bank is in line with international law.
• On 2 July, Al-Shabaka published an article titled “Israel’s National Guard: A Tool for Palestinian Erasure” which provides information about the creation of a national guard in Israel under National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, and its implications for Palestinian citizens of Israel.
Asia and Europe
• On 5 July, the Association France Palestine Solidarité published an article (in French) detailing the Israeli military operation on the Jenin refugee camp from 2 to 5 July which led to several deaths and the destruction of homes and public buildings, including a hospital. Agence Media Palestine published a similar article (in French) describing the toll of the military operation on the people and infrastructure of Jenin and its refugee camp.
• On 4 July, the European Coordination of Committees and Associations for Palestine (ECCP) issued a statement calling for urgent action in response to the large-scale offensive launched by the Israeli army against Jenin on 2 July. Noting that this is the largest operation in the West Bank in the last 20 years, ECCP asked European citizens to contact their Ministers of Foreign Affairs to demand immediate action to protect Palestinians and pressure the Israeli government to comply with the rule of law. The Association Belgo-Palestinienne issued a similar press release (in French) calling on the Belgian government to act and announcing a rally against Israeli impunity on 6 July in Brussels.
• On 3 July, the Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) issued a press release expressing deep concern over the impact of the Israeli assault on Jenin, and suggesting that the raid is an active ethnic cleansing operation targeted at the Palestinian people. The PRC called on the international community to act urgently to protect Palestinians and their property.
North America
• On 3 July, Jewish Voice for Peace issued a press release condemning the deadly Israeli military attack on Jenin, and noting that it represented the largest invasion of a Palestinian City in the occupied West Bank since 2002. The same day, Americans for Peace Now issued a statement expressing dismay at the rapid escalation of violence in the West Bank and urging Israel to protect civilians.
• On 30 June, the Foundation for Middle East Peace recorded a podcast titled “Now it is Happening to My Family: The Dispossession of Palestinians from the Old City of Jerusalem” in which Raafat Sub Laban, a Palestinian human rights attorney speaks about her family’s threat of imminent dispossession from their home.
• On 29 June, The Jerusalem Fund issued a statement honoring the life and legacy of Arab novelist and sociologist, Dr. Halim Barakat who also served as member of the Palestine Center Committee and was one of the original members of The Center for Policy Analysis on Palestine Executive Committee. The statement also included details for a memorial service to be held on 7 July in Maryland.
United Nations
• On 5 July, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967, Francesca Albanese; UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, Paula Gaviria Betancur; and UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem, issued a joint press release saying that Israeli air strikes and ground operations targeting the Jenin refugee camp could constitute a war crime. They noted multiple reports of ambulances being prevented from accessing the camp to evacuate the wounded. The statement also said the attacks by Israeli forces found no justification in international law and called for Israel to be held accountable for its occupation.
• On 4 July, OCHA provided an update on the situation in Jenin, where Israeli forces were conducting a large-scale air and ground operation in Jenin refugee camp and its surroundings.
• On 4 July, UNICEF issued a statement expressing deep concern over the escalation of violence in Jenin, noting that the latest reports refereed to at least three children killed and many others injured. The statement deplored all acts of violence against children and called for the immediate cessation of armed violence.
• On 4 July, UN Human Rights High Commissioner Volker Türk issued a statement commenting on the violence in Jenin and in Tel Aviv, noting that violence begets more violence, and calling on all parties to stop killing and destroying property. He also called on Israel to ensure timely access to medical care for all those injured.
• On 3 July, UNRWA issued a press release expressing deep concern over the operation by Israeli security forces in the densely populated Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. UNRWA could not yet confirm if any of its installations were damaged but called on all parties to stop the violence and allow those injured to access medical care.
• On 3 July, the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement expressing concern over developments in Jenin, affirming that all military operations must be conducted with respect for international humanitarian law.
• On 3 July, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland issued a statement via Twitter expressing concern over the violence in Jenin and urging the parties to de-escalate the situation & ensure humanitarian access.
This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.
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