[Peace-discuss] Palestinian Center for Human Rights Calls for Full & Immediate Ending of the Gaza Closure

Thu Oct 2 08:06:44 EDT 2014

Let's share this on Twitter and Facebook, shall we?

One of my new year's resolutions: do a better and more consistent job of
echoing the UN institutions, European governments, and Palestinian, Israeli
and European human rights and aid groups on the Gaza blockade.

http://www.pchrgaza.org/portal/en/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10664:pchr-calls-for-full-and-immediate-ending-of-the-closure-and-warns-of-repercussions-of-its-institutionalization-and-continuity&catid=36:pchrpressreleases&Itemid=194

*PCHR*
*Palestinian Centre for Human Rights*

Press Releases

[image: logo1]

*Ref: 145/2014 *

*Date: 30 September 2014*

*Time: 10:35 GMT*

*PCHR Calls for Full and Immediate Ending of the Closure and Warns of
Repercussions of Its Institutionalization and Continuity*

The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) is gravely concerned over
the continuity of the Israeli-imposed closure on the Gaza Strip for the
eighth consecutive year and dissatisfied by the mechanism of the
reconstruction of the Gaza Strip that was declared by the UN Middle East
Envoy. Moreover, PCHR is concerned that this mechanism would
institutionalize the Israeli closure that has been imposed since 2007. PCHR
calls for fully and immediately lift the Israeli closure as it constitutes
a form of collective punishment that is prohibited under the international
humanitarian law. Ending the closure includes eliminating all restrictions
imposed on the freedom of movement of persons and goods, including imports
and exports, to and from the Gaza Strip.

According to media sources, the UN Middle East Envoy Robert Serry stated on
16 September 2014 that the United Nations, Israel and the Palestinian
Authority had reached a deal to allow reconstruction work to begin in the
war-torn Gaza Strip under international observation of the use of
materials. According to Reuters, Serry told the UN Security Council that
the United Nations had brokered the deal 'to enable work at the scale
required in the strip, involving the private sector in Gaza and giving a
leading role to the Palestinian Authority in the reconstruction effort,
while providing security assurances through UN monitoring that these
materials will not be diverted from their entirely civilian purpose.'

The only right way to end the disastrous impacts of the Israeli offensive
on the Gaza Strip is to immediately lift the illegal closure on the Gaza
Strip, allow the freedom of movement of persons and goods and make a
dramatic change in the Israeli policies in order to put an end to the
current crisis under which the Gaza Strip population has been living.  The
entry of limited types and quantities of goods will never make a real
change on the economic and social levels in the Gaza Strip, but will worsen
the situation. Therefore, any deal that does not include the entry of basic
needs, the freedom of movement of goods, including imports from and exports
to the West Bank, Israel and abroad, and the freedom of movement of persons
from and to the Gaza Strip, falls within the institutionalization of the
Israeli-imposed closure and does not seriously contribute to the
reconstruction process or improving the deteriorating humanitarian
situation. Institutionalization of the closure means disregarding the
principles of the international humanitarian and human rights laws,
including the Fourth Geneva convention 1949.

Since 2007, the Gaza Strip has been suffering due to the illegal Israeli
closure that has resulted in disastrous impacts on all aspects of life and
deterioration of the humanitarian, economic, social and cultural
conditions. Moreover, the number of unemployed persons in the Gaza Strip
has risen to about 200,000 supporting about 900,000 persons according to
the Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions (PGFTU).  According to
the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics (PCBS), the number of the poor
has increased up to 700,000 persons (38.8% of the total population),
380,000 of whom suffer extreme poverty (21.1%). The latest Israeli
offensive on the Gaza Strip has left huge destruction, due to which the
Gaza Strip needs 5 years to be reconstructed on condition that the border
crossings are fully open and 300 tons of cement, 1,600 tons of construction
steel and 6,000 tons of aggregate are allowed in the Gaza Strip according
to construction companies' estimates.

The international community has failed throughout the past 8 years to
support the application of the provisions of the international humanitarian
and human rights laws. This has been a shame for the High Contracting
Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949 as they have  failed to
take actions under their legal obligations to compel the Israeli
authorities to respect that Convention and stop all policies that violate
the Palestinians' economic, social, cultural, civil and political rights.

Therefore, PCHR calls upon the international community, particularly the
UN, to oblige the Israeli authorities to fully lift the closure as it is a
form of collective punishment that is prohibited under the international
humanitarian law, and end the restrictions imposed on the movement of
persons and goods. PCHR believes that the only way to address the closure
imposed on the Gaza Strip is to admit that such a policy is illegal and
falls within the collective punishment policy against civilians in the Gaza
Strip.

*Public Document*

**************************************

*Follow PCHR  on Facebook <https://www.facebook.com/pchrgaza>* *and *
*Twitter* <https://twitter.com/pchrgaza>

For more information please call PCHR office in Gaza, Gaza Strip, on +972 8
2824776 - 2825893

PCHR, 29 Omer El Mukhtar St., El Remal, PO Box 1328 Gaza, Gaza Strip.
E-mail: pchr at pchrgaza.org, Webpage http://www.pchrgaza.org

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