The recent escalation broke out after the looming expulsion of eight Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood in Jerusalem. These families are refugees themselves. They were settled in Sheikh Jarrah area in coordination with the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), after they were forcibly expelled from their hometowns during the Nakba of 1948. Inherent in its settler-colonial and apartheid regime, Israel’s policy of fragmentation, dispossession, demographic manipulation, and population transfer to evict Palestinians and replace them with Israelis, continues to be carried out with impunity. This repeating cycle of violence is a result of the protracted impunity granted to Israel for its violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights laws, which we fear will escalate further and repeat itself in case of de-escalation, should there never be consequences for committing violations of international law.

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During 11 days, Israel has disproportionately escalated its attacks on Palestinians. In flagrant violation of international law, Israeli occupying forces and settlers have invaded the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound and used excessive force against worshippers, demonstrators and bystanders.

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Israeli air strikes in Gaza have killed more than 230 Palestinians so far, including at least 62 children and 34 women, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Gaza. Since the Israeli air strikes on Gaza began, at least 2,400 Palestinians have been injured, and this number is expected to rise as paramedics continue to conduct search operations. More than 58,000 people have been displaced by the hostilities in Gaza and many are seeking shelter in UNRWA schools as Israel prevents humanitarian aid from entering the Gaza Strip. Public property protected under international humanitarian law, such as medical clinics, media outlets, the Legislative Council, schools and cultural centers, and infrastructure such as water, electricity, and roads, amongst others, have also been targeted, which could constitute serious violations of international law and may well amount to war crimes.  

 

At the same time, twelve Israeli civilians, including two children, have been killed by rockets fired from Gaza by Palestinian armed groups into Israeli urban areas. It is to be underlined that intentionally directing attacks against civilians, and intentionally launching disproportionate and indiscriminate attacks constitute violations of international humanitarian law.

 

In such context, the actions undertaken within international justice and accountability mechanisms, including the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation on the Situation in Palestine, are an essential barrier to the cycle of violations. It is necessary here to recall that, last April, representatives of Palestinian families from Sheikh Jarrah sent a letter, endorsed by more than 190 organizations, to the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC, asking to include urgently the imminent forced displacement of Palestinians from Sheikh Jarrah as part of the open investigation.

 

Today, it is necessary to ensure that violations of international law are not repeated and do not go unpunished. We therefore call on the international community to take five immediate, effective and concrete steps to end the cycles of violence and impunity and protect the Palestinian people:

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• Call on States to declare an embargo on the direct and indirect supply, sale or transfer of all arms and munitions to the belligerent parties; Stop using the excuses of COVID-19 pandemic and “fake news” allegations as excuses to restrict online information and free media;

• Publicly and actively support accountability efforts, including the ongoing investigation by the ICC into international crimes committed in Palestine (including the Gaza Strip and the West Bank);

• Call for the establishment of an independent investigation into violations of international humanitarian and human rights law be it in Palestine (including in Gaza and the West Bank) or in Israel;

• Take targeted sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations and serious breaches of international humanitarian law, encouraging the international community to take a firm stand in this regard; and

• Urge Israel to comply with its legal obligation to lift the blockade of Gaza and to end its discriminatory laws and practices as well as its settlement activities in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

 

 

Signatories (updated 27 May 2021):

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1. Afghanistan - Armanshahr/ Open Asia

2. Albenia - Albanian Human Rights Group

3. Armenia - Civil Society Institute

4. Bangladesh – Odhikar

5. Bolivia - Asamblea Permanente de Derechos Humanos de Bolivia

6. Botswana - Ditshwanelo - The Botswana Centre For Human Rights

7. Brasil - Justiça Global

8. Brasil - Movimento Nacional de Direitos Humanos

9. Canada - Ligue des Droits et Libertés (LDL) - Québec

10. Chile - Corporacion de Promocion y Defensa de los Derechos del Pueblo

11. Dominican Republic - Comisión Nacional de los Derechos Humanos

12. Ecuador - Accion Ecológica

13. Ecuador - Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos

14. Ecuador - Fundación Regional de Asesoria en Derechos Humanos

15. El Salvador - Comision de Derechos Humanos del Salvador

16. Finland - Finnish League for Human Rights

17. France - Ligue des Droits de l'Homme

18. Germany - Internationale Liga Fur Menschenrechte

19. Guinea - Organisation Guinéenne pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme

20. Guinea Bissau - Liga Guineense dos Direitos Humanos

21. Gulf - Gulf Centre for Human Rights

22. Haiti - Réseau National de Défense des Droits de l'Homme

23. Honduras - Centro de Investigación y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos

24. Honduras - Comité de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos en Honduras

25. India - Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons

26. India – Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI)

27. India – People’s Watch

28. Iran - League for the Defence of Human Rights in Iran (LDDHI)

29. Ireland - Free Legal Advice Centres

30. Laos – Mouvement Lao pour les Droits de L'Homme

31. Latvia - Latvian Human Rights Committee

32. Lebanon - Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council

33. Malaysia - Suara Rakyat Malaysia

34. Maldives - Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN)

35. Mexico - Comision Mexicana de Defensa y Promocion de los Derechos Humanos

36. Mexico - Liga Mexicana Por La Defensa de Los Derechos Humanos

37. Morocco – Association Marocaine pour les Droits Humains

38. Myanmar - Altsean Burma

39. Pakistan - Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

40. Palestine - Al Haq

41. Palestine - Palestinian Centre for Human Rights

42. Palestine - Ramallah Centre for Human Rights Studies

43. Peru - Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos

44. Portugal - Liga Portuguesa dos Direitos Humanos – Civitas

45. Senegal - Rencontre Africaine pour la Défense des Droits de l'Homme

46. Spain - Asociacion Pro Derechos Humanos de Espana

47. Switzerland - Ligue Suisse des Droits de l'Homme

48. Syria - Syrian Center for Media and Freedom of Expression

49. Thailand - Manushya Foundation

50. The Netherlands - Liga Voor de Rechten Van de Mens

51. Tunisia - Association Tunisienne des Femmes Démocrates

52. Turkey - Insan Haklari Dernegi (IHD) / Ankara

53. UK - Committee on the Administration of Justice

54. USA - Center For Constitutional Rights

55. Yemen - Mwatana

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