News & Highlights » News » 2014 » ICHR Condemns the Massacre Committed this Morning against Palestinian Civilians in Al- Shuja’iya Neighbourhood and Calls upon the International Community to Abide with their Legal Obligations and Take Immediate Action

ICHR Condemns the Massacre Committed this Morning against Palestinian Civilians in Al- Shuja’iya Neighbourhood and Calls upon the International Community to Abide with their Legal Obligations and Take Immediate Action

ICHR Condemns the Massacre Committed this Morning against Palestinian Civilians in Al- Shuja’iya Neighbourhood and Calls upon the International Community to Abide with their Legal Obligations and Take Immediate Action

21 July 2014 in 2014
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The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) strongly condemns this morning massacre against the Palestinian civilian population of the Shuja’iya Neighbourhood in the Gaza Strip when the Israeli Occupation Forces indiscriminately and disproportionately opened fire resulting in hundreds of casualties in this neighbourhood. ICHR also strongly condemns the continuous Israeli occupation’s ferocious aggression and massacres against the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip thereby committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in flagrant violation of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law.

The Israeli excessive use of force against Palestinian civilians and their homes in al-Shuja’iya Neighbourhood (east of the Gaza Strip) has resulted in the massacre of over 60 Palestinian civilians, primarily children, women and the elderly. In addition, more than 200 civilians were severely wounded and many are still trapped under their bombed and demolished homes. Rescue teams and ambulances are not able to reach the wounded civilians due to the continued Israeli artillery bombing and targeting medical staff as well as journalists in civilian neighborhoods.

Furthermore, the Israeli military aggression provoked the forced displacement of tens of thousands of civilians from the bordering neighbourhoods towards UNRWA facilities in the center of the Gaza Strip. This, along with the Israeli ground, air and naval attacks and the unrelenting military siege on the Gaza Strip, resulted in the deterioration of the humanitarian conditions there.

All these violations are committed with the silent complicity of the international community.
ICHR reaffirms that these Israeli violations culminate to war crimes against Palestinian civilians, journalists and humanity. Thus ICHR calls upon:
• The international community, agencies and human rights organizations to immediately intervene to end the massacres against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
• The international community to immediately provide protection to civilians and end the siege on the Gaza Strip and to put an end to the Israeli impunity.
• The High Contracting Parties of the Four Geneva Conventions to abide with their moral and legal obligations under international law and force Israel to respect the Convention in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in all circumstances and to allow humanitarian aid and medical supplies into the Gaza Strip.
• The United Nations to send an independent fact-finding mission to the Gaza Strip in order to investigate war crimes committed against Palestinians and to take the necessary legal procedures against the Israeli war criminals. The United Nations Security Council is mandated to ensure peace and security and therefore should immediately call on Israel to cease its military aggression against vulnerable Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.
• The President of the State of Palestine and the Unified Government to take all necessary action to protect and save the well-being of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip by using all the diplomatic and legal powers to ensure the provision of humanitarian aid to Palestinians and call for the opening of the Rafah borders to allow the passage of medical and humanitarian aid to Gaza and the transfer of the wounded persons for medication abroad.

• ICHR also calls on the Palestinian President to sign and ratify the Rome Statue of the International Criminal Court in order to pursue and prosecute Israeli government officials who have committed and/or ordered the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip. Such a step will contribute to efforts towards bringing an end to the prevailing culture of impunity; thereby guaranteeing justice and equality to Palestinian victims of grave breaches and serious violations of human rights.

-Ends-


To view the release, please click here.



 

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