Amnesty calls for immediate truce in Gaza

Amnesty International today urged the UN Security Council to demand that Israel, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups observe an immediate truce in Gaza to allow desperately needed humanitarian assistance to the beleaguered civilian population, evacuation of the wounded and safe refuge for civilians wishing to flee the conflict zone.

“Civilians in Gaza are trapped in an unfolding humanitarian catastrophe, and need immediate respite,” said Malcolm Smart, Director of Amnesty International’s Middle East and North Africa Programme.

“It is abundantly clear that the parties to this conflict are failing to respect international humanitarian law, and that the civilian population of Gaza is paying a very heavy price.”

“Eleven days into the conflict and amid a mounting toll of civilian casualties in Gaza, calls for a ceasefire have as yet gone unheeded by both Israel and Hamas.

“In the absence of a ceasefire, an immediate humanitarian truce is urgently needed to protect the civilian population. The fighting must stop long enough so that humanitarian assistance can reach those in need and so that those who want to leave can be evacuated.

“An immediate pause in hostilities would at least make it possible for basic assistance to be got to civilians in dire need, permit the evacuation and treatment of the wounded and the burial of the dead,” said Malcolm Smart. “It would also allow civilians trapped in Gaza an opportunity to leave the conflict zone safely to seek refuge with the assistance of neighbouring states where necessary, allow emergency repairs to essential infrastructure, and ensure that humanitarian workers can provide protection and assistance in safety.”

Amnesty International has repeatedly urged Israel, Hamas, and other Palestinian armed groups to end attacks on civilians and other violations of international humanitarian law, and to allow access to humanitarian assistance. The organization has urged the UN Security Council and the international community to ensure compliance with international law.

However, civilians -- particularly the 1.5 million Palestinians trapped in Gaza -- continue to both be targeted and suffer disproportionately in this conflict.

Backgound

More than 500 Palestinians have been killed since 27 December, including more than 100 unarmed civilians. This includes scores of children. Over 2,000 have been injured. Israeli air strikes continue to be launched in a reckless manner, resulting in high civilian casualties. The use of artillery – which is notoriously inaccurate in pinpointing its target and should never be used in densely populated areas – is leading to further deaths and injuries to civilians. The invasion by Israeli ground forces into Gaza (since 3 January) brings the fighting into the midst of residential areas. The division of Gaza by Israeli forces into three sections is further exacerbating the humanitarian situation.

Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups have been firing hundreds of indiscriminate rockets into towns in southern Israel, in violation of international humanitarian law. Three Israeli civilians have been killed in these attacks.

The Israeli ground incursion into Gaza that began on 3 January has taken the fighting even further into the heart of residential areas, increasing the risk for the civilian population.

Even with fighting continuing, Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to allow humanitarian assistance for civilians and must do so immediately. Instead, Israel has been actively blocking essential medicine, food, fuel, and electricity in violation of its duties as the Occupying Power.

There is a critical shortage of food, medicine and most of the necessities required to sustain life in Gaza. According to the ICRC, hospitals are now completely dependent on unreliable generators that cannot be repaired due to Israeli restrictions on the import of spare parts. The fighting has prevented ambulance crews from responding to some emergency calls, resulting in preventable deaths.

Many water supply lines have been severed during bombardments, making it very difficult for families in certain areas of the Gaza Strip to get hold of safe drinking water. Necessary repairs have been impeded by bombings. This lack of clean water supply is a disaster in waiting.

Find out more about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza

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Israel must allow access to Gaza

As the number of casualties continues to mount, civilians in Gaza are in increasingly dire need of food, medical and other emergency assistance. Demanding access to Gaza for humanitarian workers and observers, Amnesty International also named the civilian victims of a number of Israeli attacks.

International humanitarian and human rights workers, as well as journalists, have not been allowed into Gaza by the Israeli army since the beginning of November, with the exception of a few journalists who were allowed in for a couple of days earlier in December.

“Humanitarian workers, journalists and human rights monitors are urgently needed to assess needs, report violations and publicise the reality of the situation on the ground,”said Amnesty International.

Amnesty International believes that risk to civilians is increased by artillery attacks on Gaza launched from Israeli gunboats off the coast. In the past, such artillery fire into densely populated areas has been inaccurate, causing Israel to desist from such firing after attacks caused high numbers of civilian casualties.

As attacks continue, Amnesty International called on the Israeli authorities, the Hamas de-facto administration and all other Palestinian armed groups to stop all unlawful attacks. They must not target civilians and buildings not being used for military purposes, whether through air or artillery strikes or home-made rockets, and must take all precautions necessary to protect civilians from the dangers caused by military operations.

Amnesty International also expressed great anxiety that a ground incursion into Gaza by Israeli forces could greatly increase civilian casualties.

“Israeli forces must bear in mind that there are no ‘safe’ places in Gaza for civilians to seek shelter. They know how densely populated the Jabalia Refugee Camp is and that the homes are mostly light structures with flimsy asbestos roofs and not able to withstand the effect of strikes. Strikes are virtually sure to kill and injure civilians,” said Amnesty International.

"The Israeli army must not carry out attacks which pose a disproportionate risk to civilians. They must always choose means and methods of attack that are least likely to harm civilians.”

"We urge all parties not to target civilians and not to carry out indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks that put civilian lives in danger.”

Examples of civilian casualties:

On 27 December seven students from a school run by the United Nations were killed outside the school, just after lessons finished as they were trying to get home. The Israeli bombardment had first started at about 11.30 am on a Saturday, a day and time when the streets are very busy, particularly as children finish school just after midday, just as the initial bombardment was at its most intense. Seven students from a UNRWA school were killed outside the school just after lessons finished and they were trying to get home.

On 27 December Muhammad al-Awadi finished his exam and left the al Carmel School in the Rimal district of downtown Gaza City, a school located near the al-Abbas police station in a residential district, at about 11.30 am to return to the orphanage where he lived with his brother Ahmed. He was fatally wounded when a bomb was dropped on the Police station, just as he

came out of the school. Muhammad was treated in the ICU unit of Gaza City Hospital but died in the evening of 30 December.

On 28 December five sisters from the Baalousha family aged four to 17, (Jawhir, 4; Dina, 8; Samar, 12; Ikram, 14; and Tahrir, 17) were killed in their home in Jabalia Refugee Camp, located north of Gaza city in Gaza’s most densely populated area. Four other siblings were injured when the mosque near their home was bombed, and theirs and several other homes were destroyed and damaged.

In the night of 28-29 December three bothers from the al-Absi family aged three to 14 yrs (Sedqi, 3; Ahmad, 12; and Muhammad, 14) were killed along with their mother while several other siblings were injured when their home was destroyed by a strike in a refugee camp in Rafah, south Gaza.

Since the beginning of the offensive on 27 December, more than 360 Palestinians have been killed, including scores of unarmed civilians, including some 70 women and children. Some 1,700 Palestinians have also been injured.

Four Israeli civilians have also been killed and scores injured as all Palestinian armed groups in Gaza, including the armed wing of the Palestinian Authority’s President Mahmoud Abbas’ al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigade, have continued to launch rockets from Gaza into southern Israel.

Find out more about Amnesty International's work for human rights in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories

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News from the Youth Leadership weekend.....

Wow my first amnesty week!
Where to start?
Well after arather long-winded journey we finally managed to make it to Donegal, Bundoran (Please don’t ask me where it is, after trying to get several people to explain the geography of the area I still have no idea!), when we got to our restaurant, we met our southern allies.

Although during the first meal we didn’t get much talking done with them, as we were all far too hungry to bother ourselves with being social.
But the first evening was spent happily, doing ice-breakers and just generally getting to know the people we were going to spend the next two days with!

We were woken up bright and early on the Saturday morning (well it was only 8 o’clock, so it felt bright and early for a statuary morning!),we all had breakfast at the ad venture centre next door to our accommodation,which involved several hundred thousand pieces of toast, and as far as I couldtell a lot of butter and jam!

But we were al thrown into our first activity of themorning, which was a role play exercise involving eight of us being certaincharacters you might have in social situations (or in this case an amnesty weekend).

Then we had quite a few hours of a drama workshop, I think Iheard a few complaints later of ‘If I ever have to shake an other persons andor ask them their favourite colour it will be the last thing I’ll ever do!’ butnone the less, our representations of the death penalty, domestic violence andwrongly treated prisoners got everyone hot under the collar.,

We all settleddown to a lunch of soup before finding out more about campaigns and watchingseveral videos, which showed us (and inspired me) of the campaigns which hadbeen run by young people like ourselves and in their amnesty groups.

Our evening was spent watching the DVD ‘Perspholis’ and just generally having good ‘Banter’ and ‘Craic”
Most of us were evening more tired on the Sunday morning as they were on the Saturday, as the staff found out, but our shouting that more coffee and toast was need before we were going to leave the breakfast table!

Dan’s photographs of earlier campaigns gave us all inspiration for our next challenge, which was to design placards for a campaignfor womens rights in Iran. I don’t think the people of Bundoran had really seenany thing like it before but as we marched steadily onwards with all the girls(and boys!) in tradition hijab head wear, with our banners and placards, we waked along the beach, trying to look as grim and impressed as possible but most of us failed at that!)

And so our weekend came to a nice close. I had made newfriends, got loads of advice on how I was going to start up an amnesty group at school and had had a really good weekend1 Thank-you!

News From the Youth Leadership Weekend- Rebecca and V'cenza

We’ve really enjoyed our weekend on Saturday we took part in a drama workshop were we learnt about forum theatre, this helped us find new ways to come up with solutions to major problems.

We learnt new ideas on how to campaign effectively, and get others involved.
On Sunday we took part in out own Amnesty demonstration, campaigning for womens’ rights in Iran, we thought this was the most enjoyable part of the weekend an also the most inspirational. We learnt a lot about theses issues on Saturday night as we watched a short animated film based on Iran.

We really enjoyed meeting new people from all over Ireland, who share our ideas surrounding Human rights. In learning all these new methods on how to campaign it has really inspired us to go back to Newcastle and put them to work as the weekend has really opened our eyes to the reality of people being deprived of their fundamental Human Rights.


Rebecca and V'cenza- Amnesty International weekend

News From the Youth Leadership Weekend - Shannon

My name is Shannon and I am from the Drumragh Intergraded College Amnesty International group. I have really enjoyed the experience of the weekend and I would love to do it again sometime. My favourite thing about the weekend was probably directing the shaping of the candle out of people holding candles. This was a really fun experience and I learnt a lot of management skills form this.


I have met a lot of very interesting and smart people on this weekend and hope to see them in the future. I can take a lot of information back to my amnesty group in school now and hopefully organise a lot more campaigns.

Thank you for the experience J.

News from the Youth Leadership weekend - Sonia

......Hello my name is Sonia and I am on an amnesty Youth group weekend in Donegal, I am really enjoying my time I have spent here so far.

We arrived here on Friday night at 8 o'clock and were very tired because of all the travelling we had done that day.
Even though everyone was exhausted they were all still very talkative and friendly, I came here with my friend Shannon because we were chosen to represent our school which is Drumragh integrated college in Omagh , because there was just the two of us we were nervous abut feeling left out from everyone else but we soon made friends with everyone because of the ice breaker exercises we did on the Friday night.

Today which is the Saturday was very exciting because Kate and Mark from Balor Arts Centre in Donegal came in to do some drama exercises which involved the issues which we learn about in our amnesty groups such as violence against women, the death penalty and Guantanamo Bay, it was very useful and effective a it showed us different possible actions we could take to help some of these problems.

I am enjoying myself and I hope to get different ideas from other Amnesty youth groups of what I cold bring back to my group and hopefully build up a link with other schools and youth groups from both the North and South of Ireland.

XsoniaX

Massive victory for human rights

Amnesty International Ireland today welcomed reports of a new approach adopted by the Irish Government on the issue of extraordinary renditions. These reports indicate that the Government intends to review and strengthen legislation governing the search and inspection of suspected rendition flights.

Amnesty International Ireland Executive Director Colm O’Gorman said:
“This is a welcome victory for human rights in Ireland. Years of lobbying and campaigning by Amnesty members and other human rights activists across the country appear to have finally paid off.

“We are happy to be in a position to commend our Government for showing political and moral leadership on this issue.

“The kind of gross human rights violations that are the result of extraordinary rendition or the so-called ‘war on terror’ are only possible in a world where states stay silent when they ought to challenge such violations

“In June of this year when we published our report on renditions in Europe we acknowledged that the Irish Government has been a strident critic of the US extraordinary rendition programme and other aspects of its so-called ‘war on terror’.

“We called for this rhetoric to be matched by action and it appears the Irish Government has finally heeded that call and ended its reliance on entirely discredited diplomatic assurances.

“Thousands of people all over Ireland have marched, protested and lobbied politicians to this end. Amnesty members and other activists have maintained a constant presence at Shannon Airport monitoring the activity of suspected rendition flights. Most recently we saw the momentum of the campaign continue to build with local authorities around Ireland, including Shannon and Limerick, declaring their areas to be rendition free zones.

”In particular Mr O’Gorman welcomed the establishment of a Cabinet Committee on Aspects of International Human Rights, which will be central to implementing the new approach.

“It is essential that a body like this at Cabinet level will drive the review of legislation, ensuring that civil and police authorities have the necessary power and resources to search and inspect suspected rendition flights,” continued Mr O’Gorman.

“We believe the outcome of this review must be made public and call on the Government to announce a time-frame for its completion.

“The new approach must not deal solely with the search and inspection of aircraft, however. It must also review how Ireland identifies aircraft that may be involved in illegal activity, i.e. the nature of information demanded of foreign aircraft by aviation authorities, particularly those possibly masquerading as civilian planes.

“This information is essential if the right aircraft are to be inspected and the Government is to move from demanding the Irish public to produce evidence of suspicious aircraft.

“Also, search and inspection can only address flights that actually land on Irish territory and in no way addresses the issue of planes suspected of involvement in renditions using Irish airspace. Amnesty International will continue to engage with government to ensure that Ireland fulfils its obligations under international human rights law.”

Find out more about Amnesty International Ireland’s campaign to counter terror with justice

Read our June 2008 report, State of Denial: Europe’s role in renditions and secret detention