At least 61 Palestinians were killed[1] including 8 children, and over 2771 injured including 225 children and 86 women by the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) on Monday the 14th of May in which tens of thousands of Palestinians took a part in the peaceful demonstrations “Great March of Return and Breaking Blockade”. Palestinians are protesting the United States declaring Jerusalem the capital of Israel and moving their embassy to Jerusalem becoming the first state in the world to recognize Israel’s unlawful annexation of the city. The U.S. embassy move to Jerusalem violates international law and deepens Israel’s unlawful annexation of East Jerusalem and illegal colonial and settlement enterprise in and around the city. Palestinians also are protesting their forced evictions and displacement since 1948 demanding the right of return that stipulated in the UN Resolution 194, as well as calling for an end to the 11-year blockade on Gaza.
Palestinians in the Gaza Strip are living under 11-year continuous blockade imposed by Israel resulting in dire socioeconomic and severe humanitarian conditions, encompassing shortages in basic needs. The overall situation in the Gaza Strip is dramatically deteriorating. The Israeli occupation executed the yesterday’s massacre and the last 70 years of oppression and suffering of the Palestinian people. Peace cannot exist without justice. Palestinian human rights must be protected.
PNGO asserts that the Israeli forces’ lethal and injurious targeting of protected corresponds with the grave breaches of willful killing and willfully causing great suffering or serious injury unlawful under the Fourth Geneva Convention. The conduct is codified as war crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.
The freedoms of association, assembly, and expression are all fundamental rights under international human rights law, and these rights are to be given broad protection. The use of excessive firearms, including live ammunition against peaceful unarmed Palestinian protesters, journalists, and health personnel violates the principles of international law and could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute.
PNGO calls upon the international community to act now:
- Condemn Israel’s excessive use of force and lethal force resulting in a massacre including the death of over 110 Palestinians while participating in peaceful demonstrations and over 10,000 Palestinians wounded since March 30th, 2018.
- The international community cannot continue to ignore this collective punishment of the people of Gaza which is prohibited under international law. There must be international accountability for such actions including ending the 11-years of blockade
- The international community must provide protection to the Palestinian people and assist the Palestinian people in obtaining their freedom, independence and the right to self-determination, demand access to their rights including freedom of assembly.
- Support the call for the opening of an investigation into the situation of Palestine by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to examine internationally recognized crimes committed in the occupied Palestinian territory.
- States must take immediate and practical measures, including halting their aid and support to Israel, and imposing sanctions until Israel ends its annexation and unlawful prolonged occupation of the Palestinian territory, ceases all breaches of international law, and ensure justice and accountability.
[1] Palestinian Ministry of Health
