Mar 24, 2014 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
The ICJ made an oral statement to the UN Human Rights Council during the general debate on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The ICJ noted that, almost ten years after the International Court of Justice ruled the construction of the separation wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT) to be unlawful, States and international organizations have failed to take effective measures to hold Israel accountable for violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law arising from the wall.
As the International Court of Justice held, States must not “recognize the illegal situation resulting from the construction of the wall” and must not “render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation created by such construction.” Israel, for its part, must dismantle the wall and its associated regime and provide reparation to victims.
At the same time, Palestinian armed groups must renounce all direct or indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian objects. Israel must also cease its own violations of international humanitarian law.
The ICJ further addressed the human rights impacts of Israeli settlements in the occupied territory, and the need for the Security Council effectively to address the issue.
The full statement can be downloaded in PDF here: Advocacy-UN-HRC25-IsraelOPT-24032014
Nov 20, 2012 | News
The ICJ today called on the Israeli authorities to immediately end their military attacks in the Gaza Strip.
Jul 30, 2012 | Advocacy, Non-legal submissions
Under the second cycle of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism, the UN Human Rights Council Working Group on the UPR will be undertaking a review of Israel during its 15th session in January 2013.
May 14, 2012 | News
The ICJ today called upon the Israeli authorities to end the abusive practice of administrative detentions of Palestinians held in Israel.
Israel must also ensure that those who are on hunger strike have full access to appropriate medical assistance and are treated humanely, the ICJ said.
Over the last months, more than 1,500 Palestinian administrative detainees, pre-trial detainees and convicted prisoners have gone on hunger strike to challenge the conditions of their detention, including the use of solitary confinement, restrictions on family visits and other punitive measures taken against them.
The ICJ stresses that Palestinian detainees and prisoners have been regularly denied their right to have contact and correspond with and be visited by members of their families.
Their rights to have regular access to independent doctors and to their lawyers have also been systematically denied.
“Under international law, administrative detention is unlawful, except in narrow circumstances as an exceptional and temporary measure. However, Israel has routinely resorted to unlawful prolonged administrative detention of individuals from the Occupied Palestinian Territory, sometimes as an alternative to criminal proceedings,” said Saïd Benarbia, Senior Legal Adviser for the Middle East and North Africa Programme. “Israeli authorities must comply with their obligations under international law and fully guarantee the rights of persons arrested or imprisoned without charge to the presumption of innocence, medical assistance, communication with family members and full and unrestricted access to a legal counsel.”
The ICJ is also gravely concerned that detainees on hunger strikes have been allegedly subjected to various forms of coercion that may amount to ill-treatment under international law, including shackling, solitary confinement, daily fines, and forced medical treatment.
Bilal Diab, Thaer Halahlah, Hassen El-Safadi, Omar Abu Shalal, Jafar Izz El-Din and Mahmoud Sarsaq, held in Israel under administrative detention orders, have been on extended hunger strike for more than two months and have seen their health conditions seriously deteriorate, the ICJ deplores.
“The Israeli Authorities must immediately end all forms of psychological and ill-treatment of hunger strikers, guarantee their rights to have full access to independent doctors and appropriate medical care, and ensure they are treated humanely in all circumstances,” Benarbia added. “Unless these detainees are charged with internationally recognizsable criminal offenses, they must be immediately and unconditionally released.”
Contact:
Saïd Benarbia, Middle East & North Africa Senior Legal Adviser, T +41 22 979 3817
Sep 23, 2010 | News
The ICJ urges the Security Council to take concrete measures to ensure accountability for human rights violations committed by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and Palestinian armed groups during Operation Cast Lead.
Israeli investigations have failed to meet international standards of effectiveness, independence and impartiality. The Hamas administration in Gaza has also failed to provide any concrete evidence of investigating violations committed by Palestinian armed groups during this period.
Israel-Palestine-investigations failed standards-press release-2010 (full text in English, PDF)
