Among them Hashd 111 Civil society organizations call for Protecting the Palestinian people ending the siege on Gaza and releasing all prisoners

Date: October 10 , 2023

Among them “Hashd” 111 Civil society organizations call for

Protecting the Palestinian people, ending the siege on Gaza, and releasing all prisoners

The civil society organizations, institutions and coalitions that signed this statement denounce the war crimes committed by the army of the occupying state and apartheid against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip, such as killings, bombing, and destruction of homes, residential towers, and civil institutions, preventing the entry of fuel and goods, and cutting off electricity to the Gaza Strip. This comes in light of the continuation of the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip for more than sixteen years.

The ongoing Israeli occupation of nonproportional attacks against protected civilians in the Gaza Strip constitutes a war crime. The Israeli occupation, as the occupying power, has a legal responsibility to ensure the protection of the lives and wellbeing of the protected Palestinian civilians in times of war.

The attacks by the Israeli occupation forces have claimed the lives of over 800 Palestinians in the Gaza strip (including wiping out entire families and the lives of over 140 children and over 100 women).

The international community has consistently voiced condemnation of the Israeli occupation’s violations of Palestinian’s basic human rights. Nevertheless, the governmental occupation has continued to expand unchecked, not suffering any consequences.

The long-standing blockade imposed on Gaza has created severe humanitarian crises. The blockade has left Palestinians in Gaza struggling with dire circumstances, fueling their determination to seek justice and ending the siege.

The recent attacks imposed by the Israeli occupation have resulted in the forced displacement of tens of thousands Palestinian citizens in Gaza, pushing them to internal displacement in UNRWA schools.

The occupation implemented a decision to cut power to the Gaza Strip, causing distressing effects on healthcare facilities. Gaza’s already-strained healthcare infrastructure, due to the blockade, is now further burdened, posing a larger threat to countless lives.

The targeting of ambulances and hospitals by Israel constitutes a violation of international law, inflicting severe health repercussions. Gaza, lacking the essential healthcare resources to respond effectively to such crises, faces further humanitarian consequences.

The Israeli closure of the West Bank, including the closing of the only international border crossing between the West Bank and Jordan, and the closure of the various illegal checkpoints in the occupied West Bank, thus isolating entire cities and villages from the rest of the Palestinian communities in the occupied West Bank, is another example of the systematic violations of Palestinians rights to movement and freedom. Illegal settlers in the West Bank, on the contrary, are granted freedom of movement and travel, indicating an implementation of a two-tier apartheid regime by Israel.

The Israeli occupation attacks on holy sites in Jerusalem have been another source of provocation. These attacks are sponsored and led by the most extreme elements in the Israeli occupation government. The halt of these attacks is of utmost importance.

We urgently request that the international community and United Nations take immediate and effective actions to put significant pressure on Israel occupation to stop its offensive actions in Gaza, ending forcibly displacement of people in the occupied West Bank, protect the lives of civilians, prevent any further loss of life, provide urgent humanitarian assistance to address the consequences of ongoing aggression, and halt the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

We also call on the international community to protect the civilians and pressure Israel to comply with the international law outlined in the Geneva Conventions, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention that focuses on protecting civilians during conflicts and occupation. Additionally, we emphasize the need for an immediate cessation of organized attacks on holy sites, the release of all Palestinian prisoners and the delivery of the bodies of the Palestinian martyrs to their families.

We consider the flagrant unconditional support the U.S and European officials are offering Israel occupation while ignoring the plight of the Palestinian people as complicity in Israeli human rights violations and crimes against humanity, including the crime of apartheid. We condemn the collusion of some countries with the occupying entity under the pretext of the right to self-defense. We note the failure of the international community to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes and its impunity, and we consider it the reason for the current situation.

In this context, it is crucial to emphasize the right of the Palestinians to resist the occupation and confront its attacks and violations of Palestinian national rights, It is the duty of peoples and living consciences around the world to intensify their efforts to stop the aggression immediately, protect the Palestinians, end the occupation, and guarantee the right of the Palestinian people to obtain their freedom and rights, most importantly their right to return, self-determination, and establishing their independent state on their national soil.

To read the call in 6 different languages, click here.

Organizations Signatory:

1. Tunisian General Labor Union
2. Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
3. The Jordan Federation of the independent Trade Unions
4. Tunisian Coalition Against the Death Penalty
5. The Human Rights Coalition to Stop the Aggression, Lift the Siege, and Build Peace in Yemen (includes 10 organizations from ten Arab countries)
6. Coalition égyptienne pour les droits de l’enfant
7. The Moroccan Coalition for Human Rights Bodies (includes 23 Moroccan human rights organizations)
8. The National Coalition of Civil Society Organizations in Yemen
9. The Academic Assembly for the support of Palestine-Lebanon
10. Women’s Cultural Assembly for Democracy / Iraq
11. Cultural Rally for Democracy / Iraq
12. Mauritania Professors Alliance
13. The Iraqi Alliance for Human Rights Organizations (includes 55 organizations)
14. The Arab Coalition against the Death Penalty (includes 9 coalitions in 8 countries)
15. Syrian Feminist Alliance to activate Security Council Resolution 1325
16. Yemeni Coalition Against the Death Penalty
17. Coordination for Maghreb Human Rights Organizations (include 26 HR organizations from Morocco, Mauretania, Algeria, Tunisia and Libya)
18. Ibn Rushd Association for Development and Democracy / Iraq
19. Jordanian Women’s Union Association
20. The Jordan Society for Human Rights
21. Bahraini Society for Human Rights
22. Baraem Association for Social Work/Lebanon
23. Civil Solidarity Association / Tunis
24. Association pour le Développement et les Etudes Stratégiques/ Tunisie
25. Tunisian Association for the Defense of Individual Liberties
26. Jordanian Jurists Association / Jordan
27. Working Women’s Association/Jordan
28. Medical Association for the Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and Abuse/Morocco
29. Tunisian Judges Association
30. The Moroccan Association for Women Progressive
31. Moroccan Anti-Bribery Association
32. Association of the Economic and Social Forum for Women / Jordan
33. The Mauritanian Association for the Promotion of Rights
34. Arab Women Organization-Jordan(AWO)
35. I am Human Association for the Rights of the Disabled (Jordan)
36. Jothor Society for Human Rights-Jordan
37. Citizenship Bridges Association/Tunisia
38. Roaa Women Association-Jordan
39. Women’s Network Society for Women Support/ Jordan
40. Chamoua Association for Equality/Morocco
41. Amman Society Forum for Human Rights
42. Nashaz Association/Tunisia
43. Protecting human rights defenders around the Arab world/ France
44. The Jordanian academic campaign to support the rights of the Palestinian people / Jordan
45. The Tunisian League for the Defense of Human Rights
46. The Algerian League for Defense Human Rights
47. Association of Women Heads of Families from Mauritania
48. Iraqi League for Human Rights Trainers
49. Freedom Pioneers for Integrity and Human Rights Training / Jordan
50. The Jordanian Network for Human Rights (includes 11 human rights organizations)
51. International Network for Human Rights and Development / France
52. Global Network for the Defense of the Palestinian People
53. Network of Women Lawyers and Lawyers Against the Death Penalty/Morocco
54. Moroccan Network for the Protection of Public Funds
55. The Syrian National Network for Civil Peace and Community Safety.
56. One Justice/France
57. Moroccan League for the Defense of Human Rights
58. The Syrian Federation of Human Rights Organizations and Bodies
59. Committees for the Defense of Democratic Freedoms and Human Rights in Syria (LDH)
60. Syrian Medical Committee/Paris
61. Arab Commission for Human Rights
62. The Vigilance Committee for Democracy in Tunisia / Belgium
63. The International Council Supporting Fair Trials and Human Rights (ICSFT)
64. Yemeni Council for Rights and Freedoms / Yemen
65. The Arab Observatory for Human Rights and Citizenship/ Lebanon
66. French Observatory for Human Rights/Paris
67. Moroccan Observatory for Public Liberties
68. Moroccan Observatory of Prisons
69. National Observatory for the Defense of Civil State/Tunisia
70. Hurriyat Observatory / Morocco
71. Centre Jordan Horizons pour le développement et la formation
72. Arab Women Media Center / Jordan
73. Al-Badil Center for Research and Studies/Jordan
74. Khiam Rehabilitation Center for Victims of Torture-Lebanon
75. The International Center for Supporting Rights and Freedoms – a Swiss association
76. Tunis Center for Press Freedom
77. Jothor Center for Human Rights/Jordan
78. Geneva Center for Democracy and Human Rights
79. Human Rights Center for Memory and Archives/Morocco
80. Damascus Center for Theoretical and Civil Studies
81. Amman Center for Human Rights Studies (ACHRS)
82. Metro Center for Defending the Rights of Journalists/ Iraq
83. Scandinavian Institute of Human Rights/ Haitham Manna Foundation /Geneva
84. Gulf Institute for Democracy and Human Rights
85. International Institute for Peace, Justice and Human Rights/Geneva
86. Houran Forum for Citizenship/Syria
87. Bahrain Forum for Human Rights
88. Renewal Forum for Citizen and Democratic Thought / Tunisia
89. Al Karama Forum for Human Rights/Morocco
90. Sudanese National Civil Forum(includes 54 civil society organizations) / Sudan
91. Moroccan Forum for Truth and Justice
92. African Organization for Human Rights Monitoring/Morocco
93. International House for Human Rights / France
94. The Tunisian Organization against Torture
95. Gender Studies and Information Organization / Iraq
96. Organization for the Defense of Victims of Violence/Geneva
97. The Arab Organization for Human Rights in Syria
98. The Kurdish Organization for Human Rights in Syria (DAD)
99. National Organization for Human Rights in Syria
100. Yemeni Organization for Dialogue of Religions and Cultures
101. Organisation Insan pour les droits et libertés/Yémen
102. Freedom House Organisation pour la défense des droits de l’homme et la lutte contre l’esclavage et ses vestiges/Mauritanie
103. ORGANIZATION FOR FREEDOM OF MEDIAS AND EXPRESSION- OFME- HATIM / MOROCCO
104. Organisation Salam pour la démocratie et les droits de l’homme
105. Desert Youth Organization for Development and Human Rights / Libya
106. Défenseurs des Droits de l’Homme/Maroc
107. Yemeni Organization for Defense Rights and Democratic Freedoms/Yemen
108. Mada Foundation for Human Rights / Iraq
109. The International Commission for Supporting the Rights of the Palestinian People
110. Sahel Organization for Defending Human Rights and Supporting Education and Social Peace/Mauritania
111. Moroccan Commission for Human Rights