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Al Mezan Welcomes Representative of the Netherlands to the Palestinian Authority and ICRC’s Legal Advisor

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15 January 2019 |Reference 1/2019

On Tuesday, 15 January 2019, Mr. Kees van Baar, Head of Mission at the Netherlands Representative Office in Ramallah, and Mr. Maurits Oskam, First Secretary Political Affairs and Human Rights at the Office, visited Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza City and were welcomed by Mr. Issam Younis, Al Mezan’s Director-General.

 

During the meeting, Mr. Younis shared with the two diplomats a detailed overview of the deteriorating humanitarian and human rights situation in the Gaza Strip, focusing on recent political developments and their exceptional impact on daily life in Gaza. Mr. Younis discussed the critical effects of the continued blockade, closure of borders, and restriction of movement of people and goods. He noted that the ongoing Palestinian internal division has also resulted in undermining not only the fundamental rights of the people but also the rule of law and the overall living conditions in Gaza. Mr. Younis also stressed that the international community must actively defend the cause of human rights  and international law and bring the ongoing violations to an end, including through holding perpetuators to account.

 

On Sunday, 13 January 2019, Mr. Bruno Dmeyere, Head of the Legal Department in Israel and the Occupied Territories at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), and Mr. Khalil Alwazir, Legal Adviser at ICRC, were welcomed by Mr. Younis during their visit to Al Mezan. Throughout their visit, Mr. Dmeyere and Mr. Alwazir were briefed on the general humanitarian situation in Gaza as well as on Al Mezan’s mission in delivering legal aid to victims of abuses as well as a broad range of other activities aimed at protecting and promoting human rights. Mr. Dmeyere discussed the work of ICRC in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt).