This day May 15th is the 58th anniversary of Al Nakba (the “catastrophe” of 1948) which is happening while IOF crimes of collective punishment, depopulation and destruction in the OPT continue.
Al Nakba, which was the greatest ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in history, comes at a time when the IOF are intensifying the siege on the Gaza Strip, isolating civilians to force them from their lands and homes: a continuation of the ethnic cleansing, conducted by the IOF.
In the Gaza Strip, IOF intensified random shelling on populated areas in northern and eastern borders of the Gaza Strip so as to compel people to leave their houses and prevent farmers from reaching their land, in addition to crimes of extrajudicial assassinations.
Such violations have negatively affected the Palestinian economy and threatened the right to life due to lack of medication and medical equipment, in addition to basic human needs.
Palestinian suffering has increased since the Israeli decision to withhold taxes owed to the PNA which further threatens to provoke a humanitarian crisis.
It is expected that poverty and unemployment rates have increased to 70%.
A cruel form of ethnic cleansing is also taking place in the West Bank as Israel continues its construction of the Apartheid Wall and its track has deviated to cover 670 km; the construction of the wall has destroyed crops, and confiscated and annexed land.
Moreover, the IOF have isolated populated areas and prevented farmers from reaching their land; thousands of workers have been denied access to workplaces and many students have been unable to attend their studies.
The negative impact of the Wall has been concentrated in local and international institutions working in the field of human relief and medical care, since they have to obtain permit to reach the besieged areas where people are deprived from obtaining municipal services and infrastructure projects.
Israel has intensified its racist and discriminatory policy following the decision of the Israeli Supreme Court on May 14th to uphold a law that bars family unification, such that Palestinians with a spouse who is an Arab citizen of Israel are not allowed to live with their spouses and children.
The Court’s decision emphasizes the legalization of discrimination.
In addition, the Court's ruling passed on the eve of the commemoration of Al Nakba, which reminded Arabs of the massacres committed by Zionist gangs to depopulate historic Palestine.
Despite the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of July 9th, 2004 regarding the illegitimacy of the Wall in the OPT and the status of the Palestinian territories as occupied territory, the positions taken by the international community, most notably the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and UN General Assembly, have not achieved any positive changes vis-à-vis Israeli violations of international law.
Al Mezan Center for Human Rights condemns ongoing Israeli crimes which constitute grave violations of international law and demonstrate the indifference of the occupying power with respect to compliance with its legal responsibilities.
Thus, Al Mezan calls upon the international community to immediately intervene and face its legal and moral duties with respect to international law, by halting the ongoing crimes against Palestinians in the OPT and providing international protection for them as an initial step towards implementing UN and Security Council decisions relative to the conflict in the region.
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