/2024

Israel’s escalating use of torture against Palestinians in custody a preventable crime against humanity: UN experts | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/08/israels-escalating-use-torture-against-palestinians-custody-preventable

GENEVA – Reports of alleged torture and sexual violence in Israel’s Sde Teiman prison are grossly illegal and revolting, but they only represent the tip of the iceberg , independent human rights experts* warned today.

“Israel’s widespread and systemic abuse of Palestinians in detention and arbitrary arrest practices over decades , coupled with the absence of any restraints by the Israeli State since 7 October 2023, paint a shocking picture enabled by absolute impunity ,” the experts said.

#impunité #états-unis #leadership #benevolent

UN experts declare famine has spread throughout Gaza strip | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/07/un-experts-declare-famine-has-spread-throughout-gaza-strip

The recent deaths of more Palestinian children due to hunger and malnutrition leaves no doubt that famine has spread across the entire Gaza strip, a group of independent experts* said today.

States and companies must end arms transfers to Israel immediately or risk responsibility for human rights violations: UN experts | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/states-and-companies-must-end-arms-transfers-israel-immediately-or-risk

In line with recent calls from the Human Rights Council and the independent UN experts to States to cease the sale, transfer and diversion of arms, munitions and other military equipment to Israel, arms manufacturers supplying Israel – including BAE Systems, Boeing, Caterpillar, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Oshkosh, Rheinmetall AG, Rolls-Royce Power Systems, RTX, and ThyssenKrupp – should also end transfers, even if they are executed under existing export licenses.

UN experts condemn outrageous disregard for Palestinian civilians during Israel’s military operation in #Nuseirat | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/06/un-experts-condemn-outrageous-disregard-palestinian-civilians-during-israels

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UN human rights experts* today strongly condemned the umpteenth massacre by Israeli forces in Gaza during a hostage rescue operation in Nuseirat Refugee Camp, which killed at least 274 Palestinians, including 64 children and 57 women, and injured nearly 700.

On 8 June, Israeli Occupation Forces – allegedly assisted by foreign soldiers – entered Nuseirat disguised as displaced persons and aid workers in a humanitarian truck. They violently raided the area, assaulting residents with intense ground and air attacks that spread terror, death and despair.

“According to survivors, the streets of Nuseirat were filled with bodies of dead and injured people, including children and women, lying in pools of blood. Walls were covered in body parts scattered by multiple explosions and bombed houses,” the experts said.

With Gaza’s health sector decimated, the injured taken to hospitals had to wait for medical treatment on the floors, they said.

“While we are relieved by the safe return of four Israeli hostages captured by Palestinian armed groups eight months ago, Israel’s attack on the Nuseirat camp is obnoxious in its excessive violence and devastating impact,” the experts said.

They particularly condemned Israeli forces for treacherously hiding in a humanitarian aid truck coming from the US-built pier , which was intended to facilitate humanitarian assistance. “Acquiring civilian disguise to conduct a military operation constitutes perfidy, which is strictly prohibited under international humanitarian law and tantamount to a war crime,” the experts said.

“These tactics put aid workers and the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid at even greater risk and expose an unprecedented level of savagery in Israeli military actions,” they said.

The World Food Program has already announced the pause of its operations from the pier due to “security concerns.”

“The dramatically high death toll among Palestinians affected by the rescue operation confirms Israel’s blatant disregard for Palestinian life,” the experts said. “Under international law, all civilian life must be equally valued and protected and no life is worth more than another.”

The experts noted that Israel had an opportunity to free the hostages without further bloodshed eight months ago, when the first ceasefire deal was presented. Instead, Israel has systematically rejected ceasefire proposals, preferring to continue its assault on Gaza, which has even taken the lives of Israeli hostages. All the while, Israel has claimed to be engaging in military operations to save them,” they said. “ Using the pretext of seeking to rescue hostages to justify excessive use of force exposes Israel’s criminal actions, including through humanitarian camouflage, and tells us they have reached a whole new level, ” the experts said.

“The military operation in Nuseirat stands out as one of the most heinous acts in Israel’s destructive assault against the Palestinian people since 7 October , which has killed over 36,000 Palestinians, injured over 80,000 and displaced and starved 2 million people in #Gaza, while violence against Palestinians in the West Bank and east Jerusalem also continues unabated ,” they said.

The experts noted that the UN Security Council Resolution 2735 is a way out of the horror, reiterating their call for an arms embargo against Israel to end the violence against Palestinians by Israeli forces and settlers.

“While the hour is already late, we hope this Resolution will pave the way for durable peace for the Palestinian people and freedom for hostages being held by Palestinian armed groups and for the thousands of Palestinian hostages arbitrarily detained by Israel,” they said.

#génocide

Le rapport de la commission d’enquête indépendante de l’ONU conclut que « des formes spécifiques de violence sexuelle et sexiste font partie des procédures opérationnelles de l’armée israélienne ». Autrement dit : Israël utilise systématiquement le viol comme arme de guerre. Et comme cela a déjà documenté par le passé, l’armée israélienne fait cela régulièrement devant d’autres membres de la même famille.
▻https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/hrbodies/hrcouncil/sessions-regular/session56/a-hrc-56-26-auv.docx

SGBV [Sexual and gender-based violence]

65. The Commission documented many incidents in which ISF systematically targeted and subjected Palestinians to SGBV online and in person since October 7, including through forced public nudity, forced public stripping, sexualized torture and abuse, and sexual humiliation and harassment. These incidents took place during ground operations in conjunction with evacuations and arrests. Based on testimonies and verified video footage and photographs, the Commission finds that sexual violence has been perpetrated throughout the OPT during evacuation processes, prior to or during arrest, at civilian homes and at a shelter for women and girls. Sexual acts were carried out by force, including under threats, intimidation and other forms of duress, in inherently coercive circumstances due to the armed conflict and the presence of armed Israeli soldiers.

66. The ISF forced public stripping and nudity in many locations, in humiliating circumstances, including when victims were; blindfolded, kneeling and/or with their hands tied behind their back while in underwear; interrogated or subjected to verbal or physical abuse while fully or partially undressed; coerced to do physical movements while naked; and filmed or photographed by ISF doing any of these acts and disseminating the film and photographs. Palestinians were also made to watch members of their family and community strip in public and walk completely or partially undressed while subjected to sexual harassment.

67. Both male and female victims were subjected to such sexual violence, but men and boys were targeted in particular ways. Only males were repeatedly filmed and photographed by soldiers while subjected to forced public stripping and nudity, sexual torture and inhumane or cruel treatment. Palestinian women were also targeted and subjected to psychological violence and sexual harassment online, including shaming and doxing female detainees and drawing gendered and sexualized graffiti, including at a women’s shelter in Gaza that was directly targeted. Israeli soldiers also filmed themselves ransacking homes, including drawers filled with lingerie, to mock and humiliate Palestinian women, referring to Arab women as ‘sluts’. The Commission concludes, based on the circumstances and context of these acts, that GBV directed at Palestinian women was intended to humiliate and degrade the Palestinian population as a whole.

68. The Commission notes the existence of aggravating factors in the commission of these gender-based crimes. First, the specific social and normative context in which these acts have been committed includes strong cultural and religious sensitivities linked to privacy, nudity and the significance of the veil, where stigma and social exclusion can have deep repercussions at the individual and community level for the victim, particularly for women and girls. Second, humiliating digital content disseminated online, reaching a global audience, is extremely difficult to remove from the internet.

69. Based on the way in which such acts were committed, including with filming, photographing and posting material online, in conjunction with the many cases with similar methods observed in multiple locations, the Commission concludes that forced public stripping and nudity and other types of abuse by Israeli military personnel were either ordered or condoned. These acts were intended to humiliate and degrade the victims and the Palestinian community at large, by perpetuating gender stereotypes that create a sense of shame, subordination, emasculation and inferiority. It is evident that such violence is both a part of and has been enabled by the broader targeting and ill-treatment of Palestinians.

[…]

81. The Commission found that the war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare; murder or wilful killing; intentionally directing attacks against civilians and civilian objects; forcible transfer; sexual violence; outrages upon personal dignity; and SGBV amounting to torture or inhuman and cruel treatment were committed.

[…]

103. The frequency, prevalence and severity of sexual and gender-based crimes perpetrated against Palestinians since 7 October across the OPT indicate that specific forms of SGBV are part of ISF operating procedures. Palestinian men and boys experienced specific persecutory acts intended to punish them in retaliation for the crimes committed on 7 October. The way in which these acts were committed, including their filming and photographing, in conjunction with similar cases documented in several locations, leads the Commission to conclude that forced public stripping and nudity and other related types of abuse were either ordered or condoned by Israeli authorities.

104. SGBV constitutes a major element in the ill-treatment of Palestinians, intended to humiliate the community at large. This violence is intrinsically linked to the wider context of inequality and prolonged occupation, which have provided the conditions and the rationale for gender-based crimes, to further accentuate the subordination of the occupied people. The Commission notes that these crimes must be addressed by tackling their root cause; through dismantling the historically oppressive structures and institutionalized system of discrimination against Palestinians, which are at the core of the occupation.

Onslaught of violence against women and children in #Gaza unacceptable: UN experts | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/05/onslaught-violence-against-women-and-children-gaza-unacceptable-un-experts

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“We are horrified at details emerging from mass graves recently unearthed in the Gaza Strip. Over 390 bodies have been discovered at Nasser and Al Shifa hospitals, including of women and children, with many reportedly showing signs of torture and summary executions, and potential instances of people buried alive,” the experts said.

They noted that women, girls and children overall are among those most exposed to danger in this conflict, and that as of 29 April 2024, of 34,488 Palestinians killed in Gaza, 14,500 have been children and 9,500 women. Another 77,643 have reportedly been injured, of which 75% are estimated to be female. Over 8,000 others are reported missing or under the rubble – and the experts noted that at least half of them can be assumed to be women and children. They also noted that an estimated 63 women, including 37 mothers are being killed daily and 17,000 Palestinian children are believed to have been orphaned since the war on Gaza began.

#sionisme #génocide #génocidaires

UN experts condemn ‘flour massacre’, urge Israel to end campaign of starvation in Gaza | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/03/un-experts-condemn-flour-massacre-urge-israel-end-campaign-starvation-gaza

KUNA : Des experts onusiens condamnent le « massacre de farine » à Gaza - Politique - 05/03/2024
▻https://www.kuna.net.kw/ArticleDetails.aspx?id=3140775&language=fr

GENEVE, 5 Mars (KUNA) — Un groupe de rapporteurs spéciaux des Nations unies a condamné mardi ce qu’ils ont appelé le « massacre de farine » perpétré par les forces d’occupation dans la bande de Gaza le 29 février contre un groupe de civils alors qu’ils tentaient d’obtenir une aide humanitaire, ce qui a coûté la vie à plus de 112 personnes et blessant 760 autres.

C’est ce qui ressort d’une déclaration commune publiée par un groupe d’experts onusiens à Genève, dans laquelle ils ont dénoncé les opérations qu’ils ont qualifiées de « systématiques » par les forces d’occupation consistant à cibler et à tirer sur des Palestiniens alors qu’ils tentaient d’obtenir de l’aide humanitaire.

Ils ont indiqué que plus de 14 incidents ont été documentés au cours desquels des civils ont été directement visés alors qu’ils tentaient d’obtenir de l’aide à partir de camions ou de parachutages, entre la mi-février et la fin du même mois.

Les experts ont accusé les forces d’occupation de mener une politique de « famine délibérée » contre les Palestiniens depuis le 8 octobre dernier en empêchant l’entrée de l’aide dans la bande de Gaza.

De même, ils ont évoqué la décision de la Cour internationale de Justice (CIJ), dans laquelle elle a reconnu la possibilité que les forces d’occupation commettent un génocide et des crimes contre l’humanité dans la bande de Gaza, contraignant l’entité occupante à fournir les services de base et à ne pas empêcher l’entrée de l’aide humanitaire, soulignant que le non-respect de ces mesures entraîne une aggravation de la situation.

Les experts ont également renouvelé leur précédent appel à la communauté internationale pour qu’elle interdise la vente d’armes à l’entité occupante et lui impose des sanctions afin de garantir le respect du droit international humanitaire, appelant les pays à déployer les efforts nécessaires pour atténuer les souffrances de la population civile de Gaza.

Les experts ont, enfin, dénoncé l’utilisation de l’aide humanitaire comme moyen de pression dans les négociations politiques, réitérant leur appel à un cessez-le-feu global et permanent. (Fin)(A.K.) (G.K).

#génocide
#sionisme
#gaza

Israel/oPt: UN experts appalled by reported human rights violations against Palestinian women and girls | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against

GENEVA (19 February 2024) – UN experts* today expressed alarm over credible allegations of egregious human rights violations to which Palestinian women and girls continue to be subjected in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
Palestinian women and girls have reportedly been arbitrarily executed in Gaza, often together with family members, including their children, according to information received. “We are shocked by reports of the deliberate targeting and extrajudicial killing of Palestinian women and children in places where they sought refuge, or while fleeing. Some of them were reportedly holding white pieces of cloth when they were killed by the Israeli army or affiliated forces,” the experts said.

The experts expressed serious concern about the arbitrary detention of hundreds of Palestinian women and girls, including human rights defenders, journalists and humanitarian workers, in Gaza and the West Bank since 7 October. Many have reportedly been subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment, denied menstruation pads, food and medicine, and severely beaten. On at least one occasion, Palestinian women detained in Gaza were allegedly kept in a cage in the rain and cold, without food.

“We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

The experts expressed concern that an unknown number of Palestinian women and children, including girls, have reportedly gone missing after contact with the Israeli army in Gaza. “There are disturbing reports of at least one female infant forcibly transferred by the Israeli army into Israel, and of children being separated from their parents, whose whereabouts remain unknown,” they said.

“We remind the Government of Israel of its obligation to uphold the right to life, safety, health, and dignity of Palestinian women and girls and to ensure that no one is subjected to violence, torture, ill-treatment or degrading treatment, including sexual violence,” the experts said.

#génocidaires #sionisme #états-unis et ses #larbins

Arms exports to Israel must stop immediately: UN experts | OHCHR
▻https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/arms-exports-israel-must-stop-immediately-un-experts

GENEVA (23 February 2024) – Any transfer of weapons or ammunition to Israel that would be used in Gaza is likely to violate international humanitarian law and must cease immediately, UN experts* warned today.

“All States must ‘ensure respect’ for international humanitarian law by parties to an armed conflict, as required by 1949 Geneva Conventions and customary international law,” the experts said. “States must accordingly refrain from transferring any weapon or ammunition – or parts for them – if it is expected, given the facts or past patterns of behaviour, that they would be used to violate international law.”

“Such transfers are prohibited even if the exporting State does not intend the arms to be used in violation of the law – or does not know with certainty that they would be used in such a way – as long as there is a clear risk,” they said.