Monday, 10 December 2012, marks the 64th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR).
It is considered the first universal declaration for the basic principles of human rights and inalienable freedoms.
It is the legal general role and the main source of human rights declarations and national and international conventions.
It is an occasion celebrated by people around the world to emphasize the protection and respect of humanitarian values for all without discrimination based on race, color, religion, and national or ethnic origin.
This year, light is shed on the rights of women, children, minorities, people with disabilities, origin people, poor, and marginalized people in order to make their voices heard to merge them in the process of making political decisions.
   
The occasion comes this year as the international community continues to disregard its obligations towards Palestinian people.
Under UDHR, the international community committed to work towards ensuring justice, enhancing respect of human rights and basic freedoms.
Justice cannot be achieved amidst occupation and its violations and disregard of all international human rights principles and values.
This occasion coincides with the end of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip codenamed “Pillars of Cloud”.
The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) has committed war crimes against civilians and civilian property, both public and private, particularly residential houses.
According to the documentation of the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, within eight days the IOF killed 168 including 36 children and 14 women.
The IOF injured 1,046, including 301 children and 105 women.
According to the Ministry of Health in Gaza, the number of injured persons who need rehabilitation and physical therapy is 106.
60 of whom are expected to have permanent disability; this means about 5% of the injured persons who were injured in pillars of clouds.
Moreover, Al Mezan’s documentation shows that 893 houses have been damaged.
Of those, 53 houses were directly targeted; including 35 roof-knocking cases.
The IOF attacks caused damage to varying degrees to 13 health centers, 66 schools, 2 universities, 16 NGO offices, 39 mosques, 14 media offices, 87 industrial and commercial facilities, 1 UNRWA Food Distribution Centre, 9ministerial offices, 14 police/security stations, 4 banks, 32 vehicles, 3 hotels, 2 cemeteries, 2 bridges, and 3 youth clubs.
This occasion also comes amidst ongoing Israeli siege, deterioration of living conditions in Gaza, and prevails of poverty and unemployment.
The Israeli siege impose on the Gaza Strip prevents Palestinians from developing service and production sectors leading to negative consequences on human rights
On the 64th anniversary of the UDHR, Al Mezan emphasizes the importance of all the Declaration’s articles and of the other international human right conventions and principles.
Al Mezan emphasizes that the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territory and its practices against Palestinian civilians prevent Palestinians from enjoying their rights like other people around the world.
The Israeli violations of human right took place amidst the silence of the international community.
   The Al Mezan Center for Human Rights re-emphasizes that this occasion must be utilized to remind the international community of its legal and moral obligations under the UDHR and the Fourth Geneva Convention.
It also reiterates its previous calls on the international community to provide international protection for Palestinians in the oPt, to uphold its legal obligations, to implement the principle of accountability, and to bring to justice those who have ordered or committed violations of human rights.