Al Mezan condemns the terrifying of civilians and calls upon the international community to bear responsibility for the violations occurring in the OPT

27 June 2006

The IOF are continuing their psychological war on Palestinian civilians in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) by placing tanks alongside the northern borders of the Gaza Strip, while officials in the occupying state revealed their intention to conduct a wide-scale military operation in the Gaza Strip.
This takes place parallel with an intensified siege and closure imposed on the Strip, where the IOF have closed all crossings linking Gaza with Israel and with the outside world, a situation which is currently leading to a human disaster.
The IOF have intensified their psychosocial and terrifying war since the abduction of an Israeli soldier, by threatening a punishing offensive on Palestinians, provisions and medics.
Al Mezan appealed to the Palestinian military groups which abducted the soldier to abide by international humanitarian law (IHL) while dealing with the prisoner and keep him harmless.
Al Mezan Center for Human rights condemns the ongoing Israeli crimes of assassination of civilians, tightening of the siege and closure, and the threats of a military operation which will target innocent civilians.
The Center confirms that the international community, most notably the High Contracting Parties to Geneva Convention must undertake their legal and ethical obligations and immediately intervene to put a halt to Israeli war crimes which threaten protected Palestinian civilians.
With reference to past military operation, the IOF disregard the basics of IHL while dealing with civilians in the OPT.
End.