To work for human rights in headwinds - Israel and Palestine

The situation in Israel and in Palestine is going backwards rapidly in many respects. In the West Bank Israel’s expansion of settlements is continuing and thousands face imminent expulsion.  It is a serious grave breach of IHL to forcibly transfer protected persons of occupied territory from their homes and land, regardless of whether the transfer is accomplished by brute force or by making protected persons’ life so unbearable that they leave, ostensibly on their own accord. 

Desperation in Gaza is growing for every day. Where 95% of the drinking water is undrinkable, the population only has electricity for 4 hours every day. 2017 was the worst year for the movement of Palestinians in and out of Gaza since 2014. The UN estimate that Gaza would not be able support human life in 2020 has been modified by the UN due to the rapid deterioration of the conditions there.

In Israel, in Gaza and in the West Bank, human rights organizations work to create hope, document human rights abuses, and challenge political actors in order to improve protection and provide alternative right-based approaches. 

The reduced civic space and democratic deficit, threats and intimidation is something they share together - regardless of whether we are dealing with violations by Israel, the facto authorities in Gaza or the Palestinian Authority.

Facilitator: Agneta Johansson, ILAC

Mahmoud AbuRahma of Al Mezan in Gaza 

Hagai el Ad, BT Selem in Israel