GAZA, July 15, 2006 (WAFA)- Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) called on both the Swiss government to take a leading role in acting to stop the Israeli grave breaches of international law in the Gaza Strip (GS), and on the High Commissioner for Human Rights to issue a statement strongly condemning Israel's grave breaches in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT).
In a press release issued Saturday, PCHR strongly condemned the continued killing of Palestinian civilians and destruction of civilian facilities in the Gaza Strip by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF), which have been exercising disproportionate and lethal force.
"In the past 48 hours, 3 Palestinians have been killed and 10 others, including a woman and a baby, have been wounded in 3 separate attacks by IOF in Gaza City and the central Gaza Strip," it added. "IOF has also launched 3 air strikes on a building of the Palestinian Ministry of National Economy in Gaza City and on two bridges in the central Gaza Strip. Additionally, IOF artilleries have continued to shell neighbourhoods and agricultural land in the north, centre and south of the Gaza Strip, in which IOF have been redeployed. "
PCHR said it believes that the failure of the international community and the High Contracting Parties of the Fourth Geneva Convention to take effective steps to stop Israeli war crimes has served to encourage Israel to commit more war crimes against Palestinian civilians. Not only do the legal cover provided to Israel by the US, which purposely hinders international humanitarian law, and the conspiracy of silence by Europe place Israel above the international law, but also encourage IOF to commit more war crimes.
PCHR reminded the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention of: Their obligations under article 1 of the Convention to respect and ensure respect for the convention under all circumstances, and Their obligations under article 146 of the Convention to search for persons alleged to have committed, or to have ordered to be committed, grave breaches, and bring such persons before their own courts, noting that such grave breaches constitute war crimes under article 147, as specified in the First Protocol Additional to the Convention.
PCHR called upon the Swiss Government: To take a leading role in highlighting and acting to stop the grave breaches of international law that are currently taking place in the Gaza Strip, as is its obligation as the depository of the Fourth Geneva Convention, To make efforts to mobilise the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention to intervene in this situation and meet their obligations to protect the rights of the civilian population of the Gaza Strip under International Humanitarian Law, and To call on the Security Council to send an international protection force for the Palestinian civilian population of the Gaza Strip.
The Centre also called upon the High Commissioner for Human Rights: To issue a statement strongly condemning Israel's grave breaches of international law in OPT, To make a visit to the OPT in order to see for yourself the long term damage that has already been and is currently being inflicted on the civilian population - a population who should be enjoying protection under International Humanitarian Law, and To call a meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention in order to ensure that these states fulfil their obligation under international law to protect the civilian population of OPT.
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