NGO Action News – 16 June 2017

This newsletter informs about recent and upcoming activities of Civil Society Organizations affiliated with the United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. The Committee and the Division for Palestinian Rights of the UN Secretariat provide the information “as is” without warranty of any kind, and do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, or reliability of the information contained in the websites linked in the newsletter.

NGO ACTION NEWS
16 June 2017

Global

• On 14 June, Amnesty International issued a statement warning that the decision to cut Gaza’s electricity supply could have severe humanitarian consequences (“Gaza: Looming Humanitarian Catastrophe Highlights Need to Lift Israel’s 10-Year Illegal Blockade”).

Middle East

• On 14 June, 16 Israeli civil society organizations – Adalah, Akevot, Amnesty International Israel, The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, Bimkom, Breaking the Silence, B’Tselem, Gisha, HaMoked, Haqel, Ir Amim, Peace Now, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, Rabbis for Human Rights, Yesh Din and Zazim – sent a letter to Israel’s Attorney General urging him to persuade the Security Cabinet to reverse its decision to reduce the supply of electricity to Gaza.

• On 13 June, Addameer reported that Palestinian writer and political scientist Ahmad Qatamish has had his administrative detention confirmed for three months by a military court.

• On 13 June, the National Coalition of Christian Organizations in Palestine (NCCOP) sent an open letter to the World Council of Churches (WCC).

• B’Tselem issued a press release on 13 June entitled “The PA’s wrongful actions towards Gaza residents do not mean Israel can shirk its responsibility for their fate”.

• On 12 June, Al-Haq published an article entitled “Colonizing the Occupied Palestinian Territory: Fifty Years of Israeli Impunity, Fifty Years of International Failure, Fifty Years of Brutal Military Occupation”.

• Following reports of two demonstrators killed and 19 injured since the beginning of protests by youth against the blockade on 19 May, Al Mezan called on 11 June on the international community to provide protection for civilians in Gaza.

• On 11 June, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) emphasized the potential harm caused by the electricity crisis in Gaza (“Aggravation of Electricity Crisis Increases Suffering of Gaza Population and Seriously Threatens their Life”), calling on Israel to fulfil its obligations as an occupying power and guarantee civilians’ access to basic services, and calling on all parties administering the electricity sector to solve the crisis.

• Jeff Halper, the Director of The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions, published an article entitled “Ending the occupation isn’t enough” in +972 Magazine on 10 June.

Europe

• On 9 June, Medical Aid for Palestinians published an article entitled “How can a new UK government support Palestinian health and dignity?”, which included a link to a petition that calls on the UK government to support Palestinian health and dignity by taking steps to end the occupation. MAP also released a statement on 14 June calling on the international community to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza.

North America

• The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights published an article entitled “Ten years. Can you imagine?” on June 15 outlining some of its campaigns marking the tenth anniversary of the blockade of Gaza. The US Campaign for Palestinian Rights will also host a webinar entitled “No Bans on Stolen Lands: Refugee Resistance from the U.S. to Palestine” on 20 June. 

Latin America 

• The Federación Palestina de Chile shared an article published by Palestinian Chief Negotiator Saeb Erekat in the Spanish newspaper El País on 14 June.

United Nations 

• On 9 June, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the OPT, Michael Lynk, published an op-ed entitled “Fifty years ago, an Israeli occupation foreseen” in the Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail.

• On 4 June, Robert Piper, the UN Coordinator for Humanitarian Aid and Development Activities, issued a statement warning of the consequences of a further reduction in Gaza’s electricity supply.