— النسخة العربية أدناه | Arabic version below —
We, the undersigned civil society organizations, are following with profound anger and condemnation the dangerous escalation unfolding in the city of Hebron and its surrounding areas, as well as across the occupied West Bank, as a result of Israeli military operations and ongoing settler attacks. These developments have been accompanied by raids, displacement, the demolition of buildings and homes, closures, blockades, restrictions on freedom of movement, attacks against civilians and their property, and threats to their security and continued presence on their land.
We underscore the gravity of the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Palestinian communities, particularly in Masafer Yatta and the southern Bedouin communities, where road closures and restrictions on residents’ movement are compounded by growing difficulties in accessing water, health and education services, and agricultural land. To date, this has resulted in the displacement of more than 3,000 people who have been left without shelter.
We warn that the continuation of these practices not only threatens the daily lives of residents, but also undermines the foundations of their economic and social resilience, increases the risks of displacement and forced displacement, and threatens the Palestinian presence in these areas. These practices, which involve serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law, pose a direct threat to the lives and dignity of Palestinians, undermine the prospects for achieving a just and sustainable peace, and push the region toward further violence and instability.
We affirm that Israel, as the occupying power, bears legal responsibility for the protection of the Palestinian civilian population in accordance with international humanitarian law and relevant resolutions of international legitimacy concerning the illegality of the continued Israeli presence in the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, including East Jerusalem, and the legal obligations this entails for Israel and other states.
In keeping with our moral and human rights responsibilities, we stress that statements of diplomatic concern alone are no longer sufficient to halt this deterioration or protect affected civilians. We therefore call upon the international community and relevant actors to fulfil their responsibilities by taking the following actions:
Immediate and urgent international intervention by the United Nations, the Security Council and the contracting parties to the Geneva Conventions to ensure effective protection for Palestinian civilians; compel the occupying authorities to halt all forms of restrictive measures, home demolitions and settler attacks; lift the severe restrictions imposed on the movement of residents in affected communities and towns; ensure unhindered access to medical and humanitarian services; and facilitate the entry of goods through the crossings.
Activate international accountability mechanisms and independent investigations into violations, hold those responsible to account, and take concrete legal and diplomatic measures to prevent the continued impunity of those responsible. Declared international positions must be translated into clear and practical steps that ensure accountability for those responsible for violations on the ground and limit any measures that contribute to the continuation of these policies.
Urgent action by the European Union, the United States, Arab and Islamic states, and other influential international actors to exert pressure to halt the escalation and settlement activity and protect the inalienable rights of Palestinians, foremost among them the right to self-determination. These actors should employ the diplomatic and legal instruments available to them, take specific measures against those responsible for serious attacks, and ensure that their policies do not contribute to the continuation of the illegal situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.
Ensure safe and sustained humanitarian access to affected Palestinian communities, including securing supplies of drinking water, opening roads for ambulances, humanitarian personnel and essential services, and protecting agricultural land, water sources and livelihoods. We also call upon relevant international bodies to document these violations and monitor their impact on the ability of residents to remain on their land.
Advance a credible and realistic political horizon for peace, reaffirming the principles of the New York Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2803, toward a sovereign and viable Palestinian state alongside Israel, with both peoples living in peace, security, equality and mutual recognition.
We affirm that genuine peace cannot be achieved under occupation, settlement activity, forced displacement, violence and impunity. Rather, it must be founded on justice, equality, freedom, respect for international law and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.
Accordingly, international silence and the mere issuance of statements of condemnation in response to these violations are no longer acceptable. Protecting Palestinian civilians, ending the attacks and holding those responsible to account constitute a legal and moral obligation that cannot be postponed and requires immediate and effective international action.
مركز القدس للنساء JCW
آكت-المركز الفلسطيني لتسوية النزاعات ACT
منتدى العائلات الثكلى PCFF
مصالحة Reconciliation
مقاتلون من أجل السلام CfP
الملتقى الديمقراطي الفيدرالي DFHP
بال ايد PalAid
جمعية بيت الخبراء الفلسطيني HPS
ساتايم-هوملاند Satyam Homeland
بلاد للجميع - ALFA
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