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Urgent Action: Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Call on Third States to Urgently Intervene to Protect the Palestinian People Against Genocide

Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) call on Third States to urgently intervene to protect the Palestinian people against genocide. Between Saturday 7 October and 13 October at 10:00 p.m., the Palestinian Ministry of Health reported the killing of at least 1,900 Palestinians and the injury of 7,699 in Gaza. Tonight, Israel has closed bypass roads throughout the West Bank. Since Saturday 7 October violent attacks have escalated across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with the Israeli military and settlers killing 51 Palestinians, including 16 killed today, and injuring more than 950. The situation has drastically deteriorated, with Israel ordering the evacuation of 1.1 million Palestinians from the densely populated northern Gaza towards the south of the Strip. The forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza was preceded by genocidal statements by senior Israeli political and military figures in the previous days.

724 Palestinian children killed in Gaza as Israel targets civilians

Palestinians with their belongings leave Gaza City as they flee from their homes following the Israeli army’s warning on October 13, 2023. Palestinians carried belongings through the rubble-strewn streets of Gaza City on October 13 in search of refuge as Israel’s army warned residents to flee immediately before an expected ground offensive. (Photo by Mahmud Hams / AFP)

Our Shared Horror

Since Hamas’ fighters entered Israeli territory less than a week ago at least 1,200 people in Israel and 1,100 in Gaza have been killed, more than 100 have been taken hostage, thousands have been wounded, more than 2 million are cut off from food, fuel and clean water, millions more have suffered trauma. Hamas has wiped out whole families. Israel’s armed forces are reacting by wiping out whole families. While some questions await answers, these facts are not contested. They have polarized a discourse that was always harsh. Beyond unqualified affirmations of Israel’s right to defend itself, some politicians, commentators, and scholars now endorse indiscriminate harming of Palestinians as a response to Hamas’ terrorism. Other politicians, civil society organizations, and scholars cast this terrorism as justified resistance to Israel’s occupation. The logic of collective punishment characterizes not only the actions of Hamas and the Israeli government, but also many statements justifying them. Anything goes when you defend yourself against terrorists? Anything goes when you resist occupiers?