Madame Chair

The situation in Israel and the Occupied Territories continues to be one of the most discussed but least acted on. The resolutions passed by the last year's Commission were disregarded, as were the scores of other UN resolutions passed on the situation over the past three decades.

In the past year killings and destruction have escalated, with frequent bombardments, shelling and shooting by the Israeli army into densely populated Palestinian refugee camps and residential areas, and recurring suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinian armed groups against Israeli civilians. Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned these grave abuses by both sides.

In the past two and a half years the killing of some 2,000 Palestinians, including some 350 children, and the destruction of thousands of Palestinian homes and large areas of agricultural land has not brought security to Israel. On the contrary, these violations have contributed to fuel the spiral of violence.

Curfews and closures, imposed in the name of security, have confined millions of Palestinian children and adults to virtual house or town arrest however, these measures have not have not prevented Palestinian armed groups from carrying out suicide bombings and other attacks which have killed some 700 Israelis, most of them civilians and including some 90 children.

By these sweeping measures of collective punishment children and youth have been denied their right to education, the sick have been denied their right to medical care and workers have been denied their right to work. As a result more than half of the Palestinians population is now living below the poverty line and malnutrition and other health problems have sharply increased.

The impunity afforded to those responsible for human rights violations encourages further violations.
Israeli soldiers who commit gross violations and war crimes enjoy impunity while Israelis who refuse to serve in army in the Occupied Territories - because they are unwilling to contribute to such violations - are imprisoned.


Madame Chair

Amnesty International welcomes the report of the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights, Mr John Dugard (E/CN.4/2003/30). The upholding of international human rights and humanitarian law cannot be subordinate to political considerations. Durable peace and security can only be achieved if human rights are made an integral part of negotiations and peace initiatives.

This Commission collectively and its members individually, must take steps to ensure that the concerned parties implement their human rights commitments. To this end concrete mechanisms must be put in place.

International monitors with a strong human rights mandate must be deployed without further delay. Their presence could contribute to saving Israeli and Palestinian lives.

The supply of weapons and equipment used in the course of actions which violate international human rights and humanitarian law must be stopped.