PRESS RELEASE

July, 1, 2004

A Comment on the Situation

According to the statistics gathered by the PHRMG, the number of Palestinian fatalities occurred in June 2004 shows a sensitive decrease compared to the May 2004’s ones, even though the rate of Palestinians killing continue to be too high causing to the PHRMG serious and grave concern.

The so impressive number of fatalities occurred throughout the month of May it is mainly due to the military operation, so called Rainbow operation, brought to Rafah refugee camp, south of the Gaza Strip, by the Israeli forces. In terms of destructions and fatalities the daily Israeli incursions in Rafah were absolutely appalling and catastrophic. At least 62 Palestinian civilians were killed in Rafah’s incursion, among them 14 children under 18.

Differently, during the month of June, the Israeli military operations have been strongly concentrated in the West Bank territory, particularly targeting the town of Nablus.

The operation, ended just few days ago, involved large IDF forces and apparently was explained by the IDF representatives as an attempt to clear the Qasbah of Palestinian fugitives belonging to the armed wings of Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Fatah as well as to discover secret weapons workshops. These Israeli incursions provoked the death of dozens of Palestinians in Nablus and surrounded areas and a number of houses were damaged or demolished in the raids. The operation has been reported as the largest and heaviest in the city in more than one year.

These unreasonable actions, such as impositions of strict curfews, demolitions of Palestinian civilians’ houses, closures of towns sealing them with cements blocks and barbed wire and killings of civilians, perpetrated in the last two months mainly in the Gaza Strip and Nablus, continue to be considered absolutely disproportionate and injustifiable related to the Israeli goals to hunt terrorist militants or to discover arm-smuggling tunnels.

As far as the statistics regarding Palestinian fatalities killed by the PA or Palestinian Gunfire are concerned, the number of casualties registered in May and June 2004 has been almost similar. In this respect PA security forces are strongly demanded to enhance their efforts to improve Palestinian people’s security, preventing any of such assassinations.

The comparison between the Israeli fatalities killing by Palestinians in May and June 2004 highlights a remarkable and important decrease. This result may be considered as a consequence of the Israeli commitment to start evacuating Israeli settlements from the Occupied Palestinians Territories. Israeli Prime Minister’s revised disengagement plan, approved in principle by Israeli cabinet at the beginning of June, foresees indeed a completely withdrawal from the Gaza Strip plus the evacuation of four settlements in the West Bank.

Israel pulling out’s proposal may have definitely created new hopes in the Palestinian people in order to step on towards a right solution of the conflict. However Israel has been asked to demonstrate a stronger commitment in fulfilling this goal.

The repeated strict curfews imposed on Palestinian towns as well as the ongoing construction of walls and barriers around Jerusalem neighborhoods and throughout the West Bank territory to isolate an increasing number of Palestinian villages, making Palestinian lives always more difficult and harsher, represent ambiguous behaviors in order to improve the Israeli credibility to implement the peace-process.

The PHRMG calls upon the Israeli and Palestinian authorities to assume positions as much reasonable as possible in order to drastically reduce the number of fatalities occurred among both parties as well as to demonstrate their maximum commitment towards the implementation and the accomplishment of the peace-process.

The PHRMG also calls upon Israeli government to put an end to their disproportionate military actions based on unfair curfews, closures and homes demolition throughout the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Violence begets violence.

Furthermore the PHRMG strongly urges the Israeli government to show its authentic and reliable will to disengage from the Occupied Territories, avoiding perpetrating any act in contrast with this fulfillment.

Finally the PHRMG, in accordance to the Israel High Court’s decision, urges Israel to immediately change the route of the West Bank barrier, to alleviate Palestinian suffering. However the PHRMG continues to consider the wall a racist separation and insists that the whole barrier should be torn down.