By NNN-KUNA,
Geneva : The Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Richard Falk has said that the landing of the two wooden boats carrying 46 human rights activists in Gaza this past weekend was an important symbolic victory.
Falk said in a statement issued here Monday that this non-violent initiative of the Free Gaza Movement focused attention around the world on the stark reality that the 1.5 million residents of Gaza have endured a punitive siege for more than a year.
“This siege is a form of collective punishment that constitutes a massive violation of Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention,” he added.
“The siege, the coastal blockade, and the overflights by Israeli aircraft,” said Falk, “all bear witness to the fact that despite Israel’s claimed disengagement in 2005, these realities on the ground establish that Gaza remains under Israeli occupation, and as a result Israel remains legally responsible for protecting the human rights of its civilian population.”
“By severely restricting the entry of food, fuel, and medicine, the economic and social rights of the people of Gaza have been systematically violated. There is widespread deafness among the people of Gaza that is blamed on the frequent sonic booms produced by overflying Israeli military aircraft. For this reason, the peace boats brought 200 hearing aids to Gaza,” said Falk.
He urged the international community to take action to uphold human rights in the Gaza Strip. “As with other humanitarian catastrophes in the world, here is a situation where the responsibility to protect norm endorsed by the Security Council seems applicable, but has been ignored despite the overwhelming evidence of deteriorating mental and physical health in Gaza that has reached crisis proportions,” said Falk.
Falk called on the government of Israel to grant exit permits to several Palestinian winners of a Fulbright Scholarship to study in the United States who might be taken back to Cyprus on the return voyage of the peace boats.