The non-governmental organisation, Military Court Watch (MCW), has recently reported on three cases1 concerning children’s rights in the Israeli military court system. This blog examines their potential significance.
LPHR Human Rights Blog
Cases of solitary confinement and ill-treatment of child detainees
The increasing use of solitary confinement as an interrogation technique against child detainees has been highlighted by Defence for Children International Palestine (DCI Palestine) in a press release dated 17 April 2017.
The impact of settlements on children
In a series of recent reports, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) collected and analysed data on the de facto expansion of three settlement areas (Asfar in Hebron governorate; Talmon and Nahliel in Ramallah governorate; and Elon Moreh in Nablus governorate), producing a report on each area and a fourth report offering conclusions and recommendations. [Read more…]
Sanctioning land expropriation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – Israel’s new ‘Land Regularisation Law’’
On 6 February 2017, the Israeli Knesset (legislature) passed a law permitting the expropriation of housing built on private Palestinian land in the Occupied Territories. [Read more…]
Children’s rights implications of increased demolition and confiscation of humanitarian aid structures
The last three months of 2016 saw the Israeli authorities in the occupied West Bank demolish or confiscate a number of humanitarian aid structures, reflecting the dramatic rise in the number of humanitarian aid items destroyed or confiscated by Israeli forces in 2016. This disturbing practice has a particularly adverse impact on the welfare of Palestinian children and specifically engages their rights under the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, which Israel is obliged to to respect and protect. [Read more…]
The legal value of UN Security Council resolution 2334
On 23 December 2016, the UN Security Council reaffirmed the illegality of Israeli settlements in resolution 2334. The passing of this resolution does not break new legal ground, but nonetheless has legal value for a variety of important reasons. [Read more…]
Falling through the cracks – the unique plight of Palestinian refugees who have fled Syria
Nour and Samir, a mother and son, fled Syria approximately two years ago in terrifying circumstances. Whilst escaping the horrifying siege of Yarmouk (for more information on the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe there see our Yarmouk Legal Q&A), the large Palestinian refugee camp on the outskirts of Damascus, they were attacked by snipers and sustained serious injuries. Nour’s hip was shattered and a bullet was lodged in Samir’s back. [Read more…]
Scrutiny on apparent extrajudicial killings following the shooting of ‘Abd al-Fatah al-Sharif
Israel’s alleged excessive use of force against Palestinians, potentially amounting to extrajudicial killings in certain cases, has recently received international scrutiny. This follows a spike in fatalities since October 2015: 207 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces and 29 Israelis and four foreign nationals have been killed in stabbing, shooting or car-ramming attacks by Palestinians. [Read more…]
Al-Haq and its staff members targeted by co-ordinated attacks and death threats
As reported late last week, the Palestinian human rights organisation, Al-Haq, has been subjected to a campaign of harassment and intimidation since September 2015 that appears to target their work towards achieving legal accountability for Palestinian victims of serious human rights violations. This escalated in the last month to include anonymous death threats against Al-Haq’s director and its representative before the International Criminal Court. [Read more…]
Government Procurement Policy Note to stop public bodies’ boycott and divestment strategies may prevent local authorities from complying with international law
On 17 February 2016, the UK Government issued a Procurement Policy Note (PPN) entitled “Ensuring compliance with wider international obligations when letting public contracts”. It states, referring to public bodies, that “boycotts in public procurement are inappropriate, outside where formal legal sanctions, embargoes and restrictions have been put in place by the UK Government”. [Read more…]
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