Human Rights and Democracy Media Center- SHAMS, affirms that targeting the Palestinian refugee camps by the Israeli occupation is within the ongoing despaired process of the occupation to abolish Palestinian Refugees Question. The Occupation aims to end the question of refugees and end Palestinian refugees’ existence in the refugee camps. The refugee camps symbolize Palestinians’ attachment to the right to return to their homeland according to the historical right of Palestinians to their land. Additionally, the right to return is based on the International Legitimacy resolutions, mainly the General Assembly Resolution number 194. The Center added that within the ongoing genocide war in the Gaza Strip, the occupation is insisting on going on with its crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank. The Israeli forces are invading the Palestinian refugee camps daily. There are daily crimes committed against civilians as well as destruction of the infrastructure. Additionally, the Israeli army imposes siege and curfew on Palestinians alongside with using modern technology and drones in its ongoing attacks against Palestinians in the West Bank. These attacks are well seen in localities like Balatta, Askar, Jenin, Nourshams, Aqbat Jaber, Al Faraa, Al Amaari, Al Jalazoun, Qalandia, Al Fawwar, Al Arroub, and Shufat Refugee Camps.
The Center deplores the predetermined savagery crimes committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian refugee camps in the West Bank. The practices of the occupation reveal the policy of killing and criminality that is rooted deeply in the Zionist thought and ideology. The Israeli occupation is applying an aggressive policy aiming at forcible and voluntary displacing of Palestinians from their land and imposing the status quo fact denying the national and legal rights of Palestinians.
SHAMS Center denounces the stance of the United States of America and some European countries to freeze funding the UNRWA as such decisions are align with the policy of the occupation to disfigure the Agency. Freezing the fund of UNRWA stands as a new crime within the series of the crimes committed against Palestinian refugees. Freezing funding UNRWA will affect, negatively, the services that refugees receive such as health, education, and relief aids inside Palestine and in the refugee camps in the other countries. The decision of these countries is based on false justifications proposed by the Israeli government against the Agency.
SHAMS Center denounces the stance of some countries to align with the Israeli occupation crimes committed against Palestinians. These countries provide the occupation with legal and political protection in front of the United Nations and international agencies. The Center affirmed that without the protection provided to the occupation and its leaders and the feeling that they enjoy impunity, the crimes against Palestinians could not have continued. The stance of the countries, that support the occupation, reflects the policy of double standards applied by these countries in dealing with human rights issues and international law. These countries remained silent in front of the crimes committed daily by the Israeli occupation against Palestinians. Therefore, there is no trust in these countries and their policies and claims that they protect human rights and values.
SHAMS Center stresses that the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian refugee camps including killing and destruction of the infrastructure, represent a profound violation of the international humanitarian law. In particular, these crimes violate the Geneva Fourth Convention (12/8/1949), which states: “protect the persons who are not part of the hostile acts and have nothing to do with the military operations while living in the armed conflicted territory”. Israel is also violating The Hague Convention (IV) Respecting the Laws and Customs of War on Land. Mainly it violates Article 27 of the given Convention, which stipulates: “In sieges and bombardments all necessary steps should be taken to spare as far as possible edifices devoted to religion, art, science, and charity, hospitals, and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not used at the same time for military purposes”. The Israeli crimes violate Article 8 of the Rome Statute, which states: “Intentionally directing attacks against buildings dedicated to religion, education, art, science or charitable purposes, historic monuments, hospitals and places where the sick and wounded are collected, provided they are not military objectives”, are war crimes.
SHAMS Center urges the United Nations Security Council, General Assembly, and governmental/ nongovernmental international organizations to exert pressure on the occupation’s state to halt its crimes against Palestinians in the West Bank, especially the ethnic cleansing, killing of civilians, and destroying the infrastructure, mainly in the Palestinians’ refugee camps. The Center calls on the Security Council to issue a resolution under chapter seven of the United Nations Charter, to stop the Israeli aggression on Palestinians.