30 dec 2016
The Palestinian Return Center (PRC) slammed on Thursday a speech by the American Secretary of State, John Kerry, on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, saying his comments pose a danger for Palestinians’ rights, particularly the right of return.
According to PRC, the call of Kerry to resettle refugees in countries other than their homes is unacceptable and is a flagrant violation of the international law.
On the basis of its committed position in defending the rights of Palestinian refugees and as an organization in special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, PRC confirmed that breaching the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees is against international law, UN resolutions, and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, which all grant the right of return.
PRC added that ignoring the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees will indeed make attempts to achieve peace fail.
It noted that any discussions or negotiations should be based on and comply with international law. The right of return is well enshrined in international law.
PRC further stated that the reference of Kerry to the Nakba and Palestinian refugees’ plight is a new recognition of their suffering, adding that the only way to end it is to allow them to return to their native homes and villages.
On Wednesday, Kerry delivered a lengthy speech as part of his so-called “comprehensive peace vision.”
According to PRC, the call of Kerry to resettle refugees in countries other than their homes is unacceptable and is a flagrant violation of the international law.
On the basis of its committed position in defending the rights of Palestinian refugees and as an organization in special consultative status with the UN ECOSOC, PRC confirmed that breaching the Right of Return for Palestinian refugees is against international law, UN resolutions, and the Universal Declaration for Human Rights, which all grant the right of return.
PRC added that ignoring the right of return for millions of Palestinian refugees will indeed make attempts to achieve peace fail.
It noted that any discussions or negotiations should be based on and comply with international law. The right of return is well enshrined in international law.
PRC further stated that the reference of Kerry to the Nakba and Palestinian refugees’ plight is a new recognition of their suffering, adding that the only way to end it is to allow them to return to their native homes and villages.
On Wednesday, Kerry delivered a lengthy speech as part of his so-called “comprehensive peace vision.”
27 dec 2016
With help from the new Donald Trump US administration, Israeli premier Benjamin Netanyahu plans to target UNRWA, the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People, and all anti-Israeli UN employees, as well as cut funding for UN agencies.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Monday, Netanyahu decided to take several punitive measures against the UN on Sunday night in retaliation to its Security Council resolution that calls for ending settlement construction.
Netanyahu also instructed his ministers not to hold meetings with ministers from countries that supported the Security Council motion, including Britain, France, Spain, Japan, Ukraine and Russia, or travel there.
In addition, he ordered foreign ministry officials to reduce contact with the embassies of those countries.
He justified his intent to target the UNRWA by accusing the agency of investing a great deal of manpower and resources to undermine and harm Israel.
He claims that UNRWA teachers and other employees regularly incite the Palestinian population against Israel.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Monday, Netanyahu decided to take several punitive measures against the UN on Sunday night in retaliation to its Security Council resolution that calls for ending settlement construction.
Netanyahu also instructed his ministers not to hold meetings with ministers from countries that supported the Security Council motion, including Britain, France, Spain, Japan, Ukraine and Russia, or travel there.
In addition, he ordered foreign ministry officials to reduce contact with the embassies of those countries.
He justified his intent to target the UNRWA by accusing the agency of investing a great deal of manpower and resources to undermine and harm Israel.
He claims that UNRWA teachers and other employees regularly incite the Palestinian population against Israel.
24 dec 2016
Non-combatant civilians are the ones most severely affected by importing Islamist violence into the Palestinian refugee camps as the war in Syria spills over into the Palestinian refugee camps.
nsnbc : After Palestinian refugee camps in Syria were drawn into the war by Islamist radicals, the problem has recently spilled over into the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein El-Helweh, in Lebanon, leading to clashes between the Islamist Jund al-Sham and the secular Al-Fateh.
A volatile ceasefire was reached on Thursday evening, after renewed clashes between Jund al-Sham and Al-Fateh resulted in the death one while several others were injured. Fighting and assassinations have plagued Ein El-Hilweh since April 2016.
The fatality in the latest round of violence has been identified as Abdullah Mohammed al-Ghar. Several other people, including a woman, were wounded in fresh fighting. The clashes between the mainstream Fateh Movement and the hardline Islamist group, Jund al-Sham, erupted after the funeral of Samer Hmeid (aka Samer Nejmeh) and Mahmoud Abdul Karim Saleh, who both were killed during violent clashes on Wednesday.
Dozens of families who were trapped in their homes in the Arab Zbeid area urged officials to exert efforts to halt the fighting. Residents were reportedly fleeing en masse from the camp’s eastern neighborhoods. Wednesday’s unrest resulted in the death of three people and the injury of at least six others.
The situation in the refugee camp south of the city of Sidon deteriorated in April when a member of Fateh al-Islam allegedly assassinated Hamza al-Natour, a member of the Harakat Fateh group.
A week later Fathi Zaidan was killed and four others were injured in a bombing near Ein El-Helweh. Zaidan was responsible for the Mieh Mieh refugee camp and an official representative of the Fateh-dominated Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
Most analysts assess the outbreaks of violence as an artifact of the war in Syria and the associated Islamist extremism spilling over into Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is worth noting that the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Palestinian Hamas political faction played a pivotal role in importing Islamist violence to Palestinian refugee camps in Syria; most prominently among them the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
The situation in Ein El-Helweh also affected the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which suspended its work in Ein El-Helweh. UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness issued a stament condemning the fact that the violence again has prevented children from attending school. The UNRWA strongly condemns the armed violence and calls for restraint.
The UNRWA stresses that the education and well being of more than 6,000 children attending nine UNRWA schools in the camp have been impacted. Two health centres, serving the health needs of the Palestine refugee population in the Camp, have been forced to close temporarily. The UNRWA also stressed that this is the fourth time in the past month that UNRWA has been forced to close its services due to security incidents. Closures have occurred on 5, 7, 21 and 22 December.
nsnbc : After Palestinian refugee camps in Syria were drawn into the war by Islamist radicals, the problem has recently spilled over into the Palestinian refugee camp of Ein El-Helweh, in Lebanon, leading to clashes between the Islamist Jund al-Sham and the secular Al-Fateh.
A volatile ceasefire was reached on Thursday evening, after renewed clashes between Jund al-Sham and Al-Fateh resulted in the death one while several others were injured. Fighting and assassinations have plagued Ein El-Hilweh since April 2016.
The fatality in the latest round of violence has been identified as Abdullah Mohammed al-Ghar. Several other people, including a woman, were wounded in fresh fighting. The clashes between the mainstream Fateh Movement and the hardline Islamist group, Jund al-Sham, erupted after the funeral of Samer Hmeid (aka Samer Nejmeh) and Mahmoud Abdul Karim Saleh, who both were killed during violent clashes on Wednesday.
Dozens of families who were trapped in their homes in the Arab Zbeid area urged officials to exert efforts to halt the fighting. Residents were reportedly fleeing en masse from the camp’s eastern neighborhoods. Wednesday’s unrest resulted in the death of three people and the injury of at least six others.
The situation in the refugee camp south of the city of Sidon deteriorated in April when a member of Fateh al-Islam allegedly assassinated Hamza al-Natour, a member of the Harakat Fateh group.
A week later Fathi Zaidan was killed and four others were injured in a bombing near Ein El-Helweh. Zaidan was responsible for the Mieh Mieh refugee camp and an official representative of the Fateh-dominated Palestinian Authority led by President Mahmoud Abbas.
Most analysts assess the outbreaks of violence as an artifact of the war in Syria and the associated Islamist extremism spilling over into Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon. It is worth noting that the Muslim Brotherhood-linked Palestinian Hamas political faction played a pivotal role in importing Islamist violence to Palestinian refugee camps in Syria; most prominently among them the Yarmouk refugee camp in Damascus.
The situation in Ein El-Helweh also affected the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) which suspended its work in Ein El-Helweh. UNRWA spokesman Christopher Gunness issued a stament condemning the fact that the violence again has prevented children from attending school. The UNRWA strongly condemns the armed violence and calls for restraint.
The UNRWA stresses that the education and well being of more than 6,000 children attending nine UNRWA schools in the camp have been impacted. Two health centres, serving the health needs of the Palestine refugee population in the Camp, have been forced to close temporarily. The UNRWA also stressed that this is the fourth time in the past month that UNRWA has been forced to close its services due to security incidents. Closures have occurred on 5, 7, 21 and 22 December.
23 dec 2016
The United Nations Relief Works Agency for Palestinian refugees in the near east (UNRWA) has strongly condemned an outbreak of armed violence which took place at the Ein El Hilweh Palestinian Refugee camp in Lebanon, today and yesterday, and calls for restraint.
Due to armed violence and increased risks to civilian lives, UNRWA has suspended all its operations in the camp and will continue to do so until further notice.
Violent incidents in Ein el-Hilweh continue to shock and frighten camp residents. They prevent children going to school and patients going to clinics; and they threaten the safety and security of civilians and their ability to access a range of services.
The education and well being of more than 6,000 children attending nine UNRWA schools in the camp have been impacted. Two health centres, serving the health needs of the Palestine refugee population in the camp, have been forced to close temporarily.
This is the fourth time, in the past month, that UNRWA has been forced to close its services due to security incidents. Closures have occurred on 5, 7, 21 and 22 December.
UNRWA again calls on all involved to respect the rule of law, the sanctity of human life, and to ensure the protection of Palestinian refugees, particularly of children.
UNRWA also continues to urge all armed actors to respect the inviolability and neutrality of UNRWA premises, in accordance with international law, and to take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of UNRWA staff, students, Palestinian refugees and installations.
UNRWA has obligated itself to continue monitoring developments and to keep a dialogue with all relevant actors, to advocate for the safety and dignity of Palestine refugees living in Ein el-Hilweh, and to bring an end to the violence.
via Chris Gunness, UNRWA Spokesperson and Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications
Due to armed violence and increased risks to civilian lives, UNRWA has suspended all its operations in the camp and will continue to do so until further notice.
Violent incidents in Ein el-Hilweh continue to shock and frighten camp residents. They prevent children going to school and patients going to clinics; and they threaten the safety and security of civilians and their ability to access a range of services.
The education and well being of more than 6,000 children attending nine UNRWA schools in the camp have been impacted. Two health centres, serving the health needs of the Palestine refugee population in the camp, have been forced to close temporarily.
This is the fourth time, in the past month, that UNRWA has been forced to close its services due to security incidents. Closures have occurred on 5, 7, 21 and 22 December.
UNRWA again calls on all involved to respect the rule of law, the sanctity of human life, and to ensure the protection of Palestinian refugees, particularly of children.
UNRWA also continues to urge all armed actors to respect the inviolability and neutrality of UNRWA premises, in accordance with international law, and to take all measures necessary to ensure the safety of UNRWA staff, students, Palestinian refugees and installations.
UNRWA has obligated itself to continue monitoring developments and to keep a dialogue with all relevant actors, to advocate for the safety and dignity of Palestine refugees living in Ein el-Hilweh, and to bring an end to the violence.
via Chris Gunness, UNRWA Spokesperson and Director of Advocacy & Strategic Communications
