The protests by Palestinians on the Gaza border fall into the category of a state of war and thus human rights law does not apply to the rules of engagement, the state said in its response to a High Court petition filed by human rights groups.



According to the response, the Israeli forces’ rules of engagement comply with both Israeli and international law.

>> If you think the Gaza border protests are incendiary, just wait for Nakba Day | Analysis >>



“The state opposes the applying of human rights law during an armed conflict,” the state wrote, adding that the Red Cross had acknowledged that such law indeed did not have to be applied during such a state of affairs.



In their so-called March of Return, Gazans have been protesting each Friday at the Gaza border fence. In the demonstrations, the Israeli army has killed 45 protesters and wounded thousands; the army says it is trying to stop the fence from being breached.



The state said the demonstrations were part of hostile acts by Hamas against Israel, though Israel did not necessarily see participation in violence at the border fence or the approaching of the fence as direct participation in a hostile act. Each case should be examined individually, it said.



The State Prosecutor’s Office distinguishes between protesters demonstrating and protesters trying to break into Israel to attack soldiers and civilians.



The state’s response relied on a 2015 High Court ruling on a petition by a demonstrator on the Lebanese border who was shot by the Israeli army. According to the ruling, the breaking-up of a violent, life-threatening protest allows for the use of potentially deadly force.</s>Israeli state attorneys on Sunday defended the army's use of live ammunition during clashes with Palestinian protesters along the Gaza Strip's eastern fence.

They said human rights laws are not applicable to the ongoing protests, which they argued cannot be considered civilian events. Thus, they said Israeli forces acted in line with both Israeli and international law in killing and wounding dozens of protesters, Haaretz reported Thursday.

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"The Palestinian protests on Gaza's border fall into the ‘state of war' category; thus human rights laws do not apply to the [Israeli army's] rules of engagement in this regard," state attorneys asserted in response to petitions filed with Israel's High Court by a number of human rights groups.

Dozens of protesters have been killed and more than 1,000 others have been injured as Israeli forces suppress the demonstrations with deadly force. The protesters intend to go on with the march until May 15, Israeli Independence Day, when they will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the displacement of the Palestinian population, which Palestinians call "al-Nakba," or "the catastrophe."</s>The Israeli authorities say that human rights laws do not apply to ongoing Palestinian protests along the Gaza Strip’s eastern border, Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday.

The Israeli government made the assertion in response to a petition lodged with Israel’s High Court by a handful of human rights groups.

“The Palestinian protests on Gaza’s border fall into the ‘state of war’ category, thus human rights laws do not apply to the [Israeli army’s] rules of engagement in this regard,” Haaretz reported.

Therefore, the newspaper explained, the Israeli army’s rules of engagement “are consistent with both Israeli and international law”.

It added: “The state opposes the application of human rights laws during times of armed conflict.”

Since the peaceful border rallies began on Mar. 30, at least 47 Palestinian demonstrators -- including five children -- have been martyred by cross-border Israeli gunfire, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry.

Thousands of others have reportedly been injured -- more than 140 seriously -- over the same period.

Since Mar. 30, Gazans have staged mass rallies along the Gaza Strip’s eastern border to demand the “right of return” to their homes in historical Palestine from which they were driven in 1948 to make way for the new state of Israel.

The rallies are part of a six-week demonstration that will culminate on May 15. That day will mark the 70th anniversary of Israel's establishment -- an event Palestinians refer to as "The Nakba" or "The Catastrophe".</s>A prominent civil rights body – HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) has tasked President Muhammadu Buhari to take concrete measures to ensure the respect for the fundamental human rights of the citizenry to justify his recent affirmations during his meeting with President Donald Trump of the United States.

In a statement by the National Coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Director of Media Miss Zainab Yusuf, HUMAN RIGHTS WRITERS ASSOCIATION OF NIGERIA (HURIWA) faulted the statement by president Buhari that the military respects human rights but tasked the administration to go beyond mere rhetorics and implement concrete remedial processes to right the many wrongs that are going on now.

HURIWA said that from all indications, human rights violations by members of the armed security forces have worsened including arbitrary arrest of citizens, illegal detention, extortions and extralegal executions just as the Rights group challenged the president to reconstitute the governing council of the National Human Rights Commission.

HURIWA which reacted to the joint press conference between the United States and Nigerian presidents contended that the current administration has continued to illegally detain the leader of the Islamic movement of Nigeria Sheikh Ibrahim El Zackzacky and former National security Adviser Colonel Sambo Dasuki in violations of binding court’s orders.

The Rights group reminded president Buhari that whilst the administration announced that it has paid compensation for the extralegal killings of some persons killed by security forces in Apo, Abuja, the same government has neither charged to court soldiers who allegedly killed over 300 members of Shiites Islamic movement nor has anybody been charged for the extralegal killings by armed security forces of over 600 unarmed members of the hurriedly proscribed indigenous people of Biafra.

“We are shocked that our president has professed his administration’s respect for human rights when this same government has watched as thousands of people are killed by armed Fulani herdsmen and soldiers reportedly set on fire a town of Naka in Benue state following the killing by hoodlums of a soldier. The level of impunity and lawlessness amongst members of the security forces in this dispensation is unprecedented.”

HURIWA recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari claimed that the Government of Nigeria remains deeply committed to the principles of human rights as well as the promotion and protection of people’s freedom, even in the process of fighting terror.

HURIWA recalled that Buhari also stated that his administration will ensure that all documented cases of human rights abuses are investigated and those responsible for violations held accountable for their actions.”

HURIWA quoted President Buhari as stating that“In addition, the Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria inaugurated the Nigerian Military Human Rights Dialogue in August 2015 to provide the Nigerian Military and Para-Military with necessary tools to integrate human rights practices into their code, education systems, field training and disciplinary systems.”

HURIWA recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari noted that the victims of a criminal law enforcement operation that occurred in 2013 (otherwise known as Apo-six) were compensated in April this year based on the findings of the National Human Rights Commission. Two of the police officers responsible were convicted for culpable homicide arising from the extra-judicial killings.

HURIWA recalled that Buhari also told President Trump thus: “Mr. President, this is the first time in the history of Nigeria that the Federal Government compensated the victims of extra-judicial killings. It also provides a sustainable platform for local and international human rights organizations to constructively engage the Nigerian security forces on human rights concerns. We also look to share best practices in this area with the United States.”

HURIWA however said the evidence on ground in Nigeria does not justify these claims because human rights situations in Nigeria have taken a dive for the worst since the last three years.</s>In response to a petition filed by human rights groups against the disproportionate use of force and live ammunition against unarmed Palestinian protesters, Israeli Army said its actions were consistent with Israeli and international laws.

The army has claimed that the Great March of Return is similar to “a state of war”, therefore, human rights laws do not apply.

Without providing any evidence, Israel claimed that during the demonstrations, “Hamas carried out acts of aggression against Israel” which prompted “sustained armed confrontation between the two sides.”

These claims have been refuted by witnesses on the ground.</s>Abel Zhakata Senior Court Reporter

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa will on Monday officially open the High Court in Mutare which becomes the fourth permanent superior court in the country.

The High Court in Harare was the first to be established, followed by the Bulawayo High Court and the third one is in Masvingo.

The modern glass-and-mortar structure, which is situated adjacent the Civic Centre, has four fully-furnished courtrooms, two judges’ chambers and offices for court officials and external stakeholders.

Before it was turned into world class court house the building once housed a movie theatre – Rainbow Cinema.

Judicial Service Commission (JSC) acting secretary Mr Walter Chikwana said President Mnangagwa will be the guest of honour at the opening ceremony.

“His Excellency the President of the Republic of Zimbabwe, Comrade ED Mnangagwa will officially open the High Court of Zimbabwe in Mutare at Mutare High Court on May 7, 2018.”

Manicaland Provincial Affairs Minister, Cde Monica Mutsvangwa, Minister of Local Government, Public Works and National Housing, Cde July Moyo, Minister of Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Cde Ziyambi Ziyambi, Chief Justice Luke Malaba and Judge President of the High Court Justice Chiweshe make up some of the dignitaries that will grace the opening ceremony.

All departments of the High Court, except judges, have already started work at the Mutare High Court.

In March, Chief Justice Malaba toured the building and described it as wonderful.

He expressed satisfaction with the work, describing the structure as a magnificent and world class court house.

“The building is of high standards, both in terms of the structure and facilities that it provides,” said Chief Justice Malaba.

“The court rooms are of international standard and you cannot expect any better.

“Furniture is of high quality and you cannot expect any better. The structure answers to the wellness of the users.

“It is user-friendly and it just goes on to show that a lot of attention was put into the structure.”</s>Palestinian protesters collapse after being fired upon with tear gas by Israeli troops during a protest at the Gaza Strip’s border with Israel. Picture: Adel Hana/AP

For years many of the political elite in South Africa viewed human rights organisations like Amnesty International with suspicion. The refrain was often the same - “double standards”. It was often felt that Amnesty International and other rights watch dogs would cherry pick the issues they highlighted, but when it came to the Palestinians or Western Sahara they were less than robust, to put it diplomatically. That is what gave rise to the perception that these organisations mirrored the agendas of the West and capitulated to pressure from lobby groups and foreign governments.

But in recent years the tide has been turning and these organisations have become far more vocal than in the past about human rights violations in the occupied territories. What was astounding this week was the press release put out by Amnesty International, renewing its call on governments worldwide to impose a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel after the country’s disproportionate response to mass demonstrations along the fence that separates the Gaza strip from Israel. The call went even further, saying that if Israel doesn’t prosecute those responsible for human rights violations, the International Criminal Court should open a formal investigation into possible war crimes.

The people of Gaza have endured three wars over the past 11 years, as well as the illegal Israeli blockade that has decimated their economy and turned the Gaza strip into the world’s largest open-air prison. But, finally, the world’s human rights activists are sitting up and taking note.

The official Israeli position is that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the blockade only keeps out dangerous dual-use materials that could conceivably be used to make rockets and end up in the hands of Hamas. But, in reality, according to the UN, the long list of items that are prohibited from entering Gaza include crayons, soccer balls, stationery, musical instruments, wheelchairs and dry food items such as chocolate and potato chips.

The water in Gaza is practically undrinkable, but for months the blockade prevented water filters from entering Gaza, which posed a serious threat to public health. Despite the fact that the blockade contravenes article 33 of the fourth Geneva Convention which prohibits collective penalties, the US has been completely silent on the blockade and continued to provide Israel US$4 billion in aid annually.

Did it take a Gandhian-style rolling protest in Gaza at the border fence that was met with injuries exacted on thousands of civilians over the past month to wake up the passive and impartial in the context of this intractable conflict?

The Israeli military has killed an estimated 35 Palestinians and injured more than 5500 others since March 30th - some with what Amnesty International says appear to be deliberately-inflicted life-changing injuries. Despite wide international condemnation, the Israeli army has not reversed its illegal orders to shoot unarmed protesters.

The organisers of the “Great March of Return” have repeatedly stated that the protests are intended to be peaceful, and they have largely involved sit-ins, concerts, sports games, speeches and other peaceful activities.

While some Palestinian protesters did approach the fence, throwing stones at Israeli soldiers and others burning tyres, evidence gathered by Amnesty International, Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups show that Israeli soldiers shot unarmed protesters, bystanders, journalists and medical staff approximately 150-400m from the fence, where they did not pose any threat.

Perhaps even more disturbing than the heavy-handed response of the Israeli Defence Force is the type of ammunition used against civilians, and the pattern of injuries. In most of the fatal cases analysed by Amnesty International, victims were shot in the upper body, including the head and the chest - some from behind. In addition, doctors at the European and Shifa hospitals in Gaza City reported that many of the serious injuries they have witnessed are to the lower limbs, including the knees, which are typical of war wounds that they have not observed since the 2014 Gaza conflict.

According to Amnesty International, the nature of these injuries suggests that Israeli soldiers are using high-velocity military weapons designed to cause maximum harm to Palestinian protesters. According to a recent statement by Doctors Without Borders, half of the more than 500 patients admitted to its clinics were treated for injuries “where the bullet has literally destroyed tissue after having pulverised the bone”. Many youths have been hit with an explosive type of ammunition known as “the butterfly”.

The Israeli Defence Forces spokesman has explicitly said that “nothing was carried out uncontrolled; everything was accurate and measured, and we know where every bullet landed”. This can only mean that the thousands of injuries to civilians in the head, chest, back, and knees were intentional.

To raise genuine concern about these developments is to insist that human rights are indivisible. It is by no means anti-Semitic or anti-Israel, but a rallying call that all nations adhere to international human rights conventions equally.</s>Youth traveling from all over North America came together in Washington, DC for The 1st Annual Youth for Human Rights North American Regional Summit.

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES, May 3, 2018 / EINPresswire.com / -- The capital of the United States was the locale for human rights education where youth, human rights advocates and leaders from the United States, Mexico, Canada and the Caribbean Islands gathered for a three day event marking The 1st Annual Youth for Human Rights North American Regional Summit and The 15th Annual Youth for Human Rights World Educational Tour Briefing.At an event in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, the Volunteers who received the Presidential Volunteer Service Award presented their work done in the past year for advancing human rights education. Radio personality Kerri Kasem (daughter of America’s Top 40 Casey Kasem) MC’ed the event and urged those attending to continue to teach human rights in schools. She recounted the violations of human rights she and her siblings experienced when her dying father was kept from visiting his family and friends against his will.Conference attendees visited Capitol Hill and met with their government representatives, where they discussed human rights and what needs to be done to improve international human rights. The biggest human rights issue the three day event focused on was human trafficking, an issue that is universal and that many participants have expressed interest in finding ways of combating. Raising awareness on human rights can have a great impact on this issue. Modern Day slavery is a horrific problem.Nancy Rivard, Founder of Airline Ambassadors International spoke at the conference about the amount of money that people make off of selling children and the success her organization is having in helping rescue youth through her airline training program. “Airline staff is now beginning to be trained on noticing human trafficking on different flights.”Rita Hernandez, Executive Director of the Mexican Coalition Against Trafficking, talked about the need for the US and Mexico to work together to prevent traffickers from bringing children to the US to sell them as well as US citizens travelling to Mexico to rape children there (believing they won’t be prosecuted.) Rita believes anyone that is pulled into human trafficking should be rescued. “If a girl gets pulled into human trafficking at the age of thirteen and is stuck in it all the way until she’s eighteen, is it suddenly okay to say she’s a prostitute and that’s what she wants to do - just because of her age? We need to protect all ages, not just the youth from trafficking.”Erica Rodgers, the National Director for Youth for Human Rights in Washington DC, urged young advocates to “continue to advocate and work in their states to bring a final end to the crime of human trafficking. With everyone knowing and respecting each other’s human rights, people will be more aware and work to end this criminal conspiracy.”Six men and women were awarded for their hard work and persistence in spending 100 - 500 volunteer hours, or more, promoting and teaching human rights across North America and around the world. The awardees were Ellen Firestone, Wilmington, DE; Isabelle Vladoiu, Buffalo, NY; Andromeda Edison, Bruce Ferguson, and Dr. Melanie Andrews, all from Los Angeles, CA; and Tim Ford from Clearwater, FL.Dr. Mary Shuttleworth, the Founder and President of Youth for Human Rights International, shared her experiences from this year’s trip around the world. This year’s world tour included visits to Cambodia, Canada, Costa Rica, The Gambia, India, Mexico, Taiwan, and Washington, DC. Dr. Shuttleworth said, “Everyone should have responsibility when it comes to practically anything in life, especially there own human rights. A student can sit in a chair with an open book but without taking responsibility on reading it, studying it, and understanding it, they will get nowhere.”The summit concluded with an entertaining concert set up amongst the breathtaking cherry blossoms at the Lincoln Memorial. Talented musicians such as: The Jam Band, Trinity Skye, and Sophia Angelica, performed for guests. While listening to the artists, guests also had the opportunity to learn all of their 30 human rights from the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.</s>The U.S. State Department has removed the term “reproductive rights” from its annual human rights reports.

During a press briefing on April 20 on the release of the 2017 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, Michael Kozak, Ambassador of the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, said in response to a question from the press about the removal of the term, “It’s not a diminishment of women’s rights or a desire to get away from it; it was to stop using a term that has several different meanings that are not all the ones we intend.”

The human rights country reports now feature data on “coercion in population control” instead of “reproductive rights.”

An appendix to the reports states:

A revised subsection changes the focus from “reproductive rights,” which sought to cover the availability of contraceptives and maternal health issues, to cover more directly the requirement of U.S. law that we report on coercive family planning practices, such as coerced abortion and involuntary sterilization. Our focus is on coercive government action, and we therefore do not cover instances in which family members or partners may pressure someone to have an abortion. However, when rebel or terrorist groups impose such policies on persons, we do cover that, just as we cover rebel or terrorist abuses in other sections of the reports, when they equate to government actions.

Kozak said the term “reproductive rights” was introduced six years ago into the human rights report.

“It hadn’t been there before,” he explained. “The – it’s one of the few terms that are used in the report that isn’t derived from an international treaty that has a definition or derived from U.S. law, where there’s a clear definition to the term.”

And in this case, the previous administration intended it to mean look at the availability of contraception, at the – whether the government tried to impose or coerce people in making decisions about reproduction. In the statements that were made – this was derived from the Beijing Declaration that was done in the ‘90s. At that time, it was very clear and our delegation made a very clear statement that this has nothing to do with abortion, it doesn’t mean abortion, it doesn’t mean abortion. Unfortunately, over the last few years, groups on both sides of that issue domestically have started to use the term, and both seem to think it does include abortion and then argue about it. So our thought was let’s just not use a term that has the opposite meaning from the one we intend. We went back to the term that’s used in the U.S. statute that requires the Human Rights Report, which is coerced family planning, namely coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization.

Kozak said that in reviewing the previous year’s report, the question asked was whether there were “obstacles opposed to getting contraception information and means.”

“The answer in virtually every country was no, there were no obstacles other than, in almost every country, including our own, the availability in rural areas is less than it is in urban areas,” he explained. “So what we’ve done, we’ve kept that information in there. We’ve done it now by a hyperlink.”

Abortion rights advocacy group NARAL Pro-Choice America condemned the removal of the term “reproductive rights” from the State Department reports:

Many national pro-life leaders assert the term “reproductive rights” is a narrative that pro-abortion groups have pushed and the media has taken up as well.

“The fact that ‘reproductive rights’ as a category in U.S. Country Reports on Human Rights Practice was added during the Obama Administration tells you a lot about the true intent of this tracking,” Students for Life of America President Kristan Hawkins told Breitbart News.

“Abortion is not the American dream nor should it be our export of choice,” Hawkins continued. “It is not in the U.S. national interest to push nations around the world to end the lives of preborn infants on a horrific scale, as we do in the United States, or to insinuate through tracking that countries with life-affirming policies need to change. Once again, pro-life Americans appreciate the way that the Trump Administration integrates their support for life into policies and programs across the board.”
The Israeli High Court rules the protests to be a state of war and that human rights are therefore not applicable.