AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL USA
PRESS RELEASE
October 24, 2007
(Washington)--Interfactional fighting between Hamas and Fatah forces in the Gaza Strip this past summer left 350 Palestinians dead and has been followed by further serious human rights abuses in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, Amnesty International charged in a new report published today.
The 57-page report, Occupied Palestinian Territories: Torn Apart by Factional Strife, accuses Hamas of resorting increasingly to arbitrary detentions and torture since it took power in June 2007 in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is allowing its forces to attack and assault peaceful demonstrators as well as journalists reporting on these protests. Amnesty International charges security forces loyal to the Palestinian Authority (PA) President, Mahmoud Abbas, are arbitrarily detaining hundreds of Hamas supporters. These same forces are failing to take action against Fatah militants responsible for abductions, arson and other attacks against Palestinian civilians.
"If these horrendous acts of cowardice by the PA and Hamas continue, the region may never see long-lasting peace," said Larry Cox, executive director of Amnesty International USA. "Leaders of both factions must urgently compel their forces to protect citizens instead of solely their political interests. The power struggle between Fatah and Hamas is destroying the lives of Palestinians caught in the crossfire and further exacerbating the human rights and humanitarian crises caused by Israeli military campaigns and blockades."
Amnesty International calls for the establishment of an independent commission of experts to investigate human rights abuses committed by both the PA and Hamas since the beginning of 2006. The organization urges leaders on both sides to commit to implementing the commission's recommendations.
The report details how both the PA and Hamas security forces and armed groups displayed a flagrant disregard for the safety of the civilian population by launching indiscriminate attacks and reckless gun battles in residential neighborhoods. It contains harrowing accounts from victims of the armed clashes which took place in the Gaza Strip in the spring and early summer 2007: "For three days we could not leave the house. Gunmen took position on tall buildings around us and were firing rockets at each other. We feared that a missile could come through the window any time," a resident of Gaza City told Amnesty International researchers in June 2007.
In concert with armed groups that serve as their proxy militias, all security forces broke the law and committed gross abuses with complete impunity.
In the Gaza Strip, President Abbas created a legal and institutional vacuum with his decision to suspend the operations of PA security forces and judicial institutions after Hamas gained control of the area. This shortsighted action allowed for Hamas to establish a parallel security and law enforcement apparatus--one lacking appropriately trained personnel, accountability mechanisms or safeguards. Thus, arbitrary detentions and torture of detainees by Hamas forces have increased in Gaza.
In the West Bank, human rights abuses by PA security forces are also rampant. However, these are less publicized as the international community seems unwilling to make such accusations. One reason may be the upcoming U.S.-led conference aimed at resuscitating peace talks between the Israeli and PA governments.
"Hundreds of Hamas supporters or presumed sympathizers have been arrested and arbitrarily detained by PA security forces," said Marty Rosenbluth, Amnesty International USA country specialist on Israel and the Occupied Territories. "Violations of legal detention procedures are routine, and reports of torture or other ill-treatment are becoming more frequent. Detainees are held in sites not legally sanctioned, and security forces frequently ignore judges' orders to release detainees for lack of evidence."
The PA government has failed to hold Fatah gunmen who abducted Hamas supporters and burned down their houses and businesses accountable. Yet many perpetrators of these attacks were well known in their communities and acted in full view of the PA security forces.
The arrest and detention of more than 1,000 presumed Hamas supporters, most of whom are not accused of any crime, stands in stark contrast to the PA's failure to arrest and bring to justice members of the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, Fatah's armed wing. The brigades are responsible for unlawful killings, hostage-taking, arson and other attacks against people and property.
Amnesty International urges the international community to cease the sale or transfer of weapons to any parties until guarantees can be secured that they won't be used to violate human rights.
"The international community must hold all parties to the same human rights standards in the Occupied Territories," said Cox. "The sanctity of human rights cannot be a chip in the region's political poker game."
A summary of the report, Occupied Palestinian Territories: Torn Apart by Factional Strife, is attached.
Contact: For a copy of the report or more information, contact the AIUSA Press office at 202-544-0200x032
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