Hans Thoolen on Human Rights Defenders and their awards

While the war rages in Gaza, the media focus is understandably on the conduct of the war and the many victims. Still, it is good to focus on the role of HRDs and that is what Front Line Defenders has done on 15 December 2023.

Front Line Defenders has been receiving reports from human rights defenders in Gaza, the West Bank and Israel on an ongoing basis in recent months, updating on the dire circumstances they have been facing since 7 October 2023.

This has included serious risks to life and safety amid Israel’s relentless bombardment and siege of Gaza, as well as increased violence and harassment targeting Palestinian HRDs in the West Bank and Israel. Meanwhile, some governments have decided to suspend or review funding to Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations, further contributing to the hardships faced by HRDs at this critical time. [see also: https://humanrightsdefenders.blog/2023/11/02/not-the-moment-for-switzerland-to-suspend-funding-for-human-rights-defenders-in-israel-and-palestine/]

Here you can find Front Line Defenders’ public responses to the challenges faced by HRDs:

• Disturbing rise in incitement to violence against Bedouin and other Palestinian human rights defenders who are citizens of Israel (video – 14 December 2023)
• Reaction to the arbitrary detention and humiliation of Palestinian HRD Ayman Lubad by Israeli forces in Gaza (10 December 2023)
• Reaction to the killing of Palestinian disability rights HRD Bader Mosleh in an Israeli airstrike (8 December 2023)
• Reaction to a spike in violence against Palestinian civilians, including HRDs, in West Bank (4 December 2023)
• Statement on the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People (29 November 2023)
• Joint letter on several European governments’ decisions to suspend or review their funding to Palestinian and Israeli civil society organisations (28 November 2023)
• Reaction to threats to funding for Palestinian civil society organisations (23 November 2023)
• Gaza: Human rights defenders under Israel’s bombardment and siege (21 November 2023)
• Violence against human rights defenders in the West Bank (13 November 2023)
• Reiterating the call for a ceasefire amid increasingly horrifying situation of despair in Gaza (9 November 2023)
• International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists (2 November 2023)
• Distressing updates from Palestinian human rights organisations in Gaza (28 October 2023)
• Response to the EU Summit negotiations on Israel/Gaza (27 October 2023)
• UN General Assembly Special Session on Israel/Gaza (26 October 2023)
• Highlighting how the role of HRDs is threatened in the crisis context in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel (18 October 2023)

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/human-rights-defenders-occupied-palestinian-territory-and-israel-0

on 20 December it added a Statement:

https://www.frontlinedefenders.org/en/statement-report/israelopt-deep-concern-enforced-disappearance-detention-and-ill-treatment-human

This entry was posted on December 18, 2023 at 00:37 and is filed under Front Line, Human Rights Defenders.

Tags: Front Line (NGO), Human Rights Defenders, Israel, Israeli–Palestinian conflict, Palestine