UN Human Rights Committee urges Israel to ensure detainees immediate access to counsel, repeal Unlawful Combatants Law, reinstate family visits to Gaza prisoners, lift blockade on Gaza, launch independent investigations into Operation Cast Lead, end assassinations and cease collective home demolitions.

Following the report published by Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-IL) after the events of March 16, 2010 in Jerusalem, we are issuing this update regarding violence by security forces directed against Palestinian residents of Jerusalem. This work is done based on our belief that violence – particularly violence committed by the security forces who are supposed to protect civilians – has destructive effects on everyday life and on the health and welfare of the civilians who are the victims of that violence.

A new position paper by three human rights organizations, Physicians for Human Rights-Israel (PHR-IL), Al-Mezan and Adalah, reviews Israel’s exit policy at the Erez Crossing regarding Gaza patients seeking medical treatment unavailable in Gaza. The paper argues that there is a consistent Israeli policy of distinguishing between life-threatening cases and cases that affect quality of life, as a basis to deny their exit from the Strip for medical treatment, which violates the principles of medical ethics and international law.

Joint Report by Adalah, Al Mezan and PHR-Israel to UN on Torture, Prisoners, the Lack of Investigations into Cast Lead and the Siege on Gaza including the Denial of Health Rights