Press Release
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On Tuesday, 10/24/2023, the Egyptian Coalition for Human Rights and Development issued a report examining the position of international organizations regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip.
The report indicated that most organizations have taken the position that what Israel is carrying out in terms of massacres against the defenseless Palestinian people, children, women, the injured, and the elderly is a reaction to what Hamas did on October 7.
The observations made in the report can be summarized as follows:
• The first observation:
It is clear that Human Rights Watch tried to show its intention to remain neutral, but it did not hide its bias towards Israel and justified the Israeli massacres by saying that they were a “response” to what the Hamas movement did, and although the organization indicated in some reports what it was doing Israel kills civilians, violates international law, and uses internationally banned phosphorous missiles. But there are two reports that confirm its bias towards the Israeli side, the first of which is the report in which it confirmed that its laboratories confirmed the authenticity of three videos in which Hamas appears on October 7th committing “crimes,” as they put it, against the Israelis, while it has not mentioned anything yet about the authenticity of the videos and photos from the Palestinian side, which indicates that the reader and public opinion have been pushed to question the pictures and videos that the Palestinians publish. The second is the report in which Human Rights Watch mentioned what Israel should do in imitating America in its planned ground war, which indicates hidden support from Human Rights Watch for what Israel is doing and will do.
• The second observation:
We can note that Amnesty International, although at first glance it appears to reject what is happening inside Gaza, it did not hide its position to justify the massacres carried out by Israel in response to what Hamas carried out. It was published on October 7 that what Hamas did was a disgraceful act, but it was a result of what Israel has done in recent decades, this was stated by the Secretary-General of the organization. Then, on October 12 – that is, five days after Al-Aqsa Flood operation – the organization published a strongly worded condemnation of what Hamas did on October 7, in addition to the speech of the Secretary-General, in which she retracted what she said on October 7, when she said on October 12 that Israel’s attacks the day before October 7 does not justify what Hamas did.
Contrary to this hesitant opinion of the Secretary-General, we will find that the rest of the published reports and statements condemn displacement and the cutting off of primitive means of life, including water and energy, and denounce the blocking of demonstrations in support of Palestine throughout the world.
• The third observation:
The statements of the International Federation of Journalists were specific and within the scope of demanding the rights of journalists. It published eight statements about journalists, only one of them condemning the killing of 3 Israeli journalists, and three news condemning what Israel has done and is doing against Palestinian journalists. The remaining two stories, one of which was for Israel, condemning it for suppressing the press inside the “State of Israel,” and the other was an appeal to all journalists to be accurate, whether in Israel or Palestine.
• Fourth observation:
We can note that the Committee to Protect Journalists leans toward the Palestinian side compared to the International Federation of Journalists. The International Federation of Journalists did not mourn the Palestinian journalists who were martyred since October 9. Rather, the first to mourn them were the Israeli journalists on October 10. While the Committee to Protect Journalists published a condemnation of the killing of Palestinian journalists on October 9, it did not condemn the killing of Israeli journalists until October 21 while condemning the killing of Palestinian journalists.
• The fifth observation:
The position of the United Nations in the Palestinian crisis is negative, as it did not go beyond verbal condemnation, whether by the Secretary-General or the General Assembly. As for making fateful decisions that change the course of this war, the Security Council did not take any decision due to the right of veto. So, France, Britain, Japan, and the United States objected to it.
• Sixth observation:
In dealing with the war on Gaza, the reports of international organizations overlooked the restrictions on freedom of opinion and expression for citizens in European countries, where many citizens and the media were subjected to restrictions for not supporting the Palestinian cause.
The report concluded that the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip since October 7 has exacerbated the humanitarian crisis experienced by the residents of Gaza, at a time when displacement continues to the south for fear of indiscriminate bombing launched by Israeli forces, with the threat of a ground invasion.
This comes amid warnings from international institutions of a “humanitarian catastrophe” currently besetting the sector, which is home to more than 2.4 million people, including severe food shortages, water and electricity outages, and energy stocks running out within hours.
Amidst the destruction of homes and infrastructure and the increasing number of dead bodies, the numerical shortage of doctors, the unavailability of treatment, and the unavailability of fuel, i.e. the services necessary for human life, are no longer available in the Gaza Strip. Consequently, the situation in the Gaza Strip has become catastrophic. Everyone in Gaza is suffering from a “real crisis,” and the situation may develop into “Famine” and humanitarian catastrophe
Continuous violations against the Palestinians violate all the rules of international law, while international interaction appears to have a third dimension in light of the state of silence regarding the crimes committed against the defenseless civilians of the Gaza Strip. Therefore, a package of recommendations must be adopted for rapid intervention to stop this deteriorating situation inside the Gaza Strip:
An immediate ceasefire, ensuring the access of humanitarian aid, relief supplies and other basic necessities and services.
Restoring electricity and water, and allowing unimpeded delivery of fuel, food and medicine to all parts of Gaza.
Protecting civilians, refraining from targeting them, and adhering to international humanitarian law.
Immediately and unconditionally release all civilians detained by both sides.
