Palestinian call for protection
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Dear Editor,
While the situation in Syria understandably dominates media coverage of the Middle East and domestic tragedies take priority within the national media, there has been a serious escalation in the situation within the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
In the past three weeks, 47 Palestinians have been killed and over 1,500 shot with live fire or steel coated rubber bullets by the Israeli military. These include two thirteen years olds, a fifteen year old, a three year old child and a pregnant woman. Documented Acts of violence (beatings, shootings, indiscriminate use of live ammunition) are currently being carried out by the Israeli military and heavily armed groups of settlers against the unarmed citizens of the Occupied Palestinian Territories and are unprecedented in the context of the Palestinian/Israel situation.
The situation has ‘escalated to reach the level of crimes against humanity’ according to Dr. Nabeel Shaath, Commissioner General of the Foreign Relations Commission in Fatah, who has issued a powerful statement calling on the international community to provide international protection to the Palestinian people (attached).
The international community must take responsibility for its full complicity in allowing Israel to act with total impunity over the past 50 years and for its deafening silence as shocking acts of violence are currently being carried out either directly by the Israeli state or under its protection.
We ask that you use your influence to lobby our elected representatives to act on its clear calls to the international community as a matter of urgency.
If you would like further information, please do not hesitate to contact us,
Yours sincerely,
Marie Crawley – Chair Sadaka Ireland

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