London 30 June 2017

The London-based Palestinian Return Centre (PRC) on Thursday called on UN-run bodies to take urgent action vis-à-vis the calamitous state of affairs in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Speaking in memorandums sent to the Member-States of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), UNRWA Commissioner-General, Pierre Krähenbühl, and the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territories, Michael Lynk, PRC staff members said they are deeply concerned over the exacerbated situation in Gaza.

PRC sounded the alarm over the tragic health situation, itself exacerbated by the acute power crisis and the inability of sick civilians to receive treatment abroad. Over recent days, four babies were pronounced dead in the besieged enclave as a result of the crisis. The list of casualties included toddlers Mus’ab AlAr’ir and Baraa Mohamed, who breathed their last at the under-equipped AlShifaa Hospital.

PRC held Israel, as an occupying power under international law, responsible for the dire situation endured by two million people in Gaza. The situation has gone far worse due to the decade-long siege imposed on the enclave as part of a larger tactic of collective punishment against the Palestinians in Gaza.

PRC condemned an Israeli decision to cut back power supplies to Gaza at the request of the Palestinian Authority (PA), run by Mahmoud Abbas. PRC said it believes the move, implemented in contravention of common sense and law, has terrifically affected the health situation in the strip.

PRC urged the PA and the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately backtrack on the decision and lift the noose around Gaza’s neck.

PRC leveled heavy criticism at the PA and the Israeli authorities for preventing sick toddlers from receiving life-saving treatment outside of Gaza.

PRC is a London-headquartered organization that advocates Palestinians’ infringed rights. It is in Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council since 2015.