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| Gaza/West Bank - 60 Years on From the Geneva Convention | |
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| Topic Started: Aug 11 2009, 12:24 PM (55 Views) | |
| Sayf Udeen Ismaeel | Aug 11 2009, 12:24 PM Post #1 |
Icon by meagan_chelsea @ LJ
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60 years on from the Geneva Conventions on Human Rights The Geneva Conventions, the cornerstone of international humanitarian law, are 60 years old this week. They represent the most widely ratified and recognised legal instrument worldwide. For signatories to the Geneva Conventions, it is not a choice of whether or not to act, it is a legal obligation. Article 1 common to the four Geneva Conventions obliges state parties to an armed conflict, as well as third states who are not involved in the conflict, to respect and ensure respect for international humanitarian law. Sharif Omar and Diab Tarabin are from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip respectively and they are both affected by the blockade of Israel. These are their stories: Sharif Omar-Jayyous Sharif Omar, a 66-year old farmer who lives in Jayyous, a village located in the north of the West Bank, has his home is on one side of the Wall, while his farmland is on the other.It took him seven months to obtain a permit giving him the right to cross over to work on his own land. And it is only good for six months, when it will need to be renewed. His son Azzam, a businessman, was never granted a permit and cannot access the family land. Ironically Azzam is allowed to travel in Israel - he can go to Tel Aviv or to Haifa but he does not have permission to go to his family farmland located close to his house. Diab Tarabin- the border zone The “buffer zone”, the area located all along the border with Israel and which is up to 600 meters wide, contains some of the most fertile land of the Gaza Strip. Yet many farmers can no longer access their fields, as Israeli soldiers target people approaching the border. Diab Tarabin is a Bedouin farmer who lives very close to the border zone. His house and agricultural equipment, such as the water tank pictured, were destroyed by Israeli tanks during Operation “Cast Lead”. He can no longer access his land, even though he has a family of 15 to support. http://www.oxfam.org/en/development/geneva-convention-human-rights |
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| Neo | Aug 11 2009, 02:54 PM Post #2 |
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What can I say? It's sad how common people are affected because of the whims of the handful in power. |
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12:53 PM Nov 30
