There’s no place like home

The Australian government’s callous and cruel treatment of refugees is once again in the spotlight, but this time it is kids who are highlighting the Government’s deliberate abuse.

A powerful short video released by Amnesty International, strikes at the heart of the issue and highlights the thing that Australian’s value above all else – their home.

“Home is where we can feel happy, safe and secure. It’s a place to laugh, love and create memories with those around us. There’s no place like it”

Michael Hayworth, Campaigns Manager at Amnesty International Australia.

“Home is where we can feel happy, safe and secure. It’s a place to laugh, love and create memories with those around us. There’s no place like it,” said Michael Hayworth, Campaigns Manager at Amnesty International Australia.

“But for many people seeking safety, home is a distant memory and a dwindling hope. This video is a reminder that we’d give anything to provide children with a safe home, and we should extend that same human kindness to everyone.”

The release of the video, ahead of World Refugee Day on 20 June, demonstrates the danger, deliberate abuse and suffering caused by the Australian Government’s offshore detention regime.

“Treating people the way we want to be treated is a core value that we teach our kids, at home and at school. Yet it is something the Australian government has completely disregarded when it comes to the treatment of people who came to us seeking our protection.”

“Treating people the way we want to be treated is a core value that we teach our kids, at home and at school. Yet it is something the Australian government has completely disregarded when it comes to the treatment of people who came to us seeking our protection,” said Hayworth.

“At a time where there are more people in need of a new home than at any other time since the second world war, what we need is common sense and compassion, not cruelty.”

“Now is the time for the Australian government to step up and show responsibility. The immediate solution is to bring all those we have sent to Nauru and Manus Island to Australia immediately. It’s the fairest and quickest way to prevent another tragedy.”

The funds raised by this project will support Amnesty International’s work in documenting human rights abuses and violations against refugees and pushing the Australian government to find a better plan for refugees.

Support can be shown through a tax-deductible donation on Amnesty’s website or by calling our supporter relations team on 1300  300 920.

Iraq: Mosul civilians endangered by warring parties’ weapons choice

The expected battle involving Iraqi and US-led coalition forces against the Islamic State (ISIS) in west Mosul’s Old City poses a considerable threat to civilians and civilian objects, international humanitarian and human rights organisations say. All warring parties should cease using explosive weapons with wide area effects and inherently indiscriminate weapons in densely populated west Mosul. ISIS’s unlawful use of civilians as “human shields” and the difficulty of identifying civilians in buildings increases the risk of civilian casualties.

The United Nations has estimated that 200,000 civilians remain in the two-square-kilometre area in west Mosul’s Old City, which Iraqi and US-led coalition forces are encircling in preparation for the battle there.

“ISIS has been forcibly displacing thousands people into the zones of conflict and using them as human shields,” said Lynn Maalouf, Middle East Director of Research at Amnesty International. “Iraqi and coalition forces must take all possible measures to protect civilians, otherwise we risk witnessing a bloodbath in Mosul’s Old City.”

The groups expressing concern are Airwars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, the International Network on Explosive Weapons (INEW), and War Child.

On May 25, 2017, anti-ISIS forces dropped leaflets urging civilians to immediately leave areas under ISIS control. Anti-ISIS forces should take all feasible precautions to minimize harm when carrying out attacks and ensure that civilians can safely evacuate the Old City and get humanitarian assistance both inside and outside the besieged area. With the offensive to take west Mosul entering its 109th day, the situation for civilians trapped there is growing increasingly perilous. Those fleeing Mosul have told humanitarian and human rights organisations that markets are being emptied of food, with civilians subsisting on little more than wheat and rainwater.

In mid-February, the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) supported by the US-led coalition, known as the Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR), began the offensive to retake west Mosul, a densely populated set of urban neighborhoods.

Rising civilian casualties from aerial operations have heightened concerns regarding coalition and Iraqi forces use of airstrikes. The use of explosive weapons with wide-area effects such as air-dropped bombs of 500lbs and above, which have been used in the context of the operation, in densely populated civilian areas of western Mosul may be resulting in civilian casualties and damage to civilian objects that is excessive to the anticipated military objectives of the strikes. Such disproportionate military attacks are prohibited under international humanitarian law.

Iraqi forces have also been launching locally fabricated rockets, commonly known as improvised rocket-assisted munitions (IRAMs), into west Mosul. Images published by media outlets and the US military also depict US forces and Iraqi forces firing mortars and unguided artillery rockets into western Mosul. Both of these weapons are inaccurate and can be unlawfully indiscriminate if used in heavily populated areas.

The difficulty of detecting civilians in the packed city, even with advanced targeting systems and continuous observation, make it difficult to determine accurately the number of civilians occupying a target area prior to approving strikes. The dangers are increased by ISIS’s use of civilians as “human shields,” which is a war crime.

Dozens of newly displaced people from west Mosul, including the Old City, have told humanitarian and human rights organisations that ISIS fighters forced them and their families to move with them up to three times, packing large numbers of families into small neighbourhoods still under their control. They witnessed fighters summarily killing dozens of men as punishment as they and their families tried to flee ISIS control. They also saw ISIS fighters fire on groups of civilians as they fled; and some saw fleeing civilians shot and killed.

As the fighting intensifies and ISIS increases its use of civilians as shields, anti-ISIS forces should use all available means to verify the presence and location of civilians in the immediate vicinity of any fighters or military objectives targeted. In December 2016, US forces made procedural changes in its targeting that may increase the likelihood of civilian casualties.

All parties to the conflict are prohibited under the laws of war from conducting deliberate attacks against civilians or civilian objects, indiscriminate, or disproportionate attacks. Indiscriminate attacks are attacks that strike military objectives and civilians or civilian objects without distinction. An attack is disproportionate if it may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life or damage to civilian objects that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated from the attack.

Individuals who commit serious violations of the laws of war with criminal intent – that is, deliberately or recklessly – are responsible for war crimes. Individuals also may be held criminally liable for attempting to commit a war crime, as well as assisting in, facilitating, aiding, or abetting a war crime.

The laws of war require that the parties to a conflict take constant care during military operations to spare the civilian population and to “take all feasible precautions” to avoid or minimise the incidental loss of civilian life and damage to civilian objects. When used in populated areas, munitions with large payloads of high explosives can have a wide-area destructive effect, and it is not possible when using them to distinguish adequately between civilians and combatants, almost inevitably resulting in civilian casualties.

Weapons such as mortars and multi-barrel rocket launchers when firing unguided munitions and IRAMs are fundamentally inaccurate. This can make discriminating between civilians and combatants during an attack on a densely populated area virtually impossible. Human rights and humanitarian organisations and journalists have documented the use by Iraqi forces of IRAMs that lack the ability to be aimed beyond a basic orientation toward the target and are inherently indiscriminate.

Mortars and multi-barrel rocket launchers firing unguided munitions used by anti-ISIS forces can be aimed and adjusted by an observer, but are area-fire weapons and, when used in densely populated areas, are prone to unlawful indiscriminate use. Iraqi and US-led coalition forces should avoid all use of these weapons in the densely populated Old City of west Mosul.

Signatories:
Airwars
Amnesty International
Human Rights Watch
International Network on Explosive Weapons – INEW is governed by a Steering Committee whose members are Action on Armed Violence, Article 36, Handicap International, Human Rights Watch, Norwegian People’s Aid, Oxfam, PAX, Save the Children and the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.
War Child

The 7 best human rights films to watch this weekend

By Andrea Sophocleous

Humans have been telling stories for tens of thousands of years. Today, one of our most powerful storytelling forms is film. Movies have the power to transport us into the world of the story. Whether it’s following the tenacious investigations of a pair of journalists into the corrupt conduct of a US president in All the President’s Men, or being part of the perilous journey of three young indigenous girls as they walk 2,400km to return to their families in Rabbit Proof Fence, films allow us to better understand events and other cultures from an empathetic perspective.

While films can certainly be escapist, they can also increase our knowledge about the world around us, raise our awareness and awaken our curiosity. If you’re keen to explore the big issues, here are the best human rights films currently available on online streaming services.

'Mabo'. © ABC iView
© Mabo

1. Mabo, ABC iView (2012)

Australia’s troubled history is examined in this feature-length biopic about Eddie Koiki Mabo, the Torres Strait Island man who led the campaign that would establish the principle of native title in Australia. Twenty years since the Mabo court ruling and 50 years after the 1967 referendum that finally gave Indigenous people the right to be counted in the Australian Census, the push for Constitutional recognition of Australia’s First Peoples remains a pressing issue. Mabo, directed by Rachel Perkins, provides a moving insight into an important part of our history.

2. Beasts of No Nation, Netflix (2015)

Hundreds of thousands of children, many as young as eight years old, are being used as soldiers in armed conflicts around the world. Based on the 2005 novel of the same name, Beasts of No Nation is an uncompromising view into the brutal world of civil conflict, violence, dehumanisation and the abuse of children. Some scenes are incredibly confronting, but this is a powerful film that deserves to be watched.

I am Slave. SBS On Demand
© I am Slave

3. I am Slave, SBS on Demand (2016)

Inspired by a true story, I am Slave exposes the reality of modern-day slavery. Malia is taken at age 12 from her home in Sudan and sold into slavery, first in her own country and six years later in London. A powerful look at what makes slavery still possible today, this story had a happy ending for the woman on whom Malia is based, but reminds audiences that there are around 5,000 “slave workers” currently in Britain.

4. Biutiful, SBS on Demand (2010)

Directed by Oscar winner Alejandro González Iñárritu and starring Javier Bardem, another Oscar winner, Biutiful comes with impeccable credentials. While not a perfect film, Bardem’s performance lifts it to impressive heights as the audience is plunged into the world of human trafficking, poverty and the underbelly of Barcelona.

© Dukhtar
© Dukhtar

5. Dukhtar, Netflix (2014)

This award-winning Pakistani film tells the tale of a mother who risks death to prevent the arranged marriage of her 10-year-old daughter to a warlord old enough to be her grandfather. Dukhtar (which translates to Daughter) explores the world of child brides and honour killings, where women have few rights and remain the property of men.

6. Pride, Dendy Direct (2014)

Described by critics as a crowd-pleaser in the spirit of Billy Elliot and The Full Monty, Pride recounts the true story of a Welsh mining community during the 1984 miners’ strike in the UK. A group of gay activists decide to raise money for the struggling families of the miners, demonstrating the power of communities banding together. This feel-good film is both entertaining and uplifting.

© Selma
© Selma

7. Selma, iTunes (2015)

Described by The Guardian as “heartbreaking and inspiring”, Selma tells the story of Martin Luther King’s battle for equal voting rights in America, spanning a three-month period in 1965. The film explores the important issues of race relations, discrimination and human rights, and reminds us how far we remain from King’s dream of equality.

Have you watched any of these films? Tell us what you thought below.

Syrian refugees trapped in desert on Moroccan border with Algeria in dire need of assistance

Moroccan authorities are flouting their international obligations to give protection to refugees by entrapping a group of 25 Syrian refugees in a desert area on the border between Morocco and Algeria and denying them access to asylum and urgent humanitarian assistance.

The group of Syrians, including 10 children, have been stuck for the past two months in a buffer zone within Moroccan territory, 1km from the oasis of Figuig in Morocco and 5km away from Beni Ounif in Algeria.

They had been surviving on informal assistance and supplies from locals in Figuig facilitated by the Moroccan border police, but according to the refugees this stopped on Friday morning. The Moroccan border police has thus far not given Moroccan human rights groups and humanitarian organisations, including the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), access to the area.

“By denying the Syrian refugees access to UNHCR, the Moroccan authorities are flouting their international obligations. These are refugees who have fled bloodshed and bombing in Syria to seek safety abroad, and the Moroccan authorities must grant them their right to apply for asylum,” said Heba Morayef, North Africa Research Director at Amnesty International.

“These are refugees who have fled bloodshed and bombing in Syria to seek safety abroad, and the Moroccan authorities must grant them their right to apply for asylum.”

Heba Morayef, North Africa Research Director at Amnesty International

In a 30 May statement, UNHCR expressed its concern about the “rapidly deteriorating conditions for this group of vulnerable Syrian refugees” calling on both the Moroccan and Algerian government to grant safe passage to the refugees.

The Moroccan government has thus far denied that the refugees are on their territory. Amnesty International has reviewed publicly available maps data and satellite imagery and has confirmed through GPS coordinates that the refugees are located in Moroccan territory.

UNHCR is not operational in that border area and only has authorization to directly register asylum seekers at one office in the Moroccan capital Rabat. Refugees in Morocco can also register with a limited number of local partners in other regions but none of these partners operate in this border zone.

Two of the stranded Syrians suffer from hypertension and one has kidney disease but the Moroccan authorities have not provided them with any medical care or granted access to doctors accompanying the Moroccan human rights organizations who attempted to reach the area. The refugees are sleeping in makeshift shelters leaving them exposed to sunstroke in temperatures of up to 45 degrees and the threat of snake attacks.

The group had initially travelled from Lebanon to Sudan then through Libya and Algeria to reach the border area. They made a first attempt to reach the closest Moroccan town Figuig on 17 April but were pushed back to the buffer zone by Moroccan security forces.

On 22 April, Moroccan authorities publicly accused Algeria of forcing a group of Syrian refugees to cross the border into Morocco. The day after, the Algerian authorities denounced Morocco for the expulsion of the same group to Algerian territory.

Ten members of the group who were able to reach the centre of Figuig in an attempt to seek asylum were caught by the Moroccan local authorities and border police and forcibly returned to the border area on 5 June.

“Instead of forcing the Syrian refugees back into a barren desert buffer zone to face deteriorating conditions the Moroccan authorities must urgently provide humanitarian assistance and allow aid agencies access to the area to assess their needs. There can be no justification for denying the refugees access to food and water,” said Heba Morayef.

“There can be no justification for denying the refugees access to food and water”

said Heba Morayef.

On 2 June the Algerian authorities announced that they would welcome the Syrian refugees on humanitarian grounds, allow UNHCR to provide them with assistance and facilitate family reunion for those who have relatives legally residing in European countries. However, the refugees are nervous to go to Algeria and are seeking registration with UNHCR in Morocco because four of them have relatives there and want to settle in the country. The other 21 are hoping to ultimately seek family reunion in Sweden, Belgium and Germany, where they have close family members.

On 5 June, an Algerian delegation including representatives from the Algerian Red Crescent, UNHCR Algeria and Algerian local authorities (Wilaya de Bechar) reached the border zone near Beni Ounif to attempt to provide humanitarian assistance. They remained on the Algerian side of the border and called to the refugees to walk over to the Algerian side telling them they could be registered in Algeria. However the group chose to remain on the Moroccan side of the border.

The Moroccan authorities must not endanger the refugees’ lives by leaving them trapped at the border in harsh conditions and without humanitarian assistance. They must immediately grant them access to the territory and allow them to exercise their right to seek asylum at the competent UNHCR office in Morocco.

Celebrating National Reconciliation Week 2017!

National Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June, and this year’s theme is ‘Let’s take the next steps’. To celebrate, Amnesty International launched our third and most comprehensive 2017-2020 Stretch Reconciliation Action Plan at the National Centre for Indigenous Excellence in Redfern on Wednesday 31 May.

Natasha Jayaratne from Reconciliation Australia spoke at the launch about the importance of Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) and what they have achieved. In 2006 when RAPs were introduced, only eight organisations signed up. That’s compared to over 880 organisations with RAPs in 2017.

Throughout the last financial year, RAP organisations have:

  • Employed more than 19,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
  • Provided $14 million in education scholarships to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
  • Spent $170 million on goods and services from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander businesses
  • Sent over 52,000 people to complete cultural awareness training

These achievements contribute to addressing the economic and social disadvantage Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities experience.

Our National Director, Claire Mallinson, highlighted that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have been calling for the right to self-determination, to regain control of their lands and to stop the removal of Aboriginal children from their families over the past 100 years, and yet sadly, the same calls are still relevant today.

“Amnesty International’s RAP helps the organisation understand better about what it means to be Aboriginal. These are all positive steps and that is the exciting part about it. Many of our staff members are wanting to make change and the RAP supports this.”

Rodney Dillon, Palawa man, Indigenous Rights Advisor

Amnesty International action centres also celebrated National Reconciliation Week across the country. These events included discussing the anniversaries that book-ended the week this year:

  •      The 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum on 27 May
  •      The 25th anniversary of the Mabo decision on 3 June

These events were attended by staff, Branch Committees, activists and volunteers.

Amnesty encourages all of our supporters to consider what reconciliation means to you and how you can be part of reconciliation. You could:

Reconciliation isn’t just something that we do once a year. Meaningful reconciliation means developing mutually beneficial respectful relationships with Indigenous peoples and communities. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are asked to be part of reconciliation all of the time, whereas non-Indigenous Australians can choose to participate or not. We encourage you to be someone who chooses to participate in reconciliation.

With our new RAP, Amnesty is ready to take the next steps toward reconciliation and we invite you to join us on this journey.

Israel/OPT: A Call to States to Stop Sustaining Illegal settlements

As the world marks the 50th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, as well as the Golan Heights, the Israeli authorities are reinvigorating their relentless expansion of settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT), with devastating consequences for the human rights of Palestinians. Despite an international consensus that these settlements are illegal, Israel is currently emboldened by the new US administration to pursue construction.

Mere condemnation of settlement construction by the UN, states and national and international human rights organizations has proven ineffective. It is time for states to take action and uphold their obligations under international law. Amnesty International is therefore calling on states to take measures to stop the financial support and expansion of settlements by prohibiting settlement goods from entering their markets and by regulating and preventing corporations domiciled in their territory from operating in settlements or trading in settlement products.

Read the full statement

Update on constitutional reform

Between 23-26 May, over 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander delegates met in Uluru for three days of discussion about constitutional reform, recognition and treaty, for the First Nations National Constitutional Convention.

Background to the Uluru meeting

There have been a number of processes on constitutional reform before this meeting including the Expert Panel, the Parliament’s Joint Select Committee, Recognise campaign, and the appointment of the Referendum Council. Check out our previous updates for more detail.

The Referendum Council, appointed by Prime Minister Turnbull and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten, decided in 2016 to conduct Indigenous consultations about recognising Indigenous peoples in the Constitution. The Uluru meeting was the culmination of a series of First Nations Regional dialogues held around Australia over the past six months by the Referendum Council. There was also an online submission process.

Through the submission process, Amnesty International raised concerns about the inclusivity of the regional dialogues. The regional dialogue process was by invitation only, and those who attended the Uluru meeting were selected at the regional dialogues. This was perceived by some community members as an exclusive process and several of the dialogue meetings were met with protest.

Amnesty International’s submission said the Government must have the free, prior and informed consent of Indigenous Peoples before any constitutional changes are made. We recommended the Government follow the approach outlined in the Redfern Statement. This involves addressing and implementing the recommendations of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, which includes an agreement-making framework (treaty) and constitutional reform, in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

During the same period of the consultation process, calls for treaty have become more vocal and gained momentum, with commitments from State Governments to pursue a treaty process in Victoria, South Australia and the Northern Territory.

The Uluru Statement from the Heart

At the Uluru meeting, a number of delegates walked out claiming that the process was flawed, and their voices had not been heard. This group of delegates represent a growing number of community members who are calling for a sovereign treaty with an independent sovereign treaty commission to be funded.

On 26 May, the Referendum Council released the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

Importantly, the statement rejects the notion of “constitutional recognition” as simple acknowledgement, favouring “constitutional reform that makes a real difference in their communities”. The delegates agreed that sovereignty has never been ceded, and called for substantive constitutional change and structural reform.

The statement highlights the over-representation of Indigenous people in prison:

“Proportionally, we are the most incarcerated people on the planet. We are not an innately criminal people. Our children are alienated from their families at unprecedented rates. This cannot be because we have no love for them. And our youth languish in detention in obscene numbers. They should be our hope for the future.”

The Uluru Statement calls for the establishment of a First Nations voice enshrined in the Constitution and calls for a Makarrata Commission – Makarrata being a Yolgnu word for coming together after a struggle. The Makarrata Commission will supervise the process of treaty-making between Governments and First Nations peoples, as well as truth-telling about Australia’s history.

What’s next?

The full details of the proposals coming out of the Uluru Statement are not yet clear. The Referendum Council will make its final report and recommendations to the Prime Minister on 30 June 2017. The Government will then respond and either adopt or reject the recommendations.

Since the statement was released, there have been increased criticisms of Recognise, the body funded to promote the yes campaign for constitutional recognition. A spokesperson for the campaign has now indicated that the campaign may rebrand following the Uluru Statement.

The National Congress of Australia’s First Peoples has endorsed the proposal to establish a constitutionally mandated representative body for First Peoples, and says it is in a prime position to take up this role.

We will continue to keep supporters informed.

Australia must ban Israeli settlement products to help end violations against Palestinians

The Australian Government and the international community must ban the import of all goods produced in illegal Israeli settlements and put an end to the multimillion dollar profits that have fuelled mass human rights violations against Palestinians.

To mark the 50th anniversary of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, the organisation is launching a new campaign calling on states across the world to prohibit settlement goods from their markets and to prevent their companies from operating in settlements or trading in settlement goods.

“Amnesty International is calling on the Australian Government to ban the import of goods from illegal settlements,” said Michael Hayworth, Campaigns Manager at Amnesty International Australia.

“The illegal settlements are sustained by profits off the back of unlawfully appropriated Palestinian resources, including land, water and minerals.  Australia should publicly clarify whether any existing imports have come from illegal settlements, and commit to prohibiting this in future.”

Hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of goods produced in Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian land are exported internationally each year, despite the fact that the vast majority of states have officially condemned the settlements as illegal under international law. Over the years, Israeli and international businesses have also enabled and facilitated settlement construction and expansion.

“For decades, the world has stood by as Israel has destroyed Palestinians’ homes and plundered their land and natural resources for profit. While the Palestinian economy has been stunted by 50 years of abusive policies, a thriving multimillion dollar settlement enterprise has been built out of the systematic oppression of the Palestinian population,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.

“Fifty years on, merely condemning Israel’s settlement expansion is not enough. It’s time for states to take concrete international action to stop the financing of settlements which themselves flagrantly violate international law and constitute war crimes.”

Israel has also unlawfully seized control of Palestinian natural resources, such as water, fertile land, stone quarries and minerals, and diverted these to benefit settlement industries to produce agricultural products, construction materials and manufactured goods that are often exported abroad. At the same time, Israel has imposed arbitrary restrictions depriving Palestinians of access to and use of their own water, land and other resources, restricting their economic development and violating their economic and social rights.

Across the West Bank, settlement infrastructure, including “settler-only” roads, have divided Palestinian towns and villages and have severely limited the ability of Palestinians to move around freely. Israel has also maintained an illegal air, sea and land blockade of the Gaza Strip for nearly 10 years, locking two million people into an area half the size of Canberra.

“How can states continue to allow financial backing to an inherently cruel, discriminatory and criminal settlement policy that enables Israeli settlers to live on stolen land in homes with irrigated lawns and swimming pools, while Palestinian communities on their doorstep are deprived of access to enough clean water or electricity to cover their basic needs?” said Salil Shetty.

Over decades, multiple UN resolutions have confirmed that Israeli settlements violate international law. Most recently, a UN Security Council resolution was passed in December 2016 calling on Israel to cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. The resolution also called on all states to distinguish in all their dealings between the state of Israel and the territories occupied since 1967.

Despite this, Israel has accelerated its expansion and support of settlements in recent months, announcing plans for thousands of new homes in existing settlements, as well as plans to build thousands more homes in two new settlements in the occupied West Bank.

All states have a clear obligation to ensure respect for international humanitarian law. They must also not recognise or assist in any manner the illegal situation that Israel’s settlement policy has created and, in fact, they should use their influence to stop such violations.

“It is utterly shocking that, since the occupation began 50 years ago, there has been virtually total impunity for the decades of war crimes, crimes against humanity and human right violations committed in the Occupied Palestinian Territories,” said Salil Shetty.

“It’s crucial for states to take effective steps to end and redress these violations.

“They should start by imposing an international ban on settlement products, a comprehensive arms embargo on Israel and Palestinian armed groups and bring an end to impunity for decades of crimes, including through genuine investigations by the International Criminal Court. Palestinians must not be condemned to endure a further half century of oppression and injustice.”

ISRAEL/PALESTINE: A history of abuse and war crimes

Our work on Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories, albeit sometimes unpopular, drives home the complexities of a region that has been in conflict for at least half a century.

Looking back into our digital archives shows hundreds of reports, urgent actions, press releases, public statements, positions, questions and answers, videos and stories.

Each report has its own recommendations and approaches to protecting the rights of civilians. Sometimes the recommendations fall on Israel, sometimes Palestinian authorities and sometimes the armed wing of groups like Hamas.

The fact is that almost all parties stand accused of human rights abuses and war crimes.

Our 2015 report ‘Strangling Necks’ catalogues the abductions, torture and summary executions carried out by the armed wing of Hamas during Israel’s 50-day military offensive in 2014.

Our latest work: Ending support of illegal settlements

Israeli settlements in Palestinian territory are almost universally recognized as illegal. The settlements themselves fuel war crimes and a cause of significant human rights abuses against Palestinians.

After 50 years of illegal settlements it is time to do more than just condemn the settlements.

Israel, encouraged by recent US rhetoric, announced 6,219 new housing units in the occupied West Bank and a new settlement north-east of Ramallah in early 2017.

Settlements are subsidized by the Israeli government, but they also run off the goods that are manufactured in them. Settlements use land, water and minerals illegally taken from Palestinian territory to create goods that end up on the international market.

Australia must not support illegal settlements

We know that the settlements are illegal. And we know that they are sustained by the taking of resources and the manufacturing of goods from Palestinian territory. And we know that Australia imported $952 million from Israel in 2015-16.

There is no data on whether any Australian imports have come from illegal Israeli settlements.

This is why we are calling for the Australia to clarify whether any existing imports have originated in the illegal settlements and ban products coming from the settlements.

After five decades of Israel’s occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, it is time for the world’s governments to do more than just issue condemnations.

It is time to take step to end the complicit economic support — of purchasing imports from and investing in — corporations that operate in illegal settlements.

Our next move

Amnesty International will continue to monitor and report on human rights abuses in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. And stand up for civilians, regardless of which party is responsible for the violence.

Read our press release and full public statement calling for state divestment of Israeli settlements and the full catalogue of our work on this region since 1974.