Human rights defenders in Gaza have suffered bombing, displacement,

and are at risk of death

FIDH is extremely worried about the safety of human rights defenders in

the Gaza Strip and raises the alarm for them. For the first time in history,
staff from member organisations in the enclave are left entirely
inoperative. Countless human rights violations are taking place
undocumented, reinforcing the cycle of impunity for international
crimes. FIDH urges for a ceasefire.

FIDH expresses its deepest and most sincere condolences to B'Tselem staff
for the death of former B'Tselem board member Vivian Silver, whose death on
7 October was confirmed recently. Our solidarity goes out to them and to all of
our colleagues, notably those in Gaza who are simply trying to survive with
their families at this time.

Paris, 21 November 2023. When the retaliatory attacks started, like in past
wars, human right defenders in Gaza attempted to carry out their mission:
document and report human rights abuses. Almost immediately the scale of
the human catastrophe became overwhelming. Very soon after the man-made
collapse and destruction of Gaza prevented them from doing anything other
than trying to survive.

Since 7 October 2023 the vast majority of human rights defenders in Gaza
have suffered forced displacement, the destruction of their homes, and
tragically for some, the loss of relatives. Like millions of other Gazans, they
are now deprived of the most basic necessities like food and water, and have
to risk their lives by going out in search of them. Telecom blackouts and
electricity scarcity means that contact with the outside is often sporadic,
adding to the haze surrounding their situation and Israeli crimes happening in
the enclave.

Out of the seven FIDH Palestinian and Israeli-based member organisations,

four have some or the majority of their staff members operating in the Gaza
Strip: Al-Mezan, PCHR, Al-Haq and B’Tselem. Prior to 7 October around two
dozen human rights defenders associated with the FIDH network monitored
the situation on the ground, provided legal aid, and documented human rights
abuses, no matter the perpetrators.

The organisations which have offices in Gaza say they are unable to ascertain
whether their premises were bombed or raided, as these havens for the
respect of human rights and human dignity containing sensitive information
had to be abandoned overnight.

“Currently in Gaza without a ceasefire, the Israeli occupying force is piloting

total and utter negation of the rights of millions of people: no right to safety, no
right to housing, no right to food, no right to water, no right to healthcare, no
rights of children, no right to life. This affects human rights defenders like
everyone else, who for the first time cannot report on what is going on outside
of fragmented testimonies”. said Diana Alzeer, FIDH Vice President and Al-
Haq representative.

“Like shown in Syria and elsewhere, human rights defenders are essential to
the process of establishing accountability. Knowing this, authoritarian regimes,
harass, condemn, imprison and sometimes kill their human rights defenders.
In Gaza Israel throws them on the streets, bombs them, starves and displaces
them. The humanitarian disaster provoked by Israel in the Gaza Strip amounts
to a crime against humanity unfolding which cannot remain unpunished". said
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