GENEVA, May 16, 2018 (WAFA) – The call by Michael Lynk, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory, for an international investigation into Israel‘s killing of Palestinian demonstrators in the Gaza Strip is a first step to achieve justice for the dead, says the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor (Euro-Med).

In a brief press statement, Euro-Med stressed on Wednesday the need to work on implementing the demands included in its most recent joint statement, which was signed by 30 international organizations.

The joint statement urged the international community to launch an urgent international investigation into the Palestinian deaths resulting from the use of excessive force by Israeli soldiers stationed at the border fence.

The joint statement also called for ensuring Israel’s guarantee of Palestinians’ right to peaceful protest, ending the collective punishment of Gaza’s population of two million, and, ultimately, ending its 50-year-long occupation of the Palestinian Territories.

The statement noted that the United Nations must play a more active role in ending Israel’s impunity in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, providing urgent protection to Palestinian demonstrators and ensuring the implementation of their right of return, which Israel has been impeding for 70 years now.

Lynk condemned Israel‘s excessive use of force against unarmed demonstrators along the Gaza fence, and its disregard for the right to freedom of expression and of assembly, calling on the Israeli government to stop the killing of protesters, expressing “grave fears this figure could rise sharply in coming days unless Israeli authorities uphold their obligations under International Human Rights Law and International Humanitarian Law.”

“Shocking killing of dozens, injury of hundreds by Israeli live fire in Gaza must stop now,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid bin Ra’ad Zeid al-Hussein, in response to the latest wave of deliberate killing and maiming of Palestinian protesters. He also added that “the right to life must be respected. Those responsible for outrageous human rights violations must be held to account. The international community needs to ensure justice for victims.”

M.K.