RAMALLAH: On Friday November 23rd, the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC) issued a joint statement condemning Israel's most recent military offensive on the Gaza Strip. The statement charged Israel with directly targeting journalists and civilians during airstrikes on the densely-populated coastal enclave. According to the statement, 162 Palestinians were killed, the majority of whom were civilians, including 37 children and 13 women. It also states that 963 civilian homes were destroyed or sustained damages, and 92 from the total were completely reduced to rubble. Other sites struck include mosques, schools, hospitals, banks, commercial centers, and media offices, among others. The statement said it disapproved of the reaction of the international community, expressing “deep concerns" particularly in respect to the United States, European Union, and EU countries, who support “Israel's right to self-defense" but simultaneously “fail to take into account Israel's belligerent occupation and policies resulting in the continuous dispossession and forcible displacement of Palestinians." The PHROC called on the international community to conduct impartial investigations into Israel's 8 day military offensive and hold those responsible accountable, ending what it referred to as Israel's “culture of impunity." Additionally, it called on the United Nations to establish and conduct a fact-finding mission. 11 NGOs signed the statement. The full text is reproduced below:
