JERUSALEM – 24 February 2006: The Palestinian Initiative for the Promotion of Global Dialogue and Democracy (MIFTAH) calls upon the international community to clearly convey its position regarding Israel’s 2nd incursion into Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus, in which Israeli troops have so far killed a total of 5 Palestinians (including 2 non-combatant civilians), and injured 22.

The incursion into Balata began during the early hours of Thursday, 23 February, and continues until this moment. It has been carried out by Israeli military forces under the justification of “fighting terrorism,” however, as partial visual media coverage of the incursion demonstrated, some of the injured victims which were shown on television as they were shot are medical staff, school children, and some unarmed bystanders.

The 5 Palestinians killed so far in Balata refugee camp are Mohammed Shteiwi (32), Mohammad Khamees Ammar (30), and Hassan Fathi Hajjaj (20) -members of Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades- and Ibrahim Mouhsen Al Seidi (19) and Na’im Mohammad Abu Saris (22) – civilians.

Israel’s Acting Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, stated today that “…Israel will continue its tireless war against the terrorists,” signaling no intention to end the incursion, which is threatening to result in more Palestinians casualties, let alone in the continued strangulation of the camp’s residents, who have been denied access to basic humanitarian needs.

MIFTAH is not only alarmed by the escalating situation in Balata refugee camp, in which Israel’s army is committing grave atrocities against a predominantly unarmed civilian population, but is also deeply outraged at the international community’s silence towards these developments.

Since the conclusion of last month’s Palestinian legislative elections, world leaders and officials, particularly in the US (and some of our European partners), have been active in voicing their concerns about the election victory of Hamas and what it may imply on the overall situation in the region; they have raced to issue ultimatums and threatened to cut aid to the Palestinians Authority over a “perceived” threat of an Islamic government in the Palestinian territories, while failing to even issue a statement of condemnation in response to the current atrocities in Balata refugee camp (measures that, by international standards, are deemed illegal and in violation of international humanitarian law and the Fourth Geneva Convention).

To this end, MIFTAH demands a clear collective position by the international community, in particular representatives of the Middle East Quartet, regarding the developments in Balata refugee camp.

Specifically, MIFTAH urges representatives of the international community to the Palestinian Authority:

1. To issue a joint statement calling for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli troops from Balata refugee camp;
2. To issue an official letter of protest to the Israeli government against the Israeli army’s incursion into the camp and the use of military force against civilians; and
3. To convey its position to the Palestinian public, through local media outlets, outlining its condemnation of this latest escalation and of Israel’s continuing aggression against the Palestinian people.

The expected standards (and pressure) applied on the Palestinian people and leadership must be equally applied on the Israeli government and its evident threat against the “existence of the Palestinian people” in their own homeland.

- END -

For further information, please contact:
Media and Information Programme, MIFTAH
Tel: +972 2 585 1842
Fax: +972 2 583 5184
E-mail: mip@miftah.org