12 The Independent Commission for Human Rights - ICHR Preface by the Director General I am pleased to present the 27th Annual Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Palestine. The report seeks to provide a description that is as comprehensive and objective as possible of positive and negative developments in the human rights situation in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in 2021. The presentation is informed by a normative framework that is premised on international human rights conventions, which the State of Palestine has acceded to, as well as on the Palestinian Basic Law. By publishing the report, the ICHR aims to shed light on the situation of human rights and public freedoms in the territory of the State of Palestine, serving the inherent right of citizens and various community actors to access relevant information. The report showcases the outcome of another year of the reality of, and respect for, human rights by duty bearers. The ICHR also seeks to draw conclusions and come up with recommendations to be implemented, contributing to the respect for citizens’ rights, promoting human rights, redressing injustices done to citizens and social groups, and creating an enabling environment for upholding these rights. 2021 witnessed an alarming escalation in Israeli grave violations of human rights. These reached a peak in the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip in May 2021. The military offensive was triggered by a series of provocative measures carried out by the Israeli occupying authorities in the city of Jerusalem and on the grounds of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound. Israel also threatened to displace dozens of Palestinian families from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood and replace them with Jewish settlers. The Israeli aggression resulted in the killing of 288 Palestinian civilians, including 69 children, 40 women, and 17 older persons. More than 8,900 Palestinian citizens sustained various injuries. Of these, 90 were in critical health condition. The Israeli military attack mainly targeted civilian objects and infrastructure. The heavy bombardment caused extensive damage to these structures. While 1,447 housing units were totally destroyed, another 13,000 units suffered some degree of damage. The ICHR followed up on the catastrophic impacts of the Israeli military aggression on various walks of life. In the meantime, the ICHR released a series of documentary reports, monitoring the adverse effects of the aggression and exacerbated impingements on freedom of the press, right to health, citizens’ rights, and vital services. The ICHR also monitored the direct and indirect consequences of Israel’s offensive on the most vulnerable persons, worsening water and sanitation crises, wiping out of entire families, destruction of residential towers, and devastation of infrastructure. In the view of the ICHR, the resolution adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council regarding the establishment of an independent and permanent commission of inquiry into violations of the Israeli occupying authorities is a step towards holding Israeli chief officials to account for the crime they have committed. Along this vein, the ICHR met with the commission of inquiry after it had been established and submitted written documentation of the aggression on Gaza and, more generally, on Israeli abuses. The ICHR also presented the commission with a copy of the ICHR Special Report on the Israeli Aggression and its Consequences on the Situation of Fundamental Human Rights of the Gaza Citizens, including the 15-year-long siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. The Israeli occupying authorities escalated attacks on civil society organizations, particularly human rights groups. Having labelled them as “terrorist” organisations, Israel closed down six civil society actors. On several occasions, the IOF raids offices of the Palestinian Health Work Committees (PHWC) and arrested several staff members, including Ms. Shatha Odeh, PHWC Director General. Still, in detention, Ms. Odeh is facing fabricated, malicious charges of financing terrorism. These The Situation of Human Rights in Palestine