One month has passed since the events of 7 October 2023 and the onslaught on the people of Gaza and attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank continue unabated. We are witnessing another ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, with at least 1.4 million Palestinians in Gaza internally displaced and pressure towards forced displacement into Egypt mounting. Global outcry caused by the daily commission of genocide and other atrocity crimes are met by ever more vicious attacks at silencing peaceful protest and even basic dialogue.
Since 7 October 2023, ARDD’s Question of Palestine Program has been intensively engaged in initiatives to address the ongoing emergency.
The following provides a brief overview.
Since 7 October 2023, ARDD’s Question of Palestine Program has been intensively engaged in initiatives to address the ongoing emergency. The following provides a brief overview
- Weekly online emergency meetings of the Global Network on the Question of Palestine (GNQPP) have been held since 8 October 2023 to provide an opportunity of network members to take stock of the situation, brainstorm, and coordinate collective actions in response.
- GNQP statement under the title “Stop Genocide in Gaza” was drafted and published, in Arabic and English, on 17 October 2023, one of the first to characterize the ongoing situation in Gaza as meeting conditions in the Genocide Convention. Linked in English and Arabic
. - An announcement was issued by ARDD for those who are being threatened because of their advocacy for the Palestinian cause was published, in Arabic and English, on 22 October 202 Linked in English and Arabic
. - Participation in Genocide Working Group, established by ARDD member Al Haq, to discuss opportunities to address the commission of genocide in Gaza.
- Letter to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, jointly with Law for Palestine, sent on 17 October 2023 ahead of the OIC’s emergency meeting, the next day. Linked here.
Webinar: Gaza on the Brink: Israeli Genocidal Intent
in collaboration
with "Law for Palestine"
- Establishment of a Forced Displacement Working Group, jointly with the Community Action Center of Al Quds University, to monitor and address ongoing internal and threats of external forced displacement in/from the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.
- Weekly updated document of contributions by members of the GNQP to document and share critical interviews, letters, articles, webinars, etc. on the genocide in Gaza. Contributions by member organizations and individual members are included. Linked here
. - Engagement with key stakeholders, including UNRWA, UN-OCHA, EU agencies, CSOs, and others.
- Press briefing – On the Brink of Another Nakba, on 6 November 2023 ARDD held a press briefing in cooperation with the Community Action Center at Al Quds University in East Jerusalem and Al Mezan Center for Human Rights in Gaza to raise concerns about and provide legal, historical and political background to the ongoing ethnic cleansing currently taken place in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Invitation linked here. Recording linked here. Background paper linked here. Summary of the talk on ARDD website here.
- In the framework of Documenting Evidence in the Situation of Mass Murders & War Crimes Webinar Series and as part of the Question of Palestine and Access to Justice programs, ARDD held – From Temporary Mortuaries to Court Corridors Evidence Trial: Gathering Forensic Evidence About Mass Murders in Palestine for the recording and the press release
- Consideration of longer-term implications for the quest for a just and durable resolution. Whilst the focus is obviously on the immediate emergency, ARDD believes that the events since 7 October 2023 represent the biggest turning point with respect to the Question of Palestine. As such it will continue its critical engagement on regional implications, longer-term impact, future scenarios, etc., through the GNQP and other fora.
As Part of the Question of Palestine Program, ARDD launched the first edition of the Seminars Program to Monitor and Document the War in Palestine Updates as per the following Agenda
