16 January 2025. After 15 months of excruciating violence, Israeli authorities and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. The multi-phase deal includes the entry into Gaza of humanitarian aid, the return of Israeli hostages held in Gaza, and the release of Palestinian prisoners, many of whom were arbitrarily detained.
For Diana Alzeer, FIDH vice president and representative of Al-Haq, " The ongoing genocide has not ended with the ceasefire . Since the ceasefire was announced on January 15th, 81 Palestinians have been killed by Israel. This is only the first step, as the people of Gaza remain displaced, with no proper access to aid, no functioning healthcare system, no infrastructure, and no means to survive. As we witness this ceasefire, we call on all parties to act in accordance with their obligations under international law. The atrocity crimes, including genocide in Gaza, cannot be allowed to pass with impunity. Israel must be held accountable." She adds: "For the past 76 years, the injustice and denial of Palestinian rights have been allowed to continue. It is time for the world to value the lives of Palestinians equally to all others. It is time for the ongoing and historic injustices against Palestinians to end."
For Alexis Deswaef, FIDH Vice-President, who has just returned from Palestine and Israel: "Of course we’re relieved, at least, it will be a respite for civilians in Gaza and relief for the families of the hostages. We hope this is a first step towards peace. But, let’s not be naive, Hamas and Tsahal are used to breaking ceasefires. We are convinced that without justice, there can be no lasting peace. Now is the time for international investigations: gathering evidence and testimonies. Impunity must end, and only justice can achieve this."
Ilya Nuzov, head of the International Justice Desk at FIDH stresses: " This ceasefire must not be used as a means to erase the ongoing and historic failures to uphold human rights and international law in Palestine and Israel. The international community, including powerful states like the United States (US), which helped broker the agreement, must use every available means to hold all perpetrators of serious human rights violations to account. At the very least, they should not obstruct justice efforts. In that vein, current attempts to undermine the work of the International Criminal Court (ICC) by the US in response to the arrest warrants against Israeli officials are very alarming. The US Senate must not adopt the ’Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act’, which threatens not only accountability for atrocities in Palestine, but also the Court’s very existence at a time when the need for investigations and prosecutions of international crimes has never been more urgent."
FIDH calls on the international community to:
– Urge a lasting peace involving the end of the Israeli illegal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including eastern Jerusalem and the fulfillment of the right of return of Palestinian refugees displaced since 1948 as well as the right to self-determination;
– Protect and support the Palestinians in Gaza who are still living in disastrous conditions - this includes the entry of unrestricted aid, construction materials and allowance of freedom of movement to hospitals and access to healthcare currently unavailable in Gaza;
– Allow people in Gaza to return to their homes to rebuild their lives and infrastructure - this shall also include the ability of people who left Gaza to return;
– Act to protect and preserve evidence, and ensure that international bodies and journalists are allowed into Gaza to carry out their investigative work on atrocity crimes committed in the past 15 months;
– States should continue to impose arms embargoes on Israel, and new states should join such actions that strive to save human lives and end the ongoing violations committed in the occupied Palestinian territory;
– Support to the ongoing ICC investigation into international crimes committed in Palestine and Israel, as well as support for the current and future arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders;
– End of all plans of sanctions against the ICC and its partners.