Country: Palestine/Israel

In the context of the ongoing occupation of the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, Palestinians continue to be subjected to systematic human rights violations by the Israeli authorities, including various forms of collective punishment such as the excessive use of force and prolonged administrative detention without charge or trial, including against minors. Children continue to be tried and sentenced before military courts, in violation of international standards. Furthermore, Palestinians also face restrictions to their right to freedom of expression by the Israeli authorities, with some facing arrests after expressing their opinion on social media platforms.

Despite being a party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture since 2014, the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza systematically subject their populations to abuses. The practices of torture and arbitrary detention are widespread and, in recent years, reports of violations of freedom of speech and censorship have escalated. In particular, peaceful dissidents, including journalists and human rights defenders, have been victims of arrest and mistreatment in detention.