Press briefing notes on Occupied Palestinian territory and Israel

We are concerned at a number of recent developments in the occupied Palestinian territory and Israel. 

We have received the worrying news that the Qassam Brigades executed one of their members in Gaza on 7 February. Mr Mahmoud Ishtewi had reportedly been detained for months by the Qassam Brigades without a judicial process for his alleged misconduct. There are credible reports that he was ill-treated during his detention.

Mr Mahmoud Ishtewi’s killing may amount to an extra-judicial killing and an arbitrary deprivation of life. We call upon the Palestinian authorities, including the authorities in Gaza, to quickly launch an independent and credible investigation.
We remind the Palestinian authorities, including the authorities in Gaza, of their obligations to respect the right to life and fair trial guarantees under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which came into force in Palestine in July 2014.   

We also remain deeply concerned at the situation of Mr Mohammad Al-Qiq, the Palestinian who has been on hunger strike for 80 days to protest against his administrative detention in Israel. His condition is reported to be critical. We once again call for Mr Al-Qiq, and all persons subject to administrative detention orders in Israel, to be either charged with a criminal offence or released immediately.

ENDS

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