A/HRC/35/19/Add.1
69.
In March 2017, the Secretary-General also expressed his concern that “Throughout
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, social media is monitored, and journalists and activists
are harassed, arrested, detained and, in some cases, subjected to ill-treatment or torture.
Authorities in both the West Bank and Gaza have also restricted peaceful assemblies. These
practices denote the rise of a repressive environment and promote self-censorship among
the Palestinian population.” 89 The recommendation has thus been assessed as “not
implemented”.
G.
Economic, social and cultural rights
70.
Seven per cent of the recommendations (63) are dedicated to economic, social and
cultural rights: 18 to the right to education, 16 to the right to health, seven to the right to
water and sanitation, 14 to the right to an adequate standard of living, and two to the right
to development. Most recommendations were addressed to Israel (49), 10 to Palestinian
authorities and four to the international community. The following table provides an
overview of the distribution of the issues covered by these recommendations and the
percentage within this review. Two recommendations have been selected to illustrate the
methodology followed to assess their implementation.
Table 9
Overview of recommendations related to economic, social and cultural rights
Number of
recommendations
Percentage in this
thematic area
Percentage of all
recommendations
Right to health
16
25.4%
1.7%
Right to education
18
28.6%
1.9%
7
11.1%
0.8%
14
22.2%
1.5%
8
12.7%
0.9%
Right to water
Adequate standard of
living, food, clothing,
housing
Development
Total
63
71.
The report of the High Commissioner of March 2013 on the implementation of
Human Rights Council resolutions S-9/1 and S-12/1 recommended that “Israel must ensure
that all wounded persons receive the required medical attention with the least possible
delay. To this effect, IDF should issue clear instructions that the wounded must receive
immediate attention, without discrimination, and staff must refrain from obstructing the
work of medical personnel, including Palestinian ambulance crews.”90
72.
Throughout 2016, OHCHR documented and raised concerns that Palestinians
wounded by Israeli security forces were not provided with medical assistance, or that such
assistance was significantly delayed, including by blocking Palestinian ambulances and first
responders. For example, “witnesses informed OHCHR that an Israeli medic arrived 12
minutes after Hadeel al-Hashlamoun was shot, but that she was not given first aid. Local
media reports said Palestinian medics present at the checkpoint were prevented from
reaching Ms. Al-Hashlamoun, and she was left bleeding for about 30 minutes.”91 In another
example, “regarding Basil Basim Sidir, two witnesses interviewed by OHCHR stated that,
although a medical team had reached the spot within a few minutes, the Israeli security
forces did not allow them to attend to the victim for around 15 minutes.”92
73.
No information is available indicating that instructions have been issued by the
Israeli security forces to its personnel to allow prompt medical attention to wounded
89
A/HRC/34/38, para. 70.
A/HRC/22/35 para. 71.
91
A/HRC/31/40 para. 16.
92
Ibid.
90
18
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