UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called Friday on the US to immediately lift sanctions it has imposed on three prominent Palestinian human rights groups, stating the measures are “completely unacceptable and should be withdrawn.”
The sanctions target Al-Haq, the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights. In imposing the sanctions, Washington cited the groups’ support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation of the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The move follows earlier US restrictions in June against Addameer, another well-known Palestinian NGO.
“For decades now, these NGOs have been performing vital human rights work, particularly on accountability for human rights violations,” Türk said, stressing that their work is “all the more important when international humanitarian and human rights laws are being violated systematically in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”
He urged the US not only to rescind these measures but to reverse earlier sanctions on the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian territories and on ICC judges and prosecutors. The sanctions, he warned, risk having a “chilling effect” on civil society in the region and beyond.
The statement comes against the backdrop of worsening conditions in Gaza, where Israel’s offensive to seize full control of Gaza City has intensified. UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said Friday that civilian casualties continue to mount, with strikes hitting a high-rise building and damaging tents housing displaced families. Nearly 41,000 people have fled Gaza City since mid-August, but many remain trapped by overcrowded shelters and soaring transportation costs.
The US has faced additional criticism over recent measures targeting Palestinians. Last week, the EU urged Washington to reverse its decision to block Palestinian Authority officials from obtaining visas ahead of the UN General Assembly, warning that the ban contradicts international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement.
