On December 10th every year, the United Nations celebrates Human Rights Day to promote human rights. This year, the occasion is designated to focus on efforts of banning torture worldwide under the theme "End Torture Now".

This occasion comes as Palestine and the whole region are immersed in continuing incidents of violence, political instability, and violations of human rights. Although the Israeli unilateral disengagement plan from Gaza led to absence of the physical existence of Israeli army from inside Gaza, it did not end the effective control of Palestinian civilian life; thus converting Gaza into a big prison with tremendous political, and socio-economical problems and challenges.

On the other hand, Israel has continued its policies of assassination, closures, expansion of settlement activities, and building the separation wall in the West Bank. All this left Palestinians with no hope in genuine peace, and gaining their freedom and other legitimate rights.

As the International Human Rights Day comes up, more than 8000 Palestinian man, woman and children are still imprisoned in different Israeli jails and detention centers; subjected to all forms of torture and deprivation, which affects them, their families, and the community as a whole - as shown by the research findings of the Gaza Community Mental Health Programme.

Despite that torture is internationally prohibited and considered a crime and a breach of the Fourth Geneva Convention, the Israeli government has renounced these agreements and slammed them all against the wall, through legalizing the use of physical and psychological torture against Palestinians. The last attack on prisoners at Ofer Prison is a blatant example, where prisoners were tear-gassed and beaten, resulting in injuring about 32 of them.

We seize this opportunity to call upon the UN Rapporteur on torture to visit Palestine - Israel to investigate conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, and the extent of their matching with the international law.

The purpose of choosing the "End Torture Now" theme for this year is the fact that the world is witnessing a new wave of torture under the pretext "War on Terror". Some forms of committed violations are; keeping prisoners in conditions prohibited by the international law, placing them in secret prisons, and transferring them to a place where they would be at risk of torture and other maltreatment. We believe that law provides the right balance between legitimate interests of state security and the individual's rights in liberty and personal safety. Therefore, pursuing security at any cost will create a world that is neither secure nor free.

The international community has a responsibility today more than ever to find new mechanisms to enforce international law and ensure adherence to it. This in itself is a challenge for the world to enforce the principles of the International Declaration on Human Rights.

On the occasion of the International Declaration on Human Rights Day, we call upon the international community, especially the signatories of the 4th Geneva Convention, and human rights organizations to fulfill their responsibilities and urge all countries to respect articles of international law, related to banning torture. In addition, the entire international community is also demanded to intensify efforts and show more support for the victims of torture around the world.

We call upon the Palestinian Authority, human rights organizations, and peace loving people in Israel to work on eradicating the culture of torture and spreading the values of tolerance and forgiveness.

Gaza Community Mental Health Programme