Human Rights Watch describes the rule of Hamas and demands that it cease oppression against Gazas16/12/2010 Ramallah - "Palestine" Press - Human Rights Watch asked Hamas to reopen offices of organisations that help children and young people in Gaza and to punish those who harass employees of those organisations.
Sarah Leah Whitson of Human Rights Watch (HRW) explained in a report issued in May by HRW that Hamas repeatedly called on co-managers of the youth organisations and other personnel for interrogation, temporarily closed their offices and confiscated computers and other equipment, without any charges. She said that Hamas has said to members of the 'Human Rights Watch' that 4 employees are being investigated, but did not provide names or details about the acts that they are being suspected of. Hamas did not explain what justifies the closure of youth organisation offices in all parts of the Gaza Strip.
The Executive Director of the Middle East and North Africa's Human Rights Watch, Sarah Leah Whitson said: 'This arbitrary interference in the activities of an organization that provides invaluable services for the youth of Gaza is not the only latest evidence of the authoritarian tendency of Hamas.
Whitson said: "It is not enough that the population of Gaza is 'trapped' inside the area of small land, behold, now they face a bleak future subjecting everyone's spoken word or the work they are doing to be controlled by the 'security' of Hamas, which does not seem to have anything better to do".
She explained that, "Instead of intervention in civil society and seeking to control every aspect of the lives of civilians, Hamas should be focused on creating the conditions for a free society, develop the Gaza Strip, and train its security forces to respect the rights of the people".
She added: "Cracking down on organisations that provide necessary services to Gazans is not the practices of a society that respects freedom".
She named the Organisations that Hamas shut down and the named a number of NGOs. On August 17th, Hamas closed those organisations on arbitrary grounds, it seems. A medical clinic, as well as the office of a French charity operating in Khan Yunis. Hamas confiscated all the equipment from the medical clinict as well as the office of the charity organisation.
HRW said that Hamas shut down six local non-governmental organisations and confiscated their equipment in the southern town of Rafah, on May 31 and June 1. One of those organisations was a women's health and family planning clinic.
Human Rights Watch correspondent reported on National Public Radio based in the United States that, during the month of August, he interviewed student in the Faculty of Medicine who said Hamas seized control of most of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and expelled many qualified doctors from their offices for "political reasons."
There are documented cases, during the month of May, describing Hamas' harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture by the so-called "security forces" of Hamas crimes under the pretext of "ethical procedure."
She explained that, "Instead of intervention in civil society and seeking to control every aspect of the lives of civilians, Hamas should be focused on creating the conditions for a free society, develop the Gaza Strip, and train its security forces to respect the rights of the people".
She added: "Cracking down on organisations that provide necessary services to Gazans is not the practices of a society that respects freedom".
She named the Organisations that Hamas shut down and the named a number of NGOs. On August 17th, Hamas closed those organisations on arbitrary grounds, it seems. A medical clinic, as well as the office of a French charity operating in Khan Yunis. Hamas confiscated all the equipment from the medical clinict as well as the office of the charity organisation.
HRW said that Hamas shut down six local non-governmental organisations and confiscated their equipment in the southern town of Rafah, on May 31 and June 1. One of those organisations was a women's health and family planning clinic.
Human Rights Watch correspondent reported on National Public Radio based in the United States that, during the month of August, he interviewed student in the Faculty of Medicine who said Hamas seized control of most of the hospitals in the Gaza Strip, and expelled many qualified doctors from their offices for "political reasons."
There are documented cases, during the month of May, describing Hamas' harassment, arbitrary arrests, detention and torture by the so-called "security forces" of Hamas crimes under the pretext of "ethical procedure."
