Solidarity with PSI affiliates in Palestine

June 10, 2021, 14.00-15.30 - CET Time (Geneva)

REGISTER FOR THE WEBINAR

Background

May 2021 witnessed a new round of violence for 14 days between Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories – OPT - including a heavy bombing and shelling of the densely populated Gaza Strip for 11 days, in retaliation to rockets fired by Hamas and other militant groups.

Lives toll has been of 228 people in Palestine 66 of them were children, and 12 people died in Israel in rocket attacks including 2 children, registering the highest number of victims between civilians and children.

The violence took place after thousands of worshippers gathered at Al-Aqsa Mosque for their weekly Friday prayers and were met with a heavy police presence. Israel’s police forces fired rubber bullets and grenades and made arrests. The conflict came after nightly protests broke out at the start of the holy month of Ramadan over police restrictions at a popular gathering place. The demonstrations were reignited by the threatened eviction of dozens of Palestinians from their homes in the Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood of East Jerusalem, in violation of the UN Resettlement agreement and the International Law of 1967.

Aerial bombardment of the Gaza Strip, and escalations and settler-related violence in the West Bank including East Jerusalem, have resulted in a substantial number of fatalities and injuries.

From 7 to 17 May 2021, 228 Palestinians have been killed and 6,046 injured across the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT).

According to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - OCHA, there have been 91 attacks against health care in the OPT since the beginning of Ramadan, of which 70 occurred in West Bank including East Jerusalem, and 21 in Gaza Strip.

In Gaza Strip, 19 health facilities are damaged. In West Bank, 41 health workers are injured, and 21 health vehicles damaged. The attacks caused severe damage to six hospitals and eight primary care clinics in Gaza Strip. Also in Gaza, where 46% of essential drugs and 33% of essential medical supplies are at zero stock since 1 month, The Electricity outages affected health care functioning and reduced services for chemotherapy patients.

Damage to Water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure - WASH, including wastewater networks and the North Gaza Seawater Desalination Plant, is affecting public health measures during COVID-19 and risk of waterborne diseases.

As of 16 May, Nearly 100,000 people were displaced from their homes seeking refuge in UNRWA schools in Gaza Strip limiting physical distancing during COVID-19. Other more than 8000 are still without shelter and their homes are completely destroyed.

In Spite of the Ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that came into effect on 21 May 2021, ending 14 days of fighting, there is an urgent need to put pressure on the International community for the sustainability of this ceasefire and for the reconstruction of Gaza that respects the civilian and self-determination rights of the Palestinian people, while ensuring security of both Palestine and Israel in the perspective of Two People, Two States.

PSI 30th World Congress adopted the Resolution #50 on Palestine, as a strategic response to a threat putting in danger the whole peace process in the Middle East. The recent developments and the aggravation of the situation in Palestine are making the implementation of the resolution more urgent. The main aim of the Resolution is to support PSI and the International trade union community to contribute to the promotion of a sustainable peace through an Independent Palestinian State that provides quality public services to its citizens.

PSI in collaboration with its affiliates in Palestine will organize a webinar on 10th of June 2021, to share the outcomes of the Executive Board 156, in relation to the emergent situation, to update and coordinate with the affiliates on the way forward towards the implementation of the Resolution #50, and to assess the needs of the affiliates in Palestine.

The meeting aims to support the right of the Palestinian people to establish their own state in which all citizens enjoy their full rights and live in dignity.

Time: June 10, 2021, 14.00-15.30 CET

The Languages of the Webinar are English and Arabic and translation into Spanish will be provided.

Agenda

Moderator

• Najwa Hanna, PSI acting Sub Regional Secretary for Arab Countries

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Speakers

1 – Opening

• Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary, Public Services International

• Sani Baba Mohamed, PSI Regional Secretary for Africa and Arab Countries

• Shaher Saad, President of Palestinian General Federation of Trade Unions - PGFTU

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2 - Outcomes of PSI Executive Board and a briefing on the way forward for the implementation of the PSI Resolution Nr. 50

• Rosa Pavanelli, General Secretary, Public Services International

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3 – Introducing the situation in Palestine and Needs assessments

• Dr. Salama Abu Zaiter, President, General Trade Union of health workers – Gaza

• Anan AL ATTEEREH, President of the Supreme Committee for Health Emmergencies

• Dr. Ashraf Al A’awar, President, General trade union of health workers – West Bank (East Jerusalem)

• Samira Abdel Alim, Women Committee chair, Public Services - Gaza

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4 – Role of the International Trade union Movement to support Palestine

• Plenary discussion

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5 – Wrap up and Closure

[1] https://reliefweb.int/report/occupied-palestinian-territory/escalation-occupied-palestinian-territory-issue-2-17-may-2021