Region | Palestinian Territories
Incidents of rights abuse in Gaza and West Bank rise
Human rights conditions have worsened in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, a Palestinian rights group said on Tuesday.
- Agencies
- Published: 16:14 May 27, 2008
Ramallah: Human rights conditions have worsened in both the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, a Palestinian rights group said on Tuesday.
The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens' Rights (PICCR) said rights abuses had increased in both territories after Hamas seized control of the Gaza Strip in June.
"Our report finds that unfortunately because of what happened in Gaza, and the violent confrontation between Fatah and Hamas, grave human rights violations have resulted," said PICCR head Mamdouh Al Aker.
Human rights groups have reported abuses by Hamas forces in Gaza, such as the killing of prisoners in detention, and some cases of torture during interrogation.
In the West Bank, Hamas has also complained about a Fatah crackdown against its members, including the torture of its members.
Aker said representatives of his group met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Monday and asked to him to ban torture in the Palestinian areas.
"We told him we have noticed a tendency towards militarisation in both areas, as if a state of lawlessness had shifted to a sort of a security state, a police state. We don't want our future state to be a police state," Aker said.
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