Protecting Civilians

Civilians are paying a high price for the escalating violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian Territories. Hundreds of innocent lives are being lost and hundreds of thousands deprived of theeir basic rights as the security situation deteriorates. A solution to the conflict can inly lie in a political process. In the meantime, civilians caught up in armed conflict are guaranteed the right to protection under international humantarian law. They cannot afford to wait for a negotiated settlement. Moreover, their protection will stregthen the path to peace and help to reduce poverty.