ICHR Palestine 2023-2025

ICHR conducted over 1100 monitoring visits to detention facilities meeting over 18 000 detainees and receiving over 700 complaints. A notable development is that the share of unsentenced detainees in prison sank from from 60.9% in 2023 to 45.5% in 2024. ICHR explain this decrease by the fact that the PA has built a new prison in Jenin and a new women's ward in Hebron. The ICHR received over 1500 complaints during 2024 which is a considerable decrease as compared to the 2400 complaints received during 2023 and 2900 received during 2022. ICHR explains this with reference to the war in Gaza and the destruction brought. In the West Bank the decrease is explained by a lack of confidence to the human rights system in addition to the deteriorating security situation. ICHR also monitored 39 cases of gender-based violence, which is also a decrease compared to 48 cases in 2023. The decrease of the number of GBV cases is due to the implementation of the new guidelines from the Ministry of Social Development for handling case management meetings. Based on the new policy, the Minsitry only invites the ICHR in cases of extreme danger to the victim, which limits the involvement of the ICHR. ICHR conducted a comprehensive study on the need of patients suffering from multiple sclerosis. The study was shared with the ministry of health which in turn decided to include physiotherapy and occupational therapy services into the national health insurance for people suffering from MS. According to the Deputy Minister of Health, two physical and occupational therapy centers will be established in the central and northern West Bank, and neurologists will be instructed to prescribe physical and occupational therapy for MS patients. The ICHR also successfully advocated for the exclusion of medical services in the amendment of the draft law on VAT. ICHR also contributed to the work of the ICC who accepted ICHRs entry as amicus curia in the process launched by South Africa. ICHR also continued its regular work of contributing to the efforts of the Permanent International Commission of Inquiry, with a focus on eye witness testimonies from Gaza and reports of sexual torture. In addition, ICHR also made efforts to alleviate the humanitarian suffering of the people in Gaza, including by deploying psychologist teams across Gaza shelter centers that reached 15,000 children with psychological discharge activities including group play, face painting, and interactive theater. ICHR also launched a "Right to Education Initiative" in Gaza which provided educational services to 15,000 students who lost access to destroyed or converted school. ICHR has also continued to implement the Gender Mainstreaming action plan, including staff capacity-building and the development of a ToR for the gender focal point in the ICHR. ICHR also applied the UN Women Assessment Tool to assess gthe extent of gender mainstreaming across its departments and units. Using the tool, which includes a questionnaire, a baseline was established with indicated a gender mainstreaming rate of 66% which means that there is room for improvement.

The new strategic plan 2023-2027 includes four major objectives defined as "purposes": 1. To promote measures of prevention, protection, accountability and redress; 2. Promote a national legislative, policy and institutional framework upholding human rights, in conjunction with sustainable development goals (SDGs); 3. Promote and consolidate the culture of human rights; 4. Promote ICHR's institutional development and sustainability.