Israeli military orders "in breach of international human rights law," warns UN Special Rapporteur http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/rwb.nsf/db900SID/EGUA-84NMDF?OpenDocument

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights on Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, Richard Falk, warned Monday that two Israeli Defense Forces Military Orders* may be in breach of the fourth Geneva Convention and violate the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 

Mr. Falk noted that "a wide range of violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law could be linked to actions carried out by the Government of Israel under these Orders, with particular gravity in the event that young persons become victims of their application." 

"The Orders appear to enable Israel to detain, prosecute, imprison and/or deport any and all persons present in the West Bank," noted the Special Rapporteur, basing his concern on Israel's new definition of the term 'infiltrator:' "A person who entered the Area unlawfully following the effective date, or a person who is present in the Area and does not lawfully hold a permit." 

"Even if this open-ended definition is not used to imprison or deport vast numbers of people, it causes unacceptable distress," the UN independent expert said. Mr. Falk further noted that "it is not at all clear what permit, if any, will satisfy this Order." "Illustrative of the potential for cruel abuse," he said, "is a provision of the Order requiring the person deported to pay the costs of his or her deportation, and suffer confiscations of property if unable to pay."