10-02-05,7:48am

GAZA, October 2, 2005 (IPC + Agencies) - - The UN Commission of Human Rights (UNCHR) held the Israeli occupation authorities responsible for the death of 33 newborn babies because they banned the mothers, while laboring, from reaching hospitals.The Commission laid stress on the necessity to put an end to such cruel practices.

It also inquired, in letters sent to the different bodies of the UN, to tackle the issue of the pregnant Palestinian women who are propelled to deliver their babies at the Israeli checkpoints, because of being prohibited from reaching hospitals by the Israeli soldiers.

UNCHR referred that the Secretary-General of the UN, leveled on July 11, 2004 a verbal note at both the Permanent Delegation of the Israeli government and the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine in the UN Office, in which he referred to his desire to acquire any information connected with the implementation of the above- mentioned decisions. No responses were received until now.

A Palestinian human rights report prepared by three organizations working in the domain of human and women rights, made clear that 55 women, since the beginning of Al-Aqsa Intifada till Mach 2004, delivered their babies at the Israeli checkpoints, whereas 33 babies of the 55 died.

In addition, the percentage of the pregnant women who delivered their babies under the medical care of specialist physicians decreased from 97% in the year of 2000 to 67% in 2002, that is to say that the percentage of home-born babies increased at the same period, which in turn exposed some mothers along with their babies to death.

Furthermore, the percentage of the conceived women who did not receive medical care measured up from 4,4% in 2000 to 19,6% in 2001, because of the oppressive shackles being imposed on the citizens in the occupied Palestinian territories.