In light of the violent events related to the “Return March” on the Gaza-Israel border, NGO Monitor notes the need for careful and independent analysis of claims and allegations made by organizations claiming to promote human rights. Numerous past examples highlight the false and unverifiable allegations regarding complex incidents from these groups, amplified by politicized bias. Examples include the false reporting related to the 2008/9 and 2014 Gaza wars, in which NGOs labeled combatants as civilians, provided incomplete and fictitious versions of events, accompanied by highly distorted versions of international law.

The series of confrontations labeled as the “Palestinian Return March” are organized by Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), all internationally recognized as terror groups. According to available evidence, the majority of the Palestinians reportedly killed in clashes with the IDF were males aged 18-30 and affiliated with these terror organizations. A number of sources provide the basis for allegations detailing armed attacks as well as the use of children as human shields. In this case, as in others, most NGOs, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, as well as Israeli and Palestinian groups lack the expertise, access or professional personnel necessary to assess the various claims.

In accordance with its mandate, NGO Monitor will be providing analysis of central NGO allegations, both as regard to fact and on legal claims.

See NGO Monitor’s analysis for details.