What is International Humanitarian Law (IHL)?

International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is comprised of rules, which, ih times of armed conflict seek to protect persons who are not or no longer taking part in the hostilities, and to restrict the methods and means of warfare employed.
IHL rules are particularly intended to address matters of humanitarian concern arising directly from armed conflicts, whether of an international or non-international nature.

OBJECTVES
* To increase of IHL principles to staff and volunteers at the PRCS in addition to non-governmental organization such as academic institutions, trade unions and other civil society institutions.

• To document IHL violations on issues related to the work of the PRCS in order to ensure the protection of the medical staff and the basic rights of ambulance teams in their mission to provide medical treatment to the sick and the wounded, in according with the rules of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and their additional protocols of 1977.
• To provide legal advice on IHL to other PRCS units in order to support and enhance service delivery and performance.

ACTIVITIES

To achieve the mentioned objectives, the IHLU implements the following:
• Design and implementation of educational and training programs on subjects related to IHL for PRCS staff and representatives of civil society organizations.
• Design and implementation of training programs to train trainers on IHL.
• Publication of IHL related documentation in form of booklets, brochures, pamphlets, etc.
• Preparation of reports on IHL violations, with a focus on PRCS work-related issues.
• Facilitate meetings and organize workshops on priority issues, such as the use and misuse of Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems.
• Advocate for the enactment of Palestinian Law concerning the Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems ,to regulate its use and guarantee that it is not misused
• Documentation of IHL violations through the collection and analysis of data.
• Preparation and circulation of a legal reference guide concerning selected IHL topics and violations to relevant PRCS departments and units , researchers and others concerned. This guide is update regularly.
• Establishment of a specialized IHL reference library available to trainees , researchers and others.
• Participation in conferences and international forums specialized in IHL, especially those organized by the ICRC and the International Red Cross and Red Crescent.
Movement, in order to maintain an ongoing relationship with similar organizations and stay current and up to date with respect to developments and codification in IHL.
The Palestine Red Crescent Society‘s (PRCS) International Humanitarian Law Unit (IHLU) was initiated in 2002 and it is one of the society’s specialized resource units.