Human Rights Concerns Over Digital Currency Control in Gaza

The European-Mediterranean Human Rights Watch has issued a warning regarding Israeli-American initiatives aimed at extracting liquidity from the Gaza Strip and enforcing the mandatory use of digital wallets. This organization calls for opposition to any financial or digital policies overseen by occupiers in the absence of governance.

In a statement, the international body emphasized that such plans seek to undermine the financial sovereignty of Gaza, transforming access to money and essential transactions from an inherent right into a revocable privilege. This shift poses a significant threat to crucial security decision-making processes.

Furthermore, the statement raised alarms about the restriction of advanced internet services to specific areas, such as the region referred to as ‘New Rafah.’ This practice is viewed as unacceptable, particularly when technology is employed as a tool for demographic pressure.The European-Mediterranean Human Rights Watch stressed that any digital infrastructure controlled by occupiers could become a collective pressure tool against the population especially targeting journalists activists and human rights defenders. Additionally linking financial services or humanitarian aid to any security arrangements or political conditions is deemed unacceptable.

In conclusion the international organization underscored the necessity for any digital framework to undergo independent and organized scrutiny concerning privacy cybersecurity and its implications for human rights.