Madam Chair,
We thank the Chair of the Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices Affecting the Human Rights of the Palestinian People and Other Arabs of the Occupied Territories and the Assistant Secretary General for Human Rights for their briefing.
We commend the work of the Committee despite continuous non-response and non-cooperation from Israel.
We thank the Secretary-General for his report with very concrete recommendations.
Madam Chair,
At the outset, I would like to reiterate what we urged today morning before this Committee under item 49; immediate ceasefire is the call of the day to stop further killing of innocent civilians and we need to ensure immediate, continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential supplies and services to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip without further delay.
In every minute, Israeli Occupying Forces has been killing Palestinians and UN staffs, attacking even the hospitals, schools, refugee camps. Six (6) hours ago, we were here with the report of killing of 72 UNRWA staffs and the number is now 79.
At this unprecedented situation, the United Nations especially the Security Council needs to take urgent action to stop the killing.
Madam Chair,
Both, the reports of the Secretray-General and the report of the Special Committee have narrated, how the rights of the Palestinians and other Arabs of the occupied territories have been affected by the illegal Israeli practices and settlement activities and the latest update of Israel’s illegal acts of settlements, demolition, and forced evictions.
We have witnessed the highest number of demolitions in East Jerusalem this year, particularly in a single month of February 2023, since 2019. We are extremely concerned on Israel’s plans to consolidate the ring of settlements that will encircle East Jerusalem with and separate it from other parts of the West Bank. We also strongly protest the regularization of outposts and illegal structures and the process of settlement of land title.
Settler violence has become doubled resulting in Palestinian deaths, injuries and/or property damage in the last reporting period of the Secretray-General. It is concerning that the illegal settlers have been enjoying impunity from the highest political level and even illegal settler leader has been appointed as Minister.
Indeed, Israel has been showing clear policies for ensuring complete control over the Occupied Palestinian Territory and is acting to alter the demography through the maintenance of a repressive environment for Palestinians and a favorable environment for Israeli settlers.
Continuation of this culture of impunity and encouragement of illegal practices and policies, and UN’s failure to take any action, have been deteriorating the situation and making the situation beyond control and remedy. These illegal acts will further make the two-State solution illusive.
Therefore, we refer to the observations and recommendations made by Secretary- General and urge for consensus actions from this august Assembly to make Israel comply with those recommendations.
We also refer to the resolution adopted in the 10th Emergency Special Session on 27 October 2023 which firmly rejected any attempts at forced transfer of the Palestinian civilian population.
Madam Chair,
We thank the Special Committee for very specific and direct recommendations which will help to uphold the rights of the Palestinians. On the basis of those recommendations, the General Assembly and the member States need to take concrete measures to hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. We also refer to the recommendations of the Committee to urge Security Council to consider sanctions against Israel if it persists in paying no attention to its international legal obligations.
Madam Chair,
Since 07 October 2023, Israel has killed more than 10000 Palestinians, and almost half of them are children. To that end we refer to the recommendation of Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, to include Israel/oPt in the list of parties that commit grave violations against children of in the annexes to the Secretary General’s report on children and armed conflict in accordance with Security Council resolution 1379 (2001) and subsequent resolutions.
Madam Chair,
For decades, we have been talking about the rights of the Palestinians under the illegal occupation of Israel, we have been urging to ensure the rights of the Palestinians, ensure accountability; we have been talking about violation of International human rights and humanitarian law by Israel and its disregard to numerous resolutions adopted in the General Assembly and the Security Council.
However, we have failed to take any concrete action to solve this crisis particularly action for the well-recognized two State solution with pre-1967 order.
In consequence, today, we have been seeing one of the direst humanitarian crises of the world where we have been witnessing blockade of humanitarian assistance, targeted killing of civilians and UN personnel and use of white phosphorus in artillery shells. Even, we have heard of threatening to take any steps including the use of nuclear weapons.
Madam Chair,
I would like to repeat what we said in the Emergency Special Session, it is not acceptable collectively punishing a civilian population who has been struggling for their independence for more than seven decades and any attack cannot be justified in the name of “Right to Self Defense”. As an occupying power, Israel’s claim of right to self-defence and its endorsement by many, its nothing but a fallacy of international law on the question of occupation and the rights and duties of occupying power. It is our collective duty to end this oppression and heinous attack.
Madam Chair,
We need to say again, ensuring the rights of the people of Palestine is possible only by establishing an independent, viable, and sovereign Palestinian State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, under a two-state solution based on the pre-1967 borders. We urge all to take all necessary measures towards this end. We also call for the withdrawal of Israel from the Syrian Golan.
I thank you.