During its fifty-eighth session, under discussion of Item 7, concerning the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory and the occupied Syrian Golan, the United Nations Human Rights Council condemned the grave violations committed by the occupying power and their repercussions under international law. Members affirmed their rejection of the ongoing war crimes, violations of the ceasefire agreement, and the killing of civilians, amid international calls for firm action to ensure accountability.
At the opening of the session, the High Commissioner's Representative reviewed reports issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including the illegality of settlements, the cessation of settlement expansion and land confiscation, and the need to hold all war criminals accountable.
Representatives of the Arab, African, and Latin American groups, as well as the Non-Aligned Movement and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, participated in the discussion. Representatives of the Council's member states condemned the continued illegal occupation of Palestinian territory and denounced the aggression and crimes against humanity.
Most of the Council's member states delivered speeches, including: Algeria, Kuwait, Morocco, Mexico, Spain, South Africa, Maldives, Indonesia, Brazil, Colombia, Chile, China, Bangladesh, Cuba, Vietnam, Qatar, Bolivia, and Sudan.
Several observer states also participated in the Council, including Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the Knights of Malta, Iraq, Brunei Darussalam, Luxembourg, South Korea, Jordan, Slovenia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Djibouti, Egypt, Peru, Malaysia, Nigeria, Eritrea, Oman, Russia, Senegal, Ireland, Bahrain, Mauritania, Afghanistan, Tunisia, Venezuela, Libya, Uganda, Cambodia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka.
The speakers emphasized that the humanitarian and political situation in the Palestinian territories has reached an unprecedented level of danger, in light of the occupation's continued denial of humanitarian aid, the use of starvation as a weapon of war, and the forced displacement of civilians. They pointed to Israel's settlement and aggressive practices, which constitute a flagrant violation of international law. They emphasized the need to comply with the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice and to implement international law. They also expressed their full solidarity with the Palestinian people and their firm position to achieve justice and the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, as well as their continued support for UNRWA.
In his speech on behalf of the State of Palestine, the Permanent Representative of the State of Palestine to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Ibrahim Khraishi, called on the international community to take immediate and practical steps to hold the occupation accountable for its crimes and to halt its policies of genocide and forced displacement. He stressed the importance of guaranteeing the rights of the Palestinian people, foremost among them the right to self-determination, and for states to assume their legal responsibilities under international treaties to end the occupation and establish an independent Palestinian state on the borders of June 4, 1967, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
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The Human Rights Council condemns the occupation's crimes and calls for it to be held accountable for its violations.