Human rights situation in the OPT – HRC seventh session/Non-Aligned statement – Letter from Cuba

SITUATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS IN PALESTINE

AND OTHER OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

Note verbale dated 6 March 2008 from the Permanent Mission of

Cuba to the United Nations Office at Geneva addressed to the

Human Rights Council secretariat

The Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations Office at Geneva and other international organizations in Switzerland presents its compliments to the Human Rights Council secretariat and has the honour to transmit herewith the statement* issued on 29 February 2008 by the Coordinating Bureau of the Non-Aligned Movement in New York on the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem.

The Permanent Mission of Cuba stresses the grave concern of the Non-Aligned Movement at the serious deterioration of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, as a result of the illegal aggressive actions by Israel, the occupying Power, and requests that this note and its annex be distributed as an official document of the Human Rights Council at its seventh session under agenda item 7.

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*  Reproduced in the annex as received.

Anexo

STATEMENT BY THE COORDINATING BUREAU OF THE NON-ALIGNED

MOVEMENT ON THE SITUATION IN THE OCCUPIED

PALESTINIAN TERRITORY, INCLUDING EAST JERUSALEM

The Members of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) express their grave concern over the Israeli aggressive escalation against the Palestinian people and the serious deterioration of the situation on the ground in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, particularly in the Gaza Strip.

The Members of the Non-Aligned Movement strongly condemn the continuing military assaults by Israel, the occupying Power, against the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaze Ship, which, since the beginning of the month of February, have resulted in the killing of 76 Palestinians, including 13 children. Such violent and illegal actions have deepened the suffering of innocent and defenceless Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who are already greatly suffering from continued imposition of the crippling Israeli siege and the ensuing humanitarian crisis. Moreover, this violent military escalation by Israel constitutes a grave breach of international law, including humanitarian and human rights law, fuels the cycle of violence and threatens international peace and security as well as the fragile peaces process between the two sides.

NAM calls upon the international community, especialy the Security Council, to uphold international law and its responsibilltles and to act urgently to address this growing crisis. Israel, the occupying Power, is called upon to immediately cease its violations and to abide by all of its obligations under international law and relevant United Nations resolutions as the occupying Power In the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.

NAM reaffirms its support for and solidarity with the Palestinian people during this critical period. Moreover, NAM reaffirms its long-standing principled positions calling, inter alia, for an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian and other Arab lands occupied since 1987, the realization of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital. NAM expresses the hope that the current dangerous deterioration of the situation will be halted and that positive developments on the ground will be generated to help advance the peace process towards the achievement of these goals and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.

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