\/…<\/p>\n
The Council then held an interactive discussion with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967.<\/p>\n
S. Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said Israel continued to not grant him access to the occupied Palestinian territory, nor did it engage with him at any level.\u00a0 The refusal to cooperate with this mandate by the Government of Israel was in no one\u2019s best interests, and certainly not in the interests of the cause of human rights.\u00a0 The spectre of further annexation by Israel now loomed over the occupied territory.\u00a0 Annexation was a fundamental violation of international law.<\/p>\n
State of Palestine, speaking as a concerned country, said Israel\u2019s prolonged colonial exploitation was the direct cause of the suffering of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 The vision of peace and prosperity put forward by the United States administration denied the rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 This vision gave the green light to the Israeli Government to signal its decision to occupy more Palestinian territories.\u00a0 Collective punishment amounted to war crimes according to the Rome Statutes, and the blockade of Gaza was one of the worst forms of collective punishment.<\/p>\n
In the ensuing discussion, speakers said collective punishment was a flagrant violation of human rights, and Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the mandate should not be allowed to continue.\u00a0 Citing the withholding of bodies, destructions of homes, impediment of freedom of movement and the siege on Gaza, settlement expansion and extrajudicial killings committed by Israel, speakers said the international community must act.\u00a0 Other speakers noted that an entire agenda item was dedicated to Israel, the only country to which such a situation applied, pointing out that Israel had provided Palestinian territories during the COVID-19 pandemic with training and testing kits.<\/p>\n
Speaking were the State of Palestine on behalf of the Arab Group, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Tunisia on behalf of the African Group, Azerbaijan on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Tunisia, Malaysia, Qatar, Djibouti, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Libya, China, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Russian Federation, Pakistan, Senegal, Venezuela (video message), Cuba, Kuwait (video message), Namibia, Syrian Arab Republic, Iran, Chile, Mauritania, Bangladesh, Jordan, Indonesia, Botswana, South Africa, Morocco, Bahrain, Iraq, Lebanon, Oman, Turkey, Sudan, Egypt, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Yemen, United Arab Emirates, Algeria, Niger, Nicaragua, European Union, Germany on behalf of group of countries, Spain and Syria.<\/p>\n
Also taking the floor were the following non-governmental organizations : Ingenieurs de Monde, Amnesty International (video message), World Evangelical Alliance, European Union of Jewish Students, ADALAH – Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel (video message), Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, Institute for NGO Research (video message), Al-Haq, Law in the Service of Man (video message), United Nations Watch, and Lutheran World Federation.<\/p>\n
\/…<\/p>\n
Documentation<\/strong><\/p>\n The Council has before it the\u00a0 Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967\u00a0<\/strong>(A\/HRC\/44\/60<\/a>\u00a0– Advance Unedited Version).<\/p>\n Presentation of the Report<\/strong><\/p>\n S. MICHAEL LYNK, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said Israel continued to not grant him access to the occupied Palestinian territory, nor did it engage with him at any level.\u00a0 The refusal to cooperate with this mandate by the Government of Israel was in no one\u2019s best interests, and certainly not in the interests of the cause of human rights.\u00a0 The spectre of further annexation by Israel now loomed over the occupied territory.\u00a0 Annexation was a fundamental violation of international law.\u00a0 What would be left of the West Bank following annexation would be a Palestinian Bantustan, islands of disconnected land completely surrounded by Israel and with no territorial connection to the outside world.\u00a0 The already large-scale patterns of human rights violations associated with the occupation would likely only intensify and get worse in the aftermath of the annexation.\u00a0 The international community had criticized Israel when it annexed East Jerusalem and the Syrian Golan Heights 40 years ago, but it had taken no meaningful countermeasures to oppose Israel\u2019s actions.\u00a0 This time must be different.<\/p>\n Turning to collective punishment, Mr. Lynk noted that it was an inflamed scar that ran across the entire 53-year-old Israeli occupation of Palestine.\u00a0 Notwithstanding numerous resolutions, reports and reminders critical of its use, Israel continued to rely upon collective punishment as a prominent instrument in its coercive toolbox of population control.\u00a0 Yet, collective punishment was a tool of control and domination that was anti-ethical to the modern rule of law.\u00a0 Like torture, the use of collective punishment flouted law and morality, dignity and justice, and stained all those who practiced it.<\/p>\n Statement by Concerned Country<\/strong><\/p>\n State of Palestine, speaking as a concerned country, expressed appreciation for the work of the Special Rapporteur.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s prolonged colonial exploitation was the direct cause of the suffering of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 The vision of peace and prosperity put forward by the United States administration denied the rights of the Palestinian people.\u00a0 This vision gave the green light to the Israeli Government to signal its decision to occupy more Palestinian territories.\u00a0 Collective punishment amounted to war crimes according to the Rome Statutes, and the blockade of Gaza was one of the worst forms of collective punishment.\u00a0 The COVID-19 pandemic had only further intensified the suffering and violations conducted under collective punishment, as the State of Palestine called for an end of the occupation.<\/p>\n Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n Speakers said collective punishment was a flagrant violation of human rights, and Israel’s refusal to cooperate with the mandate should not be allowed to continue.\u00a0 Citing the withholding of bodies, destruction of homes, impediment of freedom of movement and the siege on Gaza, settlement expansion and extrajudicial killings committed by Israel, speakers said the international community must act.\u00a0 The need to continue providing support to the Palestinian people was stressed.\u00a0 Everyday, the occupying forces adopted provocative measures amounting to collective punishment and reflected the racist mentality of the occupier, which was attempting to destroy the Palestinian people.\u00a0 Urging the parties to resume negotiations, speakers emphasised that it was indispensable that the occupation ended.<\/p>\n Interim Remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n S. MICHAEL LYNK, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, stated that there were many measures that States could take to influence Israel, referring to his earlier report on accountability in October 2019 to the General Assembly.\u00a0 In situations when there was a need to ensure the respect of international humanitarian law, the International Committee of the Red Cross had developed a non-exhaustive list of countermeasures that included exerting diplomatic pressure, intervening directly with commanders, referring a situation to the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, requesting a meeting of the high contracting parties, and non-renewal of trade privileges, among others.\u00a0 Countermeasures could also include arms embargos, financial restrictions, flight bans, and the reduction or suspension of aid and cooperation agreements.\u00a0 The Special Rapporteur noted that he had recommended in the past posing an advisory opinion coming from the General Assembly to the International Court of Justice for the peaceful settlement and a legal ruling with respect to annexation and illegal occupation.\u00a0 Otherwise, Israel, the occupying power, would continue to enjoy impunity with respect to the conduct of the occupation, as that occupation now turned into formal annexation.<\/p>\n Discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n Speakers noted the denial of access for the Special Rapporteur to the occupied Palestinian territories by Israel.\u00a0 The annexation plans of illegal settlements in the West Bank were condemned by many speakers, who emphasised its illegality under international law.\u00a0 The publication of the list of businesses associated with illegal Israeli settlements was welcomed by speakers.\u00a0 Continued displacement of Palestinians, the inhumane blockade of Gaza, and systematic violations of Palestinian rights made up an unsustainable and unacceptable reality.\u00a0 Other speakers noted that an entire agenda item was dedicated to Israel, the only country to which such a situation applied, pointing out that Israel had provided Palestinian territories during the COVID-19 pandemic with training and testing kits.<\/p>\n Concluding Remarks<\/strong><\/p>\n S. MICHAEL LYNK, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, said that as of last week, there were 5,500 reported cases of COVID-19 in the occupied Palestinian territories and 72 in Gaza, and reminded that Israel remained primarily responsible for the right to health, as the occupying power.\u00a0 He recalled that former Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, during his last visit to Gaza and the occupied Palestinian territory in 2016, had called for the blockade on Gaza to be lifted, and all acts of collective punishment to be ended.\u00a0 As long as Israel continued to occupy Palestine and as long as the Palestinian people were denied the right to self-determination, this had to be a foremost concern for the world.\u00a0 In the resolutions pointed out by speakers who were against Israel being singled out by the Council, it was not Israel that was being singled out for its existence as a State, it was Israel\u2019s continued occupation of Palestinian territory and its refusal to give Palestinians self-determination that was being singled out.\u00a0 There was deliberate confusion of those two points entertained by those who were unfriendly to efforts by the international community to end the occupation.<\/p>\n \/..<\/p>\n For use of the information media; not an official record<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" \/… The Council then held an interactive discussion with the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967. S. 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