19 June 2024<\/p>\n
The Human Rights Council this morning started an interactive dialogue with the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel.<\/p>\n
Navi Pillay, Chair of the Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel, said since 7 October, the Commission had carried out two parallel investigations: first, into attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel on 7 and 8 October and, second, into Israeli military operations and attacks in Gaza between 7 October and 31 December.<\/p>\n
In relation to Israel\u2019s military operations and attacks in Gaza from 7 October, the Commission concluded that Israeli authorities were responsible for war crimes, crimes against humanity and violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.\u00a0 Israel\u2019s total siege of the Gaza Strip had weaponised the provision of life-sustaining necessities for strategic and political gains, including through cutting off supplies of water, food, electricity, fuel and other essential supplies, including humanitarian assistance.\u00a0 The Commission found Israeli forces committed sexual and gender-based violence with the intent to humiliate and further subordinate the Palestinian community.<\/p>\n
In relation to the attack of 7 October 2023 in Israel, the Commission found that Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups were responsible for the war crimes of intentionally directing attacks against civilians, murder or wilful killing, torture, inhuman or cruel treatment, destroying or seizing the property of an adversary, outrages upon personal dignity, and taking hostages.\u00a0 Children were killed, injured and physically and emotionally mistreated and instrumentalised by attackers for propaganda purposes.\u00a0 The Commission identified patterns indicative of sexual violence and concluded that these were not isolated incidents but perpetrated in similar ways in several locations by Palestinian perpetrators, primarily against Israeli women.\u00a0 The Commission would continue its investigations into all crimes under international law with the aim of achieving justice and accountability.<\/p>\n
A representative from Israel, speaking as a country concerned, said she was the mother of a 23-year-old woman who was shot by Hamas on 7 October.\u00a0 \u00a0She was brutally dragged by her hair from the car along the road.\u00a0 That was 257 days ago, and 119 hostages were still being held incommunicado in the Gaza Strip to this day.\u00a0 Since 7 October, the world had been confronted with the grim reality of sexual violence which occurred on the date.\u00a0 However, the report of the Commission of Inquiry had failed to address these accounts.\u00a0 The recent report of the Commission trivialised the sexual violence experienced by the Israeli hostages.\u00a0 The enforced disappearances of the hostages by Hamas constituted cruel and inhumane treatment, a reality completely overlooked by the Commission of Inquiry.\u00a0Everyone should be on the same side, the side against hostage-taking.<\/p>\n
State of Palestine, speaking as a country concerned, said the number of deaths in Gaza had reached more than 37,400 and there were more than 80,000 wounded, 72 per cent of whom were women and children.\u00a0 In the West Bank, there were 553 dead, including 130 children, and more than 5,200 wounded, and there were more than 9,000 detainees since 7 October, of whom 3,700 were still in Israeli prisons, including 640 children.\u00a0 In addition to the daily and continuous attacks by the occupation\u2019s army, other violations had been committed against the residents of Jerusalem, including the continued theft of land, the construction of settlements, the theft of Palestinian funds, and the threat of punitive measures.\u00a0 The occupying power continued its aggression and the war of genocide against the Palestinian people, and this was confirmed in the report.<\/p>\n
In the discussion, many speakers, among other things, said the report reflected the dire situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, noting war crimes and crimes against humanity.\u00a0 Many speakers condemned the actions of the Israeli forces against the Palestinian people.\u00a0 Around 38,000 persons had died in the conflict, most of whom were women and children.\u00a0 Israel needed to cease the targeting of civilian infrastructure and civilians.\u00a0Some speakers noted massive human rights violations by Israeli authorities in Gaza, Jerusalem and the West Bank, including acts of torture, sexual violence, forced displacement and settler violence.\u00a0 Some speakers condemned Hamas and its 7 October attacks.\u00a0 The report showed that Hamas had committed war crimes, violations of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity, including widespread sexual violence.\u00a0 Many speakers called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.\u00a0They said all parties to the conflict needed to fully implement a permanent ceasefire without delay and respect international law.<\/p>\n
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Speaking in the discussion on the occupied Palestinian territory were Australia, Norway on behalf of a group of countries, European Union, Venezuela on behalf of a group of countries, Qatar on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council, Pakistan on behalf of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Jordan on behalf of the League of Arab States, Uganda on behalf of the Non-Aligned Movement, Chile on behalf of a group of countries, Norway on behalf a group of countries, Gambia on behalf of a group of African States, T\u00fcrkiye, Chile, Kuwait, Egypt, Ireland, Sierra Leone, Indonesia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Morocco, Liechtenstein, Maldives, Luxembourg, France, Germany, Algeria, Belgium, Slovenia, Saudi Arabia, Netherlands, Spain, Iraq, Bangladesh, Colombia, Iran, Russian Federation and China.<\/p>\n
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